Sheffield - 26th

A job interview in Sheffield sent us north, about an hour up the M1 and we arrive in sheffield, I expected a grey, dull dingy" Northern Town", funny have we have these preconceptions, who knows where we develop them?

We arrive and its actually a beautiful city, colour, the obligatory stunning old buildings, yes well it was raining... (this summer word has a different definition here it would seem), but there were lots of people about and it was kinda buzzing, really quite a nice place. Unfortunately in the last 10 months they have apparently restructured streets into one way etc.. which of course lol.. means james the satnav man is more confusing that a bucket of cats, we do a few trips round the city centre before finding a spot near the job and parking.

Nic has a wander round town while im in the interview, we have alook at the beuatiful cathedral etc, just stuning, the interview goes very well, i am very confident i could have this job.. but..its an hour away and the pay isnt where i would like it to be.. might give it some more thought.

On the way home we stop at Sutton scarsdale Hall, a stunning old home, orgianlally built in the 1500's, rebuilt in the 1700's which was left to fall to bits in the late 1800's. Its an incredible shell of a stately home set atop a hill with views forever, I am unable to quite understand how it could go from a stately home, to a shell in around 40 years.. and has remained like that for another 70 years??

just wonderful to walk around in the cold and drizzle imagine what may have been.. and what did these people talk about?? lol

Another long video.. dont click it if you arent going fast

the job seems to be getting closer each day :)

Ker-Plunk! update... Glenn once again takes control, with a convincing 14-19 win 

Birmingham-again... 25th

Another interview in Birmingham, another (surprisingly) successful navigation of spaghetti junction, just the odd one or two misdirections by James our fine SatNav man and we find ourselves in the city centre again.

Fortunately, looking at the map.. the interview is just a 5 minute walk from the Art Gallery and Museum that we missed the first time round. All went well at the interview.. just more waiting now. Then off we went to the Gallery etc.

A cold wet day... the city centre and clock tower area were lovely and the building just gorgeous, the gallery was spectacular, the building alone is art... then inside so many styles, and colours all just breathtaking. the museum also had the "Staffordshire Hoard" on display it is the largest (3.25 million pound) find of anglosaxon artefacts (about 6th century) that was found by a guy with a metal detector just last year on farm land notr far from here.  website click here to read more about it

The paintings, pottery, glass, sculpture were all incredible... a most pleasant day out.. but rather chilly, and for the first time we considered putting the fire on... but NO! its summer dammit.. we will NOT put the fire on :)

news Flash -The battle of Bosworth (525 years late) Aug 22nd

*****Battle of Bosworth***************** News Flash***************dateline 1485*********


Pic of your intrepid reporter.

The battle of Bosworth was fought and won today... this will undoubtably prove to be one of the defining points in British history as the Tudors take the throne, our reporter in the field will bring you a potted and somewhat (525 years) delayed report.
****report follows.....




The fields surrounding Bosworth are bathed in sunlight, a hot summers day reaching the mid 20's. the fighting hordes would do well to ensure they have lathered their armour with sunscreen (this reporter and his assistant didnt and have suffered small cases of sunburn, who wouldve thought it?). The place was packed and, like us..thousands had obviously journeyd far to witness this event.

As we await the actual battle, time is spent wandering amongst the tent villages where each tent is selling the local produce...eg, mead, hand carved wooden spoons, swords, shields, assorted types of armour and chain mail etc. there are hundreds of "villagers" in their finery.

We view the example of the firepower of the first canons to be used in the battle, they are damn loud and apparently only somewhat effective, the archers on the other hand are impressive as they launch hundreds of arrows into the air while showing how they will prevent the lancastrians from attacking.

Then some jousting as we watch the "kings" charge toward each other with those things... you know the ones.. big.. long, stick like things... what are they called again?

At this point your dedicated reporters ducked out for a cup o tea and a cake in the very beautiful town of Market Harborugh, we sat surrounded by beautiful thatched homes and the lovely sunshine.

Now, back in time for the battle... again the fields bathed in sunlight... hundreds of Richards men to our right...hundreds of The Tudors men to our left... Rcihards men begin the charge, they are hit by what seems to be thousands of arrows raining from the skies, the canons blowing them up as they march forward, they too inflict damage on their opponents and finally they stand toe to toe.

Battle video...
Note* this is a large (32mb) video, dont download if you have a slow connection

The sounds of battle are overwhelming as sword crashes onto armour, the fighters shout and howl, the drummers boom  as they march forward, the cries of the dead and dying fill the air as the kings on horse back battle, eventually Richard is smashed from his horse and chopped to bits on the ground, his head thrown into a thorny hedge.

We are left with Henry VII victorious,and the beginning of the rule of the Yorks, hundreds of men lay dead or dying and the sounds of the celebration of the winners fills the air.

Just a fantastic day out  :)


Ker- Plunk! update........
Game 3 sees Nic storm back into the competition with a 9-24 win.

Another trip to Leicester - 19th

So into leicester for a job interview, was a tricky intervew too, ive applied for so many jobs from different job sites, sometimes i forget which is which...and that was the case with this one.

The job thing is a little different here, almost all jobs are handled by recruitment agencies, so they review your CV, then book the interview for you. On this occasion the person rang me and was heavily accented and didnt offer to much information, so i just noted the time and said ill see them there. Much as i checked my records, and searched the net, i could find next to nothing about the company... i began to have my doubts.. it didnt seem to add up.

Anyway..  I went in and met with a very slick,  fast talking Londoner, who still did not explain what the actual job was... but he told me how with in a year i could be the managing director of my own branch... hmmm... yeh right.. i ask for a job description... oh umm no we dont have one. anyway at the end he says he would love to have me spend a day with one of their staff to look at whats done.. then start with them. i said send me a job description and ring me to arrange... i check the net when i get home and find this... click here

needless to say... when offered the chance.. i told them thanks but no thanks.

Nic came with me and wandered around leics while i was in... then we went to the Jewry wall and museum... awesome place in the centre of the city... 3000 year old roman bath remains... just incredible.

On the way home we were lucky enough to catch up with Keith, Gill, Derek and Maria for a cuppa in a lovely old pub.

Remember, you can increase the size of the pics by clicking on them... also, i think you can save them to your comp by double clicking  and then right clicking and saving.

Thanks so much for the comments.. its good to know your are interested and enjoy reading.. also love to read anything that you remember etc.

Return of Rover.... 18th Aug

And so the much loved Rover has returned. I have now completed more public transport travel in the past 3-4 days, than i have in the last 30 years. After my complaints about the buses previously... todays were all too smooth... ok it took 2.5 hours to go there on the buses... as compared to 19 minutes to drive home... but at least both buses actually turned up, and apart from the little kid behing me.. kicking the back of my seat for 20 minutes... and seeing the biggest nose i ever have (or will ever)  the journey was happily uneventful.

So its been a quiet few days... a couple more interviews coming up over the next few days so still fingers crossed.

Some sunny days here.. they can be lovely and warm. Nic enjoying the sun in the back garden.

 a couple of random photos...

roman place.

Continued (and game 2 of Ker-plunk!)

So i leave the house at 11.40 to get to my bus stop at 11.43...(for the first time since weve been in England... it buckets down as im walking to the stop)........the bus is due at 11.53... 12.05.. still no bus, 12.15... still no bus... my Foxes travel bus leaves Ashby at 12.50, if i dont get that.. its all over.... 12.20.. still no bus.. im on the phone ringing Nic to get a taxi number, as i ring her.. the bus arrives... phew.

Pic...Measham bus stop rain...

So... into ashby... theres the stop.. couple of Lesta fans waiting .. so im in the right place, bus arrives ontime and we are on the way... up the front on the top deck of a double dekker wonderfully smooth trip to the ground.. dropped off 100 metres from the gate, perfect.
Bus in...

Great game... finished 0 - 0 but City played top drawer football and looked a quality side, if they can actually put a few in the net.. we will be a top 6 side again.

A 100 metre walk and back on the bus... brilliant, arrive back in ashby at 6.20... brilliant, bus due at 6.53, just sit at the stop until then all good... 6.53... no bus.... 7.00 no bus.... 7.05 no bus... phone call to the bus company... "oh, it hasnt arrived? well it is a saturday, they might be busy...no i cant tell you when it will arrive"... 7.10 no bus.... 7.15 no bus...7.20 no bus... obvoiusly this aint coming... 7.25.. ring the taxi...grrrr home at 7.30.

And people wonder why i dislike public transport.
Ticket to game ... $58
Bus to ashby....... $9
Bus to and from game $18.50
Taxi home...........$15

Wow... $100.50 to see a game.. that is wayyyyyyyy too much, as i mentioned before, entertainment is expensive here.

Game 2 of Ker-plunk!, sees Glenn storm to an early lead.. wining again (16-17) now 2-0 up and clearly the future world Ker-plunk! champion

Public Transport... note that 2nd word!!... Aug 15th

A quiet few days, no car means Measham is where we stay... except for Saturday... I ahve a friend from WA visiting the UK and he is a Lesta supporter too. We had agreed to meet at the Walkers to see the City v Boro game. I had bought the tickets so.. there was no cancelling this ... with no car, it would have to be.... dah dah dummmm.... public transport!!!

The trip needs to be... Measham... to... Ashby..to...Leicester Town centre...to...Walkers Stadium and return. about 2 hours each way. I carefully studied the maps on the websites, searched the timetables on line and worked out the only options...3 buses each way.. and a few walks inbetween...  it was going to be close, because the last bus left Ashby for Measham at 6.53,and  if.. big if... i could get to the town centre... from the stadium in 14 minutes... the bus would get me to Ashby at 6.47... a clear 6 minutes grace to walk to the next stop.

I then looked more carefully... no, there was no way i would get from the ground, to the bus in 14 minutes...so.. what to do.. . keeping in mind, i have bought and paid for my and his tickets. 62 pounds in total i HAD to get there.

Aha "foxes travel" the clubs bus service.. huzzah!!, they run a bus from Ashby to the ground and return... but... the guy isnt returning my calls... its friday night.. still no calls.. im going to have to go with the original plan.. then get a cab from Ashby home grrrrrr. 

Ahh but wait, Saturday morning, Fox travel calls.. yes, they have a bus.. yes i can get on it, yes, it will get me in to ashby at about 6.20... 30 minutes before last bus  wooohoo.... sorted!

OK, think i will post the rest of the story on the next page.

A couple of pics from Nottinham before we broke down :)

And they talk about Friday the 13th - grrr Thursday the12th!!!

Glenn's little list of  "Things you dont want to see..."

1) A "Closed" sign on a gallery after youve walked 2 miles to find it.

2) Black clouds overhead as youre eating lunch in a Nottingham Park (2.5 miles from where you need to walk to)

3) Thunder, lightning and buckets of rain as you realise you didnt bring an umbrella (it is summer for goodnes sake)  :)

4) The same building you saw 10 minutes ago as you get confused inside a shopping centre whilst trying to avoid said buckets of rain.

5) Fat dripping.. literally dripping and forming a pool on your plate, from your spring roll dinner. (to know how bad it was.. i actually did not eat it... amazing)

6) The puddles of milk all over the carpet after youve clumsily thrown it to the floor and watched the plastic bottle split open.

7) The highway patrol setting up cones to block traffic on the A42 on your way home in the cold and wet summers afternoon.

Oh... and the one thing you really... Really..... REALLY dont want to see......

..... your much 'loved" Rover on the back of the tow truck, having been picked up from the A42, where the traffic Patrol have blocked of the entire motorway plus part of another motorway because your much "loved" Rover has forgotten it has an automatic gearbox and believes it can just rolllllll home.

So... thats Thursday the 12th... who wants to talk about Friday the 13th........ BRING IT ON!!

:)

Serendipity....(and the great Ker-Plunk! pull off)... 10th August

Serenedipity... possibly my favourite word, not only because of its meaning, but it also sounds lovely. We programmed our next destination into the sat nav and headed off, not far, just a quick trip for a look round a free park....

...I took the 3rd exit as directed... yes.. it is the 3rd... yes.. it told me to take the third... I know it doesnt look like the right way... yes, i know we always gone the other way at this round about... but it said take the 3rd exit...yes.. it is the coalville rd... yes.. we do seem to be heading in the wrong direction... park.. reprogramme... still telling us to go that way huh... ok.. ill pull over... wait.. wow.. whats that?.. thats fantastic... ok, lets go look at that instead.

Thus is the story of how we found the Grace Dieu Priory, built in the 1200's and now little more than ruins, but just so beuatiful... and again i ask the question.. what the hell were these peope doing.. thinking.. talking about .. in the 13th century??

neverhteless, a spectacular walk toward it... glorious sights around it and a lovely moment of serendipity.

Just back form the Wednesday morning Car boot sale at Moira.. gues what we bought... lol... a game of Ker-Plunk!..heheheh  dont anyone say we arent living life on the edge :)

 Just an addition.. ive just watched Nic spend 10 minutes (literally 10 minutes) putting the sticks into it  hehehehe... such a fun game :)... and so begins The great Ker-Plunk! pull off, Glenn wins the first game 15 -17.. yes.. watch this space for future score updates.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Nic.

Thank you to everyone for your lovely wishes, presents, cards, ecards, phone calls.. anything and everything.  (oh and to Mum for the much enjoyed Birthday Cake Hat) They were all so very much appreciated.


Special thanks to Freedom, for not just the flowers... but for knowing exactly, at what point Nic would start crying, the pic below of her reading the card shows the very moment the tears began lol.

So.. we had a lovely day filled with excitment... lovely phone calls etc.... trip to the library to sign up.....trip to the local museum ( when i say museum, i really mean... the local one room with 3 display cabinets and more local old men trying to tell you the history of the area, than actual dsiplays).... then a walk around a local canal where Nic went as a 2 year old before going to OZ.

Yes,yet another wonderful day :)

Friday- tour of Leicester - 6th Aug

A few pics rather than words... today we took a trip into Leics, saw the Art Gallery and Museum, the Abby pumping station and caught up with Derek and Maria for a lovely cuppa and a chat and then onto Donnington le Heath (i think) which is a house built in 1260....no seriously.. 1260 :O... i mean cmon... im surprised people we even capable of building a mound! :)

Just a quickie.... Aug 5th

Ok, a lovely couple of days, bit of a chill in the air, we talk a nice walk around "Senses Park" which is apparently the site of an open cut coal mine, it only operated for about 20 years and now has been revegetated and returned as park lands... very pretty indeed.



Now.. a couple of pics from a book about Ibstock which Keith and Gill lent to us, which mentions some of Nics relatives... however, as yu will see from the 2nd pic... this could be the funniest named couple ever... no seriously EVER!!... well, we all thought so, there was a great deal of laughter when we read them...

hehehe...

Willy and Fanny Cramp... oh dear... should i have not posted this?

Moira.. (no, not an old lady who lives down the road) Aug 2nd

The morning was spent applying for jobs and Nic working on writing and drawing.

The afternoon we decided a quick trip to Moira, about 10 minutes toward Swad, apparently the site of an old furnace and a delightful spot it was, alongside the canal (canal's are bcoming a favourite of mine now). So a sunny afternoon and all was lovely.

We also walked arond a boardwalk... where we saw .... A SNAKE???  in england... incredible

We are actually still without an oven as its not working, the grill and hob are fine.. so its fried or grilled for the last few days. The gas man came and said its gonna take a couple of days to get the bits in.. so, hopefully by Wed all will be fine.

Of Carboots, Scarecrows and Birmingham

Its Sunday morning, so what is any good meashamite doing... yup you guessed it...CARRR BOOOOTINGGG :)

yup off we went again this morning our list much smaller but a list nonetheless... another mirror we got 3 last week i forgot to mention. (no.. we are not vain, look at your house how many mirrors have you got ?) cupboards etc etc. We return home we almost all our needs.. in fact... we wont need to go next week apparently, ill believe that when it happens.

So, now it was time for the VERY VERY highly anticipated Heather (pronounced Heether) scarecrow festival, nic has been looking forward to this for quite some time... it took us about 7 minutes to drive there... and about 2.5 minutes to realise this wasnt quite going to live up to expectations. You might expect a scarecrow festival to be field after field of beautifully decorated scarecrows... you dont?.. thats a pity coz thats what we expected... instead... well, instead we got cardboard cutouts and shop dummies dressed up as Lady Gaga or Dr Who... hehehehe.


So... off to Birmingham and we go to the beautiful Botanic gardens, just such a delightful walk round such a gorgeous setting, the colour of the flowers is quite quite incredible... i assume that whilst the flowers arent out for long... the lack of sun seems to increase the colour of them, the reds are so very deep and every colour seems so vibrant and alive.

A lovely  little jazz band was playing in the gardens we sat and enjoyed a cloudy english summer day. then. we decided we would head to the museum... unfortunately a combination of not knowing where we are going and an incomprehensible Brummy accent meant that we didnt make it to the Museum, however we wandered along the recently redeveloped canals which were quite beautiful and again, all the streets and corners were covered in beautiful flowers.

Finally a couple of entertaining driving manuourves meant we negotiated the spaghetti junction and made our way home. A truly delightful day.


Anne Geddes... eat your heart out...