Southampton

Visiting a pharmacy is like watching one of those episodes of Springwatch where nothing actually happens. You know the ones; where they are waiting for the tits to come back to the nesting box to feed their young but they do not because they do not want to see themselves on television and are at a neighbours watching Emmerdale until Kate Humble goes to bed. If you think I've gone all Eddie Izzard on you, it's about the pharmacist's lack of movement. Any there is can be captured only by time-lapse photography; in previous ice-ages they have been overtaken by glaciers. This means that in a 10-15 minute visit you can not expect to see any actual activity. In the time it takes to get a prescription, new drugs are invented and fully trialled. I think that gets my message across. We had been to see Mum, who is stable. I took her to the doctor, a visit which inevitably resulted in another prescription so that her repeat sheet is now similar in both length and contents to the BNF.

Mum wanted very little shopping and there was some brightness so we took full advantage and went to Southampton. I shall gloss over the bit where I lost £40 on the machines at Rownhams and just hope that there is someone to resuscitate Matthew at this point of his bedtime read. We saw three cruise ships; Artemis, Saga Pearl II and Boudicca were all present with the striking Anvil Point across the water at Marchwood. We went on to Ocean Village where I got exactly the photographs I wanted. As a development though, I don't get it. It seems very dull, lacking vibrancy. Perhaps I am becoming more curmudgeonly if that is possible (although I prefer to thing of myself as misanthrope rather than curmudgeon, if only to get 50% of my colleagues running for a dictionary). We went to the Hall of Aviation and I was, at first, not impressed with its slightly gloomy and very cluttered interior. I have to admit though, on balance, and although this is far from the best aircraft museum, I enjoyed myself and relished the challenge of shooting in available light.

With my stomach sending messages about lunch we went to West Quay now relatively tranquil on the first day of a new term. Lunch at Giardinos was very good but a little adventure lay ahead. I was photographing the Christmas decorations when Greg made me aware that I was being gesticulated at across a void by a security guard. I dealt with the challenge swiftly, confidently and unflinchingly. The guard and his companion had moved on by the time I reached their original location but I caught up with them. I asked if he had a legal basis for the hand signals by which he had indicated that I should desist from my hobby. The security people were in fact extremely courteous and effective but also uncomfortable applying flawed management policies. I had the Data Protection Act quoted at me and crushed the argument with my superior legal knowledge. I was concerned that the guards have been asked to use spurious and unfounded justifications to explain why photographs may not be taken. To Greg's very well hidden delight, I decided to see the duty manager. He was very professional, an effective communicator and after a civil and worthwhile discussion, also very helpful. I should be able to arrange to take some more photographs in the future and they are in no doubt now that I don't take kindly to the complete misapplication of the Data Protection Act.

VAT went up today just to make life that bit harder for all of us. For those shops which have not adjusted tickets or tills but are charging the higher prices - there is no excuse. There was plenty of warning and software changes should have been implemented overnight. I must congratulate ASDA in holding diesel at 128.9 which was a relief after the journey from Southampton was marked with prices ranging from 131.9 to 133.9. Less praise is due for the reliability of the printers at their pay pumps. Neither was working today and the rather ineffectual intervention of a fleece-clad ASDA-ette did not seem likely to change that. Quite apart from anything else she was roughly the same height as the pump (so still taller than Dave B. then) but, even standing on the plinth, not well placed to delve into the innards of the printer. Bizarrely, in order to attend the errant receipt paper, she had chosen to close one of the two pay booths which was enthusiastically received by the full forecourt.
If I have made you smile today please say so. Autographs are free as is viewing of my (mostly) fabulous photostream at www.flickr.com/photos/johnoram