Big Fish Little Fish Cardboard Box!

New Blog

2010-01-07T12:04:00.002Z

I've decided to have a go at learning to use wordpress so I've made a new blog if you want to see it please go to....

http://bigfishlittlefishcb.wordpress.com/

Why Keywords Don't Always Work!

2009-05-15T16:56:00.004+01:00

A slightly off target recommendation from Amazon!

So... Pete Hasn't Moved Then?

2009-03-20T22:01:00.006Z

Playing with Google Street view I had to have a look at my old flat in Tooting. It was home for over ten years and (so far) my one and only venture into property ownership. I was the first of the two flats at the top of the fire escape. I paid for the open window (in the bedroom) and had the sky dish installed (the small one, Ladbrokes paid me nearly £700 every year to have the big one on my balcony!) But the two things that really made me feel a bit warm and fuzzy were that my old neighbour, Pete, is still walking up that fire escape, just how I remember him, and the cat flap that my two geriatric old mogs used to use to explore the wilds of Tooting is still there. They were a (mainly) happy ten years.

Cough Up!

2009-03-04T23:05:00.000Z

I've been a bit slack on the blogging front so far this year, moving house on the 27th December took up a bit of time and the fact that we now live on top of a hill, on a farm, in the middle of nowhere has taken a bit of getting used to over the winter months.

At times we haven't been able to get out of the front door because of rain or snow (it's very exposed) and for a lot of the time we just haven't felt like it because the weather has been cold and miserable. Sometimes it feels like it's a different climate up here, I can walk out of the door to a howling gale, drive a mile down to the high street and it's calm and dry.

So, as I've been cooped up for a few weeks and not got out much and not got any exercise (if I'm being honest it's been a lot lot longer than a few months since I got any real regular exercise - try a few years!) I decided I needed to kick start things a bit and entered myself into the Race For Life.

In the name of charity I'm going to run (well maybe jog if I try really hard, but more than likely take a brisk walk) around 5k of Basingstoke in June. So if anyone feels like sponsoring my pain please go to my Just Giving page, and be generous, it's a good cause.

The Artful Dodger Is Not A Nice Person!!

2008-12-14T19:29:00.002Z

Last week I fell victim to a pickpocket! I used to think of it as an almost whimsical, romantic, harmless crime a la Dickens etc. It was, at one stage, punishable by death (and right now I'd be leaning towards a reintroduction of the death penalty, or maybe just cutting off their hands would be more appropriate!) the irony being that a public execution [of a pickpocket] was an ideal opportunity for pickpockets to work what with there being quite a major distraction going on.

So there I am all smug 'cos I've done all my Christmas shopping already, I have to add that it's the first time in my life I've been this organised, but when you get paid on the 6th of the month it sort of makes you get on with it. We had the company piss up on Thursday night and as they'd very kindly paid for my train fare to London (and back) and and overnight stay on Thursday night, the man and I decided to meet up on Friday morning and head off to the Borough Market to get a few bits of food for Christmas. I'd never been there before and was looking forward to it.

On arrival we headed straight to the Monmouth Coffee stall, topped up the caffeine levels and bought some coffee beans that smelt as only I can only image heaven would smell if it was an odour.

I was in awe of all the food and sights and sounds and smells and noticed the signs saying 'high risk of pickpockets' but I thought I was ok, after all my purse was in my front pocket, where I (and everyone else!) could see it. How could anyone get it without me noticing?

I'll tell you shall I? Take a camera with you! When you take a photo you're not looking at your purse, in fact you're not looking at anything outside the viewfinder and both your hands are a long way away from your pocket - and there it was gone!!

It's not romantic, it's not funny and it's not even the fact that they lifted the £100 I'd got from the cashpoint (why did I not just get £50!) it's my debit card, my credit card, my driving license, my train ticket, my AA membership etc etc. It's such a pain and I'd really like to get my hands on the piece of scum who got up on Friday morning and decided to make some easy money robbing at the Borough market and shove what's left in my purse where it's going to hurt most. All I can hope for is that they suffered horrible painful injuries when they were run over by a London bus whilst crossing the road, when they were distracted momentarily whilst rummaging through my purse!!!

Don't Put Off Until Tomorrow...

2008-08-28T22:30:00.000+01:00

Following on from my rather easy target of thirty something things to do in the next year (it's a vague number as I keep adding things as I think of them) I thought there was a touch of irony in the fact that Dave Freeman the man who co wrote the original '100 Things To Do Before You Die' Book has died at just 47.

Even though the success of his book and the birth of the whole 'things to do/see/visit/kill etc genre gave him the means and the freedom to do what he wanted he only managed to get about halfway through his list before he died, thus proving the old adage to be correct...

Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today

... cos you never know, tomorrow may never come.

It's Not Mom's It's Mine!

2008-08-20T20:40:00.005+01:00

We have a huge apple tree in out garden which produces many many more apples than we can ever eat/cook with/reach to pick. Most of them went to waste last year as we can't reach to pick any higher than the bottom few branches. The birds and the wasps also make short work of a lot of them while they're still on the tree, so we've never managed to get to too many of them.

We've done better this year than we did the last though and there's a litre of Apple and Sultana Vodka waiting in a cool dark cupboard, which should be ready to taste in about three weeks and one very nice apple cake has been cooked and eaten.

The Perfect Apple Cake Recipe.

8oz of cooking apples (although eating apples from your very own tree work just as well),8oz of sultanas,1/4 pint of milk,6oz of soft brown sugar,12oz of self raising flour,2tsp mixed spice (or just cinnamon is nice),6oz butter,1 medium egg,1oz demerara sugar.

Peel, core and chop the apples into bite sized chunks.

Mix the apples, sultanas and milk together and put to one side.

Cream the butter and the soft brown sugar together, mix in the egg.

Sieve the flour and the spice together into the butter and sugar mixture and mix well.

Add the apples, sultanas and milk to the butter and flour mixture and give it a good stir.

Sprinkle the demerara sugar over the top before cooking.

Put it in an 8" cake tin and cook in the oven (electric 160) for about 2 hours until cooked through. It may take a bit longer so towards the end of the cooking time out a knife or skewer in the centre and if it comes out clean it's cooked.

Cool and enjoy.

A Waste of 87 Minutes Of My Life!

2008-08-08T10:14:00.001+01:00

Crank!

Possibly the worst movie I've ever sat through.

Days When I Shouldn't Have Got Out Of Bed #1

2008-08-01T21:52:00.005+01:00

So - Today!

I bought a new lens for my camera. It arrived Wednesday. Despite the fact that I work from home I've been really good and resisted the urge to play with it instead of working until today. At around 3pm it got the better of me and the raindrops on the window looked to be the ideal opportunity to try out the macro function. So I stuck the lens on the camera and the camera on the tripod. Then I realised it wasn't quite high enough and picked the tripod up to extend the legs. Holding it high in the air above a concrete driveway I pulled the leg to it's full stretch and at the same time I watched the lens and camera fall from the top of the tripod and hit the ground with a resounding smash!!!

Hopefully our insurance will cover it but I'm still really pi*@$d off that I never even got to test the lens before I broke it. the glass is still intact but the mount is hanging off and as for the camera!! Suffice to say that Canon's (or any other brand for that matter) don't play well with concrete!

Then....

Luckily I have some very nice friends, one of which (Thanks Gillian) was willing to lend me her camera so I could take pics at the 'Balloons over Basingstoke' event tonight. So off I go to pick her camera up en route to Basingstoke and then I reverse out of a parking place into another car!!!!

Luckily it was (really) as much her fault as mine and as no damage was done to either car we just chalked it up to a bad day.

Then...

We got to Basingstoke and the wind got up and they decided not to fly the balloons tonight!

I need a drink.

The List!

2008-06-01T23:21:00.009+01:00

I keep talking about 'The List' the hypothetical list of things that I'd like to do. I'm forever mentally adding things to the list then I forget all about them. So I thought I'd actually write it - THE List.

As we're already half way through the year and I can't think too far ahead on a good day I'm counting the start date as 1st June 2008 and the list is going to be made up of things I'd like to achieve/do/experience before 1st June 2009.

(Please note it's now July 2009 and I'm not even half way through so the next deadline in the end of July 2010).

I started off with grand ideas of a list of a 100 things, then when I started to struggle decided maybe 50 was enough but at the end (so far) I can only come up with 36 ideas. However as day to day life and conversations seem to be a wealth of inspiration I reserve the right to add things to the list as I go along, nothing too earth shattering or life changing just some little challenges and a bit of fun. Photographic evidence will be provided wherever possible.

So to start with...

Things To Do In The Next 12 Months.

1. Go up in a hot air balloon.
2. Go to 10 places in the UK that I’ve never been to before

1) Beer in Devon
2) Abbotsbury in Dorset.
3) Bath
4) Belfast
5) Paignton
6) Norfolk
7) Robertsbridge, East Sussex
8) Rye, East Sussex
9) Colchester
10) Northampton

3. leave the country
4. Write a Novel (even if I’m the only one who ever reads it)
5. Send a message in a bottle
6. Make an origami crane
7. learn to play at least one song on the guitar.
8. Bake a Cake
9. Make a t shirt (well a design for one anyway)
10. Make a time capsule and bury it in the garden
11. Give up something for lent
12. Go to the dogs
13. Buy/Blag (and drink of course) A Bottle of Krug champagne.
14. Drink a Vintage Wine
15. Go to the Theatre
16. Go Ice Skating
17. Watch a live Ice Hockey match
18. Ride a motorbike
19. Visit a museum
20. Visit a theme park
21. Do some voluntary work in the community
22. Order something in a restaurant that I’ve never eaten before Guinea Fowl
23. Plant a Tree
24. Make a loaf of bread, from scratch without the aid of a bread making machine
25. Go on a picnic
26. Fly A Kite
27. Visit (and spend the night if possible) a haunted house
28. Visit a zoo
29. Make something crafty, (No CD’s or photographs)
30. Raise money for a charity
31. Watch a movie with subtitles (something I usually avoid, too much concentration needed)
32. Go on a wildlife photography day
33. Celebrate St Davids Day (Including home made Welsh Cakes)
34. Cook a meal from another country
35. Put my name down to rent a beach hut in the UK (On the list for a Beech Hut in Beer in Devon, it's only a 15 year wait!)
36. Get my blog redesigned and make 'Big Fish Little Fish' all grown up.
37. Go to Church
38. Run a race for charity. (Race For Life)

Feed Me

2008-05-30T22:54:00.001+01:00

Down in sleepy little South Warnborough (a village so small you don't have time to blink before you miss it) there is a fantastic little village shop. It's a real old traditional style village shop which sells all manner of long forgotten treats like Wagon Wheels. It has exotic Olive Oils in big containers on the shelf that they sell by the refillable bottle, they have fresh farm produce and the most delicious fresh cream gateaux and just in case that wasn't enough to tempt you on Friday nights the traditional cream tea and bacon and eggs cafe that takes up half the shop does a very nice side line in Fish and Chips.

Now the idea of a local Chippy will no doubt make most people shrug and say "so what!" but round here it's a big deal. Planning permission for a Chippy in Odiham has been turned down several times because the powers that be are concerned that it might encourage the local youths to congregate around the chip shop at night and cause disruption in the village! Pathetic! So when the next village down the road opened a Friday night Chippy it was met much approval and I have to admit that Fish on a Friday has become a bit of a regular thing.

So if you owned a cafe come Chippy I ask you, would you have a rather large talking Penguin litter bin outside your shop? Yes, I did say talking! It freaked me out the first time it spoke as I walked past, and who wouldn't be a little jumpy if a large Plastic Penguin suddenly started to speak to you? If that's not enough it stands outside the Cafe/Chippy saying things like "I love it when you feed me trash"! Is the thought of eating trash what you'd want to be on people's minds as they walked into your cafe?

It doesn't seem to have affected business though, they are always busy and I have to say they do a mighty fine Fish and Chips. My only complaint, which is a really teeny one, is that their idea of a small portion and mine are two very different things. If you want a bumper bag of Fish and Chips give it a go. So far I've never managed to finish a whole 'small' portion we're getting very close to ordering one to share but then that just seems tight!

So if you ever feel the need for a chat with a Penguin you know where to go.

New Boots.

2008-05-05T00:37:00.002+01:00

I've never quite understood the way shops, in particular sports shops and outdoor clothing shops size up their footwear. Not that I'm complaining, as someone who is one of the sizes that seems to cross over from Children's to adult sizes it saves me a fortune whenever I want to buy trainers or walking boots, like I did today. So I found a pair that I liked in the womens range in Blacks and the womens range went from size 5 upwards. So I'm a size 5 and they would have cost me £59.99 in the womens range. Then I see exactly the same pair in the children's range which went from a size 10 to a size 6 but only cost £24.99.

The shop assistant didn't look too pleased when having picked up the kids pair that was on display and asked him if they had it in a 5 I sat down and tried them on! They're a perfect fit and £35 cheaper than the adult version. Surely everyone who can fit into the upper end of the kids sizes would do the same? He tried to convince me that not so much care was taken in the manufacture of children's sizes are is in the adults versions but I've never found a problem with quality before and I've been buying kids trainers for a long time now. All in all a bargain!

Stress Relief?

2008-05-04T22:00:00.001+01:00

Need bubble wrap? Try this :)

flickr Monthly Scavenger Hunt - May 2008

2008-05-01T10:40:00.004+01:00

As I haven't tried one of these for ages, and I've never finished one yet I thought I'd have a go at the flickr scavenger hunt again this month.

Here's the list...

Official May 2008 Scavenger List

1. yellow swing
2. dust
3. garden tools
4. mountain
5. ice cold glass of milk
6. trail mix
7. garden gnome
8. headache
9. heavy fog
10. scared
11. fork
12. bird
13. fruity flavour
14. station
15. an unlikely duo
16. roadside stand
17. traditional
18. farmer
19. flattened
20. now, that was refreshing!!

I'll link them to the pics as I find them, there could be a few in the archives for this month! Although I'm not sure where I'm going to find a yellow swing!

Surreal Conversations With The Postman!

2008-04-16T18:54:00.003+01:00

You just know it's going to be a difficult day when the Postman knocks on your door in the morning and interrupts your raging hangover by asking you if you know any Ghost Hunters!

How Today Feels

2008-04-03T23:15:00.003+01:00

I was offered a fantastic new job today, it's been worth the wait. There are a few i's to dot and t's to cross still but I can't wait to start.

It's Been Fun But...

2008-03-06T20:24:00.004Z

In February 2008 Polaroid ceased production of it's instant film in favour of digital technology, so when the film that's currently in it runs out our Polaroid will probably be relegated to the realms of decoration. So in tribute to the many Polaroid Instant cameras still out there...

2008

2008-03-04T23:29:00.000Z

Just thought I'd better say hello to 2008 as I'm a little lacking in inspiration this year!

So... Hello 2008, brb.

Frensham Ponds

2007-12-29T18:04:00.000Z

To celebrate my first Saturday off in over five years that I didn’t have to ask for or arrange around other people we decided that we needed to do something! Nothing too adventurous just a bit of a walk with the cameras and some fresh air and having driven past it several times but never stopped to look we decided to have a walk around Frensham Great Pond in Surrey.

Frensham Ponds consists of roughly 1000 acres of attractive countryside. It’s midway between Farnham and Hindhead on either side of the A287. The site is owned by the National Trust, but most of the land is managed by Waverley Borough Council. The Common comprises a large area of heathland, together with some coniferous and mixed woodland, and two large ponds, known as Frensham Great and Little Ponds, which were built in the Middle Ages to provide fish for the Bishop of Winchester's estate.

The common was once important to local communities as a source of fuel and other materials, and as rough grazing for their livestock. These days the site is valued for recreation and nature conservation and it's many miles of footpaths and bridleways on which to explore the Common. The common supports a wealth of wildlife. Species found on the heath include sand lizard, smooth snake, woodlark, Dartford Warbler and nightjar. The ponds also attract rare visitors such as the osprey, especially during spring and autumn although we didn’t come across any on our walk this time.

Originally we were just going to walk a little way around it then head off for the obligatory visit to a pub on the way home but once we started we just carried on and ended up walking all the way round, as someone who's not usually a fan of walking too far I was surprised to find that I really enjoyed walking the full two miles around the circumference of the pond.

It’s a great place for a walk with a camera (although Matt probably would have had better results if he’d put the memory card in his camera, I did share mine for a little while though!) I got a little obsessed with the rushes that grew all around the pond and needless to say I was in my element when we found the ducks and spent quite a while shooting off countless photo’s of them and a Swan that got a little too close for comfort (lovely birds but I’m very wary of them, especially when they get out of the water and start heading towards you!)

It was a lovely afternoon and I’d recommend a visit if you fancy a walk, or in warmer weather a picnic and maybe even a swim if you’re feeling brave and it was a great way of kick starting my plans to spend my new found weekends doing something a lot more fun than sitting in front of the television and/or drinking too much.

Improv

2007-12-29T17:10:00.000Z

When you have everything you need to make mince pies except a rolling pin - improvise :)

New Job.

2007-12-29T11:51:00.000Z

So.. I’m three days into my adventure back to the real world of full time employment! It feels very strange but also a little exciting.

After the collapse of Postal Gifts and Number 81 I wandered into the local Wine Rack as a stopgap while I decided what to do with the rest of my life and it’s taken me eighteen months to finally leave. I still haven’t decided what I want to do with the rest of my life mind you!

Just before Christmas (23/12 to be exact) I finally did my last ever late night at Threshers and at nine o’clock in the morning on 24/12 I started as a temp with Getronics on their IT helpdesk (the blind leading the partially sighted springs to mind!)

I’ve been looking for a new career for a month or so now but it seems that either the job description leaves me cold or I don’t have all the skills I need when something has grabbed me. I set myself the goal of getting out of Threshers before Christmas and rather than jump at the first thing that came along temping whilst still looking seemed the sensible option.

So here I am temping! I have to get up in the mornings again! I have a commute, traffic jams, parking problems, travel costs, a no smoking office, a dire need for a new ‘business’ wardrobe and a whole new load of stuff to learn and it’s great, it finally feels like my brain has come back to life.

So for the foreseeable future at least I’m on the twelfth floor of the Barclays building in Basingstoke every day, having to remember my electronic pass to get through the doors and, for the time being at least, spending my day wearing a very uncomfortable headset (I think I need bigger ears) listening to someone resetting passwords and solving email problems while I try to get my head around how to do it all on my own. But I finish at 5.30 and I don’t have to work weekends anymore! Not to mention the fact that my wages have just trebled (Wine Rack wages are nothing to aspire to believe me!) and I’m looking forward to a few more new challenges in 2008.

Why Dinosaurs Are Extinct!

2007-12-08T22:33:00.000Z

New Career?

2007-11-23T19:38:00.001Z

I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much but I think I may have found the perfect job. It's an industry that I love, a good basic, and commission, flexitime (handy when you're as crap in the morning as I am) and something that's going to fire up my brain again and get me back in the real world. I had the first interview today, which went well, the second is scheduled for Monday and then the third, and hopefully final is up to me - wish me luck :)

Well, I didn't get it :( lucky there's a plan B so watch this space. And it's a good excuse for drinking more bubbly :)

Snoring!

2007-11-20T22:26:00.001Z

I had to smile tonight when I posted a few bits in need of a new home on freecycle including three unused pairs of earplugs that have been floating around my dressing table for eternity.

I got them as freebies from my days of selling for Bike Trader so I was expecting requests from bikers eager to save their hearing, but no, they've all been snapped up by women with husbands who snore!

I can understand it. I have to say it's one of those things that would eventually become a deal-breaker in a relationship for me. As a light sleeper the idea of spending a night with a man who snores incessantly is my idea of hell. Fortunately Matt only snores when he's had too many Ciders (and as I'm guilty of the same after too many glasses of wine I can hardly complain) or when he lies on his back (ditto) and generally some well aimed fidgeting or a gentle (cough) poke in the ribs usually puts an end to it but I can't imagine anything much worse than a loud non stop snore next to you night in night out.

So, ladies, they're on their way to you with my best wishes and if it helps to promote a little extra marital harmony I shall consider it Karma points well earned.

Psychometric Blogs?

2007-10-09T23:48:00.000+01:00

So, having got to the stage where I seriously need to find a new job I got to thinking - what would my potential new employers think about me if they read my blog?

I think I’d be ok. There’s no real deviancy or debauchery to concern them, there’s the occasional glimpse of wit and once in a while something worth reading but at the end of the day I do it for me, not to use as a CV. Which got me onto another train of thought – why not? After all, decisions are made on the basis of psychometric tests so why not Blogs? What clearer indication is there of what’s really going on in someone’s mind than the contents of their blog?

Take for instance, a friend of mine who has been doing the job that she wants for three months now but she’s not allowed to actually have the job title (and salary) that goes with it until she can pass the company psychometric test, which she’s already failed, and to make matters worse she has to wait three months to retake it! Ask her to write a blog for three months, it’s gotta be easier.

So I think there should be a new line on application forms, one asking for the URL of your blog, and if you haven’t got one make one. If I ever get to the stage where I’m making hiring and firing decisions again it’s going to be the first thing I look at.

The Strange World Of Boot Sales

2007-09-23T15:18:00.000+01:00

The Sunday before last we embarked on a journey into the unknown! As part of the ongoing attempt to declutter my life (and make a little extra cash) Matt and I did our first boot sale.

We were up at stupid o’clock on a Sunday morning with the boot of the car duly loaded with tables and a couple of very uncomfortable stools, cash tin and several boxes of tat and made our way to the ‘Huge Car Boot Sale’ in Alton.

We didn’t really know what to expect although I had had a little advice from two veteran bootsalers that I know. Apparently we were mugged as soon as we arrived. Not in the hoodie, 'give me your mobile phone' sort of way of course. But before we could even get the car unloaded we were surrounded by eager buyers. Apparently the ‘professionals’ get there early and go on a bargain hunt. The first guy was only interested in records (although he did also invest in a large smiley face clock that I had) and bought 21 of my old 7” singles for the bargain price of a tenner. He was followed immediately by two people who had both swooped on my old collection of Whimsies which were snatched up for Twenty quid between them, so not a bad start to the day, even if the pace didn’t stay quite so hectic for the rest of the morning.

There was a strange collection of absolute junk on offer with one or two treasures if you look hard enough. We gave ourselves a budget of £5 each for a little shopping and took it in turns to have a look around and came back with a tripod, in full working order, a Polaroid camera complete with film, a garden tool (a sort of cross between a rake and a spade), a Darth Vader money box and a Darth Vader desktop mobile phone holder (not so sure about the last one!). There was also a little underhand dealing in TY bears along the way but I won’t go into that.

So I reckon that so far I’m about even on getting rid of clutter vs. gaining more but didn’t have a bad day, well worth the early start. So much so that we’re going to do it again this weekend. I wonder if that Skateboard will still be there….

London

2007-09-04T01:02:00.000+01:00

It’s a strange place. I lived there for over fifteen years and when I was there I really couldn’t imagine ever living anywhere else. I loved it, grime, smog, indifference, anonymity, congestion, overcrowding, crime, the whole scene, at the end of the day I still believed, and still do, that it’s the greatest city in the world.

I moved out just over four years ago now and ended up more by accident than good judgement in a sleepy little village in North Hampshire where the pace of life is so different there’s no comparison.

As I drove up the A3 today, past all of my old haunts, and the landmarks that were part of my life for so long – The Tollworth Towers, a regular mention on the flying eye on the morning commute, dodging the numerous speed camera’s along the way then through Clapham, Stockwell and finally onto the Elephant and Castle, which to my disappointment is no longer pink. Passing old homes and old employers along the way I felt an overwhelming rush of nostalgia and started to seriously question why I ever gave in to the idea of leaving.

Then I realise it took me forty minutes to get to London and two and a half hours to drive fifteen miles into it (the tubes were on strike today and I really couldn’t face hauling the files that I needed for my meeting around with me on an overcrowded bus). I was hot, thirsty and quite frankly out of practise with traffic jams. I listened as faceless people honked their horns blindly in the vain hope that they might get a little further a little quicker and I drove at a pace slower than I could walk! I also had the pleasure of paying £8 congestion charge for having to leave at any of the exits on the Elephant and Castle roundabout (all roads lead to a big red C)

By the time I finally got back onto the A3 and waved goodbye to the City all I could think about was getting home again, back to the nice, quiet, green life that is Odiham.

Do I still miss London? Yes. It’s always going to be a big part of me. I absolutely loved my time there. Would I move back? No. Sometimes the past is best left as a fond memory that you can look back on and smile, but the present is what matters and the future – well who knows?

Camera Porn!

2007-08-31T00:25:00.000+01:00

UPDATE

Thanks to a really helpful company that I found on the net - Retro Photographic I now have two (out of date) films for my Kodak Duaflex. Even if the films are a little out of date and the photo's don't turn out at least I've got the spools now so I can use 120 film in it in the future. What's more I've just had another look at their website and noticed that they've just started stocking Black and White 127 film so it looks like the Brownies going to get a go after all. I've just finished the first film on the Duaflex so I'm looking forward to seeing what comes back when it's developed.

So, my latest acquisition from freecycle was a load of old. really cool cameras. I was really looking forward to running a film off on each but it would appear that's not as easy as I first thought!

The Agfa Isolette II, which is by far the most complicated of the three is the only one I've managed to get a film for, all I need to do now is work out how to load it, use it and unload it! the Brownie 127 would appear to be a lost cause as no one makes the film anymore and even Tony the nice man at Longworth Photographic in Farnborough (who by the way has THE coolest collection of old cameras in his shop) couldn't suggest a soloution for. But the Kodak Duaflex is usable it might just need a bit of work/expense because even though no one makes 620 film anymore 120 film will work, I just need to spool it in a dark room/bag.

I've had lots of helpful suggestions to alternatives to a dark bag including trousers and a hoodie but I might just blow £20 on a bag and make life easier (although I have advertised wanting one on freecycle - you never know!)

Either way I still love them, there's something really nice about the nostalgia of old camera's. Each one of these is probably over 50 years old and have obviously been lovingly cared for. And no matter how advanced we get with the digital age the smell of bromide still tales me back to school days, and there's still more skill needed to get a good pic out of these. Am I up to it? Who knows? Watch this space :)

Saw - Extra Squeamish Edition

2007-08-23T01:04:00.000+01:00

More Bunnies

Not for the faint hearted :)

M.I.A

2007-08-19T02:28:00.000+01:00

Update

Well he's back! He wandered through the cat flap at about 11.30pm on the tenth day since we saw him last, we really have no idea where he could have been. One things for sure he hasn't gone ten days without food and water and apart from a scratch on his head he seems no worse for wear. Either someones been feeding him or he's been on a mammoth hunting spree!

We've had problems with what we think is a stray male cat, still intact if you get my drift who has not only been bullying Smodge but is hanging around our neighbours flat showing more than a passing interest in their two female kittens who are currently on heat. After a bloody encounter tonight (please note the blood was all mine) I have officially declared war on him. I am determined to catch the little s*@t and take him to the vets to check for a microchip. If he's chipped and we can trace an owner he'll be taken home with a strong recommendation that he be neutered. If not there's a very nice lady called Shirley in Basingstoke who will take in waifs and strays and find them a loving new home. The new kid has got to go, he's making all the local cat's lives miserable!

As for Smodge and his adventures there's only one thing left to do and that's to take a leaf out of Mr Lee's book and treat him (?) to a cat cam. Assuming we can find a Smodge proof collar. I'm determined to find out where he goes, and it works for Mr Lee :)

So we’ve pounded the streets, called his name till we’re hoarse, called the vet, called identichip, even called environmental health (the worse call to ever make – they pick up the pieces, if you know what I mean) and plastered the local area with missing posters but Smodge still seems to have managed to disappear. I really don’t know what to do next.

It’s been ten days now since we last saw him, and I feel awful, not just because I’m worried sick about him and what might have happened to him but because the last time I saw him was at 4.30 in the morning when I unceremoniously removed him from our bedroom door where he was scratching and howling to come in. I shut the door to the bedrooms so that his only option was to sleep in the living room or go out – he chose the latter and we haven’t seen him since, and do I feel bad or what!

I’m clinging to the hope that somewhere in our tiny little village someone else has decided that he must be a stray and have decided to keep him and he’s being fed and looked after but just not let out for now because I’m certain that no matter how pissed off he was about not being able to sleep on our bed he would have come home if he could, the alternatives don’t really bear thinking about and I refuse to give up hope – yet! Although he’s clearly not a stray and he’s micro chipped so it’s not hard to find out if he has a home or not, and little old lady or not if I ever find out that someone has been feeding him and trying to keep him they better be prepared for some serious grief. Anyone who’s ever shared their home with a cat knows not to feed someone else’s cat, they’re fickle at best and given the choice of someone who let’s them sleep on the bed and feeds them nicer food and someone who feeds them healthy food and relegates them to the spare room at night (he’s got his own room for god’s sake, he’s hardly deprived!) they’ll go where they get the best treats.

We’ve had a few phone calls in response to the posters I’ve put up, unsurprisingly there seems to be an abundance of black and white cats in the area, (no surprise there) but so far none of them have been our boy so we’re no nearer to knowing where he’s gone. I’m going to start knocking on doors tomorrow, even if I have to knock on every door in the village, I can’t believe that someone doesn’t know where he is. Although the thought that he may have got himself locked in somewhere isn’t good, if so he’s had nine days without food or water and I’d rather not think about that right now.

He disappeared for three days a while ago and came back like he’d never been away and so many people keep telling me tales of how they have lost cats for weeks, months even and then had them return there’s still a bit of hope so all we can do is keep our fingers crossed that he comes back safe and sound.

New Toys!

2007-08-12T17:22:00.000+01:00

I have discovered a dangerous new addiction – Freecycling! The idea is very simple you put stuff up for grabs that you don’t want anymore and if it’s any use to anyone else they come and take it away from you – for free! It's a worldwide concept and there are local groups just about everywhere just go to the website to find yours.

So far I’ve managed to find a good home for my ancient and much travelled Sinclair ZX Spectrum that has been sitting in various cupboards, garages and even had a brief stint in Wimbledon Police Station for over 20 years and I’ve offered all my old cassette tapes and videos and a few more things that I’m loathed to throw away just in case someone somewhere has a use for them.

Of course the danger is that while trying to rehome your own junk you invariably come across things that other people are getting rid of that might just come in handy.

Ironic maybe that the first thing that I’ve gained via freecycle is a free cycle! An exercise bike to be precise, in pretty good nick with onboard computer and everything, just the thought of using it brings me out in a sweat, although I suspect I may actually have to get on it to see any real benefit.

We’ve also got a pine coffee table and some dumbbells lined up to collect and no doubt I’ll come across a whole host of stuff that might just come in handy.

Good job I cleared the garage out last week.

What's In A Name

2007-08-01T13:01:00.000+01:00

I was sent this by a friend, I checked and they really are legitimate web addresses, surely they must have realised how their URL appeared!

"Who Represents" is where you can find the names of agents
representing celebrities. Their Web site is www.whorepresents.com

Experts Exchange is a knowledge base where programmers can exchange
advice and views at www.expertsexchange.com

Looking for a pen? Look no further than Pen Island at www.penisland.net

Need a therapist? Try Therapist Finder at www.therapistfinder.com

There's the Italian Power Generator company, www.powergenitalia.com

And don't forget the Mole Station Native Nursery in New South Wales
www.molestationnursery.com

If you're looking for IP computer software, there's always
www.ipanywhere.com

The First Cumming Methodist Church Web site is www.cummingfirst.com

And the designers at Speed of Art await you at their Web site,
www.speedofart.com

:)

Sunshine Whenever You Want It :)

2007-08-01T00:45:00.000+01:00

Well, It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time!

2007-07-22T23:46:00.000+01:00

UPDATE (28/07/07)

So... Unfortunately work has conspired to stop me from being able to do the blogathon, I was expecting to have to work a few hours over the weekend but now it turns out that I'm going to have to work for six hours today and ten hours tomorrow!

So even armed with a laptop and dial up I'm not going to be able to do it, with the best will in the world I'm going to have to actually do some work when I go in, oh well, maybe next year I'll actually get a weekend off? The bit of money that I have raised will still go to the charity and maybe I'll have a go at something else soon

I’ve been mulling over something for a week or two now, it seemed like a good idea when I first saw it but internet cynicism took over and I felt I needed to check up on it’s legitimacy first not to mention I needed to decide if I really did have the determination to complete the task, something that I’ve lacked with most things for a while now!

So after much deliberation and investigation I have decided to attempt a Blogathon next Saturday! The idea is that you post to your blog every thirty minutes for 24 hours and get sponsorship for a charity, either per post or just a lump sum if you manage to complete it.

I heard of it via one of my flickr contacts and was a little wary of asking people for money without knowing for sure it was going to get where it was meant to but when you set up your Blog on Blogathon all you’re actually asking people to do is pledge money. When it comes to handing over the dosh it goes straight to the online donation page of the charity of your choice (which you provide the link to) so no chance it won’t get there. Or in some cases, myself included, to a ‘Just Giving’ page, which is a great way to focus your personal fundraising and still sends the money direct to the charity.

I had a bit of a problem deciding which charity to choose, after all there are so many causes in need of help and my eventual choice may not seem a particularly noble one in the eyes of some but it’s one close to my heart – Cats!

I chose the Cats Protection League because I think it does a great deal to help not just rehome the cats that end up in their care but also to try to stop, via neutering and trying to teach responsible cat care, the problem of unwanted cats and strays. If you love cats then they’re helping out our feline friends and if you hate cats then think of it as helping to fund the people that are trying to get that scruffy stray cat out of your vegetable garden once and for all.

Our current feline housemate Smodge came from the Basingstoke Cats Protection League so I figure I owe them a little bed and board.

So if you fancy a laugh I suggest checking my blog now and again from 2pm Saturday 28th July (Everyone worldwide starts at the same time, hence it’s different in each time zone, the UK’s lucky, we can have a nice leisurely afternoon kick off). I will pre write some entries (it’s going to be hard enough to stay awake for 24hrs let alone think for that long!) but not all of them, and I’m bound to post a few pictures, but tempting though it is I’ll try to resist the urge just to post a photo or a YouTube video every 30 mins. And if you fancy digging into your pockets you can always make a pledge – please.

To Pledge money to my charity via Blogathon go to Their List Of Blogs sort them alphabetically (makes it easier) then look for Big Fish Little Fish Cardboard Box, click on the link and pledge your sponsorship, it shows as dollars on the blog page but as the donations are made directly to a uk charity it all ends up in sterling.

The Lesson For Today

2007-07-03T23:52:00.000+01:00

Memorise the periodic table for the internet :)

Bound to come in useful sooner or later.

You Couldn't Make It Up!

2007-06-14T13:29:00.000+01:00

According to todays Sun (I make no apologies - I like it!)

TWO female cops jumped on a RICKSHAW to get to the scene of a crime.

PCs Ann Marie Rosier, 37, and Sue Beament, 44, were on the beat when an officer called for help.

They were too far away to run - so flagged down Ben Matthews in his pedal-powered cab.

The PCs made siren noises as they sped to Castle Green park, Hereford. They later arrested a man for breaching bail and assaulting a police officer.

A police spokesman said: "We will be handing over a generous tip

...They made siren noises!!! Can you picture it?

Neee Naaah Neeee Nahhhh

Bill's Plannin...

2007-06-11T23:51:00.000+01:00

(photo by cloudasmoke)

Wikipedia describes lol Cats as a compound of lol and cat (you think!) and, as photo's of cats with humorous captions.

Even flickr has spawned a group for them now, which I was looking through earlier when I found this, probably one of the funniest I've seen so far.

Of course as I have all the necessary equipment (ie a Cat!) I've had a few goes myself - What do you think?

Great Inventions Of Our Time?

2007-06-04T13:28:00.000+01:00

I heard on the news a few days ago a story about a new product designed to stop Cats from catching birds and other small animals - The Cat Bib. The website says...

The CatBib is a unique, patented product that prevents your cat from catching and killing wild birds... simply, safely, effectively, and inexpensively! AND it's been scientifically proven to stop cats from catching birds!

What's more there are many many glowing testimonials from Cat owners who state just how effective it has been. Personally as the owner of a cat with a voracious appetite for the destruction of small defenceless animals, mice in particular, I can't imagine anything more ridiculous, much as I'd love to find a way to curb his enthusiasm for hunting he's a cat for god's sake! It's what they do!

Firstly I have enough trouble getting him to wear a collar (having spent over £20 in the last three months on collars that stay on for an average of a week if I'm lucky) let alone a huge lump of neoprene as well! And secondly it looks stupid - he would be the laughing stock of the area and I just couldn't do it to him, not to mention the fact that any attempt to put it on him would probably result in my need for medical attention!

I've attached a picture of a few of the cats on the website happily(?) wearing their cat bibs although it's not very clear you should get the gist of it, if you really want to see cats suffering just have a look at the website and click on the testimonial section - I tell you not one of them looks happy about it. I know it's a problem but beyond a bell round the neck or permanent captivity not one that I think there's ever going to be an effective solution to, and if there is it's certainly not the Cat Bib! Cats hunt! Live with it!

Coincidence?

2007-05-19T00:41:00.000+01:00

So 7 just happens to be my birthday and what I've always thought of as my lucky number - coincidence or just a random piece of math?

Your Love Number is 7

When you fall in love, you experience it to the fullest.
You are a cheerful, joyful soul - and you attract people easily.
While you fall for people quickly, you also fall out of love quickly.
It takes a dynamic, exciting lover to keep your attention long term!

What Is Your Love Number?

Happy Star Wars Day!

2007-05-04T22:35:00.001+01:00

Well it is May the 4th :)

Star Wars in 30 seconds re-enacted by Bunnies'

The Dark Lord Of The Sky

2007-05-04T00:57:00.000+01:00

Suddenly all that heavy breathing makes much more sense :)

The Balloon Of The Dark Side

Take Me To The Kittens!

2007-04-30T01:10:00.000+01:00

So there I am, aimlessly trawling through flickr when I came across a group called The Photographer's Club. I decided to have a look at a few of the pics but then after two or three I was greeted by a warning message. Apparently the photo that I was about to look at fell outside my current SafeSearch filter (didn't know I had one!) and I had to press an extra button to view it. The photo itself was nothing distressing or obscene but what made me laugh was the toolbar at the top of the page that says...

If you've changed your mind about viewing this you can escape - take me to the kittens!

... and it really does take you to the kittens, and some very cute one's at that. I can recommend Junkus, kitten pics very funny.

It's nice to know that flickr's looking after me :)

Anyone Got A Map?

2007-04-19T02:07:00.000+01:00

Go to...

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps

In the search box type London to New York.

Take note of how long it takes and special notice of step 37 :)

Good luck.

Messages From The Internettes!

2007-04-11T13:15:00.000+01:00

Geoffrey Chaucher Hath A Blog :)

Last Week's Impulse Buy!

2007-03-26T13:05:00.000+01:00

As part of my attempts to shift the post Xmas Llbs (Xmas 2005 and 2006 that is!) I bought a bike. Advertised in our local newsagent, a 15 gear ladies Mountain Bike for just £10. I went to look at it and although a little old and battered it seemed ok, what do you expect for a tenner? Unfortunately it seems to have two permanently flat tyres which makes riding it a bit tricky at the moment but just as soon as I've found a willing volunteer to help me repair punctures/fit new inner tubes I'll be out and about on it.

So Long And Thanks For All The Fruit

2007-03-26T00:45:00.000+01:00

Unfortunately I was introduced to Ze Frank half way through the show so I never really had the chance to get to know him properly (but then again, that's what archives are for) The Show came to an end on March 17th and although my relationship with Ze has been a short lived thing the thought provoking subjects have been inspiring. So much so that I feel a tribute is fitting and would like to take this opportunity to share a truly memorable episode - Let's hear it for Fingers In Fruit.

May The Paws Be With You :)

2007-02-21T14:20:00.000Z

More and more often people are posting little icons with thier comments on flickr and most of the time they really annoy me, they clutter up the comments and make them quite hard to read but having recently been invited to join the 'Kitty Stormtroopers' group (don't laugh) I had to smile when I saw the graphic they used, it's the best one I've seen so far :)

Bless You :)

2007-02-17T00:46:00.000Z

Heaven Is A Warm Bath Full Of Bubbles – Discuss.

2007-02-15T14:45:00.000Z

I haven’t been able to have a bath for over four months now, and I’m really missing it! I would like to add that I do have a shower, a very nice, powerful shower, you know the sort that sandblasts you clean in the morning, but it’s not the same as being able to wallow until you look like a prune in a nice warm, bubble filled, pampering bath.

In my opinion, there is nothing quite so relaxing as a bath. Preferably with a few candles, a glass or two of wine (or if bubbly if you’re feeling extravagant) some music, the phone off the hook, the door shut and the real world well and truly banished.

So in anticipation of the fact that Matt and I are moving to a new place at the end of February which has a bath as well as a shower I was ecstatic to get a whole box full of bath time accruements from my colleagues at work for my birthday. Complete with a bottle of Moet Rosé and a rather flamboyant rubber duck since named Daphne.

I’m not going to rush it, moving in is going to be stressful enough as it is, it feels like I’ve done nothing but pack, unpack, pack again, move boxes from place to place, store furniture and wonder where on earth things are for the last six months, having moved twice in as long. So when I do eventually get around to my first bath in our new home it is going to be planned to perfection and savoured. The Champers will be chilled, the candles lit, the music on softly in the background and I am going to wallow like I have never wallowed before, and heaven help anyone, and I mean anyone who disturbs me!

I can’t wait :)

Lost Land

2007-02-04T00:19:00.000Z

I like having grown up photoshop, and I'm quite proud of this for one of my first attempts at being 'arty' with it :)

Same Jeans

2007-02-04T00:15:00.000Z

This weeks favourite tune :)

Clumsy Is As Clumsy Does!

2007-01-16T00:13:00.000Z

Being ever so slightly clumsy and slightly accident-prone myself, and after a particularly eventful evening I decided to try a bit of Internet research on the subject. So I typed into the search box ‘what makes people clumsy?’

A surprising amount of the hits that were returned seemed to be connected to alcohol, understandable enough I guess but I feel I’m a little more specialised than most in as much as my clumsiness, when intoxicated (and I don’t need to be anywhere near drunk to do this) seems to focus on an ability to spill red wine. Never White Wine, I can hold a gallon glass of white, perch it precariously on the arm of a sofa, knock it, walk past it, kick it, you name it, it never topples – but give me a glass of red and I only need to be in the same room before it inevitably ends up covering something. The amount of wine spilt and the resulting stain seems to bear a distinct correlation to the colour of my surroundings at the time i.e. the lighter the colour ergo the more likely to stain=the higher the chance of spillage. So I was more than a little concerned when Matt and I started looking for a new place to live and the cute little furnished cottage that we really liked had two white sofas in it. As anyone who’s ever spent an evening drinking with me will tell you – it’s only a matter of time! No matter how careful I am I WILL spill red wine on one of them sooner or later. So it wasn’t the end of the world when the estate agents phoned today and told us that the Landlord has now decided that he wants to rent the place unfurnished! Phew!

We haven’t got it in the bag yet but here’s hoping, not that I’m looking forward to actually moving it feels like I’ve done nothing but put things in boxes and move them from one place to the other for the last six months, but it’ll be worth it when (if) we get there, it’s got a garden, and a garage and everything!

So back to today. We have one of those slow closing things on the toilet door at work, which has to be bolted shut at the end of the day. I went in to get a bin liner from the cupboard in there and the door started to close ever so slowly, just as I heard a customer come into the shop. In an attempt to finish the job in hand before I went to sort out the customer I pulled on the towel rail on the outside of the door to close it more quickly which promptly came off in my hand sending me flying backwards into a pile of boxes of wine stacked on the floor. Fortunately the bottles didn’t break and I think I’ve managed to stick the towel rail back into the screw holes convincingly enough that no one will ever notice it was torn from it’s fixings, and I'm sure the bruises will fade quite quickly this time! Then I came home, watched an episode of Heroes (well worth checking out) than proceeded to knock a glass of wine all over my computer desk (none on the carpet, honest Matt!) twice and all this after only three small glasses.

I looked on Wikipedia and apparently clumsiness is caused by neurological problems and thankfully I don’t seem to suffer from any of the other symptoms associated with them when not drinking red wine so I can only come to the conclusion that red wine just turns whatever part of my brain that controls coordination, often with devastating effects on upholstery, (and my head, I still have a lump from a particularly unfortunate incident involving red wine, falling over and a pint glass, filled with water at Christmas)into a pile of mush.

Though it pains me to say it, it would appear that the only cure is a life devoid of red wine. Oh what the hell – what’s a carpet or two between friends anyway.

UPDATE

We got the Cottage, whoopee more moving, more packing, more lugging boxes around and then forever trying to remember which box things are in. Moving Day 26th Feb. I can't wait :)

Ok Go

2007-01-12T15:28:00.001Z

Great vid, I quite like the song as well.

What If...

2007-01-10T23:04:00.000Z

Made me smile :)

New Toys

2007-01-04T21:54:00.000Z

I did very well this Christmas, Santa bought me lots of new toys including some extra memory for my poor old Mac which means I can use the full version of photoshop now instead of having to stick to Photoshop Elements. Now all I need to do is work out how it all works and what I want to do with it but I'm looking forward to learning.

We had a few friends round last night for a post Christmas/New Year catch up and a few glasses of wine were consumed so today was a bit of a slow day as far as anything constructive went. I spent most of the day playing with photoshop. It's still a bit of a mystery to me but I did learn one trick, making abstract circles from my pictures which turned some of the ones I'd filed away into something slightly more interesting. It's not difficult (here's how to do it if you want to give it a go). Now all I need to do is work out what all the buttons do on my camera and I might be able to take some decent photographs this year! :)

Robot Santas Spotted In Odiham?

2007-01-02T23:50:00.000Z

I spotted these in the window of the local Ford Garage and couldn't help but think that they bore a little bit of a resemblance to the Robot Santas that appeared in both this years and last years Doctor Who Christmas specials (with a bit of imagination!)

(Real Robot Santa pics taken from Doctor Who Online)

Almost Back to Reality

2007-01-02T23:42:00.000Z

Well that's it for now, the holidays are almost over and it's time to get back to the reality of work, although Matt and I managed to hold off for one more day. I did a few hours work this evening but we had a pretty lazy day.

There was a brief expedition to try to find something to take some pics of but inspiration and subject matter was a little lacking so instead we just had a quick walk along the Basingstoke Canal to clear the cobwebs and then a quick drink in the George and Lobster at Church Crookham (New Year - new pub!)

After the excesses of Christmas and New Year celebrations it was quite nice to have a sober evening and it's off to bed early tonight with slippers and cocoa (well cocoa anyway, some rather nice Spanish Drinking chocolate that Santa bought me) ready to face the shock of the alarm tomorrow.

New Year

2007-01-01T22:22:00.000Z

As another new year starts the obvious question that everyone seems to ask is 'have you made any new years resolutions? The answer - No!

I hate the idea of resolutions. You start of by making a list of all the things you want to do/change about yourself then when you haven't achieved them by the end if the first week in January you give up and get nothing done - or maybe that's just me?

Personally I was glad to see the end of 2006 and even though 2007 started with a king sized hangover I find myself feeling more positive about the future than I have for a long time. There are still loose ends to be tied up from the business that we were forced to put into liquidation in October of 2006 and no doubt plenty of obstacles to overcome along the way but I hope to be able to start afresh with an online shop and balloon decorating business early in 2007.

Add a few obvious aims to my list for the year like stopping smoking, losing some weight, getting fitter etc. I also want to learn more about photography (and what all the buttons on my camera do!), write more, learn more about websites, wine and running a business. The list goes on and I hope that this year will be full of new things and self improvement, but most of all I hope that this year is a much happier one not just for me but for all of my friends as well.

Happy New Year.

Happy Christmas :)

2006-12-25T20:54:00.000Z

Beware Of Cheap Imitations.

2006-12-05T11:34:00.000Z

I can be a bit of a sucker for things that 'appear' to be free but as a friend of mine said recently "If things appear to be too good to be true then they probably are. The worst example of this that I've come across recently was the purchase of a very cheap sandisk memory card from e-bay.

It appeared to be fine at first everything seemed to work and there was no reason to question whether it was genuine or not, that is until we put it into a different camera! the holes at the bottom of the card are slightly larger than the holes in a genuine card, and not as accurately positioned consequently when we swapped it from one Canon to the other it bent the pins in the card slot and broke the camera. It went from bad to worse when, oblivious to the reason the camera had stopped working, we put the memory card back into another Canon and it did the same thing to that as well! Fortunately Matt's 350D appears to be ok for the moment, despite losing a pin that fell out after using the fake card however my 300D didn't come out of it so well and is now in for repair with a bill of £140 to face - Happy Christmas!

There's a great article here all about the fake cards and how to spot them so if you use sandisk CF cards be very very careful where you buy them from, it may cost a little more but it's worth making sure you've got the genuine article.

Extra Information

Although the sandisk sale has now ended the person we bought the card from is a regular seller on ebay so think twice about buying from wand3r3r19

Sonny :)

2006-11-27T21:44:00.000Z

As featured on MyCatHatesYou.com

Past It's Best?

2006-11-21T23:04:00.000Z

Jim the Halloween Pumpkin is starting to look a little worse for wear now. I know I should have thrown him out ages ago but I've got quite attached to him, and besides if someone had eaten your insides, filled your head with candles then used you as a prop for photographing sparklers you probably wouldn't look so hot either. :)

Mmmmm? I wonder how long it will take for him to turn into a complete pile of mush? Maybe I should just leave him where he is for a little bit longer and see :)

Fame?

2006-11-20T22:47:00.000Z

Imortalised forever in the style of Andy Warhol and featuring on Cat-A-Log, is there no end to this cats talent? could he become the most famous cat on flickr?

Bees!

2006-11-18T23:51:00.000Z

Despite a really, really wet, miserable Friday the weekend turned out to be really nice again. the uncharacteristically warm weather for this time of year seems to be showing no sign of stopping. Although understandably it's pretty cold in the evenings (possibly something to do with the sun going down?) the days are still mostly bright and filled with that really annoying low autumn sun that gets in the way of both driving and photography! I can't get my head round the fact that my sunglasses are still out in November!

I resisted the urge to stay in, to watch the England V South Africa Rugby match on Saturday and gave in to a drive/walk locally to play with cameras and find a nice country pub. Despite all good intentions and a bit of an aimless drive we ended up back at The Chequers in Well, which is rapidly becoming a bit of a fave at weekends. It's a really nice, friendly. relaxed pub with great food, both bar snacks and a full blown restaurant if you want it and we seem to be ending up there a lot. We drifted upon it by accident a few weeks back and despite a very surreal conversation with a local man about the virtues of rolling your own cigarettes and just how many different types of rolling 'backy there is we've been back a few times now.

When it came time to leave I was surprised to find a Bee had settled on the sunroof of our car, convinced (although since corrected) that Bees hibernate in winter. Apparently they just cluster together to keep warm, taking turns to be on the cold outside, either way I'm sure this one shouldn't have still been buzzing round a pub garden! I'm not sure this was a very well Bee, it seemed very docile. So much so that I could get up quite close for a pic (Dear Santa, if I'm good can I have a macro lens please?). I like the effect of the reflection in the roof and shall continue my quest for the perfect bee pic next summer.

Interestingness!

2006-11-17T00:31:00.000Z

flickr says I'm interesting, so I must be :P

Remembrance Day

2006-11-12T20:34:00.000Z

Today was Remembrance Day and across the country wreaths were laid and ceremonies held to remember the people that lost their lives in wars throughout history. With the main focus on World War 1 and World War 11.

Odiham held a traditional ceremony with wreaths laid by RAF Odiham, The Royal British Legion, The Fire Brigade, The Parish Council, the Odiham Society, Guides and Scouts followed by a March along the High Street

Remembrance Day is held on November 11th to recognise the end of World War 1 on that day in 1918. The tradition of observing two minutes silence at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month marked the time that the armistice came into effect in Britain and the two minutes represent the two World Wars, prior to 1945 only one minutes silence was observed.

The poppy's significance to Remembrance Day is a result of Canadian military physician John McCrae's poem In Flanders Fields. The poppy emblem was chosen because of the poppies that bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, their red colour an appropriate symbol for the bloodshed of trench warfare. Last year over 5000 veterans, servicemen and women and their families were helped by the support of the poppy appeal every month but there are still many more out there in need.

There was a record turnout for the ceremony in Odiham today, maybe not that surprising given the current terrorism threat and the present war situation and in conjunction with the Royal British Legion this was the second year that Odiham marked the start of the two minutes silence with the firing of maroons and a short ceremony at the War Memorial.

Elvis!

2006-11-11T23:25:00.000Z

News Flash! Elvis is alive and well and performing, for one night only, in Ewshot in Surrey.

Oops!

2006-11-10T23:30:00.000Z

Who's been a naughty girl then? One of Hampshire's finest took offence to the fact that wearing my seatbelt seemed to have slipped my mind on the way back from seeing Borat at the cinema - oops!

I wasn't too concerned, apart from the possibility of a fine for not wearing my belt I knew I hadn't done anything else wrong. He asked me to blow into the breathaliser and that was all clear, checked my driving licence on the police database, no problems there, but when it came to the insurance the car came back as uninsured - and it's definitely insured! Although he was concerned that he couldn't find a record of the insurance he let me go with nothing but a telling off and an order to produce my documents within seven days. The only problem I've got now is catching our local Police Station actually open. We only have one policeman in the village so tracking him down is not an easy task, still I've got a week, I should be able to find him by then.

UPDATE!

Found him, showed him my documents and I'm now officially off the hook! :)

Waiting!

2006-11-09T23:43:00.001Z

Today has been a bored day! One of those listless, don't know what I want to do, can't be bothered with the things I know I should do, generally fed up sort of days!

In an attempt to snap out of my gloomy mood I decided to go for a wander with my camera. Even that was a little half hearted, I couldn't be bothered to drive anywhere so I ended up roaming the same old places in Odiham, and believe me when I say it's not a big place so there's only so much to see.

I decided to see if I could capture any of the Autumn colours that there are around at the moment, especially as it seemed like we'd almost skipped Autumn this year. The weather seemed to suddenly go from summer to winter, t-shirts and sunshine one moment and then dark evenings and winter coats the next.

As is so often the case, I soon got sidetracked from my original quest and spotted a flock of birds on the church roof. I'm not sure what sort of birds they are but they're always there. They sit there for ages then fly off and circle around landing occasionally in a tree or a field then returning to their perch on the roof.

The falling leaves and Autumn colours that I expected to see seemed very sparse, I was surprised at just how green everything still is but I managed to capture a few of the changing colours none the less and the walk and a dose of fresh air helped clear my head and lift my mood ready for a few hours of late afternoon/early evening work.

Remember Remember...

2006-11-09T13:45:00.000Z

The fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot. I love fireworks and always make the effort to try to get to a see a display if at all possible. I was even more determined this year as I have a new toy to play with - a Canon 300D, although I've obviously still got a lot to learn about using it, I still didn't get any really good pictures of the fireworks. Despite the fact that I spent nearly all of the half hour display looking through the viewfinder of the camera fireing of a barrage of 369 shots and with my back bent at a very unnatural angle. Did I pay for that over the next few days in back pain or what! Note to self - get a tripod - soon.

Halloween

2006-11-01T00:40:00.000Z

This years effort at pumpkin carving!

And in the nature of the sudden realisation by councils across the UK that recycling is a good thing and therefore should now be enforced at every opportunity. To the point where Hart Council has now introduced a well meant but utterly confusing list of what can and therefore must be recycled the rest of the pumpkin was expertly recycled by Matt who turned it into a very tasty Pumpkin and Chicken Stew.

It's been a strange Halloween for me this year I had to put my business into liquidation on Monday, due to reasons (mainly) beyond my control so instead of selling Halloween balloons and general tat to the residents of Odiham from my little gift shop I was doing the graveyard (if you'll pardon the pun) shift at the local Wine Rack.

I was also deprived of my usual partner in crime for Trick or Treating by virtue of the fact that she's moved to Lancashire. And lets face it, without a child to drag along with you knocking on strangers doors dressed as a Vampire and asking for sweeties seems a little desperate!

So instead we had a chilled out Halloween, drank a bit of wine (Red - of course), listened to all the clichéd Halloween songs that Radio Paradise could churn out and ate delicious pumpkin stew.

Happy Halloween

:)

Time On My Hands

2006-10-04T00:37:00.000+01:00

At the risk of starting to sound like a total flickr bore (note to self – blog about something else soon!) I thought I’d have a go at actually getting everything on the list for the October Flickr Scavenger Hunt.

I like October, not least of all because Halloween falls at the end of it which is always a bit of fun, and in the heady world of retail it’s always been one of my favourite seasonal days.

This years going to be very different though, for reasons that I won’t go into (yet) my little shop on the High Street is currently closed, and unfortunately it looks like it’s going to have to stay that way. All I’m going to say are three words – Inland, Revenue and Accountant! So, over the past week or so I’ve found myself with a little more time on my hands than normal – and I am going out of my mind with boredom! I’ve got a second job, which helps to keep me sane, pay the bills and keep the wine flowing but I’m still going crazy, so time to spend a little time enjoying my hobbies methinks!

So in honour of Halloween the October list has a horror movie style, with the additional challenge of trying to submit all entries in black and white/high contrast as an homage to all the corny horror movies that have been made (manipulation permitted)

So without further ado, the list please…

1. Scream
2. A Murder Of Crows
3. Haunted House
4. Hell Hound
5. Spirits
6. Now, She Should/Could Be The Bride Of Frankenstein
7. Vamp(ire?)
8. Black Cat
9. Cemetery, At Night
10. A Grotesque
11. Scarab
12. Organ
13. Unlucky 13
14. Rosemary's Baby
15. Scarecrow
16. Full Moon
17. Skull
18. Fog Or Mist
19. Bat(s)
20. Evil Eye

My mission is to…

(a) Get a photograph of all 20 things
(b) Not to use too many photo’s that I’ve already posted to flickr (although there’s bound to be at least a couple of oldies in there)
(c) Go for quality not speed and come up with twenty interesting shots (well I can but try)

My weapons of choice for the month will be a slightly dated, but interesting Olympus C-2020Z and if I’m lucky a Canon 300D. I’m off to start hunting.

Wish me luck :)

October 2006

2006-10-01T12:31:00.000+01:00

September 2006

2006-09-01T12:27:00.000+01:00

Fame at Last?

2006-08-03T14:52:00.000+01:00

As anyone who reads my blog has probably guessed by now I’m a bit of a flickr addict and I defy anyone who likes to take photographs or get a bit creative with images not to get hooked on it. Apart from being a fun way to show off your skills (?) with a camera it’s a great community and a brilliant way to make some new, like minded, friends and once you start to get feedback and comments from other people about your photographs you can’t help but want to both take and post more and more.

Occasionally, if you’re lucky other people want to use your photographs, an opportunity for your 15 minutes of fame. For instance my housemate Alison has now been approached twice and asked for permission to use her pics, once for a Christian groups e-card and another for a video for a Church Sermon about farming. (Quite ironic really as she's hardly a regular churchgoer!)

I was really chuffed when a flickr user approached me recently from Hawaii who is working on a guide book about the surviving ships-of-the-line and battleships and want to use some pictures that I took of HMS Warrior and HMS Victory in his book. Of course I said yes and hopefully I’ll get a copy of the guide so I can show off (I can feel my head swelling now!)

With the advent of the digital age and Photoshop there’s a chance for people to get even more creative with images. I was really impressed with a couple of manipulations by flickr fans to a photograph that I took one bored afternoon of some Halloween toys we had in our shop. They were plastic eyeballs, suspended in a ball filled with liquid that lit up when you moved them. There are three different coloured LED lights in it so the colours change every time it moves, I took loads of pics and posted the one that I liked most on flickr they were then manipulated by two different flickr users Oyvind Solstad and flickrwegian/Sweet Lisa Jay so one simple photo turned into two more fantastic images.

There’s also the chance to play with some toys designed for flickr by John Watson aka fd. They’re really simple to use and give those of us who aren’t so skilled at Photoshop a chance to try out any artistic flair we may have, or just to have a bit of fun with photos. So what are you waiting for – go get your camera and have some fun.

August 2006

2006-08-01T12:20:00.000+01:00

Well Fry Ma Hide!

2006-07-13T14:52:00.000+01:00

I stumbled across a great website if you fancy wasting a bit of office time. the Dialectizer turns text and websites into different dialects, including Redneck, Jive and Elmer Fudd. Here's how The Elephants Child translates into Redneck, hours of fun :)

Th' Art of Ahideg Quesshuns

ah keep six honess servin'-men
(They tought me all ah knowed);
Their names is Whut in tarnation an' Whuffo' an' When
An' How an' When an' Who.
ah send them on over lan' an' sea,
ah send them easy an' west;
But af'er they haf wawked fo' me,
ah give them all a rest.

ah let them ress fum nine till five,
Fo' ah's busy then,
As fine as bustfast, lunch an' tea,
Fo' they is hungry men, as enny fool kin plainly see.
But diffrunt folk haf diffrunt views;
ah knows a varmint small-
She keeps ten million servin'-men,
Who git no ress at all! Fry mah hide!

She sends 'em abroad on her own affairs,
Fum th' second she opens her eyes-
One million Hows, two million Whars,
An' seven million Whuffo's!

Fum Th' Elephants Chile by Rudyard Kiplin'.

Essential Office Equipment?

2006-07-10T15:06:00.000+01:00

I want one of these :)

The Continuing Saga Of THE Light!

2006-07-06T15:35:00.000+01:00

I fear I may be getting a little obsessed with 'The Light'. It's been flashing on then off, then on, then off etc etc outside my bedroom window for over two weeks now and sleep deprivation is making me a tad grumpy!

Apparently they need a part to arrive before the council can put me out of my misery! (Just how many parts can there be in a light?). We tried to break it a few nights ago but no one was quite tall enough to reach it, but if I get my hands on a bigger ladder....

However, I had to smile about it today when one of our customers dropped these into the shop for me! Gotta be worth a try :)

The Flickr Monthly Scavenger Hunt - July

2006-07-03T14:22:00.000+01:00

I've been very lax with my attempts to get all the items in the flickr monthly scavenger hunt lately so I thought I'd better pull my socks up a bit and go for it in July. After all, the sun is shining and summer has arrived with a vengance so there's no excuse not to get out and about and play with a camera. I'm aiming for a full house, for the first time, this month - so watch this space.

Here's this months challenge, if you want to see all the entries just go to the flickr monthly scavenger hunt group.

Here goes...

1. 37
2. Blue Sky Thinking
3. Childrens book from the library
4. Deep
5. Evil
6. Flyer
7. Grave
8. Hot pink
9. Jumping
10. Loud
11. Most exotic animal for your location
12. Oh, what a tangled web we weave...
13. Pest
14. Road sign with wildlife on it
15. Silhouette
16. Stare
17. That should have been thrown out looooong ago
18. Think
19. Walking on air
20. Yawn

July

2006-07-01T17:11:00.000+01:00

Dreaming Of Sleep!

2006-06-29T02:42:00.000+01:00

I’ve always been an incredibly light sleeper, and I’ve always found it hard to get to sleep in the first place, I don’t think I count as an insomniac because around about 3.30 on most afternoons I could probably sleep standing up given the chance, but it seems that the slightest little noise can disturb me at night. So when I moved from a busy street in South London to a sleepy little village, in Hampshire I thought my problems would be over.

So imagine how I felt when I realised that I’d just moved into a house next door to the local wannabee Rock Star. I inhabit the loft of our little communal home; I thought it was quite cool when we first moved in, my own living room (or should that be lounge?) and a separate bedroom, almost the loft apartment I’d always aspired to when I lived in London – well with a bit of imagination it could be! The wall between my bedroom and his room is paper thin, so much so that we can hear each other cough! (Which makes life a little uncomfortable if either of us have a – shall we say – more intimate moment!) So I was captain happy when I first heard his guitar, drum machine, organ, bass guitar and, wait for it, Violin! However after the first few months of sleepless nights, a bit of banging on the wall, a couple of rants and a letter from the Environmental Health we finally reached a truce and he agreed to stop playing his guitar/stereo/whatever at 11.30pm, and in return I agreed to text him if I stayed at a friends so he could go wild once in a while. And it worked. For a couple of years I managed to sleep most nights. Then he moved out! I crossed my fingers and hoped to get a bookworm with no TV or stereo as a new neighbour, but no – what do I get? A 19 year old hip hop fan, with lots of friends who clearly still live at home because they just love to go round to his place and sit up for most of the night, talking, watching TV, listening to music and generally driving me insane!

We’ve talked, I’ve shouted, I’ve threatened and I’ve pleaded, we’ve come to a similar agreement about texting him when I’m not going to be in but he’s still prone to the odd night of noise, thankfully I also have a sofa bed in my living room, so at a push I can normally grab at least a few hours.

Then just as I thought things couldn’t get any worse, the local Council stepped in and ruined what little hope there was of me ever getting 8 hours of deep, uninterrupted, blissful sleep. They fixed the light. THE light is in an alley at the back of our house, which my bedroom overlooks. THE light is bright enough to give Blackpool a run for it’s money and when it’s on it’s like trying to sleep under a floodlight! It didn’t work for years apparently so some concerned citizen complained about the dangers of walking down an unlit alley in a sleepy little village in the dead of night and they fixed it! Now, I could live with it being on all night, eventually I’d get used to it and get to sleep but it’s not on all night! If only it were that simple! It’s on for about 30 seconds then it goes off, then it comes on, then it goes off, then it comes on… you get the idea don’t you?

So now, just as I’ve managed to block out the sound of The Streets blasting through my bedroom wall and start to drift off to sleep a light comes on outside and casts a very bright silhouette of my bedroom window on the wall. Then it goes dark and I drift off again, then the light comes on and wakes me up, then I drift off again and so on and so on, all f%&*king night! Is it too much to ask to just be able to sleep? I’ve spoken to the Council several times about it now, and a very nice, but obviously ineffective man called Julian from ‘lighting’ keeps telling me that they’ll get someone out there to fix it ASAP! I’ve started to look into just how much the fine would be for damaging council property and if all else fails I find that a liberal helping of red wine makes a pretty good sedative! Anyone got a quiet darkened room I could borrow for about 8 hours please?

Out Of The Mouths Of Babes...

2006-06-25T22:42:00.000+01:00

I couldn't help but laugh at this conversation between my housemate and her five year old daughter (my goddaughter) over dinner a few nights ago...

Mum - So who did you play with at school today?
Daughter - Archie
Mum - Is Archie your friend?
Daughter - Yes
Mum - Is Archie your boyfriend?
Daughter - Yes, but he doesn't know it yet!

Maybe I should try the same tactic :)

Fame At Last?

2006-06-19T19:12:00.000+01:00

I found a company that makes T-shirts named after my Blog - infamy at last :)

I can feel a present to me coming on.

Where Have All the Cock-Knees Gone?

2006-06-14T23:49:00.000+01:00

So it’s the World Cup again! I hate football! IMHO it’s boring. I know there’s a fairly large amount of the world’s population that would disagree, very strongly, with me, but there it is, I’ve said it – I hate football!

I’m not against ball games per say – in fact I’m a huge Rugby fan (my Father was Welsh – it’s sort of compulsory!) but even then I don’t want to watch all the games, just the one’s that matter but in the spirit of live and let live and all that I don’t mind putting up with wall to wall football on the TV schedules for the next four weeks (please tell me it’s only four weeks!). However, I do object when it’s at the cost of something I want to watch every week, 52 weeks of the year. Put it on later, put it on BBC 2, put it on BBC 3 but just give me my Eastenders fix!!

It’s got as far as Wednesday and not even a sniff of Albert Square antics. It may not be the most intellectually stimulating programme around but it’s a ritual that my life is incomplete without. I have a theory that I have, to date, never been proved wrong about – if the phone rings when Eastenders is on it’s always either a double glazing/energy supply/whatever rep, or a man. Women just don’t phone you when ‘Enders is on, unless it’s to discuss an integral part of the plot line, even then it has to be really important to be worthy of interruption.

Eastenders is Valium for the working woman. It’s that half hour between coming home from work and going out again/working again/doing chores etc that you can just leave your brain on the coffee table and unwind without any need to tax your mind – and right now I’m going cold turkey all because of football!

So – BBC, if by any chance you happen to read this, spare a thought for the licence payers out there that don’t give a *@^k who wins the world cup and give us back our soaps – trust me the world will be a happier place for it.

The Drink Of The Devil?

2006-06-06T21:51:00.000+01:00

The Drink Of The Devil?
Originally uploaded by Cathy G.

Well.. what else could you drink on 06.06.06!

"The legend began more than 100 years ago, when Don Melchor de Concha y Toro (try saying that after a few glasses of it!) founder of the winery, reserved for himself an exclusive batch of the best wines they produced. To keep strangers away from this special private reserve, he spread the rumor that the Devil lived in that place. Hence the name Casillero del Diablo - Cellar Of the Devil.

A very drinkable Cabernet Sauvignon and a few too many glasses of this and you'll have one hell of a hangover the next day :)

Go To Hell?

2006-06-06T07:06:00.000+01:00

Hell is having it's busiest day today.

The town of Hell in Michigan is expecting a horde of revellers to visit today, to mark the date which echoes the Bible's 'number of the beast' .

Mayor (and souvenir shop owner!) John Colone will be selling mugs, T-shirts and deeds to one square inch of Hell for $6.66.

He said "Everyone who comes will get a letter of authenticity saying that they've celebrated June 6th, 2006 in Hell".

Wise Words #1

2006-06-04T23:56:00.000+01:00

Most people are about as happy as they make their mind up to be.

Abraham Lincoln

June

2006-06-01T01:59:00.000+01:00

Fette's Vette

2006-05-29T00:43:00.000+01:00

I have been looking for a copy of this for ages! Fette's Vette - MC Chris

Hangovers!

2006-05-27T13:05:00.000+01:00

I’ve been doing a bit of ‘hands on’ research into hangovers recently so I thought I’d investigate the subject further. Why does alcohol make (some of) us feel so rough the following day? Even the Bible makes reference to the problems of the morning after! "Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink" (Isaiah 5:11)

A Hangover is also called a veisalgia - from the Norwegian word for ‘uneasiness following debauchery’ (kveis) and the Greek word for ‘pain’ (algia) and the term is used to describe the unpleasant side effects of too much alcohol or heavy consumption of drugs. The most common symptoms are dehydration, tiredness, nausea and a headache. Other symptoms of an alcohol-induced hangover are difficulty in concentrating, irritability, sensitivity to light and noise, and trouble sleeping.

Not that it’s news to any of us but alcohol causes more than one problem when it comes to hangovers. Ethanol (alcohol) has a dehydrating effect on the body, which causes the dry mouth, lethargy and headache. However one of the most disturbing factors in my opinion is why I get a headache. Apparently dehydration causes the brain to shrink away from the skull slightly – yuck! This is because the other organs in our bodies are trying to save themselves by drawing water from the brain. This triggers the pain sensors on the outside surface of your brain. A suggestion to help to avoid this is to drink plenty of water in between and directly after drinking alcohol (or maybe to just drink a little less alcohol). Just to add to the appeal alcohol is also a metabolic poison which impacts on your stomach lining and causes the nausea. Then just to round off the damage nicely your liver, assuming it still functions, turns alcohol into acetaldehyde and this metabolite is probably even more toxic to your body than the alcohol itself. So it’s really no surprise that you feel ill the morning after a heavy session is it?

One thing that I did find quite interesting, and a little worrying is that some of the nervous effects of a hangover are exaggerated by products of the alcohol fermentation process, such as methanol and fusel oils, which are also called congeners. However when it comes to distilled alcohol, in particular Vodka (a favourite of mine) this doesn’t happen - which is why I don’t feel so bad after a heavy night on the Vodka as I do after a red wine binge. Which prompts the obvious solution, drink more Vodka!

Other factors which are believed to worsen the effects of a hangover are sugar (Found in sweet cocktails alchopops etc), Nicotine poisoning (There is a tendency to smoke more when you’re drunk) and good old fashioned genetics – some people just don’t get hangovers. However if you’re one of those people, before you get smug about it, remember just because you don’t feel rough the morning after it doesn’t mean you’re doing yourself any less any harm when you drink to excess. Lastly there’s also a certain level of psychosomatics with a hangover – if you expect to get one, you will!

So… Suggested Cures/Prevention.

Drinking a sports drink (not an energy drink) such as powerade or Gatorade to rehydrate your body
Drinking a large amount of water before going to bed and during the night to rehydrate your body
Eating mineral rich foods such as pickles or fish
Drinking pickle juice, i.e. the juice that cucumbers eggs etc are pickled in, in the morning (apparently very popular in Poland)
Eating something substantial before going to bed to soak up the alcohol (kebabs, pizza etc)
Drinking coffee (although not too strong as caffeine itself can cause dehydration)
Drinking orange juice, which is rich in vitamin C
Eating cabbage leaves or drinking tomato juice
Cysteine, which is available as an over the counter supplement (N-acetycysteine (NAC)) assists is processing acetaldehyde and is best taken while already drinking and/or before going to bed. Egg yolk is also rich in cysteine, which may be why many traditional remedies contain eggs.
And finally - the most obvious of them all - don't get drunk!

So it would appear that the urge for a kebab after a heavy night is not so much that it’s the only time one tastes nice but a subconscious effort to prevent a hangover. My personal favourite is still the tried and tested remedy of drinking water before sleeping, works for me - if you can face it that is. Or alternatively just don’t get quite so drunk!

It's Friday :)

2006-05-19T01:30:00.000+01:00

Pointless?

2006-05-10T02:23:00.000+01:00

I've been playing with photoshop and now I can make moving buttons! I have absolutely no idea what use that particular skill will be but I'm sure I'll think of something. Until inspiration strikes I'll just leave you with this big, red, umm moving spot! Or then again - maybe not!

I give up, my spot will not move - so instead I leave you with a big red spot - exciting huh?

May

2006-05-01T01:00:00.000+01:00

Ladybird Ladybird...

2006-04-22T14:59:00.000+01:00

Ladybird Ladybird...
Originally uploaded by Cathy G.

In Medieval England farmers would set torches to the old hop (used in flavouring beer) vines after the harvest in order to clear the fields for the next planting.

This poem was sung as a warning to the ladybirds that were still crawling on the vines in search of aphids. The ladybirds' children (larvae) could get away from the flames, but the pupae, referred to as "Nan" in some versions, were fastened to the plants and thus could not escape.

Pupae are the larvae when they have formed a cocoon and are changing into adults. "Nan" was originally an affectionate form of the name "Ann" (but it is now generally used as a short form of "Nancy").

Ladybird, ladybird fly away home,
Your house is on fire and your children are gone,
All except one,
And her name is Ann,
And she hid under the frying pan.

April

2006-04-01T01:00:00.000+01:00

Size Is Important!

2006-03-26T20:07:00.000+01:00

This piece of modern art can be found around the urinals in the 5-star Sofitel Hotel in Queenstown, New Zealand. Whereas 5-star hotels are normally better known for their opulence, their design or their cuisine this particular Sofitel is gaining notoriety for their men’s room!

The design plays on our fears of being watched in the loo – and for the men who use this particular restroom not only are they being observed, but the girls seem to have no qualms about measuring, photographing or just having a laugh at one of the most ‘sensitive’ parts of the male anatomy (and ego!)

Apparently, apart from being the most popular room in the hotel, it’s also attracted a couple of complaints from Churchgoers and a few hundred people who just want to have a look!

Hotel Manager – Mark Wilkinson, says that the idea behind them was just to ‘put a little levity into a posh hotel’

Odiham's War

2006-03-20T19:59:00.000Z

Someone told me a while ago that it pays to whinge! I can't say I'm going to argue with that, as a nation it's something that most of us Brits are quite good at, and in a world where customer service should be the backbone of any successful business (in my view) if you're not happy about something you should speak up. As someone who is trying to run their own business it seems obvious - whereas we are always looking for new customers what's the point if you can't hang on to them when you find them? So we do everything we can to make our customers feel good about giving us their money and when we do mess up, because lets be honest, everyone does at some time or another, we do everything we can to fix it and make that customer come back to us again, even if sometimes that means going the extra mile or two!

Business is hard at the moment for a million and one reasons, but as a consequence I find that I'm turning into a right miserable old cow! The upshot of that is complaining about things comes so much easier, and has a certain therapeutic effect! I can't fix the things that I need to fix overnight; so making a mountain out of a molehill over things I can do something about makes me feel better.

The latest victim was the location manager of the Foyles War film crew that visited our sleepy little village recently. We were given a few days notice of their intention to spend around half a dozen days/nights over a two week period filming in our village and very close to our home. So close in fact that we had a huge klieg light hanging over our garden wall, bouncers outside our front door, a myriad of cables to navigate our way around every time we wanted to leave our house and numerous, very inconvenient, requests to turn various lights on or off in the house depending on the shot that they were after.

If I was in a happier place right now I may have got a little excited at the thought of a film crew at our front door, and our house (and business) making it onto the small screen but on another of many bad days they seemed like fair game for a complaint.

I wrote a very sternly worded letter to the location manager and enquired about compensation for the business's affected by their disruption (they closed off just about every public parking space in the village in the process of filming so we may as well of not opened our little gift shop on the days they were there for the amount of customers there were!) So he came to visit to say sorry, which I had to admire, and it was worth it for them because for the sake of letting me have a ten-minute rant and presenting me with a free Foyles War DVDand a signed photo of the star of the show my anger was sated. Which just goes to show how easily people can be pleased. I have a DVD of a TV series that I've never shown any interest in before (and I'm sorry to say but beyond the episode that features our house I probably never will again) and a signed photo of someone I had barely heard of before but I'm happy now. I guess complaining isn't so much about what you get from it as what you get out of it. Sometimes all you need to do to make someone happy is to listen to them.

So look out for an episode called 'Bleak Midwinter' due to be shown in the UK in September, featuring the sleepy little village of Odiham and the back of our house! Fame at last?

New Icon I Have

2006-03-09T10:51:00.000Z

Adium meets Star Wars, meet Yoda Duck.

The Return Of The Flickr Monthly Scavenger Hunt.

2006-03-06T12:22:00.000Z

I bombed on the February hunt, I only managed 1 item, which had a lot to do with a general air of apathy for anything creative in February which was bought on by the combination of dark depressing days and nights, a prolonged and alcohol fuelled celebration of my birthday and a deeply ingrained cynicism towards anything romantic!

However with spring just around the corner, the mornings and the evenings are getting lighter and a little more optimism than of late for life in general I'm back on track again.

Here is the list for this months challenge -

1. A Lion
2. People Dancing
3. Empty
4. Something you made (can't be the same item as #19)
5. An animal doing something funny
6. Someone playing a guitar
7. Pink Flamingos
8. A spelling mistake on a sign
9. "I know, it's bigger than the last one."
10. A mural (like on a wall or the side of a building)
11. Far far away
12. A boat that won't float
13. A public toilet
14. A picture of yourself as a teenager (or younger if you are a child)
15. A delivery person
16. Something with a for sale sign
17. Someone blowing a bubble
18. Multi-colored graffiti
19. A hand-drawn sketch (you draw it! Can't be the same as item #4)
20. A lamb

Good luck to everyone who's playing the game and if you like taking photographs and fancy a bit of fun check out flickr and the monthly scavenger hunts, but I warn you, it's addictive.