24-12-30 - Monday I - Christmas in 326 Miles

On Christmas Eve we drove to the MiL's house up in Oxon, in a little village called Long Hanborough. We had a nice afternoon getting ready for actual Christmas in a different house and then cracked into Christmas there. Christmas was a quiet low-key affair, as we were celebrating with TW's Mum who is 80 and her partner who is 89. 

I got some nice presents including a lovely warm dressing gown and I think TW appreciated her gifts. 

On Boxing Day we drove to Bristol and celebrated with TW's family including the MiL & partner and TW's brother and sister and spouses and nephews. It was a lovely day, more celebrational than actual Christmas Day and unfortunately I overdid it slightly. 

On the 27th we girded our loins and drove back to Worthing on a very slow M4 - it took us five hours to get home but once we'd got off the M4 onto the A34 the traffic was more free-flowing. When we got home we watched three episodes from the first series of Gavin and Stacey as a family, which I really enjoyed.

The other thing of note worth mentioning was how still and how foggy it was for three days or so. Driving to Bristol we couldn't see the countryside and I was disappointed about that, and it was really quite mild - no need for heavy jackets at all. It was difficult to get a fire going in Long Hanborough because it was so still. 

It was a lovely four days though, and a great way to spend Christmas. 

TTFN.

24-12-18 - Wednesday I - A Birthday Trip to The White Horse, Chilgrove

Sunday 1st December, the day of my 53rd birthday, TW & I went to The White Horse in Chilgrove. We stopped in Chichester on the way and TW shopped for a few Christmas gifts at John Lewis and Home Sense, then drove on to Chilgrove.

We checked in and lay on the large double bed watching an FA cup game, which was a nice distraction. It was just the two of us, in the afternoon, with nothing to do except enjoy each others' company and pass the time until dinner.

Speaking of which, the food was lovely. I had rainbow trout with some horseradish loveliness to start, which was a departure for me. TW was planning to have steak for her main but because it was Sunday and they were doing roasts, steak wasn't on offer. So we had burgers and fries, which were delicious but not the experience we had planned. We had cocktails as well, which were delicious and refreshing,  and then shared a bottle of wine that could have been a bit colder. TW of course had a pudding which was delicious but would have been too much for me - I've always preferred "starter and main" rather than "starter, main & pud". The restaurant had a nice atmosphere, it was very relaxed, and I enjoyed the evening. We were tired from the previous evening so it was early to bed for us. 

Next morning my cold really started to develop, so we had breakfast which was again delicious - I chose eggs Benedict instead of a full English, another departure - and then we came home where I retired to bed for a couple of days. 

It's funny, I seem to remember not being floored by colds twenty years ago, but these days it really helps just to get into bed and watch some mindless Christmas films where concentration is only minimally required. And lots of lemsip and tissues, of course. 

So that was Birthday #53, let's see if #54 can top it!

TTFN.

24-11-30 - Saturday I - Lost Rucksack

I managed to lose my rucksack the other night. I was on the way home with TW and T, and we'd had a few drinks at the pub to celebrate T's birthday. I think TW needed a wee, or there was some other reason why I was distracted and wasn't thinking about my rucksack and belongings when I got off the train.

Anyway, it wasn't until we were just around the corner from home when I realised I didn't have it. I don't know what made me remember it at that point, maybe because I am normally wearing it when I come home from work? I certainly noticed it's absence then. 

I immediately jumped on Twitter and DMed @southernrailUK to ask if they could find it for me. We'd stopped at Morrisons so it was later than it could've been, and I wasn't particularly hopeful, but I had to try. When I woke up early the next morning (with extreme thirst) I noticed a new DM from Southern - timed at 2am - letting me know that a bag matching my rucksack's description had been handed in at Barnham.

When I'd washed and got ready, I caught the train to Barnham and collected it. And then felt rough for the rest of the day. But it just goes to show the power of social media; Southern Rail are there to help sometimes, not just be the butt of my daily commuter complaints. 

TTFN.

24-10-05 - Saturday I - What a Week

Well, that was a week and a half; Monday we were in Chi to see a play, Tuesday in Brighton to see Ezra Collective, and then tonight to see Arxx celebrate the release of their second album in Resident Music and dinner out afterwards at Wagamamas… 

The play was enjoyable, funny even, but once we got out of the theatre it was a bit difficult to describe what we had just watched. Was it a comedy? Was it a thriller? What did that bit mean? Overall I think, they tried to cram too many ideas into it, and so it ended up leaving not much impression at all.

 

Ezra Collective were very good, great music to dance to. The venue, Chalk in Brighton, was a sellout and so it was really busy. Actually it was difficult to find a space where there was room to dance, especially when some idiots insisted on wearing rucksacks in a crowded venue like that… Towards the end of the night I couldn’t shake the thought that if the drummer used brushes instead of sticks, and the keyboardist kept to major chords and didn’t “wig out” quite so often, we could have been listening to them on a Sunday afternoon in a rural pub somewhere - so it was a triumph for jazz, really. 

I’ve not been to an in-store before, so I didn’t know what to expect from Arxx. Obviously the album was released on the same day as the appearance, so I knew we would hear some tracks off the new album, but I didn’t know how long they would play, whether it would be an acoustic set, or anything really. But the opportunity to see some live music from a band I liked was too good to miss. So TW & I headed into Brighton to Resident Music to see what was up. The band played six or seven songs, and had a chat with the audience, and it was a nice intimate gig. Maybe a bit shorter than I would’ve liked, but then I guess that’s personal preference.

After the gig TW was hungry and so we went round the corner to Wagamama’s which was nice. I have avoided Wagamama’s because I did think I ordered badly - we’ve been a couple of times and I didn’t like what I had - but last night I had chicken yakitori and beef donburi. I did actually order chicken donburi, but the beef was delicious. So I am pleased we went. And we were out and walking up to the station before 9pm, which was refreshing. 

All in all, a busy week, but all good. 

TTFN. 

24-08-14 - Wednesday I - Riots

I like to think I'm a regular guy, but I abhor the recent riots in the UK. There is just no need for them. Or, if there is a need for them (and I think there might be), the root cause or trigger for the riots is not the basis that the rioters or the "mainstream media" think it is. 

Let me explain. 

There are people who can't get council housing. There are people who don't get swift police response when shit happens. I think a lot of people have experienced delays at hospitals and A&E departments. 

These things are not related to the (relatively) small number of people arriving on our shores "irregularly" in small boats.  

The fact that there is no social housing is attributable to the fact that there has been no investment in housing by central government. 

The reduction in police numbers and the "reprioritisation" of crimes has been attributable to the fact that there has been no investment in policing by central government. 

The delays in treatment in A&E has been attributable to the fact that there has been no investment in healthcare by central government. 

I am hoping that a change in government will change this, but actually I am very concerned by the early signals from the current Labour govt. They need to change the way they look at the economy, because if Rachel Reeves has the same approach as George Osborne, then to my mind there is no benefit in having a Labour govt. What I am hoping is that this is a moderate "don't startle the horses" beginning, before more radical policies are adopted. At least it looks like the union issues are being resolved, and speaking personally as a commuter that is a fantastic breakthrough. 

It's only been five weeks, let's wait and see, I guess?

TTFN. 

24-07-20 - Saturday I - Present Laughter @ Connaught Studios, Worthing, Thursday 18th July

Thursday evening took us to Connaught Studios to watch Present Laughter, a play by Noel Coward revived and starring Andrew Scott (he of Moriarty / Sherlock fame). 

It was a very funny play, I really enjoyed it. There were moments when it was all a bit too hysterical, the actors were screeching at each other, but I’m sure that was intentional. It was a view into a very niche bohemian way of life where people were awfully catty to each other but it didn’t really matter, they carried on anyway. And their love lives were very complicated; Garry (Scott) was married to Liz (Indira Varma) but sleeping with Joe Lypiatt (Enzo Cilenti). Joe’s wife Helen was having an affair with another woman. It was hard to keep track of what was going on, tbh. But that was half the fun. 

We have seen Indira Varma in a couple of filmed plays, one was The Seagull, which was a bit meta, and tbh I can’t remember the other. But she is always good value and she was in this play as well. 

It was a great night out and I think these plays filmed by the National Theatre are well worth going to see, even if the subject matter doesn’t look that interesting. It’s something a bit different from a Marvel film or the latest Mission Impossible. They normally leave you with something to think about, and I think that’s a good sign in an evening’s entertainment. 

TTFN. 

24-07-17 - Wednesday I - St Swithin’s Day

In order to be a writer you have to write, and so here I am. 

First up, I guess I should mention the Euros; England managed to lose in the final last night. There were some poor performances during the campaign and it was a bit of a surprise, to be honest, that we made it to the final at all, but once we had made it there was always the hope that we could win. However, it wasn’t to be. I think I’ve watched more football in the past four weeks than I have in the past four years - or it certainly feels like that. England had a good go at it, and probably played better in the final than they did all tournament, but it wasn’t good enough and Spain won. They were the better team, and had been the best team all tournament, tbh. 

The other item worthy of a mention is the assassination attempt on Trump on Sunday. I guess we have to call it an assassination attempt, since he was nearly killed. The weird thing is, his would-be assassin was a registered Republican voter. Of course he was immediately shot, so we might never know his motives. Oh well. 

Monday was St Swithin’s Day, which is supposed to signify 40 days of the same weather: if it rains on St Swithin’s Day, we are supposed to be in for 40 days of rain. And similarly, if it is dry, we can expect 40 days of good weather. So the legend goes. Anyway, it rained, and today has actually been a summery day. So that myth / old wives’ tale is clearly rubbish. 

24-06-21 - Friday I - Labour Labour Labour

Well, what is there to say? Labour aren't saying much and the more they don't say anything, the more the Conservatives (and Rishi Sunak specifically) implode. 

It does seem a foregone conclusion that Labour will form the next government come July 4th and I'm not sure what more there is to say. Labour are playing a very sensible approach; "this is what we've said and this is what we meant, and we're going to say it again because it's a constant" vs a kind of unplanned, say something and see if it sticks approach from the Conservatives. So that's led to things like the "supermajority" claim, which is meaningless when you interrogate it, but also the £2k tax claim which has cut through, but on the same figures the Tories will charge you an extra *£3k* in tax. It's funny what catches the popular imagination. 

This betting thing, for instance, seems to have some weight, although I think it's just silly. It would seem poetic that the current Tory reign will finish with individuals trying to feather their own nest - and for relatively small amounts as well. Was it worth it? Probably not, on balance, I'd suggest. 

Anyway, only two weeks to go and then we'll be in Belgium watching "RAWK" (i.e., Avril Lavigne and Lenny Kravitz). 

TTFN!

24-05-27 - Monday I - Bank Holiday Sunday

Yesterday was a gardening day, or at least it started and ended like that. I was able to drag it round to a bank holiday Sunday briefly in the afternoon, but TW was on a Gardening Mission. 

We weeded the front garden and trimmed the central bush. It looks much tidier now than it did, which I suppose was the aim. TW then got the bit between her teeth and power-washed the paving slabs, and we discovered that underneath the built up dirt and detritus the slabs were different colours - red and yellow and green. 

Then we went to B&Q - of course, because where else is there to go on a bank holiday Sunday? - and bought seeds and weed killer. Then I wanted to go to a reggae all-dayer at a nearby pub - because where else is there to go on a bank holiday Sunday? - but unfortunately the pub was full and tbh the music was quite loud, which wasn't what I was looking for at 4pm on a Sunday afternoon. So we had a drink at the pub across the road. Then it got a bit chilly so we came home and strimmed some wild grass before dousing it in weed killer. 

We finished the day with Dr Who, which I enjoyed, and a few episodes of New Girl, which is developing nicely.

24-03-23 - Saturday I - Plaza Suite @ The Savoy Theatre, Friday 22nd March

So, we popped up to London yesterday afternoon to go see Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick appear in Plaza Suite, a play at the Savoy. TW & I went with our friends MO & DO and TC. We caught the train from Worthing and then walked from Victoria to the theatre. We passed Parliament and Big Ben and got some Korean street food on the way. 

Our seats were in "the gods", right at the back. When we got there it was already warm. The play was in three acts and showed three couples all staying in the same suite in the Plaza. It was really good, I enjoyed it. The first act was really quite heavy and emotional, the second two were lighter and more farcical.

The audience was very female heavy, I guess Sex and The City had a bigger influence on girls and women and SJP has that legacy to play with. Broderick played his characters a lot more staid and restrained, I thought, it really was the SJP show. Although his shoes in the second act were sublime.

There were quite a few bottles of wine being drunk in the gods, it was a bit raucous, but then it was a Friday night.

All in I enjoyed it, it was nice to have "an event" with friends and the play was good and the off-stage action was interesting. It took some time to get home, we walked back to Victoria and caught a train just after eleven, and we were home in bed by 1am. 

TTFN.

24-02-27 - Tuesday I - Drop the Dead Donkey @ Chichester Theatre, Wednesday 21st Feb 2024

Well. That was a blast from the past. And for the most part, really quite enjoyable. It was great to see all the characters back together, apart from Haydn Gwynne and David Swift, of course. 

The characters were familiar, as was the writing; it really was a reunion of all the gang. Unfortunately I didn't take my distance glasses with me, so for me it was as though I was watching them from back in the day - everyone was a bit fuzzy and I didn't see any wrinkles. 

I enjoyed it, and would probably go again if there was an updated version, although I am not sure if this was an attempt to prove the show's popularity - the theatre was certainly full, and it looked as though TC, TW & I were amongst the youngest ones there.  

24-02-27 - Tuesday II - Alien Chicks @ The Green Door Store, 10th February 2024

Well, that was a thoroughly enjoyable night. I love the Green Door Store as a venue, it is so straightforward and without pretention. The support band came on at about 8pm and were good; I thought initially that they sounded like the Cocteau Twins but by the end of their set I thought they sounded like an evolution rather than a re-run - hopefully that is a good thing? 

Then it was time for the main event and true to form it didn’t go smooth from a technical perspective for Alien Chicks. This time, the guitarist / lead singer realised that his guitar had packed in within the first bars of the first song. So, once he had sourced a replacement, the show got into full swing. And very enjoyable it was too. They are quite a punky band but I think what saves them from being a pedestrian punk band are their rhythms. I thought that when I saw them at The Great Escape last year and I still think it; they owe an awful lot to their drummer. But, whatever, I really enjoyed the evening and even threw a couple of (mental) shapes to complement the dancing going on at the front.

In the pantheon of live acts that I have seen recently and would be happy/willing to see again, Alien Chicks are in there. 

TTFN.   

23-12-30 - Saturday I - Star Wars IV A New Hope @ The Connaught, 29th December

I saw just before Christmas that the Connaught Theatre had scheduled the original Star Wars trilogy over three days - yesterday, today and tomorrow. So naturally I bought tickets to all three films. I did actually buy a pair of tickets to each showing and I thought TMO might be able to accompany me, but unfortunately she had other plans, and neither of the other two were able / wanted to come with. TW is laid low with covid as well, but it's not her bag anyway. 

Before the showing I had a look and it seemed like only about 30 or 35 tickets had been booked, which is a shame in such a big theatre. 

Anyway, I turned up, having fortified myself with a cheeky KFC, and sat down to enjoy Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher run around in space. The music and titles started and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing. The music especially is a thing of beauty, although I am not one for a soundtrack. I also liked the way the movie transitioned between scenes. 

Watching it now, there are a couple of scenes which seem unnecessary and there are a few things which don't make sense. The lightsabre special effects aren't great, and seeing Han Solo step over Jabba's tail was a bit jarring. But the space fights are excellent, and the finale where they (spoiler!) destroy the Death Star was as exhilarating as ever. Rewatching this film as an artefact from my youth was an absolute pleasure, and I am looking forward to seeing The Empire Strikes Back later this afternoon... 

TTFN. 

23-12-23 - Saturday I - A Cup of Tea

Haha, I just took TW a cup of tea in bed but she was asleep and so she won't drink it. I walked in and she had her phone in her hand, and the bedside light was on. So I gently took the phone out of her grasp and left it on the bedside table, and I extinguished the bedside light. I did leave the cup of tea there, so she will see it when she wakes up and it's cold. 

The funny thing is, I said, when I was getting up, that I wanted a cup of tea and she asked if I was going to make her one. "You're going back to sleep, aren't you? You said you were." She denied it and insisted she wanted a cup of tea, so I made her one. And now she's asleep and won't enjoy it. Sometimes - not very often, mind you - I know her better than she knows herself. 

TTFN. 

23-11-23 - Thursday I - Prima Queen @ The Green Door Store, 22nd April

There's a lot of events I've been to this year that I need to jot down. As a result, a few of the next entries aren't going to be in chronological order.

Back in April I went to see Prima Queen. Really enjoyed the night, they were less rocky than I was expecting but I really enjoyed their music and the overall vibe they had going on. Would see again.