Jim Granter

Washed £75 today at 30 degrees in my trousers back pocket, full cycle, biological.  Came out a bit limp and very annoyed, but dried nicely on the radiator and is obviously non-iron.

Put the milk bottle in the cups cupboard instead of the fridge yesterday. Exit strategy to residential care going well. Hope they are on the internet.

Managed to go present shopping successfully (what a lot of double letters) at Next in Tunstall, ready for birthday party on Saturday and print off the directions to the Ramada in Leeds.

After 2 or 3 hours mostly staring at numbers and doing adding up and taking away sums, I reconciled my spreadsheet of the accounts for Arthritis Care Stoke Branch with the Bank Statement, ready for the Annual Return to HQ. Took me back 44 years to first job; I was and still am hopeless at double-entry bookkeeping, so at least that’s not age.

Frank Lloyd Wright at the Thursday WEA/Keele class and an hour of pilates this morning.

The Robie Residence, Chicago

Both very relaxing and stimulating at the same time. Return home from pilates to find letter from Teachers’ Pensions – I am going to be taxed £100 extra per month! Cleared it up with Robert in Cardiff, to get the Age Related Allowance Tax Code change from 22L to 323L! Only being taxed about £50 extra per month now. (State pension is taxable, so IR get Teachers’ Pensions to tax me on it and I get State Pension Gross).

Manchester or Brighton? A life in either, it seems to me, must be very good indeed. Both are places to be ‘proud of’ living in. Libraries, galleries, cinemas, new and used shops, eccentrics who aren’t really because nobody takes any notice, trend-, fashion-, ideas-setting rather than following, little or no discernible generation gap (whatever that is), a certain confidence in the air which I’ve also seen and felt in Melbourne, New York, Portland, Seattle, Asheville and Vancouver.

Been on a great day out, by train from just up the road from home to a short walk to the Whitworth.

Interesting to read of his interest in education and the arts.

Thanks for creating this site, Beth . Many happy hours lie ahead.