Paving pursuit

We loaded the dismantled bike shed into the car and took it to the Steiner school after breakfast. Then I went on an expedition to both B&Q stores on the West side of town, in search of some paving slabs to lay as a base on which to construct the garden shed I have yet to order. At the Culverhouse Cross store I found a stone slab called Derbyshire terracotta - except that it was pink, but I thought it would go nicely with the existing tiles in the garden, and thankfully, Clare approved. Despite my correct calculations, on the area needed to house a shed, the location suggested a larger base would be desirable, so I had to make a return trip for another three. 

With each slab weighing five kilos, requiring four separate lifts and a carry of twenty yards, getting the job done was a bit like a weight training session in the gym. As I don't go to the gym any longer, I had to be extra careful to lift correctly, but my back ached and I was pretty tired by the time I'd finished. I then had to go into the CBS office to load ten crime reports into the database, as I didn't get around to doing it after the RadioNet users group meeting last week.

On the BBC ten o'clock, news correspondent Frank Gardiner gave a presentation on the background to the terrorist outrage at the Nairobi Westgate shopping centre. He was paralysed as a result of an attack when he was working as a reporter in Riyadh several years ago. This time, he stood in front of a large screen while talking, supported by a frame around his legs. It was an amazing display of his courage and confidence in continuing to be a major interpreter of and contributor to world news. I don't know how long he's been broadcasting on his feet like this. It's so good to see the Beeb making such a positive affirmation without feeling the need to draw attention to it. He recently give an interesting interview on Radio 4 about how he came to terms with disability. Now his triumph over adversity is visible to the world, and those who sought to take his life are shown not to have won.