First of all I have to say that I am sorry that once again I have lapsed into silence for such a long time again......things got quiet and I ran out of exciting things to talk about, and then I must admit I just lost touch.
Now of course there things have changed......
Firstly I have met someone amazing. I don't know if the how will be something to tell the kids or not but in brief we met at an inquest. Not quite love over a body, or a court room romance although I am told by some of the Court Ushers that the jury thought that there was something going on. We were representing different doctors and things just happened eventually. She is a barrister and so has all the brains in the partnership, and she very much keeps me on the straight and narrow.
I have also finally moved to Manchester. For those of you who have followed my blog in the past will know of the commute that I was doing, and my plans.....well apparently the love of a good woman will even get me moving and so I moved to Manchester about 10 months ago, and have been very happy in Chorlton. This is a fantastic place to be, with great nightlife, great independent places to eat, and a whole lot of friends.
The plan when I moved here was that I would have a flat below Rachel (only because I had been to see so many awful flats that the basement of her block was the best one). After about 4 months we decided to buy a place together and I will not bore you with the history of our purchasing troubles (well maybe if I ever run out of things to talk about :-) ). We looked all over Manchester, and beyond, fell in love with some (more than one) and after much increasing and decreasing of budget we have finally completed on our flat......all of three doors down from where we currently rent....so there we are a brief update on where I am at the moment.
Hope everyone out there in blogland is happy and safe.
Saturday, 8 September 2012
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
Nozstock!
To Festival or not to Festival?
It's been years since I last went to a festival......I'm not counting a Proms in the Park or a concert.....but one of those real stuck in the mud, sleeping in a tent (if you get to sleep), stinking until Sunday Night, dancing till dawn, and meeting completely random, fantastic, all luved (and possibly chemically enhanced) people. This was until last weekend.
I loved it but must admit that I am still trying to recover from it......
There really is nothing like a festival, you do get to meet some fantastic people, and they are all so friendly. Add to that fantastic music......a hugely eclectic mix of tastes and styles, from dub step from the likes of Dub Mafia, hip hop, the wonderful stylings of Alabama 3, Ade Edmondson (of Young one's fame) and the Good Shepherds and even the Wurzels. On top of this some truly classic dance, and a mix of various forms of alcohol and fancy dress and it was no wonder that the dancing continued until 4:30 on both mornings.
If you can get to Nozstock I would hugely recommend it. It is only a small festival with some of the best new and up and coming groups around. With only about 7,500 festival goers it is really friendly and hugely impressive the amount of work that goes into. On top of the music there is theatre, comedy and a huge range of artistic performers, which are a fantastic way to relax the morning after.
I would love to say that I took some photographs but unfortunately too much dancing, wearing a variety of rubber masks (animal.....not anything weird) and generally overheating into the small hours did not pre-dispose itself to a camera, but I would really recommend having a look on the website
It's been years since I last went to a festival......I'm not counting a Proms in the Park or a concert.....but one of those real stuck in the mud, sleeping in a tent (if you get to sleep), stinking until Sunday Night, dancing till dawn, and meeting completely random, fantastic, all luved (and possibly chemically enhanced) people. This was until last weekend.
I loved it but must admit that I am still trying to recover from it......
There really is nothing like a festival, you do get to meet some fantastic people, and they are all so friendly. Add to that fantastic music......a hugely eclectic mix of tastes and styles, from dub step from the likes of Dub Mafia, hip hop, the wonderful stylings of Alabama 3, Ade Edmondson (of Young one's fame) and the Good Shepherds and even the Wurzels. On top of this some truly classic dance, and a mix of various forms of alcohol and fancy dress and it was no wonder that the dancing continued until 4:30 on both mornings.
If you can get to Nozstock I would hugely recommend it. It is only a small festival with some of the best new and up and coming groups around. With only about 7,500 festival goers it is really friendly and hugely impressive the amount of work that goes into. On top of the music there is theatre, comedy and a huge range of artistic performers, which are a fantastic way to relax the morning after.
I would love to say that I took some photographs but unfortunately too much dancing, wearing a variety of rubber masks (animal.....not anything weird) and generally overheating into the small hours did not pre-dispose itself to a camera, but I would really recommend having a look on the website
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
The Boy's back in Town
They say that every good comes to an end, and unfortunately Bristol is at an end.
I have to admit that it was with a bit of trepidation that I got in my car 10 weeks ago and drove down to Bristol. I had been there once as a student, for a drunken night out, and other than the University I didn't really know anywhere around. I was also heading to the "Head Office" where the big scary bosses all lived. It didn't help that until the Friday morning (heading down on the Sunday) that I was told where I was staying. At one moment it was going to be a serviced apartment, then it was going to be house sitting for the neighbour of the Big Grand Poobah of Clinical Risk (could have been a very nice house, but knowing my luck the accidental setting fire to the kitchen for the boss' neighbour whilst they were on holiday didn't strike me as being a great way to advance up the promotion ladder!) and finally a flat share......and not a flat share with a colleague or someone else from the office, but a random, from the paper (I had heard about the murder in Bristol at New Year, and more importantly so had my Mother.....a wonderful Mother Hen, who had already told me that she would be worrying about me......) In the end it was a serviced apartment which was incredible......thank you Saco.
As it was my concerns were completely unfounded, and I found in Bristol a city in which I felt more at home than anywhere other than Hull (and possibly York) and where I fell totally in love with the city, the office and the work. This may have had something to do with being able to have a life outside work and commuting, but I really don't think so.
I think that how much I enjoyed Bristol came home when, having been back travelling to Manchester each day for two days the wonderful train network decided that after 14 hours awake the train stopped at Leeds and decided it would go no further. Another 90 minutes to my day before I got home and as I stood watching the minutes tick by on the large clock when I noticed the train for Bristol Temple Mead station sitting at the platform opposite. It was with great difficulty that it stopped me climbing the stairs and crossing the tracks before jumping on to the train to escape back to Bristol.
So it's back to the slog, but the move to York has been assured, and if it can't be managed, you never know I may return to become a plastic Southerner......(not only for the cider!)
I have to admit that it was with a bit of trepidation that I got in my car 10 weeks ago and drove down to Bristol. I had been there once as a student, for a drunken night out, and other than the University I didn't really know anywhere around. I was also heading to the "Head Office" where the big scary bosses all lived. It didn't help that until the Friday morning (heading down on the Sunday) that I was told where I was staying. At one moment it was going to be a serviced apartment, then it was going to be house sitting for the neighbour of the Big Grand Poobah of Clinical Risk (could have been a very nice house, but knowing my luck the accidental setting fire to the kitchen for the boss' neighbour whilst they were on holiday didn't strike me as being a great way to advance up the promotion ladder!) and finally a flat share......and not a flat share with a colleague or someone else from the office, but a random, from the paper (I had heard about the murder in Bristol at New Year, and more importantly so had my Mother.....a wonderful Mother Hen, who had already told me that she would be worrying about me......) In the end it was a serviced apartment which was incredible......thank you Saco.
As it was my concerns were completely unfounded, and I found in Bristol a city in which I felt more at home than anywhere other than Hull (and possibly York) and where I fell totally in love with the city, the office and the work. This may have had something to do with being able to have a life outside work and commuting, but I really don't think so.
I think that how much I enjoyed Bristol came home when, having been back travelling to Manchester each day for two days the wonderful train network decided that after 14 hours awake the train stopped at Leeds and decided it would go no further. Another 90 minutes to my day before I got home and as I stood watching the minutes tick by on the large clock when I noticed the train for Bristol Temple Mead station sitting at the platform opposite. It was with great difficulty that it stopped me climbing the stairs and crossing the tracks before jumping on to the train to escape back to Bristol.
So it's back to the slog, but the move to York has been assured, and if it can't be managed, you never know I may return to become a plastic Southerner......(not only for the cider!)
Monday, 23 May 2011
Turn left at the crazy half man half plant and straight on till you reach mermaids!
Being down South, and with a weekend free we decided that we should really see some sights that are around (and possibly increase my knowledge of both the spiritual and historical of the region)
Accordingly, a short car journey (well 90 minutes) saw me in Hereford. I have to admit that my knowledge of Hereford was really limited to that it was sometimes inside Wales and sometimes outside (that and expecting to see a lot of extremely healthy men, with slightly longer hair than normal for the army, and with a scary look in their eyes! - The SAS are based around there - very hush hush!)
 |
| Copyright - BBC.co.uk |
The views within the Cathedral are quite fantastic. There has been a place of worship on the site since the 8th Century, and although the original Saxon cathedral was destroyed by the Welsh in about 1055 the majority of the cathedral dates from about between 1107-1158. To see pieces of architecture that have survived for over 900 years is incredible. Currently there is a large amount of repairs going on, and although they were closed when we went, you can see an open work area outside where the stonemasons are producing replacement stone work.
One of the most interesting pieces that the Cathedral holds is the Hereford Mappa Mundi. This was the 13th Century's view of the world. To see it, it is amazing to see how our ancestors saw the world around them, and how they linked this to the spiritual world, and their extremely strange geographical and anatomical beliefs. The map is currently dated from 1300 and was made from a single calf skin.
Whilst the map attempts to identify the major pilgrim sites it is interspersed with amazing images of creatures that they thought lived around the world. This includes a mandrake, which is depicted as half a tree and half a man upside down, a unicorn, and men who have no heads but whose faces are in their chests (some kind medieval commentator had likened them to lawyers......I don't know what we ever did to them!)
 |
| Copyright - Hereford Cathedral 2009 |
The mappa mundi was quite spectacular, but did make me wonder if this was one of the earliest A-Zs whether directions would be by way of mythical creatures, and how difficult passing the cabby's knowledge would have been.
If you are at the Cathedral I would also recommend seeing the chained library, containing volumes of books that date from as early as 1473.
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
Shizzle da Brizzle
Having now been down in Bristol for four weeks, and having had a whole 2 weekends to explore (couldn't include Easter.....or heaven forbid the "WEDDING WEEKEND") I should say that Bristol has some fantastic views and sights (apart from burnt out Tesco supermarkets or riot police.....although that only seems to happen when I leave the city......heav'n knows what will happen when I leave, but if there is a smouldering hole on the map where Bristol used to be.....it's really not my fault!)
If you ever get the chance to go I would really recommend it.
One sight has got to be the Avon Gorge Bridge, built by someone famous (Isambard Kingdom Brunel - I think) but the views are really incredible.
If you don't have a head for heights (and to be honest even if you normally do but the thought of being a very long long way over a busy road and river) there is Clifton itself, which over looks the Avon Gorge, and where there are some really nice shops (and where there is a fantastic cider bar the Coronation Tap - where Exhibition cider is sold in half pint glasses).
Bristol is also a home of some fantastic street art, having been a home of Banksy, and more young artists coming through. There is a tour that you can follow to wander round some of his more famous pieces, but there are still little pieces that can be found just turning a corner.
There is so much antiquity that you can walk down a street and feel that you should be living 200 years ago, and then turn a corner to be faced with modernity, most of which seems to have been integrated cleanly and without significant disturbance.
And whilst away from home, I have been put up in a serviced apartment, which (although a room and en-suite) it overlooks the harbour. This is not quite as grand as it sounds.....there are no fancy yachts and big expensive cars (well there are but not in this bit of the harbour) but a lot of narrow boats and seagulls. Whilst noisy many enjoyable hours have been spent watching the world go by from the harbour side, enjoying the sun.
And whilst away from home, I have been put up in a serviced apartment, which (although a room and en-suite) it overlooks the harbour. This is not quite as grand as it sounds.....there are no fancy yachts and big expensive cars (well there are but not in this bit of the harbour) but a lot of narrow boats and seagulls. Whilst noisy many enjoyable hours have been spent watching the world go by from the harbour side, enjoying the sun.
Other highlights:
The Hole in the Wall - a pub that is believed to be the basis for The Spyglass in Treasure Island.
St Mary's Redcliffe - a huge Elizabethan church
Cabots Circus - A place to find pretty much anything you could want
Glassboat Restaurant - a fantastic place to eat
St Mary's Redcliffe - a huge Elizabethan church
Cabots Circus - A place to find pretty much anything you could want
Glassboat Restaurant - a fantastic place to eat
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
There once was a young blogger from Hull........
Well okay not so young, well at least not physically (mentally is a whole different thing) who started blogging after a pretty horrid time, and he found that it was fantastic, it was a way to express emotions, without having to break with the stereotypical male impression of actually explaining to people how I felt.
Whilst blogging was great he found that he was blogging every day just to blog, and there was often nothing being said........it was becoming more and more as though he was back at Primary School and was writting "What I did last night......" just writing for the sake of saying that I was blogging.
All of a sudden he had nothing more to say......what could he write about......I am really lucky to read wonderful people's blogs who always seem extremely interesting, and all of a sudden he felt self conscious and didn't just want to be one of those bloggers who just open their "mouths" (well their fingers on keyboard) and the equivalent of verbal diarrhoea appears on a page online.
So he stopped, thinking that he would come back to blogging when he had something interesting to say.....and then work (and I know that this is an excuse) started to wear him down physically and mentally and it seemed too hard to sit and think what to write.......but things have changed, and I hope to return to you wonderful people in "Blogland".
Where am I know? Well I still work for the same firm, still in Manchester, and still living in Hull, but at the moment I am down in sunny Bristol, where I am going to be staying for two months (all without the four hour daily commute) I get to explore somewhere new, and I hope to put some photographs up soon. ON a trip back up to Hull this Easter Weekend (which I hope to be able to tell you about soon) I got to meet the wonderful Gemma Noon and can officially tell you that the 'Lil Dude' really is very very cool.
So to all my friends in "Blogland" I apologise for my silence, you have never been far from my thoughts, and I have tried to keep up with all your busy lives, and hope to read more now that I am back.
Whilst blogging was great he found that he was blogging every day just to blog, and there was often nothing being said........it was becoming more and more as though he was back at Primary School and was writting "What I did last night......" just writing for the sake of saying that I was blogging.
All of a sudden he had nothing more to say......what could he write about......I am really lucky to read wonderful people's blogs who always seem extremely interesting, and all of a sudden he felt self conscious and didn't just want to be one of those bloggers who just open their "mouths" (well their fingers on keyboard) and the equivalent of verbal diarrhoea appears on a page online.
So he stopped, thinking that he would come back to blogging when he had something interesting to say.....and then work (and I know that this is an excuse) started to wear him down physically and mentally and it seemed too hard to sit and think what to write.......but things have changed, and I hope to return to you wonderful people in "Blogland".
Where am I know? Well I still work for the same firm, still in Manchester, and still living in Hull, but at the moment I am down in sunny Bristol, where I am going to be staying for two months (all without the four hour daily commute) I get to explore somewhere new, and I hope to put some photographs up soon. ON a trip back up to Hull this Easter Weekend (which I hope to be able to tell you about soon) I got to meet the wonderful Gemma Noon and can officially tell you that the 'Lil Dude' really is very very cool.
So to all my friends in "Blogland" I apologise for my silence, you have never been far from my thoughts, and I have tried to keep up with all your busy lives, and hope to read more now that I am back.
Monday, 28 February 2011
If anyone ever earned their money!
This weekend saw the birthday of my lil Niece who turned 5......well to be truthful she has taken after her Mother (and the Queen) and whilst her Birthday was last Monday, has managed to spread one birthday over two weekends the first was with the in-laws who visited, and last weekend was the official party.
After gladly accepted the invitation.....well the whole family had......it was a trip down to Brize Norton to visit the Sister and co, with more pressies than seemed to be delivered at Chrimbo, and airbeds all round to crash in the living room. This seemed like a great idea before a very late, and only slightly drunken night out on Thursday night. At the moment weekends are a chance to lie in beyond 5.20am, although I hadn't really thought ahead, and which wasn't going to be exceeded too far when sleeping on a miniature bouncy castle in a house with a five year old, who was always going to be very excited given that presents were available.
My Sister and her hubby had booked out the families club and arranged for some entertainers. After spending most of Friday cutting cheese and ham sarnies into interesting shapes and frantic purchasing of party rings, hula-hoops and flapjacks these were distributed around the club, balloons inflated and banners put up. It was then that the entertainers arrived. I'm not sure if it was just me, but party entertainers when I was kid seemed to be either a magician who would do the rounds, or a clown who I remembered smelt very odd. The three young people, who looked like the cast of a children's TV programme turned up and swiftly installed two small inflatable bouncy 'things'......I thought that they were just castles.....or used to be in my day! a table for face painting, party games distributed and a magician's stand erected.
The finishing touches were just completed when the herd of tiny elephants turned up (well only about 25) and I take my hat off to the entertainment team. There were no tears, no tantrums, and no pressure. The kids were all kept entertained.......(when not eating ALL the pink wafers......not that I am at all disappointed!) I have to admit that I had been dreading the thought of being stuck in a hall with 25 five year olds running amok, but the whole day went fantastically.
So hats off and a huge round of applause to kid's party entertainers......oh and to all parents, who manage it on a day to day basis.
After gladly accepted the invitation.....well the whole family had......it was a trip down to Brize Norton to visit the Sister and co, with more pressies than seemed to be delivered at Chrimbo, and airbeds all round to crash in the living room. This seemed like a great idea before a very late, and only slightly drunken night out on Thursday night. At the moment weekends are a chance to lie in beyond 5.20am, although I hadn't really thought ahead, and which wasn't going to be exceeded too far when sleeping on a miniature bouncy castle in a house with a five year old, who was always going to be very excited given that presents were available.
My Sister and her hubby had booked out the families club and arranged for some entertainers. After spending most of Friday cutting cheese and ham sarnies into interesting shapes and frantic purchasing of party rings, hula-hoops and flapjacks these were distributed around the club, balloons inflated and banners put up. It was then that the entertainers arrived. I'm not sure if it was just me, but party entertainers when I was kid seemed to be either a magician who would do the rounds, or a clown who I remembered smelt very odd. The three young people, who looked like the cast of a children's TV programme turned up and swiftly installed two small inflatable bouncy 'things'......I thought that they were just castles.....or used to be in my day! a table for face painting, party games distributed and a magician's stand erected.
The finishing touches were just completed when the herd of tiny elephants turned up (well only about 25) and I take my hat off to the entertainment team. There were no tears, no tantrums, and no pressure. The kids were all kept entertained.......(when not eating ALL the pink wafers......not that I am at all disappointed!) I have to admit that I had been dreading the thought of being stuck in a hall with 25 five year olds running amok, but the whole day went fantastically.
So hats off and a huge round of applause to kid's party entertainers......oh and to all parents, who manage it on a day to day basis.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)