Day 2224 & 2225 (30 & 31/01/2016)

A busy weekend with lots of work to do plus Birthdays for both of our Mums.

On Saturday it was nice to all meet up and go out for dinner at a local pub my mum likes.

Then back to theirs for Birthday Cake.

On Sunday we went to Bristol to see my mother-in-law for her birthday, on my annual trip to see my wife's family.

 
I did say see you same place next year (I don't intend to change).

Day 2223 (29/01/2016)

I woke up and my cold was in full effect and awful.

The course finished and was very well received.

I had a few hours to kill before my flight so stayed at the hotel for a meal.

Then a flight back in the wind and rain.

Day 2222 (28/01/2016)

Day two of the course, still with an annoying internet connection and a cough that's getting worse.

On the way back to the hotel (which is only about 200 yards away) I walked past a building celebrating the 1916 Easter Uprising.

And a Pub with a display of  items linked to Michael Collins as it had some historic significance.

So I stayed in the hotel for dinner.

My cough has now become a horrible cold :-(

Day 2221 (27/01/2016)

First day of the course and I had a name plate.

The course went well but the internet was painfully slow when we were all on it, which sort of spoilt it a bit as did my cough.

I stayed in and had diner at the hotel again, which was quite nice.

Day 2220 (26/01/2016)

A very busy morning getting ready,then a drive in the rain to the airport and another sleep on a Ryan Air flight to Dublin.

The hotel is quite nice but I appear to have two double beds in my room.

I stayed in the hotel for dinner, having some spicy wings for starters.

And a Guinness steak and onion pie for diner.

I then had a nice cookie in my room when I had a few business calls, which were interesting and possibly what I will be doing from April.

Day 2219 (25/01/2016)

Had bits to do in town and then spent the rest of the day in my office getting ready to go away again. It will be my fourth course in my third country this year.

It will be good when April is here, as I am winding down drastically from then on.

Day 2217 & 2218 (23 & 24/01/2016)

Home for three days but little tie to relax as have lots of work to catch up on and next weeks course to prepare for.

My wife made a lovely dinner in the evening.

I made a nice roast chicken on Sunday but had to spend most of the day working :-(

Day 2216 (22/01/2016)

Another struggle to get out of bed but thankfully they had bought some nice breakfast rolls to start of the last day of training.

Finished early enough but it was a long and tiring drive home.

Day 2215 (21/01/2016)

A struggle to get up in time but thankfully the hotel is just round the corner from the venue.
Then another long day going over the material.

Relaxing evening with a kebab, telly & youtube.

Day 2214 (20/01/2016)

A very early start, with it -5 a thick frost on the car, which took about 15minutes to clear before I could start driving to Oldham for this weeks training.

Had to stop halfway to refuel, which was very welcome.

The days wasn't too bad in the end, we managed to cover a lot and the guys (who I'm sorting of entering into business with) seem OK.

Then to the travel lodge to relax.

Day 2213 (19/01/2016)

Home for the day spent mostly catching up with my emails and work.

No time to relax :-(

Day 2212 (18/01/2016)

It was nice to have a lie-in but a boring tiring day spent travelling. I had a nice breakfast / lunch at the airport, where I saw a copy of the mermaid statue (which I again didn't see during my visit).

The plane was a little bit more uncomfortable as I was travelling in economy, which really showed in the quality of the meal provided.

It was nice flying over lunch during the day light, and I got to see Windsor Castle.

It was the usual pain at immigration, with my biometric passport still blocked. I explained my issues with the boarder agency officer, who advised me to change my name if I want an easier time, I suggested Mohammed but he didn't laugh.

I will definitely get this sorted out this year.

Then on the coach and home.

Day 2211 (17/01/2016)

Another early cold morning on the train to the venue for the last day of this course.

The course went well, in fact much better than I feared, as when I first turned up yesterday I was told that everyone in the room was already involved in gathering information from the internet.I feared that they were going to know everything I had to say and that my material would only last a few hours, not the two days the course was booked for.

In any event, other than the guy who had attended one of my courses a couple of years ago, the whole course was new material to everyone and they were very grateful for my input.

It would have been a rush to catch a flight home, so I had booked to stay another night and catch a flight back tomorrow, so I can have a lie-in.

In the evening I went to the nearby shopping mall,to the Nacho's Buffet, another disappointment.

In the evening I watched some more YouTube video's (my usual entertainment), including Live Aid from 1985, Queen & U2 were fantastic. Freddie Mercury is a real loss; Bono has always been a pretentious tit but what a show he puts on.

Day 2210 (16/01/2016)

For the course this weekend I had to get up even earlier (6:30am) and catch two trains to the venue, which obviously meant waiting around in the freezing cold.

The previous course was for the local version of GCHQ /MI6 (sort of) but this weekends course is for the local version of MI5 (sort of) so when I was eventually allowed into today's venue I was asked by a very nice man (with a gun) for my passport and ordered me to put my mobile phone in a locker. So no photos again.

The course went well, then I has a few drinks with one of the guys,who had attended one of my course a few years ago.

In the evening I couldn't be bothered to go out, so had another burger, which I instantly regretted.

Day 2209 (15/01/2016)

The course finished and was well received, then back to the hotel, where I really regretted not flying straight home, as I am really missing my wife (although she is probably enjoying the peace and quiet).

In the evening I went into Copenhagen to meet someone I had meet a few years ago, who lives & works locally and has recently left working for the intelligence community and has started working for a private intelligence company.

On the way back I stopped off at the shopping mall next door to the hotel and had a pizza.

It was a slight disappointment, as it was far to thin & crispy and got cold really quickly.

Day 2208 (14/01/2016)

It had snowed during the night and it had settled, making it slightly easier to walk on, rather than just the ice.

I ended up getting a taxi to the venue, driven by a man originally from Pakistan, who had lived in London for many years and missed the cricket living in Denmark.

The went well and in the evening I ventured out in to the centre to visit another restaurant that had been recommended to me.

The restaurant was called Geist. I was a bit weird but quite tasty.

 

 

 

 

Honestly,it was only small servings.