Cheltenham Literary Festival 2012

For one reason or another, I hadn't booked any events at this year's Festival. But today I found myself with a few hours to use up in Cheltenham, so whilst wandering about the Festival area seeing who I might bump into, realised there were still tickets to see the filming of a Sky Arts programme - namely Mariella Fostrup's Book Show. And very interesting it was too. Not only to see how an hour's worth of recording is put together, but to be close up to the guests that included the perfect gentleman that was Sir Roger Moore. A timely appearance given the 50th anniversary of the first Bond film.

Enjoyed it so much, that I then returned for a second recording an hour later, sitting on the front row to see Rupert Everett, Mary Robinson and Jack Straw be interviewed about their own books and about those that influenced them.

All this for a fiver per ticket. Shame I haven't got Sky to watch the finished output in November. Oh, and I did bump into two celebs - Kirsty Young and Where's Wally.

Stealth Stone

Had a very good day at Fairford Air Tattoo recently. Particularly enjoyed seeing the Lancaster take off and hearing the roar of the Vulcan taking to the skies. But the star of the show had to be the very sinister B2 Stealth bomber. Sadly didn't see it in the air though. A very strange machine indeed.

Almost as strange as the stone I found the very next day ...

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Summer of 2012 (Part One)

It is not clear from this picture quite how wet it is - though the horse's stance, and the fact that my customer has provided a shelter for me, do provide some clues. It is June, it is England, and it is wet. Very wet. And cold. OK, a good week in March, and a couple of so-so May weeks have been OK, but now we all remember this. Rain, floods, three days out of a five day Test match lost to rain. And we have a hose-pipe ban still in place. That's the UK for you. 

So this is my plan. Post this info now, so that later this summer, after the glorious Olympics and a winning Test series against South Africa on rock hard dry pitches, I can post the Summer of 2012 (Part Two) and reflect on a totally different climatic scenario. With a hosepipe ban, of course.

Football's Coming Home

This weekend started at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival, with a second chance to see C W Stoneking performing. First seen at Womad last year, I feared my enthusiasm for his authentic 20's American bluesy sounds were perhaps fuelled by the lateness of his gig on the first night of my first ever festival. But once again I was blown away by his music on Friday - see him live if you ever get the chance. Jamie Cullum's a fan too! 

Then today Swindon celebrated their League 2 Championship with a Party on The Pitch. A great afternoon seeing all the players and listening to sets from Toploader and The Lightning Seeds, who finished their performance with 'Three Lions'. Football's coming home . . .

Cirencester 12 Burnham 14

A rare visit for me to Cirencester RFC today - invited by a good friend to watch the game against his home town of Burnham on Sea. A rare visit these days, but the pitches and clubhouse there were as good as home for me through the 80's. A regular player on the wing - I was faster than the larger chaps in those days - I enjoyed many seasons for the Thirds and Seconds, before establishing a firm place in the Firsts. This was when the league structures were started, and we played in the the Western Counties, travelling from Gloucestershire down to Cornwall. We also travelled further afield, and my own memorable tour was to Berlin - guests of the British Army - where we were fortunate to see the divided Berlin just six months before the wall came down.

It was great to see the grounds again, and sample the hospitality of the bar after - even if it was only a black coffee. A long way from the guiness and beer that was previously consumed. And fortunately there was no sign of the 'Dick Drink' concocted from various forms of alcohol that was always presented, to be downed in one, by the nominated 'dick' of the match.

Sadly the likely recipient of the game today would have been the ref - I have never seen a player penalised for time wasting in rugby before. But even with that and other strange official decisions, Burnham spent more time than Ciren in the attacking 22, and on balance deserved the win with a converted penalty in the last minutes of a tightly fought game.

So I caught up with a few old teammates today, and reminisced about the good old days. Makes me sound old - which is odd, because given my current running fitness and now-diagnosed Coeliac condition, I actually suspect that I am a lot fitter now than I was back in my Rugby playing days. But you won't be seeing me on the the field again - the game is too quick now and too physical.

So there won't be another chance for a photo opportunity such as the one below - me crossing the line for a try back in the season 1987/89.

Advent 2011

This period of Advent has been busier than usual for me this year. Instead of the more usual one window per day, I have had to make at least six openings each day of the month. Otherwise I would not have completed my task on the 24th.

Well, its Christmas Eve today - and I have finished it!!


So here it is, for all to see ...

Yep - I have completed my Advent Colander . . .

Should It Stay Or Should It Go Now

Before ...

.. the end of November, a month's growth looked like this. Having decided to grow something for Movember, this is what was left having removed most of the white stuff. So should it stay or should it go?

Generally the reaction was favourable. It was said to be one of the better Movember efforts. I liked it - but with two reservations. Firstly - I knew someone sometime would stop me for directory enquiries - and secondly I was reminded of a schoolday's biology experiment involving a swab, a petrie dish and a teacher's moustache.

So, I made my decision. And I offer you the following photo so that you can decide if I made the correct one.

... and after ...