[Jul 11,2008]

Another important event in the social calendar for this week was the news that my good friend John is finally closing the doors on his DIY business and is deciding to retire.  Typical of the man, after 40 years of serving the local community with all the things required for home repairs etc., tools come more naturally to hand than cutlery as he demonstrates here when cutting his cake.

For the people who couldn't make it to the party, more details in my blog, here

[Jul 8, 2008]

It's always nice to make new friends and during a day trip to Newcastle Judi and I met three very nice people.  (See my blog for more details here)

[Jun 6, 2008]

Don't you just just hate it when someone comes up to you in the street and says something along the lines of "My you're looking well, how are you?"; you have a blinding flash of recognition and then you realize you are suddenly in the dark and haven't the faintest idea who they are.

Well today was that day for me.  It had to come as I was dashing around the town trying to sort out several jobs at once in a limited time span.  Now, I pride myself on having a good memory for names faces, but at this point, the brain just overloaded and shut down totally.  I vaguely recognized the face, but could I hell remember, name, rank, serial number or one of a thousand things that should have given me a clue as to whom I was speaking.  As the lady in question seemed to know me very well, matters got worse and worse.  The brain, under such stress just refused to yield its memories to the recognition and speech centres. As she walked away, probably thinking I was deliberately trying to ignore or deny I knew her, I just had to ask. 

Major embarrassment was to follow when I finally discovered she is the wife of an old school friend and we all used to see each other most days during our late teens and early twenties and beyond.  I was his best man when they got married.

My deepest apologies to Eileen for my performance as a complete fool, but the old memory cells just refused to work.

Now people, you now finally know why I wear dog tags.  I got home safely after reading my address on them!

Wot a fool!

[May 6, 2008]

If you were to see these two pictures together in a newspaper, you would possibly assume the man on the left had played some heroic part in rescuing a mal-treated dog... WRONG!

He is a Costa Rican artist called Guillermo Vargas, also known as, Habacuc and his contribution to art is he allowed the dog (a living installation) to starve to death in a public exhibition of his work in 2007

Instead of being prosecuted... well read it for yourself...

"the prestigious Visual Arts Biennial of the Central American  decided that the 'installation' was actually art, so that Guillermo Vargas Habacuc has been invited to repeat his cruel action for the biennial of 2008."

This makes Damian Hurst look almost normal.

Now I know us Brits are an animal loving nation and would not want to see this lunatic torture another animal for "art's sake", so follow the link and take a minute of your time to sign a world-wide petition to stop this man and bring him the justice he really deserves.

Few more details HERE in my blog.

Sign the petition HERE

[May 4,2008]

For the regular visitors and staunch Pratchett fans, I have introduced a series of quizzes just to test your knowledge of the Discworld series.  The first one is already waiting for you HERE.

There is a prize for success, but be warned, there is a greater price for failure.

[May 1, 2008]

Its nice when friends and their families can help you out of a jam.  Especially at 4:30 am when they ask you out to their home to dance in the summer.  Jonathon Armitage is an old friend and lives way up the Wear Valley.  After a damp and dull start we did get a glimpse of the sun just before the clouds moved in for the rest of the morning.  Well worth it, especially as we were in an area that still believes in a genuine farmhouse breakfast. (Shocking, and me on a diet)  More details HERE

[April 26, 2008]

Managed to fit in a spot of fishing after a lapse of about 30 years.  An enjoyable outing outing and it was worth braving strong wind, freezing cold water and a bit of rain. [SEE HERE]  

[April 19, 2008]

Halfway through the month, the lead-up to Beltane (May Eve) is almost upon us and the decision making is still not finalized.  To wear thermal vests at around 4am to stave off the cold or carry a thermos flask full of hot tea.  This could be another year when we have to rely on the meteorologists to give us the exact time of sunrise on the 1st of May.

[March 12,2008]

Well done Mr Darling.(Chancellor).  In the customary obtuse way the labour government works, the measures to discourage binge drinking amongst young people seems to have really inspired you switch off your brain completely.  The main tipple of under-age drinkers is cider. So how can this budget have helped.   3p increase on a LITRE of cider, 4p on a pint (70cl) of beer and effectively between £1-2 on a bottle (70cl) of whisky.  Apart from idiotically condemning several small scottish distilleries to ultimate closure because of the increase in tax, it means there will be many more unemployed young people roaming the streets with nothing more to do but drink cheap cider.

What a wonderful solution!   Take a look out of your car window sometime.  That big expanse of land north of Watford is the rest of the country.

[February 27, 2008]

News reports at 06:00 confirm it, it was an earthquake somewhere in the Midlands.

It was apparently caused, said one of the couch potatoes on GMTV, by the movement of the "Teutonic Plates" which float around under the UK mainland.  Hey, don't try and blame it on German tourists leaving their picnic litter lying around!

Doh!   Isn't education a valuable asset?

Later reports say it was around 5.3 on the Richter scale.  At least that's cleared up the mystery, I thought for one minute I might have been drunk!

[February 27,2008]

Just around 01:00 and both the cats suddenly appear on the PC bench with tails like bottle brushes. Then, I feel the seat of my chair vibrating gently. The reflection of the room light off the window is shimmering.   Cat's run around in panic for about 10 seconds...  Have we just experienced an earth tremor?

[January 06, 2008]

Back to normality and under full steam for another year.

The tree and other decorations will be taken down today (the traditional Twelfth Night), despite funny looks from the neighbours who think we are daft to want to hold on to the Yuletide  celebrations for so long.   Coming from people who have had decorated trees in their houses since Halloween, I find that amusing.

[December 31,2007]

Well here's another year about to end. Less than six hours to go as I sit here wondering where last year went.

Already some of the local supermarkets have Easter eggs on display, I've received my first brochure for a bargain price "Escape to the Sun" holiday (next August?!) and Judi is already looking at the sales bargains for the next batch of Christmas presents.

Ah, that's where the year went.

[December 7, 2007]

Rather than close the site down for "essential maintenance" to shower visitors with an all too early seasonal spattering of snow and santas running across every page, I will be updating several pages over the next few days.  So all I can ask of you is to check back here regularly and find out what's new.

I still claim rampant commercialism is to blame for decorations being thrown up all over the country from as early as October.

Sorry but I thought Christmas started on December 25th and ran for twelve days.  Not that I mind the relaxation but to see every space in supermarkets and public places telling us to spend, spend, spend to achieve inner bliss is not the Christmas message everyone wants to hear.

Come on you High Street stores, think of all the people who can't afford to have an expensive celebration and all of the others who are innocently involved in political arguments etc.  See my Christmas Song in the Sheet Music section.

So to all my visitors who have a celebration at some time in December...

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Yuletide Wassail, Happy Kwanzaa and a Merry Yule to you all.

[November 8, 2007]

What's this then?  The Joculator and another blonde?  Well actually, this was a well deserved trip to see one of my favourite Aussies, Kevin Bloody Wilson.  He's a politically incorrect singing bloke from down under and is hilariously funny.  What made the event even better was that his daughter (Jenny Talia) was appearing with him.  A show not for the easily upset, but a perfectly nice couple when you meet them offstage.  A brilliant night of entertainment.  If you want to see what really happened, check out the Archives.

[September 30, 2007]

Although I havent been in touch for a few months, I would like to send congratulations to my American friends Brittany and Justin who I believe, got married this month.  Congratulations from Judi and myself, the other team members and all our friends.

[August 20,2007]

Okay, so some people tell me I don't post regularly enough, but at least I have a life.

In fact, I only share information that I think others may benefit from.  In this case its a small business in the Blagdon area of Northumberland.  Want to know more?  Then check out the News section.