I drove over to Stratford and dropped into Ian’s beforehand to solve a few little niggles on the new Netbook he’d bought for (his) Ann. That went pretty well with email up-and-running and all their photographs transferred across without a hitch. Restaurant-wise, Mags had booked the imaginatively titled: ‘1 Shakespeare Street’ in Stratford. I think …
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Web-site completed
I put the finishing touches to Nick and Celina’s web-site today – Hillside Cottage in Haworth. I used Serif’s excellent WebPlus software on this project instead of my normal DreamWeaver. First impressions of the software are very good indeed – it’s very intuitive and full of really useful features..and at a fraction of the cost …
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Lunch with Mae and Denis
We took a drive to Downtown to meet up with Denis and Mae for lunch. Ann drove and I fell asleep! We did a bit of shopping beforehand – I managed to pick up a new pair of shoes for work and although Ann couldn’t find a business suit that she liked, she did get …
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Origin of the Species – Bon-Bon attacks!
Image by Stevey P via Flickr Ahh, the domestic cat – aka ‘Felis Catus’ whose hunting skills have been honed to perfection after years of evolution. It’s still possible to see this basic instinct in today’s cats that was so evident in their distant relation – the sabre tooth tiger and today’s lions and tigers. …
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Our New Kitchen – A Step Backwards…
Having blown-out John Lewis because of their high prices and also a local supplier for lack of attention to detail (they missed an appliance off the plans!), our latest supplier has also bitten the dust. Great products, great prices, and a truly gorgeous showroom was complemented by a complete inability to meet any sort of …
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Kenwood …wouldn’t you?
There are food mixers, there are food processors and then there is the ‘Kenwood Chef Titanium’ – a beast of a machine that can do everything except boil an egg – err, actually I think it does that too! Ann’s new best-friend arrived today and nearly gave Paul, our neighbour a hernia bringing it round …
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Messing about in Boats
Busy, busy first thing! Neither of us slept too well (again) but we had to at Waitrose for opening and then Central Garage to pick-up Ann’s hire car. The weather forecast is looking good – perfect for boating!!! So, with all the ‘must-dos’ out-of-the-way, and a bit of food preparation behind us, we went round …
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Peter J’s 80th Birthday
I took a drive to Peter’s – we’re going out to The Chateau in Coombe Lane to celebrate his 80th (from a few weeks ago). It was Wendy’s idea to do it, and Isabel, Margaret and Pauline (from The Old Croydonians) were there too. It’s the first time we’ve got together a group like this …
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Films seen on the flight home from Japan
10 Rounds Whilst chasing a major felon, an American cop accidentally gets the felon’s girlfriend killed in a road accident. When the felon escapes prison, he kidnaps the cop’s girlfriend. The rest of the film follows the felon’s attempt to challenge the cop to 10 rounds of puzzle-solving across the city. Can’t remember any of …
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Japan Holiday – Day 10 (Final day)
We decided to use our final full-day here by travelling by train to Yokohama. So, after the predictable lack-lustre breakfast at the Marriott and arranging transport to the Airport tomorrow, we headed for the subway station, just down the road. Around 45 minutes later, we were in Yokohama, and after a short walk, the Harbour …
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Japan Holiday – Day 9
An ultra lazy morning as we’d mostly packed last night. After our last breakfast at the Hyatt, we took a taxi to the Station and caught the 10.56 bullet-train back to Tokyo arriving spot on time – 2.40pm. We re-checked back into the Marriott hotel – room 627 (just opposite the room where we were …
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Japan Holiday – Day 8
It’s Sunday, so time for a lie-in. Until well after 8am actually (very unusual for us!). We went down to breakfast at 9.15 and it was absolutely packed – so much so that they set up the bar as a temporary eating area. We think it must have been because a Tour was due soon, …
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Japan Holiday – Day 7
We had a lay-in, before pigging out on the excellent breakfast a little later and then heading off to Kyoto station for Osaka (the second largest city in Japan). We took the subway to the waterfront area to visit the well known Aquarium and when we got there, it looked like the rest of …
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Fake emails
Just a quick note to say ‘ooops’ – it looks like someone has hacked into my occasionally-used Google-mail account and has been sending emails to all my address-book entries. Sorry about that – I think I’ve now fixed it, so if you get any more after today, just let me know!
Japan Holiday – Day 6
We slept well – so for now, all is right with the world! 🙂 We were up at 7 and ready to tackle the extensive range at breakfast – yum! With brekky over it’s time to head west once more, and today it’s Hiroshima and Himeji Castle (the only castle in Japan to have been …
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Japan Holiday – Day 5
Hmmm, we didn’t sleep well last night and by the time we did, three seconds later, the alarm went off! So it was rather a rushed breakfast in the hotel restaurant. For the short time we spent in there though, we enjoyed the range of food on offer. We’ll appreciate it more tomorrow when we’ve …
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Japan Holiday – Day 4
At last, we slept right through – perhaps we’re at last, getting used to the time-zone. Ironically, on the day we had to check-out, we slept-in until 8.30am! Breakfast was the usual disappointing selection of luke-warm half-English-style; more boiled vegetables; duff pastries perfected by a non-baker; yoghurts and cereals. As for the coffee, it tasted …
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Japan Holiday – Day 3
We were both up by 7.45 today and after yesterday’s disastrous day, weather-wise, we were hoping today would be different. I took a look out of the window and it looked good – Dry and a clear blue-sky. We had breakfast in the hotel – it was busier than yesterday with at least a dozen …
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Japan Holiday – Day 2
I was up about 7am after a sleepless night. Actually we’d both slept very intermittently and we think it was due to the time difference. The first thing I did when I got up was look out the window. Although it’s not a Bank Holiday here, we had typical Bank-Holiday weather! Rain!!! We have a …
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Saving Ryan’s Privates
(Well, I thought it was funny!) Further to yesterday’s entry where I’d mentioned that we’d spotted that the toilet seat was plugged into the mains electricity, all is now clear! Take a close look at the symbols in the picture above (click on it to make it larger) – are you thinking what I’m thinking? …
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Japan Holiday – Day 1
We landed at Narita Airport around 9.00 (25 minutes ahead of schedule) local time, which was a good start! Once we’d got through the elaborate security (photograph and fingerprints!) we collected our bags and headed for the coach. To our surprise, we could see a local Representative with our names on a card, and after …
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Films seen on the flight to Japan
‘Gran Torino’ starring Clint Eastwood A retired Korean-war veteran leans to live with his neighbours – sort of! ‘In the Loop’ starring Peter Capaldi The big-screen version of the TV series. Political double-crossing from both sides of the pond. Fruity language throughout with a hilarious storyline highlighting the incompetence of politicians. ‘Knowing’ starring Nicolas Cage …
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Japan Holiday – Travel Day
John, our taxi-driver arrived at just after 9.30. We had a reasonably trouble-free journey down to Heathrow and about two-hours later, we were walking into Terminal 3. We’ve booked with Virgin and splashed-out on ‘Premium Economy’. I’m not sure what that gives us over-and-above the economy passengers, but I guess it’s greater leg-room and posher …
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Bat out of Hell… err…Feldkirchen
8.30 local time. For those of you who were disappointed to learn that Michael Schumacher is not returning to the race-scene, I have good news! I can confirm that after extensive facial plastic surgery and an enforced two-stone weight gain, he is now driving a taxi from Feldkirchen to Munich Airport. Overtaking on hairpin bends, …
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The Bauer Hotel, Feldkirchen, Munich – Day 2
I’m pretty impressed with this hotel. After a luke-warm reception when I checked in last night, service levels have exploded into 100% total customer focus! Our allocated staff member – Angela – for my two day event here has been a whirlwind of efficiency and she’s been consistently one step two steps ahead of me …
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Germany calling…
Well, here I am at the Bauer Hotel and Gastof in Munich – a rather sweet little hotel about 20 minutes from the airport. I’m here for three-and-a-bit days for one of my clients. It’s about 21 degrees at home but they seem to be having a mini heat-wave here – phew! it’s 3.45 in …
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Princess Project!
Ann went over to Denise’s today to polish up her MS Project skills.
Paul and Karen’s for a feast…
Paul and Karen invited us round for one of their legendary feasts, so as soon as we got back from the film, we headed straight there. We’d estimated we wouldn’t be there until 9, but the film finished earlier than we thought and we were soon chatting and drinking with Paul, Karen, Tom and Julie. …
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Film: The Time Traveler’s Wife
We drove to the local Odeon to see the just-released film: The Time Traveler’s Wife from Audrey Niffenegger’s book of the same name. I hadn’t read it, but I do recall it being at the top of the best seller’s list back in 2004. I’m not normally attracted to romantic movies, but I was intrigued …
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Biscuit and Bon-Bon get a ‘wash and brush-up’
The cats went in for their six-weekly ‘service’ today by Patsy. It’s always a challenge to get them in the basket to take them there – all claws, teeth and blind panic – they know you know! This time, strangely, they were pretty well-behaved and we got them both in without any personal wounds. They …
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