I am pleased with my new car, and I hate to say it, but one of the best bits in the sat nav. I have always resisted buying a TomTom or similar, as i think part of being a bloke is the right to get lost. its all part of the adventure.
"yes I know where we are", "No you don't, why don't you stop and ask?" "Its fine we will be there is a few minutes", "The kids are getting upset".....and so it goes on. You always manage to get there in the end though, and feel really pleased with yourself.
The sat nav has taken all that challenge out of driving and I must say I quite enjoy it.It calculates the ETA, it lets me know if there are traffic problems and can plan diversions. That was particularly useful in Lancaster last week, and it shows golf courses, petrol stations and hospitals if you want it to. Although now we don't argue about directions, i don't need the last category as much as I used to.
I still take the occasional wrong turn just to upset the lady doing the voice over, but she has not resigned from map reading just yet.......time will tell.
Friday 31 July 2009
Ring, ring......
My 200th post, well that's good going........and what a great moment to celebrate it with the news that number one daughter Rebecca, got engaged yesterday in Rome.
John, her childhood sweetheart, proposed in traditional style in a restaurant in Rome. No news yet whether the whole place clapped and cheered but lets hope so.
She is there to meet her mad mates from Oklahoma so I am sure they will all be drinking the local fire water well into the night.....I wonder if they will make it to Jonathans, near Plaza Navarrro it would be a fitting place to go.
John, her childhood sweetheart, proposed in traditional style in a restaurant in Rome. No news yet whether the whole place clapped and cheered but lets hope so.
She is there to meet her mad mates from Oklahoma so I am sure they will all be drinking the local fire water well into the night.....I wonder if they will make it to Jonathans, near Plaza Navarrro it would be a fitting place to go.
Thursday 30 July 2009
How many can a man have?
Well, a week ago I had no BMWs, and now theoretically I have two!!
Regular readers will recall that in October last year my virtually new BMW was stolen from outside my house in Chiswick, West London. I had the keys so indications were that it had been towed away. The deal was that I had to wait six months for it to be an insurance right off and I could then order a new one. That I duly did and it is sitting outside with 800 miles on the clock having arrived last week.
So you could knock me down with a feather this morning when the Metropolitan Police called me to say the original car had been identified. They had found it in a hotel car park in Dublin Airport.
Well that's not strictly true. The hotel contacted their local BMW dealer to say it had sat there for three months and could they get it shifted. On checking the dealership found it was stolen and contacted the Guarda who contacted the Met. Its still in the car park and the owner of the hotel wants to know who is going to pay for the three months parking charges!!
As an aside, the car was taken from a street about 50 yards from the Chiswick Moran hotel. The group have recently acquired the Bewley chain of hotels in Ireland, and yes you've guessed it, the stolen car was in the Bewley, Dublin Airport, hotel. Seems like somebody wanted a lift home!!!
Regular readers will recall that in October last year my virtually new BMW was stolen from outside my house in Chiswick, West London. I had the keys so indications were that it had been towed away. The deal was that I had to wait six months for it to be an insurance right off and I could then order a new one. That I duly did and it is sitting outside with 800 miles on the clock having arrived last week.
So you could knock me down with a feather this morning when the Metropolitan Police called me to say the original car had been identified. They had found it in a hotel car park in Dublin Airport.
Well that's not strictly true. The hotel contacted their local BMW dealer to say it had sat there for three months and could they get it shifted. On checking the dealership found it was stolen and contacted the Guarda who contacted the Met. Its still in the car park and the owner of the hotel wants to know who is going to pay for the three months parking charges!!
As an aside, the car was taken from a street about 50 yards from the Chiswick Moran hotel. The group have recently acquired the Bewley chain of hotels in Ireland, and yes you've guessed it, the stolen car was in the Bewley, Dublin Airport, hotel. Seems like somebody wanted a lift home!!!
Friday 24 July 2009
Ava Harris, age zero
Celebration last night as Emma finally parted company with her bump and allowed new grand daughter Ava to pop out into the world, at a healthy 8lb 2oz. Both mum and baby had a bit of a battle but she was delivered au natural. Pictures will be delayed, therefore, until mother and baby are a bit more photogenic.
The Scalextric and train set had to be returned to Argos, looks like My Little Pony and dolls will be purchased in their place.......
The Scalextric and train set had to be returned to Argos, looks like My Little Pony and dolls will be purchased in their place.......
Monday 20 July 2009
...and he's got this downhill tester to win the Open
Well what a sound weekend of sport it has been, as I type, the last Aussie wicket falls and England win a test at Lords for the first time since 1936. A Michelle for Freddie which gets his name on the honours board again, and England go 1-0 up with three to play . The missus and I went on Saturday and had to put up with the bar room stewards who all said, why did we not enforce the follow-on, look at the slow run rate, etc etc, but we experts knew the game plan and it has worked a treat.
Second event on the menu was the wonderful Open Golf Championship at Turnberry, won from behind by Stuart Cink, who was never alone in the lead, but got to the front when it mattered to beat 'Old' Tom Watson in the four hole play-off. How the world would have loved to see Tom win, as he had previously done as 'young' Tom Watson, in 1977, but it was not to be and he was gutted as you would expect.
So too was Lee Westwood who was two ahead at one stage but bogeyed three of the last four holes to blow his chances.
The Turnberry track was wonderfully turned out, and it drew me back to a may day in 1989 when I played it with a couple of friends, Figs and Greg, as part of our Scotflog tour that year. Golf remains one of the few games which joe public can compete on the same playing field as the heroes of the sport. I guess swimming and cycling share that ability and there may be others. So I thought, given Tiger had a horror day on Friday, I wonder how I would have done against him hole for hole. Well given I am an anorak in a few areas, and golf being one such, I was able to fish out my card from 20 years ago and compare.....
And here we have it, I parred three holes which Tiger did also, and I bettered him on 10 and 13, deep joy!! Interesting we both struggled around the turn eh!! My comments in the diary indicate Iactually played better than the score suggests.......
Second event on the menu was the wonderful Open Golf Championship at Turnberry, won from behind by Stuart Cink, who was never alone in the lead, but got to the front when it mattered to beat 'Old' Tom Watson in the four hole play-off. How the world would have loved to see Tom win, as he had previously done as 'young' Tom Watson, in 1977, but it was not to be and he was gutted as you would expect.
So too was Lee Westwood who was two ahead at one stage but bogeyed three of the last four holes to blow his chances.
The Turnberry track was wonderfully turned out, and it drew me back to a may day in 1989 when I played it with a couple of friends, Figs and Greg, as part of our Scotflog tour that year. Golf remains one of the few games which joe public can compete on the same playing field as the heroes of the sport. I guess swimming and cycling share that ability and there may be others. So I thought, given Tiger had a horror day on Friday, I wonder how I would have done against him hole for hole. Well given I am an anorak in a few areas, and golf being one such, I was able to fish out my card from 20 years ago and compare.....
And here we have it, I parred three holes which Tiger did also, and I bettered him on 10 and 13, deep joy!! Interesting we both struggled around the turn eh!! My comments in the diary indicate Iactually played better than the score suggests.......Friday 10 July 2009
A little bit of everything Sir?
Not to be confused with a little something for the weekend......
I was transported back in time yesterday when I caught the Virgin trains Liverpool to london express yesterday. it was a short notice work trip so there was nothing for it but to travel 1st Class. You could have blown me over with t feather when i found out it featured the 'full English' on the menu.
Now in days gone by, when I travelled regularly in the chocolate and cream coloured coaches pulled by brunswick green locomotives like the Cornish Riviera express and the Flying Scotsman, I would regularly have time to grab the 'full English' between Paddington and Bristol or Bath.
The meals were served from huge silver platters by attendants in smart red and black uniforms, and the opportunity for an extra rasher or two eggs was always available. It was like a gentlemans club as the staff took great pride in their work and knew many of the regulars by first name terms.
So what of the modern equivalent? Well the menu could not be faulted, cereal, fruit juice, tea and coffee, toast and croissants followed by 'full English' or bacon or sausage baps. Both the sausage and bacon were top drawer, and the potato rosti with fried egg just hit the spot.
The only thing lacking was the 'service' mentality of the staff. Many of them were struggling to raise a smile or pass the time of day with their clients, and all gave the appearance of a jobsworth just waiting for it all to end. There was no opportunity to have extra tea or coffee if you missed the urn run, and it would have probably been unwise to ask for an extra banger. Hey, lets be positive though, it was a great start to the day, and at £129 for the ticket, probably the most expensive breakfast I have ever eaten!!
The journey home though was a nightmare, as the train was declassified due to route cancellations. So 1st Class was chocka and no food service was available except from the buffet car, the train was an hour late into Liverpool as it stopped at additional stations in and near Birmingham, consequently the £57 fare home did not even come close to value for money. I could have gone cattle for £12!!
Still the Wifi is fab and that kept me sane, and it was better than spending 7 hours on the motorway, after all, and it was not Virgins fault some little scrot wrecked the signalling system in the West Midlands, was it?
I was transported back in time yesterday when I caught the Virgin trains Liverpool to london express yesterday. it was a short notice work trip so there was nothing for it but to travel 1st Class. You could have blown me over with t feather when i found out it featured the 'full English' on the menu.
Now in days gone by, when I travelled regularly in the chocolate and cream coloured coaches pulled by brunswick green locomotives like the Cornish Riviera express and the Flying Scotsman, I would regularly have time to grab the 'full English' between Paddington and Bristol or Bath.
The meals were served from huge silver platters by attendants in smart red and black uniforms, and the opportunity for an extra rasher or two eggs was always available. It was like a gentlemans club as the staff took great pride in their work and knew many of the regulars by first name terms.
So what of the modern equivalent? Well the menu could not be faulted, cereal, fruit juice, tea and coffee, toast and croissants followed by 'full English' or bacon or sausage baps. Both the sausage and bacon were top drawer, and the potato rosti with fried egg just hit the spot.
The only thing lacking was the 'service' mentality of the staff. Many of them were struggling to raise a smile or pass the time of day with their clients, and all gave the appearance of a jobsworth just waiting for it all to end. There was no opportunity to have extra tea or coffee if you missed the urn run, and it would have probably been unwise to ask for an extra banger. Hey, lets be positive though, it was a great start to the day, and at £129 for the ticket, probably the most expensive breakfast I have ever eaten!!
The journey home though was a nightmare, as the train was declassified due to route cancellations. So 1st Class was chocka and no food service was available except from the buffet car, the train was an hour late into Liverpool as it stopped at additional stations in and near Birmingham, consequently the £57 fare home did not even come close to value for money. I could have gone cattle for £12!!
Still the Wifi is fab and that kept me sane, and it was better than spending 7 hours on the motorway, after all, and it was not Virgins fault some little scrot wrecked the signalling system in the West Midlands, was it?
Monday 6 July 2009
I'm still standing, yeah ,yeah , yeah
SWMBO and number one daughter ran the Race For Life round Birkenhead Park yesterday. She had been training very hard for it and completed it in a very commendable 31 minutes. About 4500 people took part and as you can see each of them got a medal . This seems to be the modern trend these days, and in this case I do wonder why any of the finishers would need one. It would probably save the charity a few bo
b as well.
b as well. In childrens sport the trend became known to me at the end of a Twickenham RFC mini rugby day when the awards were given out. The coach of the Welsh side, which had been battered by all the other teams asked where his boys medals were? Eh, you did not win any was the reply. This apparently was not good enough, as all the children were expecting them. Its what happens. So hurried searches for more were made and the boys went back happy.
It all seems to be part of the 'nobody loses' theme that continues to run through the school curriculum at the moment, and don't get me started on the school that banned parents from sports day in case a paedophile turned up in the crowd......do get a grip, please .
Anyway, very well done to 'er indoors, I am just off to see if I can run the route quicker. I am not feeling too confident though, I have a zero and two record where SWMBO and I go head to head on the running stakes!
Friday 3 July 2009
Knock, knock, knocking on heavens door.....
The property in Isleworth owned my Mr and Mrs Expenses, the Keens, previously highlighted here in early 2008, has been occupied by squatters, as it has remained vacant for some time. Here is the transcript of a letter circulated to neighbours, by Anne Keen.
"I am sure that you are aware that our home on Brook Road South has been taken over by squatters. The law to deal with squatters is complicated, but we are taking legal action to regain possession as quickly as possible. We would like to apologise for any disruption to your life and any inconvenience you may have experienced. After major difficulties with the architect/builder we commissioned to carry out refurbishing work and a loft conversion, we were very badly let down and the company recently went into liquidation. We are now in a position to bring in a new firm and work is scheduled to start within two weeks. We look forward to moving back in during the summer. "
"We have lived in our Brentford home for more than 22 years and we own the house - all mortgage payments and building work have always, of course, been paid by us personally. It is our home and has been very special to us for a long time. Alan started work on the Great West Road, Brentford in 1963 and I, as a nurse, spent a substantial part of my working life at the West Middlesex Hospital. Long before I was elected to Parliament in 1997, first as a nurse and then as a candidate, our door was always open for people to ask for help. "
"We find it extremely upsetting to know that our house is occupied by squatters who appear to believe that they are entitled to do what they wish in our property. Anyone who has experienced the feeling of violation after being burgled will understand the distress caused by intruders who refuse to leave. Obviously, we are working to resolve the situation and get our house back as quickly as possible and would like to thank all those who have expressed their support and sympathy over the last few days - it has meant a great deal to me. "
The comment about their door always being open may have contributed to the current problem!!
"I am sure that you are aware that our home on Brook Road South has been taken over by squatters. The law to deal with squatters is complicated, but we are taking legal action to regain possession as quickly as possible. We would like to apologise for any disruption to your life and any inconvenience you may have experienced. After major difficulties with the architect/builder we commissioned to carry out refurbishing work and a loft conversion, we were very badly let down and the company recently went into liquidation. We are now in a position to bring in a new firm and work is scheduled to start within two weeks. We look forward to moving back in during the summer. "
"We have lived in our Brentford home for more than 22 years and we own the house - all mortgage payments and building work have always, of course, been paid by us personally. It is our home and has been very special to us for a long time. Alan started work on the Great West Road, Brentford in 1963 and I, as a nurse, spent a substantial part of my working life at the West Middlesex Hospital. Long before I was elected to Parliament in 1997, first as a nurse and then as a candidate, our door was always open for people to ask for help. "
"We find it extremely upsetting to know that our house is occupied by squatters who appear to believe that they are entitled to do what they wish in our property. Anyone who has experienced the feeling of violation after being burgled will understand the distress caused by intruders who refuse to leave. Obviously, we are working to resolve the situation and get our house back as quickly as possible and would like to thank all those who have expressed their support and sympathy over the last few days - it has meant a great deal to me. "
The comment about their door always being open may have contributed to the current problem!!
Barewires
Went to see John Mayall last night in a speakeasy kind of blues club in Scouseland. The roof was held up with factory metal pillars, and it had the feeling of a 'sweat shop' in more ways than one. I hate to think what it was like before the public smoking ban came into force!
Mayall is not on my bucket list, but having been introduced to him in the sixties by the Blues from laurel Canyon album, I had always wanted to see him live. He is 75 years old now and looks a bit like Rolf Harris with a pony tail! He banged out a few tunes with his band Rocky Athos and Joe Yuele among others. These guys were probably hoping to be spotted like many of the previous Bluesbreakers were.
Eric Clapton, who along with Jack Bruce, left Mayall to for Cream, referred to him as a musical university. He spawned Fleetwood Mac, with Mick Fleetwood, Peter Green and John McVie all being ex- Bluesbreakers, and also Colosseum, from whence came Hiseman, Reeves and Heckstall-Smith. Other names such as Jeff Beck and Mick Taylor also studied at the university of Mayall, before graduating and moving on. Clapton, Taylor and Beck did back Mayall at his 2003 Liverpool concert to celebrate his 50th year in the business.
The set last night was OK although it was a bit like standing in somebodies front room as four guys jammed away together, before turning round and saying 'oh, sorry I did not see you come in'
Andy Sharrocks and the Smoking Jackets were the support act last night, which gives a brief insight into blues concert hierarchies, as Mayall himself had just finished supporting the 83 year old BB King on his short tour of the UK.
Mayall is not on my bucket list, but having been introduced to him in the sixties by the Blues from laurel Canyon album, I had always wanted to see him live. He is 75 years old now and looks a bit like Rolf Harris with a pony tail! He banged out a few tunes with his band Rocky Athos and Joe Yuele among others. These guys were probably hoping to be spotted like many of the previous Bluesbreakers were.
Eric Clapton, who along with Jack Bruce, left Mayall to for Cream, referred to him as a musical university. He spawned Fleetwood Mac, with Mick Fleetwood, Peter Green and John McVie all being ex- Bluesbreakers, and also Colosseum, from whence came Hiseman, Reeves and Heckstall-Smith. Other names such as Jeff Beck and Mick Taylor also studied at the university of Mayall, before graduating and moving on. Clapton, Taylor and Beck did back Mayall at his 2003 Liverpool concert to celebrate his 50th year in the business.
The set last night was OK although it was a bit like standing in somebodies front room as four guys jammed away together, before turning round and saying 'oh, sorry I did not see you come in'
Andy Sharrocks and the Smoking Jackets were the support act last night, which gives a brief insight into blues concert hierarchies, as Mayall himself had just finished supporting the 83 year old BB King on his short tour of the UK.
Thursday 2 July 2009
...but some are more equal than others
Fascinating. Here we are again into the back end of Wimbledon fortnight with the women's semi's and final looming, and to be honest, who cares? Can you name a memorable women's match which has kept you on the edge of your seat, and apart from the Venus sisters can you name a women player who isn't an ...eva,...ova or....vic. Yep some of them are good looking, but worth the same prize money as men, well forget it.
The men's tennis has been fantastic by comparison. Even Roger 'the hat' has played stunning stuff without being stretched, and the other three quarter finals all had drama, characters and crowds who wanted to, and did, get involved. Couple that with the thriller which was Murray's Monday match and the chaps have been earning their money and most of the ladies as well. I would suggest two things..... give the grass back a bit of pace to encourage more serve and volley, and give the girls their own week, then we will see who brings in the crowds.
The men's tennis has been fantastic by comparison. Even Roger 'the hat' has played stunning stuff without being stretched, and the other three quarter finals all had drama, characters and crowds who wanted to, and did, get involved. Couple that with the thriller which was Murray's Monday match and the chaps have been earning their money and most of the ladies as well. I would suggest two things..... give the grass back a bit of pace to encourage more serve and volley, and give the girls their own week, then we will see who brings in the crowds.
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