Day 1159 (27/02/2013)

The course is going well. One of those of the course looks completely like a slightly older Peter Kay and as I'm up in Lancashire he also sounds like Peter Kay but I've not mentioned it as he probably gets it all the time.

I'm going out for an Italian meal tonight, which will be nice.

Day 1158 (26/02/2013)

First day of the course went well but I seem to have some work to do later instead of being able to relaxing.

Had a nice meal of an evening, with baked brie & cranberry's followed by fish & chips.

But why up north do they always add mushy peas and why aren't mushy peas actual garden peas mushed up but some horrible green gue.

Day 1157 (25/02/2013)

Going back up to Preston today for another course this week. I'm back up here in two weeks time as well.

For some reason my i-phone won't link to my laptop properly, so I can't get to my photo's when I'm away so as a treat here is a picture of our curry from Saturday (no we didn't eat it all), it was lovely.

And a picture of Thomas's photo's in the paper he has started doing stuff for.

I was quite impressed as he wasn't well but realised he still had to go and stand in the cold for a few hours working.

Just about up to date with work and feeling confident for some courses in the future but slightly worried that I have arranged a couple of courses that I have to pay for and I haven't had anyone enroll on them yet. This might be an expensive failure.

Having jut caught a bit of the Oscars I must say that I love Les Miserables and I know that Russell Crowe can be a stupid arse at times but I think he is a really great actor and has a fantastic voice. I dare say on my 3+ hour drive up to Preston I shall be playing the soundtrack a few times.

Day 1155 & 1156 (23 & 24/02/2013)

Yesterday Kelly lost her voice completely. She's not been that quiet for...................... well ever actually.

We both went to see Mark Thomas on Friday night, for his show Bravo Figaro which was moved from the now closed Brewhouse to Junction 24. I have always loved Mark Thomas from his days of The Mark Thomas Project and his campaigning.

This show was about his dad & his family and is very poignant.

Anyway a very cold weekend when I will try to have an hour or two off.








  

Day 1154 (22/02/2013)

Busy doing things but hopefully going to see Mark Thomas tonight but it has moved to a location a few miles away as it was at The Brewhouse, which at the moment is no more and where last night they held a vigil / wake / party.

Day 1153 (21/02/2013)

Yesterday I spent time trying to rent out our friends house. This led to two events which just confirms stereotypes.

Firstly I had arranged to meet two estate agent types who we were going to compare as running the property for us, as quite clearly we have trouble organising our own lives & house let alone another one.

The first one I met was a slimy git who I hated on so many levels it is unreal. He is the reason why people hate estate agents. Luckily the second one, Laura, was really quite nice and spoke more sense, so we have decided to go with her company instead.

Secondly I spoke to neighbour who saw we were having people round to the house. I should explain that so far we have let the property to a very large & fun Rastafarian actor, a couple of Muslim Asian Doctors from South Africa and a couple of Australian Doctors, one of whom was Chinese Australian.

So guess what the neighbour said, yes that's right, they were concerned if we were going to let it long term to any foreigners or Muslims.

It does remind me of a friend of mine, who is from a rather rich family. His brother had bought a house in a very exclusive & expensive area in the West Midlands. He had applied for planning permission, to make a few small alterations to the porch & garage area but had heard from the local parish council that it would not get permission. As he had loads of money he sent a letter around to a few key people in the street and the local parish councillors, pointing out that if he couldn't change the house to how he wanted that he would live elsewhere. He also pointed out that a current big news story was how councils in the South East & London were struggling to accommodate all of the asylum seekers within their own area, so he would probably, from a point of civic duty, offer his house over to them.

You can guess that my friend's brother still lives in the house and has a lovely gym complex built onto his garage.

Day 1152 (20/02/2013)

Busy day again, picked up some of the laptops to try them out.

I was quite impressed seeing as I didn't pay a lot for them but they are quite heavy, seeing as I have to cart around 10 at a time.

Me and my wife went to see "I give It A Year" tonight, which was funny and at only 90 minutes long fitted in nicely with my wife going to the gym (I''m still getting over my flu) and me making her a nice Paella (OK I bought it).

Anyway had some nice chocolate popcorn things at the cinema.

Gutted that the local theatre is closing, both for Kelly who worked there and personally as I had tickets for some really good shows that I was looking forward to and probably won't get to see anywhere else.

Day 1151 (19/02/2013)

Just about getting up to date with all of the reports and stuff.

Not that I'm being lazy at the moment. For the courses I used to spend a couple of days doing the laminates and handouts but a little while ago I got a local printer do the laminates and I am now getting them to do all of the handouts. This should make life a bit easier but mean I have more boxes of stuff in my office.

Whilst a couple of boxes of paper doesn't sound much it just all adds up, especially seeing as I have also bought 10 cheap laptops to use on courses. I had meant these laptops for something I'm doing later in the year but I have already taken a booking for a course when I will need all of these laptops, so they are half paid for already.

Thankfully I have someone helping me on these courses as I don't fancy carrying 10 laptops and all of my training material.

Actually it should be an interesting course which I may comment about afterwards.

Day 1150 (18/02/2013)

Work Work Work.

Just about catching up but have to prepare for lots of courses coming up.

Day 1148 & 1149 (16 & 17/02/2013)

I met Thomas at Oxford last night and then drove to a hotel which was on route for his photo assignment in Royston on Saturday. We had a nice relaxing time having a pint (or two) and a meal.

On Saturday morning after a very big breakfast we drove over to Royston but had time to kill, so went via Buntingford to see the house I lived in for the first 6 or 7 years.

I don't think I've been back here since around 1974 and it was very different from how I remember. It was funny to see our old house has two stone lions outside the front door. Clearly this is instead of a Blue Plaque for "Brian The Lion".

Whilst Thomas went to the Football I went to see our old neighbour Carol, the only woman I always refer to as "Aunty" despite her not actually being my aunty. Our families were so close in those days (I know we were neighbours so physically we were close but all of my memories from those days were of all of us not just our family) and despite not seeing much of Steven & Gavin over the last 35years they will always be people I think of fondly. When I was stood in Carols kitchen I saw her old biscuits tin, which I instantly remembered from the early 1970's, when only a few years old.  

This most be a sign of how often I ate their biscuits as when I texted a copy to my brother he didn't remember it.

I picked Thomas up from the football, to hear that it had been a match that had everything; a brilliant goal, a sending off, a very nasty injury, the game being suspended and then a minor riot.  To be fair Thomas had left when the atmosphere was tense and people were squaring up to each other as the match had been called off and he needed to edit and send off his the photos to the newspaper.

Actually we only heard that the club house had been a bit smashed up later when my mum phoned to ask if we were OK as she had heard from my Aunty Carol about the trouble.

Then a long rive home and no Sunday Roast as I have loads of work to do so may have to phone up for a pizza instead.

Day 1147 (15/02/2013)

In Leicester in quite a nice hotel giving a talk to a load of people. I'm actually doing this while everyone introduces themselves, which always makes me laugh, as some people introduce themselves by saying "I specialise in drugs......accidents.........affairs".

There are times I wish didn't have to do this but needs must and will be back home late Saturday night or Sunday morning.

Years ago we used to laugh at my Dad when people would come up to him and speak to him like they were old friends, then afterwards we would ask who it was and our Dad would never have any idea who they were. Sadly I have been like that for the last few years now. I sort of remember faces (if I have my glasses on) but can never remember their names or why I know them. It could be an old friend or work colleague or worse it might be someone I've researched for work.

Day 1146 (14/02/2013)

It's Valentines Day, so in a romantic way I'm driving to Leicester tonight to give a presentation tomorrow rather than being at home with my wife and taking her out.

OK, when I took the booking I didn't realise the significance of the date and yes she wasn't happy but what could I do.

Day 1145 (13/02/2013)

Kelly made her best meal yet last night, a sweat potato & cauliflower dhal with chickpea pancakes.

I thought it was lovely (and not easy to do) but I may have been in the minority in the house.

Anyway a I must say I don't know if it was the dhal or the chickpea pancakes but I have not stopped farting since.

Off to see Les Mis again with my wife and parents later.

Day 1144 (12/02/2013)

It's funny how one early morning me makes me feel like crap all week. I know lots of people get up early everyday but I'm just not an early morning person, I'm more of an evening person.

I used to be an evening & night person but as I get older I'm now just an evening person. In a few years time I may only feel good during the afternoon, which is when I watch countdown, at which point someone please do the decent thing and book me into Dignitas.

I was talking about care for the elderly yesterday with some people, who jokingly suggested that when they got older and felt the start of dementia that they would go out and shot a politician (I suggested not to limit it to just one) then they could see out their days in a warm prison, with their care being provided by the state, so they would not be a drain on their family or their money.

Day 1143 (11/02/2013)

Had work & emails to send Sunday night, so finished about 1am. Then up at 6:45am to get ready and drive all the way up to Preston to give a 3hr presentation, then a 4hr drive home.

Knackered.

Day 1141 & 1142 (09 & 10/02/2013)

Weekend here and lots to do but we pent Saturday having a bit of a family get together for my mums birthday.

We were going to take her out for dinner but she insisted on doing a buffet (I think to clear out the freezer after Christmas) and as always made a couple of lovely sweets.

It is always so nice when we get together, we don't do it enough.

Honestly my wife is not drunk in this photo.

Making a Chinese dinner today to celebrate the New Year, and bought my wife some flowers , which isn't a rarity but today she may need cheering up as she phoned earlier to say that someone drover into her car on the way to work.

So just for a change I will be going to the local vehicle repair shop for damage to a front wing. I think they have my details of file.

Update - 19:45 - Well my wife's car isn't that bad but it is a bit scratched and has a small hole in it.

Hopefully it won't cost the other people too much but it will need a visit to the garage.

I may have over done the food (that's unusual isn't it). 

Day 1140 (08/02/2013)

Still full of FLU not just a cold. I'm not an actual Doctor but I know its flu as whenever I have flu, HP Sauce tastes horrible and it doesn't do this when I only have a cold. So that's flu confirmed then.

Have so much to do at the moment but desperately want the weekend off.

Day 1139 (07/02/2013)

Last day of the course and I'm full of a cold, if not flu. Thankfully there was Yo-Sushi on the way back.

Home and time to collapse on the couch.

Day 1138 (06/02/2013)

After a stressful day I thought we should relax at the Savoy and so had a very reasonable two course meal, which was very nice.

 

Day two of the course went much better but I am now full of a cold, with a sore throat and streaming nose.

We went out for a Thai meal, which was fantastic but included the spiciest soup I have ever had. My mouth was stinging for about an hour afterwards.

Really looking forward to being back home tomorrow night.

Day 1137 (05/02/2013)

The first morning of the course and despite making all the arrangements for a full internet set up, the internet was woeful and in the end I ended up popping out to a local shop and buying some more dongles for people. so not a great start and a bit more expense to me.

The group is quite varied and includes some people French , Danish, Portuguese and the rest are Brits. One of the men from Portugal brought me a nice bottle of wine as a gift, which I may have when I'm at home.

There was a fairly nice lunch and I noticed that in the sweet jar they had Blackjacks & fruit Salad chewy things.

Don't know where we will be eating tonight but as the Savoy is opposite we may go there.

Day 1136 (04/02/2013)

Off to London today for this weeks course but seem to be carrying 4 bags, which is not good as I'm on the train & not in the car.

At least I'm staying in a nice hotel.

Update: Well the journey to London on the train was OK, with a full tea trolley to choose from.

In London I got to the Hotel, where a nice man in a Top Hat & Great Coat carried my bags in for me.

 
I checked out the venue later which was just round the corner from Trafalgar Square.

We stayed in the hotel for diner as Mick fancied a carvery and very nice is was too.

Day 1134 & 1135 (02 & 03/02/2013)

Despite aiming to leave at 4pm on Friday afternoon to get to the hotel in Wells, we eventually left home at about 6:30pm, but thankfully still made it in time. The hotel was lovely and was right opposite the Cathedral.

Our room even had a view of the Cathedral, well a bit of it in the distance above the roof line.

Anyway the room was lovely and I had booked one with a fourposter bed as a treat. It was quite comfortable but a bit high, so you had to climb on to it, which seemed odd.

We went for the taster menu (and slightly too much to drink) at the restaurant and it was fantastic.

It was lovely food and really nice to have an evening together before I have a busy few months. We started the weekend with a healthy breakfast.

But it just seemed rude not to have the full English option as well, seeing as it was included.

We then had a wander around Wells where there was a market before driving home and collapsing. I wish I could have the weekend off but just have so much to do.