A Day of The Unexpected

Today was a day of the unexpected. I drove the best part of 500 miles going to Liverpool, Winsford, across to Sheffield and then back to work in Marlow. These days out can be long, tiring and a slog sometimes, but today was full of unexpected surprises. I set off at 5:30am so my first challenge was to beat the Monday morning rush hour around Birmingham on the M6 and this I did, so I got to Liverpool in good time just after 9:00.

At Winsford I was chatting to a girl about The Killers at Hyde Park, and the conversation went on to The Charlatans, and it turns out her dad used to work with the singer Tim Burgess' dad! And then as I left heading off towards Sheffield I went through Sproston, which all Charlatan fans will know...

After Sproston I came across Congleton, a place I delivered to when I first started work and hadn't been through in over 25 years; in fact when I went there before my godfather came with me to keep me company as I hadn't done many long trips at that point. I felt quite nostalgic.

My journey to Sheffield took me right through the Peak District, which was looking stunning on a clear and hot sunny summer's day. It was so nice to be off the mundane motorway route and driving through the beautiful English countryside, and if I was feeling tired the views kept me very much awake.

I would imagine that once the holiday season really kicks off these roads will be rammed with traffic, but today it was so quiet and I saw only a few vehicles. I can also imagine how bad these roads must get when the snow comes down in Winter.

The scenery was so varied, I could have stopped for hours and taken loads of pictures, but unfortunately work did not allow me such a luxury.

The final surprise of the day happened once I was heading home as I passed through Chesterfield and saw the crooked spire on the cathedral. The last time I saw it was on a football special train back in 1985 I think. Who needs The Leaning Tower of Pisa?

So a fun packed 10 hours on the road today :o)

The Killers - Hard Rock Calling 2011 - London Hyde Park

I made a video of my day out watching The Killers at London Hyde Park on June 24th 2011. A fantanstic show in the rain...

Cricket In The Rain

The tarpaulin in the picture enabled Knowl Hill Cricket Club to get the game of cricket on yesterday against Stratfield Turgis after all the rain on Friday and showers on and off all day yesterday. It was a long tiring day beginning at 9:00am and the game ending close to 8:00pm. I can't remember how many times the cover was pulled on and off the wicket and how much water we had to clear off it, but with the club pulling together and an opposition more than willing to help the game was completed. An especially heavy downpour at tea almost did for the game, but we weren't to be denied and with sawdust everywhere resembling a wedding confetti scene we got the game back on after a lengthy delay. To complete a satisfying day we won the game right at the death which was of course the icing on the cake! A special mention especially to Mr Alex Plank whose purchase of the tarpaulin and single minded doggedness to get the game on and finished was a supreme effort...

What yesterday showed to me was the great spirit that still exists at grass roots club cricket. The team spirit, the pulling together to get a game on, the competitive nature on the pitch and friendly spirit off the pitch between two sides. Also how whilst I am still physically able to continue to play this game at the level of performance I want to, I must make make the most out of every game left in me possible. Not that this middle-aged body has any plans to stop playing just yet!

White Feather

I was tidying up the unit at work on Wednesday coinciding with the end of a big job recently and the 2nd anniversary of losing my father, as he especially would always keep the work unit shipshape! Having swept the floor and reorganised pallets I was pleased with the results and then saw this white feather on the floor. The significance of white feathers and guardian angels and the date was not lost on me and it was a nice warm feeling that gave me a lift as I think someone up there is indeed watching over me...

Anniversaries, Toblerone & Father's Day

It's funny how bereavement can take many different forms, and in my recent experience there is certainly no right or wrong way to deal with it. The 2nd anniversary of my dad passing away if fast approaching and not surprisingly I suppose my thoughts and the rest of the family's turn more and to thinking about him at this time. However whilst not getting away from how much you still can miss someone, I always try and remember the happy times and what a great man he was. There are many things that can trigger thoughts about him and just what a lovely man he was. Bizarrely Toblerone in the supermarket today was one such instance. I had almost finished my shop and I happened to see the big bars on sale promoting the forthcoming Fathers Day. Toblerone was one of the regular Fathers Day gifts I would give dad; in fact it was either a big bar of Toblerone or a pack of beer for him to consume in the garden. I found it slightly weird today as the thoughts that were triggered consisted of not only the fact that dad was no longer here, but also how I am not a father myself and so in fact the whole Fathers Day occasion passes me by at the moment. Of course I can't do anything about my own dad no longer being here, but I can still do something about my own aspirations to be a dad myself one day. But I digress... So I thought to myself I fancy a Toblerone regardless of who they are aiming to sell the product to so I am going to buy one and I did, which I know dad would approve of :o)

Stop The Pigeon!

I managed to get a snap of this little bugger on my mobile phone in my mum's garden. Don't get me wrong I have nothing against pigeons, I certainly wouldn't want to have one in a pie! Yuck, but that is a whole new post on such food! However they are a bit of a menace on the vegetable patch and mum has employed plenty of netting to prevent them eating the vegetables she is growing this summer. So go away Mr Pigeon and pick on someone else's garden!

X-ray

When I study myself in this picture I can assume that my teeth are white, my hair is surprisingly dark, my recent facial injuries seem to have healed perfectly, and my shirt is a perfect black. I am off course the one on the left! :o)

30 pence to have a wee!!

Generally here in the UK it is free to use public toilets and quite rightly so. The one place I get caught short / out at is at Paddington Station. 30 pence to have a wee!! The result of which is procession of disgruntled passengers... Of course 30 pence will not break the bank, but in the current economic climate why don't they give us something back so that we can quite happily deposit something back in at our hour of need...