It all started in 2022 , in answer to the unasked question –
“What are you going to do after retirement, then ?” .
Since when, things have got a bit scattered. I have tried to import the old stuff to this new site, but I’m not claiming complete success : especially for pre-2024 entries, some pics/links might be messed up. I’ll try to fix it as we go
Meantime – here’s an index to the original sites of pre-2026 stuff. I promise from now on we will try to stick to the current (PAID ?!?!) site.
Started on retirement in 2022, this hosts entries up to 2023 (the Hawaii trip). That was the original plainsillybloggers.wordpress.com – free from our perspective, a gamut of advert-dodging for the reader. ( Still the best source for the these blog entries, for now – See below ..)
Faced with the horror of PAYING for more webspace, we created a second free site (psb02.wordpress.com) for the entries from mid 2023 to end 2025. Yet more advertorials. (Replaced : Copies of all these entries should now be on our current blog – so the old site will be deleted at some point )
Replaced – As for PSB02, this set has been copied into the new site – so the old one will be deleted at some point, just here for completeness.
Even OLDER Stuff !
Predecessor effort was on ‘Blogger’ from around 2006-2012 . Can’t actually log in to change anything anymore, but it still seems to be live ( some early bonfire exploits , family trips, crap puns, and Bat55 adventures..)
FThis was a VERY early effort using the now defunct AmazingForums site. Exclusively for the purposes of pyro planning from 2000-2007. I have managed to save the original pages and re-import them to this blog, here. (very creative discussions between all of Bat55, including dear old PyroPete. Various links no longer work) )
Quick copy of the 2022-23 entries
Have managed to copy across the oldest wordpress.com entries, for nostalgia – and to save scrolling too far down a huge list.
HOWEVER – there are many image link errors not yet fixed, so until they are, better results may come from the Retirement Blog
- Leaving IBM
- Citizenship ceremony
- Day Zero
- Stage 1 Complete
- It wouldn’t be Holland without cyclists…
- Antwerp by bike
- Antwerp – historic footnote
- (Old) Zeeland
- Bloemen Corso – Zundert
- Stage 2 complete
- Ardennes
- Ardenne-end
- Alsatian vacation
- The Ballon goes up
- Castle in the Sky ( Haut-Koenigsbourg)
- Colmar
- Wet wet wet
- All gone a bit quiet
- Some of us are looking at the stars (blurrily)
- L’Eyrieux Valley
- Col de Marchand
- The Rhone Valley
- Stage 3 complete – head north !
- Stage 4 – Downpour
- Puy-de-Dôme and around
- One Man Went to Mow ….
- Touring Touraine in the Rain
- 3 rivers in one day
- 2 more days of chateaux – and that’s IT.
- Normandy Monday
- Ferry Cross the Mer (Sea)
- Hawaii We Go
- The brochure-ware
- 2 days to cover an ocean and a half
- Honolulu to Big Island
- Around Pahoa
- Kilauea – 2018 eruption
- Climbing Kilauea .. by bike
- Exploring in the rain
- Earth, Wind and FIRE
- Thursday – Ropey Deserts and Holes
- Audience Participation round
- The earth just moved for us
- 13th Feb – go West
- Snorkeling and stuff (14-15 Feb)
- 16 Feb – Go NORTH
- Kauai – Garden Isle – Day 1
- Timed our arrival to perfection
- Kauai – Day 2 (Saturday)
- Kauai Day 3 ( Sunday 19th)
- Kauai oh why, oh WHY ?
- Anahola Tuesday
- Last day on Kauai – Wednesday
- Back to the Big I
- Weekend with Van & MJ
- Oahu ! Last leg