I met up with..................

An old boating friend of mine yesterday lunchtime, who split from his partner and the boating life two ish years ago. He`s a funny little character (in the same veign that I`m a funny, big, fat, bald, old character!) we had lunch at the "Office" ( A1 cafe) meeting up at 12-00 he has now retired and lives back at home whith his wife (can you believe it?) and still won`t admit to me, his only friend, that at the wekends when he supposedly went to see/stay with his daughter he was actually going home to stay with his wife! he did this for ten years without his partner knowing, Little sh1t, oh ! well it take all sorts I suppose. His ex partner and her new partner are still our good friends too, so you can imagine the position that we found ourselves in when the split "sounded off" but in spite of all the heartbreak she is much better off on her boat with her new man and he is better off in his marital home without the best of both worlds (which is what he wanted "to have his cake and eat it" which I don`t condone). he has inherited money now from the death of his Mother and so is set for life (or is it death?) we jawed about old times and "this time" and "that time" and I felt quite sad for him, not in a patronising way but the sort of a sadness that comes from caring for a person as a friend but feeling that you could never really help them. He is still looking for something out of life that I don`t think he will ever find (don`t we all? lifes a compromise after all or is that only if you accept that it is?) he is a kind and very generous man with his time, I just wish he was truly happy at home. I think he sees it as a temporary thing until he sorts his life out and I think that its a pity he doesn`t expend some of his generosity to his wife, and her feelings. Who am I to talk like this "I aint no saint"! I just felt sad for him and her and hoped that things would be alright in the long run! We parted at about 14-30 and went our seperate ways. I enjoyed our meet but it made me sad too and in fact affected me quite a bit. ( silly old S*d! )

Things to do!

Get the boat back togeather, get it on the market and get back to sail. :o))

Wooowooow

My daughters partner has just become a director in a company that owns a 55+ foot charter motor yacht and is going on holiday on it in July. Perhaps she will make her mother look more kindly upon my ownership of a similar vessel, after she has had great holiday on it?

Sitting boored.........

In Starbucks the other day having read my paper, I picked up my hot chocolate and looking at the family across the tables ( as one often does at the point of contact with ones cofee etc?) I noticed that the kids were watching me intently and giggling to each other, they were about eight and ten and their parents had their backs to me. I realised that they wanted to see what happened to me when I tried to drink the chocolate from under the enormous lump of cream that the proprietor had fitted to the top (yummy) Soooo.... ignoring them I continued and carefully drank my first mouthfull, planting the cream squarley on my nose and then putting the glass down on the table. The kids fell about and laughed and laughed until the parents (with a rather grumpy air about them) turned around to see what the item of amusement was. when they saw me (by now wiping the cream off my nose) they gathered the kids up and left muttering something about old pervert!! I was mortified really mortified, all I had done was make a couple of kids laugh! I really didn`t know what to do or think, Yes I know that in this world there are such people and I know that parents have to be careful, but not to give me the benefit of the doubt and even mentioning what they actually thought, out loud to the kids. I was quite ashamed! I won`t do that again! when my wife finally arrived she asked me what was the matter as It was obyious to her that I was a bit "different" I said "nothing" and we left I knew that if I had told her, she would berated me for not "knowing better" and "Ive told you before about speaking to children and how parents don`t like it" Which really helped me, a lot! not! What a shame that we may have come to this in life! or am I just just being silly?

I have just realised that..........

My last post was really quite M.C.P. (Male chauvenistic piggish!) and I am not like that at all. I have cleaned the house ( a little ) and cut the grass, even though it was wet and I am afraid it looks like a goat has been grazing on green shagpile carpet, with bare lumps of soil all over it. The regular fox runs now stands out even more, as do the holes they dig in the lawn to bury food, (what a pain) I guess if I repair the holes in the fence they will chew others so I leave them to run riot, they are even less aftaid than last year taking it as quite an affront should I make a noise in their garden, poking their heads out from under the shed and looking quite annoyed that I should be in their garden. Its not too cold here at the moment and the rain is slight, I am awaiting a summons from SWMBO to collect her all greasy and "luberly" looking in her new track suit bottoms, suitably rejuvenated and ready to take on the world yet again. Just the right candidate for a babysitting evening at my Sons. I will nip to the indian for a take away on the way. Gosh I really know how to treat a girl. first the Isle of Wight and now an indian takeaway, Whetever next? maybe a week in Madrid and six months on the boat? ????????probably!!!!!!!..............

Think I`ve just missed summer

Well today I am going to watch the Games, I have just finished my Beetroot smoothy, eugh!!!! thanks "Livvie" I don`t reccomend it to anybody. I thought I would have a fasting ish day today started with the beetroot thingy but I guess that the Cafe calls as usual at around 12. 00.

Swimbo has gone to Champneys for a day, so I thought that I should also make an effort. Last night I took Swimbo to my daughters so she would be ready for the "off" today I don`t envy her staying there and having to sleep under my daughters duvet in the guest room which is like weetabix and weighs a ton. I got home about 22-30 and woke this morning at 09- 30 something that I never do when my wife is home. I have about three missed messages from my wife and daughter who can`t understand why I have slept in! I can I have the house to myself and love it! not too sure about the cleaning and domestic stuff but then I won`t have to do any as she is back tonight and we are babysitting for My son and his wife. I am getting worried with all this homey stuff as the boating season is nearly upon us and I need the six months plus to wind down after the inactivity of winter :o))

A boat at Wooton creek "fuff"

d

Has it really been 41 years?

I cant believe that yesterday, I have been hapily married for 41 years. I think my wife has been as happy as I have ? but I daren`t ask her in case I am told "actually no I havent been" Oh well! I won`t ask then!
When we married a friend suggested that we spent out honeymoon at Butlins in Cliftonville so we did. I guess that our jaunt to the IOW was, in a way, to reinact the same drab, booring, grubby stay we had then but we were pleasantly surprised. The weather was (as always) crap and cold but the brisk walks and fraternising were the real highlight. Breakfast was like something out of the muppets, (I don`t see us as old) and we were surrounded by many old people and many young too so the mix was OK I felt sorry for an obviously newly married young couple who walked into breakfast on the first day to be greeted (at that time) mostly by "old folks" hand in hand they skurried into a far away corner and weren`t seen again for the rest of the weekend! Ah memories!
I have never really explored the Island and was surprised that I quite enjoyed it, to some degree, even to the extent of looking at a building plot with a mooring at the end of the garden, but It had a few problems, close to a road and with boat access over the mooring from a Marina style encampment to one side! so I won`t go ahead although it was the right price. Shall I go back? maybe to visit my friend but as anything more than a boating stopover on the way back home from Falmouth to Brighton, Maybe not!!

Little fellas holding up the handrail on the five story circular staircase!

I bet it was great in its day

Welcome to Mud Island!

No Doggies Doo on this beach! No beach only Mud! welcome to Mud Island

Blogger problem????? seems a lot of them lately

It seems that every time I try to post a photograph I am told that Blogger has a problem and that the engineer has been called so I write a post, and eventually by the time I have finished its sorted, sometines. So I will blog about my old moody 29. I loved that boat and it saw us safely from Dartmouth to guernsey in the worst weather that I have ever experienced in a boat so small, at one time we had 48kt gusts over the deck in a wind over tide situation and we hove to for an hour or so. finally making it behind guernsey some 18 hours later accompanied by a pod of what looked like pilot whales, certainly were large for dolphins. She was a bilge keeler and quite lively in a sea (as you can imagine) whith some slamming but great at antifoul time I just settled her on the small sandy shore in Brixham harbout (with the permission of theHM) and got on with it.

I had her for about three years, and my Jaguar 25 for the preceeding 5 years. My wife who hates sailing, (much preferring not to go to sea in anything other than a Marks and spencers shop) preferred the Jag, with its low headroom and fin keel, ho hum! I sailed the moody mainly single handed as I did the jag, and as far as I can remember only had two real family holidays on any boat that I owned once with my kids when they were young and once (to Guernsey) with my wife. I did however have many weekends and bank holidays. Prehaps my memory is fading and I`m being unkind but it seemed that way, as I spent an awful lot of time on my own on the sail boats.

I have had several good mooring spots for my boats not the least Brixham, on the trots and laterly in the marina for the same price, which I let go, pillock!! where I am still a member of the yach club, Dartmouth at Phillips yard now a development of houses and flats? and Beauleiu opposite the sailing club on a swing mooring. (I have booked a stall at the boat jumble 23rd April to get rid of some bits) I really enjoyed bealieu and its serene charm I can remember sitting on the boat in the misty late evening drinking a glass or chardonnay,and hearing the faint sound or the song two little boys (Rolph Harris) being sung by what sounded like a couple of children and a pair of addults, it was very quiet and as they got nearer it got a little louder until out of the mist a beautiful traditional pilot boat appeared with a small family singing away (still quietly) waving as they past, whith their small single cylinder engine chonking away. Great memories! I loved sailing and still take any oportunity that I get to sail, my last moderate trip was as skipper on a steel, seventy foot ketch to Portugal with two very sick (owner and friend) passengers starting at Brighton via Dover and then biscay to Lisbon. Nice trip, crap weather in Biscay for two days but great after that. Had its moments, we were requested to look for a life raft some twenty miles back from where we had passed that day, in crap weather, to find out that it was a two meter red fishing bouy, and sailing out of lexoes marina in a moderate wind ( engineless) . made me realise that the entrance to the marina is quite narrow for a yacht that size.
I will go back to sailing eventually I think, as it is my main love, but it will have to be a comfortable boat I fancied a 61 roberts but missed it and now have seen a 50 something so I am alert to the options. I still have to fix my port engine ( a month) and get the boat on the market so that could take a while, who knows what the future will bring?

My old Moody moored up river in Dartmouth

I would like to post but!

I have no creative thoughts. as nobody reads my site I will ask for a subject to be donated and see how long it takes to get a reply :o))

Fergus waiting for the postman

A House Guest

A friend of ours came to stay whilst we were decorating the lounge and brought her two Cats with her. She loves decorating with a passion as much as I dislike it, so she helped us ( well did most of it actually) As I`m sure you have all deduce in the past I hated small cats but put up with these two.

I have to say that Fergus the ginger one has really got to me, in as much as we have become great friends and I (and my wife) are truly amazed at the bond formed during such a brief visit. I quite like the old sod! They are both , Norwegian forest cats neutered Toms and weigh in at about two stone and very big (for house cats) although a lot of it is hair. Tiger, Lions, Lynx, Jaguars, Pumas, clouded leopards etc , I have known in the past but a ginger tom???? well life changes doesnt it. No I wont be getting one but they are now always welcome at my house.

A Sad day for the weybridge mariners cruising club

What a strange world I live in?

Things I find tiresome are many and this morning at 02.00 I find lying awake tiresome, particularily as I had no Idea why it had happened, so here I sit Blogging. Usually this phenomina occurs when I turn over and accidently switch on the main room light (placed so conveniently as to require little or no movement to activate it) it does however take a little more than a "bottom clench" and then in my hurry to switch it off I usually hit the tablelight switch and so the words " whats this the Blackpoole illuminations" is heard eminating from the "grumpy one" (who wouldn`t be waken up in such an alarming manner) Oh! I forgot to mention that by now, I have usually uttered a dozen swear words and stubbed my fingers on the switches. All returns to a peacefull state when the lights finally go out but the awakened state remains, well at least for me, Grumpy however goes straight back to sleep, only berating me when the children visit, with the comments "you will never guess what the silly old sod did last week, etc.

But that didn`t happen this time and so here I sit with time on my hands, its too cold to work on my engine in the garage and I could offend the neighbours with the noise so I blog, I could really enjoy blogging if I could post a photo, but A,O,hell and Picashole in their wisdom have decided that I shouldn`t be able to post anymore pictures, so thats another thing I find tiresome P*ssing about with the compbox trying to find out how to overcome the problem,

Unperforated cheap toilet paper, I find tiresome and a really upsetting experience for me and should be sold with a health warning, you waste half your time trying to tear it straight, getting it the wrong size and then in the act you perforate it with your nails, Eugh! definately a health warning should be included.

Today I am about to decorate my lounge and dining room and I hate doing it, I will build a house with pleasure, but decorate it Nah! I hate it. My house has only ever seen emulsion paint and wall paper to me is like a cross to a vampire, I hate it!, you spend days choosing it days hanging it and many days stripping it and then you don`t like it when its hung (well maybe for a few minutes until it went out of fashion) Waste of time, Bah humbug!

I find Drivers along side at the traffic lights looking at me, revving their engines and getting ready for the "off" usually in a sports car or "macroejaculatory ford" with big exhaust are tiresome. I entertain myself whilst stopped, by doing the same and lurching forward a foot, long before the lights have changed to "go" and watch the resultant embarrassment of the rocket jockey as he shoots off trying to beat me only to find himself in the middle of the cross traffic on a still red light. Irresponsible! do I hear you say, yes I reply, but fun, and they deserve everthing they get, which is usually little more that the horn or a minor scrape, but feeling silly whoa! that really is worth seeing, as I drive sedately past, while they back off or around the closely impacted car, and its angry occupant.

Sitting in a friends car travelling across france to fit an engine in a boat for another associate I got bored so I painted a face on and onion with a "magic marker pen"and sitting looking to the front I commenced to do a puppet show for a French lorry driver as we pulled alongside him at sixty K s per hour, I continued to look to the front as if it was nothing to do with me , as "Oliver the onion" was going through his routine when the driver spotted what was going on, out of the corner of my eye I saw him laughing and the next thing a lady, also travelling in the lorry was peering down at Oliver, whilst laying across the driver (you have to remember that I was sitting on the left the lorry driver was driving on the right and we were passing on his right)this went on for a couple of minutes and we finally turned off with the driver and his ladylaughing and waving frantically in appreciation of Olivers act, or so I thought but suddenly the road came to an end with road works and now we had the problem of getting back onto the motorway, I found that tiresome, not having the "road closed" sign in engblishand my friends insistance that I grow up and behave myself. On our way back and whilst Oliver was waving at a couple of Gendarms my mate lost it and Oliver was discharged from duties via the drivers window, as having "done enough damage"and he was not going to have the drivers license take away as part of it. so I sat quietly for a few minutes to demonstrate my "Upsettedness" until I realised that the driver was enjoying the silence so I started againonly this time my puppet was going to be a lady and I was platting her hair into a squirly "Frauline mit motor" style, when the car pulled to a halt and it was explained to me that England was a long walk!

Sad Day!!

Yesterday I received a sad Phone call from the past Commodores wife of our Boat club at Shepperton in surrey. The club house had burnt down to the ground she sadly related. Apparently in the early hours of the morning it was spotted burning and by the time the fire brigade had been called it was too late. The Clubhouse was originally a Boat house and is situated on an Island in the Thames, it is partially built from wood probably in the late nineteenth century. The Lock gates over which we gain access to it were being repaired and so access was a little restricted too. The cause of the fire is as yet unknown and as soon as the fire investigation authorities locate the seat of the fire we shall be told, of that I have no doubt.

Some of the founder members, although aged (older than me) are still around, and I guess that they will be extremely sad. Particularly as we have just renegotiated a further twenty five year lease for it. We are insured and it will be rebuilt but the club as a unit will suffer as a result. Each year we host the ever decreasing numbers of Dunkirk veterans and their boats so I hope we can get up and running by then
So sad! So very sad!!!!

Where did the B come from in Engblish?

Yes I`m bored! bored, bored,

Where do all you guys get your inspiration from? your magical blogs make mine fail into impotence or is it insignificance? when I compare my efforts ! ah me! tis a consumation devoutly to be wished, to die , to sleep, perchance to dream! Aye theirs the rubber! Rubber what I ask my self?

Bored! bored! bored! even my Kindergarten Shookspeere is incorrect AAAHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhh what to do?

I`ve even got bloody word recognition now on my own bloody blog! who did that?????? come on own up, b+stards! I didn`t ask for that!!!! I always get it bloody wrong anyway and have to do the post again. Oh no!!!!! Maria won`t comment now mind you she doesn`t now anyway I think I must have upset her?:o))

The French are stealing our water and power

The French have taken over all our (English) utility companies. Daily, Norman disentangle is taking back to france our water in bottles. Oh yea! it looks as if the many thousands of his lorries secretly owned and operated by the french government! are empty but they are not, their suspensions are reinforced so as not to show that they are loaded sky high with bottles of water.

Whilst riding in the forests of Wales ( as you do) last year I spotted the reduced levels of the resevoirs and noticed that, where whole villages had been flooded in the construction of their dams, the roofs were now showing. we are at crisis point and the French must stop this! OK they need it to keep the medditerranean topped up but we need it to drink and water now tasting of roof tiles isnt any good. With regard to the power, now they own the generating companies, they use it to light up their poncy candelabra and the flashing animated signs of the Moulin rouge and other areas like Eurodisney, its currently being pumped through the eurotunnel and on to the whole of the european community as a gift from the french to ingratiate themselves into getting all the farming subsidies. Bstds!!!

What about cheese will that be next will they buy the English cheddar companies up next, or knotted hankerchief manufacturers, who knows? it really depresse me when I think of Degaul`s nose all encompassing it coverted the whole of the UK, whilst we fought! yes fought to free them from the cluches of the Arian sausage producer. Thats it!!!! Im going to invent an english salami!! lets see the bloody frogs try to buy my company and take over the world with an Enbglish sausage, Huh! Ill never watch Hallo hallo again its not funny anymore we are in turmoil! stop the frogs!!!

Pi*ssed off

Re June 27th 2005, post my friends still haven`t had any settlement on their claim and the Turd that hit them is still not accepting that the impact was his fault. the surveyors have spoken with all wittnesses and the insurance company have declined to pay out. So what to do! cost them ( the insurance company) time and money to the extent that it would be more economic for them to settle, I think not! try to reason further? they wouldn`t listen they are an insurance company. I have suggested that the small claims court is the way to go at least get all the evidence out into the open and make a valued judgement on the full picture. So my Mate is about to take out a, summons to appear, to the insurance company and is asking for further and better particulars to be furnished as a result of the pending appearance, (the insurance company to date refuse to say on what evidence they based their descision not to settle) . My friends really can`t afford to do this and the company knows it and is trading upon their demise. An alternative would be for he and I to do all the repairs and just accept it? but thats not very right either.

A Family encounter,I went to the

Supermarket yesterday and as soon as we entered the main entrance we were confrunted with two "tots" sitting in a trolley screaming the place down and out daughter-in-law looking stern faced at them. The eldest (two) had bitten the youngest (six months) and she had bitten him so all three of them were by now really P*ssed off! we were spotted and like the cavalry went to the rescue or so we thought. We were told that he was naughty and had to learn (of course) and that she would continue with the shopping and let him get on with it! "Littleun" who had by now spotted us and stopped crying was smiling. the oldest moved towards his mother in a " sorry cuddle mode"and the "littleun" screamed the place down again, everybody was looking, and so we spent a noisy couple of minutes talking, ending with their mother giving them "non swallowable" whistles to quiet them and they went on their way. As our shopping progressed I could hear, coming from the next Isle or two, the sound of the whistle, so I replied with two short blasts to be greeted with two short blasts in return then I could hear the sound of "Littleun" crying so I guess he had done something to upset her again and the sound of the whistle stopped. Withing two minutes I could again hear the whistle and so whith two blasts coming from both of us (the eldest and I) we continued our shopping. Needless to say my wife, half heartedly, told me to stop and "dont be so childish and I can`t take you anwhere" but I continued. the crying stopped and the sound of his whistle got weaker and faded all togeather as they left on their journey home! How much more infantile can a sixty two year old get?

Three Generation of male family members as usual "I am left holding the baby" :o)) 

Looking a bit chipped! but I`ve only used it in anger a few times,and now stick with a GPS or two.  

My private little world when I`m not on the boat 

Spring snow! or is that a contradiction of terms? 

No I haven`t got a garden fixation!

I read Kates blog and thought that whilst I couldn`t compete with the snow picture, I would let you see the state of my Garden today. What a surprise, the snow came yesterday and stayed. you can just make out the Foxes run. Each time they enter the garden they take the same "safe" path. Oh! and Gerald the china, black and white Penguin on the low wall. When he was "let loose" the first passing fox "Broached" sideways (is there any other way) and vertically as they suddenly spotted him, but he stood firm totally unafraid, but now alas they just wee on him as they pass, theres a story for life there somewhere!

I like my Garden! in the bottom left hand corner we used to have a caravan, whilst we built the house some thirty years ago (Christ is it that long?) in the winter we (myself my wife and two small kids,) used to take it in turns to thaw the gas bottle by sitting cuddling it, so we could light the gas to warm up. once again a story for life there I think? ( Yea! get Propane instead of calor it dont freeze!) my poor kids for years they thought it was normal to cuddle the gas bottles and were amazed when they wern`t asked to do so on their first caravan holidaywith friends families.

Stood in the

Tonight I stood in the garden for a while (dont ask me why because I dont know, maybe its the solitude maybe its the calm?). The cold was initially refreshing as it slowly crept through my body and could become deadly if I stayed too long I looked at the night sky and everything was very still. Small sounds were breaking in from the distance, as I hoped to see a shooting star, but didnt, I wanted to hear a fox or at least feel them near, but didn`t.

I was quite dissapointed as I turned to walk back in. As I looked towards the garage door the light caught two brown shapes sitting either side of the door like temple dogs eyes wide waiting for food. I hadn`t heard them arrive or perhaps they were there all the time? these were the new couple on the block. the larger Dog was new to the neighbourhood but the female was one of last years litter. He was a little reticent to stay where he was as I walked back in to get some food, but she stood quite calmly as I walked past. On my return they were still there and she took the food directly out of my hand but he needed to be persuade, within two minutes they were both munching happily and having had their fill wandered togeather off into the darkness. I dont envy them it was really cold out there. I really do enjoy any brush with wildlife. I give thanks that I don`t live in Africa!

Another day in the "Oh so positive" world of Rob

Well I sit here before you today to bring to you the Parable of "He who is lucky" After a really terrible time waiting for the doom and gloom to be "expounded":o)) by my consultant, David, who over the last twenty years has become more like a friend to me than cardioligist.

I arrived, trembling, at his practice at about 09.15 and was about to sit and read the daily paper until I was summoned (there were six other people waiting too) as I opened page four (as you do ;o)) to the really intellectual bits, I heard his deep rumbling voice coming from around the corner leading to his consultation suite. "Captain" "Captain" are you here yet?? yes of course I knew he called me this but I really didn`t want to be too sure as I wasn`t happy as to what the results would be and so I pretended that I didn`t really understand that he wanted me, anyway it was at least twenty minutes too early.

I looked around at the others, to feint that I didn`t really know what he was talking about and all of a sudden his gargantuan mass appeared before! me "what are you deaf? I won`t certify you if you don`t hurry up". ....Come on come on"....I shot bolt upright and again looked around me at the others who were suddenly, white faced and now had their mouths open.

Standing at attention I found myself walking like Bazil Faulty with my right hand stuck out in front of me, so as to greet him.

I shakily asked him how he was and nervously said that it was nice to see him again and how was he? "You only saw me last week and you know how I am!" he boomed! "anyway its not nice to see me is it? ...I don`t know many thing but I do know that?" He smiled and my legs started to work properly on the short walk to his desk. After some pleasantries during which we berated each other about his ability as a doctor and surgeon and his bedside manner and he, me, about my abilities as a Skipper, Father and Grandfather and we got down to business! "well hows the old car is it still going OK!.... he said..... "did you re-build your Starboard engine, on the boat"? I explained that I had and now there was another one to do and how my concern for that task had pushed my blood pressure up at the exact time that I had the tests done!.... " no it didn`t" he replied " .."Oh yes I think it did! " I wispered meakly!......"nothing wrong with your tests!" .he replied smiling! ......... I mentally collapsed! my heart started to beat again and once again I berated him, for not saying anything to his appointment clerk who when ringing me, I stated, should have said something like this. ...........Is that my Smith? to which I would have replied that no it wasn`t and may I help? and then she would have explained in as nicer voice as possible "Oh! well if it was I was going to ask him to have an ickle bikkle word with "Mr doctor" about his test results, but as there is nothing wrong with them could I possible ask you to come and see him to recieve them........... It would have been so much nicer and less stressfull if he had briiefed her before she rang stating that "Mr doctor wants too see you next week at 0915 OK!!" to which I am always expected to say "Oh yes of course it is!"

I have been visiting him every year since a genetic heart malformation was discovered in my Aortic valve, some twenty years ago. and he has guided me through and advised me as to the best way to deal with it, right up until six years ago when I had a plumbing job done by him and his team, replacing it with a titanium one and now I am as good as new!!! cough! cough! and the proud owner of at least one bit of me that will last a thousand years. The rest may fail, but the valve , never........... Mental note to keep out of scrapyards with magnetic hoists!

So here I sit sounding more like timebomb than a human being te he! The Ten Quid man in all his glory. Another mental note to get a costume made to prevent burning upon "re-entry" like superman.

When I finally arrived at the Cafe for lunch, I had been right and was indeed interrogated by Evadne as to where I had been? and told that "didn`t you know that we would worry if I didnt show up?" she still charged me for my lunch (of course!)!

Thats me!

" At night I die, each morning I am born again" ( not sure who quoted that)

I would like to say that it is actually the sleep of the innocent, but in my case it couldn`t possibly be so. Its great to wake up to a new world and all its discoveries! Each day, for me, brings it challenges, for example today I have to service and rebuild my newly aquired engine bits, an intercooler housing and matrix and an oil cooler, ready for installation on my 250 HP marine engine, Yawn!

Tomorrow I have to meet with my consultant to hear what the outcome of my heart rate monitor experience was. Although I am not expecting much more that a change in the value of "statins" and thats it for the year until I appear before him again!

I will miss the cafe today for lunch and have to endure all those concerned faces tomorrow, who avidly aske me "where were you yesterday, we missed you!" Yea right!

My wife is making a Cassorelet (spelling) today, for a francophile girlfriend of ours who is "over" for lunch" we have been good friends since, we were sailing in Turkey when we met her on her yacht with her then Partner. This was some twenty plus years ago and she has had two partners since we first met, the last one (whom she actually married) really gave her a bad time, until she walked out, bless her she really doesn`t deserve to be treated so badly by life.

Today I got roped into ..........

The daughter of the A1`s owners, Gemma, was having trouble with her maths homework and so (you guessed it) I got roped in. I wasn`t sure whether or not I could help as its 45 years since I did much of that, and its a long time but it turned out that it was "Trig" that she was having problems with and hey ho! as a long term user of the sextant I managed to find my way around what they were trying to get her to do. I also discovered the Scientific calculator which ,Wow!!!! what an instrument? certainly made things easy, I must get me one of those too.

I`ve just purchased a digital tv kit for my laptop and it works really well but does need a decent ariel to function properly. The small ariel given to you with the kit is crap and just doesn`t work. I anticipate being able to use it on the boat in between spells of navigating and route planning.

My Grumpy old mans view on Life and religion

I will probably make a few enemies from expressing my opinion, but I will anyway.

Brought up a "Church of England, Christian" my beliefs about life as we understand it to be, are that we are a product of some sort of fusion that changed how the universe operated in a major way. The earth was formed and the matter upon it evolvod into what we are today and (now developed into) will be in the future with help from us.

All religions are Man made and perpetuated by man, most having some form of divine being that must be shewn respect by its followers, Allah, Buddha, Christ, even a God himself.

Why is it that a divine being with folk law attracted to them is required? So that mere mortals can be in fear of them, in awe of them and ultimately respect what they stand for and be controlled by those close to the religion. Priests, Vicars, Mullahs,Bretheren etc.

In the early to middle ages when these religions started to emerge, the peoples of the world were quite uncivilised and gullible and readily followed a leader and the religions with semibelievable stories attached were needed to control the populace.

What we are seeing now are very wealthy (if not in funds, loyalty from their followers) religions that still control large numbers of people throughout the world and large tracts of the continents of this world. These religions are primarily about the same thing but have drifted apart over the years and after some squabbling are really still only a small amount apart in their overall thinking.

It is therefore in my opinion that if all religions came togeather and sorted out the best bits of their religion for the others to accept into their respective religions, gradually combining into one religion, Those in the fat cat jobs, would not be needed or at least there would be too many of them so some redundancy would have to be undertaken. The non believers like me would at least equal the believers and the religious businesses unveiled for what many of them are, a man made controlling tool, making money for its "owners" going about its business controlling the worlds populace, in the name of some now multi faceted "god" Now how believable would that be? it wouldn`t , so it will never happen, life will go on until some dangerous being in the name of his religion will end it all and Yet another excuse, perpetuated by the religious extremists will surface.

I also believe that all religious peoples are good people , but many are being mislead by their respective religion, however if it works for you and you need it, it works for me, if it doesn`t? state what you believe and get on with life!

The proper way to eat Baked beans!!!

Another way to almost eat Baked beans!! a photo of my grand son at our 40th wedding adversity. He would be mortified to know that I had placed his photo on my blog as he wasn`t two then!........................................................................... He is now :o))

The only way to eat beans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dont you just love it when a plan comes togeather!

Baked beans as promised!!! note how clean everything is! Great little Cafe 

Baked beans for Kate

Well I said that I would get some bean photos, but I am writing this from the solitude of my home office having been banned from the Cafe, For twenty one years I have bean welcomed but today I was caught taking the above photograph, and banned well until tomorrow when I will visit again. They (John and Evadne) couldn`t believe what I wanted the photo for and someone made the comment that I was probably a Health and hygene inspector in disguised as a doddery old gentleman. (well that didnt hold water for a start!!!!) John lifted the lid and T took the photo. they are Heinz in large catering tins, boiled to death as I said previously, Yummy!! My old "larder chef" (Bill) used to add a spoonfull of sugar to the equivalent of a domestic tin and that made a huge difference, tastewise, to the beans but very fattening.

Claire!! I have asked them about Greek Filo pastry and Evadne says that for her parties at home etc she uses Justroll and its as good as any made in Greece, (Maybe) from all the usual outlets, Tescos, Sainsbury`s, etc, etc, But John, (her husband) who used to be head chef in a well known local Greek restaurant, reccomended the fresh approach and is coming back to me with the address of a company in north London, who manufacture the stuff fresh each day in commercial proportions, so as soon as I have the details I will let you have them!

Today I take the bean photos and get info re Greek filo pastry

Yesterday I had my annual medicheck and all was well until my consultant checked my BP and found it to be high (I have "white coat" syndrome) so I was duly wired to a bit of kit that I had to wear for 24 hours to check out the whole story (no big deal) I went to the Cafe and hadn`t said anything about my days encounter, and whilst sitting quietly this thing started to randomly pump up ( as it does) the arm strap with a sort of quiet pharting noise!!! everybody turned and looked at me in discust, so ignoring their looks, I slowly started to raise my stiff arm until it was in a nazi type salute position and the thing had stopped, the look on their faces was worth seeing! they didnt know whether to laugh or what to do. When I explained what I was wired to they fell about and some were concerned in case I blew up? Today I shall tell them that I wasnt wearing any prosthetic and it was the beans so hence the photos Im taking.

More photos! hows that? the A1 Cafe

Well I have fulfilled my suggestions below, as to how I can increase the readership of this blog and make it more interesting with the inclusion of MORE Photographs!! I think I could have chosen a better subject though? Ho, hum! Budding Sir David Bailey you have just failed!!!

"Actions fail, people don`t" (Ardie 1978)

A regular!!! not me I might add. The place is not very selubrious but the foods good and the owner and his wife are fantastic and very nice people. I would recommend it to anybody. Oh! by the way, its no where near the A1 (road that is).

My Lunchtime haunt 

Evadne the owners wife, Saying Yassou Watta do you wanta! 

What make a good blog

Being a monotone, uninteresting person of few words I find it dificult to write with abandon, in the manner of some, who with little or nothing can fill a whole page with interesting blog material. Where am I going wrong.

I tend to Blog for myself and thus what I find interesting others may not. Should I change and start again with the new Rob who takes a minor event and creates this wonderful picture with the most descriptive of prose, who places his dreams, clearly defined, on the pages for others to revel in? I`m not sure I have the capability for that? perhaps I should add more photographs, after all they say a picture is worth a thousand words. I wonder what (Ardie 1978 )would say at this time?

When I look around me at other blogs I am amazed at what people do. I see several people who are soon give up everything, casting off their security shroud (for that is what it really is) and travelling the world. Another who has had tragedy in her life and by her absence from blogging causes me to wonder if she is in Correction again, finishing off her paroled sentence and I feel sad that a great Mum and person has to undergo such trauma in her life. I read about how cold it is in the most beautiful city in the eastern block and the traumas of growing up and studying at school and give thanks that I don`t have to go to school again (perhaps I should and learn to write more creatively).

I think Ill just post photos (prefferably not of me making an ass of myself) in future.
Yep you got it in one, I`m bored, Bored, BORED!!!!!!!!!! how can someone who has every thing he could ever want from life get bored? Perhaps I`m not aiming high enough? perhaps I am easily satisfied? Nah!!! Im just me!!! Happy to be alive and thankfull for all I have!! But still BOREDDDDDDDDDDD. sod it!! Ill go tho the cafe and wind them up for an hour!

New forest sojurn, a return.

last weekend we had a great time with good, old friends. The new forest was as beautiful as ever, but I couldn`t live there as my friends do! its too isolated for my taste, Im afraid. We arrived to a riot of Lunch in the form of local cheese ham homemade bread, local vegetables and all the trimmings for a really nice lunch. In the Afternoon, after dragging both women apart, they had so much "catching up to do!" we went for a walk and saw loads of "new forest" Ponies, donkeys and the tracks of Wild Boar which I am told have been released into the area, "wild" Pigs are often seen but Boar are a bit reclusive. We stopped at the local garden centre where we all had enormouse hot chocolates to ready ourselves for the final treck home.

The weather was crisp and ice lay on the ground in places. Arriving back and stood in front of a raging wood fire I could have been "turned" possibly, regarding my feelings about actually living in the forest. We had a lot to chat about both families having two children of similar ages , ours are about 7 years younger than theirs but similar in that they are a senior male and junior daughter configuration. :o)) In the morning , I sat and watched two "European Buzzards" displaying breathtakingly, high above the valley overlooked by my friends house, they were magnificent, grabbing at each others talons and wirling around untill almost on the ground, breaking off just before impact with the ground (30 metres off) like some "Canopy relative entheusiast" in a well trained parachute display team. Countless times they approached each other with the most acrobatic of flight and didn`t connect and when they finally did their swirling decent was really something to be seen, I feel really Privileged to have witnessed their display.

Our friends are now into their seventies and whilst fit are contemplating leaving the forest and moving to Portugal where they already have a place, they say they will keep a flat in the UK and buy a larger property in Portugal. They are keen Golf fans and their house in portugal, as here allows them to play every day, if they really want to (which they often do!) and is actually backing on to a course somewhere on the Algarve. I will miss them when they do move and I know that my wife who`s best friend she is will too, terribly, Ho hum! life goes on.

We had a great time and I feel that we shouldn`t leave it so long next time, spending vast amounts of time on the boat I have neglected our really true old friends! :o(( .

(authors note:- How can it be too isolated for me???? as I will spend weeks alone at sea on my boat, lifes funny isn`t it? perhaps I just prefer my boat)

she is a lovely boat though!

Definitely going back to sail, its a long way from sail to "Psychobabble"

My boats port engine is now partially stripped down, because of an early season, "Clonk" thinking/hoping that it was only a "Diesel knock" I checked the injectors and all were firing OK checked the oil and found that sea water had gotten into the sump (tasted of salt) checked the oil coolers, and found that the ( new last year but one) matrix on the intercooler has failed allowing water into the combustion chambers and from there down the bores and breather pipes into the sump. Eugh! now I have to strip it all out, rebuild and replace a lot of parts. the starboard engine was sompletely rebuilt last year but one. and I lost the whole season doing it, so it looks like its going to happen again this year. Damn it! when its done I`ll sell the boat and go back to sail!

Apart from the above news I am enjoying life, I`m off to the new forest for a couple of days and back at the weekend. My friends have lived in the heart of the forest for eight years having given up sailing for golf! can you believe it somebody prefers Golf to sailing or even boating? incredible :o))

Some years ago whilst on a business strategy course at a famous buisness school I spent some time in lectures appertaining to the "psychology of personnel" and touched on a new form of motivational Tool. This was some time ago (1985) and the American doctor creator of the system was keen to get it accepted in the UK and I guess did the lecture as a sales tool. I was fascinated and over the years returned to his teachings many times in my career in Management. Now the system/tool is more widely known as NLP (Neuro Linguistical Programming).

Over the years since I have retired I have been reading/learning a lot about this subject and have watched with interest as its popularity and use has grown in todays culture both individally and in Industry. Television is now broadcasting many programmes and famous names are advocates of the original methodology. The senior lecturer on my Business course, at one time the head of a multinational company, called it "Psychobabble" the name stuck and is now used my many doctors, to describe it, who are not confident that it works as they have "Psycho something" alternatives to rely on and thats where their real confidence lies .

I have been toying with getting a formal cert in the subject and find that those teaching it are making a great amount of money from their efforts and that many different associations /institutes are springing up as they are created by those dissatisfied with others . I deduce from this that their may be undercurrents running in the "Psychobabble, now industry" which means to me that perhaps it isnt Prfessionally controlled enough? or that standards may vary.

So, I ask myself, do I really want to obtain some form of certification in an industry where their are tensions and possiby variations in training standards and deviations from the original concepts????? Perhaps I should re think my strategy and go back to the founder and ask some question? Who knows I might really enjoy "getting involved" again! as well as sailing of course!

Chairman Rob at Christmas. The teeth are my own (I`ve paid for them finally) but the mustache is false (really? nah!! your joking it looks so real)

When I read......................

when I read the blogs of the few people that I find I can relate to, I realise just how little I know about life and actually how illiterate I really am. I read in blogs about the trials and tribulations of others, about their political leaning and their everyday experiences and I am in awe.

On one blog a complete life is about to be restarted and turned upside down, another a great journey is about to be taken by an educated person, at mid twenties, who believes men are repulsive and to be demeaned. I would love to be able to convince her otherwise, but it appears that she has been indoctrinated by her minimal experience, and the actions of a few people around her. Fortunately she hasn`t yet fallen into the trap of believing that men are just there to provide for her (althought they may have done so in the past) and reduced her interest in them to reflect this.. Do I hear "Wa*ker! just like all the rest" from her lips should she read this! But then why would she? I never get any reply from her to any comments I leave, two to date.

I retired at fifty two years of age and am about to celebrate (is that the right word) the ten year period since (What is the celebration of ten years after retirement called?? is it "bone, incontinence or Pee? I`m never quite sure. I do know that a golden one is fifty when it comes to marriage :o)) ). The chances of me surviving that length of time were considerably reduced as surveys tell us that not too many of those who retire early survive over the first ten years? I guess that I am lucky, or about to die!!! Te he W.G.A.S. :o) ........ask me again at the time!!

I guess that I have what I would call employed myself in various enterprises and interests and generally kept busy but not to the extent that I would like to have done. As the years go on I lose out even more as I lack interest and ability to do something meaningfull. Only I can change that and I will make an effort in the near future! There I go again putting any action off, way into the future.

Ok I have had my jolts in life that bring me back into the fold and make me realise that life is for living. At sixteen I climbed out of a stuck lift at my school which had stopped with about a twelve inch gap left at the top of the doors so that I could manage to climb out, I forced open the doors, squeezed out and jumped to the floor on the landing. As my feet touched solid ground, the lift proceeded to carry on up, at full speed. I still have dreams about this, not the fact that I could have been cut in half but as I landed I overbalanced and nearly fell backwards, five floors, down the shaft.

At twentyfive and with a young family I ran out of air on a sixty metre dive, before ABLJs and I had to swim back to the surface arriving unconcious and bleeding profusly from an exploded eardrum. Fourty years of age saw me sustaining a "blown perifery" on a training jump (parachute failure) and crashing heavily after fighting all the way to the ground where I lay unconcious but uninjured as worried instructors ran with "the trolley" to scrape me up. I had only taken the jump to celebrate my being fourty and see if I still had the "Cajhones"to repeat what I had done with the military in my youth. (name and address witheld) of my youth that is.......:o))

Then whilst Paragliding at fifty I experienced a " frontal tuck" at approximately one hundred feet, as I approached a landing site and plummeted to the ground with a frightening forward motion , not to mention my downward speed, once again at the last minute I managed to get the canopy to partly fill and survived again without any injury (except to my pride) and the worry of how the hell I was going to explain to my long suffering wife how I had gotten all the grass stains, I hadn`t up untill that time, told her that I was learning to paraglide :o((

The list goes on and I could fill this blog (if I haven`t already??? Yawn!!!) with the details, but I like to think that my purpose for writing some of them down is to assist me in really believing that life is good and that I have been lucky to retain the precious gift and that I should now get off my not too large, at the moment, posterior and do something more productive, something that will give me more satisfation than at present, and drive me on, not too safely ( because that would be booring), into advanced old age.

With the onset of summer, the boating season and of course the dissapearance of S.A.D I will Bloom (if that`s the word) but I would like to try something else this year, something that I could master and maybe use for the generation of a small revenue (not that I need it of course!!!)........... (liar!!! more money to spend on the boat would always be welcome) answers on a postcard please. Please note that, the first person to suggest that I write a book after my efforts here will be "discumbobulated". Yea, Yea!! I am still trying to do that too, butI am stuck at the sixth Chapter of about three attempts at different sorts.

I guess that I am just a great starter and never a good finisher and OK maybe she is right perhaps I am as she may say, like most men. I do hope not!!!!!!!!!.......................:o((

Roll on summer!

I went to the London international boat show on Monday in Londons Dockland (supposed ponsey up an coming area in londons old dock area) upon arrival we were greeted by a young overweight (I can talk) security gentleman who directed us to the potters bar park and ride as "thats all I can offer you" for parking (wasn`t really Potters bar which is about 25 miles away but it might just have been) so we ignored him and drove around him and parked in the exhibitors car park followed my much shouting and threats but he didn`t bother to follow us as the exertion probably would have finished him for the day.

The Excel center (where the boat show is held ) is massive and much bigger that the earls court centre where it used to be held. (most people prefer Earls court). As we entered the show there was a well dressed young man with a placard saying something about the evicting of house boat owners on the Thames somewhere (a sign of the time I`m afraid) and he had a policeman talking quite sharply to him. I felt sad that a solitary person appeared not to be allowed an opinion in front of a show where money isn`t really a problem to the visitors, and this guy and his family were having their mooring taken away what is the UK coming to? I split from my mate as he had other priorities and we agreed to meet up later for lunch. I strolled around looking at the same equipment as I had seen at the southampton boatshow and rather boored I sat down and out designated meet place and my mate rang me to ask where I was as he was at the meeting place, I explained to him that if he looked five degrees to his left and down to the floor he would see me. I was sitting in front of where he was standing he could have placed his hand on my shoulder :o)). We laughed and discussed the real futility of coming to this show any more. we ate beef sandwiches which cost £13.50 per head and were joined by a couple who turned out to be the Managing director of an international electronics company and his Pa we had a great chat about how the show was going downhill and how he thought that when the agreed five year period was up it would move back to Earls court. he told us that he is represented at most of the boat shows around the world usually wisiting them all during each show at some time (what a job) We ate up and bemoaning the catering facilities we left to explore a Royal navy frigate.

Being searched first we climbed a long boarding ramp and was greeted by a 12 year old sailoress who very kindly directed us to the bow where we were allowed to visit the rest of the ship over five floors with access up and down almost vertical ladders. I should have rememberd these from previous experience. That over with we chatted about how young the sailors were and how they didn`t deserve to be injured and killed until they were at least out age :o)) so it was back to the carpark and sit in traffic for two hours. It doesnt change in london. it took us an hour to get over the queen Elizabeth bridge and another hour around the southern stretch of the M25 motorway to where I live.

A long and booring day was experienced! but it had to be done! I dont think I will go again, I will however visit the Southampton boatshow which is very similar but more outdoors although very weather dependant.

Is this sensible advice?

Buy a house on "Interest only mortgage" and with the use of minimal "value addition" increase its value and remortgage it to get back your initial investment. Now buy another house having rented out your first house, and do it again and again and again etc. Insure for your losses with a Landlord/tennant policy and sit back and enjoy the freedom as your empire grows.

Never sell the properties as a Capital tax will be attracted and only use any profit made to reinvest or pay the directors a fee (and then some tax will have to be paid but minimal considering)

Given that Property values rise (or have done expenentially in the past in the UK) the equity will be considerable in a few years? Sell empire and retire or leave it to the kids/partner.

Wheres the problem? Is the insurance too costly, don`t houses let easily where you live, wouldn`t it work for you, if it would why aren`t you doing it? Just a thought!!

Friends for more than Forty years

I met these guys and ladies some forty years ago when we were all "young Blades" and members of the K.O.T /BSAC Diving club. Last night we celebrated our entry into a Happy new year.

Happy new year to everybody!!!

 

Looking forward to a Happy new year

Well its 07-00 and once again I am sitting at the compbox blogging. I have Catherine Jenkins (a C.D. gift at Christmas) Quietly singing "I vow to thee my country" and I am inspired to Blog. I have already comntemplated the last year, No! I have sought deeply into its experiences and have come to the conclusion that It was indeed a good year for my family and I. I have regretted that its hasn`t been for some and I have sincerely hoped that 2006 will be a good year for them.

Right! thats enough in depth soul searching for now! Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cathering Jenkins has just hit the High "C" in "Un bel Di" (one fine Day) Gosh! I find this early morning music session very inspiring, thinking back to my youth, it was on another plane that I was inspired at this time of the morning. I am now being treated to "Canto della bella" I am minded to stop trying to think what to ramble on about this morning and just languish in her voice, Ecstasy is indeed a dry word when listening to the beautiful voice and music before me today. Now Its A.L.Ws "music of the night" from Phantom of the opera. I realise now that am slowly becoming intoxicated!

2006 will be my sixty third year so for a new year resolution, I was thinking about becoming more responsible for my actions, words and deeds. No more will you see the Rob of old singlehandedly taking on the two young boisterous and agressive young men in the Brighton McDonalds, who were Agressivly throwing food at the subdued customers.

From the commencement of 2006 the Rob of the past will moderate his actions and deeds and set himself into the role of old gentle man! No longer will he venture out into the rough south coast seas, just to see how his boat (and indeed himself) peform. He will stop Blogging and so no longer booring the few great people that read his blog anyway. How does that sound?

I am now listening to Andrea Bottichelli and Sara Brightman singing "Time to say Goodbye" which was played at the furneral of one of my past PAs and I am feeling sad once again!

Thats it no more pissed off crap Get on with life no more futile New Year resolutiions. live!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today a friend died!

Today at 04-32 a friend of mine passed on. He had been suffering from Liver Cancer for about three years when it finally took him away.

He was very brave throughout and knew that it would eventually terminate his life when he was first diagnosed and given three months to live. He was a fighter right to the end. A fellow boater he had a chequered past and had sold land in Patagonia, had been a private detective of some note, as well as a first class artist, his last commission being three painting of famous battle ships at war of which he produced a photographic likeness of them in action, less than three months prior to his death. He was indeed a very talented man.

Towards the end of his life he moved into a mobile home. He lived frugally with his one extravagance his boat which now has sadly fallen into disrepair. I shall miss him and hope that other “friends” luckier than him will read about his departure and believe that they, as “down” as they are at the moment, and for what ever reason, will fight against their bodies natural way to “take the easy way out”.

That they will gain strength, by following his example and fight for all that remains good in life, for as long as it takes, moving on to the unexplored future and not dwelling in the mental cancer of the past, that can rot ones ability to live life to the full.

Safe journey Gerry!

RIP Simbad

I had a friendship with a chimpanzee many years ago and can relate to him, even now, more so possibly than the few friends that I currently have. His attitude to life, like mine was basic and his needs were few. Both of us needed stimulation in our lives to keep us active, food in our belly and a warm bed. He was a Young blade then, as was I, and daily I used to visit him in his domain and sit talking and communing with him.

We would start with him posturing in a wrestler like stance with his knuckles pointed down to the floor and where I could see them, he would make himself as big and as fearsome as possible (and at 15 years old that was really something to see) I would sometimes play with him by performing similar stances and run up and down the side of his cage until he decided that he`d had enough and that we should now groom each other and then I would sit with him so that he could pick at my hair (what there is) and so that I could reciprocate. I would mouth the “grooming mouth” and make the grooming noise and our friendship was assured. He was a great friend and always there for me when I needed him (he had no where else to go, bless him!)

I was fortunate enough to know him for at least fifteen years, I had discussed my career changes with him and political tactics for promotions and his advice was always correct. He would sit quietly and look at me with those beautiful, dark, bright eyes and listen to everything that I quietly “discussed” with him as if he fully understood. His Mate would sit some distance away and keep herself amused as if knowing that he needed this special contact as much as I. He was a really beautiful Chimpanzee the best looking male in the UK at the time, (unlike me)

He was an intelligent ape and when I installed a contraption to keep him and the Gorillas amused, that had a rope crossing the roof from his enclosure to the Gorillas enclosure with a Tyre hanging on both ends he used to sit patiently and wait for the Gorillas to walk under the tyre and drop it on them much to their humiliation, he used to catch the gardeners out too when they cleared the Gorillas deep litter.

One day however the male gorilla grabbed the tyre before he could let it drop pulling it sharply and he shot up twenty feet into the roof of his enclosure with much screaming and ariel posturing like a trapeze artist that had somehow worked a clown routine into his act.

I loved that old boy he really was a character. I went to visit him one day and I found his Keepers trying to revive him he was laid out on the floor of his enclosure lifeless, I was told that he had been posturing at his keeper and for no apparent (then) reason had dropped dead and fallen off his climbing frame. Even now I can relate to him and his manner of departure, but not his life, he should have been free to run as far as he liked, to climb as high as he liked and to do what he wanted. Regrettably as a wild caught baby and long term captive chimp, that could never have been.
R.I.P. Simbad

Bah Humbug! well thats Christmas finished

I`ve now had sixty two Christmas`s and I am beginning to think, that will be the last time I celebrate it at Home. Next year I will be in the Caribbean ( or somewhere else) and my family can make their own arrangements. Sure I loved having my Grand kids around, but a daughter who`s Boy friend isn`t with her at Christmas is a haemorrhoid. Happy families :o)) .

Madison, my grand daughter, whose first Christmas it was, sat in one of those springy chair thingies and just burbled with delight, her little face and cheeks were so hot and red from her teeth appearing, I felt really sorry for her but she was such a delight. The rest of her family managed to throughly enjoy the festive spirit as well as cope magnificantly with both kids.

My adopted daughter Kim arrived just before lunch, she had a great time and was throughly adopted by Elliot as his auntie, she spent most of the afternoon playing with and entertaining him.

My task for the day was to prepare the vegetables, wrap the presents,top everybody up with refreshment, keep the washing up down to a minimum requirement and provide the fare (thats what Dads do isnt it) I have to say that I kept the "washing up" virtually to a non existant level and eficiently "whipped it away" (at the suitable moment of course, I didn`t want you to have visions of me removing it as someone was still eating, although it got close) washed it and replaced it in the cupboards like a phantom, Yea right!! more like with lots of sighs ,crashing and banging etc :o)) In the evening I was subjected to all the "soaps as both girls are addicted and my wife wanted to watch "Madagaskar" a CD she recieved from someone else who also wanted to watch it, so I sat bored for three and a half hours dreaming of my return to the sailing life and went to bed at ten oclock throughly Boored (its whats expected of me I guess!) it was a girly evening and my Girls had a great time! My son and his family went home in time to get the kids bathed and to bed in their usual routine, and now its morning!

My new year resolution will be, to not have a Christmas at home for a while and to be somewhere hot and preferably alone at the time. I`m not a too solitary person normally but I have to say that the thought of it today is quite exciting :o)).

At about 20-00 My Foxes appeared at the sound of my voice and ate heartily. spending some time with me and left about 20-15 The Vixen turned around as they left, as if to let me know that they were grateful, and they both dissapeared into the night. I stood there for a moment savouring the pure atmophere before I returned to the festivities, realising that deep downI am truly a feral sort of person and could quite hapily return, possibly one day soon, to a nomadic life on the sea.

My grandsons first train set! Ok its only a Thomas the Tank engine set but it is a train set. Much excitement from both young men as it neared completion and then after five minutes use it was stacked away for return to his bedroom for further investigation. Worth every penny just to see both of their faces when they unwrapped it. 

Christmas :o((

Well up at 06-00 and vegetables all ready and prepared for lunch. Time now 12-15 and awaiting arrival of adopted daughter( anytime) and son and family (13-30) who are walking round. Dinner ready for 13.30 and all on schedule, including wife one foot off ground and rising, having downed her first glass of wine, so far! Daughter lying on setee texting (for the 30th time) boy friend in Aus, on Holiday, atmosphere tense and I am hidden away Blogging. Phew!!!!!!!!

I`m awaiting the next loud call to go and do something, must keep quiet shhhhhhhhh!
We have opened our presents. Jointly ( my wife and I) we got a lovely cofee machine (from our daughter) so I can drink Latte at home and now don`t have to go out to "Costa" ;O(( and I personally recieved Clarksons book the world according to Clarkson. I haven`t written The world according to Rob so it will have to do for now. The person who said Christmas isn`t about presents was right in our house, Te, he. I`m really looking forward to seeing everybody but I have just recieved the news that my son has just "done his back" his wife has "done her shoulder" Elliot has a "tooth coming through" as does Madison. so where do I go from here. Down to the boat maybe :o(( :o(((( oh well! happy Christmas everyone :o))

May I wish you all a very happy Christmas holiday

To everybody who reads this "and those who don`t" I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a Happy new year!!

Rob

Christmas Party (already)

On saturday night my boat club held its annual Christmas party. We turned up at six thirty to find the club decked out in Christmas decorations, holly and lights, the comitee had worked really well to get it ready along with many members (I was not one of them Im afraid). We took out seats at nicely decorated tables and enjoyed the wine and conversation, I did a spell on the bar and the new till was comfounding everybody who came across it. I was asked at the end of the evening what I thought of it and replied by saying that it was great, but that I had managed to ring up a thousand and fifty pounds instead of one pound zero five pence :o)) the food arrived and just as I finished my stint on the bar it was being cleared away so I grabbed some and sat down, ready for the show. It was brilliant!

It started with a guy, Frank (an old fellow mariner whom I have known for years as owning a joinery business) Playing a number of Akker Bilks numbers on his clarinet, Hard to sing along to these, and then he came out with his Sax and did a number of really hot swinging numbers which got the show off to a really great start. The band in the background were miming and with long wigs gitars being played with bows (bows and arrows types) tennis balls on sticks for percussion and a tea chest base played by someone out of the blues brothers, that the Muppets put them to shame. Dut da, dut da da da dah, (repeat)

Two fellow members mimed to some songs and I was hard pressed to (having extensively checked out their lip sink) form any opinion as to whether that was true or not, they were both really Good! Our membership secretary, Bill, who took the club by storm last year as a cleaned up version of Jethro performed a solo skit originally performed by Dereck and clive. he was great and very professional, as they all were (except the band).

The finale came as a surprise. A board covering the whole of the small stage swung down from the bar ceiling, with material covered holes cut into! it now faced the audience (it took the place of the curtains) It was then announced that this would be the Weybrige Mariners tribute to Queens, Bohemian Rapsody). The music started up and with the first "Queen" note (a bit late)
a "somewhat comfounded looking" glove puppet appeared in the form of a Duck, in the middle hole singing the lead (freddy Bulsara`s) others appeared in the form of sooty, sweep, popeye etc ,ets, nine in all. Brian Mays equivalent, resplended in curly wig, even had a flashing guitar when he did the solos, half way throgh one glove puppet pulled out a gun and shot another one and it all went downhill from there. We all really laughed and enjoyed the sillyness. A bow was taken by all at the end of the show, with noisey stamping , clapping and cheering following

The Disco started in earnest and I believe that at sometime everybody was up on the dance floor dancing (that is the worth of a good disco!) We personally left at about eleven thirty and the party was just getting into its full swing. I went to the club on the Sunday to assist with the clearing up and the new Commodore remarked that this was a really different sort of party this year as "there wasn`t a fight" of some sorts ;O((

(I wasn`t there last year but apparently two grumpy old male members , aren`t they always decided to settle some differences outside the club, which was of course eventually sorted by all, with a bit of sabre rattline and a bloody nose, what a shame!)

Both my wife and I enjoyed the evening and will go to the next year one, (something that as members of this and other yacht and boat clubs we have never done before)

I might even take part. I have offered to do my barbed wire chinese rings act, resplenant in gold vinyl cat suit, as shewn at the street entertainer festival in Ghent last year, Te he! or my Blues harp expertese as busked at Putney tube station last year too. God help them should they accept and encourage me :o)). I can only play one tune (dixie) and I never did get the rings undone spending hours with the barbed wire shredding my catsuit as I tried to escape, Hospitalization was nearly the order of the day :o)) but wire cutters sufficed (spoiled my rings though)

One for Kate

“It does bother me, that the tendency to sedition is disguised and used in the name of politics ,and its true values” (Ardie 1978)



I believe, bearing in mind that the Cuban missile crisis was about this time, that what he/she is actually saying is that those who support and instigate the political correctness of all/any situation, are guilty of trying to "destabilise" the country, and further, are guilty of "sedition" ?

Ardie found!

"The attritionista`s job is to destabilise, but they can only do this if you let them!" (Ardie 1978)

Holidays at Christmas!

Holiday at Christmas:-

I wish I was on one!
I love the food and,
Drink the wine,
but really miss the sun.

So australia Canaries and israel,
think of me upon this time,
while I sit here just composing,
This Bloody awfull Ryme!

Nearly at Christmas! two of them now 

My Grandson last Christmas! we have tried to stop him drinking so much wine! 

Christmas last year

Was only yesterday!!!!! I had just finished reconditioning my boats 250 hp Volvo turbo diesel and my trip to the Dunkirk little ships rally was a plan on the horizon. Where will we all be this time next year? I have to ask.

I shall, probably still be moaning about Blogger allowing adverts at the bottom of my comments page (as I can`t get to grips with getting rid of them). I will also be reading "fish" if she hasn`t got fed up with me and my comments , Yvonne,Candi, and of course now Kate,

I havent got anything planned yet! soooooooooo if anybody has some Ideas I would be grateful!
I am not considering "Going to hell"!!!!!!! well not as yet anyway! so no comments in that veign please :o))

This is the first time that we won`t all be togeather as a family on Christmas day as my son now has his own growing family and obviously choses to spend it with them, and so it will be just my wife, daughter and "adopted Daughter"although I feel that we may see my son and his family in the Morning, briefly for "present exchange" and I am looking forward to that. Te he! I am really a big Kid at heart when it comes to christmas (or any other time, if it comes to that). My dog and I used to sit under the christmas tree on Christmas morning until we were told sharply to "Leave" and then we used to gnaw at the corners of the presents to try to ascertain what was in them. I miss the old Dog particularily at christmas. Sadness ................... Right shake that off and get on with life.

What did one snowman ask another snowman?....................................................................................................................................................
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Can you smell Carrots? He he ha hahahahhahahahahahahahahah Well I thought that was funny :o)).

Right seriously now! its about this time that I start to think about the real meaning of Christmas or whatever it is called in other Lands? Over the years, being the jaundiced individual that I am I have decided that it is a time for Families to come to geather and do what ever they do and for card companies and retailers to grow fat on the profits of original story. (Well fairly original anyway!whatever language its written in and whatever claims it makes I also remember those who died for a "just and good cause" and remember what Ardie says about War " the Triumph of the right might over the wrong right!" I think of all the man made religions that really have to work hard on the "day/days" and those that don`t celebrate.

I think of all the immense wealth that keeps some religions in a powerfull and all manipulating position across the World and those that don`t have wealth, just belief in a story, but still fullfil the same need.

I think about those religions that allow people to be Killed in the name of their "Lord" and I am Sad Very Sad! I think about the blessing of the bombs in World war two the blessing of the young KamiKazi pilots as they left for Pearl Harbour I spare a thought for the Peace activists who risk their lives in the name of Peace, and are likely if not already dead from the hand of a "Holy Saviour"

I turn my thoughts now to what I can do? and decide that there isn`t much except that I should become a better person! I don`t do to others anything that I wouldnt except should be done to me, well mostly ( I do complain, whelmently if something isn`t right, but then again I suppose that it used to happen to me!) I do drive people off the road if they Piss me off but then sometime they win so it happens to me. I dont cheat or Lie ( much) I do wind people up but only sometimes. Generally I am not too bad. I will try harder in the future! I certainly will continue to tell my Foxes that I don`t intend to feed them anymore and that its for their own good !! But I will still keep an eye on them and make sure that they lead as natural a life as any other "Urban fox" Wow!! its a good job I dont live in Churchill I would have been eaten by now :o)) There I go again!!

I will still continue to Blog but I will probably change my personna by actions and become ???? What to do???? I will think of something! My life is booring at the moment so its time perhaps?? I certainly will continue to think about foreign ports and long sea journeys (well longish anyway!)
I will never become religious, maybe indulge in some soul searching in an meditive way, but of my own style. I will continue to practice accupuncture on myself and reap its benefits.

My family always comes first, but I will have to make some descisions regarding my health and in the fullness of time, I will try to improve upon it with perhaps Tia chi or a retun to my bags in the garage which always fire me up and make me feel better, who Knows?

This is getting to be a new years resolution which its not intended to be, I guess that being bored! I am rambling and so its time to close!

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

I have just switched on my patio lights

and there for all to see are "my" three (only three now!) beautiful foxes looking back at me covered in frost and in front of the now iced up bowl of water. Soooo, I have broken the ice and poured hot water into the bowl and fed them a little something to keep them going for a short while,

I called to them and the Vixen came immediately and gently took the food out of my hand with the other two another ( this years cub) vixen, and the old Dog fox, staying back until I threw the food to them. They then ate it all and after I had closed the doors , they all came on to the patio and drank from the bowl. Their coats are really thick and conditioned now, so hopefully they will get through the winter OK.

As I closed the curtains they were sitting in a line peering in through the window, so I gesticulated to them, (how you do that I couldn`t begin to explain) that they had all the food that I was going to give them tonight and the Vixen got up and turned slowly and walked away with one look back as much as to say I will be back! the other two followed and they all dissapeared into the night.

I guess that I am anthropamorphic (spelling) as I have always talked to my animals from Elephants to shrews from Californian sealions to Gorillas and they seemed to understand a little, so I don`t find it strange for me to talk to the vixen whilst I am feeding her and explain that I won`t always feed them as they have to fend for themselves and she looks at me with those all seeing eyes and something is getting through into her head and I really believe that she knows! if not from my actual talking to her, from my actions , maybe facial expressions and or my tone of voice! that I won`t always be there for them. :o((

Short trip to Brugge

I have just got back from a short trip to Brugge which I throughly enjoyed, it was good to see the other side of the Euro life. I found it very calming as the pace of life there was very easy. I was amazed at, like the dutch, just how many people actually cycled on "Proper bikes" not like those in the UK where, unless your a*se is in the air and your teeth are being jarred out of your head, you are not "in". The security as well , most bikes were not locked and all of them had lights fitted that worked.

It was however a bit daunting when you stepped out into a one way street to cross, having made sure that there was no traffic coming and a bycycle shot past you from behind going the wrong way (which I now believe they are allowed to do) Phewww ! Wipes brow!that was close. The cobblestones must make cycling in the wet a nightmare but they don`t seem to slow down at all.

I just loved the horses on the carriages they were so well behaved and well looked after. As for the restaurants the food was brilliant and the service second to none, local Belgium beef stew, I recommend most highly (you have to try a local dish) . The absence of vegetables on the menues was a little surprising too. We ate in a restaurant that had lobster in a tank at the door and I felt so very sorry for them! (I just can`t help it!) as we passed them, (so sad! funny, lamb doesn`t bother me, but lobster?????)

I got "verdigrease" just looking up this tower! 

Does the population cycle anywhere? not much! 

Chocolates, chocolates and more chocolates, Mmmmmmmmmm! 

There are boat trips along the canal in the summer. 

Great buildings, fantastic roofs 

Just got back from a few days in Brugge what a great old city, with loads of churches, and the best carriage rides ever in Polish built carriages. I loved the horses! 

Are we being over regulated and if so why

If I want to change my gas boiler, I now have to go and pass a course and join an association; if I want to install an electric plug in my kitchen I have to do the same, Why? There are so many examples of this sort of regulation in my life today that lead me to believe that the age of discovery, at least for us English is well and truly dead.

I have to ask myself will the era of greatness now emerge from the third world countries and beyond where such regulation doesn`t yet exist. Is such regulation, a not so covert, means of regulating what discoveries we are allowed to make to a level plane, a plane where no one country in europe will be better than any other. Where no competition of any sort would be likely to end in conflict, to universal unintelligent drudgery, where academia and its highly inteligent inadequates, will rule and be the only persons to be able to make "great findings" Where for the most part, people like us can only ever be able to hold a job ( true meaning: Just Over Broke) and unlike that which we are meant to believe, the pyramid is in fact now inverted and the one true worker actually supports the majority of others. for example, health workers insurance salesmen, shop keepers, dentists,Bankers, police, transport, professors, teachers, soilders, etc Do I need to go any further? I think I am making my point?

We have gotten ourselves into a downward spiralling situation. Our politicians tell us that civil servants deserve to retire at 60 and because of this the majority of us will have to retire at 68 instead of 65 why? because we live longer or because they have fudged our pension fund? I hesitate to think. we regularily divvi up out international funds to those countries who are more adapt at extracting said funds, for example every frenchman is a farmer and attract a subsidy every Spaniard is a fisherman or wine producer and the country has poor roads so off goes more of our funds. Why can`t we go back to producing our own food, steel, coal, commerce, etc Why because we have forgotten how to do so! To be continued

Some pillock

Some pillock in an orange overall in B&Q asked me if I wanted decking?


So I got the first punch in !!


Now I`m banned from the store and I will miss the pensioners discount day :o))

Why do I think that today will be a good day?

Well! "I woke up so I`m on a profit from the start" (Ardie). Its crisp outside and the heating is working (so it has to be a good start then). I`ve had my first cup of tea and opened my compbox, read my usual Blogs, they are all good too, so its getting better and better.

I suppose my careful approach to each day could be attributed to my respect for life and possibly near death experiences I once had, when I ran out of air diving at more than 150 feet off the eddistone light, eventually arriving at the surface unconcious, blood pouring out of my nose and ears. Sure gave me a new respect for the sea and life in general. Or maybe its because of a more recent occasion when, I was given a further second chance in the form of a Titanium valve replacement in my heart, some six years ago, who knows but it sure makes you thankful for every day and builds in you a great respect for life in general believe me! No I don`t think that I`m some kind of James bond just a grateful lucky guy who f*uc*ked up occasionally, was lucky and life was very, very, kind to me.

I have been trolling through the boat ads looking for a new boat (to me that is) I rather fancy buying one from the states as they are so much more available and really much better value, they also have air conditioning in many of them and are much nicer fitted out. I would need to pay VAT on it in Horta (the Azores) before finally bringing it to the UK, dream on Rob! who knows!

I find Blogging a great release! I wonder if that is the real attraction to many others out there who actually get as much from it as I do? even though I am not very prolific at it and generally ramble on (like now).

I would really like to go out rollerblading today ( at 62 can you believe it? ) but there is a problem well two actually I don`t have any blades and the roads here are crap so thats off :o)) maybe next year, Oh I forgot! I can`t skate either! I`ll stick to trolling the boat ads :o))

Ive finished the re-furb of my downstairs shower room but it hasn`t turned out how I would have really liked it to its quite minimalist with the sort of coldness associated with that style, Magnolia walls white porcelain and tiles and Birch wood floor, all it needs now is a Japanese round wood tub and a couple of Kunji on the wall? Oh well perhaps a bit of dressing will warm it up and take away the sterility of it.

My daughter has just rung from the "posh lounge" at heathrow to say that she is just about to get on a plane for Cuba, how the other half life eh! I have always wanted to visit Cuba and live amongst its inhabitants for a while, they seem such a confident and happy people, so giving and respectful, One day Maybe one day. Well its 08-00 and light so I must get about my day Maybe I will read after I have replaced the upstairs bathroom fan with a new one (waiting to be done) maybe I will go to the cafe for lunch "The worlds is really my winkle" Te he! :o)) Who said that?