My old man said, "Follow the van!"

The title this week has no relevance whatever except that, early in the week, we saw a cock linnet for the first time in two years, so I thought it an event worth recording.


Another quiet week with mixed weather. I managed to get the grass cut on Monday, so it didn't look too disgusting for our visitors, who arrived on Saturday for a couple of days. Just as well I did, as it hasn't been dry enough since!

Nice people, this weekend's visitors. They have today (Sunday) gone off to climb the Puy de Dôme - the highest peak in the Massif Central, after which the department is named. We are staying at home to watch the F1 European Grand Prix from Valencia.

Clare was complaining that, when in Paris, she couldn't view in the camera photographs that she had taken at Tania's (fingers crossed - this coming week will tell for sure if it really is hers) apartment. When I looked at the camera, it was apparent that the only buttons working were on/off and shoot. No zoom, no flash, no macro, no menu - nut'n! I did some research online and it seems to be alarmingly common with the FujiFilm FinePix F470. It seems that between 18 months and two years of age a ribbon connector between the back panel buttons and the processor snaps! No-one is able to identify a source to replace the cable or even to identify the cable by part number. I haven't tried yet, but other people's experience seems to be that Fuji are not overly helpful, pointing out that the unit is out of guarantee. I shall do some digging and see what I can find. I have had a long-term love affair with Fuji kit and feel particularly let down by this otherwise excellent camera. It is now no better than a ten quid throw-away.

I have replaced it, within my limited budget, by a Nikon Coolpix P60. I was, the F470 notwithstanding, planning to replace it with another Fuji, but the model I wanted was about fifty percent more than I wanted to spend.


This little Nikon ticks most of the boxes, and has a proper viewfinder, too (albeit in the worst possible position - unless you like noseprints on the viewing panel). I hate trying to take photographs in bright light by peering into the rear display. The camera is reviewed here [link].

The Income Tax demand has arrived. It has to be paid in full by 15th September, then I can sign up to pay monthly from January next year. The arrangement is that it is assumed the 2009 bill will be the same as 2008 and it is paid in ten monthly instalments, the tenth being adjusted to take account of the actual bill next year. Better than paying it all at once, as I have to this year - looks like the sinking fund will be slipping a little lower in the water!

Golly. I think that is all I have for this week. I have checked through the photographs I have taken and incoming and outgoing emails and it seems that, apart from quite a lot of work on the Hawk Conservancy web sites, I haven't done much!

Have a good week.

À la prochaine