OK, so I once again have struggled to think of a post title worthy of note, but it does show that in the previous post title, I broke the 900 post barrier. I guess this means there’s going to be a big countdown to the 1,000 post mark. I guess this means that I’ll have to start preparing for blog post #1000. Who’d have thought that when I started this heap of bollocks 8 years ago?

Anyway, moving on. In 12 hours time the Lidl in Hartlepool will open its door to paying customers. It’s quite funny, that 2 years ago there was only 1 supermarket around here (Kwik Save / Netto), but since then, there are three within a 1-mile radius. Sainsbury’s will have been open for a whole year very shortly (on Saturday).

Needless to say, I shall be attending. Andrew D said he will be there as well, but it depends whether a 8AM start will be too much for him or not. I’t s not going to be too bad for me as I only live around the corner. Saying that, he has been outside Lidl for the last couple of mornings, as they just happen to be replacing the streetlights at the roundabout just outside Lidl. He managed to acuqire one of the last 1960s lanterns around there, a fine axample of an Eleco HW something-or-other. Annoyingly, I doon’t have my phone on me, so at the time of typing, I can’t tell you the exact model number, but it’s not a Goldenray, as originally thought.

So, today, I went down to the flea market. I thought it was best to make as much of my last day off as possible, before I end up festering at Employment Palace again. Andrew D was also there, as I’d talked to him about the floodlight which was there last week. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn up this week. Luckily, someone who did turn up, was Eric, and his 50p CDs. After stocking up on these, and getting some classics as an “Outkast” CD (OK, I didn’t mean classics), I headed off for a look around.

This weeks’ market was far superior to the drudgery of last weeks collaboration of crap, and I happened to spy on a few boxes of singles. I was in my element, until I asked the price.

“Tell me what you want, and I’ll give you a price”.

Yeah, righto. that’s one way to put a potential buyer off. Technically, I could have dug through the box of records, found one I wanted, and then she could have charged me £18 for it. Or, I could have pulled out about 15 good ones, and she may have only charged me a quid. There was no way for me to know, and therefore I passed on the available Howard Jones singles (which I would have bought if the stupid cow had gave me a straight answer) and moved onto the next stall hosting records.

Now, although I didn’t have time to mention him in the last flea market update, this next guy was at the flea last week too, but his pricing scheme was also a bit daft. £1 each if the record is in a picture sleeve, 50p if it was in a plain sleeve.

Thankfully, he had 7 days to restructure his wacky price plan, and all singles were now 50p. Bimler. He was also selling some CD singles too, for 50p, which I don’t think he had last week. Overall, I spent £4, and he even gave me the opportunity to take a free one. Worra nice guy.

Andrew walked around the town centre with me, in my search for razor blades and tinfoil, the two things stuck in my head which were both desparately needed.

After continuing the shopping spree, I returned to Andrew’s house, carrying my shopping with me. I, for a split second, thought it would have been a good idea to return to Mercuryvapour Towers, and then make the journey back over there. It had been so long sicnce I was last there that I’d forgotten his house is 100 yards from the town centre, while mine is over a mile away. I blame the fact I was still half asleep. Or something.

On the very short walk over there, I realised something. It turned out it was exactly 1 year since I had last visited his collection, and to prove it, here,s quite literally the worst photo of me ever taken, on February 18th 2008….

You know, I have no idea what compelled me to make that photo public. I might as well put myself down as some type of internet “phenomenon” with the catchphrase “Yellow man is yellow.”

Or maybe not. Let’s hope not anyway.

At this point, I am about to shoot off to bed, after getting something to eat. The new Lidl opens in 7 hours, and I want to be one of the first there. Oh, and for those of you wishing to see the postcard Chad sent me in the previous couple of postings, well, it seems that I made a typo without realising. So, to correct that, here it is in all of its glory…

Argh! What a time to get writers’ block! You’d think I’d have written a three-page essay about the removal of some metal posts from the ground. Oddly, I can’t!

You may have seen in an earlier post that the streetlight renovation around here has taken place Currently, it is near completion, with all of the new posts connected, and only a few old ones awaiting to be cut down. Oddly, the cul de sacs around here have appeared to totally miss the replacement scheme.

Anyway I spent part of yesterday watching the old columns get removed. It was a bit of a sad sight. Most of these had been put up long before I was born, so watching them come down was a bit of a sad moment…

Well, a sad moment for me. Luckily, that particular post, and a couple of the other Revo Moseleys will find thir way into private hands.

Andy the Iridium fan watched the whole proceedings, and I have added 70+ pictures to the gallery.

I bet you’re buckling the edge of your seat waiting for this enthralling update.

After updating you, my faithful readers, on the decision of Hartlepool Borough Council to replace the streetlights on the beautiful little council estate that Mercuryvapour Towers resides on, I was amazed to find that they started work mere hours after handing me the letter.

Shortly after returning from Ye Olde Shoppe, I peered out of the window and spied a council lorry down the road. So far, they’ve put up three columns, one of them has the lantern already installed. This is an example of what they look like…

Of course, that isn’t the exact column, it’s one I’ve picked out of the 3,800 images in the gallery. No doubt I will take proper photos as the work goes ahead, and no doubt I will bore you all rigid with details of every single bit of news about them.

As of yet, I don’t know whether the lanterns will use SON lamps (the ones that glow pinky-orange) or CDM lamps (the white ones which aren’t mercury vapour). I’ll hazard a guess and say they’ll be using SON. FOr some odd reason, they’re not big on using white lights for streetlighting here. The few streets near the town centre that DO use CDM lamps, look much better…

I have just been handed a letter from some bloke on the council. Apparently, they’re going to start installing new streetlights around here “shortly”. There’s already marks spraypainted onto the ground where the new columns are going to be.

I’ll obviously keep you updated on this. Bet you can’t wait.

It’s streetlight update time again, with your host… me!

I claim that I’m one of the few people on this planet to currently have a Thorn Beta 79 lying at the bottom of their stairs. First off, let me explain what a Thorn Beta 79 is… it’s one of these. A particularly boring looking, but functional streetight. Now recently, a nearby streetlight post was hit by a horse box, causing its Beta 79 to loosen, and for the past few days has been dangling by its wire.

Now, some strong winds over the past couple of days have seen this poor thing’s swing get more and more violent, and the sharp edge of that swan-neck would eventually cut through the wire, causing the lantern to fall to the ground. I was correct, and just an hour or two later, it was on the floor. I was amazed to find it in one piece.

I picked it up, and carried it back to Mercuryvapour Towers. I thought it would be best to collect it and store it somewhere safe, instead of the delightful little children coming aolong and kicking the living shit out of it, leaving bits of glass and plastic all over the road.

And no, I’m not going to keep hold of it, as much as I’d like to. It’d be a nice restoration project, mainly because it’s in such a state. The lantern has been exposed to the elements for at least 10 years (probably about 14 or 15), and considering it’s made from fibreglass, it’s umm… very itchy. The fibres are shedding like nobody’s business, and even though I wasn’t holding it for very long, I was picking bits of fibreglass out of my hands for hours after. The gear tray is rusted , and it can barely support the weight of the components it contains.

But, I decided that it’s probably best to do the honest thing, and let them know where it is, and let them dispose of it in a secure, yet unfriendly manner..

I attempted to phone the council for them to pick it up, and they’re closed until Monday, therefore it’ll remain here until then