It was pleasant to get up this morning and know that I didn't have to do the long trip to Dorking - just a 15 minute commute into Salisbury. I hoisted the Wiltshire flag before I left as I would be spending the day in the county and this evening going to Malmesbury on official Wiltshire Provincial Officer business. I attended a seminar in the morning about how to handle ones own financial affairs - an FSA compulsory attendance which taught me very little - such obvious information was imparted such as "
You can be repossessed if you don't pay your mortgage instalments" or "
It's a good idea to check your bank and utility statements on a monthly/regular basis". Surprisingly, I do that already. I ticked the boxes and returned to the office for some further meetings. I am sure the seminar is good for secondary school students and perhaps even university students who have been saddled with a loan but really not for financial services employees. A more important meeting was to acquire my spectacles voucher so that I could go to the opticians and get my new spectacles prepared. I was delighted to find that they could provide me with two new pairs within an hour as they had the correct lenses available and I was not wanting non-reflective lenses. I was delighted to get them later in the afternoon. My new Gucci pair felt a little odd as the varifocal positions and the wider field of vision seems weird - but I am sure I will get used to them and the stronger reading element is so much better and clearer. I shall keep my old photochromic ones for use as sunglasses - especially on holiday and on the beach. Tonight I attended the Founders' Night meeting of St. Aldhelm's Lodge No. 2888 in Malmesbury. It is quite a drive up to the northernmost point of the county of Wiltshire entailing a drive through Devizes and Chippenham. The town of Malmesbury is lovely with its market square, cross and wonderful abbey (or what is left of it). Originally it boasted a spire to rival that of Salisbury's - 431 feet (some 27 feet taller than Salisbury's) but, alas, Henry VIII did his worst and not much is left. However, what is left is magnificent and some day I must visit the town for a reason other than a Masonic meeting. The evening was delightful. The ceremony (a 1st) perfect and the dinner afterwards enjoyable - smoked mackerel, veal in a mushroom and garlic sauce, lemon meringue pie and cheese and biscuits. The only criticism is that with 82 people in Malmesbury's small dining room, it was quite a crush and it was not easy to wield the knife and fork. I sat with the Provincial Grand Secretary and Assistant Provincial Grand Secretary both of whom are excellent company. The PGM was also delighted to see me having made the trip up from Salisbury. The dinner was quite a lengthy affair and I didn't get back home until just after midnight (I noted the mileage as 64 for the journey back via Marlborough and Andover). A late night to bed, after writing this blog and reading my emails - but another day in Salisbury. Worth keeping the Wiltshire flag flying.
It was pleasant to get up this morning and know that I didn't have to do the long trip to Dorking - just a 15 minute commute into Salisbury. I hoisted the Wiltshire flag before I left as I would be spending the day in the county and this evening going to Malmesbury on official Wiltshire Provincial Officer business. I attended a seminar in the morning about how to handle ones own financial affairs - an FSA compulsory attendance which taught me very little - such obvious information was imparted such as "You can be repossessed if you don't pay your mortgage instalments" or "It's a good idea to check your bank and utility statements on a monthly/regular basis". Surprisingly, I do that already. I ticked the boxes and returned to the office for some further meetings. I am sure the seminar is good for secondary school students and perhaps even university students who have been saddled with a loan but really not for financial services employees. A more important meeting was to acquire my spectacles voucher so that I could go to the opticians and get my new spectacles prepared. I was delighted to find that they could provide me with two new pairs within an hour as they had the correct lenses available and I was not wanting non-reflective lenses. I was delighted to get them later in the afternoon. My new Gucci pair felt a little odd as the varifocal positions and the wider field of vision seems weird - but I am sure I will get used to them and the stronger reading element is so much better and clearer. I shall keep my old photochromic ones for use as sunglasses - especially on holiday and on the beach. Tonight I attended the Founders' Night meeting of St. Aldhelm's Lodge No. 2888 in Malmesbury. It is quite a drive up to the northernmost point of the county of Wiltshire entailing a drive through Devizes and Chippenham. The town of Malmesbury is lovely with its market square, cross and wonderful abbey (or what is left of it). Originally it boasted a spire to rival that of Salisbury's - 431 feet (some 27 feet taller than Salisbury's) but, alas, Henry VIII did his worst and not much is left. However, what is left is magnificent and some day I must visit the town for a reason other than a Masonic meeting. The evening was delightful. The ceremony (a 1st) perfect and the dinner afterwards enjoyable - smoked mackerel, veal in a mushroom and garlic sauce, lemon meringue pie and cheese and biscuits. The only criticism is that with 82 people in Malmesbury's small dining room, it was quite a crush and it was not easy to wield the knife and fork. I sat with the Provincial Grand Secretary and Assistant Provincial Grand Secretary both of whom are excellent company. The PGM was also delighted to see me having made the trip up from Salisbury. The dinner was quite a lengthy affair and I didn't get back home until just after midnight (I noted the mileage as 64 for the journey back via Marlborough and Andover). A late night to bed, after writing this blog and reading my emails - but another day in Salisbury. Worth keeping the Wiltshire flag flying.
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