Hackneyed quote but quite appropriate. The weekend before this one our office was under 6 inches of water, which although not biblical in scale, in nevertheless quite sufficient to mean we have lost at least £20,000 worth of stock and loads of furniture etc. We spent 2 days chucking wet books, carpet, boxes etc onto skips, and moving dry books etc to dry places - shoving them into corners in 2 other buildings, and shoving me and my 2 colleagues into the meeting room in Barry library, the admin staff into a corner of another room in Barry library, another member of staff is borrowing Sully library when it is closed, and Christopher is of no fixed abode. Staff phone and ask where he is and we just say to email him, as he'll pick them up eventually.
It is a real pain. The loss adjuster said that it would be 3-9 months before we are back in, and we can't stay where we are till then, but the boss is in Greece (lucky her) till 22 Sept so we are all in a state of great uncertainty which is very frustrating!!!!!
However when all said and done it's better than your home being flooded because none of it is personal stuff (bloody irritating though - we keep saying "where is..." or turning to get something which is either on a skip or 3 miles away.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Weekend in Belgium
This weekend we were due to have a lovely weekend in Brussels and Bruges. This is our view from the restaurant at lunchtime
.
Looks like London doesn't it. That's because it is. The view of St Paul's from the Tate Modern. Yes, being green we had decided to go by Eurostar instead of a cheapy airline. Fire in the tunnel on Thursday no trains on Friday. Ah well, you can't win them all.
On a more succesful note Matt came over for a visit a fortnight ago (Trev has only just uploaded the photos.)
Here we are at West Mersea.
Here is a rather atmospheric shot of the estuary at West Mersea
.
At the weekend we went to see A Midsummer Night's Dream at Stratford. One of the few sunny weekends this summer and we were in a theatre! However it was an excellent production. It contained a fart joke which I found far funnier than anybody else in the audience (note to self, must grow up sometime). We met up with Helen, Brian and Kate and here is a picture of us strolling around the park after the theatre and before dinner.
Brian is hiding behind me as he is very camera shy now he is famous and on the radio.
.Looks like London doesn't it. That's because it is. The view of St Paul's from the Tate Modern. Yes, being green we had decided to go by Eurostar instead of a cheapy airline. Fire in the tunnel on Thursday no trains on Friday. Ah well, you can't win them all.
On a more succesful note Matt came over for a visit a fortnight ago (Trev has only just uploaded the photos.)
Here we are at West Mersea.
Here is a rather atmospheric shot of the estuary at West Mersea
.At the weekend we went to see A Midsummer Night's Dream at Stratford. One of the few sunny weekends this summer and we were in a theatre! However it was an excellent production. It contained a fart joke which I found far funnier than anybody else in the audience (note to self, must grow up sometime). We met up with Helen, Brian and Kate and here is a picture of us strolling around the park after the theatre and before dinner.
Brian is hiding behind me as he is very camera shy now he is famous and on the radio.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
A legitimate blogger...
...that's me! Hello!
I am currently listening to a new orchestral work on iPlayer by a chap named Brian Noyes... Marvelous. I find it beautiful, eerie, disturbing, and as I am an amateur musician, rather intimidating. What a fantastic sound it creates from the orchestra! I particularly love the core influence of John Clares life... I may have to hit the books to find out more. :oD
More anon. Alice xxx
I am currently listening to a new orchestral work on iPlayer by a chap named Brian Noyes... Marvelous. I find it beautiful, eerie, disturbing, and as I am an amateur musician, rather intimidating. What a fantastic sound it creates from the orchestra! I particularly love the core influence of John Clares life... I may have to hit the books to find out more. :oD
More anon. Alice xxx
End of days
Over the last few days there has been a lot of news about the large hadron collider in Cern, Geneva which was switched on today. Some people were saying that it would actually create a black hole and destroy the earth.
So yesterday at my coffee break at work I thought I would treat myself to a pain au chocolat. May as well push the boat out if the planet was only going to exist for another few hours. Imagine my disappointment to find they had all been eaten. Clearly everyone else had the same idea. But if that was true my fellow diners were all remarkably calm. This is a group of people who almost riot when the prices in the cafeteria are raised so you'd think they might panic a bit when the end of the world was nigh.
Anyway, the planet hasn't vapourised so it was just as well that I had a healthy banana instead. I also had a perfectly normal dinner but if I was going to plan my last supper I would have roast duck, with crackling, and roast potatoes followed by Choccie denver and raspberries.
So yesterday at my coffee break at work I thought I would treat myself to a pain au chocolat. May as well push the boat out if the planet was only going to exist for another few hours. Imagine my disappointment to find they had all been eaten. Clearly everyone else had the same idea. But if that was true my fellow diners were all remarkably calm. This is a group of people who almost riot when the prices in the cafeteria are raised so you'd think they might panic a bit when the end of the world was nigh.
Anyway, the planet hasn't vapourised so it was just as well that I had a healthy banana instead. I also had a perfectly normal dinner but if I was going to plan my last supper I would have roast duck, with crackling, and roast potatoes followed by Choccie denver and raspberries.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Birthdays etc
Inspired by Alice I will put on some piccies of the succession of birthdays we have in July/Aug.
Here is Carl and his mum Lynne - just to prove to Matt and Sue that he does exist and isn't Kate's imaginary friend. As you can see I managed to have my birthday on the one hot day in July and August and we needed the umbrella for shade!! Incredible as it may seem having had nothing but rain and clouds for the last month.
Here are Nicky and I enjoying our personal passions in self indulgence!
Moving on to Kate's birthday lunch here are Lynne, Adam and Kate - not the barbeque this time, instead a Mexican feast indoors.
And here are Adam, Kate and Nic
Here is Kate being a bridesmaid for her friend's wedding, with Carl
Here is Nic being a bridesmaid - also a sunny day this summer. These were seriously lucky brides!
I can't find the picture of Nic's birthday so it must still be in the camera.
Brian and I were glued to the radio last night listening to the programme with Points of Decision in it. I know we have the cd but it was still very exciting to hear it actually on the Radio!!! And Brian talking on the radio too.
I can't find the picture of Nic's birthday so it must still be in the camera.
Brian and I were glued to the radio last night listening to the programme with Points of Decision in it. I know we have the cd but it was still very exciting to hear it actually on the Radio!!! And Brian talking on the radio too.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Gay Pareeeee... Uhem!
Hello, this is Alice. I have hijacked Kierans login to blog on his behalf, as he is currently dissertationing, and therefore has no time for such piffling pursuits at Blogging!
This time last week we were in Paris (oh what a shame we're not still there) and were being uber touristy, as is acceptable in such places as Paris.
After arriving into Paris very late on Friday 22nd Aug, we got to our hotel and crashed out at about 1am... The bed was the most comfortable I've ever known (due to the fact that there was a feather duvet underneath the sheets as well as on top of us) so sleep was pretty much instantaneous...
When we woke up and left to begin our adventure properly we found that, rather conveniently, our hotel was situated a two minute walk from La Defense metro station which we needed to see pretty much everything we'd planned to see and more. These included (cue photos...)
...The Louvre, inevitably...
As you can see, the Venus de Milo was surrounded by people snapping at her feverishly. But we did get a photo up close, with some weirdo in the foreground;
We had a Chocolat Chaud each, which took rather a long time to arrive at our table. I blame Kieran, who spoke to the waiter in English... one of those waiters who like to have a bit of fun if he doesn't like certain customers perhaps!...
25 minutes later...
Anyway, we made our way out of the Louvre and towards the Champs Elysees, where we bought the grand total of two chocolate eclairs and a fruit juice as everything else was way out of our price range. We did stop by this old thing though...
And there's Kieran too...
After returning to La Defense for a nap, as we were shattered (Here's Kieran in a kind of lollypop land, not in his dreams but actually La Defense),
Then we went out for dinner at 8pm at which I managed to order raw beef... which was pretty nice actually... although obviously a stark contrast to the veggie option K had (Pasta).
Then we took a stroll around Les Jardins Tuileries where there was a funfair...
After another night's sleep in the most comfortable bed in the world, and hot chocolate and pain au raisins, we went to a landmark that needs no introduction...
...to my embarrassment while buying the tickets I tripped up in my French pronunciation, and instead of saying deux personnes moins vingt-cinque ans sil vous plais [sp] I said deux poissons moins vingt-cinque ans sil vous plais Thankfully I was understood just the same, given the circumstances... marvelous...
And then we climbed the many many many steps... gloating at the people still queuing as we did so...
Then after a lunch of sandwiches and because I love the film of Amelie, we climbed some more steps to the Basilique du Sacre-Coeur... and looked out over the garden used in the film, realising of course the way that it had been dressed up in the name of artistic license.
Looking up the hill...
And down the hill...
We went inside too, but we are respectful tourists and therefore did not take photos. I lit a candle too, which was rather nice... The nuns' singing mass was beautiful and the atmosphere was certainly a blessed one... even the most talkative tourists were hushed into peaceful silence!
As we were apparently in the mood to marvel at cathedrals we made our way to Notre Dame, and got in very quickly. However, we left there steaming with rage (Kieran more than me) at the way in which hundreds of people were chatting, squeaking their shoes on the floor, videoing the worship, and generally gawking at the people in funny costumes as if it had all been put on like a circus show. We decided the best thing to do was to get some supper...
Where my Date became very animated in conversation.
And its a shame this picture came out blurry...
...but the waiter was really moody, so we didn't think we'd ask him to do a re-take. Please also notice the ketchup bottle on the table... maybe he thought that we English/American people couldn't eat a meal without it!
We had the best weather on the last day and even found a place less likely to be found by tourists passing through... and I was quite pleased to be able to direct a little old french lady, in french, to the boulangerie, as seen here...
Yummy!
Anyway, I am aware that this blog post is insanely long, and Kieran wouldn't have written half so much, or put in so many pictures... you lucky things!
So I bid you adieu. More anon.
This time last week we were in Paris (oh what a shame we're not still there) and were being uber touristy, as is acceptable in such places as Paris.
After arriving into Paris very late on Friday 22nd Aug, we got to our hotel and crashed out at about 1am... The bed was the most comfortable I've ever known (due to the fact that there was a feather duvet underneath the sheets as well as on top of us) so sleep was pretty much instantaneous...
When we woke up and left to begin our adventure properly we found that, rather conveniently, our hotel was situated a two minute walk from La Defense metro station which we needed to see pretty much everything we'd planned to see and more. These included (cue photos...)
...The Louvre, inevitably...
As you can see, the Venus de Milo was surrounded by people snapping at her feverishly. But we did get a photo up close, with some weirdo in the foreground;
We had a Chocolat Chaud each, which took rather a long time to arrive at our table. I blame Kieran, who spoke to the waiter in English... one of those waiters who like to have a bit of fun if he doesn't like certain customers perhaps!...
25 minutes later...
Anyway, we made our way out of the Louvre and towards the Champs Elysees, where we bought the grand total of two chocolate eclairs and a fruit juice as everything else was way out of our price range. We did stop by this old thing though...
And there's Kieran too...
After returning to La Defense for a nap, as we were shattered (Here's Kieran in a kind of lollypop land, not in his dreams but actually La Defense),
Then we went out for dinner at 8pm at which I managed to order raw beef... which was pretty nice actually... although obviously a stark contrast to the veggie option K had (Pasta).
Then we took a stroll around Les Jardins Tuileries where there was a funfair...
After another night's sleep in the most comfortable bed in the world, and hot chocolate and pain au raisins, we went to a landmark that needs no introduction...
...to my embarrassment while buying the tickets I tripped up in my French pronunciation, and instead of saying deux personnes moins vingt-cinque ans sil vous plais [sp] I said deux poissons moins vingt-cinque ans sil vous plais Thankfully I was understood just the same, given the circumstances... marvelous...
And then we climbed the many many many steps... gloating at the people still queuing as we did so...
Then after a lunch of sandwiches and because I love the film of Amelie, we climbed some more steps to the Basilique du Sacre-Coeur... and looked out over the garden used in the film, realising of course the way that it had been dressed up in the name of artistic license.
Looking up the hill...
And down the hill...
We went inside too, but we are respectful tourists and therefore did not take photos. I lit a candle too, which was rather nice... The nuns' singing mass was beautiful and the atmosphere was certainly a blessed one... even the most talkative tourists were hushed into peaceful silence!
As we were apparently in the mood to marvel at cathedrals we made our way to Notre Dame, and got in very quickly. However, we left there steaming with rage (Kieran more than me) at the way in which hundreds of people were chatting, squeaking their shoes on the floor, videoing the worship, and generally gawking at the people in funny costumes as if it had all been put on like a circus show. We decided the best thing to do was to get some supper...
Where my Date became very animated in conversation.
And its a shame this picture came out blurry...
...but the waiter was really moody, so we didn't think we'd ask him to do a re-take. Please also notice the ketchup bottle on the table... maybe he thought that we English/American people couldn't eat a meal without it!
We had the best weather on the last day and even found a place less likely to be found by tourists passing through... and I was quite pleased to be able to direct a little old french lady, in french, to the boulangerie, as seen here...
Yummy!
Anyway, I am aware that this blog post is insanely long, and Kieran wouldn't have written half so much, or put in so many pictures... you lucky things!
So I bid you adieu. More anon.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Modern Pentathlon
It would appear you can't put links on comments.
Anyway here is a bit of slapstick
Anyway here is a bit of slapstick
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Olympic ends
As a really non sporty person unless horses are involved, I have been amazed at how hooked I have been on the Olympics. Helped of course by the number of medals the UK have got but also because the range of sports on british tv has been much wider than the usual obsession with track and field that we usually get. I still can't believe we came 4th in the overall table. However I do think our bit of the closing ceremony was really feeble. The bus was ok, but the elderly guitar rocker and Leona Lewis just didn't work in a stadium like that, with dire sound, and such a dreary song. Am I the only one who thought it was crap? And why was David Beckham there? He's a professional footballer and so nothing to do with the Olympics which is still theoretically amateur (in the widest possible meaning of the word). Doesn't bode well. Boris was entertaining though as once he got onto the podium he couldn't figure out what to do with his hands so did pockets, then in front, then behind, then at his side like the others - except when he was waving.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
6 SEPTEMBER 10.30 PM RADIO 3
W e have a date for the performance of Brian's piece that was done in Manchester in February. it will be on Radio 3 on Sat 6 Sept at 10.30 pm as part of the Hear & Now programme. I know a lot of you have heard it already, but those who haven't can either listen in on the day, or listen to it on the BBC iPlayer on the computer (which is really good actually, I use it a lot) for up to a week after the programme has been aired. This is a picture Brian's brother took of him taking his bow at the end.
It is so exciting!!!!!!!!!
Olympics part 2
Aren't they great! Who'd have thought I would sit enthralled by a bicycle race? I thought it was good when we were ahead of France but to be ahead of Australia - for however briefly it will be - bloody marvelous!
Anyway. I have three observation brought on by incessant Olympic watching.
1. Notice how there are five olympic rings representing five continents. That's how many there were when I was at school but between my education and my children's education there have become 7 continents. Who decided that?
2. I was watching Nastia Liukin, the American gymnast one morning before work (whatever, it's only a fortnight, I'm not actually turning into Homer Simpson). Anyway, she finished her mat work which was clearly very good and when she finished her coach kissed her on the lips. Then kept kissing her. I was totally horified! When I related this to Erin and Mike later in the day Mike looked her up and we discovered that her coach was her father. Phew! We all thought! Then a few moments later we all though. Nooo! That is still inappropriate. It wasn't normal parental affection or maybe I'm just too British. What do other people think?
3. The reporters seem so intrusive. They keep interviewing people who have lost out on a medal. They interviewed Paula Radcliffe who was in tears, literally sobbing, and kept saying "How do you feel". Then they interviewed the other Jamaican guy who was in the 100 metres and more or less said. "What does it feel to be a loserr" I could go on.
4. (OK I can't count) Since when did medal become a verb?
Anyway. I have three observation brought on by incessant Olympic watching.
1. Notice how there are five olympic rings representing five continents. That's how many there were when I was at school but between my education and my children's education there have become 7 continents. Who decided that?
2. I was watching Nastia Liukin, the American gymnast one morning before work (whatever, it's only a fortnight, I'm not actually turning into Homer Simpson). Anyway, she finished her mat work which was clearly very good and when she finished her coach kissed her on the lips. Then kept kissing her. I was totally horified! When I related this to Erin and Mike later in the day Mike looked her up and we discovered that her coach was her father. Phew! We all thought! Then a few moments later we all though. Nooo! That is still inappropriate. It wasn't normal parental affection or maybe I'm just too British. What do other people think?
3. The reporters seem so intrusive. They keep interviewing people who have lost out on a medal. They interviewed Paula Radcliffe who was in tears, literally sobbing, and kept saying "How do you feel". Then they interviewed the other Jamaican guy who was in the 100 metres and more or less said. "What does it feel to be a loserr" I could go on.
4. (OK I can't count) Since when did medal become a verb?
Monday, August 18, 2008
Weather update...
...so despite the sundances I'm sure you all did, they did no good and it absolutely peed down over the weekend :( We were at Weston Park in Stafford (thanks for the offer of the shower Boo, we totally would've invaded if we'd gone to Chelmsford!) and it was quite an experience. We didn't arrive until around 8pm on Friday night and although we hadn't packed that much stuff, had NOT anticipated the hour long walk (yes that's one hour of walking) from the car park to the camping area lugging our tent, air bed, clothes etc which don't sound heavy but really were after an hour... By the time we got through security and got our wristbands it was basically dark and the campsites were pretty much full. We ended up trudging along, arms aching, hunting fruitlessly for a spot for quite some time. A load of tents had been pitched in what they call a 'fire lane' which is a lane they keep empty in amongst all the tents so if there is an emergency they can evacuate people easily. Lots of people had decided to camp in one of these so we decided 'stuff it, we'll just camp here' and as we started un packing I spotted a space a little further in right amongst the tents. Happily we camped there as all the tents that had been put up in said fire lane got moved at 7am on Saturday morning. Think I would've actually cried if that had happened.
We then spent at least an hour putting the tent up in the dark - Carl was understandably not a happy bunny and I felt like crying because the whole festival thing had been my idea. However! Saturday dawned and was a great day - dry and sunny until the evening we saw loads of good bands including Amy Winehouse, Girls Aloud (yay!), The Rifles, The Chemical Brothers, Lenny Kravitz and Goldie Looking Chain. Then on Saturday evening it started to rain and didn't stop until Sunday morning, by which time the entire site had turned into a boggy, horrible swamp. Thank god for RAF issued boots and posh all weather jacket (for Carl) and for hand-me down Hunter wellies from Nicky and attractive lilac kagoul from mum (for me). Sunday was also a fab day but we did decide not to stay for headline act (Muse) so we could get out of the carpark quickly - which I guess shows we're getting all old and sensible :)
The loos in the campsite were absolutely unspeakable - the smell was so bad we didn't dare go near them, but the loos in the arena were actually great. Long queues but every single one we went into was clean and some even had loo roll in! I think the trick is to approach the toilets with low expectations and be pleasantly surprised when they're not full of poo, rather than approach with optimism and be horrified with the contents. Was nice to get home and have a shower though!
Love Kate xxxx
We then spent at least an hour putting the tent up in the dark - Carl was understandably not a happy bunny and I felt like crying because the whole festival thing had been my idea. However! Saturday dawned and was a great day - dry and sunny until the evening we saw loads of good bands including Amy Winehouse, Girls Aloud (yay!), The Rifles, The Chemical Brothers, Lenny Kravitz and Goldie Looking Chain. Then on Saturday evening it started to rain and didn't stop until Sunday morning, by which time the entire site had turned into a boggy, horrible swamp. Thank god for RAF issued boots and posh all weather jacket (for Carl) and for hand-me down Hunter wellies from Nicky and attractive lilac kagoul from mum (for me). Sunday was also a fab day but we did decide not to stay for headline act (Muse) so we could get out of the carpark quickly - which I guess shows we're getting all old and sensible :)
The loos in the campsite were absolutely unspeakable - the smell was so bad we didn't dare go near them, but the loos in the arena were actually great. Long queues but every single one we went into was clean and some even had loo roll in! I think the trick is to approach the toilets with low expectations and be pleasantly surprised when they're not full of poo, rather than approach with optimism and be horrified with the contents. Was nice to get home and have a shower though!
Love Kate xxxx
Thursday, August 14, 2008
August weather
So you'd think that being an August baby I would be accustomed to approaching my birthday bathed in sunshine and planning out door activity and ways to pass the time that involve soaking up the summer sun and balmy breeze. However, I've had enough rain soaked birthday BBQ's in my time to know that it invariably pees it down even if it is August. So why then, with last summer being one of the wettest ever and this one being little better, did I think it was a good idea to book tickets to V Festival the weekend before my birthday?!
I think Carl and I are going to get payback for not having any rain on our camping holiday in July. Nobody's that lucky with the British weather. Luckily being a dog owner I'm a bit more prepared for weather than when I skipped off to Glastonbury aged 17 without so much as a kagoul. So if you have time to do a quick sundance between now and Saturday that would be good :)
Love Kate xxxx
I think Carl and I are going to get payback for not having any rain on our camping holiday in July. Nobody's that lucky with the British weather. Luckily being a dog owner I'm a bit more prepared for weather than when I skipped off to Glastonbury aged 17 without so much as a kagoul. So if you have time to do a quick sundance between now and Saturday that would be good :)
Love Kate xxxx
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Olympics
Like many people I watched the Olympics opening ceremony and like many people was absolutely gob smacked by them. Then like many British people thought Oh my giddy aunt (nothing personal, Peggy) London is going to have to compete with that in four years time. We couldn't even get the millennium celebrations right!
Erin thought the best we could muster was morris dancers. Mike (her boyfriend) said that if we wanted to show what England was like we should have threatening hoodies and lager louts. I thought about what was quite impressive recently and thought of Diana's funeral. Maybe we could do it like a funeral but without a corpse. However my colleague Andrew, hit on a good idea. As we were musing on the problem he pointed out that some of our most popular exports are Benny Hill, Carry On films and Mr Bean! We could have the athletes dressed up as naughty nurses and dirty old men! Like this.
Or does anyone have a better idea?
Erin thought the best we could muster was morris dancers. Mike (her boyfriend) said that if we wanted to show what England was like we should have threatening hoodies and lager louts. I thought about what was quite impressive recently and thought of Diana's funeral. Maybe we could do it like a funeral but without a corpse. However my colleague Andrew, hit on a good idea. As we were musing on the problem he pointed out that some of our most popular exports are Benny Hill, Carry On films and Mr Bean! We could have the athletes dressed up as naughty nurses and dirty old men! Like this.
Or does anyone have a better idea?
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Enterprising
Well yesterday I had to catch a train from King's Cross Station Platform 9b and look what I found next to it
I suppose so many people were looking for it that the station managers decided to put it there - or perhaps it was there all along!
I suppose so many people were looking for it that the station managers decided to put it there - or perhaps it was there all along!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Tutorial
Hi all.
My good friend Jill is attempting to show me how to put in photos in the snazzy way that she does. So this is rather a random post that may well get abandoned
By the way that is Lacock Abbey(famous as a set for Harry Potter), The Louvre (famous for the Da Vinci Code) and the Sistine Museum (Just famous really)
Thankyou for you time
love
B00
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
briannoyes.co.uk
The website I have written for Brian is now released into the big wild world, so can you have a look and tell me what doesn't work. Please bear in mind that this is the first time I have done a website and that i did it on a free piece of software which is a little bit moody. For instance when I looked at some pages on the pc at work there appear to be broken links to photos on the left side of some pages, however these aren't on the pages in Kompozer and don't appear on the mac so I'm not quite sure how to get rid of them.
Brian is a bit embarrassed by it really but it does the job, which is to give information about him, about the compositions etc to anyone who might be interested and is much easier and less obvious than a fat list of works etc on paper. That's the idea.
I actually really enjoyed doing it, though sometimes when Kompozer would do something one day and not do it the next it got annoying. You can get lots of free stuff now where you fit the information into a template and they probably look better than what I have done but I didn't know about them when I started, and this is finished pretty much now, but I might redo it sometime and make it prettier.
it is www.briannoyes.co.uk
Nicky is back home until she goes travelling in January, and is working at 2 stables, exercising race horses and looking after a show cob. However it is lovely to have her home for a while, and she was actually home for her birthday for the first time in 3 years!
love Helen
Brian is a bit embarrassed by it really but it does the job, which is to give information about him, about the compositions etc to anyone who might be interested and is much easier and less obvious than a fat list of works etc on paper. That's the idea.
I actually really enjoyed doing it, though sometimes when Kompozer would do something one day and not do it the next it got annoying. You can get lots of free stuff now where you fit the information into a template and they probably look better than what I have done but I didn't know about them when I started, and this is finished pretty much now, but I might redo it sometime and make it prettier.
it is www.briannoyes.co.uk
Nicky is back home until she goes travelling in January, and is working at 2 stables, exercising race horses and looking after a show cob. However it is lovely to have her home for a while, and she was actually home for her birthday for the first time in 3 years!
love Helen
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Bread Slice Horror
The other week I made (using our fine breadmaker) a small wholemeal. Here is a picture of half of it. The other half looked exactly the same - at first.
Later that same day I came down from my ivory tower (also known as the spare bedroom) where I had been working at home to see this:
Yes, it really was as it appears, cut not just at an angle, but with a convex contour effect. Must have been one heck of a sandwich! I'll let the architect of the shape explain more in the inevitable comment - I love her dearly.
Tee hee.
Later that same day I came down from my ivory tower (also known as the spare bedroom) where I had been working at home to see this:
Yes, it really was as it appears, cut not just at an angle, but with a convex contour effect. Must have been one heck of a sandwich! I'll let the architect of the shape explain more in the inevitable comment - I love her dearly.
Tee hee.
Monday, July 07, 2008
Wet weekend in Devon
This weekend I went down to Shaldon in Devon (near Torquay) to stay with Lucy who I lived with at university, along with Cath and Emilie who I also lived with at university. Needless to say we had a grand old time - the weekend kicked off with lasagne, wine and karaoke on the Friday night (and what more could anyone want from a Friday night?). Sadly though when we awoke on Saturday, a severe weather warning meant the normal sunshine, beach activities were somewhat curtailed, and yes unfortunately I was optimistic enough to take my bikini!.
However, Lucy's mum who lives down the road has recently purchased a camper van in the form of a Mazda Bongo (best car name ever?!).
So we went on a wet a
nd windy tour of the Devon coast taking in Teignmouth, Torquay (photo on the right is me, Lucy and Cath on the Torquay cliffs), Paignton, Dartmouth and the not-so-scenic Newton Abbot. The Bongo saved us really as we'd all packed flipflops and completely inappropriate clothing so we were able to be touristy without drowning. Saturday night was spent in the local pub which randomly has a Thai restaurant in it and we had a great meal on top of the picnic and cream tea we'd already had that day. Sunday dried out a bit and we had a lovely potter around Shaldon and I ended up being incredibly jealous that I, unlike Lucy, don't live a picturesque village by the sea. It's absolutely gorgeous there and I'd thoroughly recommend it for a meander if you're ever in the area.
I'm told there are compensations for living where I live though. When I said to Cath 'I want to live in Shaldon, there's nothing good about living in Swindon' she turned around and said 'Well, you have got a Matala
n'.....hmmm.
Anyway, the other exciting thing about the weekend is that I got to see Cath who has lost 5 and a half stone in the last year! She looks absolutely brilliant and hasn't done any kind of faddy diet, just good old fashioned healthy eating and exercise. I felt a) very proud and pleased for her and b) very inspired to keep cracking on with my own weight loss mission. So I got up today and went out for a run to burn off the wine/lasagne/cream tea/thai meal/sunday lunch with which I stuffed myself this weekend :)
Love Kate xxxx
However, Lucy's mum who lives down the road has recently purchased a camper van in the form of a Mazda Bongo (best car name ever?!).
So we went on a wet a
nd windy tour of the Devon coast taking in Teignmouth, Torquay (photo on the right is me, Lucy and Cath on the Torquay cliffs), Paignton, Dartmouth and the not-so-scenic Newton Abbot. The Bongo saved us really as we'd all packed flipflops and completely inappropriate clothing so we were able to be touristy without drowning. Saturday night was spent in the local pub which randomly has a Thai restaurant in it and we had a great meal on top of the picnic and cream tea we'd already had that day. Sunday dried out a bit and we had a lovely potter around Shaldon and I ended up being incredibly jealous that I, unlike Lucy, don't live a picturesque village by the sea. It's absolutely gorgeous there and I'd thoroughly recommend it for a meander if you're ever in the area.I'm told there are compensations for living where I live though. When I said to Cath 'I want to live in Shaldon, there's nothing good about living in Swindon' she turned around and said 'Well, you have got a Matala
n'.....hmmm.Anyway, the other exciting thing about the weekend is that I got to see Cath who has lost 5 and a half stone in the last year! She looks absolutely brilliant and hasn't done any kind of faddy diet, just good old fashioned healthy eating and exercise. I felt a) very proud and pleased for her and b) very inspired to keep cracking on with my own weight loss mission. So I got up today and went out for a run to burn off the wine/lasagne/cream tea/thai meal/sunday lunch with which I stuffed myself this weekend :)
Love Kate xxxx
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Unusual encounters
When I was at university a waggish friend of mine wrote on the blotting paper in the Campus bank "Boo Carter welcomes lonely hearts". Obviously I scribbled over it but sometimes I think it has remained indelibly on my forehead. I have lived in the South East of the UK for most of my life and I think I behave with the general unfriendliness of our neck of the woods but it doesn't seem to put people off.
This weekend we went down to Southampton to see Kieran and Alice. We had a lovely time and learned that the Captain of the Titanic lived in the very street that they live in. Anyway on Saturday morning Trev and I went for a stroll around Southampton Common and stopped to look at a duck pond. We were actually watching in horror as a tern picked up a duckling in it's beak and then dropped it in the water again when a local man walking his dog came to stand next to us and said "Beautiful, aren't they?" I looked at him in surprise and realised that he was talking about the swans. I told him about the duckling's near death experience and he said. "Well, there used to be a lot more ducks on the lake. They used to have those pretty ones - what are they called?"
"Mandarin ducks?" I suggested.
"Yes, them! But the immigrants keep eating them" (Good grief) "So they put them in a sanctuary and they took away the boards around the lake that tell you which birds where which!"
"Goodness!" I muttered "Well, must get on now"
Walking away hastily and pondering on the thought that these immigrants clearly had a taste for mandarin ducks but they didn't actually know what they looked like!
Anyway later that day we all went to Chichester to see 6 Characters in Search of an Author. It was brilliant although the ending was rather unsatisfying. The end of the first act was rather harrowing and involved a violation and I noticed with relief that the child in the cast was not on stage for this scene. An elderly lady was sitting behind us and engaged me in conversation while Trev was buying the ice creams at the interval. "That little boy will never be the same again!" She said. I laughed and said that I noticed he hadn't been on stage. However she carried on regardless. When Trev came back she said to him: That little boy, he'll never be the same again". Then when her companions came back she said it again. Then when everyone in the row came back she said it to all of them!
Anyway we came home and away from the weirdness of the South when we got a phone call. Somebody in a broad Scottish accent said to me: "I've lost my cat, man!" I was silent and he said again" I've lost my cat, man" Then when I still didn't say anything he said "Is that Jessie?" I told him no and he apologised profusely and hung up.
All very strange and a good reason for me to never go on a cruise where I couldn't run away from these people
This weekend we went down to Southampton to see Kieran and Alice. We had a lovely time and learned that the Captain of the Titanic lived in the very street that they live in. Anyway on Saturday morning Trev and I went for a stroll around Southampton Common and stopped to look at a duck pond. We were actually watching in horror as a tern picked up a duckling in it's beak and then dropped it in the water again when a local man walking his dog came to stand next to us and said "Beautiful, aren't they?" I looked at him in surprise and realised that he was talking about the swans. I told him about the duckling's near death experience and he said. "Well, there used to be a lot more ducks on the lake. They used to have those pretty ones - what are they called?"
"Mandarin ducks?" I suggested.
"Yes, them! But the immigrants keep eating them" (Good grief) "So they put them in a sanctuary and they took away the boards around the lake that tell you which birds where which!"
"Goodness!" I muttered "Well, must get on now"
Walking away hastily and pondering on the thought that these immigrants clearly had a taste for mandarin ducks but they didn't actually know what they looked like!
Anyway later that day we all went to Chichester to see 6 Characters in Search of an Author. It was brilliant although the ending was rather unsatisfying. The end of the first act was rather harrowing and involved a violation and I noticed with relief that the child in the cast was not on stage for this scene. An elderly lady was sitting behind us and engaged me in conversation while Trev was buying the ice creams at the interval. "That little boy will never be the same again!" She said. I laughed and said that I noticed he hadn't been on stage. However she carried on regardless. When Trev came back she said to him: That little boy, he'll never be the same again". Then when her companions came back she said it again. Then when everyone in the row came back she said it to all of them!
Anyway we came home and away from the weirdness of the South when we got a phone call. Somebody in a broad Scottish accent said to me: "I've lost my cat, man!" I was silent and he said again" I've lost my cat, man" Then when I still didn't say anything he said "Is that Jessie?" I told him no and he apologised profusely and hung up.
All very strange and a good reason for me to never go on a cruise where I couldn't run away from these people
Monday, June 30, 2008
Bridesmaid pics
So the day dawned and after 18 months of dieting and working out, my best friend Kelsie got married and I was a bridesmaid. I say 18 months of dieting and working out....I've certainly worked out consistently over that time. I have stepped and aerobocised and run and lifted weights and sweated a LOT! And I'm now gearing up for a 10km run in September (sponsor me here if you haven't already: http://www.run10ksponsorme.org/katemcnabb and thanks to those that already have!) For all this working out I feel great.
However, I haven't as such, dieted really...I have drastically changed what I eat and how much alcohol I drink but I haven't been on Weight Watchers or Slimming World, I've just tried to be a bit more sensible. I've fallen off the wagon a lot but if at first you don't succeed and all that, I've always tried to climb back on and stay on the straight and narrow. I've lost 24lbs and gone down a dress size and one of the most satisfying things of all has been to throw away my bigger clothes :) My big aim now is to carry it on and lose another dress size in time for Kieran's wedding and my friend Alyson's wedding next year.
She had a beautiful day in the end - glorious sunshine all day and everything went swimmingly - great speeches (not too long, always a good thing I find), great food, great company and the Bear Hotel was a fantastic venue. The only downside was that at around 9pm, I was showing off, doing a Nigella Lawson impersonation of all things (yep, finger sucking I'm afraid) and managed to knock an entire glass of red wine down my lovely bridesmaid dress! Luckily we were staying at the hotel and someone whipped me away up to my room, rinsed the dress out and got me changed PDQ! And happily the dress isn't stained :) So here's a few pics to see the new and somewhat improved me, oh and the bride (guess it was her day too) and Alyson who was my fellow bridesmaid and Carl too.
Love Kate xxxx
However, I haven't as such, dieted really...I have drastically changed what I eat and how much alcohol I drink but I haven't been on Weight Watchers or Slimming World, I've just tried to be a bit more sensible. I've fallen off the wagon a lot but if at first you don't succeed and all that, I've always tried to climb back on and stay on the straight and narrow. I've lost 24lbs and gone down a dress size and one of the most satisfying things of all has been to throw away my bigger clothes :) My big aim now is to carry it on and lose another dress size in time for Kieran's wedding and my friend Alyson's wedding next year.
She had a beautiful day in the end - glorious sunshine all day and everything went swimmingly - great speeches (not too long, always a good thing I find), great food, great company and the Bear Hotel was a fantastic venue. The only downside was that at around 9pm, I was showing off, doing a Nigella Lawson impersonation of all things (yep, finger sucking I'm afraid) and managed to knock an entire glass of red wine down my lovely bridesmaid dress! Luckily we were staying at the hotel and someone whipped me away up to my room, rinsed the dress out and got me changed PDQ! And happily the dress isn't stained :) So here's a few pics to see the new and somewhat improved me, oh and the bride (guess it was her day too) and Alyson who was my fellow bridesmaid and Carl too.
Love Kate xxxx
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