The appalling events in Manchester have overtaken my writing of this diary / blog update.
My thoughts and sympathy go to the victims and families affected my this cowardly attack. This was a soft target, and bad news. No good ever comes of these acts.
Now, here is the blog, I was going to publish:
Hello there Dear Reader,
May has been another (fairly) busy month in Eggybreadland. Apart from the usual weekend visits for mothercare, I have been lucky enough to visit gardens, parks and the V&A.
On 7 May, I popped up to the RHS Gardens at Wisley with friends and their families (after a full English at a nearby Morrisons supermarket). Although I am no gardener, I like Wisley - it changes each time you go. There are many opportunities to take some very nice photos.
On Saturday 13 May after a morning visit to my Mum, a friend and I met up and after a potter around the West End, took a 24 bus up to Hampstead Heath.
If you are not aware, a short stroll from the bus terminus takes you to Parliament Hill Fields, which offers a great view of London from the 2012 Olympic site in the East to City and St Pauls round to the BT Tower and Houses of Parliament in the West.
The main features which gave the hill it's name are still visible although the new steel and glass boxes and towers are beginning to encroach severely, but the obelisk that is the Shard still (to my eye at least) looks exciting.
I took a few images and they can be viewed elsewhere on this site.
On Sunday 14 May, after another Full English Breakfast at the Morrisons store in Weybridge, a friend and their daughter left the car at Hampton Court station car park (£2 all day on Sundays - but not public holidays!).
We had a nice stroll past Hampton Court to Henry VIII's adjoining deer chase at Bushy Park. The weather was very good, and I managed to get my first very red face of the year (but just the right hand side). A lovely day :) <Pictures and page here>
On Saturday 20 May, I was up in London Town checking on my Mum and visited "The Pink Floyd Exhibition-Their Mortal Remains" at the V&A. This was very, very good and if you are a fan, get there if you can.
I was just a little surprised at the £24 ticket price, but would say that as a fan, it was very interesting and immersive. < Photos and web page here > Another good one.
The 2016/17 Premier League Season has been a very frustrating one, not only for the Arsenal Fans but I suspect, the players and the Manager.
Yet again, the spine and steel within the team has been lacking, there is a surplus of creative midfield players but the team is shy of defending and strike force cover. Bad decisions regarding announcements about Arsene Wenger's future seem to have made the ship unstable. I stick by my statement in the previous blog that it is time for Arsene Wenger to leave the manager's job. I would have no problem with the idea that he could "go upstairs" to a consultative role. In fact I think that Wenger is one of the two great visionary managers in Arsenal's history together with Herbert Chapman in the early days at Highbury. My issue is really about who should take over, and why has no candidate been groomed ? I really don't know the answer, but do fear what is to come if Wenger decides to go at the end of his current contract. I am expecting little from next weekend's FA Cup Final against Chelsea, so would prefer to remember The Professor not as in the slide show at the top of this section, but like this:
I suspect that realisation of what Arsenal have had will not hit most fans until he is gone.
Arsenal Football Club under Arsene Wenger has been very special. That said, we won't know if he is staying or going until after the Cup Final. If you would like to review my ramblings about football and more specifically check these pages out: <The Beautiful Game - my outlook on the football matters> or select the "Football" category to the right towards the top of this page to see what my blog ramblings have been.
A few people have asked me if I miss the Scouting and the honest answer is a loud "No".
That said, when I went to Bushy Park earlier in the month, I did have my very first heart-tug since giving up my appointment in February. At the start of the fair, there was a parade of cars and bikes , the groups who were there, a marching ban, local Sea Cadets and a local Scout Group. The Scouts were a bit scruffy although in uniform as were the Cub Scouts, but I did have a "that would have been me" moment when I saw the leaders with them. Just 29 days until the <Glastonbury Festival>, which I am looking forward to attending for the third time - it is nice in this instance to be classed as a "Veteran". Next week sees the local school's half term, and I am taking a few days leave to hang out with my dear friend and their lovely daughter. There are a few trips planned, but more of that next time. Until then, pip pip... And let's be careful out there.
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14/3/2017 0 Comments "Every great story has an end".
Wednesday, 8 March - To be honest, I suspected that my beloved Gunners would not manage to overhaul the 5-1 deficit they had suffered in Germany against uber-efficient Bayern Munich.
In truth, I was enjoying a visit to a dear friend at the time, and completely forgot that the 2nd leg of the Champions' League tie was actually being played. Hearing the news this morning that Arsenal had failed to achieve a win or even a draw on the night, and had in fact been humilated once more and in fact lost the game 1-5 (aggregate 2-10) was enough for this fan to think that the time has come for changes at the Emirates. I absolutely respect Arsene Wenger and what he has steered my football club to and for the healthy state the club is in, but I have serious worries about what will happen in the near future in London N5. Surely Wenger's position is now untenable and his time has come to move on. He defends the players that he has chosen and blamed the refereeing. I counter this simply by stating that the team of Invincibles, or any team of his successful squads had a spine of steel - running from the goalkeeper, through the defence to the midfield. They would not roll over until the final whistle. His teams of the last 5 years have been soft- centred, with no leader of any note for the last few years (except Alexis Sanchez, who must be be a very frustrated man as he seems to be the only player with anything like a winning mentality). Sadly, as the placard being waved at the game said: "Every great story has an end". 14 March - A week has passed by now, Arsenal have secured a place in the FA Cup Semi Final, but sadly my view has not changed even though I am not as angry now ! My concern is essentially that someone needs to take over Wenger's position, but I really do not see any one worthy of doing that on the horizon. The Arsenal board needs to address the nurturing and grooming of someone who the reins can be passed to when the inevitable happens and the Professor calls it a day. In other news ---
25 February - A couple of weekends ago, I went up to London with my friend and had a potter around London's West End and we ended up at the British Museum.
In essence, "Big Archeology and very old things" are not her bag at all - we checked out some of the exhibits and I enjoyed seeing the Rosetta Stone, Elgin Marbles and the Egyptian stuff again, but I thought that it would be best not to push it and we left after a brief visit without her getting too bored with things.
After a restoring and warming latte or two in the Shakespeare pub near Holborn, we hopped on a bus to the City and checked out Leadenhall Market in the City which Jenny had not seen in the flesh (only as it featured in a scene in one of the Harry Potter films). All in all, it was a very enjoyable 16,500 steps. The following day, we had a steady and fairly lazy day, and for me, a slightly frustrating attempt at finding the Pooh Sticks Bridge near Hartfield on the Ashdown Forest. We got close, but it resulted in a failure this time. By chance, the route took us past Coleman's Hatch church, so we stopped off and paid respects to Pip Round, an old family friend of mine.
A week later on 11 March, we went back up to London Town, this time for a visit to the Science Museum in Kensington.
A breakfast at the Wetherspoon's pub at Victoria Station set us up and off we went. I loved the Science Museum as a kid, (and still do) but I have not visited with 7 year old since James and Chris were young. My friend and I enjoyed what we saw, but I was left more than a little surprised that my 7 year old friend got bored very quickly. This is not a criticism of her at all, because I do think that some of the themes in some of the exhibits around the museum are just too big for young visitors to take on board. The interactive sections are fine, but need a youngster and parent to stand and use a screen and answer questions to get responses. Personally, I think that this is hard on both the child and adult. The museum do not seem to realise this ! Order and enjoyment was restored after a drink and snack in the basement and a look around an old school exhibition of household appliances - comprising many buttons to press and handles to crank. This pretty much got the joy back in the enjoyment aspect of the visit! In the early afternoon, we strolled past the Royal Albert Hall and Albert Memorial to the Diana Princess of Wales Playground in Kensington Gardens. This was bigger and better than I thought it might be and very good. Another couple of bus rides and dinner at Frankie and Benny's in the Strand ended another very enjoyable day out.
11 March - Another weekend chilling with friends and a trip down to the Ashdown Forest
We visited Coleman's Hatch church again and this time put some flowers on Pip's grave, found the Pooh Sticks Bridge, had a nice walk and ate a nice salad on the way around !
A lovely day. So now, Dear Reader, we are up to date, so I shall wish you farewell and get to my lunch. Pip, pip !! I am feeling a little remorse, having just realised that it is a full month since I last wrote to you. Without making excuses I have had to take a short break as too much time working on the PC, and use of the tablet and phone has left me struggling with headaches and generally feeling dreadful. The main suspect was my eyes, so I booked a trip to the optician who told me I needed a new prescription. The various tests took 50 minutes and they declared that both my near and far sight had improved (near sight significantly) since my last test in 2011. That was the good part and the next 90 minutes were nightmare for me. Which frames / coatings did I want ? There are thousands to choose from and the words used by the staff are not really useful to me - "those are more fun", "those are more informal", "those are a little funky", "those are a slightly more business-like". In truth, this is one of those occasions when the opinion of a partner or trusted friend is invaluable to tell you that you look like a bufoon or Dame Edna Everidge. I can make a choice from three, but there is just too much choice ! In other health news, I am due to have some dental work done and a crown fitted on one of my back teeth. The dentist has tried for a few years to stabilise it but more drastic action is needed. We have had problems with the labwork and moulds, but I am now due to have the crown fitted on Friday 13th May. And, in a bid to keep this old body mobile I have taken on a low impact exercise regime, trying to make 10,000 steps a day. My job in the Postroom means that it should not be too onerous, although some creative route planning when collecting and delivering packages is useful.I am quite pleased with the daily average for April - 12,382. On a mammoth Saturday on 16 April, I managed 23,945 steps when along with 21 noisy cubs, 1 scout and a few leaders we had a trip to Brighton. We had a good day, taking in the usual seafront sights and take in a special showing of the new Disney version of "The Jungle Book" being put on to celebrate 100 years of Cub Scouts. The film was fabulous, and the inclusion of The Bare Necessities and King Louis Song from the original cartoon inspired. Last Sunday, the annual Reigate District St George's Day event was held. This is when all Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Leaders renew their promise. A couple of week's ago the Cub Pack visited Reigate Fire Station for an interesting but cold evening. Folk Music has been at the fore in April with good gigs by both Bellowhead and The Young 'Uns. This was Bellowhead's Farewell Tour - "Thats All Folks". It was a brilliant, exhuberant evening in Brighton, but I am sad that they are calling it a day after 12 years. The Young 'Uns are a very good folk trio from the North. I don't have any photos as somehow I forgot my camera. Just take my word for it, the are Proper. Folk. Finally, I cannot avoid the fact that my bloved Arsenal's challenges have fallen short again this season. Sadly, as a fan I have say that I think that once again it seems to be due to a lack of strength in depth within the squad. The team also lacks a leader on the pitch. I wish Leicester City well, they deserve the success they have had this season and have been refreshing Enough for now, Dear Reader.
Until next time. Take care. Today has been a little strange. I am still suffering from a bit of a cough (3 weeks and counting), so took the opportunity for a sneaky lay-in. I was 'excused' a trip up to Covent Garden to visit my Mum as I was booked up to escort a team of Cubs to the Surrey County Cub Scout Cooking Competition. The 5th Reigate Gibson Cub Pack had won the Reigate District Competition earlier in the year, so was representing Reigate at the County gig. We arrived at the venue and my colleague Baloo realised that he had left the recipe sheet, together with other required paperwork at the Scout Hut. After recovering from that, the competition started and our Cubs managed a very good 2nd place, being 3.5 points (of 50) behind the winners. Anyhoo I digress, and once we got into the hall, I was greeted by some old friends who I have cooked with and known since I started my Scouting. Once pleasantries had been exchanged, they asked if I was busy the first weekend in December. As it happens, there is a Cub Sleepover at the Scout HQ on Saturday 4 December and a Cub Scout Carol Service on Sunday 5 December. A discussion ensued and it seems that there is a small (8-10 attendees, 3-4 tutors) at the County Training Centre and little help to do the catering (in fact Jan and Kevin who I was talking to were both tutoring and also in the frame for the catering). Perceiving their need for some assistance in the kitchen, I thought about what my timetable would be for that weekend and decided that the logistics could be possible to help at both the training and the sleepover. Admittedly, I will have to miss the Carol Service on the Sunday, and I will have to leave after doing the lunch time washing up at the training course on the Saturday to get to the Party / Sleepover, and leave the Sleepover after breakfast on the Sunday morning to get to spud bashing at the training course, but this is a done deal. If you can lend a hand, do so - that is what I try to do. Apart from ignominy (is that the word?) in the UEFA Champions League, my beloved Gunners are in fairly good shape so far this season. Luckily Alexis Sanchez seems to want to play and play and will show a fine work ethic to his team mates. In today's game at Watford, he showed up and put in a shift even after arriving back on Friday from International Duty and scoring two goals in South America. He is a class act I was booked for a small gig on 6 October (Meadowlark, at the Lexington) but realised on the preceding Thursday that I had not received my e-ticket. I emailed the customer service and heard nothing until Monday 5th. Their advice was that I should not worry as the concert was not for several weeks and the e-ticket would be sent about 3 weeks before the gig. If this is not received 7 days beforehand I should call them on their (premium rate) number. So Dear Reader, I called them and explained that as I had said in my email the gig was NOT in several weeks, rather the following evening. The operator kindly told me that she would resend the e-ticket email in the next two hours as they would have been sent out in August. No email came my way, so I decided to write the date off as the ticket value was low (£8) and I was feeling sick in any case. Weirdly a couple of days later, I received an email asking how the service had been and I replied laying into the agency somewhat and declaring that I probably would never use their services again. Even more weirdly, last Sunday I received an email containing an e-ticket for the gig. The gig date was the 14th of December. It seems that the date had been re-arranged and no-one had actually told me. For the want of a single email, all of this unpleasantness would have been avoided. On the up-side, I will get to the concert after all and it will be my last of this year. Finally, a little about my visit to the Victoria and Albert museum.
I was not really looking forward to this, as the V&A was the least favourite Kensington museum when I was a kid (too many dresses and fabrics). In the event it was a great day out - the Photography Fascists were noticeably absent as evidenced here. That's enough for now, so Been a few weeks, but I have been busy at work. This is a little out of step with the norm, but since I got back from holiday after Glastonbury it has been quite hectic and pretty physical. There have been events to get vans of kit to, and back to the office and send out again. Lots of kit, some very heavy cases which need loading and unloading and reloading. As always, one of the four of my Postroom colleagues will help and take the lead. The other two, quite bluntly are a waste of time - one not through their own fault, but the other however sucks any goodwill from a room like a black hole - instantly. So why am I feeling out of kilter with the moderns ? Well, long story short yesterday I was very busy and am actually feeling pretty misused now. From what I can gather, there has been some questions raised about how much training has been given in some environmental elements necessary to the functioning of a modern workplace. [Yes, there is a tone in that...] I am really just damned miffed that I was given the run around for at least 45 minutes trying to get a spill near the hazardous waste container in the loading bay cleared up. It was hosed away after considerations by grounds, maintenance and cleaning staff as well as my own management. Today, we received a meeting invitation to receive some training relating to spill clearance. I bumped into the lad who told us about the spill and his environmental colleague and, in a cheery voice and with a smile he told me that yesterday's test had been a good one and had confirmed that training had not been given. I am feeling annoyed and misused, simply because I resent the "test" and the waste of my time. In my world, the way to find things out is to ask the question, not play a stupid game and waste four workers time amounting to 3 man-hours. Had I been asked yesterday if we had received any training, I would have said "No". I cannot understand how this sort of game playing can be right. Yes, if training has been given test us, but at least ask us if we have received training. We are adults and will tell you. The World Scouting Jamboree has been giving Scouts from all over the planet a brilliant adventure in Japan. Some Scouting friends' son is out there. I am just a wee bit jealous. I tweeted on 29 July: "34,000 Scouts from 150+ countries in Japan for the Jamboree . We are part of this great movement. #wsj2015 Proud." Although the antics at the England v Australia Test Matches have been mildly interesting, I am very happy that the Beautiful Game is back tomorrow. Arsenal have been pretty quiet in the transfer market, but bringing in goalkeeper Petr Cech is, I think a great move. The pre-season has given the Gunners three trophies in as many weeks - it can't be bad! I realised shortly after returning from Glastonbury that my live music diary was pretty bare until the end of September.
I have sorted this out now and have booked up for gigs from The Gaslight Anthem, Wolf Alice and Ian Anderson peforming the intriguing "Jethro Tull:The Rock Opera" which tells the story of the agricultural pioneer whose name they pinched. That will do for now. Adieu. It has been a while, Dear Reader but time flies and I feel like I have been damned busy (whether this is a reality is upfor discussion). In the office this week, one of the Marketing / Sales chaps was left holding an empty "green, linen" company logo'd bag which he had brought a mailshot in for us to post. After I told Mo that it was not a good look, he suggested he should have a Man Bag, which reminded me of one of my "War Stories" which he listened to with patience, politeness and a smile. In my previous life, in July 2000 I was visiting the New York office for a few days on the way to Tokyo and all centres in Asia. My business trip wardrobe was bi-polar : Smart suit for office and client visiting (with a no tie concession for our own offices), but my casual off-duty attire was basically scruffy sod with comfort in mind. When I arrived at the New York office, I was almost immediately barred until I got some casual clothes - "We don't 'do' suits in NYC" This took me on a little shopping trip and I found a reasonably priced store called "Century 21" which was in the shadow of the World Trade Center. I guess that sadly it will no longer be there following the events of 9/11. I picked up a couple of smart casual shirts and trousers but realised that having no suit jacket would leave me with no storage. Be honest Gents, our jackets are actually a man's handbag - but without the handle and with a few pockets. To rectify this, I picked up a cheap (less than USD 10) long shoulder strapped pouch style bag with a couple of zipped pockets - ideal for glasses, books/maps, wallet etc. I have used this bag regularly for concerts and visits when jacketless since then, a small navigation compass has come off but otherwise it is still going strong. Although I love this bag, it spooks both James and Chris. Whether this was actually the first Man Bag, I do not know but, 15 years on trendy sorts pay a fortune for this style statement. You, Dear Reader will need to decide - I would be pleased to leave this as my gift to Mankind. More seriously, when I called on my Mother a couple of Saturdays ago, she had received a letter from Westminster Council telling her that she owed them £4683 for her care costs and that recovery action would be taken if she did not pay it with 14 days. Now, Mum is 82 and the care she is receiving is from "Dementia Care Services". Whenever I find an invoice on her table I pick it up and send a cheque. Essentially what has happened is that many invoices have not passed my eyeline. This matter has now been sorted, but a couple of things really grind my gears about this :
Answers on a post card please. After great advances, the mighty Arsenal have had an up and down last few weeks to the Premier League season. For once they have done well enough to qualify directly to the Champions League Group Stage. Well done Chelsea on winning the Premier League. Also to Newcastle, Aston Villa and Sunderland for hanging on for another season. Hull City, Queens Park Rangers and Burnley have not made the grade. A football fan should not be too bitter at the end of a season. Whoever is on the top of the league after 38 games deserves to be. Next season, AFC Bournemouth and Watford join the top flight. The final promotion place is decided on Monday in the play-off between Norwich City and Middlesbrough. Next week is the FA Cup Final against Aston Villa. COME ON YOU GUNNERS !! Cub Scouting carries on, although we do not have a meeting this week because of the Bank Holiday. Three more Cubs were invested at last week's meeting. Upcoming, we have the Athlete's Badge, "From Farm to Fork" with Tesco Supermarket. In a couple of weeks, we will be down in the Ashdown Forest with 12 Cubs and the normal selection of leaders. On Wednesday, Koko in Camden calls again and I shall be seeing NEEDTOBREATHE at a full blown gig. I am really looking forward to that, if not the day after when I unfortunately have to work from 07:00. Wish me luck with that ! I was surprised to receive a pre-ordered copy of the new Summer Camp album "Bad Love" on Saturday (due on Monday). Great vibe and they have discovered the joy of using a bass guitar. I am slowly getting my kit ready for my Glastonbury Festival break. It will soon be here and the announced lineup is looking pretty good for me so far. Excited... Adieu, Dear Reader until next time. 14/2/2015 0 Comments FA Cup 5th Round today...The FA Cup is still for my money, the best club knockout competition that the Beautiful Game can offer.
My non-romantic predictions as to which clubs will progress to the 6th Round (Quarter Final) stage. Remember, folks - this is just for fun... West Bromwich Albion Blackburn Rovers Derby County Liverpool Leicester City Sunderland Arsenal Manchester United Maybe... I caught the fall out of Black Friday when I covered at the Uxbridge office - piles of Amazon and other packages hit the Post Room on Tuesday of this week. I am realistic enough to see that people can't resist a bargain, but have to ask the retailers why they can't sell the goods at these prices all year round. I was surprised to read that on Cyber Monday, Visa was expecting that £5000 per second would be crossing their system in the UK. Creating fanatical demand is not a good thing, as evidenced by the need for Police Intervention in at least four London stores. I cannot understand the darker side of the human condition which leads to folks fighting over a TV set. At least the numbers of items coming into my normal office in Woodhatch are steady, although inflated. I have been a licensed road user since about 1976, but had a new experience this week. While driving home on the main road from Horley after doing some Christmas errands, I was waved down and stopped by a Police Officer with a speed gun. This has never happened to me before. I realised straight away what the issue was, but as I told the PC, it did not seem THAT fast - I was just on the way home. It seems that I was doing 41 mph in a 30 mph zone. Rather than issuing me with a caution (and points on the license) the officer gave me a warning and there will be a note on my license that I have been stopped for 12 months. If it happens again in this time, there will be no leeway. I guess that if nothing else, this will refocus my attention on driving speeds. NEEDTOBREATHE (acoustic) at Bush Hall was terrific. The band seemed to be feeling their way a little and suggested that this was the first fully acoustic set they had performed. They are a good bunch and their experience showed. The Christmas gig by Slow Club scheduled for next Friday (12th) has sadly been cancelled as Rebecca has been told by the medical team to rest until the end of the year. This is the first concert that I have experienced being cancelled in 36 years of gig-going. Seasick Steve is releasing a new album next March and touring. I have pre-ordered a signed CD and booked up tickets at Hammersmith for James and Tara and me to see the Dawg in April. I was asked to play Father Christmas at a Family Day in a couple of weekends time at the office. It is a nice thing to be asked. At first I baulked at the idea, but then warmed to it. Oddly, in a straw poll of friends and family asking if I should do it, only 3 friends who are Scouters told me categorically "No, don't do it". Everyone else said, "Go for it, it will be fun". Having settled on this, a colleague told me in a quiet moment that he felt a bit sad when I changed my mind and decided to do the job - he had thought that he would really like to do the Santa thing. Of course, I told the organiser that I had stepped down in favour of my colleague and felt better for it. I think it is much better to do this sort of thing if you WANT to do it rather than because you COULD do it. Fair play, I say. Judging on how I am feeling better about my eventual decision to decline this opportunity, perhaps I just need learn to say "No" and stick with it rather than over analyse. Not a bad couple of games for the Gunners since my last update. Without Alexis Sanchez however, I wonder where they would be. He runs and runs and scores. Seems to be a great buy. "Wenger Out" ? - my take is to be careful what you wish for. He may have had his day, but I can't see anyone fit to replace him. Arsene has an eye for talent and no one can deny that he helps the Arsenal Board run the business in a very sensible manner. Frustrating to see that even when they are beating one of the best teams in Europe Borrusia Dortmund 2-0, half of the Arsenal "Faithful" see fit to make their way home with 10 minutes to go rather than cheer the team's success at the final whistle. Having to go to Stockley Park has messed with my Scouting, but next Monday is the last of the year - it was planned to be a games night, but we are going to have to make cards and finishing Christmas presents (shhh... don't mention it.) The Leaders are quite pleased as this year 7 cubs have been presented with the Chief Scout Silver Award, which is the highest achievement a Cub can get. Managed to get Mum out to Marks and Spencer last Saturday and we got her a few new clothes to wear over her stay at Christmas. It went pretty well and we didn't have raised voices. And that, dear reader, is about it for this one.
Until next time... A bit of down time after a busy start to Monday gives me a chance to bring news up to date. Last weekend was a very busy one. I was expecting to be kitchen gopher at a Beaver and Cub Scout Training Course weekend (you know the drill, "Could you make some coffee and tea?", "Can you peel some carrots?", "We need to wash those pots up", that sort of thing). On Friday morning, I got an email from the Course Leader telling me that the main cook and also another helper were both sick and could not attend. Help was being requested, but could I still come along. Of course, I did go - but unfortunately little extra help was forthcoming. Still, the Course Leader had modified the menu to a Ploughman's Lunch on Saturday and Lasagne for Sunday so it would be a little easier to manage. The attendees also washed up their lunch dishes which was an unexpected bonus for me. We got away with it, and it was a hard couple of days, but 30 trainers and trainees got through the weekend fed and watered and seemed content enough. The annual battle which comprises the Glastonbury Festival ticket sale has taken place. This is an act of massive faith as no acts are confirmed until later in the year, so you don't know who will be performing. 15,000 "Green" tickets - for those of us who don't mind coach travel rather than going by our own car - sold out in 14 minutes on Oct 1. 150,000 ordinary tickets sold out in 24 minutes in the main sale on October 6. The Green ticket sale time is remarkable, as the process involves choosing a day of travel, time of departure and also city of departure as well as entering pre-allocated registration numbers to actual get a festival ticket. Long story to short, I secured my ticket for the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Contemporary Arts 2015 after 9 minutes of the green ticket sale. Getting a ticket gives one (me, at least) a massive morale boost - simply because you will be at Worthy Farm again at the end of June next year. Q: What can you do at the Glastonbury Festival and nowhere else on the planet? A: Stand at the gate just past Entrance A, look out over the site, smile and say "Wow, this is it - I'm here - I am at the Glastonbury Festival !" I really am pretty excited about it. Cub Scouting carries on, recently we have had visits from the local Community Police Officer, we are visiting the local Pets@Home store this evening and next week are looking a Hazards at Home and at the Scout Hut. Upcoming, a trip is planned to the re-vamped Imperial War Museum in Lambeth, London with a sleepover at the Scout Hut. I have been binge-watching one of my favourite ever TV dramas "The West Wing". I am nearing the end of Season 5 of 7. Sharp writing, great characters, marvellous cast, wit/tragedy and light/dark all make for a fabulous televisual experience. I really cannot praise this enough. Nothing unusual to report about the Footie. The Gunners are suffering a injury jam, but somehow haven't absolutely disgraced themselves yet this season. Time will tell how this one will pan out. Oh, and England are apparently brilliant as they have won all of their Euro qualifying matches... Adios, Amigos... 19/9/2014 0 Comments Wow, another month flies by...A month since my last update. Time does not feel kind when it careers past as it has done since my August catchup. Work is getting back to normal - supervisor was off on leave, and then sick for a few days. Ho hum... I need a break, but it seems that I have taken all my leave entitlement in dribs and drabs and it is used up or booked for Christmas. Oddly, although my leave is all gone, I don't feel like I have done anything or rested at all. This might be because I haven't and that festival, gig attendance and Cub Scout camps have frittered it away, but I must address this in 2015, when I will get a bonus 3 days after 10 years service. As I say, I am need of a break as I am struggling not to feel jaded. Anyway, the news... The 88th annual Gilwell Reunion was really enjoyable. We hadn't been for 3 years and a good time was had by all. Cub Scout meetings started after the summer break and we have had 6 or 7 newbies from either Beavers or " fresh off the street". Challenging times. Our programme for the winter term doesn't look too bad (from the leadership side any way). The next few weeks see the District Push Cart competition, which is a good one with thrills and spills. watch this space... ! I had a smashing evening at the Green Door Store in Brighton in the company of Rae Morris. I think she is a great, blossoming talent. I am looking forward to her album, which is due for release in Q1 of 2015. More good news is that NEEDTOBREATHE are playing three acoustic dates in the UK in December. I have got tickets for 2 December at Bush Hall in London's Shepherd's Bush. Looking forward to that one. My beloved Arsenal are not yet firing on all cylinders, but have only lost in the Champions League against Dortmund. Sanchez seems to have hit the ground running, Ramsey is playing reasonably consistently and "Our Jack " has had a few good moments. Injuries have decimated the Gunners defence. I hope the players who are currently MIA can turn things around. Adieu, Mes Amis. Let's be careful out there... |
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