The variants of the English language, and the dialects associated with different cultures and regions was brought home to me at the weekend.
We had flyer from a new curry house through the door, the Himalaya, and they had some interesting sounding dishes on the menu. Consequently we decided to give it a go at the weekend.
SWMBO had her usual biriyani, with madras hot sauce, and I by way of a change ordered the Chicken Naga.
It took ages to arrive and I had to ring to remind them, not a good sign. Eventually the food arrived and the biriyani looked great, but imagine my suprise when instead of Chicken Naga I opened up Chicken nuggets and chips.
When I rang up again they said they had trouble understanding my accent...great, like, ay pal.....
Sunday, 31 October 2010
Friday, 15 October 2010
"Parker?" "Yes m'lady"
A school in Stockport has withdrawn the use of fountain pens from their students as the school scanners are struggling to interpret the decimal point in maths papers.
Is this the end of yet another traditional and important aspect of communication, the hand written letter or report?
I have been a keen fountain pen fan, from times far back where I am fast struggling to remember. My father had a classic gold cased Parker pen and pencil set, and signed his name in a flourish which resembled a caterpillar, the P of Paul being the head, and the continuation with a (for Alexander) and weathers with a small w making up the body.
I had several pens presented to me on my 21st birthday, the Parker with the italic nib I still have 35 years later. It was a present from the kind couple who lived below us in the flat in Balham when I was a student which I shared with three other chaps.
I have wheeled and dealed fountain pens on eBay over the years, selling some I have found about the house and some acquired from car boot sales. Parker continues to be the sought after brand, although Cross are a more modern collectible, and Mont Blanc have more recently established themselves as market leaders in the 'poseur' market populated by estate agents and bankers.
That said, each of our children was presented with a Mont Blanc fountain pen for their 18th birthday, and I do have one which I use myself for special communications. On a day to day basis I use a Lamy or one of my two Rotring Core pens. They are all cartridge powered now, although i do still have an ink converter for the Parker.
There is still no better sight than seeing a hand written envelope in the daily post tray, an image which leads to it being the first item opened. I do hope the fountain pen survives into the future, I wd h8 it 2 b ex'd
Is this the end of yet another traditional and important aspect of communication, the hand written letter or report?
I have been a keen fountain pen fan, from times far back where I am fast struggling to remember. My father had a classic gold cased Parker pen and pencil set, and signed his name in a flourish which resembled a caterpillar, the P of Paul being the head, and the continuation with a (for Alexander) and weathers with a small w making up the body.
I had several pens presented to me on my 21st birthday, the Parker with the italic nib I still have 35 years later. It was a present from the kind couple who lived below us in the flat in Balham when I was a student which I shared with three other chaps.
I have wheeled and dealed fountain pens on eBay over the years, selling some I have found about the house and some acquired from car boot sales. Parker continues to be the sought after brand, although Cross are a more modern collectible, and Mont Blanc have more recently established themselves as market leaders in the 'poseur' market populated by estate agents and bankers.
That said, each of our children was presented with a Mont Blanc fountain pen for their 18th birthday, and I do have one which I use myself for special communications. On a day to day basis I use a Lamy or one of my two Rotring Core pens. They are all cartridge powered now, although i do still have an ink converter for the Parker.
There is still no better sight than seeing a hand written envelope in the daily post tray, an image which leads to it being the first item opened. I do hope the fountain pen survives into the future, I wd h8 it 2 b ex'd
Wednesday, 13 October 2010
Careful, careful.....
I am delighted the Savoy is reopening in stages over the next few weeks, and will make the point of dining in the Grill and having a few cocktails in the Thames bar when I am in town and able to do so.
It always fascinated me as a lad that Savoy Street was, and still is, the only street in London where traffic drives on the right hand side of the road. It was to ensure the drivers could alight on the pavement and open the door for their clientele to do the same.
Such style.
It always fascinated me as a lad that Savoy Street was, and still is, the only street in London where traffic drives on the right hand side of the road. It was to ensure the drivers could alight on the pavement and open the door for their clientele to do the same.
Such style.
Bah! bumbug!
I don't believe it. Two Christmas trees have just been erected in one of the offices I am using in London. Our finance team have a weird approach to the festive season and seem to do this sort of thing every year.
Its gloriously sunny outside, and here I am faced with one artificial and one real tree. They have even started humming carols as bemused salesmen and women look on with expressions crying out 'get a life chaps'
I am a bit of a stickler at home, having educated the kids to mention Christmas only after bonfire night has passed, but with the increasing commercialisation of the festive season by department stores and the like it has been a struggle. The rule used to be that anything they asked for before 5th November they would not get.
After a few tantrums, they soon worked out that the stuff they definitely did not want was the stuff they asked for early...crafty buggers.
Anyway, the turkey and tinsel season has definitely started early here, I must hang my stocking up.
Its gloriously sunny outside, and here I am faced with one artificial and one real tree. They have even started humming carols as bemused salesmen and women look on with expressions crying out 'get a life chaps'
I am a bit of a stickler at home, having educated the kids to mention Christmas only after bonfire night has passed, but with the increasing commercialisation of the festive season by department stores and the like it has been a struggle. The rule used to be that anything they asked for before 5th November they would not get.
After a few tantrums, they soon worked out that the stuff they definitely did not want was the stuff they asked for early...crafty buggers.
Anyway, the turkey and tinsel season has definitely started early here, I must hang my stocking up.
Sunday, 3 October 2010
Tarmac yer path guv?
We are very nearly the owners of a brand new kitchen. It has been a long journey , about two months in total, and we still await the covings from Poland, via Spain....yes really, and a new tap to replace the leaking one. Then I think we are done.
We are awaiting chairs from IKEA, they were out of stock when we ordered them, but are now available in store, but as we ordered by mail order they have to come from their main distribution centre in Rotherham. Oh well lets hope the wait is worth it.
We next need to sort out the bathrooms which are all well old and starting to develop problems. We need to sort them out before we can redecorate, much like the roof.
I would like to do a bit of work on the swimming pool as that is also in need of attention, so I dropped into CRS a pool company near Tarpoley to see if they had been the initial installation company. They were singularly unhelpful and asked me all the questions I was hoping they would have the answers to. I was firing buying signals at them all the time but they were totally oblivious to them, so have lost any chance they had of getting the refurbishing contract. Given pool maintenance companies are few and far between though, I will have to do some more research.
The highlight of the redevelopment so far though has been the work paving Dave and his mate Tony have done to turn our front path from a sloping Winter death trap into a fine set of steps which match in with the patio and house character very well....they are about to grout all the flags at the mo but are getting frustrated by the constant rain fall which is slowing them down.
I call him paving Dave as the kitchen fitters have Dave the sparks, Dave the tiles and Dave the odd job man, far too many Daves!
We are awaiting chairs from IKEA, they were out of stock when we ordered them, but are now available in store, but as we ordered by mail order they have to come from their main distribution centre in Rotherham. Oh well lets hope the wait is worth it.
We next need to sort out the bathrooms which are all well old and starting to develop problems. We need to sort them out before we can redecorate, much like the roof.
I would like to do a bit of work on the swimming pool as that is also in need of attention, so I dropped into CRS a pool company near Tarpoley to see if they had been the initial installation company. They were singularly unhelpful and asked me all the questions I was hoping they would have the answers to. I was firing buying signals at them all the time but they were totally oblivious to them, so have lost any chance they had of getting the refurbishing contract. Given pool maintenance companies are few and far between though, I will have to do some more research.
The highlight of the redevelopment so far though has been the work paving Dave and his mate Tony have done to turn our front path from a sloping Winter death trap into a fine set of steps which match in with the patio and house character very well....they are about to grout all the flags at the mo but are getting frustrated by the constant rain fall which is slowing them down.
I call him paving Dave as the kitchen fitters have Dave the sparks, Dave the tiles and Dave the odd job man, far too many Daves!
Thursday, 2 September 2010
Four men on a raft
August Bank Holiday at the moment means only one thing to us, the annual Bampton raft race. This is the third year we have participated and we feel quite proud of the fact that we have revitalised the race and seen a marked increase in participants.
This year though it took a bit of a step backwards as the village was divided as to how it should be managed. The crew who have done it for years served notice of their retirement a couple of years ago, so this time there was no entry fee, no starter, no b-b-q or bar at the end, and no presentation of trophies. It all left a bot of a taste in the mouth, over and above that of the river!
Hopefully next year they will have their act together and it will be another true village event. We are already into costume design, with jolly jack tar's the theme for 2011. we have won the best dressed raft title twice in three years so need to keep up appearances.
The race itself was gruelling with the river too low to paddle the whole way. Pulling the raft along the river bed for several hundred yards put the lashings and our stamina to the test. i have to say our stamina stood up tot he task better.
Our thanks go to the ladies raft members who we overtook in the final stages, to avoid being last. We really do need to give some thought to a low draught raft for next time.
This year though it took a bit of a step backwards as the village was divided as to how it should be managed. The crew who have done it for years served notice of their retirement a couple of years ago, so this time there was no entry fee, no starter, no b-b-q or bar at the end, and no presentation of trophies. It all left a bot of a taste in the mouth, over and above that of the river!
Hopefully next year they will have their act together and it will be another true village event. We are already into costume design, with jolly jack tar's the theme for 2011. we have won the best dressed raft title twice in three years so need to keep up appearances.
The race itself was gruelling with the river too low to paddle the whole way. Pulling the raft along the river bed for several hundred yards put the lashings and our stamina to the test. i have to say our stamina stood up tot he task better.
Our thanks go to the ladies raft members who we overtook in the final stages, to avoid being last. We really do need to give some thought to a low draught raft for next time.
Monday, 23 August 2010
Dust, dust and more dust
My B-i-L has just completed his first month of the six month tour of Afghanistan, and has seen the best and worst the theatre has to offer.
There have been three vigils while he has been there, a time when the whole base turns out to see of the coffins of the fallen prior to their repatriation, there have been seven such fatalities so far. There is a religious farewell followed by a mates eulogy, then the minutes silence and the salvo of gun fire. Even reading about it, and transcribing it here sends a chill through the blood.
The medical facilities for the wounded sound first rate, and it is often the seriously maimed who survive, but do not get the press and publicity at our end, who face the hardest battle as they struggle to re-establish themselves outside of the force. Thankfully charities like 'Help for Hero's' and others are starting to make a difference as they strive to help both the personnel and places like Headley Hall where the rehabilitation process begins.
On the more positive side of his tour, he seems to have found a batman, in old speak, who is a bit like Radar in Mash, and can acquire a wide and varied selection of items, both military and civilian , all of which make like a little bit more bearable. He also now has access passes to the Swedish and American compounds giving him a wider choice of restaurants to visit....steak and lobster tails in the US base, and the best coffee in the area from the Swedes.
Communication with the outside world seems good, and we regularly exchange e-mails. He has shoe box size parcels which arrive periodically with malt loaf and maltesers being amongst his requested treats. He also has something called an e-bluey, but I think I will save the explanation of that for another blog entry.
There have been three vigils while he has been there, a time when the whole base turns out to see of the coffins of the fallen prior to their repatriation, there have been seven such fatalities so far. There is a religious farewell followed by a mates eulogy, then the minutes silence and the salvo of gun fire. Even reading about it, and transcribing it here sends a chill through the blood.
The medical facilities for the wounded sound first rate, and it is often the seriously maimed who survive, but do not get the press and publicity at our end, who face the hardest battle as they struggle to re-establish themselves outside of the force. Thankfully charities like 'Help for Hero's' and others are starting to make a difference as they strive to help both the personnel and places like Headley Hall where the rehabilitation process begins.
On the more positive side of his tour, he seems to have found a batman, in old speak, who is a bit like Radar in Mash, and can acquire a wide and varied selection of items, both military and civilian , all of which make like a little bit more bearable. He also now has access passes to the Swedish and American compounds giving him a wider choice of restaurants to visit....steak and lobster tails in the US base, and the best coffee in the area from the Swedes.
Communication with the outside world seems good, and we regularly exchange e-mails. He has shoe box size parcels which arrive periodically with malt loaf and maltesers being amongst his requested treats. He also has something called an e-bluey, but I think I will save the explanation of that for another blog entry.
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