Thursday, for the first time since returning from our Campervan trip, I get back into the routine of attending the group cycling session.
It is exceptionally well attended, in fact I think it is the biggest group I have seen in over four years. A couple of the familiar faces, and lots of new faces.
After several weeks without rain, it rains, typical isn't it?
In the evening, we go to a new (to us anyway) restaurant in Whitburn. It is above the Jolly Sailor pub (Mama Mia, so as you may guess it is an Italian theme). It is clearly the trend for pubs to be converting part of their premises into Restaurants, another result of the smoking ban I would suspect.
Anyway, food was good, but it lacks that elusive quality "atmosphere", it still feels like you are sitting in a pub (which of course you are), not a place for couples in my opinion. The staff are clearly trying very hard, but sadly I do not think we will be regular customers.
We have tried another one of these "conversions", in West Boldon, it does not work very well there either.
A couple of days ago, Kathleen bought a cake tin, with the intention of making (I believe), a German Apple Cake. This is part of a trend which started when we were away in the campervan, and a new found enthusiasm for cooking emerged.
I am not complaining, it just that it has taken about 24 years for this to happen.
Today I notice, the cake tin is still lying on the work-top, in the carrier bag it was brought home in. At this rate of progress, it will take another 24 years, and I am not sure I have that long.
Friday, 30 July 2010
Wednesday, 28 July 2010
July 28th 2010
My thought for today is not original, it came from a Libertarian website.
"If you want human rights, break a law. You don't get them otherwise."
But unfortunately, this is where we are heading if we (or the law) do not get a grip.
"If you want human rights, break a law. You don't get them otherwise."
But unfortunately, this is where we are heading if we (or the law) do not get a grip.
Tuesday, 27 July 2010
Monday, 26 July 2010
An Interesting view of the World?
This guy has an interesting view on why it is all going wrong!
Americanised, but equally applicable here in UK.
Americanised, but equally applicable here in UK.
Thursday, 22 July 2010
July 21st - July 22nd 2010
During our recent Campervan trip to Germany, we became aware of a little known (to us Brits), German tradition of watching a short British comedy sketch every New Years Eve.
The sketch is called "Dinner for One".
According to Wikipedia (so it must be true), the original was written by British author Lauri Wylie, and in the 1960's version starred Freddie Frinton and May Warden, as James (the servant) and Lady Sophie.
Quite why this particular sketch has such a cult following, we could not figure out, but the catch phrase "same procedure as last year, same procedure as every year", seemed to be known to every German we met.
See it below, see if you can figure out why they love it:
See Wikipedia information and there is even a BBC explanation.
The sketch is called "Dinner for One".
According to Wikipedia (so it must be true), the original was written by British author Lauri Wylie, and in the 1960's version starred Freddie Frinton and May Warden, as James (the servant) and Lady Sophie.
Quite why this particular sketch has such a cult following, we could not figure out, but the catch phrase "same procedure as last year, same procedure as every year", seemed to be known to every German we met.
See it below, see if you can figure out why they love it:
See Wikipedia information and there is even a BBC explanation.
Wednesday, 21 July 2010
July 11th - July 20th 2010
Back home again after 13 weeks roaming Europe in the Campervan.
It always take a while to settle back into the swing of things, not least because there are 13 weeks of mail to go through, 13 weeks of jobs in the garden to catch up with, plus things like taking the car to be serviced, taking the campervan to be serviced and MOT'd, and so on and so on...
The net result is, I have not been keeping either the Campervan blog, or this one uptodate. Ten days have slipped by.
Have you noticed, if you use "I have not had time" as an excuse, and then someone asks you "so what have you been doing", you cannot answer?
I will have to skip whole days, since I cannot recall anything to report.
The weather has been poor, or to be more precise the weather forcaste has been poor. Day after day it has been forecast to rain, causing you to hesitate to plan anything outdoors, but the rain has not materialised. Until last night that is when we had a real downpour.
Friday last, Kathleen was back into the routine of looking after Daniel for the day. But a double booking with Emily's hospital appointment caused a problem. I came to the rescue and took him to the Marine Park for most of the day. He was rather timid at first, but by the end of the session he was comming down the banana slide headfirst, so no real problem there.
This used to be a favourite venue when my children were small, it has not changed much, even although some 30 years have passed. It has been refurbished in that time of course, but the council have done a good job and kept it very much as it was. If it is not broken, why fix it?
What was a big disappointment were the chips at Coleman's Fish and Chip shop in Ocean Road. These used to be magnificent as I recall, but on Friday they were the usual anaemic excuse for chips you get everywhere else these days. I blame all of this healthy vegetable oil and so on, bring back beef dripping, or whatever it was we used to fry chips in!
Wednesday, I shake myself into action to go cycling, despite the fact I have a summer cold.
I do one of my regular routes, first to Whitburn, then along the coast to South Shields, past the ferry, to Tyne Dock, then back to Boldon via the old Sunderland / South Shields railway track, now a footpath/cycle track.
If you know it, you can see the coast changes very little, true Marsden Rock has crashed into the sea due to erosion, but otherwise, things are pretty much as they always were.
As I came through Colliery Wood (Boldon Colliery), on the way back, I actually saw a fox, I was too slow to get a picture I am afraid.
A few times during the ride, the sky darkened, and it looked as if I may get a soaking, but no, managed to do the whole 19 miles without getting wet.
It always take a while to settle back into the swing of things, not least because there are 13 weeks of mail to go through, 13 weeks of jobs in the garden to catch up with, plus things like taking the car to be serviced, taking the campervan to be serviced and MOT'd, and so on and so on...
The net result is, I have not been keeping either the Campervan blog, or this one uptodate. Ten days have slipped by.
Have you noticed, if you use "I have not had time" as an excuse, and then someone asks you "so what have you been doing", you cannot answer?
I will have to skip whole days, since I cannot recall anything to report.
The weather has been poor, or to be more precise the weather forcaste has been poor. Day after day it has been forecast to rain, causing you to hesitate to plan anything outdoors, but the rain has not materialised. Until last night that is when we had a real downpour.
Friday last, Kathleen was back into the routine of looking after Daniel for the day. But a double booking with Emily's hospital appointment caused a problem. I came to the rescue and took him to the Marine Park for most of the day. He was rather timid at first, but by the end of the session he was comming down the banana slide headfirst, so no real problem there.
This used to be a favourite venue when my children were small, it has not changed much, even although some 30 years have passed. It has been refurbished in that time of course, but the council have done a good job and kept it very much as it was. If it is not broken, why fix it?
What was a big disappointment were the chips at Coleman's Fish and Chip shop in Ocean Road. These used to be magnificent as I recall, but on Friday they were the usual anaemic excuse for chips you get everywhere else these days. I blame all of this healthy vegetable oil and so on, bring back beef dripping, or whatever it was we used to fry chips in!
I do one of my regular routes, first to Whitburn, then along the coast to South Shields, past the ferry, to Tyne Dock, then back to Boldon via the old Sunderland / South Shields railway track, now a footpath/cycle track.
If you know it, you can see the coast changes very little, true Marsden Rock has crashed into the sea due to erosion, but otherwise, things are pretty much as they always were.
As I came through Colliery Wood (Boldon Colliery), on the way back, I actually saw a fox, I was too slow to get a picture I am afraid.
A few times during the ride, the sky darkened, and it looked as if I may get a soaking, but no, managed to do the whole 19 miles without getting wet.
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