In her latest blog Jo shares a song she wrote for her husband, and writes about her views on the difference between her husband's and today's generations.

In her first blog of the year Jo writes about her trip to London and that by some miracle she might be invited to the Royal wedding.

In her latest blog Jo writes about the state of Coventry's roads and what's being done to fix them.

In this blog Jo writes about the joy of retirement, meeting old friends and visiting the local area.

In this edition of her blog Jo writes about the local bus shleters and how perhaps the views of the local residents haven't really been heard.

Jo's back blogging and as she had such an interesting holiday in County Durham, she wanted to share her experiences.

And maybe her blog will give the readers an incentive to visit historical places in Britain during the holidays.

In her latest blog, Jo recounts her holiday to Salou. Where her and her family enjoy the local sights and delights.

Just lately I have been gadding about doing all sorts of things as I get asked to join my friends and family on outings.

This makes a nice change as I have spent most of my time doing home repairs, gardening, etc and child minding with hardly any time for myself.

Now that I am all up to date with things I can at last afford to have a bit of me time.

As I told you last week I have ventured down to the Jaguar Bowling Club to try my hand at bowling.

I found that I really enjoyed the sport so now intend to become a member.

Friday week I went with a friend to Birmingham to visit the Back-to-Back Houses.

As Jane is a life member of the National Trust I was able to go in free as her guest.

It also happened to be VE Day, so on that day members of the various forces were in attendance.

Flags were flying and teas were being served in 1940's style. Identity passes and ration books were on display for all to see along with the weekly ration allowances to show what life was like in those far off days.

What an experience this was. All my memories came flooding back as I saw many things that were used by my family in my growing up years.

The out houses contained the old-fashioned loos and washhouses. There was an old copper like the one my mum used when I was young, where one had to light a fire under it just to get hot water for washing and bathing.

There seems so much going on around me at present that I don't really know where to start so I will begin with telling you about the shop that has opened in Jubilee Crescent.

It is a Myton Hospice Charity Shop, and opened on Thursday.

It was well stocked with many interesting things to catch the eye, from clothes to bric a brac and furniture, and was well attended by would be bargain hunters.

I met up with manager Bridgette Littler and her Assistant Jenny Anderson and Volunteer worker Brian Todd. Who were all kept very busy

This makes five charity shops again in the Crescent as Help the Aged shop closed before Christmas.

There appears to be movement on two other shops here as well that were also closed last year, so perhaps there are signs of an upward turn at last after the recession.

The roads are very busy outside my house as workmen prepare the new stands and bus shelters for the new bus lanes.

The lights at the junction of Beake Avenue and Burnaby road are being manned by the workmen and in fact on Sunday as the main lights have been out of action there have been a few accidents there as cars judge when best to cross the road.

Still at the end of the day we should see some improvements as the number thirteen bus has been a bit of a hit and miss at times.

Last Sunday I had an unexpected invitation to join my two friends Douglas and Mary who had decided to visit the National Memorial Arboretum, which is on the way to Litchfield.

So I jumped at the chance of a trip out.

The day was really bright and cheerful although there was still that easterly wind about so one needed a coat to keep out the breeze.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect but was amazed at the place.

There is no admittance fee and one could walk around at will.

Everywhere was spotlessly clean and all the monuments and carvings, figures and tributes were exceptional.

The Arboretum relies on donations to maintain and run the site.

We first attended the service of remembrance in the little Millennium Chapel.

The chapel was the only one built in millennium year and received a donation from the lottery fund for this.

There was so much to do and see and a second visit is on the cards as there is too much to take in with one visit.

I believe there is around one hundred and fifty acres to walk round.

Well the workmen came to repair the potholes outside of where I live in Beake Avenue.

They spent all Thursday there two weeks ago repairing one pothole outside my neighbour's house.

As they packed up to leave at the end of the day I asked them whether they would be coming back the next day to repair the ones outside my home. Sorry love, they said.

Our contract is now finished until June so it looks like the cars will have to give the potholes in and around the area a wide berth until something is done about them.

I couldn't believe how long it took them to fill in one pothole. Surely there must be a better and quicker way of doing things.

As manpower has to be paid for just the same and in that time a whole street could probably have been laid using a different system making a better more reliable surface.

Then sometime on the following Sunday evening my neighbour's fence got knocked down, I am not sure whether it was by vandals or whether a car decided to use my neighbours drive to turn in.

Well Easter has been and gone and somewhere the time too. Not that I can say I did a lot really although my niece Joanna did take me to visit my sister who lives in Stewkley in Bedfordshire on Good Friday for the day. My brother also joined us on the trip making it a nice family occasion.

In my last blog I wrote how several of us from the art class in Jubilee Crescent decided to submit work to the exhibition that was to be held at the Herbert Gallery and Museum. Sadly I have to say that all ours were rejected.

When we went to pick up our pictures on the Saturday there were many others left for collection Most of a very high standard. I thought. So I was expecting great things of the ones chosen. It seems almost six hundred had entered the competition yet only seventy-five pictures were accepted.

We were invited to the opening night, which took place on the evening of Thursday 1st April. So eager to find out what we were up against, so that we would have more idea for the future should there be a similar exhibition where we would be able to submit our work, six of us went along. For the viewing.

What a let down. We all felt disappointed with the display and wondered what the judges had seen in most of them as better work we felt had been rejected. And this is not sour grapes.

There was a comment book there for people to write their views in about the work and although many attended that night there was only one person who had felt inclined to write their comments down. I also added mine. Which was not exactly complimentary but that was what the book was for. To air ones views. So one has to be honest in these matters. How else will people know? I sometimes think we view the world through rose coloured spectacles.

It was really very interesting as the children were shown how patterns were created in wallpaper and how the printing was done in days gone by.

They were even given a chance to create their own designs and then they were taken to the print shop where they were able to paint them in whatever colour they chose, to reproduce them.

Roll on the spring as I found I had to join the hot water bottle brigade this year just to keep warm.

It is all very well reading in the papers that those over a certain age get cold weather payments to help to pay their bills. But this isn't strictly true; many of us who have a small private pension find that tax has already been taken from them already so it is a case of getting some of our own money back.

Then we hear the politicians boasting about the extra £25-00 given in extreme cold weather, again this does not apply to those who have saved for their retirement days.

This only goes to those who have already spent their money up front and are already receiving benefits.

It seems one rule for one and another for others.

It has been early to bed and late to rise for many who are anxious about paying their utility bills.

Many of us have also taken to wearing several garments and even coats in the house to keep warm and then sitting in one room with the fire down low. The politicians should try living on a pension sometime to see how it is in the real world.

These are the people who have worked all their lives for a pittance already. It is about time consideration was given more to these instead of the free loaders.

One thing that I have noticed is how people will wear their scarves in a dead mans noose for fashion. This would always bother me, as it wouldn't take long to tighten the loop if one felt inclined. You wouldn't get me wearing one like that. It seems a crackpot idea to me.

Down my way the roads and grass verges are not looking their best. One can only hope that with the oncoming of spring and with better weather round the corner vast improvements will be made at tidying up the area as everywhere looks so unsightly and dirty at the moment.

First the roads really must be attended to as they really are in a very dangerous way.

I worked as a carer for twenty-two years for Coventry Council and went about my duties on my trusty old bicycle. Just before I retired in 2006. I actually came off my bike on the way to work just outside Whitmore Park Primary School in Halford Lane one morning when it was still dark.

Channels had been cut into the road in readiness for speed bumps to be built there.

Unfortunately no barrier was in place at the time so I went head first over my handlebars.

Sadly that was the end of my bicycle. So speaking from experience I know just how dangerous potholes can be. And although dangerous to cars they are lethal for cyclists.

One also has to look out for raised manhole covers too. So please car drivers look out for cyclists, as they do not have the same wheel power as cars to get out of the way quickly.

I don't want to harp on about this as this is a problem that is country wide so I will end with a poem that I made up about spring to give you all something to look forward to.