Military Surplus

The builders returned and promised they would be finished today. Then we shall be free of the scaffolding!
But uninteresting task of the day always comes first. Passport photos. They cost £5 now, completely unreasonable. I could barely stop myself crying as I put in all the coins, gently fondling a bag of Lego games we'd found in the charity shop.
In the end I had to kneel on the little stool so that I was high up enough for my face to be in the on-screen oval. I pulled as dull a face as possible and note that it is practically identical to the one I took when I was 2, just a bit more attitude in this one.
Later we did the promised first trip to the Royal Marines Museum on the esplanade at Eastney. I've lived here all my life and it's just one of those things that you never visit local attractions. I did the assault course outside.
The zipline has a bit too much friction on the runner, too much safety but not enough fun.
Inside the museum we saw guns and knives and medals and silverware and paintings and uniforms and swords and maps and a snake and rum barrels and model ships and surgical tools and banknotes and a minstrel's gallery (minstrels not included) and a tree with £20k worth of silver in it and a shop. I wanted the cap badges but had to settle for the cheap Chinese-built tank set. He got 1 bullet. But even I saw how much effort our soldier chaps had made to get the 8,000 medals in the medal room of the museum.
After another go on the assault course we investigated the fenced off fort and went home for lunch (3.30 pm).
Bud died totally at late-night Monopoly but I might live yet. Having defended Portsmouth Harbour with this Egyptian 20mm I might get some medals. Grandma might not, she is reported to be unhealthy.