Yes You In The Back Row

As well as running the Support Team, Zippie and I run the on-site basic training for new stewards. This also acts as a refresher for those who have been stewarding for a while but want to come along. It is proper training, in that there is a lot of interaction, audience participation and role plays. We hope that people have a good time as well as learning something. In fact I think stewarding calls on life skills that everyone has, so it is really a case of helping them see that there is nothing scarey about stewarding so that they can go out and enjoy it.

We try to make sure the atmosphere is light-hearted. This does have a drawback in that we open ourselves up for a lot of heckling. Worst of all are the Support team when they come along. They were due to come to the Thursday session. On Wednesday night they were sitting up late and obviously thought I had gone to bed. Because I could overhear them plotting. They were trying to come up with long words for me to write on the flip-chart. They were quite surprised when I came out and said goodnight, adding "and I will sleep soundly because I know no-one is going to have long words at the training tomorrow". I am pleased to report that they failed to beat me on the day.

The role plays went well. Although most people hate the idea of them I really do believe that role plays can be a massive help. This year we kept the groups slightly larger and I think that helped people overcome their inhibitions. One group who were supposed to be discontented campers in a queue actually worked themselves up so much that it was frightening.

Get The Hump

I have repeatedly told people that we are taking risks when we have wierd and wonderful animals at Greenbelt. They don't believe me. Well look at this. The camel lay on top of her. It was considered to possibly even be a "sort of sexual thing". Apparently the camel hadn't been given enough discipline. Although why a male camel would be into suspenders and a whip escapes me.

Tra La La

There are more stories. I don't know exactly how many more, but there are more.

Like the night of the sweep. This brings together some security work with golf buggies. Possibly an incongruous mix.

This year at Greenbelt we had golf buggies working as taxis. Excellent idea to help people get around at a low cost. Let's ignore the tension, that might be someone elses call, but just accept that the theory was good.

Anyway on the second night we wanted to do a sweep of the helicopter field. Not that there was a problem but it was an exercise that we needed to do. So somehow we needed to get 24 stewards up there. We decided that we would borrow some golf buggies. While most of the team were being briefed I took another three stewards as drivers for a quick training on how to drive buggies (relatively easy - accelerator, brake, forward and reverse, left and right). Then we set off to collect the rest of the team. It was impossible to avoid singing the theme tune to the Banana Splits as we went down the hill, 4 buggies in a line, me leading. Then we collected our stewards and set off again, 6 stewards in high viz jackets per buggy. This demanded a change. Of course the Banana Splits was no longer suitable. So we headed towards the helicopter field singing the "Ride of the Valkyries" from "Apocalypse Now". All we needed was speakers on the roof.

Front or Back

It has to be said that some of the team take things more seriously than others. On the last night we had a report of a possible sighting of some locals trying to get in. I drove Zippie, Guilty and McVicar (if you are not a Greenbelt regular then I have to promise you that these are the real names) up to the nearest point (via a rather nice scenic route) then we got out to walk. It was dusk as we started traipsing across the field in a line - McVicar first, then Zippie then Guilty and myself. As they walked ahead of us they lined up so well that McVicar vanished from view, eclipsed by Zippie (more because McVicar is small than Zippie is big).

And I said something along the lines of "they're picking us off one by one". Almost at the same time Guilty and I thought of the same thing, a scene from Red Dwarf, I suspect from "Polymorph" but am ready to be corrected. In it the four "heroes" are hunting, or being hunted by, an alien. As they walk along someone says it is always the person at the front who gets killed first. Rimmer therefore tries to get to the back. But someone else says that it is always the person at the back who gets picked off. This leads to a dilemma for Rimmer as to where in the line he should stand. And I believe that Guilty and I did a very good re-enactment of the scene which entails a certain degree of running around in circles trying to be at both the front and the back at the same time.

I am fairly sure I heard McVicar tutting.

Later correction (before anyone beats me to it): In fact it was "DNA" and the script goes like this:

RIMMER and KRYTEN are about to venture down a darkened corridor. RIMMER pauses, cowardice writ large upon his features, then turns to KRYTEN.

RIMMER: Uh, Kryten, take point. I've seen those movies. It's always the guy in the lead who buys it first. You take the front.

KRYTEN: Well, if it's movies we're talking about, sir, in my experience it's usually the poor fellow who's bringing up the rear that gets picked off first, so the others aren't aware that they're under attack.

RIMMER: You're right, you're right. Can you take the front and the back, so I can go in the middle?

KRYTEN: I'll do my best, sir.They advance down the corridor cautiously.

KRYTEN, in front, shufflesround to the back, then he and RIMMER sidle around one another. They proceed in this fashion down the corridor, KRYTEN alternately taking point and bringing up the rear, whilst RIMMER looks out for any kind of danger.

Getting Wet

As managers of the Support Team for Greenbelt, Zippie and I are really very lucky. We get to bathe in a lot of reflected glory. Our team do an incredibly good job, mainly (I think) because they have bonded so well. We can rely on them to do what is asked of them, whether it be queues, traffic or security. And then people thank Zippie and me for what has been done. But in reality, once you get over the fact that managing the team is much like juggling water, then we don't do much. And juggling water isn't that hard!

Alone In A Crowd

Surrounded by thousands
Yet able to find
One quiet
Lifetime
Together
A Lifetime
Made of that second
That minute
That hour
Touching

Stroking your face

Matches

Looking behind
Flames Rising
And I wonder
If I really should
Have burnt that bridge

Homeland

32000 houses to be built in the South East. But will it really help. Is the problem a lack of housing? I don't think so. Inappropriate housing built in appropriate places is the problem. But, more importantly, these houses get built without a supporting infrastructure. Houses go up but without new doctors, new schools, decent bus services, or even pubs/restaurants.

We have 70 houses being built behind us. Unlike some of our neighbours I really have no problems with the idea of more houses per se. The ground was waste ground anyway. It wasn't attractive, it didn't improve the scenery. I did go to a planning meeting but I was embarrassed by the NIMBY attitude of some of the people living in this road. But what i don't like is that there are no new facilities being built. There is no where to go out near here, the pub up the hill is rough (to say the least). And new houses without facilities will lead to children playing on the road and all the other things that are bad. Yes build houses, but also build the support network that is needed.

Head Up

It should be pointed out however that the artists had strong competition. For one ops meeting it was not a singer who came to entertain us but a meerkat. There was a zoo on site as well as a farm (this is probably the first Greenbelt in over 15 years when I have not been called on for my veterinary knowledge). And someone thought it would be good to have a meerkat brought along for us to see. And to clamber on peoples shoulders.

So for Greenbelters who saw people with radios suddenly all face the sun, stand on anything that would get them higher, and put their hands just under their chins you now know that someone had called a "Meerkat moment" over channel. Oh we know how to have a good time!

Heaven In Ordinary

The theme for Greenbelt this year was "Heaven in Ordinary". I still think it a strange theme, but at least I managed to experience something that lived up to it.

Working as a Steward Manager and part of ops is fun, enjoyable and also sometimes weird. Certainly Greenbelt is very different for the small group of us involved at this level. And it can be very difficult to get to see things. There is now a policy that we should pick at least one thing and make sure we get to it. I failed to see Billy Bragg, who had been my choice, but I also feel that this is a bit fake anyway, setting a "target". I can enjoy Greenbelt without seeing a particular act because, to me, Greenbelt is about meeting with my friends and it is their friendship and us all working together that gives me strength and hope for the year ahead. The fact that a group of people from all kinds of walks of life can give of their time (Greenbelt is almost entirely run by volunteers) and work together to put on a festival for 17000-odd people constantly amazes me and it is wonderful to be part of that.

But, and this is the "Heaven in Ordinary" part, we are also lucky, indeed blessed in ops. Because we have an ops meeting just after lunch every day. And for the last couple of years one of the acts has come in and sung a couple of songs for us. This year we had Iain Archer on one day and Martyn Joseph on another, two singers who were top of my list to hear. I think it is reasonable to describe the ops meetings as "ordinary" (although a lot of the topics that arise aren't) and having a private gig for the 20-30 of us is certainly heaven.

Lost

OK, first things first, whoever you are admit it. I want to know.

I go to Greenbelt to look after the site and make sure everyone is safe, no-one has anything stolen. Then, when I am not looking, some tea-leaf steals three days off me. It's true. I went on Wednesday, I am now back home so it must be Tuesday. There is no way that there have been 5 days in between. So someone must have stolen them off me.

Although, I have an alternative explanation. When I went to Greenbelt the weather ahd been horrible. It is now also overcast. In addition it was the August bank holiday so it must have rained. Yet I now have a tan that I didn't have a week ago. Yes, there really is only one plausible explanation when you examine the facts. I must have been abducted by aliens.

{For those of you still somewhat confused this was a very long winded way of saying Greenbelt flew past in a blink}

Death Of The Bookworm

There are obviously different levels of sad. And this is sad in the same way as the country being taken over by hooligans etc. But it is still sad to see that one in four people didn't read a book last year. Admittedly that is in America, but I doubt the UK is much different. This is going to be a poor reading year for me because I have to learn a lot of lines as Master of the Lodge, but even so I will have read 6 books this year. Most years I probably read around 20 books, give or take a few. Almost every room in our house has books in it, I can't iagine a world without books.

Reading is so essential. It opens our eyes to other people and their emotions. It shows us different worlds. It lets our imagination go places that we will never be able to see in real life. Reading teaches us, let's us explore, it pushes our preconceptions and helps us realise that there is more. I really do feel sad for those who never pick up a book.

Ambulance Chasers

It amazes me that people get paid for some of the studies that get reported. So the longer your ambulance ride the more likely you are to die. And that is supposed to be surprising is it? Like black cats are more likely to be run over at night.

High Woods

Where the police have failed a group of cubs succeeded. These cubs defeated a drug ring by finding £23k of heroine stashed away in the woods.

I am still trying to work oout which badge this makes them eligible for? "Wood Sniffer" perhaps, "Nosey", "Far out"

I Should Have Guessed

They couldn't even wait. Oh no. It started before I even got there. Some people are already at Greenbelt. Some of us are still working (those of you who are bright can maybe see where this is going). There I am in a meeting this morning. Suddenly my phone rings. Always annoying but I have a few things on at the moment and need the mobile. So I answer. To hear "moooooo..........mooooooooo................mooooooooooo".

But I have 48 hours to plot my revenge.

What World Is THis?

No jokes, nothing funny to say. This is just very depressing. The police are here to protect us. A mob of 100-odd hooligans attack a police station because an illegal rave was stopped. I have nothing against illegal raves, let everyone have fun. But there is no excuse for attacking the police.

Moo Oink - Oh No

To fully understand why the entries for Friday 17th and Saturday 18th August worry me so much you have to appreciate my experiences at Greenbelt. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy to be a vet, and I am very happy to be involved with Greenbelt. But the two have a habit of colliding in spectacular manner. I have been asked to treat numerous pigeons (and one crow). I was called when someones rabbit was attacked by a fox (and I am still struggling with the concept of taking a rabbit to a festival). I have been asked to examine a cat found on a balcony (bit of a mystery, food and water in bowls, one cat on the fourth floor balcony, no owner). I have had to treat a goat kid, but thankfully not the camel (I have actually helped a camel give birth before now but not at Greenbelt, that's another story). And I receive the radio calls when a pig was spotted wandering around the camp-site (to which, I admit, it gave me great pleasure to be able to respond "I know"). I was also called when someone discovered a wasps nest, conversation going something like -

Control: "Merlin, we have a report of a wasps nest"
Me: "And why exactly are you telling me?"
Control: "You're a vet"
Me "OK, so I will take their pulse but I need someone to help hold the wings open"

I think the sarcasm was lost.

Not Chocolat, Carrots

A greek priest is accused of cutting the brake cables on a car and then later blowing it up. The reason being that he wrongly suspected the grocer of being his wifes illicit lover. Ignoring the fact that this could well be a novel by Joanne Harris there is something even more striking. And that is the response by the Greek Orthodox Church. Rather than condemning the priest, instead they have gone on record as saying what a shame it is that priests have so many problems getting a wife!

I believe in God, and as a believer it consistently amazes me that Christianity is so good at repeatedly shooting itself in the foot (or, in this case, stepping on a Molotov cocktail).

Got To Go

So the Conservatives have announced plans for cutting red tape. Which is all well and good. But what about those poor people who make red tape. There's going to be a lot of redundancies at the factory.

Scary (But Whose Fault)

I was listening to "Thought for the Day" this morning. Not my favourite bit of radio I admit, but it was that or practice my lines for the 2nd degree. Anyway the speaker (Annie somebody?) was commenting on the mystery of Madelaine. And she said that her 4 year old doesn't like to be left alone since Madelaine went missing. And my thought. Well to be honest I thought "what on earth have you done to get a 4 year old that worried". The news really shouldn't be that big an issue for a 4 year old. For one to not even like being left in bed at night then somebody must have been piling it on a bit, because a 4 year old won't have learnt it from the TV.

High Flyers

Congratulations to all those who got straight "A"s. But are the exams getting easier or are the pupils getting brighter? In fact I don't think that matters too much. What matters is that the exams definitely need to be recalibrated. With one in four getting top grades the distinction has been lost. What the universities and employers need to know is who are the real top performers. With no distinction it is impossible to tell. Everyone is the same. The more students getting the top grade then the less value the marks, even if they indicate a rise in the intelligence level (which I struggle to believe). And it is the students who suffer. Today they may be celebrating, but when they discover that the value of that piece of paper has been undermined then they will not be so pleased.

Forest

Your every step
Moving deeper
Drawing in
Drawn in
Away from this

And here
My vampires and werewolves roam
Nay
Vampires and werewolves
Rule
While your unicorn
Lies bleeding
Red against ivory white
Where no lion stands to roar
No hero has strength
To take a timid step

And your hands may be bound
Maybe cruelly
I'll grant you
But your feet have been free
To chose a path
The path

Up Up Up And Away

A night to myself was never going to be one of high culture. For my birthday I bought a Wii. Tonight was always going to be one of spending a lot of time playing. One of the games I had bought was Blazing Angels. I hadn't had a chance to try it before tonight. You take the role of a WW2 pilot. And after an hour or so I can honestly say that I bring a new level of incompetance to the whole concept.

Silence (Except For Loud Music)

This is going to be a weird night. "A" and "J" away. House to myself. I haven't had a house to myself for, oooooo, I don't know how long.

Sad

More and more I think there are some really warped people out there. And they are getting worse. I don't mean the paedophiles and the like, I actually doubt they are on the increase, I just think that they are more talked about because of the power of the media. I am talking more about the people who are basically thugs, who indulge in mindless acts of violence or damage. Those who saw fit to urinate in the bowsers supplied for the people without water in Gloucester. Those who saw fit to poison one of the most beautiful birds in this country. Those who see fit to stick chewing gum on the local slides and then wedge razor blades in them to catch the children playing.

Why? Ten years ago you lefties would have been blaming Maggie. But she has gone. Labour have been in power for long enough. And it is getting worse. Our civilisation, our culture, our community is disintegrating.

Doo Doo Dah

OK, I have to admit it. All in all it took a bit longer than I expected. What am I talking about? Converting all my old albums onto the computer. 6 months since I bought the turntable to do the job. And I have finally finished. I thought it would take a month. My old computer didn't help, sometimes it just couldn't cope with the pressure. But even allowing for that, this was definitely a long haul. Worth while though. I now have more than 8 days worth of music stored on the computer. Just hope I don't get a hard drive failure!

Veg

Today was a weird day. Definitely weird. I have been so used to constantly being on the go. I am working 11 hour days at least. Even on holiday I was driving us everywhere and constantly doing things. And today we did nothing. I mean, don't get me wrong, most of the afternoon was in the kitchen baking shortbread biscuits and making a cake as a friend is coming for lunch tomorrow, but I really did "nothing". And boy did I need it. The only problem being that a day doing nothing is not a 5 year olds idea of fun.

Cider House Rules

I often think people trying to break records have too much time on their hands and should find something better to do. But this takes the biscuit:

Bobbing for ApplesSunday, May 13, 2007 - A model poses inside a pool of 20,000 apples at a hotel in Port Dickson, Malaysia, during an attempt to break the Malaysian record for "most number of apples used in a spa therapy."

Why? I mean, just why? I am working 11 hour days and someone else is having photos taken of them in a spa full of apples. Something wrong somewhere.

Added Flavour

You may have seen the HSBC advert which shows goats grazing in trees. I am sure many think that this is simply computer generated. However I would like to inform you that this is real. In Morocco goats really do climb Argan trees in order to eat the fruit and the leaves. What looks like a fake is in fact real.

The story gets more interesting though. The Argan tree is well known in Morocco for its nut which produces woderful oil, similar to olive oil. The goats eat the fruit, which is digested, but the nut passes through and out the other end. Where it is collected by the farmers, broken into kernels which are then used to produce the oil and, think of this and what it has gone through to get to this point, a thick paste used as a dip for bread at breakfast.

Bottoms Up

"A" became a Rainbow recently. They have to make a promise, which is all about being good. Yesterday I went to to a meeting where I was speaking (bear with me, this will make sense). It all seemed to go well. I was very pleased with myself. Finally I got back to my room. I then discovered the sticker that "A" had been given when she became a Rainbow. I discovered it had been stuck on the seat of my trousers all evening, when I was supposed to be professional, a label on the seat of my trousers which read "I Kept My Promise"

Chin Chin

This is excellent. If you want a civilised cup of tea then make your way to Brighton. A tea shop that has decided to introduce guidance on etiquette when drinking. In fact "introduced guidance" is too mild, these are strict rules and if you don't stick to them then you will be expected to leave. I can fully understand why mobile phones should be banned (and rather like the idea that someone was so desperate to use his that he banged his head on the table trying to hide the phone when the proprietor walked in). I can also see that a lot of cups being clinked can be irritating so care on stirring has to be essential.

However I have to admit that I am rather partial to a dunked biscuit so I would have some problems and may well risk being evicted.

Gritted Teeth

For those of you who know me you will realise that not talking about what is, probably, the biggest current news story is driving me to distraction. But all in all better for me to keep quiet on this one.

Changing Screams

Let me take your nightmares
Hold them in my hands
Enclose them
Enhold them
Build a wall to mould them
And gradually
Softly
Change them
Alter and fold them
And return to you
Dreams

As Promised

Row Row Row Your Boat

Right, I said I would give more details of our holiday, and I am not one to lie. So canoeing...

On the Thursday afternoon weather reports were very good for the Friday. I decided that a bit more activity would be good. I had picked up a leaflet for Tamar Canoeing. I rang them and they had one space left. As they also thought the weather was going to be better (to be honest it couldn't be worse) we booked a place.

Friday dawned and wasn't as sunny as I hoped. But we were committed (or should have been) so we set off to Morwelham Quay, the meeting point. We arrived there and it seemed fairly obvious that at some point it would rain. But we are hardy sorts and decided to rough it (stop sniggering in the back row please). After a shakey start - three groups failed to make it to the start and then the bus also failed to make it - we got to the launch point. We were going to be paddling upstream (whose bright idea was that) but the river didn't look as though it was running too quickly.

One by one people got in their canoes. We were one of the last. I got in the front, "A" in the middle and "J" in the back. It seemed a good idea. Once we set off we rapidly realised that having the power in the front, effectively turning the canoe into front wheel dirve, was not the best choice. Control was a bit wayward. OK, honestly, we basically zigged then zagged our way upstream. On top of the steering problems I discovered that "A"s best attempts lead to a paddling style that had the side effect of splashing forward. By the half way point I was soaked. A fairly random approach to direction meant we were near last at this stage. In fact the only couple doing worse than us were the ones who I had expected would be in charge when they first turned up - you know the sort, in the right gear, basically sporty, looking enthusiastic. We gained a place by dint of the fact that one couple couldn't line up with the jetty but basically this was not a proud moment (topped by me almost falling out of the canoe, not an elegant sight)

We got out and had a rest (a few darted into the pub, but not me, our course already looked as though it was influenced by alcohol). Then we got back in for the second leg. Plan B saw "J" in the front and me in the back. Much better control. At the same time "A" decided to change style and this resulted in the splashing coming backwards, ie over me again. This time we managed to stay in the middle of the pack and in fact were almost in the lead at one point when we were stopped to allow the others to catch up, I never regained momentum. On getting to the finish I did not fall out of the canoe when getting out, but a slight miscalculation did see me going ankle deep into the Tamar with my shoes on.

It is worth noting that we had added a comedy element throughout as "A" had made friends with another girl at the beginning. "A" had then decided that she wanted to share her flapjack with "F" at the end. So the others were treated to a running commentary by a 5 year old trying to keep her flapjack dry for the entire proceedings. "A" was also disappointed by her parents not managing to keep up with her friends boat and that disappointment was often made clear to those within earshot..

{Photos to follow later, there seems to be a download problem at the moment}

Some pics from Legoland.

Did I mention that "A" got a driving licence. Look, that car isn't on tracks, she is steering and driving it. She was (no lie) really disappointed that I wouldn't then let her drive my car home.

Room With A View

Getting completely out of synch and rapidly heading backwards in time to our holiday in Devon, I think our view from the apartment when we were in Dartmouth has to easily compete with other peoples views on their holidays.

Another Thing

You know, if I was either cynical or a conspiracy theorist I may find it interesting that, since coming to power, Brown has had to deal with all the issues that caused Blair the biggest problems - terrorists, flooding, FMD. Almost a choreographed attempt to show he can deal with these things when Blair couldn't.

Gin Gan Gooly

OK, so my leftie friends can tell me I'm wrong, but waht is going on in this world. How come girls can join the Cubs and Scouts but boys can't be in the Brownies or Guides? It was "Scouting for Boys" when first set up but that is now undermined. It isn't that I mind it being mixed but it seems wrong that Scouts is mixed while Guides are not. Equality goes one way.

And, in addition, I saw someone talking about the activities. He said "it obviously sounds stupid and dangerous but we were thinking of building a bridge over a brook until the leader told us not too because it was too dangerous and contravened health and safety". TOO DANGEROUS. That was entirely what cubs and scouts should be about. Building bridges, testing them, testing yourself.

And no fires because they are dangerous, and no meat because it might offend someone........

Bah, humbug, phwooey, stupid b...y health and safety, PR gone mad ..............................

Buddy Can You Spare A Dime

I was talking to "A" about pocket money. I don't know when other children start but I feel it is time she starts trying to put a value on money. So I have told her she can have £1 a week. To which she replied "that's not much" (maybe I don't have to help her learn value after all). I said it was enough. She didn't look convinced and said "how do you know?" I replied well it's£4-5 each month which is about £60 a year. £60 is a lot". Again she hesitated, thought, and finally said "guess so".

Brickie

We went to Legoland today. I thought it would be a pleasant day wandering around looking at loads of models made from Lego. Oh no. Not with my daughter. Little Miss Adrenalin-junkie. All she wanted to do was go on the rides, the faster the better. Which does mean I can tell you that they have a most excellent log flume. We also went on the "Boating Lesson" ride, where you get to steer the boat. Which "A" insisted on doing. Which would be fair enough if she kept in a straight line. Instead we would veer across from one side to the other and if I tried to help correct our direction I would be sharply reprimanded with "I know what I am doing". And OK, I admit it, under my breath I replied "not the way we keep hitting things, you don't".

Under Canvas

Greenbelt is rapidly approaching. As one of the biggest UK festivals (around 20k visitors) it is hard to imagine that it is almost entirely organised and run by volunteers. And we all find different ways to cope with the pressure that puts on us. Me, I go for denial, I know I can't fit in everything I have to between now and then so it is easier to pretend it isn't going to be happening. Others try to find different ways.

I started going to Greenbelt 24 years ago. I used to have a tent. About 4 years ago age took the better of me and I hired a caravan. Luxury. But a lot of money to spend for a shower! The hours I work running the Support Team mean that I get little else in the way of benefits from the caravan. And I have felt guilty about how much it cost. This year I am going back to a tent. I bought a new tent, a 4 man job. Tried putting it up in the garden today. When I say tried, the attempt was foiled not because I am no longer capable but because our garden is not big enough. It really is a big tent. I suspect the footprint is the same as the caravan. Slightly worried that if I do put it up then I will end up with squatters.

Incoming

I am convinced that email is the spawn of the devil. It makes friends argue. It is the birthplace of misunderstanding. People complain about getting too much and then complain about being kept out of the loop when they don't receive it. It doesn't get through when it should. It gets accidentally copied to people it shouldn't. It is used in the hope of saving time but actually devours time because it is constantly replicating. Blink and the in-box is filled. It makes it easy for people to request things without thinking. To delegate anonymously. People on the same corridor will use email rather than pick up a phone or, forbid, walk down to speak face to face.

When the apocalypse comes I am sure one of the horsemen will be replaced by "Email". {Possibly followed by "Blog"}.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidotious

OK, so I am going to get completely out of synch now because I still plan on regaling the rest of the stories from last week. However I am now going to come forward to last night.

Technically I am still on holiday. But there was a meeting in London today that I really needed to attend. So, to keep life simple, I decided on a family trip to London. And we all set off yesterday afternoon. In the morning I had managed to get tickets for the Mary Poppins musical. We got to our hotel about 1500 hrs. Time was already ticking on so we soon set off for Covent Garden. We watched some street entertainers, which I always really enjoy. Then we started walking to the theatre for Mary Poppins. It was going to be a late night so "A" needed to eat. However she kept saying she wasn't hungry. I explaned that we couldn't go to the show if she didn't eat. We offered italian, sandwiches, chinese, everything. But to little avail. I finally had to cave in and offer McFranchise which she happily agreed to (it had been mentioned by accident earlier in the day and I believe was firmly rooted in her mind). I did explain that next time she could starve and I wasn't taking her to a Mc again.

We got to the theatre in time. We were in the Dress Circle (I prefer the stalls but the tickets were sparse). Actually it was quite nice because the Circle bar has a balcony so we could have a drink outside (and with no-one smoking). Then we went in. I was worried that this would go on too long. It was starting at her bed time so it was going to be a long night. About three quarters of the way through the first half "A" did flag a bit and say she was tired but then the music gained momentum again. At the interval "A" wouldn't dream of going so we got to see it all.

The classic moment was when Bert walks up the side of the stage. "A"s mouth dropped. She didn't blink for minutes. She was stunned. Then Bert gets to the top and walks upside down along the top. Even more confounding. Until he stops mid-way. Spot light directly on him. And "A" suddenly says "Oh, ropes". She had spent a long time explaining to me before the show about backstage as she knows all about it from her show so it was good to see that there are still some mysteries.

Hooked

OK, so crabbing. We started crabbing in Dartmouth two years ago. The first year we caught at least twenty in half an hour. Gosh, I thought crabbing was easy. It seems to have gone downhill since then. Now, I have a plan when it comes to crabbing. I believe that the best palce to go is Bayards Cove. I have to be honest, this is not because I think the best crabs come from there. The real attraction is that there is a pub which allows you to take your drinkks out so while "A" and I set up "J" goes and gets the round in. Then the biggest challenge is not dropping bait in your pint when casting.

So we get to this year. Down to bayards Cove. Usual routine and we start crabbing. But the water is rather shallow as the tide is out. So I decide that we should move on a bit. We get up, walk about 20 yards, sit down, I cast the line and then realise that I forgot to sit back on the handle. We watch the line go sailing out into the Dart. End of day 1.

Of course we buy another line and go crabbing on subsequent days. I am not stupid enough to let go again. But the next time we are sitting happily enjoying ourselves. Things aren't really going well, after ten minutes we have caught nothing. Then there is a sudden gust of wind. And the crabbing bucket and bait take off. I make a lunge for them but I am slowed by the thought of falling into the Dart. Instead the bucket lands in the Dart and floats away. We go and sit on a bench and bemoan the fates of crabbing. About 5 minutes later a man walks towards us. Holding a bucket. A bucket we recognise. He stops and says "I believe this is yours". We thank him and take the bucket which, rather to my surprise, now contains two crabs.

Flushed Away

I think "A" is planning on writing a book. It will be called "Toilets I Have Known and Loved". Or possibly "Toilets of the UK". It will be a review. Wherever we go she needs to visit the toilets. Well, I say "need", I am not convinced it is need rather than pure nosiness. I know there is nothing wrong with her because she came out of nappies very early on (I nearly said she was house-trained!). And she can go for hours normally. But within ten minutes of going in to a restaurant then she claims to need the loo. I think she rates the best meals out as those where "J" has taken her to the ladies and I have taken her to the gents.

Food Glorious Food

I am back, and I will let you know about the canoeing, the aquarium visit, the crabbing and more. But for now I will go with a restaurant review. It was particularly interesting taking a 5 year old (very well behaved) who normally goes to bed at 1915 hours but stayed up for evening meals every night and didn't get to bed until 2200 hrs most nights. In order of excellence/enjoyment:

1) Res Nova - a floating restaurant in the middle of the Dart. We have been trying to get there for years but a succession of disasters (theirs not ours) have meant that we could never get a table. This year we managed and I so wish we had managed before. First sat out on the deck drinking a Pimms in the sun and a lovely evening. Then inside for a lovely meal, including the best ever sticky toffee pudding (of which I only know from one small mouthful, although a very large portion arrived "A" had ordered it and finished it off, I have never seen her eat so much). We told the owner how much "A" enjoyed the meal, he then took "J" and "A" to meet the chef. After which the chef came out and made a carving of a swan out of an apple for "A".

2) Al Fresco - a wonderful cafe. A regular for the locals and a great place for breakfast. Also occassionally does lunch and even dinner but all opening hours can be cancelled if the surf is good. Great atmosphere and a fun place to go. Cinnamon toast (reminds me of school) and speciality. Bacon sarnies which surpass anything experienced elsewhere.

3) Anzacs - another place that has been on the list for a long time. "J"s meal was great, I have to admit my steak wasn't the best, but the friendliness made up for it. All the staff were helpful, the meal wasn't rushed. A good evening out is made up of both good food and a good atmosphere, they scored highly on the second.

4) The Floating Bridge - good food rather let down by service that was in chaos. In some ways the opposite to Anzacs. They couldn't remember which table had ordered what. We ended up with an extra apple juice and I am sure they never found out who it was destined for.

5) RBs - I had an amazing seafood platter as a starter with langoustines, crayfish and crab all in their shell, followed by a lovely lemon sole. "J"s lamb was a bit fatty. "A"s choclate pudding was too chocolatey and she gave up and fell asleep.

6) The Castle Hotel - overpriced for what you get. Used to be good but has gone downhill.

7) The Station - used to do the best cooked breakfasts you could imagine. Times have got hard and now can only claim to be mediocre.

8) Twentyfour - a passable lunch, but only redeemed by "J"s pasta, my savoury pancake was poor. Didn't even stay for coffee and pudding.

And two places we didn't eat but that get minus points. "Sails" says on its blackboard "everyone welcome" whcih turns out not to be true as they only allow children of 10 or over. I wouldn't mind if they were honest, it is the misleading nature of the sign that annoyed me. And "Jan and Freddies", say that they allow children but when asked if a five year old could share a course put me on hold and then came back and said "that would be difficult", which you could understand if Dartmouth had been heaving but things were quiet and we went past on the way back from where we did book in and they had five empty tables.

Cough

An unexpected drawback to the new laws against smoking is that the smokers are now congregating on the street. The reason this is a drawback is that you can find yourself innocently wandering along when you are suddenly enveloped by a fug of cigarette smoke. I actually thought a lot more people had started working the streets. Interest rates had gone up, people struggling with mortgages, and all of a sudden more people hanging around street corners. It seemed pretty obvious to me.

Hello

Internet cafes. Places where I can get free access to the internet while I have a coffee. Excellent idea, although the rest of the family might not think so. Anyway, time to brave the weather again (Hard to believe that I am thinking of buying some more Oakley sunglasses, not as though there will be much use for them, but I spotted some berry "Dart"s, not seen them before and they really are rather nice).

Splash

This weather has to be aopn the verge of ridiculous. A day on the beach A day wher ethe rain stopped any fun (and us winning the cricket), a day where we could be outdoors all day and have a pleasant Pimms on a boat in the evening, then another day of rain. Grateful for the good days but when you wake in the morning it is a lottery. Previously we have always come to Dartmouth out of season but we have probably never seen such bad weather.

Alfs

So I am now sitting in Al Fresco in Dartmouth having brekkie (bacon sarnie and cinnamon toast). Always a good place for breakfast. Good atmosphere to start a holiday

Wet Wet Wet

They weren't joking about the weather. Friday evening we drove down from Northampton to Cardiff. A journey that normally takes 2.5 hours took over 4. At one point I considered abandoning it and staying at a hotel. One flood we came too I hoped to get through but when there were four cars stuck in it I decided that discrepency was the better side of valour and turned around to find another route. One of the floods I did drive through wasn't too deep on the "wrong" side of the road so I started driving through on that side until a Landie came towards us and obviously couldn't wait, as he drove into the flood at us I had to move over (and I thank him for being so courteous). We saw mini fountains as water gushed up out of drains. We saw slip roads under water. I lost count of how often I had to revise route plans.

Facelift

Minor change to my blog. "Work" blogs are being removed. Something I should have done a while ago but it is time to be a bit more sensible. In everything else I work hard to make sure we get the correct message across, this is not the place to let all that hard work down.

Hi

I really don't think that this should qualify as news. So some ministers used drugs when they were students. What is the deal with that? They were students. Why would anyone be surprised? OK, so I didn't indulge in drugs while I was at uni but that is because I am completely unobservant and never saw the opportunity. Different if they were doing it now but, as a general rule, I don't believe you should hold someones past against them. After all, only start slinging if you know that no-one can throw something back at you.

I Win

Previous readers will know I am not a fan of Labour. But Ed Balls (what an unfortunate name for an education minister, can you imagine the playground "you're name is what? Balls? Boy are we going to have fun with you") has won me over.

We have descended into a compensation culture. One that stops us living. What do we teach our children when they can't ever take a risk? Risks are important, the teach us to strive forward, to excel. When school trips are cancelled then something is drastically wrong. I grew up going on outward bounds courses, pot-holing, canoeing, archery, scuba diving, abseiling. In fact I used to go and play in the disused signal box across the way (my mother only recently discovered this and nearly had a heart attack). But it pushed me, made me find things I thought I couldn't do and then realise I could try anything. At a time when we are complaining that our children are becoming more housebound we should not be limiting their adventures.

I am very grateful that the school "A" goes to does not seem to suffer from the PC culture. The headmistress is strict and rules the place - and in turn the children respect her. She does not cancel school when there is some snow and actually lets them go out in it to play. She allows them to compete.

So the headmistress at our school and Ed are doing the right thing. Challenge our children and make them grow.

Calling Noah

Even in adversity, find the positive. At least it kept us away from the rest of Europe.

More Money

The gap between rich and poor is growing. It seems strange after Labour have been in power for so long. I always thought this was a key area for them.

What really interested me was a survey reported on Radio 4 this morning. Asking people in London how well off they were, almost all didn't think themselves rich. But a high proportion of the nations money is concentrated there. The reason they didn't consider themselves rich was because their peers were all in the same position, they didn't meet anyone who was poor.

And I can relate to this. In the cold light of day I know we are well off. But it doesn't feel like it. Friends and neighbours afford better (and more) cars, better holidays, bigger houses. And I end up feeling I don't provide for my family. But the reality is that we pay our credit card bills off every month, we have a manageable mortgage (when interest rates go up I think of the increase on my savings not the impact on the mortgage), we don't borrow. We are secure, and a long while ago I stopped working for the money as I realised there are more important things to life, but sometimes, just sometimes, that bug for more green paper creeps in.

Just A Small Prick

Dr Wakefield is up on disciplinary charges. This is the doctor who sparked off the controversy about the MMR vaccine. It has to be said, that whether or not the MMR is linked with autism, more children are being harmed through not being vaccinated than would be from using the vaccine. It is incredibly difficult however.

No medicine can be 100% safe, no medicine can be 100% effective. For vaccines to work it requires a certain percentage of the population to be immunised. We are looking for "herd" immunity, so that the disease can't get established. If not enough are vaccinated then the challenge mounts and will get to a point where any immunity can be overwhelmed. And in London there is a definite rise in the numbers of children with measles. Last year a child died from measles, something that hadn't happened for quite a while. So the difficulty is that immunity is a "herd" thing, while side effects are an individual thing. For the "herd" to be safe then individuals have to take the risk. And that is a tough decision for any parent to make.

What caught my eye though is that Dr Wakefield was taking blood samples from children at a brithday party. Brings a whole new meaning to "pin the tail on the donkey" doesn't it.

Cough

Sometimes I despair of our legal system. This was the wrong decision. For generations the rule has been simple. If a cow tests positive then it is slaughtered. This one decision in the High Court now sets a dangerous precedent. Why should anyone let the government slaughter their cattle? It may not be a religious cow we are talking about next, but is a cow that is someones livelihood any less important.


TB is a disease that ravages humans and animals alike. And a disease on the increase. Not only on the increase, but drug resistant forms are on the increase. So those who are thining that they can happily continue looking after Shambo because if they get TB then they can go on antibiotics had better be really sure they know the risks.

One of the arguments is that Shambo isn't showing signs. Well no. That's the point of the test. Catch the disease early on. Perhaps BEFORE it spreads elsewhere. And although the test itself may not be 100% accurate the fact that there are other reactors in the same herd suggests that there is a problem. Do we have to wait until the community has a mass outbreak of TB? Well I suppose it would make sure we really knew.



Lastly, they talk about Shambos welfare. He isn't doing any harm. Look, they say, he can't spread anything because he isn't in contact with other cattle. Well, those who think that is a good argument should take a look around. You might just notice that cattle are herd animals. Do you really think you can use a welfare argument when you are preventing an animal from being in contact with his own kind? I think that you are breaking some of the Five Freedoms there.

On The Run

I went to Tesco today to buy some whisky. Very rare for me to run oout but the travel restrictions are making duty free more difficult. Anyway, paid and walked out. As I left the alarm went off. I thought "hmm, don't remember seeing the cashier take the tamper seal off the bottle". Kept walking however. Put my things in the car. Went and got a sandwich from the sandwich bar. Went back to the car, drove home. Opened the box with the whisky in (what do they call those tubes they pack the bottttles in?). And sure enough one tamper proof seal.

I'll return it AFTER I've drunk the whisky.

Eddie

For as long as I can remember we have been Eddie spotters. I am sure you know what I mean, we watch for Eddie Stobart lorries on journeys. Bit of a competition thing. You get a point for being the first to spot one. And I am good at it. Very good. I almost always win. But now "A" is joining in. And there is this great conflict in my mind between having to win and letting my daughter have a chance. So now I end up whining like a dog when I see one, desparate to call it but having to wait. Very undignified.

Giddee Up

Having got the computer temporarily working again, I can give you an update on what we got up to yesterday.


At work we help out the Riding for the Disabled Association by providing vaccine. So we were invited to the National Championships at Hartpury College. We got VIP parking and an invite to a lunch reception. It was a bit of a rush taking "A" to ballet and then getting over t Hartpury but we made it in time. We got to rub shoulders with some of the equine paralympians (something that impresses me more than would any pop or film star). So far so good.


Unfortunately it was dressage day. There was a display of carriage riding at 1930 hrs but we weren't going to hang around that long. The thing about dressage is that I think they are very good and have incredible control but, let's be honest, it isn't a spectator sport. "A" would agree, having being looking forward to seeing the horses, it didn't really hold her attention. However by the time we started thinking that we needed to find something else it was mid-afternoon. Obviously it had to be something fairly near. Then I had a brainwave.


On the way to the college we had gone passed a brown sign pointing towards a "Bee Shelter". That sounded fun. See loads of bee hives. Learn a bit about keeping bees. I imagined a bee version of St. Tiggywinkles.

Maybe a bit of research would have been a good idea. The "Bee Shelter" is simply a stone structure for holding bee skeps. It sits in the grounds of Hartpury church. Very pretty but maybe not a 5 year olds idea of a good day out.

B.....y Computers

Nuff said

Dreamtime

Trying to see
That moment
When dreams
Become reality
To stop it
Halt
Hold it
Never let it slip
And float
Suspended
Between

Here, There and Everywhere

I am, of course, not a proud parent. I am not going to bore you with stories of my daughters exploits. Oh, by the way, she received a certificate of merit today. For 100% attendance throughout the academic year. Only two children in her class got one.

Heads Up

There are some very weird blogs. Why would anyone want to be able to recognise Dutch helmets

Whizz Bang

It is good to see that in Canada at least the airport security are going to allow a level of discretion when deciding if a comment presents and suggests a serious threat. However I am reminded of going through Heathrow last year. Obviously security is high. Everything is very intense. I was on my way to a conference in Oslo. At this conference I am presenting a scientific poster. The poster needs to be displayed so I decide to carry it rather than risk losing it in the hold. So me, holding long cardboard tube, approaching the x-ray machine. Long queue, we have been there for 30 minutes or so. All getting tired. Just want to get through. Security guy takes one look at me and says "is that a surface to air missile in there?".

I'll Stick Please

It seems that you have better odds playing poker than you do tendering to be the site for the first super-casino. After councils had spent time and money (around £150k each) putting together a proposal, and after Manchester were awarded the tender, it appears that a U-turn is ripping it out from under them. It is one thing to lose money when you are bidding for something that exists, but when you find it was never a possibility then you might have a sour taste in your mouth. I would even think there might be a legal case for misrepresentation (although I will bow to the superior knowledge of the lawyers out there). It seems a bigger version of the TV phone-in scandal to me.

Oceans 14 - George Clooney against Brown - "It's all in the trust"

Where Is It

Have you noticed how we trust pilots to fly us half way around the world but they can't even find the arrival gate? I mean, once they land it takes them at least 10 minutes to taxi there. You'd think that they would land a bit closer wouldn't you?

Sick

No blog yesterday as the computer was really struggling. Not sure if it was a virus or Vista. Any help appreciated. The computer seems to lock up and nothing will work. Ctrl-alt-del doesn't bring up the Vista equivalent of the task manager. Instead after 30-60 second the screen goes black and then, after another 30 seconds or so, an error box comes up, headed "Logon process has failed to create the security options dialog" and containing the message "Failure - security options". Clicking on the "OK" button does nothing and the only option is to turn the computer off at the mains.

Blissful(ly Unaware)

OK, the words "straws" and "clutching at" come to mind. £20 a week for being married. If that is all it takes to keep you together then (a) you don't deserve it and (b) you shouldn't be together. Stupid. I heard one married mother being interviewed talking about how everyone else gets something so why shouldn't she. That's not the b....y point. We don't all deserve hand outs from the government. We aren't all entitled. It b....y well infuriates me. The conservatives could be trying to do something good, trying to raise everyone up to a higher standard (remember, I believe the labour aim is to brng us all down to the gutter so at least they can say we are equal) but instead they get themselves all wrapped up in a stupid stupid stupid policy. (are you getting the sense that I may be a wee bit aggravated).

Mind you, this couple will probably need more than twenty quid.

Hurray

While hating to come over all proud, I have to continue the theme. Yes there were 65 areas of work for the teacher to grade. But in addition there are another 13 as part of scale point scores. I didn't tell you "A"s scores because I wasn't exactly sure what they meant. But now I can tell you that she scored 8 in every one. That's a good 8 out of a maximum of 9. Yes 9. Wow, she's good!

Please No

She might write more. After promising to stop at seven she is threatening to come back with further Potter stories. Possibly uite perceptive of her to say that she might return to him in ten years. That's when she realises that she can't find another winning formula. Am I being harsh? Ignoring the fact that the stories have got longer and longer (it would only take another two and she would be challenging War and Peace), do we have to be put through more. They are not good literature. They aren't well written. I would look this bored if I was having to write about the little twerp. It is time to let go. Please, whatever you do, don't sign the petition.

Under The Stars

We went and bought a new tent today. For the last few years I have been a wimp and hired a caravan for Greenbelt. This year I am going to go tough again (OK, so by the time I got around to phoning they had hired out all their caravans, but that's not the point). Saturday workers have to make you smile don't they. Or you would cry. He tried to describe the taped seams as "tapped seams". Fire retardant as "well, it doesn't stop fire" (as someone who watched a tent go up when the owners tried to put out a candle with a glass of vodka this particularly amused me). The lighting system (yes, a tent with a lighting system) as "the lights are good because they, well, give you light". The guy ropes as "the stringy bits" which, once I had explained to him he then insisted on calling "guide ropes" (an image of loads of girl guides holding tents down definitely raising the quality of my day).

Class Model

On the plus side, I have to do the proud father thing and let you know about "A"s first school report. "A is a cheerful, bubbly and helpful member of class". "A is always enthusiastic about everything she does". "A loves sharing her news with the rest of her class". "A has been an absolute delight to teach".

Then she got 21 "exceeds expectations" and 44 "meets expectations", with no "below expectations".

As she is one of the youngest in the class I reckon that's fairly good. No, I reckon that's wonderful. Yes, I admit to being biased. She is so proud of her report though. She keeps asking us to read it to her again.

As someone who almost always got "could do better" I can relate to a good report. Very proud.

Infected

I seem to have spent a large proportion of the day fighting with the computer. It appears that overnight I picked up a virus. I have been running the virus checker, deleting viruses (? viri) and using system restore. With only vague success. Frsustrated, and wondering what the g..s who write these things get out of it.

Cropping

Before going to see Cats I had a haircut. Talking to the hairdresser I mentioned where I was going. She said she had "only been to the theatre once as she had never had a cultured boyfriend". A comment I could have understood more if I was going to an opera or Shakespear. I am not convinced that the theatre is cultured per se. There is some fairly bad stuff available at the theatre if you pick badly. It revealed a perception that I hadn't really thought people may have (and I know my leftie friends {you know who you are} are now going to be cheering, saying "told you so" etc).

Meow

We've been to see Cats this afternoon. "J" and I saw it years ago and we thought "A" might enjoy it. It is long, over two and a half hours, but even so "A" loved it. She watched spell-bound. At one point she turned to us, and remember this is someone who has recently had to do three dances for shows, and said "they have been practising a lot"! Good to know she appreciates hard work and effort.

Poor Charlie

No, not Prince but Kennedy. He is a martyr to his addictions. This time smoking has caught up with him.

Charles Kennedy had voted in favour of the smoking ban. That, however, does not mean that he is able to abide by it. Only days after the smoking ban is imposed he has been caught out. It appears that he thought smoking out of the window of a speeding train was not breaking the law. Some kind policemen had a word with him at the end of the journey to dissuade him of his mistaken opinion.

Clamp Down

there are currently proposals to extend the legal rights of staff at secure training centres (a politically correct way of saying Borstals) to use force in order to restrain children. It seems the response to an inquest questioning how much restraint is being used is to increase the amount that is legally allowed. What raises an eyebrow is the terminolog used. The aim is to grant powers to use more "distraction techniques". By the term distraction they mean sticking your fingers in someones eyes or up their nostrils. Yep, think that might distract me.

2B Or Not 2B

Today beekeepers and experts met together in order to discuss the shortfall in funding for bee research in the face of new threats to Britain's bee population. Apparently DEFRA are only putting £200k a year into research. And let's be honest, for £200k you could be struggling to buy a house. It really is nothing. Bees are important, ignoring the pain they can inflict and the fact that they try to get into your jam sandwiches, they are essential for keeping our flora flourishing and for helping crops. The veroa mite may not seem as big as the spread of TB, but we would be a lot worse off for no bees.

But bees are also being taught how to sniff out bombs. Just think how that would have been for the guy at Glasgow. First he sets himself alight. Then he falls oout of the car. He proceeds to be given a Glasgow kiss by a baggage handler. Finally he gets attacked by a swarm of bees. Now that really wouldn't have been his day.

Youthful Looks!

Someone at international that I met for the first time today said he was surprised how young I was. I am still trying to work out whether this means I have a remarkably mature and insightful head on my shoulders, or that I am remarkably bolshie for my age.

{and those of you who consider yourselves my friends and who are tempted to add your comments, please remember that I am a delicate beast and easily wounded}

Sybilllll

There used to be a rule about visiting international head office. If you were booked in to hotel a you were OK, but if you were booked in to hotel b then you were about to bid adieu to your job. Things have moved on from those days and we can now chose our own hotel. And I usually chose hotel b. It is more amusing. It is a dutch Fawlty Towers. I turned up once and there was a fire engine in the car park. The firemen had brought it around because they wanted to clean it! Service is hit and miss. They often forget to charge for things (and I do tell them, honest). And there is always an air of chaos. And the owner has the perfect qualities of Basil about him.

Well, no more. Amusing it might be but I was booked in tonight. My plane was delayed so I turned up late. By late I mean 2105 hrs. And they wouldn't cook me dinner. The best they could manage was a sandwich. After a long day that did not go down well. Hotel a for me from now on.

Honest Guv

Michael Grade wants to adopt a "zero tolerance" policy. He won't accept any film company trying to mislead the public. They need to win back our "trust". It's an interesting line because, after all, TV is entertainment. And should we ever trust entertainers. The reason they are there is to suspend belief and transfer us to another world.

I listened to his interview on Radio 4 this morning. he was talking about how it was wrong for "reality" shows and interviews to use actors. But the "plant" has been in common use for magicians, theatres, comedians, andgenerally all types of entertainment since the concept was first founded.

TV should be about suspending belief, that's what it is there for.

Words

glumbert.com - Literacy is cute

Terrorists 1 Me 0

I don't like other people dictating how I live my life. I normally fight against it, to the level of doing things in spite of other actions. But this time the terrorists won. I was supposed to fly to Brussels today, in fact I even got as far as a hotel at Hathrow last night. However I was acutely aware of a meeting that I ahve to attend later this week. And I have been stuck on mainland Europe before thanks to terrorist activity. I really couldn't afford to get stuck again. So I drove back this morning and cancelled my meetings in Brussels. On the plus side I had plenty to be getting on with, it wasn't as though I spent the day twiddling my fingers. On the minus side, this time they won.

No Smoking

So it is here. No more smoking in public places. I have spotted a few people standing in the rain but I am afraid I can't feel sorry for them. Immediate benefits of the new law are experienced in that one of our favourite restaurants did allow smoking because its owner smoked. And that was the one cloud on its horizon. Well, we went there for brunch today and enjoyed a smoke free atmosphere. Great.

Up We Go

Ikea-Man strikes again. Up to Nottingham (MK doesn't have what we want) and find a new wardrobe for "A". This is the last bit to completing her bedroom after the great redecoration. Bought the wardrobe, got it home and managed to put it up in 2 hours. Without swearing. And despite help from a certain cat. Scooby might think he is good at DIY but his attempts at measuring leave a lot to be desired (he hasn't grasped the difference between metric and imperial).