Shalford

Jase and I went to Guildford yesterday for the day. I haven't been back to Guildford for ten years. The last time I visited it was to camp in Stoke Park on a glorious August wekend for what was called back then The Guildford Folk Frstival. It was a great weekend highlights being swimming in the lido, Vicky Clayton, Kyla and Beth Orton. When we arrived in Guildford yesterday there were rather ominous black clouds over head. The centre of Guildford hasn't changed that much although there is now a Greggs and a big West Country Pasty shop in the town centre.

I wanted to avoid the crowds of shoppers so we went to the castle and then walked to Shalford. I had hoped to have lunch at the Seahorse but there was a wedding reception on. We walked up past my Granny's old street and my Dad's old junior school. I hadn't been back to Shalford since my Granny's funeral but Shalford hasn't changed much; there was a cricket match on and the traffic was horrific. The garage was closed down and weeds were growling up through cracks in the fore court. There was however a coffee and sandwich bar open so we bought a picnic lunch and ate it on the common.

The London Eye

We had a team away day yesterday and finished it off with a spin on the London Eye. I had a lovely time as did my team. There were only 9 of us in our pod which was great.

As my shoulder now hurts me increasingly when I work at the computer I will keep this short. Some pics from the Eye are below. It was a bit over cast and I am not a very good photographer.

Tama the station cat

Jase brought my attention to this story on the BBC website. It is about a cat called Tama who has changed the fortunes of an electric railway in Japan. Tama is now an honorary station master and even has his own book out. I think putting cats in charge of more stations and the railway network as a whole is a fine idea indeed!

Rain

I have a day off work today but some how ended up writing an update paper for most of the morning. It's done now though. Tomorrow we have a planning away day which is good, to be out of the office and thinking.

We had a very quiet bank holiday weekend. The rain really put an end to any plans and instead on Sunday I read for most of the day. Yesterday although the rain was still just as persistent we went to Kingston. We had hoped that if the rain cleared away we could walk along the river towards Hampton Court, but no such luck it just rained and rained and the wind blew! So we just ambled around the shops and had fish and chips at the Druids Head. I bought a couple of books, the biography of the Dalai Lama which looks at all the incarnations of the Dalai Lama by Alexander Norman. Very interesting reading it is too. I also got a book that Jase wanted called End of the World Blues by Jon Courtenay Grimwood set in Japan.

Eurovision!

It's Eurovision time again! Yay! I love Eurovision even though it is a swiz and all the voting is unfair. Terry Wogan's comments which get decidedly dodgier as the night and the alcohol wears on are worth the license fee alone, as are the bizarre entries, the campness, the unmistakable "euroness" of it all. It's just classic. I know the picture is of Scooch with Terry Wogan but I just wanted to include a picture of the totally awful but brilliant Scooch entry from last year. This years UK entry is just too sensible!

The BBC has a Eurovision website with a party organiser. It has a score sheet and an eye spy download and recipe and cocktail suggestions.

bradford

Millie

After a chilly but sunny start to the day and waking Jase with an early morning phone call I had a lovely train journey to Bradford. It was the last event away from the office so I am pleased these events are over. We took Millie the dog for walk again tonight, this time through the woods with the remnents of the bluebells. Millie likes to find sticks some of which are huge and barely liftable by Millie.

On the road again

this time my travels take me to Bradford via Doncaster. I am getting really tired of all the travelling and transport issues. This morning on the tube some bloke decided to run straight at me as fast as he could and barge me out of the way with his shoulder (which smacked into my cheek) because he couldn't possibly wait two minutes until the next train. It put me in a miserable mood for the day. I should see Rookie and Oliver the cats soon and my parents new dog Millie which will cheer me up.

UFO

Above top secret! Conspiracy theories! Aliens living amongst us! There is a fantastically barmy UFO bloke on BBC Breakfast (and it's not Robbie Williams) talking about alien and UFO encounters. He believes that aliens are living amongst us and Canada are hiding something more top secret than the H-Bomb about alien contact from us all. Jason grumbled "This is a waste of my licence fee! They should be using the money to make fictional programmes about aliens not this rubbish!"

This is all because the MOD have released their UFO files. They are part of the national archives. I like the story of the 78 year old man fishing by the Basingstoke canal who met some aliens in green overalls.

My Dad once saw a UFO in Newquay, Cornwall on his birthday.

Back to Belfast

I'm heading back to Belfast for the 5th of 7 events we have been holding across the country. We had been booked into some self catering apartments for the night; there is a big accommodation shortage in Belfast tonight due to some big conferences. Yesterday the company that runs the apartments let us know that they had made a double booking and we would be staying at a hotel instead. We had planned a takeaway and a bottle of wine in front of The Apprentice in one of our apartments so we have had to cancel that now. Boo!

The weather seems to have broken and it's cloudy and a lot colder today with a brisk wind but not bad enough to make the flight too bumpy.

Book shopping

Sorry I've not posted in a few days but I've been lazy and technical errors yesterday wouldn't let me! I've not been up long so my head is still a little thick with sleep. (It's always a little thick generally. )

I haven't been up to much lately, yesterday I walked into Wimbledon and then went into London on the hunt for some books. A few years back now I came across a really good review for a book by a "New" sci-fi writer Liz Williams, but I couldn't get hold of the book anywhere, not even Amazon. In the end I tracked down one of her previous books, Empire of Bones in a shop in Manchester. I really enjoyed it and meant to read more of her books.

About a year ago I ordered her book, Banner of Souls which is the one that I had read the original review of. I have only just got round to reading it. Again it is a fabulous book, incredibly vivid and very distinctive. I discovered that Liz Williams has started writing a series of detective, sci-fi books, which also involve demons, heaven and hell and are set in China. So I went on the hunt for these new books. Books etc. in Wimbledon, I was pleased to find had loads of her books, so I got a couple of her pure sci-fi ones but I had to go to Waterstones Piccadilly to track down the detective series. I have started reading the first Inspector Chen novel, and I am enjoying that immensely. Liz Williams has a fascinating blog too; as well as being a sci-fi writer, she runs a witch craft supplies shop in Glastonbury.

I also went to the newly done up Japan Centre (see entry on 24th April) I was really pleased to find that it sells little versions of the pots of fruit in jelly that I ate so much of in Japan. The jelly is made from bean paste so it is softer than jelly made with gelatin, and also of course vegetarian.

Here is a picture of my parents new dog Millie. She is an 18 month old chocolate Labrador and she is a failed police sniffer dog, so she may well have a few issues! I should get to meet her in a week when I go to stay with my Mum and Dad before an event in Bradford.

kew Gardens

Monkey Puzzle Tree

I made the most of the sunshine and my day off work today by going to Kew Gardens. I have only been there before once, it was a few years back, at the end of May and during a heat wave; most of the late spring blooms had been scorched away and the roses were in full flower. This year I got to see what I really wanted to, the lilacs and azaleas. This weekend they should both be absolutely perfect, but I got a good show!

I tried to take some pics but they didn't turn out very good - my camera battery was flat so I was relying on my phone camera.

Golden Lights Azalea

Azalea of many kinds

The weather was absolutely gorgeous, warm and sunny but with a refreshing breeze. Unfortunately none of my pictures of the lilac came out, but it was the scent of the lilac which was worth the trip. Why is the sense of smell so evocative of time and place? The lilac's scent transported me back to being 7 years old, being in a new house on a new air force camp, and the gardens of the farmers cottages behind our house were full of lilac bushes which I would run and hide in. I love May!

Snooker Loopy

It's one of my favourite times of the year, Snooker World Championship at the Sheffield Crucible time. I've still not managed to get to the Crucible to watch the snooker but there is always next year.

I've been impressed by the BBC coverage and their website where you can watch the live snooker and relive classic moments such as Ronnie's fastest 147

I'm feeling a bit despondent and disgruntled at the moment, probably from drinking in the afternoon yesterday at Gastro in Clapham. A lovely meal and delicious wine but I am feeling dehydrated still and a bit flat. I have also finished reading the spectacular Revelation by C J Sansom and now need something new to read, and Revelation will be a hard book to follow.

Stop Boris!

Well I voted and I don't think the polling officer wrote on my ballot paper!

Jason forwarded this article from Charlie Brooker in the Guardian about the Mayoral elections which I think fairly sums up my point of view too!

Later we will be going to see the new M&S Simply Food which has opened in Colliers Wood in the old Saver Centre complex opposite Sainsbury's. It's open until 10 pm which is very handy!

I'm enjoying the snooker at the moment, but miffed that I can't follow it at work! However I have just discovered the Guardian snooker blog, I love the entry for 4:20pm! As I write this it is the start of the evening session with Joe Perry and Ali Carter hmmm, I think I want Ali Carter to win but I'm not sure why, so I may change my allegiance at any time.

Not much more to report today as I am just very tired from all the traveling over the last few days. Visiting Belfast and Glasgow was great but I am so pleased to be home.