Tales From The Dark Side

Well that was a let down

2012-01-25T22:07:00.001Z

I thought I’d publish this on the Blogger page as well, just for the fun of it!

It’s been an odd week, primarily because it started on Saturday, the oddness that is, not the week. I had been very keen on the trip to astronomy clubs stargazing event, right up until Saturday afternoon, Sir Luke rang to say that he was on his way and he would be a matter of minutes, a bi earlier I’d bought the scopes down and sorted out all the necessary kit that I’d need for the evening. I’d sorted out a couple of spare laptop fans as one of the chaps had mentioned that his machine kept overheating and that its fan may be on the way out.

No sooner had I said ta ta to Luke I called him back and told him to go without me as I didn’t feel particularly chipper and thought it best if I stayed away as I wasn’t in a particularly good frame of mind and rather than sitting with a face like a yawning donkey I would stay home and spend the evening feeling sorry for myself. However like the good mate he is Luke took absolutely no notice of me and called in anyway, after a few minutes and strict instructions from herself to “naff off and have some fun!” we packed the scopes in the car and headed off.

If I’m honest I really enjoyed the evening, but I think I’d have enjoyed it more had my head been a bit more right, still the fixing of my head will take time but it’ll happen.

I was supposed to head off to the Kensington Olympia for the 2012 Toy Fair,I’d hoped that the finances would have become available in time, sadly they didn’t so I spoke to the designated driver on Monday and made the decision to give it a miss. I was very disappointed about this as I had been looking forward to the trip to the city and a rather sterling breakfast before the event.

So instead of going to London this morning, I was going to work, oh well!

It being Wednesday meant that we headed to the gym with some of the chaps, whilst they were making full use of what appears to be medieval torture equipment I went for a weigh-in, Since my last one, which was November(ish), since then I’ve lost 3 kilos which is, I think, a good thing. It’s definitely time to take stock and get to grips with the weight loss, my goal is two stone over the next six or seven months, how hard can it be?

I aint afraid of no ghost!

2011-11-15T20:20:00.001Z

A while ago I was invited to take part in a paranormal investigation with Jason from Ashford Astro, it was originally scheduled to run through from October 30th through to October 31st. Unfortunately the event was postponed and was now going to take place on Saturday 12th November. This struck me as a good thing because the event wouldn’t be marred by the whole issue of All Hallows Eve.

over the following two weeks Jason mentioned that he had a total of five places to offer, I was definitely wanting to go so I asked him to book one for me, Lukey showed some interest and after giving it a bit of thought he decided he was in. Huzzah! Luke and I set off from foggy Folkestone at 16:00 heading for Jason's where we would trade up from the Ford KA to a Jag, and at 17:00 we set off to a place called Sible Hedingham in Essex, no I’ve never heard of it either!

Jason had mentioned that he expected the run to take about two hours, en route we chatted about our various experiences and what we could expect from the evening. Jason also gave us an insight into one of the chaps that would be there. The fella in question was going to be the medium for the evening, I have to be honest and say that I did develop some preconceived ideas about John, The image I had in my head was that of a Derek Acorah type who was probably a bit mad, I’m happy to say that was not the case. Jason's estimate for our travel time was spot on and we arrived at the venue just a tad before 19:00.

The venue was brilliant, the building dates from the 16th century and contained many original features. we were introduced to the other guests and John gave us a run down of how the event would progress and split us into teams. My initial thoughts of John were shattered as soon as I met him, he is a warm and welcoming chap who had none of the stereotypical attitude of certain media hungry mediums. He joked about himself and what he does, although he takes what he does very seriously. During the meet and greet and general chatting to get to know each other better I found myself being constantly drawn to a fireplace. The main fireplace was very impressive and a second, slightly smaller one, backed onto it from a room opposite. This room was used as the pubs restaurant, The fireplace was large, about five feet wide and three feet high. What was odd about was the fact that the whole thing was giving me that all to familiar urge to clamber in to see where it went. I’ve been near fireplaces that were much larger and never got that feeling before which is why I found it so odd. Earlier John had asked us all to mention anything that we felt or saw so I made him aware of the way the fireplace was affecting me. He said he’d tell me a bit more about it later in the evening. After a cuppa we were taken in to the restaurant where we were prepared for the event and we set off on the first investigation of the night.

We headed upstairs to the lounge, we investigated this area for about 25 minutes, one chap said that he thought he heard someone breathing in one corner of the room so many photos were taken. Although there was little in the way of actual activity a few people did say that they felt like they were being touched or pushed, oddly a lot of this seemed to be centred on the girly types, one person became very overwhelmed to the point that she was feeling ill and rather exhausted so the first investigation was bought to a close for a cuppa.

During the break we were all sitting chatting when the K2 meter started going mental so we started an impromptu EVP session, although the lights on the meter danced back and forth they were so intermittent as to be random, a few times the meter appeared to be responding to questions, but not often enough to be able to make a definite decision.

The second investigation took us to a bedroom that featured a large walk in wardrobe that had originally been used as small room and it still had the original doors. They were made from a very dark wood that might be oak, but I don’t know my oak from my willow. a few minutes into the investigation I put my hands on one of the doors, after a few seconds I had to move away from the doors, in fact the vibe I got from the doors was so overwhelming I had to leave the room. Once out of the room I calmed myself down and regained control of my emotions. Shortly after leaving the room John bought one of the lasses out of the room,he asked me to tell him what I had experienced. I told him that it felt as though a wave of every possible negative emotion had washed over me, hatred, anger, and bitter rage and it seemed as though it was all wrapped up in unbridled misogyny. John said that I had felt exactly what he expected.

We soon moved from the first bedroom to a second bedroom, no sooner had we all gathered in there someone said that they thought they heard a door close and went to have a look. It transpired that it was a cat flap being operated by one of the house cats. It was at this point I realised that the people I was with were not the sort that would hear something and straight away claim supernatural activity, go take a look and come back with some out landish tale of doors closing on there own, but were prepared to be honest and open. Sadly the second room yielded no activity of any sort so we left and returned down stairs for a break and a cuppa.

After this break we split into our arranged groups, the group I was in headed down to the cellar, unfortunately we experienced absolutely nothing, however the lack of feeling in both the cellar rooms was very noticeable. As a group we agreed that there was nothing of merit happening in the cellar we would head back upstairs to what was referred to as the hub.

After the first set of group investigations John asked for a volunteer to spend ten minutes in a part of the building known as the barn and then take a walk around the churchyard, I was up for that so I said I’d go. Into the barn I went where I spent my allotted ten minutes talking to myself, again no activity save for the ringing of a church bell and the hooting of an owl. Satisfied that the barn was a let down I headed for the church. Walking round the church was an odd experience. I expected to feel something simply because I was in a graveyard at stupid o’clock in the morning on my own. However I felt totally at ease, not even a little uneasy because of where I was, I must admit I found that a bit odd.

I returned to the pub where I sat watching a monitor that was showing the feeds from four IR cameras and chatted with the chap who was the tech for the event, I look forward to seeing the findings as there was some intriguing stuff.

One more investigation that also yielded very little. The other teams had slightly more eventful investigations towards the end of the evening, Jason reported that a plastic cap from a beer keg was thrown across one of the rooms in the cellar and that some plaster fell from the wall in the other, normally that would sound fairly mundane but Jason’s a sound minded chap and I’m sure that there was more to it than plaster just falling. Luke had some experiences in the barn, he told us that his group saw lights and were getting knocks on request.

After a while the event was bought to a close and Jason, Luke and myself headed home. I’m slightly less sceptical than before and I would certainly do more of these events, Luke tells me that he feels the same way.

I got home at around 08:30 on Sunday morning and went to bed, when I woke up I reviewed the audio recordings from my digital recorders, there’s nothing particularly unusual on the recordings except for the one from the very first investigation of the lounge, at about 13 minutes in there is what sounds very much like a growl or snarl, there were no animals in the room.

So there you have it, my experiences from my first, and hopefully not last, paranormal investigation. I met some cool folk and was made to feel very welcome.

In closing I send huge thank you to Jason for taking Luke and I along and also to the other folks who were there for the warm welcome and making us feel part of the team. Finally to the residents of the venue for allowing us into their home.

Blessed be.

A bad day

2011-11-02T21:24:00.001Z

Every now and then I have to go to a gym, not to do rubbish exercises, it’s a work activity, a few months ago I was going along quite regularly and getting weighed every two weeks. I managed to shed about three stones, quite an achievement for me I thought. Many of my friends have noticed a reduction in my size and my clothes are noticeably looser. Today I went back to the gym for the first time since March and got on the scales, I was a bit annoyed to learn that I’ve gained half a stone. One of my mates has signed up to a site that helps you track the calorific intake and exercise you do. It’s a well known fact that me and exercise aren’t the best of mates but I think I need to start doing a bit more. According to the blurb that healthy types blabber on about, doing 30 minutes of light exercise that gets you slightly out of breath will help you get closer to an ideal weight. So tomorrow is, with the best of intentions, the start of a new regime. I plan to walk home after work, From work to home is approximately 1.5 miles and should take about half an hour, so that should do the trick. I’ve signed up to the same web site to aid in my efforts so all I need to do now is find the will power to stick to my guns regarding the calorie intake. If I’m honest, that’s where I’ll struggle. I have a very sweet tooth and a tendency to over do things where cake is concerned so I think the thing to do here is avoid the cakes all together. Whilst I’m happy to walk home after work I don’t fancy the idea of walking home in the rain, I want to lose a bit of weight, not contract double manflumonia.

On a more serious note our little Ujio headed off to Ashford via the lukeymobile this morning, he’s, Uji not Lukey, off to have an operation called a Femoral Head and Neck Excision, basically the ball on the top end of his femur is being removed. It sounds horrid and I don’t doubt that it is. Because of the seriousness of the op, Uji will be staying in Ashford overnight and Sue will be taking us to collect him if he’s allowed home tomorrow. Herself called the vet earlier and was told that he’s had the op and it she was told that the procedure had gone well and to give them another ring a bit later for a more detailed update. The good news is that he’s up and about and walking on three legs, he’s had a howl and had something to eat and drink. All very good signs that he’s doing ok and he should be home tomorrow, even if only because of the howls. I’m sure he’ll be up to no good and bothering his sisters in no time. Plus herself will be able to relax when he’s back where he belongs.

So with Uji doing well, Ronnii bathed and Izzy looking longingly at herself in the hope of a pickled onion Monster Munch, I shall leave it there.

TTFN

Exercise is good for, apparently

2011-10-30T23:04:00.001Z

Yes I know it’s been a while but things have been a bit up and down of late, herself has been very poorly after more radiotherapy and I’ve been a bit lacking in motivation. We returned to the Western Heights a week ago.

On the Saturday before I was at the shop and struggling with the early stages of a bit of a cold. I played a quick game, which I won, and then Sue ordered me to go home based on her conclusion that I looked like I had recently died. So I did as I was told, a rarity for me, and headed home. Upon arrival I told herself that I was being pursued by the grim reaper and was going to bed. I have a rather odd immune system, A streaming cold usually results in me being out of action for a day or two, I went to bed and slept for a few hours. I woke up feeling groggy, herself gave me some pills before I went off. I rose at about 19:00 and joined herself in the front room. I continued to rest on the sofa and we had a relaxing evening. I went back to bed a bit later, took a couple more tablets and settled for the night wrapped up. by the morning almost all signs of the previous days malady had gone and I got a text from the Manky one saying that they’d be collecting me at 10:30. they arrived and we headed down to Cassa del Lukey to collect the rest of the party and then off to dover.

When we arrived at Saint Martins car park and were informed that a hole had been discovered, more info was soon forth coming. Apparently the hole was only big enough for the tiny girly type that was in attendance to squeeze into. We headed off to investigate, my response to the earlier assessment of it only being big enough for the girly types was a resounding PAH! In I went. Having spent my formative years curtailing the best efforts of girly types to join our group of young ne’er do-wells in our explorations of all thing Napoleonic, I wasn’t going to let a girly type get one over on me by exploring without me, it could be dangerous and there may be spiders and other things that make the girly types scream as they activate scaredy-cat mode. We spent about fifteen minutes exploring some rather spectacular passages and rooms and then we headed over to Saint Martins Deep Shelter as a few of the party hadn’t been there before. I never get tired of visiting the Heights and, hopefully, I never will.

Once we exited the Deep Shelter we headed over to the Redoubt. The place is as spectacular as I remember. It must be at least twenty years since I last visited the fort and it’s as grand as I recall. The Western Heights Preservation Society have done some brilliant work in restoring the place to it’s former glory. There was some chaps doing re-enactment who were equipped with muskets, they are rather loud. and the representatives of WHPS were on hand to answer questions about the fort.

We spent a good few hours there watching various displays of life as a British soldier during the Napoleonic wars before heading over to the grand shaft, which we descended with gusto, the problem was that once we reached the bottom, we had to climb back up. By the time I reached the top I was knackered. My knees were rather angry with me for making them climb up 150 steps, and they weren’t overly impressed with the fact that I had to climb more to return to the car park.

Despite the climbing of stairs and the deafening booms of the muskets, it was a fantastic day out. I looked over at the castle from the ramparts of the Redoubt and felt a longing to return to Dover Castle. I must chat with the chaps about it and get something planned.

Thursday 27th saw an impromptu trip to the shop to collect this months copy of White Dwarf, I’ve been looking forward to this issue more than any other this last year as it features the details of the new Necron models and codex. Something that has been long overdue since fifth edition was released. I know that I have a separate blog for the gaming events but the new Necron release is rather special, I shall be nipping down on Thursday to collect my order so that I can, with luck, have the new models painted and the new rules committed to memory in time for the next adult gaming day. It’s on the 20th November so I’ll have two and a bit weeks.

I was down at the shop again on Saturday, I played what could well be the last game I play with the Necrons using the old codex, I went up against Tau and won, huzzah.

Sunday saw me and five of my friends set off along the shore towards Samphire Hoe which lies between Dover and Folkestone, we managed to get about three quarters of the way there before we were blocked by the sea as it hadn’t quite gone out enough to allow us to walk along the final stretch. So we stopped for a spot of lunch before heading back.

On the way one of our number noticed a hole in the cliff, I don’t know how high up it actually is but it’s certainly higher than a three storey house. We reach the point on the walk near the hole, I gave it some careful thought and consideration and started to scramble up the cliff. I managed to get to a point that was probably twenty feet away from the hole. I couldn’t see a suitably safe path that would take me up to the hole so I decided to turn back. I probably took three steps away from the hole when it occurred to me that I was so close, how difficult could it be to cover the last stretch? So I spun on my heels and set off in an effort to reach the hole, surprisingly I made it! The tunnel I was stood in the entrance of was probably about ten feet high eight feet wide, it appeared to go back some distance. The entrance also house a six feet around steel tube that turned out to be a drain sluice. Well I figured I’d gotten this far so I might as well take a look inside the tunnel. I scrambled past the steel tube and headed along the passage. I had no idea what the tunnel was or where it went. As I progressed I felt the pressure in the tunnel change, “that was odd” thought I, but I continued in. I then started to hear a rumbling noise, I thought at first that it was just the sea being amplified, oh how wrong I was. suddenly the rumbling turned into a roar as a train screamed past the opposite end of the tunnel. I now realised what the tunnel is, it’s an old access passage for the Abbotts Cliff section of the railway line between Dover and Folkestone. Deciding that there was no point exploring any further I made my way out of the tunnel to find that Chippy had ascended the cliff in order to make sure that I was ok, apparently I’d been in the hole for ten minutes. It really didn’t seem that long, more like five.

I started my climb back down the cliff and I have to admit it was much easier getting up, I had a couple of worrying moments where I lost my footing or slipped on the clay of the cliff, but I made it down unharmed so all was well in the end. After we left the tunnel we headed back to the sea wall, shortly after we were back on stable ground we stopped for a short break and I swear I saw a penguin, it was only a little one but I’m certain it was a penguin. The chaps didn’t believe me and mocked me about it for the rest of the walk, but they can mock all they want, there so was a penguin, so there!

Eventually we made our way back to the East Cliff Pavilion and back to chez Lukey for a well deserved cuppa.

So there it is, an eventful week full of fun and excitement, I think the outings will be put on hold now until the warmer weather returns. (he says trying to sound all sensible)

Until next time…

Exercise is good for, apparently

2011-10-30T22:59:00.001Z

I was down at the shop again on Saturday, I played what could well be the last game I play with the Necrons using the old codex, I went up against Tau and won, huzzah.

Eventually we made our way back to the East Cliff Pavilion and back to chez Lukey for a well deserved cuppa.

So there it is, an eventful week full of fun and excitement, I think the outings will be put on hold now until the warmer weather returns. (he says trying to sound all sensible)

Until next time…

Lordy lawks, what a bloomin’ week!

2011-09-24T02:46:00.001+01:00

I haven’t been keeping up with blogging, to be honest I haven’t been able to put my mind to it. I should have done a post last Sunday but I was too knackered and sore so I thought I’d do it on Monday instead. bad idea as I was in more discomfort than Sunday. Why, I hear you ask, was I so ache ridden. Well the reason is that on Sunday I went back to the Western Heights in Dover, this time there were more bods coming along and I had set myself a personal goal of accessing a part of one of the places we saw on our previous visit.

On arrival at Saint Martins car park we learned that some of the chaps were already in the deep shelter, this was a relief as I was sure that it would have been sealed by now. We spent some time exploring the shelter and accompanying Gun batteries before heading down to the Grand Shaft. Whilst exploring the gun placements it was noticed that Saint Martins Battery was running alive with the most annoying creature known to man, a beast so foul and toxic that the mere thought of them sends a shudder down my spine, my hair stand on end and my stomach churn. What vile animals could promote such feelings of dread and repulsion? Children! Don’t get me wrong, not all children are evil minions from a hell dimension, I actually do know a handful that are quite pleasant to be around and I can stand more than ten minutes of. The children that were out in force on Sunday however were the worst kind. CUBS, I assumed that they’d been taken there for a day of history, it seemed as though they’d actually been handed blue smarties and cheap cola on arrival and told to run free like little apes released from a zoo. There were some adults who were alledgedly supervising the little “darlings” by supervising I mean sitting on the floor scoffing cucumber sandwiches and nattering about who’s doing what to who and when*, whilst ocaisionally shouting things like “do be carefull” and “mind you don’t fall”. So wanting to put distance between us and the horrors we headed down to the grand shaft. After walking down a 200 year old flight of steps our ears were assaulted with the yelps and screams of yet more cubs. It transpired that the walk down may not have been in vain, the gates to the Grand Shaft were open, Woo Hoo! We made enquiries about the possibility of going down the shaft, only to be told, by a very glum adult cub that the shaft was only open for the cubs. I looked around at the 40+ kids who were running here and there in a pattern that could only be explained using the chaos theory. It seemed clear to me that they were more interested in playing “hit the small kid with a stick” than the history of their surroundings. So having no luck with Captain Grumpy we headed away from the Grand Shaft and I led the party in search of a Tunnel that I half remembered, sadly my memory painted a better picture of the tunnel so we made our way towards the engineers tunnel via a route that was last trodden by Raptors, or so it seemed. Fortunately it turns out that badgers are excellent path finders and he soon had us back on track. As we were walking through the early Cretaceous forest I noticed that an access door to the Drop Redoubt was open, my heart stopped. I absolute do not condone vandalism and I would not damage a property to gain access, but if someone else has chosen to make access possible, I would certainly take advantage of it. I mentioned To the Badge that if we could get in, we would go for it. Further along our walk we saw a group from the WHPS (google it) on one of their work days. When we got to them we enquired about the chance of a walk round the redoubt, we were politely told no as there was already a tour in progress and the next one, at 2pm would probably be full, of cubs, and Health and f*****g safety wouldn’t allow us to just wander around on our own. We decided not to wait and headed off to the North Entrance. After scrambling through a very small hole into the drawbridge mechanism pit we tried to find a way of getting up to the top of the fifteen feet wall to further explore the place. We managed to get a fair few of our number up and it was so very worth it. during the explore of the system I took a picture of a hole that I fell down in my now distant youth and we eventually headed out and on to the Detached Bastion where we finished a brilliant days exploring.

That’s about it, no painting or astronomy this last few weeks as Smiffy’s been away with work and family commitments and the sky’s been rubbish.

Hopefully there’ll be something a bit more exciting over the next few days. but before I go I would like to bring something to you attention.

Please visit the website below and read the info then sign the petition. Lets work together to save the little chaps life.

http://www.savelennoxpetition.co.uk/

Thank you

One day like this a year would see me right.

2011-07-03T23:47:00.001+01:00

So where was I? You know about the new scope, right? Yeah ok so did we talk about the day out fossil collecting? No? ok so that’s where we start, Sunday June 3rd, I’d arranged with a few good mates to head off down to Cliff End for a spot of fossil collecting, unfortunately the weather, and the tide was against us. So not a great deal of fossils were found and rain stopped play. We headed back to Rye for a pint and then headed our separate ways. To be honest if it hadn’t been for the company, I would have been rather disappointed with the day. Oh well some things just aren’t meant to be. 12 days later I’d planned to get together with a few friends again to view the total lunar eclipse, the weather put paid to that too. I spent the next two weeks carefully watching the weather forecast to keep an eye on how things were shaping up for the 3rd July. With June being unusually cold and wet I half expected today to be a complete wash out. Having no alternate arrange as stand-by a cancellation due to poor weather would have been bad form. I woke up and snuck in to snatch Uji from his Mommas arms so that she could get a bit of a lie in and I took the pups down stairs for their breakfast. I spoilt myself with a bowl of sugar puffs. I generally don’t bother with breakfast but today I figured I’d need the extra kick and sugar puffs do the trick quite tastily. When herself arose I took Ronnii for a quick stroll and headed down to chez Luke to join up with the rest of the away team. After a quick brew we headed off to Dover and the Western Heights car park.

The first port of call would be the Knights Templar church and then over to Saint Martin’s battery. Since we were there I thought I’d look to see if the deep shelter was accessible, to my surprise and elation it was, I won’t go into details on the how, suffice to say we could get in, oh sweet joy. After a minute or two getting everyone in we began exploring what is a short tunnel system that was built in the 1870’s, it was used as a shelter for troops during the first and second world wars, after a short walk along the ground level passage that gently slopes down and turns to the right, we reached the top of a flight of stairs that headed down to the main shelter area. The construction of the shelter is similar to the construction of the tunnel complex in the cliffs above the Eastern Docks and the deep shelter of Lydden Spout. It features two long passages that have rooms between them. These rooms would have served as sleeping quarters for the men who manned the guns that defended the towns’ western side. After the deep shelter, we head down from the battery and through the wooded area below where we came across the main entrance for the deep shelter. Sadly this is not accessible, rumor has it that a major collapse has long since filled it in. After a bit of debate it was agreed that we’d skip the Grand Shaft and head straight over to the Drop Redoubt Fortress. Work on this imposing building started way back in 1779 and was completed in 1807. It was built as part of the defenses for Dover during the Napoleonic war, but fortunately never saw action. Work continued through the 1800s and many features were added, including five bomb proof casemates. Four Caponiers were added with access to the top of the redoubt; officers’ quarters and cells were also added. During the Second World War the Redoubt was home to a squad of commandos who were under orders to destroy Dover Harbour if the enemy managed to invade the country. This unit of commandos was top secret and the lines leading to the fort were mined. Also on top of the redoubt can be found the Bredenstone, also known as the Devils drop of mortar. It is actually the remains of a second roman pharos that stood opposite the one located in what is now the grounds of Dover castle. After a walk around the Redoubt we walked along the lines and headed to the north entrance, although we managed to gain access through into the machine room that still houses the mechanism for operating the drawbridge, access to the main sections of this part of the defences is near impossible without strong rope and the ability to climb walls like Spiderman. One of our number, the smallest and lightest was elected to scale the remains of a severely rusted spiral staircase that would have been incredible in its time. When it was realised that the spiral went up but nowhere else we gave up on the North Entrance and scrambled out again. I did find a toad, but it may have been a frog, I can’t tell the difference, I’m not sure there is one really. We then set off for the detached bastion. A really nice walk through wooded, almost glade like, area that could be a million mile from the town and a million years in the past. I did worry that we may have disturbed a pack of Raptors when one of the away team sneezed like a girl. We even threatened to have him sorted out by a Diplodocus, it didn’t work and he sneezed again, no raptors though. Odd that I can be relieved and disappointed at the same time. Finally we reached the access point for the bastion; my heart sank when I saw that it had been sealed with half inch thick steel plating. we’d come so far and I must admits my hopes were rather high, so I thought I’d have a walk round the western side of the caponier to see if there was another entrance. As we turned the corner we spotted someone leaping out of the building, apparently when Dave tapped on the steel plate with his stick he put the fear of the Rozzers into the youngsters that were there. Initially they were a bit concerned that we may have been there to tell them off for being there, they were rather relieved when we told them to make way as we wanted in. The detached bastion was commenced in 1804, also as part of the Napoleonic defences, however because some chap in wellies sent old boney packing at Waterloo it wasn’t completed. It was added to in 1859 but still incomplete. After 1945 it was no longer needed by the military and abandoned. Then Her Majesties government turned the, rather grand, citadel into a youth detention centre and many of the passage ways were blocked of and sealed up to prevent the inmates doing a runner.

I had a thoroughly brilliant day and visiting the playground of my youth restored some very happy memories and we must do it again. I haven’t told the guys that there are other parts to explore, and although they’re not as grand as the places we visited today, the western outworks are worth a trip as it rounds of the exploration of Dovers hidden past. I’m sure the chaps would be up for it. What has surprised me is that I can still squeeze myself into the places still. Next year I shall watch out for the open day and we can visit the redoubt and get a look inside, that would make for a good day out and has the added bonus of being able to ascend the Grand Shaft.

It is, however, a great shame that the tunnel systems and fortifications are being allowed to fall into such a bad state of neglect and disrepair. Although I like the fact that the pathways in the lines on the western side of the lines twist through thickly wooded areas and I wouldn’t want to see that cut back, I would like to see the buildings at least partially restored and the walls given a coat of white wash to cover the graffiti.

Ok, so I lifted the title of this entry from a song, but it’s very pertinent to the day. It was spent with some very special friends and in some very special places. Not much could have made it better, save the presence of my nearest and dearest, and one or two friends who shared my childhood adventures on the western heights. Some are still around; one left us all too soon. So I dedicate today’s entry on this blog to tunnel rats old and new.

By the way, pictures of the day are available to view on Facebook and Picassa, a video will also be available once I’ve converted and edited it.

I'm making perfect sense, you're just not keeping up.

2011-05-22T23:03:00.001+01:00

Hello, sorry it’s been a while, I have to be honest nothing much has happened in my wild and, more than slightly, off kilter world. We have a new member of the family, he arrived a few weeks ago and already he’s worked his way into my, far too soft, heart. He’s only a little one so we should have many happy years with the little fella. His full name is Ujio Pocket Samurai, Uji for short and he’s a Chinese Crested, for those not in the know it’s a breed of dog. He’s mostly bald with just a few tufts of hair around his feet, on the end of his tail and on his head, hence the crest. He’s a lively little thing and we I was a bit worried about how Ronnii would react to him. It’s turned out rather well, she growls at him now and then and the other day we had a moment where she put him in his place and he did the doggy equivalent of a panicky squeal, but he does that a lot, I gently put my hand on him and with the noise he made you’d have thought I touched him with something red hot with the noise he made. We think he may be a complete wimp, one of the many good things about having a very young pup, he’s coming up to 15 weeks old, is that he’s very playful and this has bought Ronnii in touch with her inner pup a bit. She’s had a go at playing and she and Uji have had a couple of gentle playfights. these are a joy to watch as Ronnii is such a quiet little thing, she gets a bit excited when she sees her lead and does what can only be described as jumping for joy. At the moment Uji’s a bit of a handful, but once he’s got the grasp of house training there aren’t many problems we’ll need to over come. I haven’t told Trudes yet but I am becoming rather fond of the little man, Sunday Trudes went to her folks for the day and the three of us had a very relaxed day with some quality bonding time. I’m please that Ronnii’s taken to him though although I suspect that because he’s so young there may be a possibility that she may get a bit protective of him. If you visit Ujis blog there’s a video of them playfighting, I have to admit it is rather sweet to see.

On Friday 20th May Trudes took delivery of a very large box that was addressed to me. The box contained a box, which contained another box, inside box number 2 was another box. Inside this third box was three smaller boxes and a shiny tripod. In the three smaller boxes were the optics and controller for the telescope that connects to the tripod. I am now the proud owner of a Celestron Nexstar 127 SLT Maksutov-Cassegrain Astronomical Telescope. All I need now is a decent clear night to give it a run and get first light, I suspect the first object I see through it, other than the alignment stars, will be Saturn. It’s quite high in the sky fairly early on in the evenings so it’s a brilliant target for telescopes. There will also be some really wonderful objects to view as the year goes by and I’m looking forward to some great nights observing and, if all goes well, sharing those observing evenings with some fairly stellar mates, Do you see what I did their? There are two things that I am really looking forward to seeing through the new scope, the Moon is one, it’s going to be rather special, and Jupiter! Oh that is going to be absolutely mind blowing! Fortunately I have an adapted webcam for Astrophotography, one of the things that the 127 SLT is particularly useful for is lunar and planetary viewing so I should get some really good images, watch this space! Amongst all the bits and pieces that were in the box was a screwdriver, sadly it wasn’t sonic! I am so pleased with the scope I think I shall call it Winona!

There hasn’t been much in the way of painting over the last few weeks, but with the short nights ahead I should use that time to get on with the stuff that needs doing

Something silly!

2011-05-17T19:32:00.001+01:00

A disclaimer: The blog author wishes to make it abundantly clear that the text below does not infer or imply a dislike of all things American. This post is not intended as a racial slur or a rant in favour of Anti-Americanism. The intent is to promote the humour inherent in the views of those who are passionate about the television series Doctor Who.Over the last few days I’ve been active in an online discussion based on the statements below:

The latest Pirate outing for the Who shows the commercial desire to beg fiscal favour from the American market.
An obvious pillage of Depp's franchise, as to make the Who instantly familiar to the American audience
The previous episodes were festoon with star spangled reference
To flatter to enrich BBC coffers
Isn't there a basic essential Englishness to Who?
And aren't we losing it as commercial forces corral to Americanise the franchise?
All the great American standards will be s[t]ucked into the creative vortex as Moffat resells the Who as distinctly American in flavour.
Expect future programs to include: Western, War Movie, Romantic Comedy, Horror, Action, Gangster, Melodrama, Social Conscience, Musicals

The author of that twaddle continually refers back to this as a support for the debate, when some makes a post that disagrees with or disproves his claims they are either ignored or the comment is cherry picked for any possible comment that supports the opening comments.

I did a bit of research and looked through the last few years of Doctor Who episodes, I was intentionally looking for any link, no matter how tenuous, to the Americanisation of the series, this is what I found:

Rose: The first thing we see is the American continent from space, the episode also features a conspiracy theorist, the episode also features animated shop window dummies.

End of the world, A song by American band REM, robotic spiders similar to those in Runaway with Tom Selleck and Minority Report.

Dalek: set in Utah and features many American characters.

The long game, Adam Mitchell leaves a message on an answerphone, the first commercially available answerphone was in the US.

Fathers day, the first time the tradition of Fathers Day was observed it was in Fairmont West Virginia.

The Empty Child: American Air force, “Are you my Mummy?” The modern series of Mummy film star Brendan Fraser, he’s American don’t you know!

The Doctor Dances: features music from American band leader Glenn Miller.

Boomtown, A nuclear Power station is going to be built, the first operational nuclear power station was built in Idaho.

Bad Wolf: There are wolves in North America, and it features an American character.

The parting of the ways, Features an emergency hologram of the doctor, an emergency medical hologram featured heavily in star trek: voyager, The link; emergency hologram doctors.

The Christmas invasion, the doctor quotes the lion king, a Disney film.

New earth, set in new new new new new new York.

Girl in the Fireplace, Set in France, the French assisted the American during the war of independence, this episode is clearly a nod of gratitude for that help.

Rise of the cybermen, over the course of the two parter we see airships, one of the most famous airships is the Hindenburg which crashed in America.

The idiots lantern, the Doctor was planning to take rose to New York to see Elvis Presley, you can’t get more American than Elvis, The Doctor sports a very Elvis like quiff.

Smith and Jones, the title is clearly a reference to a series set in the old west called Alias Smith and Jones, also features a moon landing, the first man on the moon was American.

Gridlock, Gridlock is the American term for a traffic jam, and again new new York.

Daleks in manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks: New York Again High rise buildings, elevators not lifts, lots of American accents The American iconography in these episodes are too many to list in full.

The Lazarus experiment, marvel comic rip off: a good old mad scientist, with an experiment gone wrong, and an outrageous super-villain on the loose. The monster is very scorpion like in its design, the Scorpion King featured an American wrestler known as “The Rock” The Rock is an alternative name for Alcatraz, a notorious American prison.

Blink: Billy Shipton refers to Sally Sparrow as “hot” an American term used to express how atractive a male finds a female.

Utopia, Has an American in it.

The sound of Drums, features a track by Rogue Traders entitled Voodoo Child, The F-101 Voodoo is an American jet fighter .

Last of the time lords, features the Valiant, Chrysler, an American car manufacturer built the Valiant and the plymouth Valiant, it also made the Chrysler valiant, The USS Valiant NCC-74210 featured in a DS9 episode of the same name, DS9, as we know is an American series.

Voyage of the damned, In 1912 the Titanic was sailing to New York.

Planet of the Ood, An Ood says Do’h! A phrase in constant use by Homer Simpson.

Eleventh Hour, Young Amy gives the doctor an apple, the Big Apple is an affection term for New York City ,

The time of Angels, the City of Angels is Los Angeles, which is where Hollywood is!

There have been 76 episodes from Rose to The Doctors Wife

Discounting the current season, 29 of those episode contain blatant or concealed references to The United States, 6 of those contain or indirect references to New York City.

Bearing in mind that many of the links are extremely sublime, my intent with the above was to illustrate the fact that if you set your mind hard enough to find a thing you will find it even in the smallest reference. If you were to do the same you would find links to almost any subject you chose,

Peeps, pups and Vikings

2011-04-26T22:31:00.001+01:00

It’s been an odd weekend, Friday was very busy for herself, she went shopping for the grub for Saturday, I got invited to go into Folkestone for a few beers with some bloomin’ good mates. I must admit that I felt a bit of a heel at the thought of leaving herself to sort everything out, but she pointed out that she would probably get on with things if I weren’t getting in her way. Taking this as a cue to leave her to get on with it, I got the next bus down and made my way to Chambers. They were holding their annual beer festival, the first drink of the day was a (not very) lemon cider, to be honest I don’t really like cider much; I used to drink it a lot in my younger days, so it didn’t really grab me. My second drink was a pint of Strawberry Fruli, this stuff is incredible. It can only be described as a melted strawberry mivvi that has fermented just a little bit to become a strawberry flavoured lager, I say strawberry flavoured, what I mean is, being clouted firmly around the head with a punnet of strawberries that has cunningly been disguised as an alcoholic drink, you really can’t taste the alcohol. It was then decided to head down to the Pullman, a place that I haven’t been to for many years, mainly based on the reputation that the pub had, it was always a bit of a chav bin. Fortunately the reputation has been lost and it seems to be a decent place to sit and chat whilst enjoying a pint. I was studying the pump labels when it was pointed out to me that they sold my favourite beer, Doombar. I have to admit that I really like this ale, so I had a pint. We headed into the beer garden where we sat and talked and told lame jokes, and I had another half of DB. All too soon the afternoon came to an end and I headed home.

Saturday morning I woke with a start, quite literally as herself came bursting into my room, loudly informing me that it was five to nine, she scared the pants of me, well my PJ’s actually. I let out a bit of a yell, although she says I screamed like a girl. To that I say PAH! Last minute sorting was done in anticipation of the arrival of Clare, Neil and their pups JD and Max. They arrived at eleven and we had a cuppa and Clare handed Trudes a bag full of goodies, at we point she got all blubby, the great girl! Ronnii was extremely well behaved, she only growled a little bit, the most surprising of these was when Clare tried to help Ronnii onto the sofa, I can only put it down to the fact that there was new people and two strange pups in the house. JD & Max are lovely pups and so different, JD was content to lay on the sofa and take in all the events going on around him, A quiet retiring little chap but not unfriendly, in fact quite the opposite. Max on the other hand is very curious and explored the house and garden and followed Ronnii everywhere, but he too is very friendly and gentle. Trudes bought out some frozen yoghurt and peanut butter treats for the pups and the Schnauzers tucked straight in, Max made very short work of his and realising that his brother appeared to be having difficulties, he offered to help. JD didn’t bat an eyelid, he just looked at Max nicking his treat and let him get on with it. The treat was retrieved and put back in JDs’ bowl and he wasted no time in preventing Max from having another go at pilfering his treat. Shortly after this the pups were treated to a slice of Ronniis birthday cake. It was quite a remarkable looking thing, if you weren’t told that it was made specifically for dogs you wouldn’t have known, it looked quite yummy and our two canine guests soon cleared their bowls. Sadly Clare, Neil and the pups had to leave and set off back to Clacton. It was so nice to meet them all, I was impressed by the good behaviour of the pups and Clare and Neil are extremely nice people, it was a bit saddening to see them leave.

Later that day a contingent of friends from Folkestone and Ashford arrived, and we had a good time chatting and enjoying the sun. A friend from Dover also dropped in and it was nice to see him, even if he has had an extreme haircut.

The time that we spent with our friends was far too short over the weekend and the house was restored to just Trudes, me and Ronnii, so she said that I could watch Doctor Who. I’d been looking forward to this for about two months, and for me it wasn’t disappointment. The episode started off with a bang and delivered the highs and lows we have come to expect from the series, I can’t wait to see the next episode.

Sunday was nice and relaxed; herself had gone off to Thame for a dog show and to catch up with friends from the rescue. I stayed at home with Ronnii and caught up with a few hours of mind numbing TV and sleep on the sofa snuggled up with my pup, bless her!

Monday was very quiet, Trudes was recovering from the excitement of the dog show, fortunately she had a brilliant time, but it had worn her out somewhat. I had been invited to see Thor with a couple of mates on Monday night, it was a last minute thing as I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to afford it, but my sweet missus had kept some cash by so that I could go, aint she lovely!

The film was good and I recommend it, but I can’t say too much except that the lads will like it because it’s yet another comic book adaptation and the girls will like it because the chap who plays Thor is, well let’s just say that he has serious on screen presence. Oh yeah, Anthony Hopkins id brilliant as Odin!

So that was my weekend, Friends old and new, adorable pups and Norse gods.

Free time….

2011-04-22T21:33:00.001+01:00

It’s still very strange in the house, but things are not too bad. I miss Richie terribly but I will come to terms with him not being here. Smiffy came up on Wednesday for a spot of painting, he commented on how quiet his welcome was, I guess that anyone who regularly visited the house will notice Richies absence for a while.

Wednesday and Thursday were spent at work after a two day break, and we then went into a four day weekend for Easter. I’m looking forward to this weekend as we will be having a few friends over for a celebration of Richie and Ronniis birthdays and our sweet little Molly Popples A fitting way to remember the pups that we have had the pleasure of welcoming into our homes over the last year.

Friday was reasonably hectic, herself was up before me and set about making preparations for the weekend, a trip into town for supplies was in order. I set about sprucing up the bathroom and washing and filling a paddling pool. I then got a call from my bro’ asking if I would be joining him and other friends at Chambers for a couple of beers. I initially declined as this would mean that Trudes would be left to do the sorting on her own. Herself had a different view on this and she said that if I went out I wouldn’t be getting in her way and she would probably make better progress with me out of her way. So I headed into town to catch up with some good friends and have a couple of pints. The first was a half of a not unpleasant lemon cider, although not overwhelming in the lemon department it was rather refreshing. After that I had the obligitary pint of Frulli, a strawberry lager that is extremely nice and is one of the few lagers I could happily spend the day drinking. We left Chambers and headed down to the Pullman, I thought it had closed, fortunately I was wrong. A quick glance at the tap badges and I was very pleased to see that they had Doom Bar on tap oh sweet joy! Those of you who know me well will be aware that this is my favourite ale, describing it as delicious does not do it any justice at all. All to soon the afternoon drew to a close and we headed our separate ways. some to Ashford, some staying in town and little old me heading home on a bus, well eventually, I had to wait half an hour for the bus.

There’s a few last minute things to do before the big event, one of which is to bath Ronnii so that she is all sweet and shiny for her day.

Sunday will see herself head off to Thame with a friend to attend a dog show, I’m a little worried that she may not come back empty handed, I know there are going to be some wonderful pups there and she’ll have trouble not ‘napping a couple, as for me, well with herself away and it being just me and Ronnii, I shall make the most of the day and spend the time walking my pup and painting models.

I’m not sure about Monday yet, I do know that I may have to avoid the net for most of Saturday to avoid spoilers, herself has said that she has no problem with me watching the Doc on Sunday whilst she’s away, so that’s something else I can look forward to, although there is one cloud over the Doctors return and that is the loss of Elisabeth Sladen earlier in the week, the beeb has announced that there will be a fitting tribute to her on Saturday night. I had the good fortune to meet her twice. The first was at a convention in London and the second was at the SFX weekender in February last year. She was very warm and friendly and chatted to everyone that waited to meet her and for the whole time I was in the line up I never saw her looked dismayed or downhearted at having to shake the hand of yet another fan, I also saw her interaction with Tom Baker and you could clearly see that the two were great friends.

I’ll let you know how the weekend goes and my thoughts on Impossible Astronaut, until then enjoy your weekend and don’t stay in the sun too long.

Middle aged meanderings!

2011-04-19T21:50:00.001+01:00

It’s strange how these things affect us, when Molly left us I was totally devastated and could hardly stop blubbing, Richie has been gone just over a day and although my heart hangs heavy, I’m not blubbing quite as much. Trudes says it’s because we have Ronnii and didn’t have to face the silence of a dogless home this time, maybe she’s right. Trudes got home from the vets and she said that Richie’s passing was very calm and quiet, he didn’t complain and just fell asleep in her arms and drifted away. I’m so pleased that our little man suffered as little as possible in the end. I think it also has a lot to do with the vet that he saw, Anthony is such a gentle man, one of those types that is doing his job because he care about the animals he sees rather than that they are just a down payment on a posh car*. He treated Molly with respect and dignity at her end and Trudes said that he was just the same with Richie. He went so far as to alter his schedule so that he would be the one to help Richie on his way.

The house is very different without him, Richie that is, not the vet, that would be odd. Last night Trudes was about to ask if I’d given him his tablets, she stopped herself when she realised, for me it’s walking him that I really miss, he would stop and check the smells on everything, lamp posts, trees, bushes, Ronniis butt! I couldn’t help but have a giggle at the way he would spin around before setting to his business. The annoying way he would bark as loud as he could when he saw another dog. Ronnii and I had our first walk without him last night, I am sure she misses him sticking his nose up her bottom or shoving her to one side for the best pee spot. we’d probably got halfway on our usual route when she stopped and sniffed the air then she looked around with a quizzical “something’s missing” look about her, she then gave a dismissive shake of the head and we continued on our way, a few steps later she stopped again. this time she walked around me almost searching for our lost companion. Ronnii’s spent he morning today wandering from the front room to the kitchen and back and occasionally coming over to me or Trudes all at a loss. She definitely senses that something’s not right.

For the afternoon we headed into town and walked down to the harbour, where we, the human members of our party, had a cuppa and a packet of crisps, the pup had to settle for a dish of water and a cookie that she found rather distasteful, something that Trudes confirmed apparently £1.10 was a bit over priced. After the cuppa we headed down to a, not quite as crowded as the rest of the beach, corner where Trudes rid herself of her stylish yet affordable shoes, took Ronniis lead from me and marched into the sea with little miss fluffy butt close behind, as the waves lapped at Ronniis little furry paws she did what any dog would do in that situation and sat down. She now had a soggy bottom to match her soggy feet. After the paddle we headed back to get some chips whilst Ronnii took in the sights and piscine aroma wafting from the various fish mongers on the harbour. We headed home and had to be collected by the friend that was visiting, she was supposed to arrive at 3 but came fifteen minutes early. We spent the next hour or so catching up on events since we last met up and then she and her little lady headed off. I headed down to check on a feline friend, I was rather surprised to learn that Ronnii was not completely worn out after the mornings stroll and was desperate to join me. It turns out That she does seem to get on with cats and Obi took quite a shine to her, there was head butting which is always a good sign.

The next thing that will be different for me will be coming back from work, I won’t have captain shouty welcome me home with woofs and wags, Ronnii may be excitable but the shouting won’t be there.

We’re also having company tomorrow evening, Smiffy’s due over for an evening of painting, that’s something to look forward to.

I’m back at work for two days and then of for the Easter holiday, there’s a slight chance that Trudes may be away for the day on Sunday, she’s asked if I would like to go along but I wonder whether it may be good to let her have the time out.

It’s a few days away yet and you never know I may change my mind, I do that from time to time.

Anyways, ta ta for now.

Goodbye little friend

2011-04-18T14:51:00.001+01:00

A sad silence has fallen upon the house, in yesterdays post I mentioned that Richie’s health had seriously deteriorated over the last couple of weeks and that we would soon have to make a very difficult decision.

Today we said goodbye to our brave little man as he crossed the rainbow bridge to run free and chase squibbles with his sister.

It was not a choice we made lightly, but it was made for him. It is better to remember the way he was rather than watch him become a shadow of the happy little chap he has been. Every that day we put it off would have meant that we would have lost him piece by piece. Now my precious boy is at rest and free from the pain of his dodgy ticker and he is running around green fields and splashing through babbling brooks without a care. I don’t doubt that little Molly Popples was waiting on the other side of the bridge for him and they were soon swapping tales about their lives with us and how they made us laugh and cry.

Trudes, in her wisdom, sent me a poem that she found; I guess she knew how this would make me feel. If only there was a glue to mend a broken heart, I have put the poem here so that others can read it; it may help you to understand why the older and not typical cute dogs need a loving and caring home.

Richie had a hard life until he was taken in by TLDR. We suspect he had been beaten and he had had his front left leg broken, either through a kick or being hit with something. He’d lost his right eye, either to an illness or an injury. Add that to a heart that was wearing out and you had a pup in need of a lot of love. I’m not saying that another family would have loved him less, but nobody would have chosen to take him on if they were presented with him or a more appealing dog. But he was ours heart and soul, and we loved him the way a dog deserves to be loved, with gentleness and a warm bed.

I don’t doubt that there are those who think me foolish for being so emotional over what is, after all, just a dog, but they’re not just dogs. We take these animals into our homes to be our companions and our friends. They rely on us for food, warmth, shelter and care. After being involved, albeit on the sidelines, with an animal rescues I am shocked and saddened at the way some people treat their pets, and I wonder if they would treat a person in such a way? They clearly have no respect for life or the joy that a pet brings into our lives. Trudy says that when we lose a pet we don’t grieve for them but for ourselves, that may be true but it doesn’t dull the pain I feel right now.

The Legacy
When humans die they make a will
to leave their homes and all they have
to those they love.
I too would make a will if I could write.
To some poor wistful, lonely stray
I leave my happy home.
My dish, my cosy bed, my cushioned chair, my toy.
The well loved lap, the gentle stroking hand,
the loving voice.
The place I made in someone's heart.
The love that at last could help me to
a peaceful, painless end,
Held in loving arms.
If I should die, Oh do not say,
"No more a pet I'll have,
to grieve me by its loss"
Seek out some lonely, unloved dog
And give my place to him.
This is the legacy I leave behind -
'tis all I have to give.

You may think me daft or over sensitive for being so emotional, those who know me well will also know that I love animals, I always will, I can’t walk past a cat without saying hello, and I get great joy from having dogs in my life, something I thought I would never say.

If you have a dog or a cat that shares it’s life with you, grab it, hold it tight and tell him or her that you love them, and show them that you do every single day, you never know how much longer you will have with them so you need to treasure every moment.

That’s me done for now.

Goodbye little friend!

2011-04-18T14:49:00.001+01:00

Today we said goodbye to our brave little man as he crossed the rainbow bridge to run free and chase squibbles with his sister.

That’s me done for now.

What to do?

2011-04-17T23:15:00.001+01:00

it’s been a quiet couple of weeks, I had Monday and Tuesday off last week. Monday was herselfs birthday so I took the day off so that I could ensure that she had a nice relaxing day. Her plan of a lay in was scuppered when I took her tea, toast and pressies at 09:30. You can find out what her pressies were on her blog. I nipped into town to grab a bit of shopping, where I picked up two cakes. one being a simple chocolate sponge with cream filling, the other being a rather special chocolate cake. When I returned from the town I offered the birthday girl a cup of tea and stuck a couple of candles in the first cake. I sang her the standard birthday song and as I put the cake in front of her I mentioned that it was a bargain as it only cost a quid. that evening two close friends came to wish Tea a happy birthday, I offered tea and cake, as you do! This time I bought out the posh cake, although herself claimed that she was wise to my ruse I think she was rather surprised. Ronnii, our Yorkshire Terrier, was due do have a “routine” operation at the vets Tuesday morning. This time herself got her lay in as I left for the vets at ten past eight and didn’t return home until just after 10:00. I made myself a cuppa and put some coffee on for the missus. no sooner was the tea on the table when my phone rang. It was the vet asking if Ronnii had been sick in the morning, I told her that she hadn’t and that she was in good health when we set off to Hythe. I was told that the little madam had been sick three times since I left her and as a result she may not be having her op, the nice lady from the vet said that she would have a word with the chap who would be doing her surgery and see what he suggested. a few minutes later nice lady rang back saying that the dogtor was not happy to operate on Ronnii in case there was something wrong and he didn’t want to put her at risk. So I set off to collect her. This was done and I thought that I’d wander her along to the shop to assess how she was. would you believe the little minx was absolutely fine and walked along the high street with no problems, one elderly gent did mention how amusing it is to see a big chap like me being controlled by a small pup like her, I chatted with him for a minute or two about how special Ronnii is and how I have no problems walking a small floofy dog. Since little Molly Popples I have certainly become a small dog man.

The weekend was relatively quiet, Friday we heard some excellent news about a situation that my closest friend has been dealing with, it has now been resolved and, hopefully, the whole debacle can be put away and the parties involved can move on. I certainly hope so.

I was at the shop for Saturday and Sunday, but the events there can be read about on the Hythe Tyrant blog.

I got home on Sunday to discover that Richie had been very difficult throughout the day, we suspect that he may have the doggie equvivalent of dementia, this does actually tie in with the heart problem. Since his heart is not working too well he may not be getting enough oxygen to his brain which would cause the symptoms Trudes has described to me. He’s getting very forgetful and when he goes out to the garden he stands still as though he’s trying to remember where he is, she has also said that he wakes up in the night and looks at her with a sort of “who are you?” expression on his face. She says that he also comes downstairs in a way that seems he’s checking the place to remind himself of where he is.

I have noticed it more over the last week or so and each day it seems that a little bit more of our little man has gone. We knew when we fostered him that we would have a limited time, but that doesn’t make it any easier. When Richie first came to us we had not long said goodbye to Molly and I tried very hard to keep a distance between me and him. It didn’t work, by the end of the first week he was well and truly ensconced in our lives.

Ronnii and I are off to Hythe to have another go at getting her whowhoectomy done. This time I’m going to stay with her until she has had the pre-med and then once she has dozed off they can take her off and do what needs to be done. We suspect that she may have been ill at the vets because she had become distressed at being left at the vets, on her first night with us she was very sick and we took her down to meet Anthony and introduce her to the people that would be providing her vet care, she had a tummy bug and other than that she was a very healthy dog. We’ve had a few scares with her, the most worrying was the semi-necrotic polyp, but she sorted that herself the grim little monster. I have to be honest and say that I’m worried about the operation, when we took adopted Ronnii we were told that she was about five or six, our vet has since examined her more thoroughly and has determined that she is closer to ten maybe eleven, this means that there is a higher risk involved in what would be a routine procedure. The problem with keeping pets is that we get attached and grieve when we lose them, but I don’t think that our house would be a home without at least one dog scampering around.

So I’m off work for Monday and Tuesday again so that I can take Ronnii down to Hythe and and keep a watchful eye on her whilst Trudes goes into town should she need to. If I get chance I may paint but I may just sit quietly and read a book.

We may also use the time that I’m home on Tuesday to prepare the house for Saturday as we will be having a few friends over throughout the day as we’ve planned to celebrate the pups birthdays, plus a certain temporal travelling medic returns to our screens on the same day, but that my have to wait until later in the day or even the next. Since there’s also a possibility that herself is off to Northshire on Sunday we may not get to watch it until the following Monday, but that’s a bank holiday so if I avoid the net and contact with humans I can avoid spoilers.

I’ll keep you posted on the situation with Richie

keep smiling

Stonking

2011-03-26T00:26:00.001Z

I finished work tonight and headed down to Hythe to waste a bit of time in the shop, more on that in the other blog! By the way I left for work this morning armed with my scope in the vain hope that the sky would be clear

With that fact clear, on with the rest of my twaddle. The problem with dropping into the shop on astro-Friday is that the shop closes at five and the bus to Ashford leaves at five forty, what to do for half an hour except stand at the bus stop looking bored? And nip into Waitrose for something to scoff on the journey, Cheese sandwich always goes down well, especially when I haven’t had to make it!

I was tempted to nip into the camera shop and see if he still had the Meade 2x Barlow but I thought better of it, what with a rather important birthday looming on the event horizon, I’m gonna get a slap for that one!

The bus journey was uneventful apart from Mr & Mrs Chav having a "who can hit the hardest competition, it ended in a row as these things usually do. fortunately a substantial amount of extremely geeky reading material distracted me and made the journey pass rather quickly. After loitering around with the Ashford contingent we set off to Woodchurch for what was probably the most anticipated talk of the year. We weren’t let down, Drew’s talk was nothing short of brilliant. it was informative and entertaining and I really enjoyed it. I had hoped that there would be an opportunity for a little observing but the weather was against us and a mist had set in allowing only the brightest stars to be seen, not so great for telescoping. There’s hope that we’ll get an evening in over the next couple of weeks, I hope so.

My plans for the weekend have been somewhat scuppered by a foolish Facebook post early this morning. although I wrote “a weekend of (insert expletive meaning clump of earth) all, what I meant was A weekend of gaming on Saturday and painting on Sunday, there are mumblings of wanting the kitchen table cleared off, Herself wasn’t overly impressed with the way I phrased my plans for the weekend and has ~~insisted~~ suggested that we sort out the garden. my idea of concreting it went down equally well. I suspect I may need medical attention after she’s read this post.

However I have realised that “sorting out the garden” actually means “setting fire to stuff” so I’m in and I may purchase a bag of marshmallows for Sunday night, I wonder how easy it to cook sausages over a dustbin shaped incinerator?

Keep an eye on the blog, there may be pictures of Sunday nights conflagrations, I do love a bonfire!

Of course the problem with having a raging inferno in the garden is that the smoke will have the same effect as cloud and obscure most of the sky so a bit of astronomy is probably a no go.

So I plan to enjoy a weekend of arson and and the hope that there may be cake as a reward for making the garden a bit neater

I hope you enjoy your weekend, even if you’re not lucky enough to be setting fire to stuff

Aren’t telescopes brilliant

2011-03-22T00:17:00.001Z

Yesterday I was lurking around t’interweb catching up and gaming news and general faffing when I received a text from Manky asking if I’d be up for a spot of telescoping on Monday night, I enjoy astronomy, but it is definitely a hobby that is shared with friends, and if the friends that you share it with are also interested in it that’s even better. So not wanting to turn down the chance of getting together with some brilliant mates and stand in the middle of a field on a rather cold night I readily accepted. I put together a list of targets and spent the day looking forward to seeing friends and some fantastic sights. When I got home I walked the pups, they were very pleased to see me, and set about gathering my chattels that would be needed for the session. I also managed to fit the flexible focuser that I bought for the Meade a few weeks ago. Just after six i made my way to the field we had arranged to meet in and made use of the last of the daylight to set the scope up. By the time the Manky and the rear admiral arrived I had set up the scope and had managed to pour a cup of coffee. Manky and I set about getting his scope set up and all that was left to do was wait for it to get suitably dark so that those of us with GoTo facilities on our scopes would have something we could use to align our scopes. This was actually quite cool as we watched various stars blink into existence as the sky darkened.

Once there were a sufficient amount of bright stars available we aligned our scopes and turned our eyes to the wonder of the night sky. The Great Nebula in Orion was first light for me, but I had a problem. My swanky new flexible focusing rod is weighted at one end and this made it difficult to maintain the scopes focus, just as I’d focused an object into a crisp clear image as soon as I let go of the rod the thing would slip down and cause the image to go a bit fuzzy. Not having any tools or the original focussing knob I couldn’t swap them round, although I think it may have been a bit of a fools errand in the dark, I settled for having to physically hold the rod to keep any objects from blurring. I must admit it was a bit of a pain but I wasn’t going to let it ruin the evening for me. Steve and Andy arrived a bit later, last time he came down Andy mentioned that he had found something that he thought might be a Mammoth tooth but he wasn’t sure so I offered to take a look at it. He bought it along with him tonight, sure enough it is a Mammoth tooth, and a beautiful specimen at that. Although I was examining it in torch light I could clearly see the tell tale grooves that are typical of the tooth and there was even root visible. The tooth also had remains of enamel and was considerably worn. It is remarkable that I was holding something that was part of an animal that disappeared about ten thousand years ago.

There was a total of nine chaps on the field, including a friend that I hadn’t seen for a couple of years. But for me the highlight of the evenings observing had to be the Moon, Just off full and as it rose across the channel it was orange and as it passed behind cloud there was a very thin band that gave the impression that the Moon had a ring system. the colour and the cloud also gave it an other worldly appearance, making it look more like a gas giant rather than our familiar Moon. As it rose higher it started to lose the orange tinge and was soon becoming the familiar silvery white colour that is so easily recognised.

All too soon the evening came to an end the cold and fatigue getting the better of us, plus we all have to get up for work in the morning. so we packed up, said our goodbyes and headed home.

the first thing I did when I got home was fuss my adorable pups, Trudes would be cross with me if I didn’t say hello to them first, I don’t think Ronnii was to happy at the thought of me going out and not taking her. then once I’d said hello to Trudes i changed the focusing knob on the Meade back to the original one, it may be fiddly and in an awkward position but at least the image will stay sharp. I’m not sure what to do with the flexi-rod, I could try shortening it so that there’s not as much weight on the end or I could pass it on to someone who may be able to make use of it. If it’s new owner finds it causes the same problem I may shorten it and give it another go.

All in all I had a fantastic evening, it wasn’t as cold as last time we went to the East Cliff and the Moon was well worth the wait. Pictures from tonight are available to view on Picasa and Farce-book go take a look. Maybe next time I’ll take the webcam and laptop and get some decent pictures with that. I hope that we get another evening out soon, all we need is to find a place with a little less light pollution and we’ll be sorted.

Thank you to everyone that came along tonight, it was a brilliant evening and I look forward to doing it all again.

Aren’t telescopes brilliant

2011-03-21T23:55:00.001Z

Yesterday I was lurking around t’interweb catching up and gaming news and general faffing when I received a text from Manky asking if I’d be up for a spot of telescoping on Monday night, I enjoy astronomy, but it is definitely a hobby that is shared with friends, and if the friends that you share it with are also interested in it that’s even better. So not wanting to turn down the chance of getting together with some brilliant mates and stand in the middle of a field on a rather cold night I readily accepted. I put together a list of targets and spent the day looking forward to seeing friends and some fantastic sights. When I got home after a rather good day at work I walked the pups, they were very pleased to see me, and set about gathering my chattels that would be needed for the session. I also managed to fit the flexible focuser that I bought for the Meade a few weeks ago. Just after six i made my way to the field we had arranged to meet in and made use of the last of the daylight to set the scope up. By the time the Manky and the rear admiral arrived I had set up the scope and had managed to pour a cup of coffee. Manky and I set about getting his scope set up and all that was left to do was wait for it to get suitably dark so that those of us with GoTo facilities on our scopes would have something we could use to align our scopes. This was actually quite cool as we watched various stars blink into existence as the sky darkened.

All too soon the evening came to an end the cold and fatigue getting the better of us, plus we all have to get up for work in the morning. so we packed up, said our goodbyes and headed home.

All in all I had a fantastic evening, it wasn’t as cold as last time we went to the East Cliff and the Moon was well worth the wait. Pictures from tonight are available to view on Picasa and Farce-book o take a look. Maybe next time I’ll take the webcam and laptop and get some decent pictures with that. I hope that we get another evening out soon, all we need is to find a place with a little less light pollution and we’ll be sorted.

Thank you to everyone that came along tonight, it was a brilliant evening and I look forward to doing it all again.

how things have changed

2011-03-19T23:40:00.001Z

I’ve been chatting on Facebook with an old school mate, as a result I’ve been reminiscing about my school days. When I was at school all the brilliant stuff had been done, man had been to the moon, we’d sent probes to Mars and Venus and the Voyager and Pioneer probes were on their way to the far reaches of the solar system. Whilst I was there we were not allowed to use calculators and digital watches were a new invention and cost a million pounds. Computers were things that made spaceships work or tried to murder you, and we were told that they’d never be useful in the home. One thing that has surprised me is how much of what i was taught at school was wrong, Just a few examples are that all Vikings were rampaging barbarians, the Romans were thieves who stole whole countries from the native inhabitants. having taken the time to properly learn about these things is how I have found out that my history teacher was one of the many of the teachers who were wrong, the Vikings were civilised farmers for the most part and the Roman occupation was all done rather peacefully, the real problems started when the Iceni decided that they weren’t too keen on the thought of being disarmed and felt it necessary to tell the Romans to get stuffed. there ya go a bit of history for you. when I left school it all started again, space shuttles huge great leaps in computer technology and digital watches were now cheaper than a house. One thing I was never really interested in at school was sport, I always had issues with sport, the teachers would prattle on about team building and camaraderie, blech! Most of the sporty lads at my school were gits, the chap i referred to earlier is an exception to this, I don’t recall him being particularly sporty either and cross country runs were just an excuse to bunk off for a smoke, note that I didn’t use the word fag so as not to confuse our colonial cousins.

would I do it all again? probably, it depends on whether or not I can know everything I know, although I do see a few paradoxes forming there, my super spiffing digital watch that cost me less than twenty quid would be hard to explain, although I could just let everyone think that I’m a millionaire.

I have to be honest and say that tonights post is somewhat rambling, I have no idea what i wanted to write about and still don’t, so I hope you’ve enjoyed this odd little entry, I do something a little more interesting next time. Who am I kidding it’ll be more of the same old twaddle, I think the reason for the randomness of the post is the fact that very little has happened this week, I hope something rivetting happens over the course of the next few days otherwise I won’t have anything to write about until late next Monday, I’m meeting Piers Sellers don’t you know, well I say I’m meeting him, I’m going along with a few friends to hear him talk, whether I get to speak to him remains to be seen, either way I’m looking forward to it.

Right I really am babbling so i shall stop before I cause a diplomatic incident or end up upsetting the digital watch collectors society.

ta ta

Is it the end of the month yet?

2011-03-14T23:05:00.001Z

The reason for the title is down to the fact that I have two brilliant events to look forward to, the first is this month’s astronomy club, our chairman will giving a talk on Earth impact, woo hoo! A subject that is a favourite of mine as it ties in with two of my past times, Astronomy and palaeontology. I’m really looking forward to hearing what Drew has to say, he’s a great speaker and I’ve enjoyed all the talks he’s given. The astronomy club is blessed because we have a wide range of members, from the absolute beginner through to consulate professionals; Sir Patrick’s a member you know. As a result we also have some great speakers, other than Drew I won’t express any favourites on here, but I’m sure that a certain chap will know that I also look forward to hearing him ~~prattle on~~ speak. I’m having trouble putting my next talk together, if I haven’t got a decent foundation laid down for it by the end of June I think I may change the topic, after all November is a long way off so it’s not like I don’t have time, he says half way through March!

I’m also hoping for good weather for the 25^th, firstly so that I can get some observing done, ~~through Dave’s scope~~ with my Meade and also because a sterling chap called Jason has bought a bit of a beast and I want a clear sky for him so that he can show off his new toy to the other members.

Then on the 28^th we go off to Cranbrook astronomy group to meet a chap called Piers Sellers, I’m very excited about this because the man in question is a bona fide NASA astronaut. I’ve never met someone who’s been in space before so this one’s special.

Now for a bit of a moan, here we are in a bit of a financial crisis. We’re all having to tighten our belts and give up a few ~~cakes~~ luxuries. So does the BBC really need to spend a god awful amount of money sending Dr Brian Cox to a desert in the middle nowhere to blow bubbles in order to explain how all the stuff in the universe gets made? The sequence would have worked just as well if he’d filmed it on the beach at Camber Sands and he wouldn’t have needed to hire a Mustang to drive to the desert, he could have gone on the train.

I can understand with wildlife programs, we don’t get Outer-Mongolian tree Frogs in England, but do we really need the creation of everything explained by a bloke blowing bubbles in the middle of the Navajama Desert? I bet if Dr Brian Cox had to fund the working holiday from his own pocket he would have suggested filming in Bognor. Don’t get me wrong, I like his program, I like anything to do with the exploration of space and time, I even enjoy the mudslinging rows that Horizon usually descends into, but does it need to be done at the expense of the license payer? If they can film The Sky at Night in Selsy surely they can film a bubble blowing boffin in Brighton!

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sympathies to the thousands of victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Blogville

2011-03-08T00:51:00.001Z

This short entry is dedicated to all the wonderful people and pups that have earned a place in the hearts of my sweet girlie, As many of you know Trudes has been, and still is, very poorly over the past year and a bit. She doesn’t get out much as the treatment she has been receiving has made her extremely tired. However, she does get great joy from reading all the blogs posted by a gang of “pups” and they in turn have shown Trudes great warmth and affection and they have also made her laugh, something she doesn’t do much due to the way her treatment makes her feel. So to all the pups and peeps of Blogville I thank you for making my girl smile, you are all such wonderful folk.

Big hugs

Me!

Oh happy day, well night!

2011-03-07T23:09:00.001Z

When I left for work this morning I was greeted by the most fantastic clear blue sky, the first for a few weeks now. A few weeks ago it had been suggested that some mates and me got together and did a bit of observing from the cliff tops in the east of town. After waiting almost two weeks, stupid clouds, I sent a message to a couple of mates suggesting we go tonight. Manky bought himself a sexy new scope a month ago and hasn’t really had a chance to use it, so tonight would be a perfect opportunity. I also messaged a the members of AAS so that they would at least be aware that plans were afoot. A couple said that they would be along so the more the merrier.

The manky one arrived just after 6 and we collected our third and headed over to the East Cliff and set up scopes.

After aligning my scope I set it to The Great Nebula in Orion, it’s in his sword, I got a stunning view and through the 3x Barlow it was even better, Manky said that he’d found the same object and asked if we’d like to see, WOW! the field of view was narrow but the resolution was simply astounding, I could clearly see the nebulous cloud and some of the stars that my (Trudys) trusty Meade can’t quite get. It was definitely a sight to behold. I faffed about with a list that I’d compiled earlier today and have to admit that it was a 50/50 split between what I could see and what I couldn’t but worth it anyway. It is at this point I must sing the praises of GOTO scopes, with my Tasco, which has to be manually pointed at an object you really have to know exactly where the object you want to see is, with a GOTO, once it’s aligned you only have to press a few buttons and the on-board computer does all the hard work for you. So much of the things you wouldn’t be able to find or involve calculating angles are easily available to view.

Dave and I both agreed that both our scopes have strong points, whilst his, amazingly sexy, piece of kit pulled in nebulas in brilliant detail, it seems too powerful for some clusters like the Pleiades, it’s almost as though you’re seeing through the cluster. Don’t get me wrong, I’m in no way anti Daves scope, quite the opposite, it is a superb set up and I now know what I want by way of a new scope, I would be more than happy with one exactly the same as Daves. But my (Trudes) 70mm Meade gives a brilliant view of the whole cluster plus a bit more.

Anyway, back to this evenings observing, Dave was using his scope manually and after a bit of head scratching and fiddling we managed to get it aligned and the GOTO functioning, at this point he pointed his scope at the same object mine was aimed at, the remnant of a super nova known as the Crab Nebula. This has been something I’ve wanted to see through a scope since I got my Tasco almost ten years ago, the Meade just doesn’t have the power, through the Celestron it could be seen as a faint fuzzy blur. I must be honest and say that I found it hard to hide my excitement at this and I almost danced around the field with delight, thanks to a very good mate I have achieved an astronomical goal. As the evening went on and the stars traced their arc across the sky our number three suggested we have a go for Saturn. Once again we had stunning views and through the different scopes we had a good variety of magnification. I’ve seen Saturn a few times now and it never ceases to amaze me. To think that when you look at Saturn through a telescope you’re seeing another planet, but it’s huge, in comparison Earth is a tiny speck. Another object we saw tonight was M31, the Andromeda Galaxy, it’s over two and a half million light years away and contains more stars than our own galaxy. Just about this for a moment, our galaxy contains somewhere around 200 to 400 billion stars, the Andromeda Galaxy has around one trillion, that’s a lot. it’s possible that out of the 200 to 400 billion stars in our galaxy there’s about 500 million planets within the parent stars habitable zone, if M31 has one trillion stars, how many life bearing worlds are there?

So after a fantastic, if somewhat chilly, evenings astronomy with some brilliant mates I’m home and preparing to give the pups their last stroll for the evening I leave you to ponder the deepness of a question that when it gets answered will change the foundations of the human race.

For the astronomers out there here’s a list of the object we tried to observe, those marked * were also seen through Daves 5 inch F1.5 Cassegrain.

M66, M65, M67, M48, M50, M93*, NGC2362, M41*, M3*, M13*, M42* (the great nebula in Orion), M33*, M1* (Crab Nebula) M31* (Andromeda Galaxy) M44*, NGC2903* and last but by no means least, Saturn. We also had a beautiful waxing crescent moon with earth shine.

I can’t wait for another clear night, but in a few weeks when it’s a touch warmer, as I write this I’m shivering and I’ve been in for about an hour. Next time we’re going to head to Woodchurch, it’s a bit more central for AAS members who may want to join us.

One last thing I need to mention is poor Jason, who joined us at about 8ish and spent the entire time trying to align the scope he had bought down, so the only observing he managed to do was through everyone else's scopes, bless him!

Oh happy day, well night!

2011-03-07T23:05:00.001Z

The manky one arrived just after 6 and we collected our third and headed over to the East Cliff and set up scopes.

For the astronomers out there here’s a list of the object we tried to observe, those marked * were also seen through Daves 5 inch F1.5 Cassegrain.

M66, M65, M67, M48, M50, M93*, NGC2362, M41*, M3*, M13*, M42* (the great nebula in Orion, M33*, M1* (Crab Nebula) M31* (Andromeda Galaxy) M44*, NGC2903* and last but by no means least, Saturn. We also had a beautiful waxing crescent moon with earth shine.

Oh happy day, well night!

2011-03-07T23:00:00.001Z

The manky one arrived just after 6 and we collected our third and headed over to the East Cliff and set up scopes.

For the astronomers out there here’s a list of the object we tried to observe, those marked * were also seen through Daves 5 inch F1.5 Cassegrain.

M66, M65, M67, M48, M50, M93*, NGC2362, M41*, M3*, M13*, M33*, M1* (Crab Nebula) M31* (Andromeda Galaxy) M44*, NGC2903* and last but by no means least, Saturn. We also had a beautiful waxing crescent moon with earth shine.

Since my last post

2011-03-04T18:57:00.001Z

Hello, you’re back! sorry it’s been a while since my last post but I have been very busy. Miniatures have been painted, over the last week or so I’ve almost completed a Tau battle force, which amounts to a grand total of 35 models, one of which is a troop transport, out of the 35 I have 12 left, so quite an achievement. I still have about 51 models to build and paint but I can get about half done in around 10 days so I should have all the models finished by the middle of April, if all goes well.

On Friday 25th February I went along to the astronomy club. I enjoyed the evening and the talk was very different to the usual style, there were moments when I expected the speaker to reveal himself to be Brian Blessed. The subject matter was Pluto, the content did seem to meander quite a bit and it wasn’t until the last fifteen or twenty minutes that the title subject entered into the talk. despite the presentation, which I enjoyed although it was somewhat theatrical, the only points that were actually raised about Pluto were that it is very cold, very small, a very long way out and no longer classed as a planet. The final part of the talk on Pluto was a show of hands as to whether or not it should be reinstated as a planet. i am in favour of it being a planet, I grew up knowing that were/are nine planets in our solar system and I liked it that way, but the powers that be have decided otherwise, shame really.

On a similar note, there are plans afoot for the Manky one to bring his swanky new telescope down so that three of us can go over to a reasonably dark area of the town for a spot of astronomy. We’re just waiting for a good clear night, so I’m keeping an eye on the forecast so that I can give a bit of an advanced warning so we can all get together. I think it will be best to use the last bit of daylight to set up and then have a couple of hours astronomy, a flask of tea would also be a good idea as it’s still a bit chilly at night.

I also discovered that you cant download ring tunes for your microwave oven .

It’s Friday again and the weekend has arrived, I’m not at the shop this weekend, herself has been having radiotherapy this week and is feeling a bit worse for it, we were hoping that radiotherapy wouldn’t be as bad as chemotherapy, looks like we were a bit wrong there as it appears that this current course of treatment is having a more detrimental effect on her royal gorgeousness. Fortunately(?) she only has three more treatments to go, over the first week of April and with luck that should be the end of it, although mice, men and plans springs rapidly to mind. Whatever the outcome we shall weather the storm and get through this.

Other than the above the last couple of weeks have been quiet, hopefully things will pick up soon, there’s a couple of days out planned that I’m looking forward to so as soon as the weather turns warmer I shall make the plans a bit more solid.

Oh yeah, PS; I am extremely proud of my sweet little friend who has been working so very hard and as a result is being considered for a placement on a course at the University of Kent, well done you clever peanut.

XXX

Since my last post

2011-03-04T18:54:00.001Z

I also discovered that you cant download ring tunes for your microwave oven .

Sometimes humans are good!

2011-02-23T21:56:00.001Z

I’ve heard of some ridiculous ideas before, a chap wanted to put an expedition together to find a hole at the north pole because he thought the earth was hollow and there could be new lands to (conquer) er, I mean cultivate. Then there was the plan to make battle ships out of icebergs. Just two of the ridiculous ideas that the human mind has formed. but the other day I read something that is completely beyond ridiculous, that plan is an idiotic proposal called “Double Summertime” this means that during the summer months it will be lighter later, at the height of the summer sunset won’t be until as late as 23:00 in some parts of the British Isles. Now I do hear whoops of joy from some of the residents of this nation all chanting great more summer, yup, this means that the chavs will hang around the streets longer before they have to go home to be tucked in by mummy after a hard days mugging and boozing on cheap alcohol. Yes the summer days will be longer with around sixteen hours of daylight. This also means that the winter days will be shorter, with about seven hours of day light. This means that in the winter in the UK we would have to travel to and from work in the dark, as sunrise would not happen until after 09:00. On a personal level this would mean that my passion for astronomy would be difficult, sunset at around 22:15 would mean that in won’t get really dark for about another hour and it doesn’t get truly dark during the summer as it is. I know that astronomers would benefit from the longer winter nights, not that they would be that much longer. I think it would mean that sunset would be a half hour earlier where I am. Personally I feel we should stick to GMT, none of this +1 rubbish, There’s more daylight in the summer anyway it’s a natural occurrence, so stop messing about with it. if the public have any say in this moronic decision, and let’s face it the way things are at the moment it’s very unlikely, I for one will vote against it, and I would urge any of my readers who are UK based to do likewise.

On to something else, some of you are aware that Tea and me foster our dog Richie and that his vet care is, supposed to be, funded by The Little Dog Rescue, sadly for a reason that is either political or financial, the rescue have allowed Richie’s vet bill to get to such a high amount that our vet has, quite rightly, said that he will no longer see or treat Richie unless payment is made at the time of treatment. I don’t dispute that and think it very fair. Our vet did not make this decision lightly. When I spoke to him regarding this he was very apologetic and stated that he realised that this may result in health problems for Richie. This also meant that he would not release medication that Richie needs and must have unless they are paid for there and then. I realise that there are many people who hold to the thought that he’s just a dog and what does it matter if he gets his tablets? Fair comment! The thing is, it matters to us! Richie is a warm affectionate little chap who has been very badly treated in the past; to be honest I’m surprised he is able to trust any humans. Ok so he has a dodgy ticker and he has limited time with us, so it’s down to me and Trudes to ensure that he gets the love and care he really deserves. He may have a few months or he could carry on for a couple of years, we won’t know until the time finally runs out. The short of it is that Richie has been officially adopted by us and we are now fully responsible for his care, it won’t be easy and we will have to make a few small sacrifices now and then. But he’s totally worth it. Better that than have him taken away from us and constantly shunted from one foster home to another where he may not be as loved as he is with us. I’m not saying that we’re the greatest dog carers in the world, we spoil the dogs rotten and we’re probably a bit to soppy with them but that’s us and I know that we’re not alone in the world of soppy dog lovers. I truly hope that the rescue manage to sort out the problems they are having and that none of the dogs under their care suffer as a result of what appears to be nothing more than a power struggle. A good friend of mine has been involved in reputable organisations where similar situation have happened and it usually ends badly. Sometimes people want all the credit and recognition but don’t want to do any of the effort that earns them the credit.

On the opposite of that there are those who put in the effort that would rather remain anonymous. Such a situation has arisen and I would like to say that thank you doesn’t do a certain person justice, this person is beyond thoughtful, and if karma is an actual thing then our unknown friend has shed loads of positive karma heading for them. Trudes and I will probably never meet the lady concerned, but if ever we do we will show her how special she has become to our little family, to be honest it has a new member as of 18:00 today.

So I leave you to ponder the concept of karma, go look it up, once you have figured out what it means, take a deep look at how balanced your karma really is.

I’m also going off to finish watching Bones, possibly have an hour’s painting, I’ve made a start on the Tau models, huzzah! I’ll also squeeze some grub in there somewhere.

Have fun doing something that you enjoy, I know I will as long as the government don’t try and put the kibosh on it.

Mission (and Mumak) accomplished!

2011-02-12T01:09:00.001Z

Hello all, just to bore the pants off you, I thought I’d give you a better look into the miniature painting I do, although this model is not the norm, 40K doesn’t have elephants, sorry the post is a bit long but as you will read below, there’s an awful lot of work involved.

Any way I hope you enjoy this post.

I have finally finished a model that has taken me more than 16 months to paint. I wish I could say that the whole of the time was spent painting the model, but this is not the case, I’ve actually spent around 12 hours painting a War Mumak of Harad. The model has been painted in three stages, Mumak, Howdah and base. the easiest part to paint was the Mumak, the hardest was the base. It’s a very busy base, as you can see in the pictures. the hardest part to build has to be the howdah, mainly because I’ve misplaced, er lost, the instruction sheet. So I had no idea how the blooming thing went together, fortunately a good search of the net was very helpful. after cleaning and removing mould lines and flashing the whole thing was sprayed with grey primer, including the base. The Mumak’s body was in two halves, as was the head, those components were glued together and then washed with Badab Black. I figured elephants are more or less grey and the Mumak is just a bigger, nastier version of an elephant, so washing over the primer should work fine, it did! I got the effect I was after and the wash settled in all the wrinkles of the hide to create a multi tone effect from black to the grey of the primer. the head, tail and ears were given the same treatment, the eyes I painted blue after the head had been washed so that they stood out, and applied a little red war paint on the front of the head. on each of the Mumak’s flanks there is some rigging which forms the main strutting for the howdah, this consisted of wooden beams, rope and a blanket of some type. The beams were painted with Beastial Brown, it appeared to me that the blanket was made from a type of leather so that got painted with Snakebite leather. The rope was left grey and the rigging washed washed with Devlan Mud,

The howdah appeared to be constructed from three types of material, wooden beams, cloth and what looked to me to be wicker, so the beams were painted Beastial Brown, the cloth was base coated with Mechrite Red and the wicker was base coated with Khemri Brown. The wooden beams and the wicker were then washed with Devlan Mud and the cloth was washed with Baal Red, once the Baal Red wash had dried the cloth was washed again but this time with Leviathan Purple. The tusks and toenails were base coated with Bleached Bone and then washed with Gryphonne Sepia, once that wash had dried the the tusks were washed again with Ogryn Flesh and the toenails were given a wash of Devlan Mud. Once it was all dry I set about building the howdah, it wasn’t easy! Once again GW moulding left a lot to be desired but after a few minutes, and a couple of choice words, later and the thing was finally together. I attached the head to the body and the glued the tusks in place.

For the base I sprayed the whole thing with Iyanden Darksun and then painted the three horse corpses, one black, one brown and one grey. The fallen warriors were given green cloaks and the armour was base coated black then dry brushed with Boltgun Metal, their hair was painted with Bad Moon Yellow and the exposed skin was painted with Rotting flesh and then washed with the old style Flesh Wash. I also picked out the other details like weapons and rocks. I then sprayed the base with Devlan Mud (again) and then repainted areas like the warriors hair and faces using the same palette. I then gave the exposed rocks a wash with Badab Black and then dry brushed with Fortress grey to highlight the edges. I also gave the grey horse a Fortress Grey dry brush. After a few finishing touches the beast is finally finished. I’m very proud of the finished model, I don’t know if it’s because it’s for someone else but It definitely seems to be one of my best efforts yet.

Any way, on to the pictures

The base primed

Iyanden Darksun basecoat

Some detail painted

Washed and more detail painted

The completed base, the pictures don’t show the detail that well.

And Finally!

So there you have it, back to the Space Marines. I still have the Venerable and Iron Clad Dreadnoughts to paint, 2 devastator Squads and a Predator to paint, and then I have a Librarian Dreadnought to get on with. It’s gonna take a while.

Night all!

Elephants!

2011-02-06T23:00:00.002Z

We originally planned to have some friends up to play a game that I got for Christmas, Unfortunately this didn’t happen. It turned out that Trudes had planned to see Ben earlier in the week and they had arranged to go to the cinema. She doesn’t get to spend a great deal of time with her young man so anytime she does get is very precious. Knowing that the friends concerned would totally understand the situation we cancelled and I stayed home with the pups. Boy would Trudes be in for the cold shoulder when she got home, Richie was extremely put out with the fact that she went out. Normally when she goes out I have both dogs on the sofa with me and they sit quietly content knowing that they are safe and snuggled. today however was a bit different. Several months ago one of the guys from the shop bought a rather large model for the Lord of the Rings table top game, the model concerned is a War Mumak, it’s basically a big elephant with six tusks and a bad attitude. I was asked to paint as the lad isn’t very confident in his painting skills. so, like a fool, I agreed. that was over a year ago. well since I had the house to myself, and given the fact that yesterday I gave the chap my word that the model would be painted and delivered to him on Sunday, I made a start on painting the thing. I started at around 13:00 and finished at about 18:00. I must admit that i am rather pleased with the results so far, and my deadline of having the model finished by Friday night is looking rather realistic.
The model is based on a beastie that features in the books and, obviously, the films, and it is the standard elephant colour, grey! now I’ve never painted something that uses a real animal as the template, I’ve painted a couple of dragons and some weird alien creatures, both of these allow you a free run with your palette. so an elephant was a bit of a challenge, i spent a few hours looking at pictures to get an idea of skin tone and shading, and to get get an idea on the best way to paint the tusks, granted it’s not an accurate representation but it’s close enough for jazz, as you can see by the pictures here.

They don’t really do it justice, the flash from the camera washes out the shading and the background could be better as Trudes pointed out. but the important thing will be Sunday when I present it to the owner and see how he reacts to the end result, I expect I shall be a bit worried that he will hate it, but knowing him as I do that’s rather unlikely. All I have left to say about this particular model is, although I’ve enjoyed painting the model, I’m never going to do another one.

Fossils!

2011-02-05T22:40:00.001Z

I walked the pups a bit late this morning, I managed an all too rare Saturday lay in, well lateish, Ronnii had me get up at 09:00 as she was desperate for a pee, so I grabbed Richie and we were soon outside in the cold and the wind and the rain, the pups didn’t seem to mind, Richie even went so far as to take us on a bit of a tour. He gets a bit stubborn and refuses to walk, when he gets like this I either have to pick him up and carry him home or follow him. Today I let him take charge and we had a bit of a wander and he found some new smells, and we got shouted at by what sounded like a rather large dog, Richie shouted back and the big dog did his best wolf impression.

Once we were home I made my nearest and dearest a cup of coffee and then headed down to the shop to see the lads at the 40k club and see what I could spend my vouchers on. I settled for two boxes of Assault marines, they should do some damage. I only stayed for a short while, overseeing one game and taking time out to explain to the guys that to be actively involved in the hobby the really should get some dice and have, at least, a basic understanding of the rules.

I left the shop at about 13:00 to jump on a bus to Canterbury, as I learned earlier in the week that the annual fossil road show was being held at the Museum of Canterbury. So I took time out from my usual Saturday activity to visit the museum as I've missed it each year for the past four or five. It's moved since my last visit, from the Beany museum to the Museum of Canterbury. On arrival it was nice to find that the entry fee had been reduced for the event from £3.50 to £2. Each room had a display and at least two very helpful people staffing it. I didn't get a good look at the first table as there were quite a few very excited children asking questions about the items on display. There was a rather fun looking "Dino-Dig" where small peeps could hunt for fossils that had been buried in sand, with the added bonus of keeping the fossil they found. There was also a quiz that the children could do, and if they answered all the questions correctly they were rewarded with a small bag of fossils. moving on to another table that had some well preserved crabs, turtle shells and fish bones, sadly I didn't get a chance to speak to the chap manning this table as he was deeply involved in helping another chap identify a find. Thinking it best to leave them to it I went into the next room where I saw some beautiful Ammonites and belemnites, much better than any I've found on my local beach, jealous much? I chatted with the nice lady supervising this spread and correctly identified a few items. I was quite pleased that I didn't sound like an idiot, stuffed up on a mammoth tooth because of the fact that it had freshly broken open and I saw, for the first time, what one looked like on the inside. Wow is a word that springs to mind. I also mistook a fossil sponge for a mososaur tooth, but in my defence it was very similar in shape. I headed downstairs to the final area and it was clear that I'd saved the best until last. On the first table were some fantastic crabs, fish and lobsters, but the best pieces were, without doubt, the fossilised snakes and a croc that was part of the stomach contents of something much bigger and probably much meaner. I could clearly see bones and teeth and a couple of gastroliths. I was very impressed with the iguanodon and Ichthyosaur remains and chatted with the lucky chaps who had been fortunate enough to find these remarkable fossils. The last table I visited was displaying what I thought was a mammoth bone but the young lady sitting at the table corrected me and said that it was, in fact, an elephant bone. There were also deer remains and an extremely nice tusk from an elephant. Also on this table were stone tools ranging from arrow heads through axes and all manner of wonderful things. Our ancestors were quite ingenious, so there you have it, a couple of well spent hours chatting with some very knowledgeable people. It's a shame this is only an annual event as I would like there to be a larger, longer fossil based event in the area. I think the highlight of the day has to be the expressions of wonder on the faces of the kids as they learned about the things they were seeing. I don't think they quite grasped the concept of the age of the fossils, to mast ten year olds an hour is an eternity, but they certainly enjoyed themselves. There needs to be more events like this as it raises awareness of a pastime that means kids get out and do something rather than sitting in front of a computer screen. Well done to the organisers and collectors and thank you, Although it was a small event, it was worth the travel time and certainly worth the £2 entry fee, it’s also rekindled my need to spend some time down the Warren, with the rough weather we’ve had these last couple of days I would think that some good stuff has been washed out of the clays, I also hope to get a visit to Pett level, on the Sussex coast, in this year, although one visit isn’t enough. If I had my way I’d take a tent and spend a night there and get two days fossil hunting done.

The region hasn’t had a clear night for the better part of two weeks and now that I have some of the things I wanted for the ‘scope I’m very eager to get out and set the Meade up, according to the forecast it should be clear on Tuesday, well one can live in hope. There are also plans afoot to set about getting a new ‘scope, it involves saving and probably a trip to either Tunbridge, Dorking or Sittingbourne, check back in a few weeks for an update on that one, and once the weather improves I’ll try and get down the Warren and collect some fossils which I’ll post pictures of. You never know I may be able to persuade my nearest and dearest into taking a walk with me and taking the pups, they may be useful in sniffing fossils out, you never know!

hoppy burpday

2011-02-01T20:05:00.001Z

Today has been pleasantly quiet, I had a lay in and took the pups for a stroll quite late, I was given my birthday gifts I got a head lamp and some mini LED lights from the pups, the head lamp will come in very useful on my next trip to the Dover fortifications. Trudes got me The Sorcerers Apprentice on DVD, a film I’ve wanted to see but never got around to it. So that’s all good. From Trudy’s folks I got a gift voucher for the shop so that will probably go towards one of the three Land Raiders I want for the Space Marine army. Trudes has said that I have some more pressies on the way so I shall look forward to those, and other friends have been awaiting confirmation on whether or not to get me something from Games Workshop. I sent a message saying as much so that should be winging its way soon.

I received a rather nice card from a very good friend who I’ve now known for around twenty years, I have to admit that the words inside it did bring a lump to my throat and nearly made my eyes leak, I was very touched. I also got loads of birthday messages via Facebook.

I messaged the friend to ask if he would be coming over, sadly he’s suffering with a long term back problem and was more or less immobile. Trudes asked how he was and when I told her she suggested that I go and pay him a visit. So off I went, It was nice catching up and spending time with a really good mate.

back home and Trudes went in to town to get some bits, including something nice for tea, she came back with a rather tasty chinese meal and cake, cake is always good but I’m reining myself in and not having cake until tomorrow when I can share it with friends who will be calling in.

So I’ve had a nice relaxing birthday and really enjoyed the time.

Tube trains, toys, tat & toe rags!

2011-01-31T19:52:00.001Z

So here we are at the end of January, it’s been an eventful month. I had two trips to astronomy club, the first was in connection with the BBC stargazing live, fortunately we were lucky enough to have clear skies for the event and we have several new members as a result.

On the home front it has been somewhat fractious with Richie being in complete hump mode as Ronnii hit the peak of her season. How Trudy prevented herself from going completely potty I will never understand, the noises Richie was making were quite annoying, I’m sure that there’s an audio out there somewhere. If you find it, put your speaker volume up as loud as it will go and then put the audio file on loop for three hours. He was making that noise for the whole time he was awake. Things got so bad for Trudes that she took Richie out for three hours walking him down to the beach and back. By the time they got home he was too tired to make any noise, but my girl was at her wits end. Fortunately the whining and moaning came to an end Wednesday night.

Wednesday I went off to the 2011 Toy Fair at London Olympia with Sue and Mickey. I have to admit that there are some fantastic things that will be released later in the year and there’s also a possibility that Sue has found an independent supplier of building models that are slightly cheaper than the all powerful GW. Having seen the boxes and felt the weight of the boxes, I’d say that you get your moneys worth.

Mike and I got there about two hours before Sue, we left home at 05:30, I was up and ready by 05:00. I left little Ronnii rocket sound asleep on my bed; it seemed such a shame to disturb her as she looked so sweet all stretched out and snoozy. I left the house just after five and had a ten minute wait for Mike. When he arrived he thrust a bottle of coke at me and then informed me that I’d lost him a bet. It turns out that my friends, using the term loosely, had had a bit of a wager as to whether I would need a phone call to get me up, to say that I was shocked and wounded would be an understatement. We arrived at the O2 by 07:30 and made our way to the venue via the tube, I hate the tube, it’s smelly and crowded and people are just plain rude. We finally arrived at Olympia and because we were there a bit early we headed in to the high street for some breakfast. Full English with a cuppa and a piece of apple strudel the size of a house brick for less than £8, can’t go wrong there. Then back to the arena to get registered and into the show. The only real issue I have with the toy fair is the fact that there’s so much to see, even removing the stuff Sue doesn’t sell still leaves a fair amount to take in, plus we were also looking for new suppliers. I saw some brilliant stuff, but as with any form of merchandising, for every one decent product, there are about 20 that are complete rubbish, the new inflatable Dalek is just one that I feel the need to mention. This thing is tat, it’s basically a battery operated mini dodgem car that has had a rubbish Dalek stuck to it, they’ve not even used a proper Dalek, and it’s a transparent version of one of the hideous power ranger Daleks that was introduced last year. The thing is going to retail at around £199, in my opinion, that’s about £175 to much. We left the fair all too soon, grabbing some nosh on the way back to the O2 and the car; how people who work in the city do it I shall never understand. More smelly over crowded trains and pushing and shoving. The journey back was fairly easy going, although I did get a bit of an odd look from Mike for using the Sat-Nav on my phone, but I explained to him that I was using it because I could, not because I didn’t trust his sense of direction. Although he did get us lost on the way home from London once. Arriving home just after 20:15 it had been a long day and my feet were very sore, if I’m honest they ached more than after the walk to Dover, probably because I was standing still for a while at certain exhibitors. Despite the sore feet I really enjoyed the day and I’m already looking forward to next years. My only real issue is that once again we didn’t get into see what a company called Character Options would be bringing out, They produce action figures and play sets for Doctor Who and Primeval, and with new series of both this year it would have been nice to see what was on the way. But due to the fact that they won’t let you on their stand unless you deal directly with them we stood no chance of seeing the new releases, and the Dr Who stuff is displayed in its own room so we couldn’t even peek over the barriers.

Friday 28^th saw a trip to Woodchurch via Hythe to astronomy club, as predicted by the attendance of our Stargazing live event, numbers have indeed swelled and the hall was packed. This is brilliant as the more members the club has the better chance it has of staying strong, and I have to be honest but the last Friday of the month is something I really look forward to. Sadly cloudy skies put paid to any chance of observing, which is a shame. The month on the whole has been a bit rubbish, excluding the stargazing Live I’ve only been able to get a scope out once this month, the last time I tried was when Smiffy came over and we were going to be painting, I planned to do an hour’s observing with him, but by the time I had set the scopes up it had clouded over.

I am currently waiting for a flexible focusing rod to arrive, this will make focusing the Meade easier when it’s in a vertical position and I ordered a new webcam, birthday treat that will, hopefully, allow me to get some video and still images of the night sky.

Tuesday 1^st February is my birthday and I must admit that I’m more than a bit curious about what Trudes has got me, she rushed out yesterday (Sunday) to get a couple of bits and she has said that the pups have got me something that is being delivered, so hopefully that will arrive in time. There’s a chance that she may also be getting me a pocket watch, the one I told her I liked is beautiful. It’s exactly the type I’ve been wanting for many years. I don’t yet know exactly what I’m going to do on Tuesday, I have the day off so I may get a lay in, although I doubt it as Richie and Ronnii will still be needing a stroll first thing so I shall still be up relatively early, but if I’m lucky there may be a bacon sandwich in the offing.

Two good things about February, my birthday, plus two other good friends have their birthdays later in the month, and only 28 days, so both payday and astronomy club come round a bit sharpish, I’m not sure what the talk is about, I was hoping it would be the one our chairman is doing about “Killer Asteroids” but that’s not until March, I’m looking forward to that one.

In closing, whilst I’m on the subject of the astronomy clubs chairman, Drew is an author and, from what I understand, a rather good one. Some of Drew’s books are available free of charge from his website. However an unscrupulous toe rag who goes by the name of Peter Michelsen has made some of Drew’s books available on Amazon and claims that he is the author, I suspect that the fella may be a bit of a brain below as the thumbnails for the books by Drew still have his name as the author. Anyways, this Michelsen character is charging for the download of books that are in fact free to download. Not only has he stolen my friends work but he’s also attempting to make a profit from his nefarious activity. The git! With luck the matter will be rectified and Drew will be able to claim damages from either the person responsible and/or Amazon.

Either way I wish him good luck in sorting this matter out.

That’s it for now; no doubt I shall be back with more mundane ramblings in the near future.

I have nothing to declare but my genius!

2011-01-23T14:46:00.001Z

It’s been rather quiet on the homestead except for the randy ruminations of a certain pup who is swathed in the aroma of a girly pup in full season. the noises that poor Richie’s making are not pleasant and I can fully imagine the thoughts going through his little doggie brain. After all there’s a lady mutt wandering around the house giving him the full “come on then!” and every time he give it a shot me or the missus storm in and scoop one of them up, poor little fella.

On Tuesday i managed to get out with a telescope, a nearly full moon presented some fantastic viewing even if if it can be a bit blinding. It also means that a great amount of other objects get washed out by the glare of the moon, although I could just make out the Andromeda Galaxy and the great Nebula in Orion.

I did manage to get some rather good images of the moon and I’ve made a small discovery that should, if all goes well, allow me to get some rather stonking images of the night sky. All I need to do is read the manual for my camera and the end product should be quite good. I say quite good because the camera’s only small and not a DSLR. I’ve had various results with previous experiments, from holding the camera to the eye piece and using the camera on my phone in the same way. Some of the images have been good, some not so good, I think I need to sit down with the camera and muck about with the settings and take some more pictures to work out what produces the best results. I’m fairly sure that shutter speed has something to do with it.

There are three pieces of kit that I want to get for the Meade, the first is a webcam adaptor that will enable me to mount a webcam on the scope so that i can take video images of the moon and planets and then, by using some very complicated software, turn the video into a photograph, at least that’s the theory. The second item is and extended focuser, this is basically a flexible rod that replaces the focusing knob (ooer) so that the scope can be easily focused when pointing vertical as the knob is located in a very awkward place and my stubby little fingers can’t get to it very well. Finally there’s a piece of kit called an alignmate, it’s more gadget than functional, but it does serve a couple of good purposes, firstly it aids the user in ensuring the scope is level at set up, this is achieved by the bubble level on the top section, the whole thing sits in the eyepiece socket. Once the scope is levelled the user flips the unit over and using the compass mounted in the other end makes pointing the scope north relatively easy, once again that’s the theory. Finally the way the alignmate has been designed it makes for an excellent dust plug. I think my use of the Meade would benefit from the addition of a dew shield so I may have have a go at knocking one up, flexible black plastic and some Velcro fastening, how hard can it be?

It’s Astronomy Club at the end of the week and I’m looking forward to it, hopefully we’ll have clear skies and with the moon now waning I should be able to get some nice images. I also have a trip to London to look forward to on Wednesday, you never know I may even be returning with some news on a certain series that returns in the spring.

Just some of the images I’ve taken over the last few weeks, the top two were taken with the camera on my phone, the third is from a 2 megapixel camera and the last one is from a 10 megapixel camera. I hope that with a bit more practice I’ll get a better idea of what i need to do to get better quality images, and if I’m really mean, I’ll post some on here.

I must admit that I’m rather pleased with the results, and look forward to seeing my efforts improve.

Poorly pup! :o(

2011-01-13T22:39:00.001Z

The week has almost passed and up until Wednesday night it hadn’t been too bad, what bought a dampener on the week was noticing that Ronnii, our Yorkie, had something rather unpleasant looking near her nethers. On closer inspection it appeared that she had some sort of prolapsed in that region. We found her insurance policy and rang a 24 hour vet helpline who advised that she see a vet ASAP. Thursday morning arrived and Trudes rang the vet that we use in Hythe and arranged for Ronnii to be seen at ten. By ten forty Trudes rang me to say that Ronnii had something called a semi necrotic polyp. Apparently it looks and sounds worse than it actually is, Trudes’ has advised me not to look it up on Google, and so I have no intention of doing so. From the way she phrased it I wouldn’t advise anyone should. Friday morning I will be taking little Ronnii Rocket down to the vet where I will leave her in the capable hands of what I consider to be the best vet in the area. So I’m a bit more at ease knowing that she will be in the most caring environment possible, other than home of course, but I am a little worried as it turns out that Ronnii isn’t about six years old as we were led to believe, she is actually nearer eleven years old. This changes everything, were she six then the risks presented by a general anesthetic wouldn’t be as high, but with her being much older there is a greater chance that being knocked out could be quite dangerous. Fortunately I have absolute trust in the vet and if he says that she will be fine, then I’m sure she will be, but you can’t help but worry.

Of course this does mean that Ronnii Rocket will have to wear a lamp shade for a while and we will have to be extra vigilant in keeping Richie off her back, quite literally, but once she recovered I don’t doubt that she’ll be back to her normal self and seeing Richie off herself.

On top of this, Trudes has a very nasty throat infection and feeling particularly yucky, but given the fact that chemo has shot her immune system to pot she’s been quite lucky. I know that we’ll get through this rough patch, but I also know that she was desperately hoping to start 2011 with a better result than the one she got. In an odd way Ronnii being poorly has helped to distract her from her own fears and focus on making sure that the pup will be ok. It’s odd how people face adversity and I have the deepest admiration for the way Trudy has openly held herself together over the last twelve months, perhaps longer. I am certain that when I have been at work or out in general she has allowed herself to drop the brave face she puts on every day. She may not think it but I think that she is one of the bravest people I know, and for that I love her wholly.

Whilst I’m on the subject of brave, I happened to see the beginning of Dancing on Ice on Sunday, one of the contestants is a former soldier who served in Iraq, he sustained terrible injuries and he is still recovering from those injuries that he received seven years ago. He put the lives of others above his own and saved the lives of other soldiers, not once but twice. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions, rightly so. To me, this man is the complete definition of the word “hero” whilst many people use that word to describe football players or talent show winners; they aren’t even close in comparison.

Astronomy club

2011-01-09T00:32:00.001Z

Hello you, welcome to 2011, I hope the year has started well for you, if it has I hope it continues to be good, if it didn’t then let’s hope it gets better.

I went back to work on Tuesday, oh joy! It hasn’t been too bad but it’s early in the year so we’ll see what happens. I had the day off on Friday as Trudes was off to hospital and the pups needed someone with them. Little Ronnii’s come into season and we can’t risk letting Richie have his wicked way with her. It wouldn’t be good for her and with Richie’s heart problem it wouldn’t be great for him either. So I had a couple of hours with them whilst Trudes was off at the hospital.

This morning, being Saturday, I set off to the shop. It was only going to be a short visit to return some lights and catch up with the lads and Sue. Whilst waiting for the bus to Hythe I looked up at the sky. It had rained heavily during the night and there was a rather strong wind. This was more than a bit disappointing because the astronomy club was holding an event as part of the BBC’s Stargazing Live. Knowing the weather as I do I consigned myself to the fact that cloud would be the norm for the rest of the weekend and the only astronomy done would be via a computer. Things were looking better by the time I left Folkestone at five; a red tint to the sky and the noticeable lack of cloud over Ashford indicated that we might have clear skies over the club sight. Taking the time to look up when I arrived the skies were indeed clear and this meant that we would be able to get the scopes out. The event was due to start at six and finish at nine, we started a little late and people were still arriving. It was incredible to see the amount of people that had come. On a normal astronomy club night we have around 50 people, tonight there was around 150. The hall was packed and when the clubs chairman gave the opening talk there was standing room only. Drew talked for about forty minutes and then we took telescopes outside and set up for an evening’s stargazing.

I took both of my scopes along, the Meade and the Tasco, I spent about ten minutes aligning the Meade and got it set up fairly well. The first object I set it to was the Pleiades cluster, the only view I got of it was when I checked the field of view because there was at least ten people all eager to look through the scope. Fortunately the Meade tracks an object so I could leave it for people to look through and this also allowed me to set up the Tasco. Setting up the Tasco isn’t too difficult, unless the finder scope has been knocked out of alignment. It had so I had to spend a few minutes centring the scope on a bright object and then I had to adjust the finder scope. This didn’t take too long and it was a good thing too because people were now starting to queue up to look through the Tasco. I set it on Jupiter and stepped aside so everyone could see what the scope was on. I was asked questions and, hopefully, answered them informatively without too much techno babble. I also managed to decide what the subject for my next talk will be. Although it won’t be until November I can make good use of the time to ensure that I can make a good presentation and not be so naff and stutter quite so much, I can also make sure that I can cover all possible questions at the end.

The subject will be extra-solar planets; I have ten months to prepare, what could possibly go wrong?

Next Sunday is an adult gaming day, there is a possibility that it will be the last one, there’s not a great deal of interest and I’m seriously beginning to wonder if it’s worth the hassle of opening the shop for the day. I know that it brings a few quid in but it also means that I won’t be wasting a Sunday waiting for people to turn up. We start at ten but the few guys that do show up don’t usually get there until gone twelve which means that I’ve sat freezing my backside off for two hours for nothing, the alternative is to make it later in the day, I shall see how it goes on Sunday before I make a decision.

So with my head reeling from the brilliant evening at Woodchurch, I have no doubt that this has done wonders for the club, we should certainly get new members as a result. This is great because it’s the members that keep the club going, and it’s some that I can honestly say that I’m proud to be a part of. The atmosphere at the club is fantastic and I look forward to every meeting, I just wish we could meet more often.

2010, the year of the something or other!

2011-01-01T01:28:00.004Z

Well 2010 draws to a close as I write this, so I guess it’s time to review the past 12 months. I suppose it’s always good to start at the beginning. January was a fairly quiet month, I visited the Toy Fair with Sue and Mickey, Mickey and I also found the time to visit the Natural History museum and the Forbidden Planet where I managed to get hold of the, now difficult to find, River Song Sonic Screwdriver, honestly they’re as rare as hens teeth now, E-bay is about the only place you can find them now. I only had one trip to the NHM this year instead of the standard three; I plan to go in the New Year but maybe a bit later in, although I would like to see the deep sea exhibition that’s there at the moment.

February was fairly quiet, Very early in the month Trudes and I went to the SFX Weekender, I got to meet some of my childhood heroes, Tom Baker and Elizabeth Sladen, Trudes went all gooey over James Marsters and the bloke from Torchwood who isn’t Captain Jack.

March and April were actually quiet; as well as the Chambers Beer Festival, Frulli’s nice, the major event was the arrival of a certain Yorkshire Terrier that ended up firmly entrenched in our hearts. Over the next few months Molly touched the hearts of many of my friends who were all enamoured with her, and who could blame them?

In May we temporarily fostered a sweet little chap called Harry, those who read about on the blog will be pleased to know he’s doing very well and has found a superb forever home where he is truly loved.

June was the usual daily stuff and was fairly dull as months go, I may skip June this year as it was so dull. July however was a bit more exciting as I walked from Capel to Dover with some of the best mates a man could want; there was some pretty decent nosh at the end of it too, plus a fairly good pint.

July saw the first of many trips to the vet for Molly, this first visit result in molly having a short stay in hospital. This brought home the reality that our sweet Molly Popples was only going to be with us for a short time so we decided to make the most of every single moment we would have with her.

August saw a return visit to a place we stopped at whilst walking to Dover, an area called Lydden Spout, during the Second World War this was part of the defensive emplacements along the Kent coast. This second visit saw us exploring the area in much greater detail, not only all three gun pits but the magazines and plotting rooms. There are plans afoot to return to the plotting rooms to install a desk for the book of remembrance that has been placed there. We also went camping at the end of the month, Molly had a special set of pyjamas made for her and was absolutely doted on by all who were there. She had the time of her life, wandering around fields and nomming rabbit poop, she even joined for an hours fishing. She sat with us around a bon fire and toasted marsh mallows and sang songs; well we sang she looked on with that look that an embarrassed child might give you. Despite the bad singing and late nights, a good time was had by all. August also saw another serious trip for Molly to the hospital.

As it turned out, it was Molly’s last trip to the hospital, on Friday the third of September, my sweet little Molly Popples crossed the rainbow bridge and my heart shattered into a thousand pieces, I hadn’t realised until then how much that little pup meant to me, I don’t think I’ve blubbed so much for many years. Shortly after saying goodbye to Molly we were joined by Richie. He’s another LDR dog and despite my best efforts to keep a sensible distance and not get too attached he’s now a major part of our lives and also loved by friends, as it should be really. What helped us decide to foster him was the fact that Richie was bought to the house to see how he got on with Molly, they got on really well and it was almost as if she had chosen him to be our second dog, so it seemed only fitting that he should come to live with us. I also gave a talk for an Archaeology club that makes a total of four public talks I’ve given. I’m scheduled to give a talk for the Astronomy club in November, at present I have no idea what the subject matter will be but I will allow a month or two to work that out.

October saw the arrival of Ronnii, she too is a TLDR dog but with a difference, she is ours! I know that makes no real difference regarding how the dogs are treated, they are equally loved and cared for and neither dog is more special than the other, although I’m sure there’s times when that’s open to debate. Trudy managed to retrieve her Meade telescope from her ex, I may have gotten a little excited about that, after all you know me and new gadgets. October also saw us visited by an old friend who had come over from the States, it was great to catch up and hear that friends over there were doing well; I’m so pleased that everything has worked out for Phil and Sue, and I wish them both every happiness for the future.

That leaves November and December, These were quiet save for a rather fantastic Boxing Day get together with some great mates and a trip to Dover Castle the following day, I have to admit that I was a bit stiff the next day after running around like a possessed school boy, not a good idea when you reach my age.

On the whole 2010 has had some high points and some very low points, health wise I’ve lost almost 3 stone and plan to continue doing whatever it is I’ve been doing. The problem is that I’m not sure what I’ve been doing, all I know is I’ve lost the weight.

The one thing that has amazed me is the fact that so many people around the planet read this drivel, Over the last few days I've visitors from Malaysia, all over the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Russia and Poland to name but a few. All I can say to that is, "wow!" and thank you all for taking the time to read about the (mis)adventures of such a grumpy and cantakerous old so and so, I shall try to make my blog post more interesting over the next 12 months so please keep dropping by.

So that’s it for 2010, in January I already have plans to take part in another toy fair, which may also include a museum trip of some sort, we shall have to wait and see, the last thing for me to do is wish you all a happy and prosperous 2011, may you receive everything you wish for and deserve.

See ya!

Turkeys, tinsel and time pieces!

2010-12-26T02:46:00.001Z

Trudes and I had a quiet Christmas day, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a jolly one. Trudes was very happy with all the things that she got from me. And I was over the moon with the gifts from Trudes and the pups. Amongst the loads of lovely pressies was a meccano robot that I had to build, unusually for such things it came with batteries, huzzah! There was also a Bill Bailey DVD and two Ian Rainkin books, I haven’t read any of his stuff before but the blurb on the back made them sound good. I also got a Kathy Riechs book, the TV series Bones is based on them; again I haven’t read any before so it will be a new experience. I got a fantastic watch from the in-laws, you need a degree in mathematics to understand it, but it has flashy lights and looks very sci-fi. So I’m looking forward to showing that off. I’m not going to list what the missus got; you can find out on her blog, I don’t want to steal her thunder.

Tomorrow (Sunday) we have friends visiting, I’m very much looking forward to the day, although I have to pop out early in the morning to get some shopping, I swear if it wasn’t for the last minute I’d get nothing done. Poor Trudes is going to be running around like a headless turkey sorting out the scoff for the day, and we have saved one or two pressies from friends to open on the day. I’m very curious about one of the gifts, although I think I have an Idea what one of Teas is.

On Monday there’s a chance of a visit to Dover castle, I really hope this happens as I haven’t been there since the revamp, of course I’d love for Trudes to be coming with me, but I’m not sure she would be able to handle all the stairs and travelling, plus someone has to be at home with the pups. However I do plan to pup sit for her if she wants to spend time with her son/folks, or visit other friends.

Anyways, that’s about it for now, I think the next entry will be a review of the year. I hope, dear reader, you had a good Christmas and spent it loved ones as it should be. Until my next entry, keep warm, and don’t drink and drive. You’re likely to spill it and short out the dashboard electrics.

Toodles

The Raven

2010-12-25T09:00:00.000Z

It’s been somewhat of a tradition, well for me anyway, to read or watch a ghost story on Christmas day. I don’t know how or why it started, it just did. For me the best Christmas ghost story is A Christmas Carol but that’s a bit long to put here. Si I’ve decided to put up my second favourite tale, Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven”. Enjoy

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.'
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore -
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Nameless here for evermore.
And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
`'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door -
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; -
This it is, and nothing more,'
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
`Sir,' said I, `or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you' - here I opened wide the door; -
Darkness there, and nothing more.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, `Lenore!'
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, `Lenore!'
Merely this and nothing more.
Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
`Surely,' said I, `surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore -
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -
'Tis the wind and nothing more!'
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
`Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, `art sure no craven.
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore -
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'
Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning - little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door -
Bird or beast above the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as `Nevermore.'
But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only,
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered -
Till I scarcely more than muttered `Other friends have flown before -
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.'
Then the bird said, `Nevermore.'
Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
`Doubtless,' said I, `what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore -
Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore
Of "Never-nevermore."'
But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore -
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking `Nevermore.'
This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!
Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
`Wretch,' I cried, `thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he has sent thee
Respite - respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'
`Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! -
Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted -
On this home by horror haunted - tell me truly, I implore -
Is there - is there balm in Gilead? - tell me - tell me, I implore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'
`Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore -
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named Lenore?'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'
`Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!' I shrieked upstarting -
`Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'
And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore!

By the way, Merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Dear Buddha, please bring me a pony and a plastic rocket...

2010-12-23T16:59:00.001Z

I have come to the conclusion that Christmas shopping is, in fact, just another level of hell! I set off to work this morning for a staff meeting and a cuppa with my colleagues. We were only in for half a day and before we went our separate ways we checked that the building was secure and not likely to burst into flames over the next week and a bit. I was feeling a bit peckish by the time we left so I thought I’d nip into MacDonald’s for a bit of scoff only to discover that it was packed full of people who had exactly the same idea as me, they could have had it a bit later but never mind. I gave up on the thought and set off in search of gifts for the missus. Oh dear, the town was heaving! First stop was W H Smiths, not for Trudes but to pick up my monthly Astro mags. Then the real horror struck as I wandered in and out of various girly type shops looking for the ideal thing for a girl. It’s not that I don’t like shopping; it’s more a case that I’m a bit of a misanthrope. I don’t have much time for the type of people you generally encounter. When I shop I tend to go in, get what I need and get out again. Admittedly this doesn’t always go to plan as I have a tendency to be somewhat forgetful. So I know that when I enter the maze of consumerism that is a supermarket I will become more than a little fretful as I run through the list of things I need to get. My stress levels are not helped by doddering old dears who have just met in the middle of the dairy aisle and are taking the chance to catch up on not having seen each other for the last three months. Not so bad except for the fact that they’re standing between their trolleys and blocking the entire section. Of course they can hear a five pound note hit the floor from five miles away, but when you say “excuse me” they both become as deaf as posts and seem to take up more room than before. Then there are the people who stop you to ask if you know where the cheese is, do I look like a member of staff? Finally the shops conspire against you, they move things, one day you find the bread near the bakery section, naturally, the next day it’s with the breakfast cereal. Leave it be, it’s getting to the stage where I’ll need a blooming sat-nav to find the stuff I want.

I read somewhere that it is the season of goodwill, this being the case, why are people so flipping miserable? I have a perfectly good excuse, I’m a grumpy old man, and I make no effort to hide the fact that a vast majority of the human race annoys me, particularly anyone younger than me and considerably older. When I pay for my stuff there isn’t so much as a smile, the checkout operator just crams your stuff in a bag and sends you on your way. Considering the fact that I am such a cantankerous old git, I still manage to muster up a bit of joviality.

Anyway the shopping is done and I have purchased presents and picked up a couple of bits that were needed for Sunday, so I can now relax and forget work for the next eleven days and focus on making sure that my sweet girl has a jolly time with our friends.

It’s a mad world made even more mad by the festive season!

Christmas Fruitcake recipe

2010-12-18T09:00:00.000Z

1 C Water
1 C Sugar
4 Large eggs
3 C dried fruit
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 C Brown sugar
Lemon juice, nuts
1 FULL bottle of your favourite whiskey
Sample the whiskey to check for quality.
Take out a large bowl.
Check the whiskey again to be sure that it is of the highest quality.
Pour 1 level cup and drink. Repeat.
Turn on the electric mixer; beat 1 C of butter in a large fluffy bowl.
Add 1 tsp. sugar and beat again.
Make sure the whiskey is still OK.
Cry another cup. Turn off the mixer.
Break two geggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.
Mix on the burner.
If the fried fruit gets stuck in the beaters,
pry it loose with a screwdriver.
Sample the whiskey to check for toxisisticity.
Next, sift 2 cups of salt.
Or something. Who cares? Check the whiskey.
Now sift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.
Add one tablespoon of sugar or something...whatever you can find.
Grease the oven. Turn on the cake tin to 350 degrees.
Don't forget to beat off the turner. Throw the bowl out of the window.
Check the whiskey again. Go to bed.
Who the hell likes fruit cake anyway???

I think you have a problem with your brain being missing.

2010-12-18T00:27:00.001Z

Having exhausted my supply of festive based ramblings, I now resort to writing my own inane drivel again. With less than a week left of work, 2.5 days to be exact, I can only hope that the wage elves are working extra hard on ensuring that my wages hit my bank account in time to do shopping. We’re having friends in for Boxing Day so Trudes and I shall have a quiet 25^th and make up for it on the 26^th with festive frolics, fun and frivolity. There will be six persons in attendance, including me and Tea, so one thing I would like to do is a never mind the buzzcocks type quiz, assuming the visitors will be up for a bit of music trivia. There’s the chance of a visit to Dover castle on the 27^th, I would like to go as I think that it is the best castle in the world, a view swayed more than a little by the fact that I grew up in Dover and spent a great deal of my younger years exploring the site. There are a few secrets that remain as such, I doubt that I’ll ever get the place to reveal everything about its history, but that’s ok because I like not knowing if some of the secrets are the stuff of myth and legend. There’s enough in my head to entertain a party of visitors for a good few hours and if I do get to go along I will try very hard not to bore the group with useless facts, unless I get asked of course, although there is the high risk of opening the flood gates and not being able to shut me up.

I had one of the worst trips into town after work today, mad people everywhere and each and every one of them buying as much bread and milk as they can stuff into a trolley, purely because they are worrying that the light sprinkling of snow we had yesterday my shut the country down again. So after cutting the shopping trip short, due to chavs hogging every check out, I headed to the bus station, only to discover that the busses were running to some very odd timetable, they were running bad enough this morning, or should that be not running? Forty five minute I waited for a flipping bus, needless to say I was late in this morning. So I waited for any bus heading in the right direction and ended up getting on one that had a small child that screamed constantly from the moment it got on the bus up until it got off, the mother of said screamer did nothing more than tell her darling little offspring to shut up. There were two other words in there but I can only write one of them here, and it was “the”. I think all the little fella wanted was a bit of comforting, instead it got sworn at. Mummy had obviously run out of patience, if she had any in the first place.

Tomorrow, being Saturday, I’m off to the shop for the last, official, club meet up of the year. I’m rather looking forward to it, not because it’s the last one for 2010, but because I get to hear the speculation from the lads about what they’ve got by way of 40k stuff. The beauty of it is that I know most of it and I doubt there will be any disappointment on the 25^th. I expect to see some very happy faces when we start up again next year.

Well that just about wraps up this entry, Hope yawl have a good’un

Christmas Is Coming – A Turkey’s Tale

2010-12-17T09:00:00.000Z

When I was a young turkey, new to the coop,
My big brother Mike took me out on the stoop,

Then he sat me down, and he spoke real slow,
And he told me there was something that I had to know;

His look and his tone I will always remember,
When he told me of the horrors of..... Black November;

"Come about August, now listen to me,
Each day you'll get six meals instead of just three,

"And soon you'll be thick, where once you were thin,
And you'll grow a big rubbery thing under your chin;

"And then one morning, when you're warm in your bed,
In'll burst the farmer's wife, and hack off your head;

"Then she'll pluck out all your feathers so you're bald 'n pink,
And scoop out all your insides and leave ya lyin' in the sink;

"And then comes the worst part" he said not bluffing,
"She'll spread your cheeks and pack your rear with stuffing".

Well, the rest of his words were too grim to repeat,
I sat on the stoop like a winged piece of meat,

And decided on the spot that to avoid being cooked,
I'd have to lay low and remain overlooked;

I began a new diet of nuts and granola,
High roughage salads, juice and diet cola;

And as they ate pastries, chocolates and crepes,
I stayed in my room doing Jane Fonda tapes;

I maintained my weight of two pounds and a half,
And tried not to notice when the bigger birds laughed;

But 'twas I who was laughing, under my breath,
As they chomped and they chewed, ever closer to death;

And sure enough when Black November rolled around,
I was the last turkey left in the entire compound;

So now I'm a pet in the farmer's wife's lap;
I haven't a worry, so I eat and I nap;

She held me today, while sewing and humming,
And smiled at me and said "Christmas is coming..."

Christmas dog

2010-12-16T09:00:00.000Z

Tonight's my first night as a watchdog,
And here it is Christmas Eve.
The children are sleeping all cozy upstairs,
While I'm guardin' the stockin's and tree.
What's that now---footsteps on the rooftop?
Could it be a cat or a mouse?
Who's this down the chimney?
A thief with a beard---
And a big sack for robbin' the house?
I'm barkin', I'm growlin', I'm bitin' his butt.
He howls and jumps back in his sleigh.
I scare his strange horses, they leap in the air.
I've frightened the whole bunch away.
Now the house is all peaceful and quiet again.
The stockin's are safe as can be.
Won't the kiddies be glad when they wake up tomorrow
And see how I've guarded the tree.

Grandma got run over by a reindeer

2010-12-15T09:00:00.000Z

Grandma got run over by a reindeer
Walking home from our house Christmas eve.
You can say there's no such thing as Santa,
But as for me and Grandpa, we believe.
She'd been drinkin' too much egg nog,
And we'd begged her not to go.
But she'd left her medication,
So she stumbled out the door into the snow.
When they found her Christmas mornin',
At the scene of the attack.
There were hoof prints on her forehead,
And incriminatin' Claus marks on her back.
Grandma got run over by a reindeer,
Walkin' home from our house Christmas eve.
You can say there's no such thing as Santa,
But as for me and Grandpa, we believe.
Now were all so proud of Grandpa,
He's been takin' this so well.
See him in there watchin' football,
Drinkin' beer and playin' cards with cousin Belle.
It's not Christmas without Grandma.
All the family's dressed in black.
And we just can't help but wonder:Should we open up her gifts or send them back?
Grandma got run over by a reindeer,
Walkin' home from our house Christmas eve.
You can say there's no such thing as Santa,
But as for me and Grandpa, we believe.
Now the goose is on the table
And the pudding made of fig.
And a blue and silver candle,
That would just have matched the hair in Grandma'swig.
I've warned all my friends and neighbours.
Better watch out for yourselves."
They should never give a license,
To a man who drives a sleigh and plays with elves.
Grandma got run over by a reindeer,
Walkin' home from our house, Christmas eve.
You can say there's no such thing as Santa,
But as for me and Grandpa, we believe

Christmas Shopping

2010-12-14T09:00:00.000Z

It was Christmas Eve closing time, nearly
Where a last minute shopper, frustrated clearly
Was rummaging through the freezer cabinet
At her nearest out of town super market
Desperately searching for a frozen turkey
And couldn't find one big enough for her family
Then she saw a young shop assistant pass by
And decided that she would give him a try
"Do these turkeys get any bigger?" she said
Puzzled he replied "No madam, they're dead."

A Christmas tale

2010-12-13T09:00:00.000Z

At this time of year it is patently clear
That the males are the ones who are blest.
Thoughts like "goodwill to men" we hear time and again
And we find them quite hard to digest.
As we women all know, men think they run the show,
And sometimes we allow them this pause.
But it gets on our nerves, like too many hors d'oeuvres
When we want to get at the main course.
Many times out of mind the same problem we find,
Leaving plans to the menfolk is risky.
Christmas spirit they think is some kind of a drink,
Such as vodka, Baccardi, or whiskey.
Since we carry the load, men keep out of our road,
We are ready and willing and able.
For it's perfectly clear, that the stuffed turkeys here
Are not always confined to the table.
The traditional way is now rather passe,
Lets give credit, where credit is due.
Then you'll see, man or boy, in return you'll enjoy
The fruits of OUR goodwill to you.

My Christmas

2010-12-12T09:00:00.000Z

Hark the herald angels sing,
please put an end to my suffering.
I can’t take much more of this,
a slobbering cow I’d rather kiss.

Why can’t grandpa find his dentures?
One of the holiday’s misadventures.
Hard liquor is the only way
to get us through this Christmas day.

At least it comes but once a year.
Otherwise I would live in fear
of Aunt Gertrude’s fruitcake and shrieking spawn.
I think I’ll hide out on the lawn.

Another Tie

2010-12-11T09:00:00.000Z

"Gee, thanks! Another reindeer tie!"
Dad says with a sigh,
as he tries not to cry,
Christmas joy gone bye-bye.

Disappointment is the gift that’s unwrapped
when Christmas shopping’s not mapped
and you find yourself strapped,
your face soon to be slapped.

Next year make a list
of gifts not to be missed,
to ensure Christmas bliss
and a face that is kissed.

Goodwill To Men - Give Us Your Money by Pam Ayres

2010-12-10T09:00:00.000Z

It was Christmas Eve on a Friday
The shops was full of cheer,
With tinsel in the windows,
And presents twice as dear.
A thousand Father Christmases,
Sat in their little huts,
And folk was buying crackers
And folk was buying nuts.
All up and down the country,
Before the light was snuffed,
Turkeys they get murdered,
And cockerels they got stuffed,
Christmas cakes got marzipanned,
And puddin's they got steamed
Mothers they got desperate
And tired kiddies screamed.
Hundredweight's of Christmas cards,
Went flying through the post,
With first class postage stamps on those,
You had to flatter most.
Within a million kitchens,
Mince pies was being made,
On everyone's radio,
"White Christmas", it was played.
Out in the frozen countryside
Men crept round on their own,
Hacking off the holly,
What other folks had grown,
Mistletoe on willow trees,
Was by a man wrenched clear,
So he could kiss his neighbour's wife,
He'd fancied all the year.
And out upon the hillside,
Where the Christmas trees had stood,
All was completely barren,
But for little stumps of wood,
The little trees that flourished
All the year were there no more,
But in a million houses,
Dropped their needles on the floor.
And out of every cranny, cupboard,
Hiding place and nook,
Little bikes and kiddies' trikes,
Were secretively took,
Yards of wrapping paper,
Was rustled round about,
And bikes were wheeled to bedrooms,
With the pedals sticking out.
Rolled up in Christmas paper
The Action Men were tensed,
All ready for the morning,
When their fighting life commenced,
With tommy guns and daggers,
All clustered round about,
"Peace on Earth - Goodwill to Men"
The figures seemed to shout.
The church was standing empty,
The pub was standing packed,
There came a yell, "Noel, Noel!"
And glasses they got cracked.
From up above the fireplace,
Christmas cards began to fall,
And trodden on the floor, said:
"Merry Christmas, to you all."

A Politically Correct Christmas Poem

2010-12-09T09:00:00.000Z

T'was the night before Christmas and Santa's a wreck...
How to live in a world that's politically correct?
His workers no longer would answer to "Elves".
"Vertically Challenged" they were calling themselves.
And labour conditions at the North Pole
were alleged by the union to stifle the soul.
Four reindeer had vanished, without much propriety,
Released to the wilds by the Humane Society.
And equal employment had made it quite clear
That Santa had better not use just reindeer.
So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid
Were replaced with 4 pigs, and you know that looked stupid!
The runners had been removed from his sleigh;
The ruts were termed dangerous by the E.P.A.
And people had started to call for the cops
When they heard sled noises on their rooftops.
Second-hand smoke from his pipe had his workers quite frightened.
His fur trimmed red suit was called "Unenlightened."
And to show you the strangeness of life's ebbs and flows,
Rudolf was suing over unauthorised use of his nose
And had gone on Geraldo, in front of the nation,
Demanding millions in over-due compensation.
So, half of the reindeer were gone; and his wife,
Who suddenly said she'd enough of this life,
Joined a self-help group, packed, and left in a whiz,
Demanding from now on her title was Ms.
And as for the gifts, why, he'd never had a notion
That making a choice could cause so much commotion.
Nothing of leather, nothing of fur,
Which meant nothing for him. And nothing for her.
Nothing that might be construed to pollute.
Nothing to aim, Nothing to shoot.
Nothing that clamoured or made lots of noise.
Nothing for just girls, or just for the boys.
Nothing that claimed to be gender specific.
Nothing that's warlike or non-pacifistic.
No candy or sweets...they were bad for the tooth.
Nothing that seemed to embellish a truth.
And fairy tales, while not yet forbidden,
Were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden.
For they raised the hackles of those psychological
Who claimed the only good gift was one ecological.
No baseball, no football...someone could get hurt;
Besides, playing sports exposed kids to dirt.
Dolls were said to be sexist, and should be passe;
And Nintendo would rot your entire brain away.
So Santa just stood there, dishevelled, perplexed;
He just could not figure out what to do next.
He tried to be merry, tried to be gay,
But you've got to be careful with that word today.
His sack was quite empty, limp to the ground;
Nothing fully acceptable was to be found.
Something special was needed, a gift that he might
Give to all without angering the left or the right.
A gift that would satisfy, with no indecision,
Each group of people, every religion;
Every ethnicity, every hue,
Everyone, everywhere...even you.
So here is that gift, it's price beyond worth...
May you and your loved ones, enjoy peace on Earth.

Santa Claus is tapping Your phone!

2010-12-08T09:00:00.000Z

You'd better watch out,
You'd better not cry,
You'd better not pout;
I'm telling you why.
Santa Claus is tapping
Your phone.

He's bugging your room,
He's reading your mail,
He's keeping a file
And running a tail.
Santa Claus is tapping
Your phone.

He hears you in the bedroom,
Surveys you out of doors,
And if that doesn't get the goods,
Then he'll use provocateurs.

So, you mustn't assume
That you are secure.
On Christmas Eve
He'll kick in your door.
Santa Claus is tapping
Your phone!

Ho! Ho! Ho! And Jingle Bells

2010-12-07T09:00:00.000Z

Ho! Ho! Ho! and Jingle Bells,
What's all the fuss about?
The rich food and the drinkies,
Only inflame my bloody gout.

My credit card has almost melted,
From persistent overuse,
And my liver is near failure,
From pre-Christmas Party abuse.

My blood sugars are elevated,
And my blood pressure is sky high,
I was feeling really well before lunch,
But now I think I'm going to die!

Nobody liked the presents that I bought,
And the family is at war,
So much for Christmas Spirit,
And that's all I asked Santa for,

Now no-one is talking to me,
While I lie here exiled in the Sun,
With my belt unbuckled and my gut exposed,
Thanking God that this Christmas is done.

Christmas!

2010-12-06T09:00:00.000Z

I've been getting ready for Christmas
I'm revving up for the great day
my credit card's cracked and my freezer is packed
'cause I started my shopping in May

The mistletoe's hanging in bunches
'cause the odd Christmas kiss isn't wrong
and the Vicar I've found - quite likes calling round
and exploring my crowns with his tongue

The bin men have gotten quite friendly
they're after a present I fear
they won't feel so chuffed when I tell them - get stuffed
'cause they don't speak the rest of the year

The family is coming for dinner
last year it was quite a good laugh
we ate fairly late - dished the veg on the plate
found the turkey was still in the bath

the Kids are all pink with excitement
'cause Santa will come so they say
their lists are extensive - extremely expensive
and they'll break it all by Boxing day

But it's worth all that fuss Christmas morning
when their little eyes are all aglow
when we're all feeling merry full of goodwill and sherry
and suffering from wind Ho Ho Ho

But please don't forget why we do it
why each year we must go to this fuss
for that guy up above who brought peace and brought love
and who probably owns Toys R Us

A Letter to Rudolph

2010-12-05T09:00:00.000Z

Dear Husband, It is time that I must have my say,
I've taken your shit day after day.
I've kept the home peaceful year after year
Now there is going to be changes, so listen my dear.

So you're famous, everyone knows your name,
And you're a specialist by gum, in the transport game,
You think you're so grand with your important job.
But I'm telling you my dear you're a worn out old yob

363 days a year,
You sit on your arse drinking scotch, rum and beer,
You claim it is to keep up the shine on your nose
So Santa can see where he blooming well goes.

One night a year is all that you work,
You and your eight reisty mates - they're all jerks.
Dasher and Dancer - Speed freaks I say,
The sleigh wouldn't go that quick any other way.
Prancer and Vixen - Just cheap little tarts,
But they look like angels once Comet starts.

Cupids on some freaked out damned power trip,
And Donner...well, she should just get a damned grip
And Blitzen, I almost don't need to say,
Is here getting blitzed with you every day.

All of these years at the front of the sled,
Has gone, I'm afraid, to your crusty old head.
You're a layabout and a drunkard, with a big shiny nose,
And a weakness for elves in black pantyhose.

I'm telling you husband that one Christmas song,
Has made you think that you can do no wrong.
So this year while your out with old Santa's sled,
I am eloping, my dear, with your friend - Mr. Ed

THE TWELVE DAYS AFTER CHRISTMAS

2010-12-04T09:00:00.000Z

The first day after Christmas

My true love and I had a fight

And so I chopped the pear tree down

And burnt it, just for spite

Then with a single cartridge

I shot that blasted partridge

My love gave to me.

The second day after Christmas

I pulled on the old rubber gloves

And very gently wrung the necks

Of both the turtle doves

My love gave to me.

On the third day after Christmas

My mother caught the croup

I had to use the three French hens

To make some chicken soup

The four calling birds were a big mistake

For their language was obscene

The five golden rings were completely fake

and turned my fingers green.

The sixth day after Christmas

The six laying geese wouldn't lay

So I sent the whole darn gaggle to the

R.S.P.C.A.

On the seventh day, what a mess I found

The seven swans-a-swimming all had drowned

My love gave to me.

The eighth day after Christmas

Before they could suspect

I bundled up the

Eight maids-a-milking

Nine ladies dancing

Ten lords-a-leaping

Eleven pipers piping

Twelve drummers drumming - well, actually I kept one of the drummers -

And sent them back collect

I wrote my true love

"We are through, love!"

And I said in so many words

"Furthermore your Christmas gifts were for the Birds!"

Four calling birds,

Three french hens,

Two turtle doves

And a partridge in a pear tree!"

Joyce Grenfell, The Nativity

2010-12-03T09:00:00.000Z

Hello, Mrs Binton. I'm so glad you could get along to see a rehearsal of our Nativity Play! Can you squeeze in there? I'm afraid our chairs are a wee bitty wee, as they say north of the border!
Now then, children. We are going to start our rehearsal. Where are my Mary and Joseph?
That's right, Shirleen, take Denis by the hand and come and sit nice and quietly on this bench in the middle.
Don't drag him. He'll come if you leave him alone!
Don't hit each other, Mary and Joseph were friends
Now, who are my Wise Men?
You're a Wise Man, aren't you, Geoffrey?
Oh, aren't you? What are you then?
Oh, you're a cattle, are you? And you are going to low. Splendid! Go over to Miss Boulting, will you, please?
Miss Boulting... You are organising the animals and the angets? He is one of yours.
Now, my Wise Men here, please!
Billy, Peter and George.
And George, Wise Men never do that...
Now my Kings, please.
Of course, Mrs Binton, we know that by tradition the Wise Men and the Kings are one and the same, but we did want everyone in our Nursery School Nativity Play to have a chance, so we have taken a few liberties, and I don't think any one will mind,
Now Kings: Sidney, Neville, Cliff and Nikolas Anoniodes.
Four Kings, I'm afraid. We happen to have four lovely crowns, so it seemed a pity not to use them.
Sidney, put your crown on straight please, not over one eye. What have you got under your jersey?
That's not the place for a hamster, is it. Put him straight back in his little pen, please.
Sidney, which one have you got, Paddington or Harold Wilson?
Well, who's got Paddington?
Neville, put him back at once.
Poor Paddington and Harold Wilson, it isn't very Christmassy for them under your jersey.
Sidney, I think it serves you right if Harold Wilson bit you, and don't bite him back.
Because he's smaller than you are. Are you bleeding?
Then don't make such a fuss.
Cliff, put your crown on, please.
It's too big? Let's see. Ah, yes it is
Where are you! Oh, there you are! Nice to see you again! Change with Nikolas.
Nikolas, you can manage a big crown, can't you? You've got just the ears for it.
I think if you pull your ears down a bit that will hold it up. And lean back a bit. That's it.
Stay like that, dear. Don't move.
Wise Men and Kings, don't muddle yourselves with each other.
Now then, Shepherds.
Jimmy, you are my First Shepherd and not a racing car.
Yes, Caroline, you're a shepherd.
No, dear you can't wear your Little Bo-Peep costume because there aren't any little girl shepherdesses in our play. They're all boy shepherds, and you are a girl being a boy shepherd.
Yes, it is rotten. But we just have to settle for it. I think if you are very good perhaps you can wear a lovely grey beard; wouldn't that be fun?
George, what do Wise Men never do?
Yes...
Jimmy, do you remember what you see up in the sky? Something lovely, isn't it?
No, not a baby. Try again.
It's a lovely silver star, and you are going to put your hand up and point to it. And what are you going to say when you do that?
No, Sidney, he isn't going to say, 'Please may I go to the bathroom?'
Children, that isn't funny; it's a perfectly natural function, and we might as well get used to it.
Come on, Jimmy. You are going to say, 'Behold!' aren't you?
Yes, you are, dear. You said it yesterday.
You'd rather say it tomorrow?
Perhaps you are right.
We have broken the back of the play, so you may as well get ready to go home. Hand in your crowns gently, please. No Sidney, you can't wear your crown home on the bus.
I think - I HOPE it will be all right on the night. But you know, Mrs Binton, I think perhaps next year we might make do with a Christmas carol.

THE TWELVE THANK YOU NOTES OF CHRISTMAS

2010-12-02T09:00:00.000Z

Dec 25

My dearest darling Edward,

What a wonderful surprise has just greeted me! That

sweet partridge, in that lovely little pear-tree; what

an enchanting, romantic, poetic present! Bless you, and

thank you.

Your deeply loving

Emily.

Dec 26

Beloved Edward,

The two turtle-doves arrived this morning, and are cooing

away in the pear-tree as I write. I'm so touched and grateful!

With undying love, as always,

Emily.

Dec 27

My darling Edward,

You do think of the most original presents! Who ever

thought of sending anybody three French hens? Do they

really come all the way from France? It's a pity we have

no chicken coops, but I expect we'll find some. Anyway,

thank you so much; they're lovely.

Your devoted Emily.

Dec 28

Dearest Edward,

What a surprise! Four calling birds arrived this morning.

They are very sweet, even if they do call rather loudly -

they make telephoning almost impossible - but I expect they'll

calm down when they get used to their new home. Anyway, I'm

very grateful, of course I am.

Love from Emily.

Dec 29

Dearest Edward,

The mailman has just delivered five most beautiful gold

rings, one for each finger, and all fitting perfectly!

A really lovely present! Lovelier, in a way, than birds,

which do take rather a lot of looking after. The four that

arrived yesterday are still making a terrible row, and I'm

afraid none of us got much sleep last night. Mother says

she wants to use the rings to "wring" their necks. Mother

has such a sense of humour. This time she's only joking,

I think, but I do know what she means. Still, I love the rings.

Bless you,

Emily.

Dec 30

Dear Edward,

Whatever I expected to find when I opened the front door

this morning, it certainly wasn't six socking great geese

laying eggs all over the porch. Frankly, I rather hoped

that you had stopped sending me birds. We have no room

for them, and they've already ruined the croquet lawn.

I know you meant well, but let's call a halt, shall we?

Love,

Emily.

Dec 31

Edward,

I thought I said NO MORE BIRDS. This morning I woke

up to find no more than seven swans, all trying to get

into our tiny goldfish pond. I'd rather not think what's

happened to the goldfish. The whole house seems to be

full of birds, to say nothing of what they leave behind

them, so please, please, stop!

Your Emily.

Jan 1

Frankly, I prefer the birds. What am I to do with eight?

milkmaids? And their cows! Is this some kind of a joke?

If so, I'm afraid I don't find it very amusing.

Emily.

Jan 2

Look here, Edward,

This has gone far enough. You say you're sending me

nine ladies dancing. All I can say is, judging from the

way they dance, they're certainly not ladies. The village

just isn't accustomed to seeing a regiment of shameless

viragos, with nothing on but their lipstick, cavorting

round the green, and it's Mother and I who get the blame.

If you value our friendship, which I do (less and less),

kindly stop this ridiculous behaviour at once!

Emily.

Jan 3

As I write this letter, ten disgusting old men are

prancing up and down all over what used to be the garden,

before the geese and the swans and the cows got at it.

And several of them, I have just noticed, are taking

inexcusable liberties with the milkmaids. Meanwhile the

neighbours are trying to have us evicted. I shall never

speak to you again.

Emily.

Jan 4

This is the last straw! You know I detest bagpipes!

The place has now become something between a menagerie

and a madhouse, and a man from the council has just

declared it unfit for habitation. At least Mother has

been spared this last outrage; they took her away yesterday

afternoon in an ambulance.

00 I hope you're satisfied.

Jan 5

Sir,

Our client, Miss Emily Wilbraham, instructs me to

inform you that with the arrival on her premises at 7:30

this morning of the entire percussion section of the

Boston Symphony Orchestra, and several of their friends,

she has no course left open to her but to seek an injunction

to prevent you importuning her further. I am making

arrangements for the return of much assorted livestock.

I am, Sir, yours faithfully,

G. Creep

Attorney at law.

The final visit from Saint Nick

2010-12-01T09:00:00.000Z

‘Twas the night before Christmas and one thing was clear--
that old Yuletide spirit no longer was here
inflation was rising; the crime rate was tripling;
the fuel bills were up, and our mortgage was crippling;
I opened a beer as I watched TV,
where The Saturday sang "Silent Night" quite badly;
the kids were in bed, getting sleep like they should;
or else they were stoned, which was almost as good.
While Ma with her ball-point was making a fuss
'bout folks we'd send cards to who'd sent none to us;
"Those ingrates," she thundered, and pounded her fist;
"Next year you can bet they'll be crossed off our list!"
When out in the yard came a deafening blare;
'twas our burglar alarm, and I hollered, "Who's there?"
I turned on the searchlight, which lit up the night,
and, armed with my handgun, beheld a strange sight.
Some red-suited clown with a white beard immense
was caught in our eight foot electrified fence;
he called out, "I'm Santa! I bring you no malice!"
Said I, "if you're Santa, I'm Telly Savalas!"
But, lo, as his presence grew clear to me,
I saw in the glare that it just might be he!
I called off our Doberman clawing his sleigh
and, frisking him twice, said, "I think he's ok."
I led him inside where he slumped in a chair,
and he poured out the following tale of despair;
"On Christmas eves past I was jolly and chuckling,
but now 'neath the pressures, I fear I am buckling."
"You'll note I've arrived with no reindeer this year,
and without them, my sleigh is much harder to steer;
although I would like to continue to use them,
the wildlife officials believe I abuse them."
"To add to my problem, Norman Baker dropped by
and told me my sleigh was unsafe in the sky;
I now must wear seatbelts, despite my objections,
and bring in the sleigh twice a year for inspections."
"Last April my workers came forth with demands,
and I soon had a general strike on my hands;
I couldn't afford to pay unionized elves,
so the missus and I did the work ourselves."
"And then, later on, came additional trouble--
an avalanche left my fine workshop in rubble;
my building insurance was worthless, because
they had shrewdly slipped in a' no avalanche' clause."
"And after that came an business tax audit;
the government claimed I was out to defraud it;
they finally nailed me for 65 grand,
which I paid through the sale of my house and my land."
"And yet I persist, though it gives me a scare
flying blind through the blanket of smog in the air;
not to mention the hunters who fill me with dread,
taking shots at my sleigh as I pass overhead."
"My torn-up red suit, and these bruises and swellings,
I got fighting muggers in multiple dwellings.
And if you should ask why I'm glowing tonight,
it's from flying too close to a nuclear site."
He rose from his chair and he heaved a great sigh,
and I couldn't help notice a tear in his eye;
"I've tried," he declared, "to reverse each defeat,
but I fear that today I've become obsolete."
He slumped out the door and returned to his sleigh,
and these last words he spoke as he went on his way;
"no longer can I do the job that's required;
if anyone asks, just say,' Santa's retired!'".

Now there’s a thing!

2010-11-29T18:58:00.001Z

With the festive season looming menacingly on the horizon, I have a plan to post some vaguely Yule based stuff. I don’t doubt that a fair amount will be nicked from the Interweb but with luck it will bring a smile to my loyal reader. In the mean time you’ll have to settle for my usual drivel.

I was at the shop on Saturday, I played a young lad who certainly had a good understanding of the rules, but his tactics were a little lacking. Although he gave me a tough game, Space Marines v Necrons, I managed to secure a victory, only just mind. I’m sure that with a little direction he will get a grasp of playing to win, after all that is why we play the game, although we try to have fun on the way to victory. I honestly do believe that playing a game where both players enjoy the time is much better that gloating every time a squad is removed from play. I make a point of congratulating any opponent when they pull a kill point out of the bag, no matter how lucky they are. I feel that if the person I play against hasn’t had a good time playing then I’m doing things wrong, especially for the younger players.

When I got home on Saturday I came back to a very excited Trudes, she was desperate to get the Christmas tree up and decorated, well the tree was already up and with the help of a friend; it wasn’t long before the front room was looking very festive, huzzah.

Sunday was a quiet day; my sister paid a visit, oh joy! Don’t get me wrong, I think the world of my sister, but she does have a terrible habit of regaling Trudes with tales of my youth, most of which are somewhat embarrassing. Sandra left to see other relatives and Trudes and I settled in for a quiet day. I was surprised to get a call from my father, he rings about once a year and it’s nice to hear from him. He lives just south of Boston in the US and I hope to be able to visit him in the future. It would make for an interesting visit as he has children, which means I have two half brothers and a half sister. Apparently one of my brothers is very much like me with a similar sense of humour and a liking for all thing sci-fi. Who knows there may come a time when I get to meet them.

Back to work today, we drew the secret Santa, there’s a spend limit of £10, unfortunately I have drawn one of the more difficult choices for buying a gift, what do you buy the bloke who has everything he needs plus almost everything anyone else might need too? Although I’m sure I’ll come up with something.

My first festive post will be on the first of December, duh! There may be a post between now and then, watch this space.

Bye for now.

Musing, pondering and paint

2010-11-23T00:54:00.001Z

Today is not a good day, I returned to work after a week off which wasn’t too bad, I felt a bit out of sorts, almost like I didn’t belong, it seemed that there was something else I should be doing. I took the week off so that I could help Trudes rest and be there for her whilst she concentrated on recovering after another chemo course. She has been told that no matter what the result is after this treatment, she won’t be able to have anymore, so now we hope for the best. Trudes hasn’t been overly clear about what happens next but I’m sure she will tell me when she’s ready, there’s also the possibility that she doesn’t know herself yet, in which case she’ll tell me when she does know.

It wasn’t until later in the day that I realised what had been playing on my mind and putting me out of sorts. Today, 22/11/10, is my daughters 23^rd birthday. I was shocked when I realised, I haven’t seen TJ since she was six and the last I heard she was living with her mother somewhere in Northshire around the Preston area. Every now and then I search for her on face book, although I think finding her will prove very difficult as all I have to go on are two possible surnames and both of those produce several thousand results. So as you can imagine trawling through all those names would take some time, especially when I give it another shot I have to start right at the beginning of the list. I also have to consider the possibility that she could be using a name I don’t know or even married. If the married thing has happened there’s every chance that I could have grandchildren, oh lord now I feel old! To be honest, there’s not a day passes by when I don’t think of her and wonder what she’s doing or where she is. I also wonder how much she knows about me, does she even know who her real father is? The only thing I can be sure of is that if I ever get the chance to meet her, I would welcome her with open arms.

On to lighter things, well for me at least, I painted tonight, I have to say I’m very pleased with the result, I’ll put some pics up somewhere for those that like to see what I do. Yet again I’m having a whinge about the amount of models I have that need painting, I find the activity very relaxing and I enjoy the painting side of the hobby much more than playing the game, although I did play on Saturday and won using the Space Marines for the first time in a while. I know that most of the people who read this particular blog have no idea what Warhammer 40k is about, but some have a rough idea. I have a dedicated 40k blog that the more boring stuff gets written about on, but every now and then I have such a nice time painting and get such a sense of achievement from it that I feel I have to mention it here, plus it gives my followers something to read. One day I shall do a stage by stage painting guide for the Warhammer blog, something else that I’ve been meaning to do for a while now.

Changing subject again, its astronomy club this Friday, with luck I’ll get to take the Meade along and get some advice on how to use the thing properly, particularly setting it up. The weather hasn’t been very favourable for astronomy; in fact we’ve had one clear night over the last two weeks. We had a close call on Friday, but by the time I was ready to go out into the garden the cloud had rolled in. Still the good thing about bad weather is that it washes fossils out of the clay at the Warren so I could always head down there for a few hours. I’m sure the dogs would love a stroll along the beach and the sea air might do Trudes some good.

Right, I’m off to take Ronnii out for her last stroll, Richie had his earlier, and then off to bed. Sweet dreams one and all.

If by some slim chance of fate a certain young lady who just turned 23 ever reads this, I want you to know that I love you and I have missed you every single day since we last saw each other, good night my sweet little lass.

I’m big, you’re little, I’m right, you’re wrong!

2010-11-17T10:51:00.001Z

I spend a lot of my weekends supervising a gaming group in a shop in Hythe, the owner of the shop is one of my very good friends, she’s been an ear for me when I’ve had to vent. The lads who come to the shop to play on Saturdays are a good bunch, so they may break stuff now and then but it only takes a minute or two to fix it. The shop itself is a toy shop, the stock ranges from the usual array of card games, jigsaw puzzles and board games through to action figures from the Doctor Who, Star Wars, Harry Potter and Transformers range, you can also find the latest Merlin releases there. Then we have the hobby range from good old Airfix through to model train sets and, of course, the Games Workshop range, finally there’s an extensive range of baby clothes and toys. The atmosphere is always welcoming and although Saturdays can be a bit loud the lads are never rude or offensive, over the last three years Sue and I have worked hard to build the gaming days up to the point where we were able to hold an independent gaming tournament, something that GW claim simply can’t be done. It was a roaring success and there is a chance that we may do the same next year.

Hythe High Street has an interesting array of retailers that all manner of quirky little things that make you wonder what use the thing is, but you buy one anyway. There is a good range of places to grab some nosh, the Torbay fish and chip shop is probably one of the best in the area, and if you so desired you could get a week’s grocery shopping, except parking’s not so good but there’s always Waitrose and Aldi has a pay and display.

There is now a dark cloud looming over the future of the High Street in the shape of a Sainsburys supermarket, set to open in early 2011 it will offer almost everything that the high street traders do, this will result in the eventual closing of shops such as the green grocers, the butchers, a couple of newsagents and a few of the cafes. The top dogs from the chain have come up with some plans which they claim will help encourage people into the high street such as getting traders to agree to offer a discount to any customers that have shopped in the supermarket. The chain have also offered to improve lighting along the High Street, to be honest that won’t help the traders at all, when the street lights are on, most of the shops are closed except for about half an hour in the winter. They have also offered free advertising to shop owners, of course they have to write out the details of the advert themselves, and then stick it on the ad board. One of the traders I know has already written his ad, it says “Closing down sale due to Sainsburys putting me out of business!”

Once the shop is up and running, who in their right mind is going to do their shopping and then take a walk along a high street, full of empty shops, whilst their frozen food thaws in the boot of the car. The alternative is to visit the high street before doing your shopping, yeah that’ll work, park the car and think to yourself do I wander along a road that has very few shops or shall I go into the supermarket, grab a quick cuppa and some nosh and then do my shopping and naff off home? The Hythe town councils response was that they would expect people to visit the high street before shopping, in the same way I expect people to start being a bit nicer? Bear in mind these are the same town councillor that do their shopping in Tesco and Asda, neither of which are in Hythe. Of course the day will come when they say things like “we don’t understand why so many traders have closed” and “we had no idea that this would happen!” they did have some idea of the nice little pay off they received for selling the land to a multi million pound organisation that already plans to go against certain aspect of the planning permission. The shop was supposed to be open between 8am and 8pm, but potential staff have been told that it will close at 10pm and the staff will work until midnight, that explains the need for extra lighting on the high street, so that the staff can walk home safely at night.

Does every town need a huge supermarket? Hythe already has two, plus an Iceland, so a third is overkill, there’s a large Asda 6 miles away a large Tesco and two large Sainsbury stores plus a Morrisons, anyone with half a brain can see what this store will do to an already struggling group of traders, every Saturday I hear of another shop closing because of lack of trade, it won’t be long before my friend loses her business. Eventually Hythe will be a dead town, not only will the traders suffer, but home owners may not benefit too well from this either, unless having a supermarket opposite your home could increase the value of your house. The council will wonder where their revenue has gone because no one’s paying any business rates and they’ll have to increase the council tax to compensate for the loss all because they allowed themselves to be paid off so that a supermarket, that no one seems to have wanted, could be built. It’s nice to see the big wigs looking after the community.

Bye for now.

How far into the darkside are you?

2010-11-09T21:10:00.001Z

There is a word in the English language that can cut deeper than any knife; it can cause a wound that will never fully heal. We use it daily in reference to such trivial things like soup, cabbage and washing up. It’s a small word, four letters long and yet it can reduce the strongest of men to tears. It can break hearts and smash the resolve of anyone who it is used against. Personally I try very hard to avoid using this particular word against a person as I have been on the receiving end of it too many times, so I know firsthand how much it can hurt. If you haven’t figured it out yet, the word is “hate”. To be honest, I don’t think I actually hate a single person, I’m not keen on soup, I can take or leave cabbage and I avoid washing up whenever I can, but I do it if I have to. I dislike a few people, my bank manager, the tax man and the illness that is slowly destroying the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. Do I hate a living breathing person? I think I can be truthful in saying that I do not. There have been times when I’ve thought that I do but I realised that what I really feel is anger at the person(s) who have wronged me. I honestly believe that there’s enough hate in the world without me adding to it. I guess what I really want to know is, why do we hate? Is it because the person we hate has exposed a weakness within us? Or perhaps it’s because we feel wronged in some way. Is revenge the same as hate? The two certainly come as a pair, hate is probably one of the stronger human emotions, and it can also be one of the most expressive. We show hate easier than we show love or care, it’s destructive and, to me, more than a little bit pointless.

A very close friend recently asked me if I hated him, my response was to look him straight in the eye and respond “NO! In fact I don’t think there’s anything you could do that would make me hate you!” I don’t doubt that I have the capacity to hate within me, I am human after all. What I don’t know as yet is what it would take to release such negativity. To be honest I hope I never have cause to discover what it will take.

Wow, that was deep!

I have nothing else to say so I leave you to contemplate the three things that society should be built on, peace, love and good strong cheddar.

Walk tall, carry a big stick

2010-11-06T01:23:00.001Z

It’s actually been quite an uneventful week, work has been good and I hope it stays that way.

Ronnii has settled in very well, she’s snuggled up beside me as I type, bless her! Richie has taken the whole situation well too, he comes looking for her in the morning to lead her to the garden and she lets him think he has the alpha male status by letting take the lead role when they go for a stroll.

I managed to get hold of a 3x Barlow lens for the Meade, after trawling the web in search of one and ordering one online, only to be informed that the online store I tried to get one from doesn’t actually stack Meade accessories, that being the case why the heck do they advertise them on the site? I finally tracked one down to a small shop in Hythe which although they no longer stack Meade stuff they had one or two items left, one of which was the part I wanted. Huzzah!

Unfortunately the weather’s not been very accommodating and since I acquired the part I haven’t had a single clear night. Insert expletive here! Never mind though, it’s not as if the universe is going anywhere.

I’m off to the shop tomorrow; I’m hoping that Smiffy will drop in so that we can arrange a painting evening or, perhaps, a gaming session. Hopefully we’ll be able to arrange it for when I have some leave so as then I won’t have to worry about an early night. Apparently he’s got some new models that will make excellent cannon fodder.

Sunday should, with luck, be a quiet day and I can catch up on stuff that I’ve recorded over the last couple of days, I’m going to try getting up early and letting Tea have a lie in, she starts yet another course of chemo on Monday so I want to make sure that her day is as restful as possible, best laid plans and all that.

I had the good fortune to spend a few hours in the company of some good friends on Tuesday night, it was nice to catch up and enjoy a spot of good old fashioned trek, well DS9!

I wonder if any of my readers watched any of the paranormal program that was broadcast on living TV over the Halloween weekend. I never thought I’d say this but Most Haunted was gripping stuff in comparison. I forced myself to sit through an hour in the hope that something interesting would happen but no. If it gets another run, I shall avoid it. I would still very much like to be involved in some form of serious paranormal investigation, I’m sure I could do a better job than the so called experts that were involved in the weekends trite.

Well I’m done for the night, up early to head down to Hythe so I shall leave you to ponder these words.

ALMANAC, CHEESE, EFFERVESCENT and BUNGALOW

Nite.

I have discovered the location of hell!

2010-10-30T15:34:00.001+01:00

It’s in the middle of Folkestone town centre, just south of the bus station. I’ll explain more in a bit, that’ll keep you reading to the end!

I was up early this morning, Richie had to go see the vet so we were out of the house at half eight. we got the bus down, bless the pup, he doesn’t like travelling although he wasn’t too bad, he started complaining quite loudly when we stopped for a couple of minutes at Waitrose in Hythe. We were a bit early getting to the vet so we had a bit of a stroll before going in. Rich was very well behaved for the vetess, he let her pull, poke and prod him as she needed and he just let her get on with it. she asked about his cough, it’s due to the problems with his heart, and I explained that since he was put on the extra meds, his cough is nowhere near as regular as it was. when he first came to us he would cough a couple of times every hour or so, now he can go a few days without coughing and even then we only get two or three. all things considered his heart beat is good, although quite erratic, but he has a good quality of life and that’s the important thing. all the while he’s as healthy as he can be we have nothing to worry about. I also think the addition of a new member of the family has helped him to calm down a bit. last night, Friday, we had a knock at the door and he did the whole GRRR woof woof thing, in dog language I think it means “Oi a big mean bum biting dog lives here so watch it!” of course he’s not. he’s a small cute pup with breath that could strip paint. the new addition a a very adorable Yorkie named Ronnie. She’s 6(ish) and is very quiet and just a little timid. She’s a rescue and we don’t know her full history but we suspect she may have been used as a breeder. I’m sure that it wont be long before she figures out that Trudes and me are total push overs and she has us wrapped around her dainty little paw. Oh who am I kidding, she already has where I’m concerned! She has the sweetest little face and I’m sure that anyone who meets her will think she’s a real cutie.

As you can see, she’s a very dainty little lass who is going to need a great deal of TLC, well we have loads of that and there’s plenty for the two pups to share, plus a little extra for friends and relatives.

I’ve taken myself off Facebook for a little while, I just feel that I’m spending too much time on it and not focussing on other stuff. I have a ton of miniatures to paint and facebook was one of the many things holding me back in that area. In hind sight I should have let my friends know that I was deactivating for a while, particularly as one of them thought i was dead and a few are a bit worried. herself has suggested that I simply reactivate it, but I’m not so sure as I want to.

Anyway, hell! hell is now located in Folkestone’s ASDA, I went shopping after getting back from the vets, what was I thinking? The place was full of gaping jawed halfwits, if we were in the US I'd be able to use the term “slack jawed yokels” but I'm sure you know the type of person I mean. If it isn’t the brain dead savants getting in my way, it’s all the mothers with pushchairs who have decided to set up a crèche in the middle of the frozen food aisle and are now having an in depth discussion on the best way to potty train a 1 year old. if the gormless shoppers aren’t bad enough, the tobacco counter has a queue that’s almost out of the shop, there’s two badly trained monkeys working it, well, I say working but i mean having a chat about last night out to the local cattle market, read night club, and whether or not they were going to be sober enough to successfully snog a member of their own species, puts a whole new spin on going to the fag counter, todays fag count was 2!

I’m hoping to get out in the garden with the Meade for a while tonight, of course it depends on cloud coverage. so that’s it for the moment, I’m off to the loft, we have a water tank that wont behave so I’m going to bash it with something heavy!

ta ta

Wooty woot woot

2010-10-23T14:17:00.001+01:00

I’ve had a stroke of good fortune, during my week off work I went down to Hythe to see the future in laws, part of the reason was to collect Trudy’s telescope. When I first met her she told me that only the main scope was in the box, the tripod optics and controller handset were still with her ex. Over the last two weeks I’ve had the scope in the back garden and have enjoyed using it. Sadly I haven’t been able to get the true use of the scope due to the missing bits. I phoned telescope house and they said that they would look out for one and mail me if they had any luck tracking one down, so far no luck. Earlier in the week, Trudes mailed her ex to once again ask him if he could locate the missing components. He replied saying that he had the tripod and would bring it to her mum & dads at the weekend. It has transpired that he has done as he said and not only is the tripod in the bag but also the controller and the eye pieces. Oh sweet joy, now all I need is a clear sky to give the thing a proper workout.

Ooh look, a great big threatening button!

2010-10-22T01:05:00.001+01:00

My my what a week it’s been, I’ve been back at work after a week off, I returned to work in anticipation of all manner of things having gone wrong and i was pleasantly surprised. no major catastrophes and no changes to the way things are done, and, most pleasing of all, no sharp pointy implements between my shoulder blades. I’m having another week off soon, I really hope to have the same situation when i go back.

During my week off I paid a visit to the shop, it actually turned into two visits, I went in to resurface the main gaming table and to improve the second table. it all went rather well and I’m pleased with the end result, although I think the second table could do with a bit more work, i have plans but i have to do a bit more thinking on it before i go ahead with things. the lads were also happy to see the tables looking a bit more scenic. we’ve set a new ruling where the tables are concerned, the buildings and terrain sections are not to be moved with out the express permission of either myself or Sue. Over the last couple of years, Sue and I have invested a great amount of time, and in Sue’s case cash, on getting the 40k days established and the main issue we both have is the lack of respect the lads show the pieces of terrain and buildings that have been provided, so not only was i resurfacing the tables, i was repairing damaged buildings, still it was fun so I suppose it’s not all bad.

I have fixed my telescope this week, huzzah! I had the help of Jim at work, he knows how to weld, so with a bit of his know how and my talent for scavenging bits I have a new slow motion fixture for my dear old Tasco, it just needs a touch of paint and it’ll be done. I’m so pleased it’s done, as I have a great feeling of joy in my scope. it’s not the greatest bit of kit, but it does a superb job for what it cost, and I get some really good views of the moon and planets such as mars, Jupiter and Saturn. however, the plan is to add a new scope in the new year. i have my eye on one that has a motor driven mount and is a tad more powerful than my old Tasco, plus I can get a camera mount for it so I may even be able to get herself interested in astrophotography as it combines one of her hobbies with one of mine, and I’m sure that members of the Astro club can give some hints with regard to kit.

I learned something on Wednesday that has made me very proud of myself, as many of my friends know I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes last year, as a result I’ve had to monitor what I eat a bit more sensibly. I must admit it’s not been easy but I not doing too bad, I have the odd occasion when I crave sugary stuff and need a fix, but then I manage to get over it, well most of the time. anyway, getting to the point, I was weighed on Wednesday, since February I’ve lost just over 2.5 stones. I’ve still got a way to go, but if the trend continues I could lose another half to three quarters of a stone by Christmas. Somewhere between would be great, it would be nice to end the year having lost around three stones. I(t’s surprising how good I feel, I’m not getting out of breath so easily and I seem to be able to move a bit easier. once I’ve got the blood pressure under control, I will be able to increase my exercise routine and that will help even more. So here’s to the new year, with the best of intentions, I could be fifteen stone by the end of 2011.

We also have a big secret, something is happening to this house on Sunday, I can’t say much more on pain of my already limited sweet treat supplies being totally withdrawn, suffice it to say that the house will once again be complete and I shall be a very happy chappy, well that’s the plan anyways. Well dear reader, that’s about it for now. I shall reveal all on Sunday, although I’m sure that you can probably guess what’s happening, but if you can’t then I shall leave you shivering with antici…

pation!

Ta ta.

Of pups and pottering!

2010-10-05T23:19:00.001+01:00

Ok, it’s been pointed out to me that this should have been posted before the post about Cole and Cars.

Last Friday my nearest and dearest went off to Hertfordshire for the weekend, apparently there was a county show and The Little Dogs Rescue were going to be there promoting the charity and excellent work they do. I took the day off work so that I could spend time with her before she set off and go with her to catch the coach and see her off. She left at 15:30 and wouldn’t be back until late afternoon/early evening on Sunday. After she left I stayed in town to grab a few provisions for the weekend and then I returned home to the pup. Who promptly got taken out for a stroll. When we returned we settled down to watch mindless rubbish on the telly box for a while until heading out on another stroll. Nothing really exciting happened on Friday night, except for getting a call from the person Tea was meeting who told me that she could be found and wasn’t answering her phones. At this point I started to worry a bit. Trudes had been very apprehensive about going away and doesn’t take well to new environments and crowds, so learning that she was “missing” and incommunicado was more than a little cause for concern. Eventually I managed to get hold of her and she was ok and in the car, Hoorah!

Saturday was shop day; this presented me with a bit of a worry, the pup! I wasn’t totally comfortable with the idea of him being at the shop for the whole day and I couldn’t cancel the shop as Sue was going to the model railway exhibition and without me at the shop she’d lose a day’s trade, and with the current financial climate that wasn’t really an option. So what to do? Fortunately a plan was formulated and we agreed that a friend would come to the house at 08:30 and sit with the pupmiester for a couple of hours then bring him to me at the shop. So off I set leaving my wee man in very capable hands. I got a call just after 12 saying that they would be down soon and he was out for a stroll. When they arrived pup was being his usual shouty self, when his sitters departed I tried him with his calming band, which he immediately removed, clever pup! Eventually he settled down and I hardly knew he was there, apart from the odd grumbling for cuddles, toward the end of the day I was confident enough in my little man that I let him wander around the shop off the lead with me. He was so well behaved, the door to the shop is open all the time and leads straight out to Hythe high street, and he never once tried to make for the door. When I was in the gaming room with the lads he simply curled up under one of the tables and didn’t move until I called to him. Smiffy and his wife arrive and Suze fell in love with pup straight away. Well eventually the time came to head home, pup doesn’t like travelling and our only option was the bus. He was a bit whimpery but on the whole he was very well behaved. When we got home I dumped my bags and went straight back out to reward Rich for his excellent behaviour with a good long stroll. Over the course of the evening we had a few strolls. Sunday was quiet; we went out for a long stroll to the warren. More rubbish on the TV and a few more walks and then a call from Trudes to say that she would be home at 18:45. So pup and I pottered about until I went out to meet her coach. Trudes came home to a very happy pup who was very pleased to have her home, and to be honest, so was I. I missed her a lot, although I was very pleased that she had a good time and hope that she takes the chance to have another break. Maybe next time me and pup will go with her, although there is the whole thing about absence making the heart grow fonder and not appreciating something until it’s gone, by my girl doesn’t have to go away for me to realise how much I love her. I think she knows.

So there it is, my second post of the day is a little less ranty.

Ta ta

There comes a time when every man has to admit, it needs a spoiler!

2010-10-05T21:50:00.001+01:00

Today is total rantification day, I’m not a big fan of so called talent shows, I dislike the fact that some people choose to embarrass themselves and stand up in front of the nation’s TV viewers after having convinced themselves that they can sing and dance, when in fact they have what could be called shower talent. Well the latest fiasco has resulted in Cheryl Cole being labelled racist for not choosing one lass out of thousands.

My point is this, walk down any city street and pass by homeless people who sleep in the cold and the rain, think about children being abused, starved and beaten because mummy and daddy can't afford this week’s rent, perhaps even consider the hundreds of British soldiers fighting in a conflict that they should never be involved in, spare a thought for thousands of people being held against their will and being beaten and tortured because of political or religious view.
Now before folk go getting on their soap boxes because a young lass with her whole life ahead of her got reject from a talent(less) show, and ask yourself which is a more worthy cause?
This isn't about racism, sexism, the fact that she's below a certain height, too fat, too skinny, too northern or too southern. It's about viewing figures and lining the pockets of the people involved in producing such programmes. Every time the X-Factor runs there's some sort of controversy, and every year thousands of threads are started to encourage people to stop voting/watching or buying the music. The only result is that every time it happens the viewing figures increase as people tune in to see more of the arguments and tantrums. The solution is simple, if you enjoy the x-factor, watch it and continue to enjoy. If you don't like it, change the flippin' channel. Or watch a DVD, or take the dog for a walk. The girl concerned will benefit more from not getting through than if she'd won the thing. Look at the results of last year. The lad that won is doing what? One single in 12 months, Jedward a UK tour and a TV series. So winning means nothing in the end anyway. With the right management team behind her she could be a rising star without over priced phone in votes that are fixed.

It’s not even down to Miss Cole who goes through, that’s just part of the show, a token sequence to maintain the illusion that the hopefuls are being given a fair chance. The producers decide who goes through and tell the faces of X-Factor who they want for the live final. So all these deluded fools who start hate groups on facebook need to take a good look at the real world and see that the campaigns of hate are just as bad as the racism they clam occurred. Hate does nothing more than create hate, there’s enough of that in the world without more being generated over the rejection of a child from a singing contest. There was never this much commotion over New Faces or Opportunity Knocks, and let’s face it that’s all the x-factor is. Oh I could now go on about the other talent type shows, Take strictly come ice skating for instance, take a handful of out of shape celebrities and throw them in at the deep end learning to do “proper” dancing or skating. Then when they have their first go at it, so called experts tell them how rubbish they are. Well of course they’re rubbish, they’ve never done it before. How about this for a concept, celebrity tree felling. We can get some relatively unknown TV peeps to cut down trees, from a sustainable source, but only give them 2 minutes training with a chainsaw and then when they’ve dismembered themselves we can tell them they’re rubbish. OK so probably not a good example, but you see my point. Alright it’s all in the name of entertainment, but wouldn’t it be better if the experts told them that they’d shown great improvement after three lessons rather than go for personal attack. But then I guess that’s not what these shows are about.

My next rant is very far removed from the above, cars! What the heck do car designers think they’re doing? The government babbles on about how we should be more eco friendly and join Greenpeace and all become ecomentalist. They tell us we should drive green cars that use alternative fuels. Have you seen the option available? They’re ridiculous, they can’t design cars anymore, it’s all done by a computer that takes a ball of plasticine and squishes it about a bit and ends up with something that makes the Jetsons space car look high tech. Why these people think we want to drive around in four wheeled bubbles is beyond me. The thing is they can make a cool looking electric car, they proved that with the Tesla. Seat have a concept called the IBe, it looks a bit like an Astra but it’s electric, Jaguar have designed the C-X75, it’s rather nice. We then move on to Kia’s endeavour in the field of battery powered cars, it’s called the Pop, and from the look of it, it very well might, Bubble #1. Bubble #2 is the Toyota FT-CH, Toyota take bubble #3 with the FT-EV II both TOYotas are along the same lines as the monstrously hideous Prius. A brilliant idea, an engine that runs on petrol/diesel and electric motors that are charged by the engine, the drawback is that it makes for a very quiet car; this means that people are more likely to get splattered because they never heard the car coming. Back the bubbles, Peugeot have a concept they are calling the BB1, oddly that almost spells bubble, it is hideous! No really, it’s the most ridiculous looking thing I’ve ever seen. I thought the Smart for2 was stupid, but the BB1 out stupids even my idea of a three wheeled wheelbarrow for carrying you’re drunken mates home on a Friday night. Other bubbles include the Renault Twizy which looks like a cross between a smart for2 that been shrunk in the wash and an action man tank. Not quite a bubble but still rather stupid looking is the Nissan Townpod, it’s a chunkier version of the Note, but a bit rounder.

Before I go I would just like to mention Lotus, with Rover and Jaguar owned by BMW and Aston Martin owned by Ford, the last bastion of British car design is probably Lotus, although they’re owned by Proton they still count, just! Lotus has, in the past, made some fantastic looking cars, the Esprit, the elan and the over powered go-cart that is the Elise. Looking at their concepts it seems that they’ve stolen the front end from every Lamborghini ever produced. Except for one car, the City Car. It’s not even original, it’s nothing more than an overpriced Toyota Yaris, Google it it’s an insult to the whole of Lotus’ history. Two blokes called Percy were sat in a shed in Norfolk and thought lets rip off the Japanese. Whatever happened to classics? They’d have done better if they put an engine and a spoiler on a grand piano.

Right I’m done,

Hopefully I’ll be in a better mood for my next entry.

Ta ta

Just when you thought it was over, what is with the new trend of putting the letter “I” in front of everything? Not to mention all the different pods that are about now. It’s not as though we’re peas! Or should that be I-peas

Who ya gonna call? well someone with a bit of common sense would be a start!

2010-10-03T22:39:00.001+01:00

Those of you who know me well will be aware that I have more than a passing interest in the paranormal, and I have long been interested in conducting an investigation in an alleged haunted location. I have considered various places to carry out such activity and have considered many factors, the first being access. Ideally the location should have free and unlimited access and fairly isolated from built up areas, so as to rule out distractions from traffic and public activity. So somewhere off the beaten track would be a good start. The location would also have sufficient parking or be well within walking distance of such parking. Once a location has been agreed upon by all interested, we should carry out a daylight visit to risk assess the place and decide on the areas that warrant particular attention. The main issue here would be equipment, I have a DVD camera that has a night vision facility and, if I ask nicely, access to a video tape camera that also has night vision. I don’t see any issues with cameras, almost everyone I know has a digital camera, and considering that most mobile phones feature a fairly good camera we should be able to get plenty together. I also have access to a rather good 35mm still camera, although I would have to ask permission to use it. Considering that such investigations normally take place at night, a good supply of torches and batteries would be a necessity. One piece of kit I would like to have is either an EMF meter or a K2 meter. These are available to buy, but I can’t warrant purchasing one if it isn’t going to get used regularly. Another useful bit of kit to have at hand would be some form of audio recording equipment. Again I have 2 of these, one is powered by a single AAA battery, the other has a built in rechargeable battery. Of course the most vital part of any paranormal investigation is a group of investigators. A few friends have expressed an interest and I’m quietly confident that I could muster the troops for a Friday or Saturday night effort. Where locations are concerned, one place that has intrigued me is a place known as Oxney Bottom. It’s an area of woodland between St Margaret’s and Ringwould on the road from Dover to Deal. It has the remains of a 16^th century chapel and a ruined manor house. I grew up hearing many tales of the area, including the legend of the grey lady, seen by motorists; many of them claim that the apparition forced them off the road. There is also a claim that a small boy ran away from home, made his way to the woods where he fell down a well. Apparently there is a capped well in the area; it would have served the manor house and small village. There are rumours that the boys’ remains are still at the bottom of the well, and he has been seen running through the woods. The only issue with an investigation here is that I suspect the wood surrounding the remains of the chapel are private property and that police were investigating the removal and damage of the no trespassing notices. An obvious choice for a location would be Pluckley, but I think the locals take a dim view of people running around the village with camcorders and torches. Of course if any of my readers have any suggestions for a good place to visit leave details here or mail me at the usual address, you can, of course, contact me via facebook.

Well that’s it for this entry, sleep well.

A haunting we will go!

2010-09-30T23:30:00.001+01:00

Hello there, you’re back, it’s been a while, how have you been? I’ve been quite busy since my last post, work has been fun, I’ve been in the workshop this past week and a bit, the interesting thing is that once I got back to my main role at work I realised that it’s the flipping computers that are getting me down. Six years ago they were slightly above average Dells, now they’re slow cumbersome monsters that actually manage to ruin my day. Combine them with what could be the worst internet connection in the world and the computers are just about beyond useless. Still, the chances of getting upgrades are extremely unlikely so I guess I’ll make do and keep my gob shut. Nuff sed!

Way back at the beginning of the month I was asked if I would give a talk about the south east coastal defence batteries, I spent a bit of time putting something together and reading through my notes (not that you’d think it) and on the evening of 29^th I gave my talk, whilst I was a bag of nerves I had some positive feedback and it seemed to go very well. I’ve discovered that I’m a bit odd when it comes to giving talks, I’ve given three for the astronomy club and now one for the archaeology club, it seems no matter how much I prepare I lose it a bit at the time. Oh well I’m sure I’ll get better as time passes.

Getting back to the subject of work, one of the guys has been watching videos of alleged poltergeist activity; he’s been asking me if what is in the video is real. How on earth do you answer a question like that? I decided to go down the logical route and give him my honest opinion, not always a good thing in my experience, I explained that whilst I would not rule out the possibility of genuine supernatural activity, I am fairly convinced that most if all of the videos that are available to view on you tube are either blatant fakes or simply a case of misdirection. After this chat I could see cogs whirring and he eventually asked me how such videos could be faked. Well rather than go into elaborate details I thought I I’d show him. So yesterday I went to work armed with my video camera and a rough idea as to what we would do. Fortunately my workplace has a very well equipped woodwork shop and a couple of my workmates go fishing so there was plenty of props and the guys soon entered into the spirit of the thing. Initially the lads were a bit bemused about what we were doing, but once they saw the results of our early efforts they were both amused and impressed. We had a couple of takes, ooh technical terms, out of the six separate sequences I selected one good one and one slightly daft one, although I find the whole concept of these sort of videos more than a bit daft. After a bit of tweaking the video was ready to be posted on YouTube. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against the videos that get put on the web claiming to show ghostly goings on, but I wonder if they are doing more harm than good to any chance of genuine discoveries in the area of paranormal studies. Either way the video is available for all to view, and can be found by going to YouTube and searching for kalon1701. Go take a look; it’s worth a giggle, if nothing else.

If you do choose to view it, please don’t have nightmares, after all it’s just for fun.

Bye y’all.

Right, getting onto a more serious note… ooh, look, a shiny!

2010-09-09T21:34:00.001+01:00

I finally managed to get a couple of days off and I have the snots, bloomin’ typical. I don’t have anything particular planned for the time off. I probably just lounge about for a bit, I have a friends laptop that needs looking at, a talk on Lydden Spout to prepare and somewhere in the region of 250 miniatures to paint. I think I’ll manage to get two of those done, although I should get on with the miniatures as I want to have as many as I can finished before Christmas. The problem isn’t so much time as space. It’s a fifty/fifty split on the location of models that need building and painting some are at Tea’s whilst the others are in storage. In order to transfer the remaining models to Trudes I need to make some space for them. That means either sorting out the spare room or the shed. I need Tea’s permission to transfer everything to the spare room and I think she’s a bit loath to give it the ok as it’s currently a study for her wee man. Either way I need her to tell me what can be put where and when. The problem with me is that I like to be around people when I paint, firstly because I like to get feedback on how a model is coming along and secondly because I like to be around for Tea when she needs anything. So even if she does give the go ahead to take over the spare room I expect I’ll still sit in the kitchen.

We went down to Hythe today; we were heading to the Barrow Hill vets, for two reasons. First we were going to collect Molly pops’ ashes, we decided to have her cremated as we would not want to leave her remains in the garden should we ever move. Trudes has done this for two of her other dogs. Secondly, we had to take the new full time foster dog to the vet for a check up. The poor little lad has been through quite a rough time in his short life. Let’s start right at the front, shall we? Ok, first he has a wart on his nose, it’s about the size of a pea and he catches it now and then, which makes it bleed. His teeth are in a very bad state; at least one is loose and will need to be removed. His teeth also need a major clean, it looks as though they have never been cleaned. His right eye has been removed, we don’t know why. Rich’s left front elbow is, as the vet described it “trashed!” it seems it had a condyal fracture this is where the humerus splits at the elbow some time ago, as a result he has very limited movement in it and he has stretched the ligaments in his right foot where he has been compensating for the difficulty he has walking, although he does walk very well. moving on from the problems with his feet, he has a grade five heart murmur, whilst this is serious, possibly life threatening, as long as he isn’t over exercised he shouldn’t have to many problems because of it, the heart murmur is being treated with medication. His general physical appearance is reasonably good, his coat is soft and shiny but he could benefit from a little weight gain. We do have to be careful with this due to the problem with his heart. Finally Rich is monorchid, this means that one of his gentleman’s jewels didn’t drop properly when he was a pup and is currently hiding in a cavity in his groin. We also think that he may have been treated quite roughly in the past, he tends to cower and pull his ears tight to his head, he also wraps his tail tight to his hind area, from what I understand, this is a typical fear stance in a dog. We have no real clue in to his past because he was found abandoned in an alley, fortunately a kind member of the public found him and took him to their local dog pound who contacted The Little Dog Rescue. We were asked if we would consider another full time foster and Tea agreed to have the little chap bought to the house to meet Molly. They took to each other very well, there were no signs of aggression from either dog and they interacted well together. So, based on Molly’s opinion of the little chap we said we’d give him a loving and caring home, lord knows he needs it. Sadly, Molly didn’t get to welcome him into the house, but he came to us anyway.

Again, we have no real idea of how long he will be with us; all we know is that he will end his days with us. We have the full support of TLDR with his vet bills, these will be covered by money raised by the charity, and they will also cover any special dietary needs he may develop.

As i said earlier, the poor little chap has had quite an ordeal, however Tea and I will ensure that he gets all the care and affection that he deserves. Hopefully my friends will show him the same warmth they showed Molly.

In the words of Mrs Doyle, go on, go on, go on!

2010-09-07T01:21:00.001+01:00

I know, I said I wouldn’t post for a few days, but I thought I’d drop in and write a few words. Firstly a huge thank you to everyone for the wonderful messages of support and sympathy since Friday, you have no idea of how much it has helped us. We both miss Molly a great deal, and although it will take time, we will come to terms with her passing.

Not a great deal has happened over the weekend, Tea and myself popped into town to see a friend and have a coffee, then do a little shopping. Ooh exciting stuff! I managed to get my mitts on a copy of Island of blood on Saturday, drool. I also managed to pick up this little beauty, it’s called the Chapel of Sanctuary. It’s resin and has a really nice weighty feel to it. It’s an unusual model by GWs standards, firstly because it comes out of the box already painted, and there’s no real assembly needed. Although it comes in two pieces, the sections slot together nicely and it can be taken apart for taking home. Whilst it can be put on a table as a terrain piece, it also makes a rather fine display stand for a well painted miniature or a diorama.

Whilst I was at the shop on Saturday, Pete, a fellow gamer, mentioned that he was looking for a random game at some point. We talked about various options one being my folding table, the other being the dining table at Tea’s. Fortunately her royal gorgeousness was at the shop, talking shoes with another friend, so I got the ok from herself and then gave Pete my contact details and let him know that he and Ali have the standard open door policy. I spoke to Smiffy last night, with luck he’s going to come up on Wednesday, possibly for a spot of painting. Painting will be good, I need to throw myself back into it, I have so much to do and it’s about time I cracked on with it. Especially if I do get Island of Blood, otherwise it will mean that there will be another seventyish models waiting to be painted, at the moment I have more than double that. So I must crack on and finish what I started.

I’ve also been asked to do a talk for an archaeology club that some of my friends are part of, they want me to do a presentation on Lydden Spout. Usually when people think about archaeology, they tend to think about the Romans or Vikings and older periods. Few people think that something from the mid twentieth century is archeological, is that a word? I suppose they feel that because it happened within living memory, it’s not worth the effort. Personally I think it is, and I can think of a few people who would agree with me. Well that’s on the 29^th so I have three weeks to get it sorted. I have some pictures that were taken when Lydden Spout was in service, and I have a map of the whole emplacement somewhere. I think the time limit is 45 minutes, but I’ll have to check that. I think the presentation should be in two sections, the first half being about the role it played in the war and the second being about the condition it’s been allowed to get into now. It makes me sad to see these places being so neglected.

Well that’s me done for now, I’m getting back on track. Forgive me if I digress now and then, but that’s what I do.

One last thing, as you know, Molly was a foster dog from The Little Dogs Rescue, they’re a charity that works toward providing homes for dogs that are unwanted and/or unloved. Some of the dogs, like Molly, require special care and need to be fostered because the illnesses they have incur high costs which the rescue covers. This means that although the people caring for the dog have the chance to give a foster dog all the love he or she may need, they don’t have to worry about the vet bills and, in certain cases they are also provided with food for the dog, should a special diet be needed. The money to cover this is raised through fund raising events and donations, without these they would not be able to help the poor abandoned, unloved and often mistreated dogs that come to them. So if you find yourself at a loss for what to do with a handful of small change, pop in to the shop where I run the gaming group, we have a collection tin there, or why not visit the website and take a look at some of the little furry lads and lasses who need your help. Go on, give a little dog a chance for a better life. You can donate by visiting http://thelittledogrescue.proboards.com/index.cgi and clicking on the donate button.

Thank you for taking the time to read down this far

Kindest regards

Toodles my little cream puffs!

I don’t do little dogs!

2010-09-04T23:31:00.002+01:00

Feeling a little out of sorts and not sure what to do today, Trudes was insistent that I kept to my usual Saturday routine. Although I wasn’t really feeling up to it, I also didn’t much fancy sitting in the house. Whilst I would have been happy to leave my wonderful fiancé sleeping in, the house just doesn’t feel the same. There’s no clickety click as molly goes for a drink, Trudes and I are just sitting quietly doing our own thing, both very solemn. Despite the sadness I’m feeling, I know that our little lady is running through the fields, her sight restored, her Cushings and diabetes have gone, and she has a full and beautiful coat of soft, warm fur. She will be easy to spot as she will be the sweetest, prettiest Yorkshire terrier there. I’m not a religious man, I lost my faith many years ago, but I am spiritual. I am sure that when I am called I will cross that bridge and my dog will be waiting for me with a pink sparkly ball resting between her front paws. For me that may be many years, but for Molly it will be only a moment. She will be so busy chasing squibbles with her friends that she won’t even notice time passing.

Molly had such an effect on me that I felt compelled to do something to commemorate the time we had, so over my heart there is now a little turquoise paw print with a tiny little on the large pad. I chose this because she truly has left paw prints on my heart; Tea suggested the colour as Molly had a turquoise T-shirt with Daddy’s Girl on it. Tea says that she was a proper little daddy’s girl, and for the most part I would have to agree. For the last two weeks or so, she was coming up to bed with me. She made me laugh as she bounded up the stairs, occasionally miscounting and expecting one more than there was. She’d snuffle around the landing before going into my room, where she would wait for me to lift her on to the bed. After a minute or two of shuffling around to find a good spot, usually right in the middle of the bed so that I would have to move her over. We would then have a cuddle and a little play before settling down for the night.

Something else that I loved doing with Molly was taking her out. Tea would get her ready in one of her, many, little outfits. My favourite is her little red dress with white spots. Because she didn’t walk too well we carried her most of the time, but we let her have a bimble about now and then. Because we carried her it meant we got lots of cuddles and the odd whiff every now and then, oh my that girl could fart! It didn’t matter to me one bit what anyone thought when they saw me with her, I was so proud that she was with us and nothing can take away all those happy memories.

Almost everyone I know who met Molly Pops couldn’t resist her sweet endearing face, her fur had grown since she first came to us and she had the most adorable fringe that covered her eyes. She had started to grow fur where she had lost it and she was covered with a very soft coat of fine fur, almost like a puppy. My favourite time with Molly was bath time, Tea and I felt that as she spent most of the day with Mo-Mo, I should have bath time. If I had my way I would have bathed her every night. She had special soap that helped with her itchy skin, which she had as a result of the Cushings and allergies. After getting her out I would take in to the bedroom and put her on some towels, so that the bed didn’t get wet, she would roll around on the bed whilst I blasted her with a hair dryer. She would smell so sweet as the soap was an aroma therapy type thing with all manner of oils and stuff in it. Molly also had the most amazing smile, people tend to look at me like I’m a bit odd when I say that animals smile, but from the picture of Molly posted here, I think it’s fair to say that’s a huge grin.

So there you have a brief insight into the wonderful times Tea and I had with our little Molly. I write this not because I’m sad but because I want to share the wonderful sense of joy that she bought to us, the love we gave her was returned, plus more. Was she spoilt? Yes, but after all that little dog had been through she deserved every second of it. Was she loved? I don’t think the word truly describes how we felt about her. Was she happy? I don’t doubt it for a second. Would I have another dog? Yes, we both feel that it would be wrong for us not to give another dog a loving home where it would be safe and well cared for. Plus I think Molly would want us to, she knows how much we loved her, and she would want us to show that love to another little dog.

The next dog we have is down to Tea, although I would like to meet it before a definite decision is made. Ideally I would like a Yorkie puppy, but again that is down to Tea. I know she would like an older dog; all I want is a dog that’s well behaved, house trained and affectionate. Not too much to ask is it?

I may not blog for a few days now; I will probably throw myself into painting miniatures and spending time with Tea so that we can start our healing together. Trudes has had a pink version of the paw print tattoo put on the inside of her left wrist. I shall probably blub a few more times over the next few days when I tell friends who are not online but have met or knew about Molly.

Hopefully my next entry will be brighter and back to my usual standard of rant filled rubbish.

Until then, stay well, and let your pets and your family know how much you love them, especially your pets because your time with them is short and every moment should be treasured.

Goodbye my sweet girl, you will be so sorely missed.

2010-09-03T16:19:00.001+01:00

Of all the blog posts I’ve written over the last few months, this is probably the hardest. As you would have read on yesterday’s entry, Molly came home from hospital. Although she wasn’t herself, she appeared to be on the mend. Trudes and I were so happy to have her home, she snuggles up on the sofa beside her momma and had a sleep, she then bimbled over to her bed by the TV and dug out a pigs ear and spent about twenty minutes having a chew. I fed her at eleven, as per the vets’ instructions, and gave her a shot of insulin. With her fed, watered and jabbed I let her out for her night time pee and we set of to bed. I put her blanket on my bed, in case she was sick during the night, and spent about an hour lying with her gently stroking her and chatting to her. Eventually we fell asleep. I woke up with light the still on and our girl snoring away in a state of total comfort and bliss. I gave her a kiss and settled into bed properly. I awoke to Molly desperate for a pee and eager to get downstairs, so off we went. Knowing that wasn’t due to be fed I just sorted out her tablets and tried to give them to her, she wasn’t interested. This is when I realised that she was still poorly. Trudes had heard the sound of my panicking and came down to offer the voice of reason and suggested putting her pills in some cheese, that worked! I set off for work more than a little worried. My phone rang at about ten, it was Trudy saying that I should come home as Molly had been very sick and was not eating; she added that she had spoken to the vet and that he had said that if she was not keeping food down without the help of a drip it was not a good sign. In a way it was, Trudes and I both feel that Molly had manage to recover enough to be well enough to spend one last night with us at home, with that done, our sweet little Molly Popples let Trudy know that she was ready to cross the rainbow bridge. I spoke to my boss and explained what was happening and he told me to go. I phoned the friend that had taken us to collect her last night, I guess from the tone of my voice she knew why I was calling, and she simply said that she would meet us at Trudy’s. Shortly after I arrived home two of my very close friends, who also adore our girl, came to say goodbye. We drove to the vets in Hythe and shortly after we got there I had one last cuddle with our Molly and Trudes carried her in to spend the last few moments with her.

So I write this with a shattered and heavy heart in the front room of a very empty house. Trudes and I feel blessed to have had the few, all too short, months we had with Molly, but we rest easy knowing that she loved us as much, if not more, as we loved her. I don’t doubt that we will, given time, foster or adopt another little dog, but I will always have a Molly shaped hole at the centre of my heart. She was the first dog in my life that was mine, and that makes her extra special. Despite all her ailments she never once complained, not even at the end.

So goodbye my sweet little Molly Popples, I will love you forever and you have left paw prints on my heart.

When you have read to the end of this entry, please take a moment to speak a few words for our girl, and then, if you have a pet you hold dear, go and love them. Hold them and kiss them and tell them that they mean the world to you. For the love of a pet is unconditional, and they return the love you give without question.

To have loved and then said farewell is better than to have never loved at all.
For all of the times that you stooped and touched my head, fed me my favourite treat and
returned the love that I so unconditionally gave to you. For the care that you gave to me
so unselfishly. For all of these things I am grateful and thankful. I ask that you grieve
not for the loss but rejoice in the fact that we lived, loved and touched each other's lives.
My life was fuller because you were there, not as owner, but as my friend. Today, I am
as I was in my youth. The grass is always green, butterflies flit among the flowers and
the sun shines gently down upon all of God's creatures. I can run, jump and play
and do all of the things that I did in my youth. There is no sickness, no aching joints
and no regrets and no aging. We await the arrival of our lifelong companions and know
that togetherness is forever. You live in our hearts as we do in yours. Companions such
as you are very rare and unique. Don't hold the love that you have within yourself.
Give it to another like me and then I will live forever. For love never really dies
and you are loved and missed as surely as we are.

Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of Heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an
animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet
goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our
special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of
food, water and sunshine and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and
vigour; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong
again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times
gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small
thing: they each miss someone very special, someone who was left
behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly
stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; his
eager body begins to quiver. Suddenly, he breaks from the group,
flying over the green grass, faster and faster. You have been
spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling
together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses
rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and
you look once more into those trusting eyes, so long gone from your
life, but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together...

I think this last one sums up our last day with Molly.

Do you think the time is right?
May I say goodbye to pain filled days and endless tired nights?
I've lived my life and done my best, an example tried to be.
So can I take that step beyond, and set my spirit free?
I didn't want to go at first; I fought with all my might.
But something seems to draw me now to a warm and loving light.
I want to go, I really do; it's difficult to stay.
But I will try as best I can to live just one more day.
To give you time to care for me and share your love and fears.
I know you're sad and afraid, because I see your tears.
I'll not be far, I promise that, and hope you'll always know,
that my spirit will be close to you wherever you may go.
Thank you so for loving me. You know I love you too,
And that's why it's hard to say goodbye and end this life with you.
So hold me now just one more time and let me hear you say,
Because you care so much for me, you'll let me go today.

Is tired nights accurate? Maybe not, Molly would bound up the stairs to with either me or her mommas bed, and she would sleep soundly through the night, with the occaisional snore and a little yip now and then as she chased squibbles and bunnies in her sleep

Thank you for taking the time to read through this.

Kindest regards

Steve

Welcome home Molly Popples

2010-09-03T00:15:00.001+01:00

What a week it’s been! As many of you know, Molly Pops has been very poorly since we returned from the weekend camping. On Tuesday, the vet said that she wasn’t improving as well as they were hoping. Trudes was told that we should realistically prepare for the worst. This decision was pending a conversation with one of the directors of TLDR, fortunately the vet was told to do everything that was needed to give Molly every chance of a full recovery before considering the final option. On Wednesday Trudes and I went up to the hospital to see her, what a change! The listless little pup that we left there on Monday was nowhere to be seen. In its place was our little girl, she made all her noises and danced around her little kennel as though nothing had happened. Later that night Trudes phoned the vets, on a different matter which I’ll come to in a bit. The vet told her that our visit, albeit brief, had done Molly the power of good, and that she would most likely be coming home tomorrow. Such sweet news, so with help from a close friend, we set off to bring our princess home. We had a very good chat with the vet, he gave us some advice regarding her jabs, and he has also suggested that we take her for a glucose curve once a week. This will help to monitor her glucose levels so that we can ensure that she’s getting the right amount of insulin. Molly is home now, and as I write this she is curled up on the sofa next to her momma snoring away quite happily. This house is once again a home.

Yesterdays excellent news about Molly did come at a price; well we thought so at the time. After the hospital we returned home and on the way we had to drop off food for Obi Kat, as we were leaving the little tinker shot out into the main road. We set off in pursuit as the road at the front of the house can get quite busy and he only really goes out in the back yard. Well the inevitable happened and there was a very loud thud. Suddenly I felt something wash over me that I haven’t felt for a very long time, it was really only after the event that I realised that I had become angry, although absolutely fuming would be a better description. There was lots of swearing and ranting on my behalf, I think the poor lass who was driving must have been absolutely terrified. Firstly hitting a cat and then having me ranting at her in my best angry voice. Bless her though she did offer to help, but I just swore at her some more and suggested that she left the area. With the help of a couple of friends, search parties were sent out but to no avail. it was whilst we were search for Obi that Trudes phoned the vet, who told her that a cat will tend to hide away until it has calmed down, then once the nerves have settled and the adrenaline has worn off they usually come home if they are able to. With nothing more to do than wait for Obi Kat to return home of his own volition. We also had to get Trudes home so that she could rest, so plans were put into place for the event of his return.

This morning I received word that he had indeed returned home and appeared to be no worse for wear, he does have a splintered claw and grazed pad, but that may have happened when he bolted. Before we went to collect Molly, Trudes and I went to see Obi to discover that he is indeed absolutely fine; maybe his moggie pride has taken a bit of a bashing. So despite the worry of Molly and the moggie, it’s all sorted and both the fur balls that I love are fine, although I have to say that I don’t really view Obi as my cat any more. He came into my life at a time when I needed something to take my mind off the situation I was in with my life. Fortunately I know that Obi will be loved by his new friend as much, if not more than me. I will still visit him and take him food and treats, but it seems the right thing to do, as much as I would love to have him with me, there is too many complications. With Percy the (non) homing pigeon doing a good impression of kitty lunch, we’d be forever shooing him away from the feathered fella.

So with Molly home and almost back to full health, we have opened our eyes to the fact that her time with us is really limited. We don’t know if we will get just a few more short weeks or a few months, either way we will make every moment we have with her as precious as we possibly can. We will love her and ensure that her quality of life is the best we can provide. We also need to use the time we have with her to prepare ourselves for the day when Molly does cross the rainbow bridge. I know that no matter how much we prepare for that day, it will break my heart. However we will both know that when she crosses the bridge she will have Sam and Willow and Max, Trudes’ previous and much loved dogs, waiting for her to chase squibbles and snuffle rabbit raisins, I can just see the four of them sniggering at the stories each of them have about their lives with Trudes, and in Molly’s’ case the both of us. But for now, all that matters is that she is at home with us where she belongs.

So we come to the end of another solemn blog, well almost. I’m actually going to end with something a bit cheerful, well for me anyway. Sitting at the shop are seven boxes from Games Workshop, they are brand new copies of The Island of Blood. Three copies have been ear marked, I know that one is for me and one is more than likely for Smiffy. It will be so bloomin’ hard not to come home without it on Saturday. But, considering I’ve put this on my Chrimbo pressie list (113 days), if I were to bring it home I think I will be sleeping in, if not under, the shed.

Yay, a happy ending, well sort of, I Love my dog, I love my girly, I love my ex cat and I even love the (non) homing pigeon in the back garden. I’m off to catch up on all the Molly snuggles of missed out on over the last few days.

Nite all!

Whilst people can turn away and let you down, a dog will always be there for you and can always be trusted.

2010-08-31T22:42:00.001+01:00

I had a fantastic weekend away with some great friends; I wish it had been longer and that I’d had the chance to catch up with the guys that had left by the time we arrived. I’m looking forward to the next time we get the chance to get together and relax with a few beers. I’m not expecting this week to pass by very quickly; I also don’t anticipate a very bright one. The reason for this is that Molly is not with us at the moment, here’s a brief account of the situation; we have a 12 year old Yorkshire terrier who has Cushing’s disease, diabetes and she's blind. She's only been with us for 4 months, but she's the first dog that has ever got to me in the way she has. Yesterday, being Monday 30^th, she became very ill very quickly due to complications with the Cushing’s and the diabetes and she was rushed to the veterinary hospital in Ashford. Whilst they will do as much as they can for her there is a very real possibility that we may have to send her over the rainbow bridge. We thought we were going to lose her a few weeks ago but she pulled through. I'm hoping she will this time but I also know that the day will come when we will have to say goodbye as it won't be fair on her to keep her going. However, I know that when that day comes it will absolutely devastate me. I know she's just a dog at the end of the day, but no animal has ever made such an impact on me. We have to consider what’s right for Molly Pops, but it doesn't mean I have to like it.

Those who have met Molly will know what a sweet little pup she is, I know she 12 but all dogs are pups to me, even a few of my friends who ”don’t do small dogs” can’t resist a sly little ruffle of her fur when they think no one’s looking. She just has that effect on people. Spend twenty minutes with her and I defy anyone to not think she’s a sweetie. She has such a strong character, despite her blindness she bimbles around quite happily, alright so she bumps into things now and then. She looks so cute when she runs up the stairs to wake Trudes up in the morning when I take her coffee to her. She hardly ever complains when she has to have her twice daily jab. I also think she’s been good for Trudes whilst she’s been having her treatment. Here I was thinking that I’d be the strong and keep it together, it’s been the exact opposite. Trudes is being the strong one, holding back on the emotions whilst I’m falling to pieces. Again, anyone that truly knows me is fully aware that whilst I like to think I’m a strong fella and can take what life throws at me, in reality I’m just, as Trudes would say, a big soppy bear of a man, so what! I don’t care really, I’m more than happy to walk around town with my Molly in my arms, even when she’s wearing one of the many outfits that she has, whether it’s a pink leopard print jumpsuit or her little red dress with white spots. My little Popples is worth every moment I spend with her, and I think she knows how much I love her. She and Trudes mean the world to me.

Right I’m off for yet another blub and to send some healing vibes to little Molly Popples, if you have any spare, perhaps you could send a few her way too. Thanks for reading.

Blessed be!

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My sweet Molly Popples.

Someone to comfort to dry up those tears,

Someone to be there, to quiet your fears,

A companion, a pal, a very best friend,

Someone to trust and to love till the end.

I love you sweet Molly Popples.

Rant, tents, tiddlers and poorly pups.

2010-08-30T20:17:00.001+01:00

Rant #1 Friday night arrived, well evening, and after I had done my chores for obi I headed home via one of the local chip shops. At 19:05 I ordered cod & chips for two, at 19:10 one of the chaps behind the counter smiled at me and said sorry. Now if the chippy had been busy, I wouldn’t have minded so much. However, I was the only customer! When the chap apologised, probably for the lack of activity, I expressed my displeasure at the amount of time it had taken them to not batter the fish and drop it in the oil. I then left the shop, saying I would get the order at their nearest rivals.

Rant #2 this is aimed at the callous twonk who couldn’t wait five seconds for an animal to get out of the road, so he/she ran it over. The animal in question was a young gull, yes I know that there’s millions of the little blighters and that they can be a pest, but this little bird was the young of a gull that has become somewhat of a local mascot near the shop where I help out on Saturday. The adult gull has been named Oscar by the locals. They feed him and he is quite the cheeky little chap. He once tried to nick some cork from the shop. For the last few weeks he has paraded his chick up and down the area and seemed to be quite a doting parent. Unfortunately there’re no parental controls on this blog and there’s a chance that folk who take offence to harsh language. So I’ll do my best not to swear. So far as I’m concerned the owner of the car is a heartless moron, there were small children who witnessed your blatant act of animal cruelty. Just because you have a car, you don’t have the right to drive as you please. A little patience wouldn’t be too bad, but no, you felt the need to get to your destination as quickly as possible. Would it have made that much difference if you’d waited for the gull to get out of your way? Had there been a cat or a dog in the road, would have ploughed into that without a single thought for the animals owner. You inhuman troll; I hope that Oscar and his entire gull mates crap on your car, and your head, everyday for the next month.

On a brighter note we had a fantastic weekend. It started off well, I set off for the shop on Saturday morning, and I was twenty minutes behind schedule. Fortunately the advance team were en route to prepare for the oncoming tide of noisy sprogs, and the bus was late, this added ten minutes to the delay. Somehow the bus journey ran to time, and I made five minutes up. The shops incoming customers were a little sporadic, takings would have been a bit better had the National Express agents’ web site had been up and running. The afternoon gaming session was a bit quiet as most of the lads were out making the most of the last weekend of the summer holidays. Trudes arrived with the lovely Miss Molly and I shot off to Waitrose to stock up on provisions for the evening in tentville. The transport shuttle from star base Smarden arrived and we set off for our weekend break.

On arrival we loaded the tractor trailer with more stuff than we probably needed and I drove the machine to field we were camping in. Little Miss Molly decided that she was going to check out all the new smells and noises, so she and her momma walked all the way, although Tea prefers the term bimble. We unloaded and I took an opportunity to head up to the pond for a short stint of fishing, I like fishing! I can’t think of anyone I’d rather fish with, Manky and Jason from astronomy club were already tiddler bashing, so without delay I picked up a rod and started drowning bait. It was too long before I caught my first over sized minnow, the cheeky little piscine had more or less swallowed not only the bait, but the whole blooming hook. This needed forceps to remove; once the hook was out I released the little beggar and promptly dropped the forceps in the drink. This was the first disaster. After a bit more fishing we returned to camp for dinner. Dinner wasn’t quite ready so I went to finish off putting our tent up. This led to the second disaster; I’d forgotten the inflatable mattresses! Oh dear lord what was I to do? The first part of the plan that popped into my head was to ask around the others to see if anyone had at least one spare mattress, if they had then at least Trudes would be comfy. Sadly no one had a spare, so stage two was to either set off back to Folkestone and grab our mattresses or go to B & Q in Ashford and buy at least one for Trudes, then at the last moment, one of the chaps, namely Jose offered his mattress for the night. Trudes would have that and I’d make do with the floor. Once that issue had been fixed, I had to sort out one or two other issues, but I won’t go into detail here. By the time the tent was sorted, dinner was too. It was braised pork and new potatoes, yummo! A bottle of Doom Bar helped to wash it down, oh my it was good. Once I’d had my nosh it was time for Molly Pops to have hers, the usual mixture of finely chopped hot dog sausage sprinkled with bionic Biotic, its amazing stuff, Molly has a fine downy coat where she was a baldy girl when she first came into our lives. Once the divine miss M had scoffed, I headed off to get her jab. When I returned Batty mentioned that he had a couple of trout that he was going to cook, he asked if anyone would like some, Trudes has since discovered that she now likes trout, Good oh!

With dinner for everyone done some of the gang started building a camp fire, once it was ready to light, down came the rain. However, seeing as how we’re all completely bonkers, we lit it anyway. Fortunately it was too long before the play stopped rain and we were all sat around a roaring campfire swapping jokes and laughing ourselves sick. Early on I had fixed up some bananas with chocolate buttons in them, they were placed on the hot embers to melt the chocolate, to be honest the one I had needed more chocolate and a little longer in the fire, but never mind, I know for next time. There were also toasted marsh melons, one of my faves. The evening drew on and we had a chance to see the ISS as it went over plus a few other satellites. The beer flowed well and then the port was opened. This is the best part of any camp fire, a group of good friends, a warm fire and a bottle of port or four definitely warms the cockles. To top the evening off nicely we were regaled with the tale of a rather impertinent bunny by the name of Foo Foo, booze, bonfires and bunnies. Could the night get any better? Well considering I was with a group of some of my closest friend, and my two best girls, Trudes and Molly Popples were there, no, I don’t think it could. Eventually the fire died and we retired to our beds.

Sunday morning I was gently woken up by the missus taking photos of, what she described as, a giant caterpillar, the cheeky madam! Realising she meant me I let her take some more pics. Then I spotted my pup outside my section of the tent, I called to her and she came bounding in for big loves and cuddles. I grabbed another half and hours doze and then I slipped Molly in with Tea and headed off for a quick fish, this actually turned out to be a quick sit and watch Dave catching fish every ten seconds whilst my bait got ignored. After an hour I headed back to the camp to fix Molly breakfast and collect her morning jab. Once my pup was sorted, I went back to the pond for a bit more humiliation, sorry, fishing. This took up an hour or two, just as Dave left he mentioned that there were some large fish near the part of the pond he was walking past so I thought I’d have give it a go. My idea paid off and I caught the biggest fish I’d seen since we arrived, I was chuffed. Then off for some nosh and to see how my girls were. It turned out that Tea wasn’t aware that Molly Pops had been with her for the morning because the little angel didn’t to disturb her momma so she kept really quiet so that mom could sleep, ain’t she a sweetie?

Breakfast was followed by more fishing which was over all too soon as the weather turned nasty and the rain and the wind returned. Chris had arrived whilst I was up at the pond, and I spoke to him about the possibility of running us home, he was more than happy to do this. So at 17:30 we set back to Folkestone. The main reason we had to return was due to the fact that a friend from Northshire was visiting, although we did toy with telling him that he’d be on his own, but return we did.

It transpired that it was a god thing after all as Molly stated being sick just after midnight and carried on throughout the night. By Monday morning she was not at all in a good way, as I write this it is 19:30 on the 31^st of August and our precious little pup is in the pet hospital in Ashford being looked after by the wonderful vets and nurses of the Barrow Hill surgery hospital. All we can do now is wait and hope for the best, fortunately our Molly’s a fighter, but I’m sure a healing thought would help so please any you may have spare for our little girl. I’ve spent most of today worried sick and blubbing like a blubby thing.

My friend Karen took us up to the hospital, as a thank you we treated her to lunch and then met up with Teas young man to take him to see a film, this had been arranged before we went camping, and as we weren’t expecting Molly’s health to take a turn for the worse, we couldn’t let him down, and since I was a complete wreck, Trudes suggested that I stay with them and see the film. We saw the Last Airbender, whilst it’s a good film, one of the funniest lines has got to be “I’ve always known you were a bender!” closely followed by “you’re a bender?” Well I sniggered and I think Trudes did too. She missed the last few minutes as she missed a call from the vets and had to call them back.

Molly is suffering from something called Diabetic ketoacidosis, hopefully we’ve caught it early enough and she will be home with us soon.

So an eventful weekend that could have ended a little better but these things happen and I’m looking forward to have Molly cuddles very soon. I’ll keep those who want to know how Molly Pops is doing either here or through Facebook.

Insert title here,

2010-08-27T23:57:00.001+01:00

With less than twenty four hours until we take to our sleeping bags for a night under canvas, I am quite looking forward to sitting round a camp fire sipping port and noshing on bananas with chocolate buttons melted in them. All manner of silliness will ensue, hopefully we’ll have clear skies for a spot of naked eye astronomy and satellite spotting, and then over to the pond for a bit of bait drowning, otherwise known as fishing.

NEWSFLASH.......

Just entered the bad books because I refused to despatch a rather large arachnid.

Anyway, I digress. The last time I slept in a tent was my last visit to Lyme Regis, which is also when I broke my toe. It did smart and there were some choice words, none of which can be written here.

When we return home on Sunday we will have the company of an old friend who’s visiting from Northshire, there are also plans to do a bit of shopping on Monday, if Trudes has the strength I shall treat her to the fancy coffee doodad that she likes; I shall have an iced vanilla milkshake thing.

I should think that treats will be unlikely as I shall no doubt be having a few too many whilst camping, when we get back to sillyvisation I shall be back on tub watch. The current status is another kilo lost and 0.4% total body fat has been dropped, I do hope nobody slips over on it. The next big milestone is Trudes return to the hospital for, what is hoped to be, the last instalment of lump watch. If all has gone well we shall be celebrating, I don’t yet know how, and then we can concentrate on getting my brave wife to be strong and healthy and getting our wedding plans off the ground.

I think we’re both agreed on a quiet affair with just a few close friends and family, suits me as long as it’s what Trudes wants.

I saw my boy for the first time in months on Wednesday, he asked if he could come up for a visit, I explained that he doesn’t need to ask, he just needs to let us know that he’s on his way. Even if he only gives us a couple of hour’s notice of his imminent arrival, I’m sure Trudes will have no objections. It will be brilliant to spend some quality time with him, he’s grown so much. He’s six foot two and stick thin, the sod! But his character hasn’t changed a bit. I’m sure him and Trudes will get on like a house on fire, no doubt at my expense. He’ll probably give her loads of ammo with to have a giggle at me with, and I don’t doubt that by the time he leaves we will have very sore side from the jokes and silly stories. This is the main reason I’m trying my hardest to keep Trudes and one of my oldest friends separate. If laughter is the best medicine, then Stu can cure Trudes of anything. Of course it comes with a price, namely my total humiliation, light hearted of course, but if anyone person can reduce me to a babbling wreck with tales from the days of my roguish youth, Mr Green is the man, and oh lord does he have some tales. I expect that some of the guys that we’ll be spending the weekend with will all have an embarrassing tale about me to share with T. Should be a laugh though.

So, until Monday when I report back from camping, I bid you farewell.

Camping, Chrimbo and consoles!

2010-08-25T21:35:00.001+01:00

I can’t believe it’s only Wednesday, this week seems to be dragging. I guess it’s because it’s so close to payday, the last week of the month always seems to be the longest. It may also be due to the fact that I’m looking forward to the weekend. I’m at the shop on Saturday, not supervising the gaming, although I shall take a rule book, some dice and some blast templates as the sprogs either don’t have them or regularly forget them. I won’t be taking any models. I’m running the shop for the day so that my friend can have time with family. After the shop we head to a friends for a spot of camping, I haven’t camped (ooer) for a few years and I’m really looking forward to kicking back and having a few beers. Some Doom Bar has been sent ahead for the evening. I hope to get a spot of fishing in on Sunday, also something I haven’t done for some time.

We’re taking Little Miss Molly Pops, and she getting a special outfit made to keep her (not quite so) baldy bum warm, as usual pics will be on my FB page after the event.

With it being a bank holiday, I think the plan is to do very little on Monday, Trudes has hinted that there’s a pair of shoes she quite likes so they may have to be put aside for Christmas. I’ve mentioned two potential pressies to herself, the first being the eagerly awaited, well for the gaming geeks amongst us, Isle of Blood. This is a new boxed set from Games Workshop. It features the new 8^th edition rules and two armies of finely detailed models. The other pressie is slightly more expensive than the game. I would like a new, more powerful telescope. I’ve got my eye on one, it’s made by Skywatcher and has a motorised equatorial mount. I suspect I may have to count it as a Chrimbo and birthday pressie, but I think I can live with that.

Trudes has reciprocated the start of pressie lists, only hers consists primarily of shoes and handbags. Well, she is a girl! I expect that non footwear related gift ideas will arise closer to the time, and I shall endeavour to get her some of the goodies that she requests, plus a few surprises.

I’ve never been great at buying for others, at the opposite end of that scale I think I’m relatively easy to buy for. Pretty much anything that goes beep will do for me. Speaking of things that go beep, I really must dust off my 360. It must be over a year since I last used it, and longer for the PS2. If any of my readers happen to have a spare copy of Hogs of War floating about, please get in touch. Apparently it’s one of the few computer gamey majigs that Trudes actually likes. I wonder what it would take to turn from geek-girl to gamer chick. Although technically, they’re not that different.

What I need to find is a game that is very immersive, the down side is that if I manage to find her a game that she likes, I won’t get a look in. Tee hee, I’ll get a slap for that.

There’s two games forth coming that are on my “I’d like that” list, the first is Fable 3 and the second is Star Wars, the Force Unleashed 2. These are just up my street for gaming; they have elements of the old style platform, the shoot ‘em up and a good amount of puzzle solving. Although if mindless blowing things up is what floats your boat, I don’t think you can go far wrong with any of the halo or Call of Duty games.

On facebook I’ve made a photo gallery of cars I like, just for fun more than anything else. I plan to add to it now and then, if you get a chance take a look and see if you agree with my choices.

Well that’s about all for now

Excelsior!

moaning is something old people do.

2010-08-20T00:03:00.001+01:00

Since Sunday my left shoulder has become very sore, probably as result of hoiking myself in and out of holes, I have to say that it was worth it. I haven’t had that much fun for a long while and I can’t wait to do it again.

I’m currently supporting the gym run at work, no I don’t make use of the amenities, that’s a concept that is totally alien to me, I have been making use of a very accurate set of weighing scales. Over the last months, I’m not entirely sure how long really, I’ve lost over two stone. Currently I’m losing about two pounds a week. I’m not absolutely certain what I’m doing, but whatever it is it’s working. A lot of my friends have told me that the weight loss is showing, plus I’m having to put new holes in my belt. By my reckoning, if I maintain the trend I stand to lose around four stone over the next four months. I may put a few pounds back on in December, but at least I have a target. I’m hoping to lose at least half of that by Christmas. Wish me luck on that.

Now for a bit of a moan, TV, with particular reference to weekend programmes, they’re rubbish! People say how rubbish things like Doctor Who, Merlin and Primeval are, but really look at the forthcoming season. This weekend will see the broadcasting of two programmes that centre around second rate pop stars that have been given video cameras so that they can film their day to day living. We also get the return of x factor, also known as talentless chavs who have been told by their nans that they sing well in the shower. Sadly the nan omitted to tell them that they’re deaf from all the raves they attended when they were younger. We also have the pleasure of less than minor “celebrities” throwing themselves around a dance floor, only to be told how rubbish they are at dancing. Well duh! These people aren’t professional dancers, so of course they’re going to be rubbish. At least we say goodbye to the mind numbing trite that is Big Brother. What’s happened to all the writers? Surely there’s a few good ideas floating around out there, or do we have to suffer East Coronation Dale and celebrity dog walking for the next eight months?

On a brighter note for those who enjoy being entertained by the idiot box when it has a proper programme on, Mark Gatiss, He of League of Gentlemen, Doctor Who scriptwriter and co-writer of this years, rather good, adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, is working on a new adaptation of H G Wells’ The First Men in the Moon. I reckon that’s something to look forward to. Wells is considered, by many, to be the creator of modern science fiction, some would argue that Jules Verne holds that title; maybe we could do a TV documentary on it! I remember the Lionel Jeffries version from 1964, it wasn’t a bad film, and because Wells lived in the area, Dymchurch gets a mention.

So there you have today’s blog, a bit of a rant, and a bit of good news on a personal level.

Oh happy days

2010-08-16T22:45:00.001+01:00

Sunday last saw me and a group of my very close friends return to Lydden Spout to further explore the area. We all met at the bottom of Folkestone Hill, I’m a Dover lad so it’s always been the hill into Folkestone rather than up to Dover. Two of us got the bus up, as there wasn’t room in the car. Dave and I got a bit lost so we called into a local tavern to ask for directions, the barman, for some unknown reason served us to pints of ale whilst we studied the map. Once we had our bearings we set off in search of the rest of our party. They were lost too, well, I say lost, they’d parked the other side of the pub. They’d also sent one of their number in the pub to ask if anyone fitting our description had been in, we’d been rumbled. Having regrouped we set off for our destination. The walk wasn’t as pleasant as the last time we were there. We had a force 10 gale blowing and no sun. However, we didn’t let that deter us, and we made headway to the holes. I was confident that the entrance to the deep shelter was somewhere down the cliff face, so myself and the rear admiral had a bit of a scramble down the cliff in an endeavour to locate it. We had no luck and realizing that we were in the wrong place we scrambled back up. I’m not as fit as I use to be, after that ascent I was quite knackered. We moved on to hole #1. A bit of a tight squeeze but I managed to get in and the exploring commenced. These holes have been there for over 60 years, they show many signs of neglect and abandonment, but they’re still impressive. They were excavated by the royal engineer corps to accommodate the crews for the large guns that defended that section of the coast. This battery, along with two others in Dover and another three between Guston and St Margaret’s were pivotal to defending the channel from the German war machine. Sadly history hasn’t been kind to these amazing places. In fact none of the fortifications have survived well, except for the installation beneath Dover castle. It seems to me that rather than preserving these places, it’s quite the opposite, and they are being allowed to fade away in the hope that what they stood for, and against, will eventually be forgotten. This is a great shame as both the wars are an important part of history, not just ours, but the whole of Europe’s. Anyway, I digress, after the first hole, or to give it its correct designation, Magazine store #1, we headed back to the cliff face in another attempt to find the deep shelter. This was the equivalent of an air raid shelter for the gun crews. We found some steps heading down the cliff and, again two of us climbed down. A third body went down a path that was slightly to the west of the steps where he stood on top of a well constructed wall. We didn’t find the entrance, but I have since learnt that body three was very close, it’s at the base of the wall just to the left of where he was stood. I also have it on good authority that the entrance is very close to total collapse, so maybe it was a good thing we didn’t find it. I just hope that when nature does finally have its way and seals the entrance permanently, no one is in there. Returning to the top we headed over to the hole we first explored on the walk a few weeks ago. Not much had changed, apart from a few more spider egg sacks. As we started to walk back I noticed what appeared to be a large, rusted, hatch lid. It was too heavy for me to lift it on my own, but it was clear that it could be lifted. So Dave and I took the initiative and lifted the hatch. Beneath it was a shaft with a ladder going down one of the side walls. After a brief discussion it was agreed that some of us were prepared to climb down the ladder and see what was down there. We had found the emergency escape shaft to the plotting rooms; this was the control room for the guns and also housed the Battery Command Post. The larger room was the plotting room itself and doors lead off it into smaller rooms which housed the ventilation plant and probably mess rooms. Something that we all thought was a very touching tribute to the men that manned these positions was a visitors book that someone had left there, along with some photos and letters from, I think, former servicemen and women. Again the area is well preserved, to the point where some of the light switches and power outlet switches work as well as they would have sixty years ago. Flicking the switches made a resounding click. I’m certain that if there was still power to the facility, some time and effort could easily restore this place to its former glory. We were about to head home when we found centre battery point and more holes. The magazine tunnel was the hardest to enter, there was virtually no foot purchase and the access hole was quite deep. We managed to get in and explore what may be the longest of the three tunnels. Getting out was even more difficult than getting in. Dave had to be yanked out, sheer bloody mindedness made me determined to get out unaided, if only to prove to myself that I could. Finally we ended our day’s adventure and walked back to the pub. As we sat, partaking of our refreshments, Dave and I started thinking about the visitor’s book. It’s been left on the floor and is likely to get damage through moisture. Initially we thought about installing a shelf for it to rest on, but that would involve drilling into the walls. The more I think about it the more I feel that it would be better to put a table of sorts in there, that way the book would be off the floor and may last a little longer. The annoying thing is the idiots who have nothing better to write than offensive comments. Which is ridiculous when you consider the efforts they went through to get down there in the first place? I don’t know what’s worse, the fact that these places are being allowed to decay, or the idiots who have no respect for the history they are helping to destroy.

For our next adventure I’m hoping we can visit some of the fortifications on the western heights, if the guys were impressed with Lydden Spout, the Detached Bastion will certainly have the same effect at the least.

Some pictures from the day can be found on my facebook page.

feeling the love

2010-07-27T20:23:00.001+01:00

It’s been a while since my last post, up until last Friday not much has happened to write about, and then the proverbial hit the fan. For those who aren’t aware, Tea and I fostered a little Yorkshire terrier, she’s called Molly and she’s a very special but very poorly little lass. She has a medical condition called Cushing’s disease, she also has diabetes, she’s blind, baldish and on top of all that she’s 12 years old. But despite all those things she’s a tough little cookie. She never complains or whimpers and she gives the most amazing greetings in the morning. On Friday evening I came home from work and decided to give Molly Pops a bath, so far so good. Whilst we were in the bathroom, Trudes went off to collect her friends that were coming to stay. Molly was dried and brushed and all fluffy and cute. I took her downstairs and she settled on the sofa beside me. About twenty minutes later she was sick on the sofa, I cleaned up and whilst doing so she was sick again. Within an hour she was extremely hot to the touch and her breathing was shallow and wheezy. Trudes decided that she was going to spend the night with her as she continued to be sick and was refusing food and drink. Trudes was having to use a syringe to get water into her. At about 4 in the morning Trudes woke me to tell me that Molly had had some kind of seizure, she stood up, went rigid then flopped over all twitchy and foaming at the mouth. There was more vomiting and a nasty case of the runs so Trudes made an emergency vet appointment.

We got to the vets and Molly was taken in to see the nice lady who took her temperature, 108 apparently that’s not good for any dog, let alone one with Molly Pop’s problems. The vet advised us to get her to the dog hospital, so with the agreement of Tea’s dad, off we sped. We arrived at the hospital in Ashford and were promptly taken in to see another vet. He listened to her heart and said “you’re aware of her heart murmur!” “NO!” we both replied. Anyway since she was now severely dehydrated and clearly very ill, we were told that she would need to stay in for a couple of days. Walking out of the hospital without my little Molly Popples was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do for a long time. We headed home; the journey was very quiet and solemn. About 2pm that same day the phone rang and it was the vet, I passed him over to Tea who was told that Molly’s kidneys were failing, her liver levels were elevated and her white blood cells were very high. Once Trudes told me this I almost resigned to the fact that our girl would not be coming home, and I began to prepare myself for the inevitable. The rest of Saturday remained solemn, although we went into town with our guests, Molly wasn’t out of my thoughts for very long and I’m fairly sure it was the same for Trudes.

Sunday morning arrived, I’d not had a great deal of sleep and I think Trudes had had even less. I went downstairs and pottered about, chatting with our guests, then I phoned the vet to see how my girl was doing. Good news, she’d brightened a bit but wasn’t out of the woods yet. The vet phoned again later in the day telling Trudes that she’d managed to eat something and keep it down, this was also good news. I went to work as usual on Monday morning, whilst there I got a text from Tea simply saying “call me!” My first thought was oh dear it’s bad. I rang her and she said that the vet was happy with molly progress and pending the results of a second set of tests she would be able to come home on Tuesday. By the end of the day Trudes had heard from the vets and Molly’s condition was vastly improved and she would be home soon.

It’s Tuesday now and I came home to be greeted by the best Yorkshire terrier in the world and had to fight to contain the urge to blub. She has to see the vet again on Friday for a blood test and she has more pills to take but she well and her appetite has returned.

It surprises me how much she’s worked her way in to our hearts, I know she as a limited time but it’s down to me and Trudes to ensure that for as long as she has, she’s loved. I also know that when I do say goodbye to my Little Miss Molly for the last time, it will break my heart.

Still the good thing is that for the time being she well and back to her normal self. The vet did say that he was impressed with how much of a fighter she is and that she didn’t complain once about the jabs and the prodding and poking she’s had to go through over the last few days. In fact to look at her now, you’d never know that we probably came very close to losing her.

over the last few days Molly’s blog has had in excess of 500 hits and well wishes from all sorts of places, she’s once seriously loved up pup.

Believe in the power of the paws!