Samhain Blessings.

We are here again, at that magical time of year, when everything old is passing and we look forward to the New Year ahead.

Tree and I celebrated in the usual way and Tree made pumpkin soup while I carved the pumpkin shell. This year I moved away from the theme of bats and wise women and chose to carve a wolf hound calling to the moon goddess.Using a new method of carving, I was able to create 4 layers of colour and I was pleased with the result.

Samhain Blessings and don't forget to make those resolutions.

Who's a buzzy boy?

I finally had the chance of a spot of good weather and decided to get the porch roof stripped and repaired at last. The whole job took two days to complete but it was worth it to replace the roof with felt under the slates and insulation as well. Every little bit for the environment an' all that. While I was taking the old roof off, I came across a beautiful wasp nest that had been from a few summers ago. The walls were so delicate and made of thousands of strands of paper mache. One touch and it crumbled to dust. Amazing!

Yeah Baby!!

As it is 40 years of slimming world this year, Clayton decided to do a theme for the anniversary night at club, with ruby (being the colour for 40) and the 1960's as the theme. While we got evrything ready, Clayt got changed.How a gladiator has anything to do with either of those beats me. He said it was all they had left at the fancy dress shop but I think he got it from his wardrobe. Could be a secret L.A.R.P'er on the quiet !?! Anyway, it raised a laugh or two. Top marks to Lorraine on the Revue Bar dancer.

Oh and me......I just went dressed as a tw*t!!

Bye Bye Mikey the Hippy Van.

Today we received the notice from DVLA confirming the transfer of sale for the festie van. Goodbye dear friend, you served us well. From Hampshire to Devon, from Cornwall to Wales, you carried your weighty load and never broke down. From Blissfields to Beautiful Days, from Forest Fayre to The Green Man and from Clun to Nozstock, you saw them all. Blasting out Dub Reggae at 60 watts per channel, every trip became an adventure. Who could forget the numerous extras like the homemade shower at the back - priceless at a festie!!

You are gone but not forgotten, especially if you check Google Earth which still shows it outside our house - a ghost of it's former glory!!

WOMAD

We have just got back from a rather wet WOMAD and are enjoying the simple pleasures of a hot shower and flushable toilets. Overall we were quite disappointed with this years festival. Gone were the impromptu entertainers and general crazy people and in were the boring wellie brigade with their 4 X 4's and waxed coats. Tree and I feel that this festival has lost it's hippy vibe and become a haven for the pseudo middle classes.

Anyway, we enjoyed ourselves despite the rain, especially seeing Mad Professor, The Ghoad Gypsies of Rhajasthan and an amazing set by DJ M3. This year might be where we say goodbye to WOMAD and find another more chilled festie to replace it. We will see!

Camping it up in Cornwall.

We decided to grab a few days in Cornwall camping but, as we went to Tony Ballard's funeral on Monday, we didn't get away until Tuesday. The weather was good to us in that it stopped briefly when we got there so we could get the tent up and then started again, promptly, straight after. Out of the whole trip we managed one fine day and made use of every second of it. We also found a restaurant that serves children ON the menu. Someone wasn't paying attention at advertising school, weren't they? We also made friends with a baby Starling that sat with us, waiting patiently until we were finished, to grab the crumbs leftover - cute. By Friday the rain had set well in so we decamped and went to see Joy in her new shop. She is doing really well and has no regrets in moving at all. I think a trip to sunny India is on the cards if the weather doesn't get better here!!!

In memory of Tony Ballard

It is with a heavy heart that I must report the death of Tony Ballard who drowned whilst swimming in the Severn. Our thoughts go out to Ellie and Duncan, his parents, at this desperate time. For those who came to our handfasting, Duncan was the minister who came and said a few words for us. Tony will be remembered fondly.

Having a jolly BAD time

Blimey, a sunny day and what better than to get down to Tewkesbury for the Fayre. We took this chance to catch up with Brian and Donna of BAD Ceramics as we haven't seen them since the shop closed. They have now got a new tent and their work is as brilliant as ever. Brian is producing some fantastic new works and Donna's glazes are stunning. We hope to see them away from work before they head back up North. Both Tree and I felt the itch to get back to having a stall but this soon passed when the rain came down to remind of the disaster of last year. Although , I must say, once I have finished the Geodesic dome I will not be able to resist trading from it. I don't think it will be ready for WOMAD by a long shot!!

Get your motor running..........

A few good bits to report.

Firstly, Tree is back to swimming again and has been doing 75 lengths each morning (about 0.75 mile). I had to take out her stitches in the end, as they just would not dissolve and were pulling, and this has spurred her on a bit.

Secondly, I realised that I had most of my blogs in draft format and had forgotten to publish them...Doh!

Thirdly, I'm on the road. Thursday saw the delivery of my new Tamoretti scooter (Scoot). Steve, the dealer, drove up from London on a special journey to drop it off. Well done mate. The only drawback is that I have found out that Jamie Oliver rides one (can't be helped I suppose) and I will also not be able to go more than 20 miles an hour until I have run it in. Only 285 miles to go! Oh well.

Geodesic delights.

One of "the back burner jobs", I referred to in a previous blog, is to build a geodesic dome. Now for anyone unfamiliar with them, a geodesic dome is a structure like the Epcot Centre in the USA and was discovered by a man called Buckminster Fuller. The structure is lightweight, aerodynamic and requires a minimal amount of storage. The math behind them basically says that the larger the structure, the stronger it gets. I have fancied making one for years and have opted for a 12' diameter with standing room of 8'. This leaves enough room to put a wood burner in the centre with the chimney out through the middle. Once built, it will take up less ground space than a 4 berth family tent and have almost twice the height for half the weight and storage. I have already begun the build and I am photographing the whole process in order to make plans to sell on to other prospective builders. This is because the resources on the internet are, frankly, too nerdy or just not well described. My plans will be aimed at the complete novice and have adequate illustrations to make sense of the text. I am not looking to make loads of cash but just to cover the cost of my first build. Hopefully, the project will be completed within the month, in time for a testing at WOMAD. I shall keep you posted.

Happy Solstice.

Tree and I were up at a sparrows chirp to watch the Solstice sunrise. We had planned to go to Avebury but Tree is still not right after her operation. Her stomach area is still very swollen and she is in a lot of discomfort. As it was, the sky was a little obscured by cloud so we got ourselves a couple of drinks and sat out in the garden and watched it from there. I love the calmness that only comes just before dawn and the madness of the birds as they all start twittering like mad idiots at the first glimpse of light.Tree and I have been a bit detached from the outside world, for one reason or another, over the last few weeks and it has been good to share the intimacy of this, at a time like this. All we need now is a good summer and a few festies and we will be made up.

I'm on the road again (well soonish).

My old bike


My new bike (in my dreams at the mo)

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Now that things are a bit calmer here, I have decided to dedicate some time to finishing a few projects I have put on the back burner over the years. One of them is to work towards getting my old bike back. Not literally my old bike, as it was a beautiful custom one off and I cried when they took it away (in pieces I might add), but the modern equivalent. The nearest to the Yamaha 750 SE special nowadays would be a dragstar. However I would rather have the larger 1100 but with a few modifications like on my old bike. For starters I would have it dropped with an extension to the front forks, easy rider stylee!! Anyway, I first need to get a licence and do it all legal this time so the first step will be to get on two wheels again. To do this I am going to buy a scooter and move upwards, at a rate of knots, to the superbike level. I have found a nice little scoot with sit up and beg bars and, trust me, there aren't many about like that. I also want a bike on the heavier side. This means you don't have that annoying weight to centre of gravity difference throwing you about on the road. The only problem is that there is only one person who sells them over here in the UK and they are brought in by order if you want a particular set up.Parts are easy to get though so there is a silver lining I guess. I just need to flick a coin over which colour I want and go for it. White, Green, White, Green .......... Oh it looks like it's gonna be white with black and chrome trim. Keep you posted!
P.S Someone mentioned about a mid-life crisis when buying a custom bike when you are over 40. I agree, but that is for saddo's who buy Harleys and can't ride properly. In my case, I was riding my SE special back in 1980 when most people hadn't even seen a custom bike outside of a show. Now it seems everyone has a Harley so I will be getting a big barge pole and steering clear of that crowd. Besides, I did my hedonistic bit back in the good old, breaking my leg twice, elbow once, hand three times, days. Sod speed, I want comfort now!!!

Time flies like the wind (fruit flies like a banana).

I must admit that I find it harder and harder to find time to blog these days. Don't get me wrong, it's a good thing as it means I've got a life outside of being a techy nerd stuck on a computer. It's just I do like to have the time to blog every now and then.
Anyway, Not a lot happening at Camp Sandys other than I have been working myself stupid getting loads done to the house. To do this I have been going to work at about 6am so I finish with a good chunk of the day left to work at home. This has been good, now I look back on what I've achieved, but knackering. Now I know you might say "I bet Tree hasn't been happy with you starting this early," but you would be soooo wrong. Tree has been getting up at 5.30 every day and going swimming after dropping me off to work. She has averaged at least half a mile each day. In fact I have to catch up with her in the mornings!! The only set back to this has been her recent surgery which has meant she can't go in water with stitches but I am sure she will be back on it again in no time. All this has spurred me on to think about getting down to the gym more but as Oscar Wild said "every time I think about exercise I have to lie down until it passes"

The Spring clean blog.

Well it has to be done at this time of year. Tree and I have taken time to get the old house in order and clear out all of the clutter that seems to have built up over the last year. Trust me though, when I say, that nothing has been put to waste. If it can't be handed on or car booted then it has been donated to a good cause like P.U.P.S (Protection of Unwanted Pets Society).
Otherwise, I have been really busy working on the house. I finally completed the conservatory floor and it now has a rich, deep shine that should last a few years at least. The cellar workshop has been refitted to make working down there easier for me as well.
As I said in an earlier blog, Tree and I have decided not to work any festies this year, however, we have bought tickets for WOMAD and will definitely be doing Nozstock!!! Can't wait.
On a sad note, Joy popped in today and told us that Dave Halligan committed suicide yesterday. He always said he would be dead by 40 and it seems he made his phophecy true. Ironically, I was only looking at some old photos of WOMAD, with Dave in them, this morning. His famous blogs Worcesterfari & Poons will live on in cyberspace forever. Rest In Peace mate.

Happy Birthday Pip!!

I couldn't resist the opportunity of Pip's birthday to print up and frame an old photo of her when she was a nipper. I think she liked it, although we did give it to her at the pub after a few beers!!

Eostre blessings.

Tree's mum invited all the family over for a Sunday lunch to celebrate Eostre. Tree and I sorted out an egg hunt in the garden for Jamie and a quizz, for the adults, after. It was good for everyone to get together as we hadn't since Yuletime. David suggested a game of swingball and between David, Nathan and Myself we managed to destroy the bats with our overkeen playing. Luckily, Tree and I have a spare set in our shed that we have never used!!

No more waiting.

Tree and I have just come back from Brighton after spending my birthday "bit of culture" weekend away. The highlight of the trip was seeing Ian McKellern and Patrick Stewart in Waiting for Godot at the Theatre Royal. We would have seen them at Malvern but they sold out in minutes and the only place left was Brighton. We also took time out to go to the Brighton Pavilion, which blew Tree away when she saw the opulent interior and the dragon chandeliers. I took Tree round the Laines to see the plethora of small art and design shops. Sadly, I had an upset stomach otherwise we would have enjoyed the mass of veggie cafes and restaurants in the area as well.

Back to work for the rest.

Tree and I have just finished a week off work together and I need a rest quite frankly. The week previous to this one and I was off work anyway with an upper respiratory infection, which doesn't go down well in a hospital, so was tired before I started.

Anyway, we went down to Cornwall at the start of the weekend to see Joy and Nige, stopping at Glastonbury on the way for lunch. We picked the best time to go as the weather was gorgeous and hot. We spent a lot of time scouting out the beaches and found some more wicked caves in Constantine and the Lizard Point. One of them was lined with this amazing red Algae and the photo doesn't show how red it actually was by a long shot. We also got to see Joy's new shop in Perranporth as the signs were put on this week. She should do well with the location and the summer crowds. We sold loads of the shop stock as well, so one less thing to worry about.

On that note, Tree and I are thinking about going to 3 or 4 festivals this year as punters rather than traders. We both have enough on with work that we would rather enjoy the festies like we used to rather than work them. We have had positive feedback from loads of organisers who have said they would love us to come anyway, trading or not, so why work if you don't have to. We will still keep the marquee for future events but just take a year out maybe. Besides, Noz loves me (why I don't know) so there is always an open invitation there!!

We came back to Worcester on Wednesday and have filled our days with relaxing, eating out and a bit of gardening. Just my trip to Brighton to look forward to now...it's a hard life innit!!

Red Nose Day

Tree raised £60 for Comic Relief this year through her colleagues at work and Slimming World. I, on the other hand, didn't do anything. However, I did wear a stupid red wig round to get the Chinese takeway which raised a laugh or two on the way. Making people laugh should be an all year round occupation , not just one day. Keep smiling!!

Happy Birthday to me.

What an excellent day. Tree got me lots of presents, including a trip to Brighton to see Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellern in Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett and a stay in a top hotel with dinner in a posh vegetarian restaurant. Sorted!! We met up with Pip on the weekend for lunch and she gave me an Xbox game and a BIG mug from her and Murali. To be honest, I have liked the mug best of all but that's me being soppy. Besides, I haven't been on my trip yet!!!

It's snow joke!

Blimey is that the time! Yep, that's January for you, gone in the blink of an eye. Its a sort of non-month, if there is such a thing. You get past Yuletime and its back to work and the daily routine and then, vroom, the end of January comes whizzing up.

Anyway, not a lot to report, apart from some festie news for the new year in the shape of invites to Blissfields, Nozstock and Tiddesley Wood. All with FREE pitches, which shows we must be doing something right. After last years wet, but not wonderful, series of disasters it can only get better....we hope.

Tree and I have not been up to much otherwise. I am settling into the new job and looking to doing a coders course, which takes about 2 years, and gets way better pay.

The weekends have been spent going out and entertaining ourselves. Clayton and Lorraine stopped over a couple of weekends ago and we had a good laugh, including trying Clayt's homemade Ferrero Roche which are supposed to be fat free. They DID actually taste a bit like the real thing!!

We have also managed to see a lot more of Pip & Murali. We met up in town the other day and had a good lunch but sadly I gave in to chocolate cake with cream for afters. Enjoyed every mouthful an all!!! Can't complain though as I am only 7 pounds off my target weight now. On Tues night they came over and we cooked up Tacos with a veggie filling...Yum, Yum. Murali liked it a lot. He has promised a masterclass in Sri Lankan cooking next time. Can't wait.

Otherwise, I am hopeful of a little more snow, now its the weekend, because I don't have to worry about driving in it or getting to work. Instead I can enjoy Mother Nature when she wraps the Earth up in a white blanket and that beautiful silence that comes with it. See Y'all!!

Herbie makes a full recovery.

It has only been 2 months since I had to report about Herbie being unwell and yet I have excellent news. Herbie has been for his quarterly heart scan and has actually improved!! The thickening of his heart wall has lessened and his overall cardio-vascular system is better. Don't get me wrong, this does not mean that he is back to normal but that he is responding to his medication very well. His abscess has cleared up and he is back to his handsome self as well !!

David, his vet, has said that lots of people have given up on their pets for lesser illnesses than this so a big pat on the back to us I say.

Dave.

Ian Haines and his wife, Sally, were down from Nottingham for the weekend and came out for a meal at Chesters on Saturday night. Dan and Sez came as well and we had a good laugh. The food was a bit crap though and waiting 50 minutes from main course to dessert was a drag. The crowning glory was when Tree ordered an Irish coffee. When it arrived it was a complete mess and spilt over the sides. Tree was very good in asking for a replacement without losing her cool. However, the replacement was worse than the first!!!! An explanation was proffered of, "The cream was heavy". This caused an outbreak of laughter as you can imagine. For the benefit of Chesters, I have posted two photos of an Irish coffee. You can guess which is Chesters. The moral of this tale being..... If you can't make it, don't sell it.

What a jolly, holly day!!

Tree and I are now recovering from our colds and the food onslaught that is the Yuletime meal. Pip and Murali came over for the day and Murali had his first "proper" Xmas dinner, even though it was veggie! He now understands the whole concept of eating till you feel you could burst. It was lovely to have them enjoying themselves with us at this special time of year.

We now have a week off work to relax and recharge the old batteries. We might just have enough energy to see in the New Year yet!!

Happy Solstice!!

Tree and I were unable to face climbing up onto the Malvern Hills for the Solstice sunrise as we are still recovering from the viral infection we have had for the last two weeks. In a way we have not missed anything as the sky is overcast and the horizon obscured.
However, we have just finished watching the live webcast from Newgrange in Ireland where the sun enters into the opening chamber and casts a ray of light up to the back wall 19 metres away. Even this was affected by the cloud cover and a simulation was shown in a real-time sync at the critical moment.
The important thing though is that we observe ritual and celebrate the coming back of the sun. We are arranging a special lunch at 12:04 to mark the solstice proper.
So Happy Solstice to everyone and may the sun warm your face and the cold stay at your back.

A merry Yule to one and all !!

Blimey ! Is it time of year again, already?? Tree and I have been so busy of late we haven't had time to notice that December has creapt upon us.
I started my new job on the 1st and within a couple of days came down with a horrible viral infection that had already put Tree out of action for a week. Not good when you are working in a high dependency unit! I am happy to say that, a week later, I am on the mend with just a nasty cough to shift.
Herbie is on the mend too and just looks a bit odd with a shaved face. Quite comical really.
We have also been working hard on the house and getting carpet put down in the bedroom so we can move back in to it.
Otherwise, not a lot has been happening apart from lots of wrapping up on the sofa with hot drinks and medicine. Exciting life!
Tomorrow we dress the tree which will put me in the Yule frame of mind. But in the meantime, I wish everyone a very merry Yule. May your wishes be fulfilled and your bellies too!

Two steps forward, one back.

Following on from the progress of Herbie and his heart condition, I have to report that he has managed to get into a scrap and come off the worse for wear. The first we noticed was when his face swelled up with a lump the size of an egg and he became quite subdued. We took him to the vets and he confirmed that it was an abscess as we suspected. Herbie had to be sedated under general anaesthetic to have it lanced and we feared he would not survive this procedure. But this is Herbie we are talking about and he bounced back from the operation. The only problem we had was that the site of injury had to be kept open to drain and this meant covering all of the carpets and furniture to protect it against the blood that was continually oozing out. The photo says it all I think. Anyway, he is back to normal now, the cut has healed nicely and the covers are off. I thought pets were supposed to be relaxing for their owners!!

Shop till you drop.

Tree's mum very kindly offered for us to host a small house party to sell off the stock from the shop. I spent most of the day setting it all out, having forgotten what a jumble it was in from closing the shop. It went surprisingly well and we made enough to pay for all of Herbie's vets bills, so the pressure is off a bit now. I can see now why party plan businesses are so popular, but then again, it is xmas so people will buy more.

On the festie side of things, Tree and I have booked up a few of the smaller ones for next year and will no doubt enjoy them more now they are not our main income.

On the work front, I start in my new job on Monday and I have already spent some time at the hospital getting to know my colleagues. They all seem a very friendly bunch and I know I will fit right in. A lot of them I already know from outside of work, which is great!

Herbie rides again!!

The title of this blog will be lost on a lot of readers but I'm just showing my age! Anyway, Herbie is doing okay on his medicine, which I have to dose twice a day no less, and now spends his time either eating or sleeping. He is very comfortable and knows his limitations, regarding going out and defending his territory, so his world now revolves around the confines of the garden. The computer chair by the pot belly stove has been taken over and a lot of time is spent standing at the computer so as not to disturb him.

Understandably, his lifespan is considerably shorter but its more about the quality of his life and he is definitely enjoying the fuss being made at the moment!!

Herbie update.

Well the weekend has come and gone and Herbie, I am glad to say, has managed to make it through. We are still a long way from being, relatively, in the clear and careful monitoring of his condition will become a part of our daily routine. Bearing in mind that he could suffer a heart attack at any time, I have learnt to perform feline CPR, something I would never have imagined in my lifetime. He is back to his grumpy self and is desperate to go outdoors. We go to the vets tonight and should find out the prognosis for his condition. Fingers crossed he can go outside!!!