Aaaagh!

Right, that's it, time for a rant .
the kooks , why all the adulation, they're a glorified busted.
Micra drivers, its a small car not a bus you can get through the gap and it will do more than 25 miles an hour.
Micra drivers 2 why are you sat in the outside lane doing 90+ its a small car.
BMW drivers is there some thing wrong with your arms or is it a fault with all the cars that BMW produce, indicate!
Joss stone if you're going to eat a flake, eat it properly.
That business bloke on BBC news, a regular cadence and a flat intonation when you speak is a good thing.
All the tv channels that you don't watch have a plus one channel, some even have a plus one and a half, why don't the ones you actually want to watch.
Sian Lloyd.
Dolmio, an American company making Italian sauces in Holland?
Packs of supermarket bacon with flaps so you can pull the top off, can you open them without a knife?
People who open packets of biscuits with a knife, why, they spent millions putting in a tear strip.
Big record companies, alter your business plans, support your artists and stop whining.

That's better, spleen now vented.

Tears at Tesco

Yesterday I did something I hadn't done for years and never before outside a major retailers; I made a woman squeal and then cry with emotion, all this outside Tesco's!

The woman involved was the matron of honour at our wedding, many years since and last time we spoke to her my wife was pregnant with our first(who is now 14)! We knew she was back in the village because we'd seen her but never in a situation where we could make ourselves known without causing a multiple vehicle pile-up. I had honked and waved previously but received only blank looks in return. This time I still got a blank look but remained in her field of view long enough for the light of recognition to blink on, this was followed by a long and loud squeal and a long and forceful hug. As is the way in situations like this one of us was in an almighty hurry but numbers were exchanged, photos were flashed and we now await a text or call so we can commence the catch-up, of which there is plenty, as we can call her grandma and her first born is now 20!

Afloat

I have just come back from some time on the Norfolk broads which started with a four and a half hour drive on mainly B roads stuck behind the occasional tractor! A long drive but much less tiring than my previous drive to Hampshire. The weather was glorious, enabling us to top up our tans but was cooler on a night, so cold, in fact on a couple of occasions it started raining inside the boat! This was from the condensation coalescing and dripping from the roof! Alcoholic beverages were taken at 11.30, 3.00, teatime and for the rest of the evening, so now my liver needs a holiday of it's own. The rest of my time was spent driving the boat, reading, listening to music and photographing wildlife, to pinch a quote from my daughter "Aren't duck's heads awesome".
The furthest I walked from the boat was into a little spot called Ludham, all of 5 minutes. The village consists of a church, a pub, a garage and the florist; the corner shop, off licence,post office newsagent, chemist, choclatier, deli and hairdresser occupy the same premises and it's one of the best little deli's I've seen in a longtime, well worth a visit if your nearby.

Better late.......

This should have been posted a fortnight since but I've been busy, and a little bit lax.
I've had a pretty busy week, gadding about the country. Last Wednesday I had to go to a meeting in London. A pleasant two hour tootle down on the train ( wireless Internet all the way), a twenty minute walk to the hotel, a bite to eat ( I haven't had tarasamalata for years) and more time spent in the bar than is good for me. The morning was spent in the HQ of my professional body attending a fairly pointless meeting where nothing was actually resolved. The most interesting thing I noticed whilst there was that you could get a three course meal in their canteen for the princely sum of £3.10 (£1.80 for the chicken, £2.10 for the sole). It's nice to know my subs are being put to good use. This was followed by a meander through London, a visit to the science museum, and a very agreeable meal at a busy little Italian restaurant near King's cross which cost considerably more than £3.10, followed by a somewhat somnolent train ride home.
Five days later and I'm slogging down the M1 heading to Hampshire with the family in the car to visit my daughter's MSM friend (first time meeting in the flesh). Four and a half hours and two hundred miles later; having braved the M25 and average speed radar traps we arrive! Highlight of the trip down, Windowlicker on daytime radio.
We meet the family, a very nice couple, stay for dinner (unexpected), when I say unexpected ,what I actually mean is the kids didn't tell us, overnight in a premier inn, quick visit to Marwell zoo and then a four and a half hour slog home.