Changes at the Marina

Well the "Walk of fame cofee house" has gone and a splendid new "Gourmet fish and chip"- shop has opened (owned by the same people)! he wrote the Tears of a clown song for Leo sayer and his wife ( of course) does all the work in the shop! they are a great couple and very hard working. He`s into promotional things and the theatre etc. We had a meal there on the day they opened and it was great. Half way through the meal an ageing guy with a gold chain around his neck appeared at our table and asked if the new owners were doing OK to which I replied " who are you then? " he turned out to be the Mayor of Brighton (as if I didnt know) and we had a brief but pleasant chat about the new venture. Just outside the Walk of fame, there is another venture in the form of Tuck tucks (three wheeled taxis similar to those in India) they are splendidly painted in colours differing from Rattan to the union jack, and its cost £2.50 for a trip that would cost £5.00 in a "normal" taxi! However I did wait for a ride and noted that four Tuck tuck drivers were awaiting a lift from a fifth and decided to ask them how long I should expect to wait for one and was told ten minutes and that there was only one now in service for the night! Given that there were three people (a tuck tuck carries only 2) in front of me I decided that a return ticket that I already had from a previous excursion could be used instead.

I do feel that they should catch on but and its a very big but. if you would like to ride in a three wheeled scooter with a driver more used to delivering Pizzas then take one, but they do throw them around a bit (as would be expected) How the hell they have got a Hackney carriage license for them I have no Idea, but I do believe that the UK can now be confirmed as being into the last throes of becoming a thirld world country, having had our health service compared with that of india! and actually sending people too far down our waiting lists, to India for their treatment! :o(( Thank God (your`s not mine) for India and its accomodating people!

Brighton today

Sitting in the internet cafe! as the wind is creating a small problem for the folks I was due to instruct on boat handling for the day, so I`m here and writing. The delivery of last week fell through as the owner found a couple of lads to do it cheaper, and anyway, I had a bad feeling about the delivery as I felt the boat had some inherrant faults. It turns out that the new owner has had to have various repairs done to both engines and his upper steering isn`t working (surprise surprise) It still hasn`t left port and the delivery fees are going up and up by the day! shame! Am I a bitch or what?

The weather today is great for sailing and at force 5 gusting 7 its quite lively for sailors too let alone the odd "stinkpot" that has ventured out today to return soon after somewhat chastened!

I had a call from my friend in Ipswich currently on a marine science degree course at Plymouth, with a couple of questions re the manufacturer of the Andrea gail and aquisition of the blueprints. I have already tried that route and they wouldn`t play ball, but they do still manufacturer the boat so a copy of the modern plans would be OK for her purposes ( her thesis) .
This afternoon I shall have lunch in M&S and then back to the boat, at 16-00 I will give some instruction on coursework to another new owner and then out to dinner for the evening! what it is to be retired! tough life isnt it?

Well Last Monday!

I dived over the side and scrubbed my bottom! its been a while since I have grasped the spatula and given my hull a damn good clean. There was so much weed on her that it took a while to clear it. I then fired up the engines and took off for the river (chanel) for a blast I opened her up to about two K and we went to 12 knots and gradually she climbed up to fifteen and with the tachos finally showing 2300 rpm we peaked at 16 and a half knots just a little over the point at which she planed. She usually goes to 2600 rpm and 20 kts but with some weed still on and around the "P" brackets, shafts and the rudders. I felt that she was doing OK considering. took her down to worthing beach and back just for the hell of it. I stopped on the way for another swim and generally had a good time. After I had her snugged up in her berth I noticed that I still had the bathing platform ladder down and so this would have caused the equivalent of a skiier being dragged behind so I was even more pleased with how she had done.

The weather has been hot and stayed that way until wednesday when it became stormy and overcast but humid. Its now moving back to nice weather and the Barometer is rising steadily so were in for some better weather for the weekend so Yahoo! its back out for more racing around and swimming.

Seriously though! I really have to get back to sailing before much longer and I just have to do some more long passages, I am getting old and missing out, putting myself into a position where I will be looking back and saying what I should have done " Twenty years from now, you will be more dissapointed by the things you didnt do, than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe haven, catch the trade winds in your sails, Explore, Dream, Discover," MARK TWAIN Yea right! I can, I must ,
I just have too, I will!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Went along to pull some ropes and!

got lumbered with a skippering job. Not so bad really but a bit unexpected. The owner of this lovely steel dutch built motoryacht had just managed to get it to the external survey part of somebody purchasing it and needed to get the boat out of one port dock where she had wintered to the dock where it was to be taken out and surveyed. So I went along initially for the ride and to pull ropes. On arrival it became apparent that the present owner wasnt too happy with his own compitence and had tied her up with about thirty shorelines with at least twenty half hitches securing them in place so two hours later we had her untied and were ready for sea!

The owner had found out that I was compitent and asked me if I would take her away from the pier, as he didn`t "feel too confident", and so I agreed. having done my own brief but fairly through check of her condition and compitence, I accepted that she would make the journey in safety and brought her off the pier, turning her on her engines to point down the fairway towards the exit lock a mile away. I grasped the wheel ( topsides) and spun it to check that it was operating OK to find that it wasn`t ! I pointed this out to the owner who ran around switching on and off the auto pilot asking if it made any difference!!!!! finally I told him that he should top up the upper wheel hydraulic system (which he agreed he would do) So now steering from the lower wheel position the owner proceeded down the fairway to the 15-00 "lock out". the time that we got to a thousand yards from the lock was 15-00, a yacht was waiting in the lock and worried about her draft as she was "loosing water" finally at about a hundred yards off the lock and at about eight knots, the owner suddenly decided that he didnt feel confident about fitting the vessel into the lock which was about three feet wider than her and handed the wheel over to me saying Oh S8it! you take it into the lock please. So slowly astern we went and we steered quietly into the the lock tying up on the outgoing side. the yacht expressed his concern about his draft and I agreed to let him go out first when the gate opened. the lock duly emptied and the gate opened and the yacht left.

I thought the owner would be happy to take the boat out but no he wanted me to do it so I obliged. we cleared the cill by about two feet and headed into deeper water turning for our destination port. after about twenty minutes the starboard engine over heated and was closed down to allow it to cool (not stopped but left on tick over so cooling water circulated but all torque was reduced) we progressed towards out destination port in a sort of "tacking" motion, to such an extent that my collegue was joking with me about
" where are we going now? Jersey, no London. no Calais, no worthing", the owner couldn`t steer for tofee but was having a great time trying. I would think that we covered at least double the mileage needed. The starboard engine cooled down and we used it to enter the destination port lock, with the owner steering and me by his side working the throttles. ( it was the only way I was going to get him to retain controll into the lock) . We/I, berthed her up aginst the crane dock and we were invited to a drink on the owners new boat, which I declined.

I have to say I have heard of skippers suddenly being given control when an owner hasn`t deemed himself confident ( usually in bad weather) but never before has it happened to me or at 8 knots heading for a lock in an unfarmiliar boat,( when originally only there to "pull ropes").

Bless him he was a great chap and really knew his limitations. Probably a lot more so than I can truthfully say for myself :o))

The Foxes have gone!

I`m really "Teed Off"! as today is the first day that I haven`t seen any foxes in the garden. The lady next door blocked their access hole in the fence to prevent her visiting mothers "yappy rat" from getting out and now! no more foxes! Ah well! on the positive side, I can safetly rebuild my shed foundations without worrying about one being left inside and buried alive (as if?) I guess that I could repair the fences too? nah thats asking too much maybe next week?

Cruise ship off Brighton

The cruise ship currently at anchor off Brighton Marina is disgorging passengers into the Marina by "Bun boat" landing them behind the RNLI mooring position. The passengers leave the boats and go for a walk around the marina, I don`t believe that any or many of them actually get to see the highlife of Briton proper? I can`t help thinking that an oportunity has been missed here. If I were the local leader of the council I would have met the Captain and the passengers on board and personally welcomed them to Brighton (complete with Town cryer). what a wonderful oportunity to miss? just imagine if the next time the weather was suitable and the next cruise ship passing did the same what would that eventually do for the taking of the brighton shops, if any of the pasengers found out about the wonderful bus service and the ease of the Taxi system here. I would probably get the Chamber of commerce involved too. Oh well just a thought!

One of my regular customers (for my Skippering Services) has asked me to take them out and around the cruise liner tomorrow (if its still there that is) so I will even get to be able to give you the name of her too :o)) if the wind is OK (as his vessel is as big as a house and shape like a floating sideboard) we should leave the marina at and hour before Highwater (10-00) and return three hours later but it never actually happens like that and low water here we come with it usual problems of poorly dredged and restricted channel into the Lock and her home berth.

The weather here is great for the third day running with temperatures in the 70s and a clear blue sky, a small/little adiabatic wind (for Fluff!) which is quite cooling suprisingly enough!

My last post

Was brought about as a result of the distraction created by "The Family"that appeared in the IT cafe in Brighton (as you can read for yourself) next to me. I was happily doing a search for property in the Rio Ebro valley and not having much luck, as nobody seems to have heard of it! when "The Family from Hell "arrived, the son age 7 , immediately used me to aid his climb up onto the high stool and the mother dumped her bag onto my arm and stood with her back to me adjusting her sons seat, needless to say the cheap perfume was overpowering (perhaps Im being pikky?) the father arrived and in a loud voice announced that he really enjoyed Chitty chitty bang bang the other day. (knowing that the "Lady boys" are currently performing in brighton I didnt think that he should have announced how much he enjoyed their show) . He then went on to discuss how his son was doing at school and asking what cofee they wanted and what his son wanted to drink, I gave them one of my witherring looks and it all stopped and the father went off to get the drinks. the respite lasted about 5 minutes and the Ebro valley got even more complicated. He was all too soon back with his loud apologies for getting Latte instead of Cuppachino and inane questions as to why his son was doing what he was on the compbox. He then placed the cofee in my space! I am a very spacially aware person and was surprised, as had it not been a seven year old at the compbox the cofee would have landed in his lap, as I continued to use the mouse unaware of their recent positioning ;O)) Oops sorry! So I decided to blog my dislike of what was happening to me. The mother changed seats with the son and commenced tapping her crossed legged foot onto the structure of the table and when she got fed up with this she decided to turn sideways and kick me whithout apology.

It took about a minute for them to decide to read what I was typing with such gusto and "noisy fingers" and so they upped and left with many sighs and many comments that I have no doubt, they would have liked to utter to me, but didnt!

Whilst I am convinced that I am a miserable old bugger, I was really p**ed off by their actions as was the lady to my left who didn`t participate other than to look at them and then me and raise her eyebrow. What chance has the child got in life being part of a family that believes it is Ok to act as they did in this occasion?

Internet Cafe

Hi folks!
at this moment I am in the bton IT heaven with an ajacent family who having spread all their cofees ec over the worktop they are discussing in loud voices such important items as Chitty chitty bang bang etc. Am I a grumpy old sod or is this normal? Oh! I jave been kicked and the continual Kicking of the under shelf is something else. so its goodbye from me!

Vixen suckling one of her 4 cubs on my lawn

Weathers not very nice!

As you know the weather has been pretty bad in this part of the globe but we still went down to B`ton on Friday, as I had agreed to be involved in a business launch of a couple of new friends there and it took place outside in the rain and howling wind. They are a great young couple and I really wish them well, both in their life togeather as well as their business venture. Their boat, which they live on, is in the inner part of the marina and so they had access to a small pergola where the food and drink was laid out (very professionally I must say!) and a green plastic sheet was used to part clad the pergola and afford some shelter to the food etc. 20 plus invitees didn`t show and it must have been a little dissapointing to present to, mainly friends and aquaintainces and virtually no future customers. We stayed for the prsentation and when things got down to the drinking and eating we crept off back to our boat after complimenting and thanking them both on all their efforts. the wind blowed and the rain "stormed" and the marina was generally noisy with the waves coming completely over "the wall"

on Saturday the weather didn`t get much better and we took a (small) train ride into B`ton passed the erected tent that will eventually house the sand carving exhibition. Last year there was no tent and so the weather played havoc with them, so this year a tent and increased entrance fee I gues!

In the Marina drive there was a large collection (the biggest meet ever) of Lamborghinni`s from Muira`s, Espada`s, and Countach`s about a 100 plus with outdoor events people and a band etc with the owner/drivers staying in the Grand hotel on Saturday night. How do I know all this well you guessed it I klnow a couple of the owners on of a Countach and one a Muira. I mooched around a bit having a look but something was lost with so many of the same vehicles to look at. I had work to do on the boat but bad weather is never conducive to be to do it although it is probably the best time , so I went to the internet cafe and commented on a few blogs and I guess spoiled their days. I had a cofee in Marks and went back to the boat.

Today I decided that I was going back to Surrey and my "foxes" on the way home about 250 minis passed us on their way to the Madera drive to their annual London to Brighton run, I felt for them as the rain was still falling heavily and the wind blowing at gale force. and as is the way quite a few minis were stopped by the side of the road with Ignition problem from water ingress into and onto the distributor and coil assemblies. I have no doubt that they will all eventually make it (Team spirit prevailing)

Well the Foxes have been fed, my granchildren have been played with, their gorgeous both of them, (He`s still biting and she is still smiling and now standing on her own) and I am now settling into the combox seat to pester a few other unsuspecting souls out there.

Can you believe that no one lives in the above house?!

We passed this edifice to the stonbe masons talents on a paid bus tour. This palace was left to the people of Spain ( I think) and is reputedly the best maintained building on the continent, but the window paint was peeling Tee Hee I spotted that ! I think it was the summer palace or something for the Monachy and with its views across the valle over the "Peons" it sounds about right.
The weather was in the high seventies and eighty on a couple of days. Yes it has its Mac Donalds and Starbucks (doesn`t everywhere?) and its ladies of the Afternoon (working girls) all slavic and eastern european. Gypsys were rife and a guy had his pocket picked as we sat for afternoon tea, but the "gypsy" was humilated into giving it back and her pleas that it was "someone else and they went that way Senor"ended in her suddenly saying Oh look! it was on the floor all the time! yea right!!! I reckon that there were enough Policemen around to about the ratio of ten to one! OK it was the area of the Paliament building but 10 to 1 its a bit high. The Parks were special and the cultivated flower beds around the many statues something else. the work ethic was good with people working in the streets etc until 22-00 . I loved the Museo Naval ( naval museum) and the Prado Museum (art)

Would I go back again NOOOOOOOO!!!! not with average meal for four at £150-00 plus a burger ( supplied by the hotel as a snack) that split my tongue with a piece of bone in it and cause me to have to get the plane whilst virtually drinking my own blood ( for about six hours) The cut would not heal and ended with me in Casualty at my local hospital, arriving at 21-00 and finally getting away at 01-30 today with it still bleeding, a little, which I agreed to put up with. Why didn`t I go the the Madrid hospital? I made the right choice "not to" as I would have missed the plane and all that goes with it (friends staying to make sure that one was OK etc etc!) The bleeding stopped by 07-30 today What a poorly soilder I was? I couldn`t even have a plaster to put on it, and when they injected the anisthetic into my tongue prior to stitching the bleeding got less so they decided not to stitch it. Was I sore? have you ever tried pushing your tongue out onto a hyperdermic needle, no wonder it stopped bleeding it had had enough after about twenty shots and was too frightenent to bleed much anymore! te Hee!

Madrid is such a clean city and boy are the council houses grand

Back from Brighton

Had a blast today, sorted out the air problem on my Racor filters and took PG out for a burn! with a little growth on the hull and prop to get rid off we went for a twenty mile "burn" ending in MOB excersises to get a friend who has the same boat but never "driven" it get the feel. It was then back to the mooring and a quick check below to ensure that alls well and I found that the diesel filter for the Generator was dripping into the bildge and that both "stuffing glsnds" were excessively dripping too! so its back into the bildge I go again upon my return :o(( is there never any end to "Boat maintenence" ????????????? Te Heee! I love it. so its off to the Solent I go on my next burn de da de da de da!
Off to feed the foxes now! :o))

One of the four Fox cubs, this year

The Fox loved the eggs

Here is a photo of the Fox (Vixen) taking the eggs. She isnt happy for me to be close to her earth as yet when her cubs are out so I will wait a while and see how it goes!

One for Fuff! Evanthia had these ready to give to me Monday!

but I didnt get there until today so I will give them to the Foxes and try to photo them taking them! I wonder what they will make of them?

Riding the Horsepower!!!

I`m Back!!!!!!!! briefly!!

For the last four days I have been in Brighton working on stripping and repairing my straight six 250 BHP Volvo version of a mooring anchor (Port side engine). I finished at about 19-00 yesterday and spent the next three or so hours with stain remover getting the oil off the upholstery and the fixed carpets. Yes, Yes, I removed most of them! but I tripped with one seat cushion as I relocated it and fell, landing on top of it with an oily cylinder head under, Eugh!! haemorrhoids !!!! a real PITA. The engines now run like a swiss watch (a smokey, noisey, Swiss watch, but never the less a Swiss watch! seriously though it is really first class, if I do say so myself. I am indeed chuffed with my efforts! The boat is now sparkling clean and running well (until the next time) Christ! Volvo spares are over priced! and they really "had my trousers down" with O rings at £2-40 each (nothing special usual price £2-50 for a box of a thousand) head gaskets sets at £100 each (I needed two) needless to say, where I could I purchased good quality "same sort" spares! Shame I didnt ask Feltham Marine for a price before committing them to ordering me just a couple of exhaust gaskets, a small bag of O rings and four filters ? Wammo!!!! £270-00 Quid !!!! Ouch!! eqivalent from another supplier £180-00 what a rip off! Ho Hum!!!who Cares its only money!! Yea right!!!! it`s not the money its the principle Volvo have of Ripping off the customer, as for Feltham Marine thats another thing! I am at Beauleiu on the weekend and have a stand at the Boat Jumble. its a usual pilgrimage much like the rock concerts that I attended as a Young person. I go there the day before and enjoy the surroundings! the New forest is a beautifull place (I used to keep one of my sail boats in the river there "Genevievre") have a great Dinner and sleep on the site ( ablutions are a bit basic but available) wherever I can,in the dry, and wake refreshed???? to make my fortune on the day. I do spend a lot of and money recieved on enormous Burgers though, and come home about a stone heavier! I am on my way back to Brighton soon to get the outside of the boat cleaned and polished and to attack the small "beard" that has started to form on the bottom, but thats another story! The engines are Brilliant now and both finally fully rebuilt and thats what matters at this juncture! Have a great Easter weekend! even if the Church has placed it, this year, at the beginning of summer!!!!!!!!!!!:o))))

I get a regular.....

Update from Lin and Larry Pardey and look forwards to its arrival, they are still very active in their "Dotage" I`m sure that Lin would never forgive me for saying that if ever she found out. It is so refreshing to hear about their life to date with Larry now almost full recovered and back to "his old self" they have now more or less settled in New zealand and have a cottage on an Island with a boatyard attached. Their books are something that most cruisers can relate to and indeed learn from if ever one gets the chance to read them. The cost concious sailor ISBN 0-9646036-5-9 and Storm Tactics ISBN 1-85310-787-5, to name but a couple.

I remember the first time I met them they were giving a talk about storm weather tactics at the Earls court Boat show and I had just arrived there and "tricked" my back out in the subway tunnel from the tube station, I headed like a doubled up tortiser to the first aid post on arrival and after about an hour of lying down on a hard trolley and several paracetamol I was now starting to creep around the show (well having got there I was Blo*dy well going to have a look). Hardly able to breath and certainly not able to straighten up, I got as far as the lecture stand and stopped by its curtained doorway which housed many chairs. Whilst I was evaluating the possibility of getting up again after sitting on one of them, Lin came out of the darkness, and said Oh! your our first customer! to which I said that I didnt like to disillusion her but My back has "gone" and I was actually looking for somewhere to sit. She made me very welcome and introduced me to Larry and I stayed for the show. I have to say that I was entranced with their vigour and knowledge of their trade/craft.

I knew about Hiscock and many of the the others but hadn`t really thought much about Lin and Larry until then. I hope that I may meet with them again in the future and look forward to the possibility but in the meantime I will cherish their words in their "Updates to me". Did I get home from the show? yes I did but I went direct from their lecture, and spent the next five days flat on my back, not something I would ever want to happen again. Excert from "The ravings of an old man".

have I finally .......

Got rid of Word Varification???? Maybe I will want it back! who knows?

Booring blog or what?

I have decided that my Blog is now worse than Booring (its always been booring! ) so I think a rethink is needed!!

Arrived at the office (A1 cafe) and...

I was confronted with Paddy sitting on his own with about 60 rolls on a large plate waiting for me to come in and start throwing them about. I guess it was Evadne`s way of saying that it was alright and that I was allowed to spend my money on their premises. So the rolls went back carefully onto the counter and it`s back to normal for a while!

Well the Ma........

trix is all sorted and painted, ready drying for a second coat when I get back from the office. It really was a mess the black covering is similar to the tar that is to be found in cancerous lungs from smoking and needed neat petrol to remove it and a good blowing from an airline to dry it off. I guess that the previous owner of the Matrix assembly (not me) had a faulty Turbo thats bearings leaked burnt engine oil it smelt very much like it. Ah well its all clean now and off to the office I go! Hi ho, Hi ho!!

look at that matrix it looks just like a cancerous lung

look how gungy it is inside the airway

Well today I have....

to get stuck into my engine repairs and don my overall and get out into the workshop, its quite cool but not too bad here I have to strip down my intercooler and clean the fins out so as to let fresh air get through and then reassemble it and give it all a coat of "Volvo green" or VW "royal marine" green, cheaper volvo is £27 a small can and the VW from Halfords is about £5. I shall still go to the Office for lunch and its going to be memorable I am sure. Ill let you know how I get on!

Its Billy nomates Sunday to day

Im off to lunch with the future in-laws today in a minute Phew! Im not relishing this. I have been lectured on how I am going to have to behave myself and I feel as though I am going to get a lick and spit of the hand to sort out my quiff (Which dissapeared long before I was adult age) I feel like a kid being taken to meet an old aunt that I have never seen. 62 and feeling like a kid I spose I should be grateful ?
The mouse thing went well ( as I expected with Evadne asking what it was and trying to pick it up and shake it, where uopon she was told to leave it alone as it was for paddys daughters school nature project and that it was a live mouse) I then picked the box up and discovered the hole underneath and exclaimed thet the animal had eaten its way out and that we should look for it around the edges of the cafe floor! with the now panic stricken (but trying to be Josephene cool!!! )Evadne finally looking behind the slot machine only to find a computer mouse. The lunchtime denegrated into a roll throwing (some 30 rolls thrown at us) and banning of Paddy and I for our joke. I asked if I could have my box back for another mouse and Evadne tore it up in discust :o(( John was in histerics back in the kitchen, he saw the humour as did the rest of the family now down from their chairs. Te he I think I will try and gain acces on Monday but Im not holding out much luck! this time I will have a live mouse with me, or perhaps I shouldnt eh?

Whats to do today? April first

Whoa....... thats self answering!!!!!!!!!!! Mebee a Prank? but before 12-00 or 11-00 in the UK because of BST. Now whats to do? I shall be visiting the office and meet up with the world best "close up magician" (paddy) and now of late, computer "sorterouter". I reckon that as Evadne is always giving me grief and terrified of Mice I will make a small cardboard box with a few air holes in it and a large chewed looking hole in the bottom and sit it on the table whilst I wait for my meal. being nosey she will ask what it is and will be (finally) told at about 10-50. As I wouldn`t have touched it for a while I will pick it up discover the hole in the bottom and upon opening the top find a note that says "I have gone home to my mum signed Mr mouse". I guess that she will climb down from the ceiling and ban me yet again from the A1. What do you think? (dont ask questions "M" doesn`t like it :o)) ) I may seem a little cruel to Evadne but she does keep taking the micky out of anything that I do or eat or say, my very being even, so I think its time to wind her up a little. Now wheres the cardboard? te he!

Tonight we are having dinner with some of our oldest friends one pair have just returned yet again from an around the world trip and are the hosts and the other pair are down here from the midlands to visit yet another friend who isn`t very well at the moment so they are staying at the hosts house. Both sets of friends have made their living in sales (and in fact are still doing so even from the other side of the world) our visiting friends have many properties as well, both at home and abroad along with a private airplane which I hired for an emergency meeting in wales a while back.

We first met as members of a spear fishing/diving club in the days when I had already been playing at diving using a re-manufactured "Calor gas" valve with a single stage high pressure valve. I had made it from a drawing in popular mechanics and it was actuated by a diaphram fabricated from an old lorry tyre with an old "English"penny stuck to it, using the new (then) Araldite adhesive. Phew!!!!! that was a long and booring sentence? it was great to be able to free swim at depth (I had no idea how deep I could go but soon found out that with a Siebe Gorman mark one "demand valve as it became known as, I was a lot safer and the penny didn`t drop off causing the valve try to blow me up like the Mitchelen man. Perhaps thats where the origin of "then the penny dropped" Nah it couldn`t be....... could it?

I am looking forward to tonight and as they live about 60 houses down the road from me and it will be good to walk( lazy s*d) to them, unless its raining. We have a lot to cover in our discussions tonight, all having kids, that grew up togeather, sitting on the beaches in the cold whilst their fathers chased such quarry as Rays, conger, cod and anything edible, scollops crab and the odd Lobster thrown in. I remember a couple of occasions from way back, one of being left out at the Edistone light and having to swim back, fortunately I was picked up within less than a mile of the light itself a fellow expedition member asking where I was on the teams journey back to Milbay dock ( Plymouth) and another occasion being engulfed in a squall about a mile off Selsey bill and being almost swept around the Nab Tower as we drifted helplessly up and down the channel finally to land at Pagham harbour some 8 hours later unable to walk as I was so frozen! Happy daze eh? Where waz I? Oh yes! I am really looking forward to the meal and will let you know how it went tomorrow! ( excert taken from an Old mans dwindling mind)

Different clubhouse

Well tonight we used a different club house for out boat club meet(Our, Weybridge mariners, original one, having burnt down some three weeks ago) the "Walton Jester" was seconded into use as a temporary venue for friday from now on until the club is rebuilt. The walton Jester (lives up to its name with diet coke from 2 litre plastic bottles at £3.00 per pint) is a pleasure boat by day and discos and sight seeing trips are its Forte. I arrived at 20-00 and left at 21-00 the smoky atmosphere was making even the smokers uncomfortable (I am a smoker but I haven`t done it for 20 years so I do believe in live and let live), but tonight was just too bad. It does however make a difference to see some sixty or so people in attendance when there would normally be only maybe 10, pity the club bar wasnt picking up the profit , still never mind I`m not really a grouch, Oh! go on then, maybe I am. At the "Office" today I met a guy that I used to employ to install large rides for me, I havent seen him for at least 10 years . he is Eton and Oxford and his family used to own a very large estate in the midlands until they lost it. He`s a really nice guy and through the last thirty years of his life his main business has been to dredge out lakes "ecologically" with the least damage to the surrounding area. This he does with two Fowler Ploughing engines, ( Traction Engines). Well we jawed a bit and he went back to his car to "get someting" and presented me with a DVD of his business conquests. it does feel strange watching Traction engines dredging lakes on a DVD it just doesnt seem right and such a distance between the technologies, but I guess its the way to go. While I was there I met my old mate Paddy and ex entertainer and another friend Tom the guy currently in the "Ringo" pilot advert, gosh! I mix with the ritch and famous dont I.

I was told by a very good friend that she thought that " we are all in control of our own destiny" well if that is the case? I must try harder, I am really getting P*ssed of with life as I know it, I am missing my boat, which is my own fault as I haven`t got round to finishing the engine and anyway the weather has been cold, so not entirely my fault. When its finished I want to sell it and go back to sail and I have had some opposition from "Swimbo" I need some sun and really feel like dissapearing for a couple of weeks on "walkabout"which I may verywell do,pistorf pistorf! I guess that if I tell myself how lucky I am enough times I will get over it. I guess the next June delivery job in Greece will make me feel a bit better if it happens, the trouble these days is that you get a mail asking you to keep such and such a date free and as the date gets nearer you are finally told that they have changed their mind or sold the boat locally so one can never be certain, the non returnable deposit is never really enough to warrant the hastle, Ho hum!

Isn`t it amazing, this blogger lark?

Ive posted about four posts and not one has got to my blog, this is by way of an experiment just to see if it too, doesn`t get there .
I went a shopping yesterday into Kingstom upon Thames and found a shop called Primart where I purchased (for use as overalls on the boat) four pairs of combat trousers. two blue and two a sort of brab olive, for £32, cheap or what I pay more for washed rags! Or have I just done so?. There are so many pockets that I won`t have any trouble getting caught up on my engines, when I eventually squeeze down into the engine "room", this happened to me on another boat and I lay upside down for over an hour until I finally managed to get out. It was quite a nice day, with only a few clouds and the sun was warm. I heard a beautiful singing voice coming from a busker and so wandered to see who it was (why? I really haven`t a clue! I guess that as it was so good, I just wanted to see who the owner was and maybe contribute, no not sing along!) when eventually I got there the owner was an old gentleman of about seventy (certainly ten years older than me) or perhaps he had just suffered a hard life and was ten years younger? he was quite scruffy, and really could have done with some smart new Cargo pants like me :o)). He was very organised though with invertor, "karioki" ( spelling) machine, speakers and batteries, all mounted on a trolley that he could push about. I listened to his selection from the musicals ( his rendition of the Mario Lanza "Be my love" saw him hitting all the high notes and sounding like the man him self, he was really worth the quid I dropped into his pot, (Yea! yea! I know "cheapskate", I didn`t have any more change! alright?!) . I stood in wonderment for about twenty minutes, listening and thinking about how he was once a star of the stage and that the possibility of all that grease paint had ruined his skin (he was, indeed, very lined) or perhaps he was down to his last penny and had to do this to raise food money instead of going on the dole ( pride ) etc, strange how ones mind runs riot when its inactive ( and lets face it mine has been like that for the winter, thank "Your" God for Blogger) I wandered on to starbucks where I purchased a Venti Latti and sat reading the paper for a further half an hour until my wife came and collected me. I`m really getting fed up with her when she arrives late, and says in a loud voice so everyone can hear (Starbucks was heaving), " there you are? thank goodness I found you, where have you been? Ok Mr "my name"! lets get you back to the asylum". although its quite amusing to watch the reaction of the shoppers as I shuffle out of the shop along beside her, possibly tempting fate I guess! sad or what?

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((