More Art

I'm smiling a lot on this holiday, probably because the 1 hour Art Classes are lasting 1 hour 30 minutes and I'm learning lots about using watercolours.  I'm also smiling because I have hit the gym hard, four days running.  While refusing to have a full breakfast on each of the cruise days so far.  Today's breakfast was scrambled egg on two slices of toast with a glass of orange juice and water.  Lunch was a sandwich and chicken from the chilled cabinet.  So all in all, I'm exercising my body, while also exercising a degree of common sense.  Wifey is doing the same.  In fact Pauli even walked the 20 minutes from the Port into Gibraltar this morning.  So good stuff all round, and with that in mind, the waitress is approaching with my evening coffee and I need to sign off and settle down.

The photograph shows today's artistic effort.

Transatlantic

The P&O Aurora is a lovely ship.  Even lovelier than suggested at first impressions. The reason being apparently it is a Transatlantic vessel with a keel rather than the usual flat bottom of the larger ships.  This means that the Aurora comes across as being remarkably stable.  Now that may be a simple illusion, and the reality of the calm Bay of Biscay, was simply the fine weather. Well, whatever the reality of the situation, I am extremely pleased to be on such a ship, only having to cope with the gentle rocking during my sleep time slumber.  Gibraltar is done, but unlike five years or so ago, on this occasion we spent more.  I've at long last picked up a TTL flash gun for my ageing camera.  Not an all singing Canon jobby with its mega bucks price tag, but instead a more simple affair.  It's a Metz with a pop on diffuser and a full tilt head.  I'm glad to say that it didn't cost a Kings Ransom, and the lovely chap in the shop in Gibraltar gave me a 1:48 exchange rate, a 50p discount, and threw in a full set of Duracell batteries.  So all in all I think that I came out of the deal with a smile.

Dining on Board

They have put us on 'Freedom Dining' which was not a choice.  I need it would never have been a choice having previously endured 'Anytime Dining' with another company a few year ago.  You see, we like to meet people and chat and thereafter build upon the relationship.  Whereas with 'Freedom Dining' you have to queue for a table and can end up sitting by anyone and in various group sizes.  But, in all fairness it has worked out fine so far.  On the first night (with casual dining) we sat by a lovely couple from Liverpool and an elderly lady travelling alone from Yorkshire.  On the second 'formal' evening we by chance ended up sat by the aforementioned Liverpudlians and were joined by two others from that fair city along with someone from the North of England who now lives in Wales.  Wherever they were from, they would never have suspected the turmoil that I caused by travelling without my dress shirts that fit.  Indeed, if it wasn't for Pauli, we would have ended up dining in the cafe.  The onboard shop assistant said that those hung up on display were the only shirts, and with no sizes suitable, we were about to leave the shop when Pauli spotted another display with packed items.  Phew, a lucky escape, and yet another gold star for Pauline.

The photograph shows me on the third option dining night: that of smart jacket.

Cruise

Well this is a lovely experience indeed. Here we are on a P&O cruise ship having a fabulous time! We were unable to have good Summer Holiday last year and this folks (on first impression after a few days) appears to be as good as it gets. We are extremely fortunate to have such a holiday this year.  The bonus to add to the fabulous service, ambience, and standards; is the availability of Art Classes.  Those who know me, know that I depend upon my weekly Art Class at MIND Aberystwyth, so to find that there are twenty Art Classes during the cruise, simply means that I am in seventh heaven.  Wifey is pleased as well.  So pleased that I even managed to get her into a jacuzzi for the first time ever.  Pauli is having a whale of a time, and so folks am I. 

Here is my water colour at the end of the third lesson.  It is A4 size on professional water colour paper using Winsor & Newton Artist quality water colours.  It took about one hour fifteen minute and ties in nicely with a piece that I am working on at home. 

Jeremy Corbyn

The best thing that Labour have done in years; is to have Jeremy Corbyn in the race for Leader of their Party. The best thing that Labour could do for the years ahead; is to elect him. 

I have voted Labour in the past, just as I have voted Liberal, Liberal Democrat, Conservative, and Plaid Cymru. My vote has been about what is best for my community and who is a credible potential winner.

I was in despair when the four declared, as it came across as the same old same old.  Labour was going nowhere, and then, in the depths of despair, Jeremy Corbyn's name appeared on the ballot.  With Jeremy Corbyn at the helm, Labour could become both a true Opposition and potential future General Election winners.  Jeremy Corbyn may become our next Prime Minister, but without him, Labour are destined to a decade or more in the wilderness.  That is, if they don't totally implode during that time.

Vote Jeremy Corbyn and give Labour a fighting chance.

iPad photos and memory

Eyes down and look in lovely iPad users as this is an extremely important post. 

My iPad is several years old and is one of those 68GB jobbies. I know that Apples GB hungry software eats into the capacity, along with those GB munching Apps. I like to store lots of photographs and had set up a few albums in the iPad photo App. 

Please hang in there and stay with me, because trust me, this storyboard is worth the journey. So, hungry GB munching things; meant that it came as no surprise to see my iPad GB reduce to a miserly 186MB. 

At this panic induced point, I decided to trawl through my Photo App and delete images that weren't needed. This meant sending quite a few to friends via Social Media so that the pics weren't lost for good, and making sure that my Dropbox was up to date. I also realised that any album created in the Photo App was just a duplication. So, other than one or two special albums (such as my 'artwork ideas' and 'art') the bulk of my albums got deleted, safe in the knowledge that my images were in 'Camera Roll' and in Dropbox. More importantly, there was no longer 2 of everything on my iPad.  I also cleared out my 'recently deleted' album. Normally this clears itself out after 30 days have elapsed after an image is deleted, but I done it manually because I had just deleted a lot of stuff. I also turned off and restarted my iPad so that all of thes deletions were recognised.  

This meant my 186MB panic system, increased to a nice 8.1GB

Which of course, those of you in the know, also know is good. And this story could have stopped there, but it doesn't. 

You see, over the years the iPad hasn't been keeping up with my photo deletions.  The difference between what the 'System Usage' and 'About' says that I have stored as photos, and what I actually have, differs by some 5,000 images. I have 2,000 something photos and an empty recently deleted album, and it says that I have 7,000 something images on the iPad.  Well it did up until a few minutes ago.  As of now I have an awesome 38.1GB available on my iPad. Yes, you read it correctly, 30GB more than a few minutes ago.  How you ask? Well, simples actually;

Open your Photo App, go to 'recently deleted' and delete any images sat there

Close the Photo App

Now go to Settings and find 'Date and Time'

Deselect automatic 

Take the date back 2 or 3 years (I went back 3 years)

Leave the 'Date and Time'

Open the Photo App and check the 'Recently Deleted' album

I found almost 5,000 images sat in mine although a few minutes earlier it was empty

Delete them and when done close the Photo App

Go back to settings and 'Date and Time' and set to automatic and then enjoy your iPad

. . . You're welcome 

Victoria Cross

Just read that today's Tory Budget contains a new provision for all living holders of the Victoria Cross and the George Cross to receive a stipend of £10,000 per annum. That is blinking great news, as each and every one of them deserves both the recognition and the financial security that should accompany such selfless acts of valour!  

This news has made my day.