Westward ho!!

I saw Michael Portillo yesterday. And this morning I was sat next to the actress who plays Brenda Tucker on the tube.

I am now about to leave for Exeter! Well if the tubes will actually be functioning ok for me to get to Paddington.

COYG and good weekends all...

View from the Eye

These were taken on January 14th 2006 - a wet rainy Saturday night when Gillingham beat Swindon 3 nil and I missed it!! But it was a good friend's Hen Night and I really enjoyed myself.



Big Ben! And the Houses of Parliament, of course... !



Charing Cross!




Amazing Structure - you just don't

know you are moving!





London Aquarium - Aqua Aqua well it was raining!

After the eye - we took the hen to Taz for some food... and some wine!

This is me and Gill!

If you look closely there is also a rather large plastic pink thing... but we don't like to talk about that!

I like this photo - it looks very rock n roll!

Notes from the little grey book...

I was kindly given two hard backed note books for Christmas - the larger one sits by my bed for capturing dreams and thoughts when I am at home the smaller one resides in my bag and allows me to jot post tube journeys..

Today I jotted three things....
1) Sven-Gate - a rant I should have had yesterday when it was really in the news and making me seethe. All stemming from a NOTW expose on Sunday... WHY WHY WHY do the English press have such POWER over everything. It's a game. It's not life or death - yet from the news and papers it is life and death. Let it lie until AFTER the World Cup. The English game has been so influenced by an Aussie living in America that teh back drop has changed - natural English successors are few and far between. And for the average fan most of the stories kicking about now will be a distant memory when England start playing in June.. all the fan will want is our team WINNING and going all the way.. not what Sven did with a Fake Shiekh....SO to look for a successor now detracts from the first hurdle - getting a fit squad who can do the biz. Sven has an impressive record.. lets stop looking for the scratches and let the music play...

2) Celebrity Big Brother - how I got involved in watching this I can only attribute to the fact I have had to spend in-ordinate amounts of time with my knee raised with either a cold or a hot compress on it. So anyway I begin watching spurred on by a friend liking the Ordinary Boys and the band member Preston being in the house. And then George G being a pussy with Rula - somehow cringe worthy yet so utterly unbelievable you had to keep watching to see if it was really real. It was.
And the dynamics of the house - no humour - no sense of companionship - just raised voices and Pete Burns in great coloured wigs and revealing way too much of the filling of his tights in the diary room. Tonight a double eviction.... Out with ya George! Out with ya Dennis! Let's see....

3) The proximity of the Old Bailey always intrigues me and this week some of the most high profile cases are going on - and yes the press pack are out in force... oh how different life could have been!

And as I am running out of steam and want to share a photo or two of London @ night I will end by saying - Aussie returned safe and sound and it's been lovely having my old mate back for chit chat, a hug and a pint (within walking distance of my house = no escalators!!)

More soon....

New Teeth!

Well a fortnight on and I have at least a repaired chipped tooth and all in all facially you would never know the difference. My scars have healed well - shame that the bruising is still coming out - knee seems more settled whereas the old shin is swelling and aching more than ever... but I'll get there!! As soon as I have a decent photo of new tooth I will share!

TLC..OUCH!!! It hurts....

My 'trusty' first aid kit... hot n cold compresses, oodles of tea and a few biccies..


For a split second I stopped thinking and fell.. down an escalator. I should probably not make an entry of this but as all I capable of doing at the moment is sitting and resting - may as well keep a record of my bruises and cuts... so this is really a photo montage - probably not first choices for any CV or dating agencies sites... but I guess I have to start somewhere. So people - take nothing for granted and don't assume everything will stay the same way. It only takes a split second....




The pikey look... yes I have what feels like a huge space in my teeth.




Scary green bits.... the eyes and the bruise - nose much better than Saturday.




Sorry not waxed... but the current cause of most of my pain.




Not just one step... but a second one had a go too.

So I spent the morning in A&E - I walked for a bus - luckily the 493 drops you off in the hospital grounds. A&E wasn't like on the TV - much less dramatic - lots of blokes hobbling around like me. Had my triage and then saw the Minors Injury Doctor - X-Rays and no obvious break so I am not counted as an emergency and sent home via the Pharmacy. Anti inflammatories to ease the swelling and let the under lying crunching stuff become more obvious when I visit GP after a week of the tablets.
The reception nurse freaked me out with tales of what happens to bad teeth - so inbetween other things I will be hobbling to the dentist at some point. Great. Expense.
I think the worse thing is the actual getting to and from a place like hospital - its so against my nature to admit not feeling ok - and it was humbling seeing folk being pushed around on beds/in chairs oblivious of the world around them... I so dread ending up like that. And in London its not like my folks are round the corner to drop me off. Community? Mm. But best be safe and the nurses/doctors very helpful. So now to find something tempting to eat! More raised legs and cold compress too - all that activity on it today have really made it twinge. So early night and plenty of rest. I hate being out of action.

ttfn.

33rd

Okay so normal people spend their birthday's eating, drinking, partying with their friends or lovers. So I am not normal.

BUT I had a great day out with my Pater - all the way to Huddersfield on the 7.15 am coach - stop off at Leicester Forest services and several desperate minutes when all I wanted was the toilet! Re-read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in anticpation of purchasing the DVD of the Johnny Depp film and listened to David Bowie. Ate sarnies and drank from the new hallowed hip flask. The coach roughly divided into three groups - the musical youth up front who once there spent all the 90 mins banging the drum and singing their hearts out for the lads. At the back were the less musical youth but enthused persons either way! In the middle odds and bods like me n Dad, other couples and single earnst blokes who were reading. All in all a friendly atmosphere prevailed. The whole reason for me deciding to go was made truer. Genuine people who respect each others supporting notions, who can laugh with each other and all in all wanted to be there and were determined to enjoy themselves - and they did! And so did I.

We arrived in Huddersfield at about 1pm - not bad at all. Parked up the coach - put on a few more layers and alighted coach. Just in time to see the team coach pull up and the team ascend the steps.



There he is! Danny Spiller! The closest I am ever likely to get! Hooray!

So the team alighted - Jason Brown, Neil Harris, the Jackman, the Shields, the Jepson. I was slightly peturbed that none seemed to want to talk to any of their mates - but they all duly shook hands with the few well wishers who were stood there!



The sun shone and the Gills played fairly well first half, it went rather quickly and by then my toes and fingers were starting to get chilly! Second half - so so unlucky not to score - the drums and bells and triangle played on. Pure noise for the entire 45mins. Plus the 4 mins added time - WHERE did the ref get that from??? And valiantly we held on for a well earned point.. and Danny bless him had one of his best games this season. And Jasey B certainly kept us in the picture.

Reminded me why I love going to football so much. Friendly chatty stewarts, great organisation throughout the day - and the look on my Dad's face at the final whistle when we both knew we had seen one of the best games the Gills have played this season - and certainly the best this year!!! Radio Five Live had Stuart Hall on the case this afternoon and his words were sublime - the coach cheered loudly when he wished all the 200 Gills fans who were there a Happy New Year.

Happy New Year and thank you for making me remember that simple things can give you the biggest glow.

The hard and odd shaped seats on the coach were less favoured by me by 9pm when all I wanted to do was get off the blessed thing! Which incidently was the time we were at South Mimms services dropping off one of the lads - and also when I officially turned 33! For the rest of the journey James and the Giant Peach not enough of a distraction - my back hurt!! Oh well home by 11pm and sound sleep.

So, so far being 33 is ok! Clean sheet and a few new chants - next potential away day - Donny! COME ON!!!

02/01/1973

Happy Birthday! Tops card, thanks to Camilla for such astuteness!