Brussels iii

Final day in the land of Tin Tin, pomme frites, waffles, beer and muscles and rather than be another stereotype we did not seek him or his dog or eat (drink) any of the others.

Today we did more wandering around to see more of the city and by the end of the day had probably covered all of Brussels areas as described by the guidebook.

First off, by almost falling out of bed, we landed into the arms of the European Parliament (our hotel being right next door, we could see a debating chamber from our bedroom) and walked around an interesting set of buildings named after historical European political figures who were instrumental in the formation of the community.

Perhaps it's being British and therefore used to heightened security but the lack of a visible police presence raised a few questions in my head. Is the EU too big to pick a fight with? Is it the southern European more relaxed attitude affecting their more uptight northern European chums? Is there some sort of invisible force field there letting the goodies through but keeping the baddies out?



So what else today? Well a few clothes shops that appealed to n's inimitable style. Interesting and refreshingly the staff in the shops looked neither like stick mimicking waifs or disinterested yoofs filling in time before their next text session.

We tried to find an open air art exhibit a large wooden structure only to deduce as we stood surveying a sand coloured space that looked like an Arabian car park that the structure had been on this spot but had been removed. Perhaps with winter coming they needed the fire wood?

More stomping brought us to a shop that looked quite out of place in today's high tech world of packaged and prepared products. It was a shop that prepared chemicals - paints, poisons, lacquers and dyes -the reason we where there, a bit of a buswomans holiday?
Large jars of powdered dye lay on shelving in the window reminding me of the spice markets of the middle east. Such was the pallette of colours on show.

With the day drawing we collected the bags from the hotel and headed hungrily to the train station for our return Eurostar to London. I say hungrily as yet again our plans for dinner were thwarted. The first night it was a lack of knowledge of what was available before stumbling on a street with restaurants of interest include the tart shop maker of the tarte citron. Last night it was Sunday with everything of interest closed. Finally tonight we wanted fed too early and all our culinary hopes were still to open! We had to be satisfied by a bowl of pasta at the station. It filled a hole!

Travelling home now we can reflect on an excellent and relaxing trip a worthy hook to hang our wedding anniversary on.


-- Post From My iPhone

Brussels ii

Excellent sleep, the kind that you wish you could have every night, wake rested and ready for another day of stomping around Brussels fuelled by a very tasty and varied breakfast.

When we are away we do the touristy things that are on the "10 things to see /do" lists that appear in the guide books. However we also like to wander around and see behind the usual shop front. A special favourite is finding local markets as they reflect what the locals eat and buy and we have found a few things in our time to bring home.

Today was no different as we visited a large open air market near the Gare Du Midi. We wandered through the invisibly sectioned market - the clothing section, household wares, materials, kitchen goods and most interestingly the food section. Fruit, veg, cheese, meat and fish all being touted by the vendors as the cheapest and best. Lots of the customers and therefore the produce reflected a North Africa history.

There was little selling required as I am a pushover for my favourite fruit - the pomegranate so two large specimens were purchased to be consumed over the next couple of days.

However the promise amounted to be unfulfilled, the fruit on the left containing mainly rotten flesh unedible and therefore discarded. Gladly this is not what we will remember Brussels as unlike the fruit it is far from rotten.










-- Post From My iPhone

If it's Saturday it must be

Well I seem to have been sprouting up all over the place this past week and now it's the turn of Bruxelles the capital of Belgique. However thankfully its not work but very firmly pleasure - n and me are having a weekend away!

I would be the first to agree that Brussels is not at the top of the tourist trail but it does have it's draws there's the Manneken Pis. Although the fascination with a 30 cm statue of a wee boy having a pee just washes over me. It is obviously not the case for the crowds who take in the full experience, looking snapping buying the tourist trap gifts. The wee boy is in the top left with a sash promoting awareness of domestic violence. However I doubt that this was noticed by the majority.



We did our fair share of exploring and enjoyed the whole experience nicely finished off by the "pudding" we bought ourselves. A tarte citron from a wonderful patiserrie truly scrumptious.






Until the next time.

Dinner tonight

I'm sure that you are the same as me you notice a place to eat, you have a look through the window, peruse the menu and make the mental note to come by and spend your money. I am certain that there is probably an iPhone app to document and record all this information for reflecting and sharing at a later date.

I've been traveling to London since 2005 for work related purposes initially I was booked into hotels near Russell Square. Nothing too grand but they were clean and you slept reasonably well, chucked some tea and cereal down your throat in the morning and off you went to work.

It was during one of these journeys to work that I first perused "hummus bros" on Southampton Row an eatery that leaves little to the imagination with it's basic fare being - you are too sharp, you guessed it hummus! Mighty fine hummus it is too, the chick pea paste forms the base layer in your bowl and you add a veggie or carnivore topping as your fancy dictates. A fork is provided but most of the shovelling and scooping is left to the main tool - the delicious pitta bread which arrives piping hot to your table.

I had the option with chicken and sun dried tomato in the saddle whilst n had guacamole in the top bunk. As a side we had a balanced Greek salad.

Now you are never going to get huge on the portion sizes but the experience does not have you scurrying the next take away either. The prices will not break the bank assuming you
make appropriate choices unlike the couple next to us with their seven food choices, one assumes they enjoy hummus.



Go, taste, enjoy. Bon appetite!
-- Post From My iPhone

If it's Thursday it must be

London but really I just want to go to sleep it's been a long day. There you go.... I fell asleep before I wrote something for the daily blog thing and I've just woken up in the wee small hours of Friday. The worst kind of wakening up, the TV is still on bad Feng Shui! The hotel room heating is still on and the room is uncomfortably hot.

Remedial action required.

TV and heating off, brush ones teeth and remove the small furry animal that always seems to find sanctuary in ones mouth when you fall asleep in these circumstances. You have a window take too long and you're wind awake, pressures on!

All done, now into pj's trying to have a proper night sleep in a fleece jacket is never a good idea, at least I took off the hat and gloves. The Incredible Melting Man is not a good look. I've just realised that all those occasions when I thought I had a small furry animal sleeping in my mouth perhaps it was the fleece hat!

Such is the danger of sleepyitis it just creeps up when you're least prepared. Good night or is it now good morning?



-- Post From My iPhone

If it's Wednesday it must be

Manchester, yes my travel odyssey continues and for the next twenty four hours I'm in one of the twin pillars of what was Lancashire. Of course now it's the big fish in the pond called Greater Manchester.

I've wondered around and followed what I'm sure could be described by some "Visit Manchester" tourist PR as the Christmas Market trail. They must like Christmas here and I mean a lot as they have seven yes seven! areas pegged out for the aforementioned market concept. They lead one inti the other and there are boards highlighting the trail.

Now that is a lot but no doubt you'll be reading this saying well we've got ---- (space left for your own local number) because we love Christmas --- again space for your very own Christmasville.

These Christmas markets (CM) must have a some controlling mind as they all seem very familiar. Perhaps there is someone somewhere who has franchised the CM idea. They are all the uniform pine wooden huts, they are all awash in gluhwein and one wonders how many German/French/Dutch sausage and potato permutations there are for the kiosks to sell?

This week I've stumbled across the CM in Belfast considerably smaller than the Manchester CM jamboree and the same formula was also there. If one was deaf and unable to differentiate between the distinct accents of these two cities they could be interchangable.

There is also the folk who are selling their wares. Lots of sweets, soaps, jewellery, hats and things made of wood. However I do wonder if anyone does buy anything at these fairs? I never see any money changing hands.

All I ever see are the many people who congregate to eat and drink al fresco convincing themselves that warmed gluhwein is tasty and worth socialising outside for. Accompanied as it is by the refluxing continental sausage reminding you of it's presence. If these sausages are imported why not import some suitable bread covering? British bread rolls are made for British sausages not some 20-30cm import. It looks a bit silly like some edible Vikings helmet.

Perhaps the concept is owned and being franchised by one of the Claus clan? Could it be one of the Claus children trying hard to justify the support Mum and Dads gave whilst they studied and got their M B A.
One can imagine young Claus raising the idea

"but Dad we have to diversify the business in these harsh financial times and I've got this great CM franchise idea ....."

Ho Ho Ho




-- Post From My iPhone

If it's Tuesday it must be

Edinburgh the second part of a ten day wander that will take me here, there and everywhere or so it seems.

Today I started off in Belfast and ended up in Edinburgh. Here this afternoon at St Andrews House the administrative building of the Scottish Government. It also contains the offices of the Scottish Government ministerial team.

You'll find St Andrews House at the East End of Princes Street in an area that is remarkably quiet even though it is a stone throw from the main thoroughfare that Princes Street is. It's well worth a wee side trip as the views from Calton Hill just across the road from St Andrews House are iconic.

It is an imposing building from the mid 1930's and is impressive both outside and inside. Although most of the inside has been modernised to accommodate modern open plan offices there are still some offices that remain pretty much as they were apart from the ubiquitous computer and other trappings of modern office life. The main corridors, lift exteriors and meeting rooms are all pretty much as they were designed and give off a visual reek of another age.

The meeting room that I was in today still has the old fireplace and the dark wooden paneling and one can only wonder at what these walls have witnessed in their time. As you would expect of a government building security is tight and regulated. If your not on the list you can't come in being the "modus operandii". One has to be accompanied when not in your meeting room although you are allowed to venture to the toilet. I suspect that photographs would not be encouraged and I have never attempted to take any, partly as I did not want to test the theory and secondly I'm there on "business" as opposed to a tourist trip. That's why I have relied on the links in order to give you an idea of the building.

So tomorrow another day where will I be?

It's Monday it must be

Belfast dark and withdrawn well it is in the evening and just seems well uninviting it's a shame really that the cold envirnment of the city centre undermines the warmth of the people.


-- Post From My iPhone

What can you hear?

The wind rushing through the tops of the trees.

The overnight rain losing it's grip on the twig and falling to the ground.

The carpet of wet beech leaves rustling as they're dislodged by ten feet.

The noise of dogs as they explore the tastes and smells of wet woodland.

The geese flying overhead passports in beak, heading south for their winter vacation.

The woodland birds chatting about the noise that the dogs and their man make " I was looking forward to a lie in" perhaps?

Best of all the thoughts in my own head.




-- Post From My iPhone

Under pressure

The pressure is on, sweat beads like some some mountain springs bubbling from the barren, hard earth (have you seen my head?) coming together over my brow, rivulets by this time. Heart beating faster and faster tachycardia in fact coupled with tachypnoeia (I'm a nurse at heart). Why?

It's my 100th blog post, a century! that's why and such a landmark should have some special entry should it not? Should it be funny, grave, questioning, thought provoking, life changing, tear jerking? The pressure now rising like the thermometer mercury on a hyper pyrexial patient.

Should I trawl through my memory and recount some story from my past? What about some images from my childhood? I particularly like the Thunderbirds and I never imagined Andy Pandy as a air guitarist.

Should I keep it simple and post an image? What I had for breakfast? What I'm wearing? Well perhaps not that last one as I did not realise until I had gone out with the dogs this morning that I looked like I had a blue adult romper suit with gloves on. One of the dangers of getting dressed in the dark - blue fleece sweater over a dark blue t-shirt and dark blue jogging bottoms pulled out from the wardrobe (thought the last two items were a different colour) and the blue fleece gloves, the saving grace was that it was early and not many people had ventured into the woods so red face, saved. However I did feel a bit like George Dawes but in blue.

A before and after thing? Today the before and in 100 days the after - No that's just mugshot over there on the right that's it down a bit yeah there! that fast moving picture show 330 images there going back to last October.

Perhaps I should highlight some worthy cause?  Something newsworthy? As I have mentioned being wet has been our price to pay in the recent rains thankfully not floods unlike Cockermouth a town in NW England where we have gone for the last three years as exhibitors at Woolfest .

Or perhaps I should look for a "100" link to tie the post into? I could keep blogging every day for 100 days more or perhaps become vegetarian for 100 days one of those things I always fancy trying but never fully committed to. Say "Good Morning etc" to the persons you only nod to on the bus/tube/walk to work. Nothing to difficult or tough. Nothing to put you under pressure!

What would you do?

Vera Lynn?

I've been sharing with you how the recent watery weather has been impacting on us here at Castle Fegrig and thankfully apart from getting wet we have not been inconvenienced as some have. On the train this morning I observed lots of puddles and the ground was obviously waterlogged. It's been dry all day, the sky looking like the weather was turning the corner so I thought nothing about the weather it was history.

Now though as I sit on the returning train I am reconsidering the historical bit. The train was delayed to begin with, the conductor was late. Eventually we moved off with the conductor on board to hear that he had been delayed due to a landslide compromised track.

We are now at that spot on the line the bit compromised by the landslide and it could be half an hour before we move on.......

Well it has been a wee bit longer as we sit waiting on the train coming towards us as we are now on a single track line due to the landslide. I'm not quite sure how that works I'm assuming that the single line bit is a bit ahead and we are waiting on the fully functioning double line but you don't know. You are captive really and just have to rely on those who are charged with your safety.

Plucky Brits though shining through in the face of adversity, patience, waiting, queueing all part of the British DNA, the "Dunkirk spirit" is it not? Faced with this disruption what do we have, riot and rebellion? No! The social barriers are breaking down, laughter in the face of adversity, conversations breaking out. Oh and mints being shared. If we stay longer I could have some fudge too, such is the humanity of my fellow travelers.

Of course by having my snout in this iPhone blog thing I'm not really participating and probably being thought of as the anti-social texter in the corner. However if all had gone to plan I would have six pieces of caramel shortcake and a large bottle of diet cola in my back. This being the remains of the lunch provided for today's meeting. However my day dream of being the trains saviour enacting the modern version of the loaves and fishes came to nothing. The building janitor had locked the door to my office corridor and he could not be found! Faced with a lack of supplies or missing the train I decided on the former. The fickle hand of fate. As the train was delayed anyway I could have found the janitor and could now be handing out sugar laden goodies like some latter day Florence Nightingale.

We are now moving again - hurrah! No need for communal food and soon I'll be home safe and sound, goodbye fellow travelers it's been a pleasure. You have restored my faith in humanity.

What's that you're asking for a song. I know what about that song that encapsulates our time together. The feelings of camaraderie, the spirit of the Blitz.


"We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when,  but I know we'll meet again some sunny day....."


-- Post From My iPhone

Salt n sauce

Every now and again you just can't be bothered getting the pans out, prepping the veg, breaking out the spices and the rest of the contents of the cupboard - dinner is just a hassle. What to do?

We could put on the smart wear and head off to some eatery or other but on a night like tonight with the wind still acting like a mischeavious boy firing dried pulses though a pea shooter such is the force and noise of the rain -that's a non starter.

A family food confabulation decided that carry out was the preferred option. Once we had decided upon our choice delivery was not an option but as the wolves and I were going out in the wet suits anyway for the evening walk we volunteered to bring home the dinner. Perhaps not in true caveman style but as close as we can get tonight.

What would have been your choice? We could have had some "Indian" food, now the UK's number one food choice. "Chinese" was discarded as an option, you've got to be in the mood for that no? Pizza always goes down well here but not tonight. Being in a relatively rural location our options are rather limited but we do not too badly. So decision time..... "the chippy" it is.

In times past when one ate chips that were wrapped in newspapers I used to collect the family discarded weekly's and dailies and take them to "Joe's" the chippy down the road from where we lived in exchange for a poke of chips. Perhaps this is where the first green shoots of my recycling ethos first sprouted?

Nowadays as a result of new hygiene regulations the day of the newspaper wrapped food are long gone. Thankfully the polystyrene boxes have also gone to be replaced by small cardboard boxes and locally a very natty paper bag.





Oh and what did we have? Smoked sausage suppers x2, a fish supper and coming from from the South
Eastern part of Scotland no salt n vinegar for us but true to our roots it was salt n sauce.

The West wind blows...

The meteorologist on the telly tonight gave grave warnings of impending storms, heavy rain, winds - a real washing cycle of weather. It seemingly will sit just to the west of where we live but generally that does not matter as there is nothing between us and the storm further west. As a result of being relatively high above sea level with nothing but a few trees for many miles westwards the weather usually roars across our path on its way across central Scotland. Although we did disregard the graphics and the dialogue that accompanied that part of the forecast,

"there may be flooding in the darker areas of the map"

as this was the Solway Firth!

I'm sitting here with the little keyboard clicks as I type drowned out by the rain rattling off the windows and the wind blowing across the roof. Hopefully all will be intact in the morning with no damage but I would wager that something will have been blown over or have traveled across the garden or maybe even paid next door a flying visit.

Maybe some of the tarps that protect the furniture in the winter or the bird table hopefully nothing more than that. In the past we've had trees uprooted, slates lost and the winner was probably the shed lifted up and thrown 20 metres across the garden.

Thankfully we are warm and watertight and can bear any minor damage that the weather can throw at us but sitting here you can't help feeling that if we were in another part of the world our outlook would be far less positive and thinking of what to write as a blog post would be the least of my worries.

Sunshine on Glasgow part 2

As I said in part 1 the music and lyrics of the Proclaimers is something that I have enjoyed for a long time and it did not take too long before there was not a dry eye sitting in my seat. Some of their songs have come around at certain times in my life and have just seemed very appropriate for the time and have become part of the Fegrig fabric. Hopefully that reference will be picked up on some search engine and hundreds of quilters will follow me in the hope of another fabric story?

'Sunshine On Leith" , "Letter From America" , "500Miles", "Let's Get Married" and a new song that really stuck the emotional needle in my eye as it's a song about spending time away from home, something I do far more than I would like but that's work for you, called "Three More Days". These were just some of the highlights.

So we sang and bopped away to The Proclaimers, not the greatest singers or movers apart from the interesting observation that the one on the left of the stage as we saw them shoogled his right leg and his brother on the right of the stage shoogled his left, (still with me? read it again) like a couple of one legged gyrating book ends.

Someone wiser than me speculated on why they are so successful they've been there or there about's for over 20 years, tour every year in Scotland and overseas to every continent - Scottish Diaspora effect? Have reasonable sales of each album, have reached anthemic status regarding some of their songs. Or is it that they with their meaningful lyrics and unique elongated and stretched vowel singing style have given men (who are generally not the most emotionally connected beasts) an avenue for expression and women appreciate the Proclaimers for giving their menfolk the tools of expression.

Or are they just to use that favourite Leith expression a couple of Barri Gadjis?

Who keeps a diary?

Sitting here thinking about what to write today, this NaBloPoMo National Blog Posting Month thing can be quite testing. The idea is to write something each day not unlike keeping a diary I suppose.

I kept a diary when in was about 12/13, not expansive at all as I used a wee pocket diary with about 2cm of space for each day, hardly room for acres of Shakespearian prose but it was a wee record on life. It probably lasted for a few years but they were lost in a teenage love jealousy thing!

Over the ensuing years I have tried a few times to write a daily diary but none of these attempts seem to last for very long. The Saudi journal, the world trip travelogue, the student nurse story, the divorce download etc etc etc. None seeing the light of day and their limited outpourings sit on yellowing and curled paper in some box somewhere.

Now I try to keep this blog thingy and thanks to the iphone and the many apps that exist to assist wannabe diarists I try and put some thoughts down on the screen. It's not paper now of course and thankfully I can document far more than just a cm or two as in the days of old.

Sunshine on Glasgow part 1

As I mentioned a few days ago we attended a Proclaimers gig (that's the term nowadays, concert seems so old and farty!). We traveled through to Glasgow to the SECC a fairly large venue with the particular hall used housing 9500 people. Not bad for a couple of laddies fi Leith as Craig and Charlie are.

There are not many people of repute from Leith, ill repute perhaps? The Reid twins are a year older than me and whether you find them your musical cup of tea or not to be honest I'm not concerned I like them and have done since they first broke cover in 1987. They may not be the best singers or musicians in the world but there lyrics and harmonies have me hooked.

Despite my liking for their work I have never seen Craig and Charlie live. Now that's not strictly true as Ive seen them walking down the street a few times taking children to school etc Ive never seen them perform live so a new experience. What an experience it was.

On entering the venue I was met not by the usual concession stand (that came later ) but a whisky tasting! Only in Scotland? Stereotypes what are they? It was only the start of the Scottishness that was apparent and promoted by a substantial portion of my fellow "giggers". The Proclaimers do not hide their political affiliations under the table and are quite open and proud of their nationality and support of the SNP. They have used their songs and lyrics to promote this on many occasions. Back to the giggers due to the amount of tartan, Scottish rugby and football tops it had the feel more of a sporting event than a musical one. I am always a bit suspicious of 5 minute nationalism and this seemed as good an example as I had seen for a long time.

Despite this one could not criticize the commitment of the audience. I have been to a few events in my time but I cannot recall such a diverse crowd. Old, young and every age in between a real family event for some with grandparents taking their grandchildren by the hand whilst the parents worked out the location of their seats. It was great to see children singing at the top of their voices belatedly accompanied by the grown ups who had left their reserve behind once hidden in the dark. They do say that it's Doctor Who that has helped bring families together perhaps so but The Proclaimers deserve a honourable mention.

It was also interesting to see some "fans" who by design or not would not have been out of place at a Craig and Charlie Reid look-a-like contest at Butlins in Ayr. Perhaps there is a web site for such people the "Disciples of The Proclaimers" but I could not find any when I searched.

The lights dimmed and on they came in a very understated way. No flash stage set, no huge cast just the usual lights and PA combo with a very low key "The Proclaimers" stuck onto the drummers base drum frontage and I only knew that was there when it was picked up on the camera for the big screens at either side of the stage. It was a large venue remember..............

Today is a day...

For sleeping dogs, tea and hot buttered toast.

Of course these options are not exclusive and are open to suggestion. Do you have any?

Hot chocolate, horlicks, ovaltine or coffee are all in the cupboard. Toast butter, marmite, jams and marmalade if you are into that sweet toast thing not for me that, toast is a savoury snack for me. Cheese you say well that's becoming a meal then cheese n' toast, a bit of ham perhaps or tomato, becoming dangerously closer to pizza territory. Lets just stick to the tea/toast combo for now.

The toast of course Scottish plain bread, what's that?
well over to the wiki pages for an explanation:-

In Scotland, another form of bread called plain bread is also consumed. Plain bread loaves are noticeably taller and thinner, with burned crusts at only the top and bottom of the loaf. Plain bread has a much firmer texture than English and American pan bread. Plain Bread is becoming less common as the bread consumed elsewhere in Britain is becoming more popular with consumers.

Perhaps less common they say but it sells very well in all the supermarkets here despite the onslaught from the softer pan bread and those assorted continental offerings that are indeed tasty but are just no good for toast. So plain bread is still the staple toast bread in this house, the heels or ends are my personal fave. Of course all this is prepared on the ultimate toaster our Aga cooker.

Why this eulogy to tea and toast? Well it's a yucky sort of day, the kind of day that encourage the chooks to baton down the hatches don the sou' westers and stay close to their shelter, just in case the wind catches them and next stop...who knows? Its windy with heavy rain and just no' nice. Although porridge was consumed this morning (another yucky day sign) one is now thinking of some toast!

The dogs well as you can see they have employed their strategy for a yucky day.

-- Post From My iPhone

500 Miles....

And tonight I'm going to walk 500 miles .....well ok drive about 40 miles to see the Proclaimers and I will be too late to blog when I come home so until tomorrow.....

Harry Brown

Tonight it was off to the movies to see Harry Brown starring Michael Caine as an elderly citizen who has just had enough of the treatment that the local "yoof" have been meeting out to fellow residents including his chess playing chum on the estate. There's always an estate isn't there?

I went along with fellow critic Al to critique this latest Caine offering. Never too harsh or wordy this is more a "What did you think?..." a discussion follows and a score for our own amusement. Caine is very good in his performance and you should like this bleak British movie, if you enjoy this type of movie. It's no barrel of laughs. What I can imagine though is it being re-done by Hollywood for the US market it would be more syrupy, with the lead actor showing the warm, human side of his character. Despite the irascible snapping tortoise demenour.

But wait is this a reversal thing I think I've just described Gran Torino with a fine tortoise like performance from Clint Eastwood. In that you had local community (do they have estates in the US?), "yoofs", an old ex-serviceman who has had enough and guns. Similarities there? In the Eastwood vehicle it did not end so well for him but did for the community. In the Caine movie well it was a double whammy for the character and the estate.

Oh and the score 7/10.

Vogueish Vampires

I remember when my sister and I were young and staying over and our grand parents I woulld be allowed to stay up late. The reason to watch the Friday night "horror". These movies revolved around the unholy trinity if Frankenstein, Werewolves and Vampires.

Fast forward and it seems that although Frankie has fallen by the way side and Werewolves have but a supporting roles Vamps are in Vogue. TV, Movies, Books everywhere it seems it's fangtastic to be into vampires.

Having been a viewer of the Buffy series on TV I have mow developed a taste for True Blood which is certainly a few levels up the moral barometer but entertaining nonetheless.

I'm not really sure why vamps are perennially popular but at the moment there's enough for fans to get their teeth into and the entertainment moguls seem keen to suck the phenomenon dry.


-- Post From My iPhone

Gurney me?

You know that feeling don't you it has hit us all at one time or another in our lives irrespective of age wether we are young or old.

Could be that the first occasions are lost in the mists of time the memory too dim and distant. We lie there whining, crying and irritable hoping for the big people to take the feeling away.

A few years further on and the feeling just creeps up at the most inappropriate times. You could be having your lunch and the next moment it seems you waken up with your face in your num nums. The amount of times you witness children at this age of their lives just succumbing with their head lolling over as if on some wilted stem of a plant. It makes you wonder how we grow up with no long term neck problems.

We move on in lifes journey and now it creeps up perhaps as you are shoogled in the car. Perhaps when you've been allowed to watch that film or TV programme that finishes after your bed time. Now of course the big people do help. By this stage though Mum has probably passed her peak because basically you are too big a lump to humph around, so it's over to you Dad.

By the time you reach my years it seems that the clock have gone backwards rather than forward. Tonight heading back to the hotel after dinner and chat I feel like that baby in the pram, but at least I now know what the feeling is and how to deal with it. That toddler who just wants to put their head down irrespective or where or when but perhaps not on the bus. Of course you are hoping as well like that wee boy who has had enough that your Mum (she was a strong woman!) or Dad would just pick you up and carry you to bed.

Feeling sleepy is not a feeling that I particularly do well irritable, gurney they could be applied to me. Much better that I just slide off to bed and slip under the covers......


Night, night.

-- Post From My iPhone

Vegetarian me?

So tonight we all went out meeting up with the youngsters. One of the boys having been to the dentist and the other in town to shop. The idea thereafter to meet, catch up and eat. Where to go?

We ended up here at Hendersons an old established veggie place, bistro/cafe type thing. They always have a few specials on. Have soup and main or sweet and main combo's and lots of salads to chose from. These are not the usual thing of a few green leaves and some dressing involving as they do a all sort of vegetable combinations. A salad cornucopia.

Although perhaps rather unimaginative I had a soup - lentil and apricot, followed by a baked tattie and 3 salads and a piece of cherry pie all wholesome, tasty stuff. They also have a frequent chomper type card you know the sort of thing, a stamp is added to the card for every £5 that you spend and when you have a full card. You get money off your next meal.

The food was nutritious and the company was good but we left before the live musician, Monday night is jazz piano night. After wards one always feels energised to become more vegetarian for all the reasons that we all think of but never fully accomplish.

Remembrance Day

The images and messages have been with us for many weeks now in the run up to today, Remembrance Sunday. The politics of the conflicts in which those being remembered served are irrelevant today. It is about those who died and those who were wounded.

I have never served in the armed forces, nor have I had any exposure to conflict and for that I am thankful. When I was young enough to have been conscripted as many hundreds of thousands had been before me at times of war I felt a closer affinity to those young men and women who did not reach the age that I am today. Images of men under fire whether in World War One or in recent conflicts made me think how I would have reacted. Could I have performed in the same manner as those observed in the images?

As I matured, although still not an age immune to death and injury through war, I am now at the age of many of the parents who have lost sons and daughters in Iraq and Afghanistan. My boys are the age of many young men and women who have not returned.

It is now that reason that I remember those who did not return, thankful that I sit watching as an appreciative observer rather than as a grieving father.

SAS sheep?

So there we where me and the dogs this morning, quite early having just waved n on her way to another woolly extravaganza, we set off on our morning stroll. We went to a different woodland than normal not having been there for few years. So strolling along dogs exploring all the smells that only dogs can detect and lo and behold about 30 metres ahead out pops a deer from one side of the woodland, stood on the path realised she had visitors and smartly legged it into the other side of the path and the safety of more trees.

Bormish is always more astute in this regard and was off in hot pursuit.....oh alright then more a luke warm pursuit as he would not have a snowballs chance of catching said bovine. Mishbosh well he's always the coo's tail and reacts to his canine chum rather than the primary niff. They returned fairly quickly puffing a bit but where soon entranced by the olfactory canvas presented before them.

A bit further on and I was aware of a large white mass to the side of the path. A sheep no, too big not fluffy and not moving. A bit further on the large white mass miraculously turned into three tupps, trying to impress there but to be honest have not got a clue they had horns and were sheep, end of my knowledge. Tupps is something I saw Matt Baker talk about on Country File and it obviously made an impression.

The dogs although having seen the white fluffy animals came to heel promptly, thankfully and we walked about thirty metres behind said sheep in the hope that they found the hole that they had escaped through but they didn't, so we turned around and walked home, just in case things turned nasty. Those horns looked like they could have caused some damage. Maybe they had tunnelled out of the field?

A few thoughts crossed my mind were they a crack unit of camouflage sheep out on a training morning and that is why we almost stumbled upon them? Or do my dogs prefer venison to mutton. Personally I am glad they do as a farmers gun is not a dessert that I would recommend to anyone.

I have a dream

Do you have a dog? Have you seen it dream?
We do -two black labs and yes we see some very active dream states.

Most of the time the dreams go unnoticed and are fairly innocuous. However every now and again they show more active sleep states.

We have the barks - a bit of a start that when you are quietly reading, the woofs, whimpers and yelps. In fact all the vocalisation that you would get from an awake dog. The disturbing thing is the uncharacteristic tone that emitts from their relaxed larynx.

Then there are the movements anything from a slight leg twitch to a full blown sprint after that rabbit or whatever.The movement doesn't stop there you sometimes get sneezing and changes to breathing - well I suppose after chasing that cat you might be a bit puffed?

Up the scary scale we go next up are the ears that twitch as if independant of central control but at least they don't spin. Finally we have the best scary movie bit the eyes. Twitching, blinking and sometimes still open all adds to the spectacle of the dreaming dog.

Then almost as soon as it starts all returns to calm and we have a dog who once again is dreaming of resting on the patio in the hot summer sun with a belly full of rabbit.

Aye in yer dreams dug!



-- Post From My iPhone

Into the Storm

I'm sitting here and probably should be in my bed but I'm watching a recording of the TV programme "Into the Storm" for those not aware its a dramatisation of the War years seen from Winston Churchill's perspective and involvement, a kind of through the eyes of Winston.Whether you admire his policies, question his decisions or scrutinize his flaws he was an inspiring leader who found the right time in history to document his 15 minutes.

When I was about 10 years old and in the 12th Leith Boys Brigade company attempting to get my Gold achievement award badge one of the tasks was to research the life of a famous person and be able to answer questions on the same. Probably utterly square and unique amongst friends who had chosen their local football hero or glam rock star - it was that era, I decided upon Winston Churchill.

Its funny how some things stick in one's mind. I can still picture the scene from my memory and who was there helped in some part by the fact that the person who was testing me on my Churchillian knowledge was the leader in charge John Thompson. He unfortunately died just a year or so later at a comparatively young age, a great loss. The Boys Brigade or the BB gave me many opportunities, assisting me to prepare as I entered into my storm, the storm of life.

Things that go bump in the tube

I was on the London tube today and it once again struck me how glum everyone was. Now don't get me wrong I'm no Charlie Chuckles but I try. It seemed though that it was all doom and gloom, maybe it's the heat, maybe the noise or fatigue?

Maybe it was worry as I was standing in the carriage a thump was heard and another and another I'm sure it was nothing untoward just the wheels trundling along the track. Or maybe there is a Tube Monster who grabs unwary passengers as they travel through the labrynth that is the London Underground system.

These monsters ( there must be more than one!) I suspect travel atop each train - who needs an oyster card? The thumping noise well that was some body part from an unfortunate victim. This limb being used by the monster as a grotesque drum stick to beat out their macabre rhythm on the roof of the carriage.

I'll let you know if I encounter any more evidence of the "tube monsters"


-- Post From My iPhone

The people of the planet Leaf

Autumn is in full swing and everywhere you have a deciduous tree you have the leaves. Like some discarded tissue lying unloved and without purpose on the pavement and the road and in the gutters. The council workers come along with their brushes and various vaccum cleaner wagon things to sook up the leaf litter.

What I have noticed this autumn is the increasing use of the leaf blower in the UK. Like some hairdryer on steroids these things are wielded by said council worker to blow the leaves along.

I'm sure some of these leaf blower operatives act out some child hood game of holding a laser gun as they engage the alien invasion of the "Leaf Men". It was always the men - mud men, fish men, ape men never the female of the species. I wonder how these aforementioned men came about? The reproductive cycle of alien invaders is something that received scant attention in those alien invasion movies.

So the leaf blower, a piece of garden equipment I have seen many times in use when visiting the USA in the Fall but until recently not here. In the land if the free the leaf blower always has a Hispanic chap ( man again) at the operator end engaged in what always seems a never ending task of collecting the leaves.

I would like to think that all these collected leaves are composted in some large suitable receptacle but one is never sure what happens post collection. Burning perhaps, burial along with other discarded things.

Leaves are very similar to us really I'm thinking as we reach the end if our life cycle we also dry up, lose our colour, our vitality and ultimately drop off. We can be burned or buried and some of us even composted.

Perhaps then the day dreaming leaf blowing laser blasting operative has cottoned onto something and we indeed are the Leaf Men and Women of the Earth invading variety?



-- Post From My iPhone

Only 55 days to go!

How depressing!

Saturday 31st October the day we saw the first Christmas decorations blinking uniquely in the three windows of some ones flat who obviously has calendar deficiency disorder. Not only did we see the lights suitabley or is that garishly entwined in colour clashing tinsel, but ho ho ho we also had jolly plastic faces of Santa Claus. Oh what fun!

Now don't get me wrong I like Christmas just like the next normal person the kind who does not have calendar deficiency disorder but it's too early! Santa Claus visits on the 25th December.

However I and people of my ethos the "Christmas is in December" crowd are becoming a silent majority as the stores ( now that November is here!) are wading in with their advertising pounds. The tide has turned Christmas now starts in November like some phoney season, no one really knowing now when it starts or ends.

Over the last few hours it's as if the doors have been opened on the false snow and tinsel cupboard, as my senses have been assailed. All the red suits and mock Victorian " Christmas Carol" clothing have been de moth balled and dry cleaned. The Christmas adverts have arrived ho ho ho!

Finally the "stars" to populate the ads you know the ones- her from that programme, she was so good in and him from that channel looking a bit heavier than last Christmas, still carrying that Christmas weight perhaps? All finished off with the wee fluffy kitten, puppy or reindeer depending on what is available and wether the advert involves food or not.

So here we go, more light and tinsel combos will start populating windows throughout the land, but when will we see the first Christmas tree of the 2009 season?
Please let me know.



-- Post From My iPhone

I'm tired

I need my bed, I feel like I need to have some more sleep. It's not like I was up till 5 this morning or that I worked incredibly hard over the last few days in a physically demanding manner.

I've just returned from a very relaxing holiday in the USA so should have no problems with work and no play type fatigue.

Maybe I just can't hack my body clock being mucked about with due to travel problems at the start and end of the holiday I was out of my bed for 26 hours on both occasions, like some sleepy book ends between which sits my collection of Lonely Planet guide books. This being awake through the night thing being a cruel reminder that I was never my best on night duty.

I could blame this hairy face that has crept up on me over the last few weeks, like some untrained ginger greying vine. Not being used to hair on my head for several years nay a decade now I am finding the fur now enveloping me as very warming. Polar bears I now get.

Those poor beasts sitting within their enclosure, enveloped in their shaggy white coats in London Zoo whilst the metropolitan microclimate makes even the most shaven of creatures into sticky, sweaty blobs. Or is that just me again?

Maybe it's the weather that I can see through the window, the sort of weather that just forces one to think "bed/sofa/duvet combo". Hibernation seems to be an alluring position statement today.

Or am I just being lulled into stupor as I sit here typing within a warm room with a dog warming my feet?



-- Post From My iPhone