Lighthouse

I've treated myself. A new laptop. My 'old' one has just celebrated it's fourth birthday so it's future reliability must be suspect. It's recently cost me a new transformer, and is in line for a new battery any time soon.

I've been checking around since Christmas. Keeping my eyes open through the January sales, but thankfully I was not tempted. Toshiba have now offered a £100 cash back on the model I've chosen, so it's too good to miss. O.K, no Vista, just the old reliable XP Pro, but with the option to up-grade at a later date.

I've spent most of my free time today, sorting my e-mail contacts and making sure I have back up for all the information I might need. I've also been clearing out a load of rubbish, amazed at the amount I've accumulated over the past few months/years.

I'm hoping that it will take all my old favourite programmes, and my existing hardware. There was some trouble when I tried to load some items on to a new desk model a couple of years ago. I'm not quit sure about the in built wireless system............. but it can't be that difficult......... surely.

Now, what to do with the old one. I think, a systems wipe, and then pass it on to our daughter. Perhaps it will encourage her to keep in contact more often............ but I doubt it.

So tomorrow, we shall see.

Thought I'd better start up Lighthouse again, so here's a bit of silliness.

I was watching Mission Africa tonight. It's where a group of young people are helping to build some facilities for the locals, which are to be used by visitors to their game reserve. Apart from the building work, they have been learning about the animals and the work on the game reserve.

There was a young female zebra there, and one group were asked to name her. So they named her 'Spot' ......................... my kind of humour!

I went to a presentation yesterday. Our little estate shares a drive way with a Holiday Estate of static caravans and a few mobile homes. It's recently been sold to a family concern that own one of the best Holiday Villages in Cornwall, and they have now produced plans and proposals for a new development. The removal of all the caravans and mobile homes, to be replaced with 70 luxury two, three and four bedroom chalets.

Big plans, big ideas and of course, big money. I estimated that at an average price of £330k, the project should bring in £25,000,000. It's purely holiday, with a ten month occupancy. The other two months, the site will close for maintenance.

What amazed me was the questions some of my neighbours asked of the developers. Although it will not really effect our situation, there are implications if the owner of our estate ever considered selling. It would make sense for one person to own all the land. But this was not mentioned. My neighbours wanted to know what would happen to the swimming pool, to which we have right of use? How high would the hedges be? Are the pot-holes (that we've all come to love) to be repaired in the drive way? Would the water pipe support all the extra building?

I laughed to myself. £25 million and they are worried about the height of the hedges or a pot hole or two! Anyway, they will have plenty of time to think about and ask the really important questions. It won't happen over night and will take about three years to complete, so by that time we will all know what the future may bring.

It will be interesting, especially when I tell them all about the plans for the Mosque.

I've tried to comment on several Posts recently but all I get is the dreaded RED 'X'.

Possibly my security is set a little high.......... or perhaps yours is.