Dragons, Superheroes, and Chocolate Cake…

It was Ollie’s 14^th birthday recently (the younger of our Godsons) and we joined his family for the celebrations. He proudly showed us his newly acquired Bearded Dragon that he had named Max (Sue and I were not so keen to get up close and personal with it). We had bought him the Munchkin Marvel game as he is a big fan of the comics, and I tried (badly) to teach him how to play. Sue however impressed everyone with the chocolate cake that she had baked for him, which topped of a lovely meal with them all.

London Culture…

As part of a get together for his birthday we visited the National Portrait Gallery with Terry and Katherine (we understand it is due to close for 3 years soon). We didn’t get to see everything and we needed to take a break for lunch in between, where we went to a pub called the Sherlock Holmes that has a room upstairs made up to look like the famous detective’s, complete with a creepy model of the man himself. After we did finish with our visit to the gallery, we had a drink in one half of the Ship & Shovell, a pub split in two by the Craven Passage.

As Terry and Katherine left for home, Sue and I ventured over the river to the Royal Festival Hall to listen to some free live jazz. While we were there we picked up a couple of tickets for the Calexico + Iron & Wine show that evening (they have worked together before and we have seen Iron & Wine perform, but never Calexico, who I was eager to see). After a quick bite to eat in the nearby Ping Pong we went back to the venue and watched a very good gig (the main act was supported by Irish musician Lisa O’Neill). After the show, we had a reviving cocktail in the Black & Blue opposite the station while we waited for our train home.

A long but entertaining day was had.

Man Cave…

The attic room (controversially called the ‘Man Cave’ by Sue) has mostly been the storage area, computer room and a spare bedroom, and has over time become full of more junk. Recently we have spent some time reorganising it (moving units, buying more shelves and boxes), and getting rid of some of the clutter, so that we can move the various board games from downstairs up and put them out on display. There is still a lot of stuff that has been collected that will need to be reviewed to see if it is worth keeping (much of it is things such as ticket stubs and programmes from old shows, guide books of places we have visited, and other paraphernalia that has little material worth but a great deal of sentimental value). I did find a newspaper from the moon landing and another from the Silver Jubilee amongst others, some of Jamie’s baby teeth in a box, an old Mega Drive console, a box of Lego and branded material from many of the companies I have worked for. Still, that is a project for another day.

The Nerd Herd…

Now a new regular event for a few of us is the Essen Spiel, an enormous gaming convention in Germany with now six halls full of board/card/dice/role-playing games, live action materials, collectables and all manner or related items. It is one of the largest (if not the largest) event of its kind in the world, which for the most part is about selling you your next favourite game. Naturally it focusses on the European market and style of Euro games, but there are still a few AmeriTrash games and several exotic flavours from other parts of the world.

We continue to stay a little way out from Essen at the Handelshof in Mulheim an du Ruhr in what has become a family home away from home, where they provide us with a space to play our games.

The only game I bought this year was called Ishtar, a simple ‘gateway’ style of game. One of the reasons is that I need to reorganise my game storage as I have run out of space.

In addition to the gaming our little sub-group of gamers also enjoy a good meal and social interaction over a glass of wine or two. And this is usually catered for by the Mausefalle restaurant nearby, where we usually all go for the Pork Knuckle and the Apple Strudel, and this year was no different.

However, we also found another restaurant nearby called Ratskeller that also had some very lovely food.

As our party included English, South African and New Zealanders, we were drawn into watching the World Cup Rugby, unfortunately as is the case with these competitions, there were winners and losers.

It was however entertaining to be part of the buzz in what seemed to be the start of a joke (an Englishman, South African and a Kiwi walk into an Irish bar in Germany…) the bar in question being amusingly named Fritzpatricks.

Some of the older regulars were absent from the hotel this year but we hope that we can encourage some younger folk to join us in the future.

New England in the Fall…

Our big holiday this year was to Eastern Canada and the USA to see the autumn colours in the trees. We went with Sue’s sister Debbie, flying out from Heathrow to Toronto and returning from Boston.

Toronto

We arrived late into Toronto airport and took a cab to where we were staying in an AirBnb high in a tower block downtown (next to the Scotiabank Arena).

Early next morning we walked over to the St Lawrence Market for breakfast (where we partook of local delicacy the Peameal Bacon on a Bun). On the way, we saw some fun street artwork, including a dog fountain (water comes out of the mouths of the dogs), a mural of a pealing façade and a collection of bronze ice hockey players outside the stadium. After breakfast we went up the iconic CN Tower for a panoramic view of the city and lake. It was turning into a bright clear day with a cool breeze as we walked down to the waterfront, past the old train roundhouse (now a museum and brewery), and caught the ferry across to the islands and back for the views. Afterwards we wondered uptown to the Rex Hotel to catch some music and have some lunch. From there we walked around looking at the sights (Historic buildings, statues, the Toronto sign, the theatre district etc.). That evening was the first match in the new ice hockey season at the stadium next to our apartment, so we joined in and experienced some of the hype in the sports bar as the Toronto Maple Leafs took on the Montreal Canadians.

Niagara on the Lake

After breakfast, we picked up a car and drove on towards our next destination, stopping for some wine tasting and a fabulous lunch at the Trius Winery in Niagara on the Lake.

Niagara Falls

After arriving at Niagara Falls we walked from our hotel to the funicular railway that took us down the cliff to the waters edge and our boat ride, wearing our fetching red ponchos that protected us a bit from the incredible spray coming off the amazing waterfalls. In the evening, we ventured up the Skylon Tower for an elevated view of the falls (lit up at night) and a cocktail, and then we walked down and went into the quiet Queen Victoria Place Restaurant for nibbles and another drink (I had a beer flight) where we had a great view of the fireworks. As we walked back through the neon flashing, bass thumping streets, we stopped to have a ride on the SkyWheel before turning in for the evening.

Ottawa

We had an early start today as it was a long drive today to get to the Canadian capital of Ottawa, which we found to be a very attractive city with some lovely buildings and public sculptures. We ate at the ByWard Market area in the lovely Fish Market restaurant, where I had a flight of beers and the girls enjoyed some good seafood. We had a nightcap in the lounge of our lovely hotel, The Metcalfe, and turned in for the night.

Montreal

We dropped off the car when we got to Montreal and checked into our small, quaint hotel, Auberge Le Pomerol, with its very helpful concierge. He recommended a delightful BYO restaurant nearby for dinner. In the meantime, we wandered down to the old town and soaked up some of the historical sights and we made enquiries about taking a train up to Quebec the next day – it turned out to be prohibitively expensive so we gave it a miss. The recommended restaurant was called O’Thym and had a very inventive and delicious menu in its small and intimate venue. We enjoyed it immensely.

The next day we went up to the delightful market at Little Italy for breakfast, explored the lovely streets and park, had a few drinks at a nearby Dieu du Ciel! brewery (all good apart from Deb being stung on the backside). We had lunch at an interesting restaurant called the Caribou Gourmand and walked up Mont Royal to the Chalet to get a panoramic view across town. That evening we went out to the House of Jazz for dinner and listened to some fabulous music played by some very talented musicians going by the name of Snooksta and the Gangstas.

Burlington

We had planned not to take a car across the border as it seemed to be an expensive option so we booked tickets on the Greyhound bus from Montreal to Burlington airport where we picked up a new rental car for the USA.

Stowe

On our way to our destination of Stowe we stopped for an ice cream at the Ben & Jerry’s factory (they started out in Burlington). At Stowe, we took a short walk up a hill to get a view of the pretty town, drove up into the mountains to see the Von Trapp resort, and had a couple flights of beer at their brewery. We started to see the fabulous autumnal colours in the trees that make this area such an attraction for the ‘leaf peepers’. We checked into our cabin in the woods at the Golden Eagle Resort, and walked back into town for a meal at Plate and then to listen to Jacob Green playing at the Tap 25 bar.

Jackson Falls

The next morning after our breakfast at Black Cap in Stowe we drove through the beautiful countryside, stopping at little towns and at spectacular viewpoints along the way to Jackson in the White Mountains National Park. We found a fun bar (the Wildcat Inn at Jackson) for lunch and had an explore of the nearby covered ‘Honeymoon’ bridge and the delightful Jackson Falls themselves. We ended up at our old time grand Eagle Mountain hotel where we watched the sun come down over the green, yellow and red countryside from rocking chairs on the veranda with a cocktail in hand. We later returned to the Wildcat Inn for dinner that evening.

Bar Harbor

Our journey now took us to the northern coast of Maine and the island of Bar Harbor where we had another AirBnb. A couple of Americans had told us of a bar here called the Tap & Barrel (whilst we were in the queue at the Rum and Gin festival at the Oval), so we went there and had a great time sampling the local brews and talking to people at the bar.

We spent our time the next day exploring this pretty island and the Arcadia National Park from seashore to mountain top. That evening we ate at the local Atlantic Brewing Midtown venue, washing down our food with a flight of beers each.

Portland

We had a small, unimpressive, (but cheap) AirBnb place to stay in at Portland (Maine not Oregon), but as it was we were pretty tanked up by the end of the night so it hardly mattered. Earlier on we had a walk along the water front we stopped at the Shipyard Brewing Company to sample their beers (it turns out Portland is well known for its breweries), the staff their recommended a fish restaurant to try. J’s Oysters was on one of the piers and was a fun place, at the bar we got talking to many people from near and far and we recommended a few other places to visit. The first was a micro-brewery called Gritty McDuffs and the second a bar called Novare Res with an amazing selection of beers (and a competition with an engraved cup held in a safe for people who managed to drink all their beers in a year). Then we ended up at quirky restaurant called The North Point for dinner before staggering back to our apartment.

Cape Cod

Next day we drove on to Hyannis in Cape Cod, had lunch at Spanky’s Clam Shack and bought tickets for the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard for the next day. Later that day we travelled to the farthest point where Provincetown (the landing place of the Mayflower) is situated. A quaint, hippy-like place. Further down the coast, as I took photos of the sun setting over the sea, the girls had a drink in the Bookstore. We returned to our accommodation (a nice AirBnb basement flat in a quiet road near the sea) and we had a lovely meal out in town at the Downtown Bistro.

We spent most of our time the next day over on the picturesque Martha’s Vineyard, though it was very quiet as it had started to shut up for the season. Amongst looking at the quaint towns on the island we had breakfast at Linda Jean’s and a snack at the Black Dog Tavern (quite a brand on the island) before returning on the afternoon sailing. We had an unimpressive meal at a nearby tavern and turned in as the weather was getting worse as a storm rolled in, knocking down nearby trees, and taking out the power for a while during the night.

Boston

On our way from Cape Cod to Boston we stopped at the Plimoth Plantation, a living museum that attempted to represent a replica of an early Pilgrim village and Native Settlement with people dressed in period costume to explain things to you. It was very interesting. At Boston we dropped our car off at the airport as our final AirBnb was nearby. There was some confusion about the apartment which resulted in us initially entering the wrong flat and having to return home a bit earlier than we wanted to as we had been relocated. We took the T up to Harvard and walked through the historic grounds on to where we had pre-booked our most expensive dinner at the Tasting Counter nearby. Next door was a brewery called the Aeronaut where we had a quick drink before going into the eating experience. All the guests sat around the kitchen and watched the chefs work their magic as we were served dish after dish with accompanying wine. Afterwards we returned to the Aeronaut where they had jazz music playing for a while (Adam Janjigan Quartet) until we had to go back to the correct apartment (a mistake about what the first floor means to Americans and Europeans, and the wrong door code).

We spent the day walking around taking in the sights of Boston (including the Faneuil Hall Market, some of the historic trail, the park, Cheers, past the Tea Party Ships, and drinks as the sun came down at the Lookout balcony bar atop the Envoy hotel. That evening we enjoyed a great Italian meal at Bencotto in Little Italy and later the girls indulged themselves in a cigar in the Stanza dei Sigari smoking bar. After that we caught some lively music at a Hennessy’s Bar

The final day we took it easy and strolled around the town a bit more, getting breakfast at the popular Pauli’s, picking up some cakes at the iconic Mike’s Pastry, getting a coffee at the Caffe dello Sport and another at Tatte Bakery & Cafe, until we had to leave for our long journey home.

We saw some lovely countryside and were very lucky with the weather, ate and drank some fabulous produce, and met some interesting people along the way. All in all, a great holiday.

Booze Cruise…

Recently we took advantage of a deal being done by the Majestic France wine store where by if you pre-order a certain value of wine they will provide either an additional discount or free travel on a ferry or the train to get you to their store. And since the price of the wines is about half that of the same wine in the UK, we decided to nip across the channel for a day trip. We were very lucky with the weather as it was a beautiful day with temperatures around the 28C mark. At Sangatte, a short distance from Coquelles on the coast, the long, sandy, beach was almost empty and we could stroll along in peace and quiet watching the ferries sailing between France and the UK. He two were tall cliffs that mirrored those we could see at Dover in the distance. It was at Sangatte that we had booked into Le Blanc Nez restaurant for lovely lunch. We then stocked up on our goodies and trundled back home. If things change with regards to the impact of Brexit we might not be able to do this again so easily, or so cheaply.

Local History…

The Heritage Open Days scheme provides access to historical buildings and we took advantage of it to visit a few in the nearby villages of Effingham and Little Bookham. These included:

·        St Lawrence’s Church, Effingham – where Sir Barnes Wallis (Dambusters) is buried.
·         Manor Farm Tithe Barn and Barnes Wallis Anniversary – a Grade 2 listed tithe barn (one of the largest in Surrey) that held a comprehensive exhibition about Sir Barnes Wallis to mark the 40^th anniversary of his death.
·         Effingham Methodist Church – a quaint church with a small exhibition about local people including Ada Lovelace (Analytical Engine – early computer program), Charles Howard (Lord of the Admiralty who defeated the Spanish Armada), and dinosaurs.  
·         Manor House School
·         All Saints Church, Little Bookham – believed to have originated from about 1100 and containing a Vulgate Bible.
·         Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church

After such a cultural tour, we ended up at the King William IV, a quaint pub with a view across to Ranmore.

Sipping in the Park…

The sun was out for the Pippfest in Dorking and we went along with friends to soak some of it up, along with a few pints of local ale.

The quoted aim of the festival is:

‘Pippfest is an annual festival of music, art, crafts, food & lots more at Pippbrook House. Fun for the whole family and a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness (and fundraise!) for the CHiP project, a community campaign to save this beautiful building for community use.’

Some of the wonderful local bands we watched included:

·         Lifes Circus;
·         Easy Skanking Band;
·         Eclectix;
·         Stephanie Davies & The Super Dynamics;
·         Objayda.

Just for Laughs…

Along with a couple of neighbours/friends we went to see Jimmy Carr perform at the Dorking Halls. To be expected he was very rude, using the audience as part of his act, which did make me feel somewhat vulnerable sitting in the second row, but luckily a vegan gold star lesbian marketing software optimiser took the flack for the rest of us in the hall.

St Albans and Surrounds…

We visited Uncle Terry and Katherine at her home in St Albans and wandered around the town stopping at the Assembly Hall Museum and Gallery where the old Court Room had been converted into a café we also saw the cells in the basement and an exhibition space with Cornish artist Barbara Hepworth’s sculptures and drawings on show. We also spent some time in the lovely Cathedral with an informative guide and also listening to the choir practicing. The following day we visited Wheathampstead (where Katharine and her family come from) and the National Trust property (Bernard) Shaw’s Corner (the house containing many personal items such as his Nobel prize and Oscar statue for Pygmalion).

More of Wot I Have Read…

Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

This was one of the books on Sue’s Kindle and as I had finished my last physical book I went virtual. I found this to be written in a way that made me think of it like a crime drama serial on TV. It was gentle and uncomplicated without too many surprises and washed over me quite well.

‘Dr Ruth Galloway is called in when a child’s bones are discovered near the site of a pre-historic henge on the north Norfolk salt marshes. Are they the remains of a local girl who disappeared ten years earlier – or are the bones much older?

DCI Harry Nelson refuses to give up the hunt for the missing girl. Since she vanished, someone has been sending him bizarre anonymous notes about ritual sacrifice, quoting Shakespeare and the Bible. He knows that Ruth’s expertise and experience could help him finally to put this case to rest.

But when a second child goes missing, Ruth finds herself in danger from a killer who knows she’s getting ever closer to the truth…’

Festival of Booze…

We have been going to a Gin Festival for several years but last year it failed as a business and the Gin & Rum Festival appeared. As I am not a huge fan of gin, but do like a drop of rum, I was thrilled by the change. Our regular drinking gang joined us (Deb, and the Whittenburys) and we bumped into several other friends at its new venue at the Oval cricket ground. In the line, I also got talking to a lovely American couple who were holidaying in town (turned out he had lived in NZ and had tips on places to visit during an upcoming US holiday).

Unusually for a Bank holiday the weather was hot and sticky so we struggled a bit amongst the crowds in the poorly air-conditioned tasting hall.  But overall, we had a good time and went on to a lovely bar called Mother Kelly’s to sample few beers from their extensive selection before Sue, Deb and I went to Clapham Junction and had a bite to eat (and anther drink) at a quirky bar called Vagabond (you can buy the wine with a card from dispensers, like they do in Vinopolis).

Late Summer Sun…

It was another glorious summer weekend when we visited RHS Wisely gardens with Marc, seeing the new entrance and ongoing expansion work and a sculpture exhibition throughout the grounds. We had lunch at the lovely Withies Inn, and that evening Marc and I were beaten at board games by Sue.

More of Wot I Have Read…

This How You Lose the Time War by Amal-El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

This book has an unusual format to it, alternating between the two main characters and the letters they exchange the narrative slowly reveals elements of them both, their worlds and the conflict between their respective groups. Much is left to the reader’s imagination, which I think is good as it is a complex setting that would only get in the way of the building relationship between the two foes.

‘Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It reads: Burn before reading. Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future. Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them. There’s still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win that war. That’s how war works. Right?’

Rain Stops Play…

Recently we visited the Oval with the family as part of a birthday present to Sue’s sport mad brother Chris. The game of cricket was the Gloucestershire vs Surrey T20 Blast. Gloucestershire were first into bat and later, part way through the Surrey innings, the rain stopped play. Surrey lost by the DLS method (not to be confused with the pop group).

Getting a Man in…

Work has been done on the house (the exterior painted, roof repaired, kitchen lights replaced, taps and shower cubicle replaced) and as I am not a proficient DIYer we employed some of Sue’s Brother’s guys to do the work. They had to struggle through some challenging weather (heatwave and then thunderstorms on different days), but the work has been done. Sue subsequently partially repainted the bathroom to freshen it up and it all looks very smart now.

Sitting in a Field…

Sue, Deb and I enjoyed another Wickham Music Festival (we visited a couple of years ago). This is a lovely small event with only two main tents and several smaller stages scattered around one field. There were several big names from days gone by performing (Gilbert O’Sullivan, Level 42, Judy Collins, Ralph McTell, Graham Nash etc.) and many lesser known acts.

We were lucky for the weather for the most part as it was dry and not too hot during the weekend, the only notable rain started on the morning we started to pack up, resulting in us having to dry out the tent in the garden later when we got home, before packing it away completely for another year.

Among the many acts that we saw performing during the weekend were the following (in no particular order):

• -          Matthews Southern Comfort
• -          Graham Nash (he still has it)
• -          Skinny Lister (a great act that style themselves shanty-punk)
• -          The Proclaimers (we saw them here before and they were very good)
• -          National Youth Folk Ensemble (an impressive collective of young artists)
• -          The Outside Track
• -          The Bar Steward Sons of Val Doonican (a very funny novelty act)
• -          The Spooky Mens Chorale (their usual fabulous selves)
• -          Le Vent Du Nord
• -          Baka Beyond (a very interesting fusion of sounds)
• -          Dreadzone (a foot-stomping good reggae act)
• -          Stanley Jordan (for a short time – a virtuoso guitar performance, but not what we were after)
• -          Level 42 (short time – not quite what they used to be)
• -          Siobhan Miller
• -          Will Pound & Eddy Jay
• -          Cara Dillon
• -          Dervish
• -          The Men They Couldn’t Hang (some)
• -          Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls (some – not overly impressed)
• -          Afro Celt Sound System (great lively performance)
• -          Winters Hill,
• -          Sam Kelly & the Lost Boys
• -          Jamie Smith’s Mabon
• -          Ross Ainslie & Ali Hutton’s Symbiosis
• -          Blazin’ Fiddles (some)
• -          Treacherous Orchestra
• -          The Kiefer Sutherland Band (suitably impressed)
• -          Alabama 3 (a very moving performance after the loss recently of one of the founder members)

There were also a few dance groups (we saw our local Boxhill Bedlam side), and many wandering acts such as the Dinosaur Group, a tall Scotsman and his rude dog, the Sniffer Dog Patrol, a large tortoise etc.

Cultural Day Out…

We visited the Watts Gallery located between Guildford and Godalming near the A3. It was the creation of George Frederic Watts and his wife Mary, both very accomplished artists working in the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement. At the gallery, along with paintings and sculptures by Watts, was an exhibition of some of John Frederick Lewis’s works, and we were very impressed with these and his ability to capture the light and character in his subjects.  

Also at this site they have an artist village where you can take part on courses of a variety of artistic techniques. You can visit their home, Limnerslease, decorated by Mary and containing a reproduction of George’s studio. A short walk down the road you can also visit the remarkable Watts Chapel and its breath-taking interior decorations. We spent a very enjoyable time explore all there was on offer and afterwards went for a drink at the nearby Withies Inn before heading home.

50 Year Tour…

In celebration of their 50^th year the Aldbury Morris Men went for their annual weekend away to Winchester with the Hemlock Morris and we tagged along too.

It happened to be the Hat Fair in town (nothing to do with making hats – the term refers to street performers handing out the hat for donations), and they were scheduled to make a few appearances on the Saturday.

Sue an I arrived early on the Friday and explored the town including the Cathedral, The Great Hall (with Arthur’s Round Table), Wolvesey Castle ruins (the Old Bishop’s Palace) and the working old city mill. We had a lovely lunch at the River Cottage Kitchen, sitting on the terrace and watching the opening parade to the festivities. That evening we caught up with Terry and Katharine for dinner and then joined a few others for a musical jam at a nearby pub.

The next day we followed the sides around as they danced in town and went with them on an outing to The Royal Oak in Fritham, New Forrest, where we met Marc and his Aunt.

We stayed at the Winchester Royal while we were in town.

More of Wot I have Read…

Praetorian by Simon Scarrow

Apparently, this is the 11^th book in the Eagles of the Empire series following the adventures of Roman soldiers Cato and Marco. It is an easy read the rolls along at a comfortable pace without offering too many challenges to the reader.

‘The city of Rome in AD 50 is a dangerous place. Treachery lurks on every corner, and a shadowy Republican movement, ‘the Liberators’, has spread its tentacles wide. It is feared that the heart of the latest plot lies in the ranks of the Praetorian Guard. Uncertain of whom he can trust, the Imperial Secretary Narcissus summons to Rome two courageous men guaranteed to be loyal to the grave: army veterans Prefect Cato and Centurion Macro.

Tasked with infiltrating the Guard, Cato and Macro face a daunting test to win the trust of their fellow soldiers. No sooner have they begun to unearth the details of the Liberators’ devious plan than disaster strikes: an old enemy who could identify them, with deadly consequences, makes an unexpected appearance. Now they face a race against time to save their own lives before they can unmask the mastermind behind the Liberators…’

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

a Booker Prize award winning novel that has a unique style to it, presented as quotes as if it was an interview of the characters within the story or references as part of research. It results in a strange, otherworldly and oddly engaging narrative.

‘The American Civil War rages while President Lincoln's beloved eleven-year-old son lies gravely ill. In a matter of days, Willie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln returns to the crypt several times alone to hold his boy's body.

From this seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of realism, entering a thrilling, supernatural domain both hilarious and terrifying. Willie Lincoln finds himself trapped in a transitional realm - called, in Tibetan tradition, the bardo - and as ghosts mingle, squabble, gripe and commiserate, and stony tendrils creep towards the boy, a monumental struggle erupts over young Willie's soul.’

Sun, Sea and Champagne…

For Sue’s birthday, this year we rented a cottage in the small seaside town of Whitstable on the north Kent coast looking out across the Thames estuary. It is a fishing town with a thriving oyster industry, famous since Roman times for the Native Oyster beds.

The town was also known for one of the earliest passenger railway services, nicknamed the Crab & Winkle line. The old steam engine, Invicta, has been restored and returned to the town museum.

The diving helmet was an invention of the area that was used in salvage work in deep waters.

Out in the estuary are several sea forts (also known as Maunsell forts), large military installations that served as protection against ships and planes during WWII. Now they share the waters with a large wind turbine array that provides power to the country. We took a stimulating boat trip out to the Red Sands installation (once later used as a pirate radio station) that took us right through the edge of the wind farm. Further up the coast is another installation that has declared itself the independent Principality of Sealand.

Naturally we enjoyed many various seafood dishes, eating at the Whitstable Oyster Company restaurant, the oldest restaurant in town – Wheelers, and picking up bits in the market next to the harbour. We did mix it up with Mexican inspired street food at the fun Dirties bar and restaurant in town. As is our way the food was washed down with liberal application of alcoholic beverages.

The weather was unusually hot, reaching well into the 30’s on Saturday, and we were out early wandering around town, up to the ‘castle’, down along Tankerton beach (ice cream in hand), back to the harbour (a fortifying drink in The Harbour Garden Café) before venturing out onto the water to visit the forts and windfarm (at least it was cooler out on the water). When we returned, we had lunch and further explored the town. Watching the sunset whilst sitting on the beach was very memorable.

On Sunday, we had a leisurely breakfast and then drove off to visit the lovely Ightham Mote historical house and gardens as they were having a display from a local sculpture group and we had not been back here for a while.

We picked up some provisions and returned home to relax in the sunshine some more. A very good weekend away. 

More of Wot I have Heard…

We returned to the Isle of Wight Festival this year as a treat for our eldest godson Tom. Sue’s sister Deb also joined us and we stayed at the Silver Glades Caravan Park in the same van we had a few years previously with my mum. We travelled after work on Friday (after Tom’s final exam) and took the ferry from Southampton to East Cowes, then across the floating bridge to West Cowes and on to the caravan park. We went into Yarmouth for dinner at the Blue Crab before having an evening stroll along the pier. While there we saw several black RIBs powering up the Solent without any lights on, they turned towards the harbour and switch on the lights as they cruised in – not sure who they were (we speculated that they might be military, Deb thought they might be delivering her some Milk Tray chocolates).

After breakfast, we drove to a parking spot near the festival site (I volunteered to drive as getting a taxi could have been a bit of an issue later). We were at the gates when they opened at 11am and exploring the site not long after.

It was clear that the weather was not going to be great (some reports of previous days told of a tornado and torrential rain), so we came prepared. As it was the rain was light and patchy and eventually cleared up completely at sunset.

I was wearing my festival top hat (complete with goggles) and my oilskin duster coat, looking a bit like a steampunk cowboy, which got a few comments – positive ones too – from strangers, even an invitation to join a Steampunk Festival the following weekend.

We started at one of the smaller tents and watched a couple of lesser known bands: Floodhounds and The Dead Freights.

At the Big Top we saw Stitch, who impressed us all very much.

After that we moved to set up a place in front of the main stage and as we arrived Andrew Roachford was just finishing. Here we watched KT Tunstall sing her hits, Anne-Marie played up to her pop princess image, Sundara Karma were unknowns who surprised us (the lead singer had a David Bowie’esque sound on some songs), Rick Astley was enthusiastic and fun (he also played the drums on an AC/DC cover), Bastille were just fantastic (they also had a cameo from Rick Astley on the drums for one song), George Ezra had damaged his foot and sat down through his performance which was very polished (he did talk a lot, explaining each song) that culminated in fireworks, and finally, the headliner for Saturday, Fatboy Slim, who put on a particularly impressive show with exciting video images, smoke cannons, laser displays and a thumping sound.

It all finished at about midnight.

The next day we headed off to catch the return ferry at 12:30 and drove back to the Whittenburry’s for a Father’s Day meal as we joined their family.

Sue and I were back home in bed early, still tired from the night before, thankful we only went for the one day.

Green Fingers…

As penance for our excesses we spent the weekend working in our garden getting it tidy (fixing down a deck plank where a wasp nest was evicted from underneath, jet washing the said deck, cutting and trimming and pruning and weeding the greenery until it was all spic and span. We do need to do a few more chores such as paint the fences and wooden furniture, but it is looking much better now.

Afterwards we went to visit 7 local gardens as part of the Pip Brook Open Gardens event in the village that aims to raise funds for a Peace Garden in the St Johns church yard. An excuse for a good nose around other peoples back gardens.

Musical Interlude…

We thoroughly enjoyed and was moved by Rocketman when we saw it recently at our favourite cinema in Reigate, and afterwards we returned to Dorking and spent a drunken evening listening to a lively (if slightly geriatric) band called Blue Haze (or Hayz) at The Old House.

Playing Games…

Martin, Marc and I joined Rhys on our regular board game pilgrimage to the UK Games Expo in Birmingham. This year we stayed further out towards Coventry as it was cheaper than the hotels next to the venue and was closer to where Rhys lives. The hotel was not great but they were happy for us to game in the bar. On the day, we went into the venue it seemed even busier than last year. We did however find a good table to play many games during the day and into the wee small hours. I think the consensus was that Wingspan and the Quacks of Quedlinburg were our favourite games.

Two Guitar Harmony…

We saw the Americana/Folk duo Milk Carton Kids at the Barbican recently and were impressed how two people could command a stage in such a calm and gentle manner with the whole audience hanging on every harmonious note and amusing anecdote. They were very ably supported by Rosie Carney who has a sweet voice. Beforehand we had a lovely and civilised meal at the nearby Chiswell Street Dining Rooms (in the former Whitbread Brewery building). The otherwise fabulous evening was only marred when I lost my debit card.

Pie Heaven…

Sue made a fabulous Steak, Guinness and Cheese pie for our Kiwi friends, and we were all in raptures afterwards. An absolute culinary masterpiece.  

Geek Life…

I took Ollie to the spring MCM London Comic Con held at the ExCel centre. It was a first for both of us and we were overwhelmed with the number of people and the variety of costumes on show. The event is large and spans several halls with games, comics, costumes, films and collectables everywhere.

Tourist Guides…

Carol visited us a gain for a few days at the end of her European tour before returning home to NZ. We took her around the quaint local villages, slogged up Leith Hill, and wandered around the historic treasure of Polsden Lacey. Sue also took her on an epic tour around London from London Bridge to the Albert Memorial. On a separate outing, they also went to the seaside at Brighton.

Floral Splendour…

We had another visit to RHS Wisely to spend a pleasant day wandering around and taking in the sights and scents of the rather splendid spring flowers.

More of Wot I have Read…

Mars Trilogy (Red Mars, Green Mars and Blue Mars) by Kim Stanley Robinson

These were three heavy weight books that are epic in in scope and take quite some effort to work through as the author expounds detailed theorems for all aspects of the story (space travel, terraforming geology/chemistry/physics/biology, human psychology and physiology, sociology, politics etc.). This focus on the minutia often slows the pace of a narrative to a crawl but it does give everything an air of believability. Worth the effort if you are a science fan.  

‘Red Mars: The Future History of Mars - Part One

1969: Neil Armstrong becomes the first man to set foot on the Moon.

2020: John Boone becomes the first man to set foot on Mars.

2027: The first mass-landing arrives on Mars.

It's the greatest challenge mankind has ever faced.

In 2027, the Ares, the biggest space-worthy craft ever built by man, reaches high orbit around Mars. Inside is a crew who will become the first one hundred people to land on the planet's surface.

Among them are the Russian team, led by the magnetic Maya Toitovna and radical socialist Arkady Bogdanov with their pragmatic engineer Nadia Cherneshevsky; Hiroko Ai - a Japanese biologist; and the Americans, led by Boone and the ambitious Frank Chalmers. Their mission: terraform a frozen wasteland with no atmosphere into a new Eden.

Their mission must succeed. The future of human civilization depends on it.’

‘Green Mars: The Future of Mars – Part Two

Frozen lakes form, lichen creeps over the dry stone, a thin atmosphere wraps the planet. Man's dream of a new world is underway, but corrupted. The revolution defeated, Earth's transnational corporations set about plundering Mars for profit. Countries are bought and sold by the transnationals, why not planets too?

The survivors of the First Hundred know that technology alone won't bring utopia. But though they all have a common enemy – Earth's grasping corporations – they cannot agree to a means, let alone an end. Boone is dead, Hiroko Ai is venerated by believers in the green way, Sax Russell argues for scientific rationalism; Ann Clayborne opposes all interference – Mars should be preserved absolutely. Do they want bloody revolution or peaceful co-existence? The First Hundred is split and weakened; trust and co-operation are as thin on the ground as the Martian air they breathe.’

‘Blue Mars: The concluding volume in Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy – Part Three.

The product of years of dedicated research, the series is a timeless masterpiece, the ultimate in future history.

Mars is now a living, breathing planet, resplendent with genetically engineered plants and animals living beside canals and teeming seas – an Eden to be envied. In this brave and buzzing new world the survivors of the First Hundred have become like walking myths to the Martian youth, but political schisms have hardened into polar opposites. And as civil war looms, an over populated earth looks on bitterly. For many Terrapins, Mars is mocking utopia. A dream to live for, fight for – perhaps even die for.

As the motives, desires and passions of the characters evolve along with the planet they have made their home, the author explores and interweaves the political, sociological, economic and scientific aspects of their terraforming effort.’

More NZ Guests...

Carol and David Burroughs stayed the night with us as they passed through on their way from Falmouth to Germany. Carol will be staying with us later when she returns before heading back home to NZ.

Edinburgh Party...

We had a long weekend away in Edinburgh with Chris & Lynne and Debbie for Chris’s 60^th birthday. We stayed in a flat near the Union canal and we walked along it into town and then besides the Water of Leith to the sea all on the first day. There we had lunch and visited the Royal Yacht Britannia. In the evening, we caught up with Jamie and Gia and had a night out on the town ending up at the fun Mad Hatter. The next day we visited Princes Street and the Old Town where we caught up with Jack and Jean. That evening we had a lovely meal at the Raeburn Hotel.  Next day we wandered around the pretty Royal Botanic Gardens, went on an Underground Ghost Tour and caught up with more of Chris’s friends before gathering for an evening meal in a local curry house. On our final day, we visited the Edinburgh Zoo where we saw pandas and king penguins amongst other animals – the place seems old and I felt uncomfortable about the condition of the enclosures for some of the animals.

Surprise Party...

Jamie and Gia visited and we walked through the woods looking at the bluebells and belted Galloway. Following day was Chris’s surprise 60^th birthday party with many friends and family in attendance.

More of Wot I have Seen...

We visited Cambridge in the lovely spring sunshine, wandered around the collages and along beside the river watching the punts. In the evening, we watched Nouvelle Vague play at the Cambridge Junction. Next day wandered around the very pleasant University Botanic Gardens and went and visited Anglesey Abbey and gardens before heading home.

Homegrown...

First home grown asparagus and rhubarb of the season. 

Easter Walk...

The Easter walk with the local history group passed by EM Forster’s house and a memorial to where Samuel Wilberforce (third son of William) died after a fall. We continued and had a drink at the Gomshall Mill and returned via the Witch’s Broom tree.

Teaching Games...

Recently we spent an evening with the Whittenbury’s and learned and played Ollie’s new game (Dungeon Roll).

Kiwi Visitor...

Avette stopped over with us for a few days as part of her trip to the UK. On the first afternoon, we walked around the village and played a few board games. Next day wandered around Shere and went for a pub lunch. Marc joined us later and we played another board game. Visited Arundel and looked around the castle and gardens.

Winning Game...

We supported Tom and the Dorking Rugby team as they won against the London Irish in their final.

Date Night...

Sue and I had a date night in Dorking where we went to a few pubs The Star, The Queen’s Head, and Old Home – where we watched a band called Peach.

Springtime...

As the lovey spring weather continues we spent a day out at Kew with Uncle Terry and Katherine.

Apprentice Geek...

Recently we celebrated Tom’s sixteenth birthday with family and friends and on a weekend afterwards we went into town, taking Ollie to visit comic shops (Orbital, Gosh and Forbidden Planet), a games shop (Orcs Nest) and a record shop (Fopp) and a café, while Tom was out spending his birthday money with his parents. We then all met up for dinner at Polpo.

Spring has Sprung...

We made our regular spring visit to Wisley RHS to see the early blooms as they herald the change of seasons.

Holiday Blues...

Sue went out to Tenerife (Los Gigantes) with a bunch of girlfriends and unfortunately caught a nasty bug.

Felt the Earth Move...

I felt one of the recent earthquakes that has happened in Surrey, it was relatively minor and just shook some ornaments on the sideboard.

Games Day...

Games day with Martin at James’s place where we played several games, including: 

• Roll for It; 
• Okey Dokey; 
• Pirate 21; 
• Karuba; 
• Game; 
• Space Base; 
• Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards.

More of Wot I have Seen…

Sue and I had a night out at the Guildford Electric Theatre where we went to the very entertaining and accomplished Budapest Café Orchestra play. We had a meal beforehand at Yo Sushi.

More of Wot I have Read…

The Axeman’s Jazz by Ray Celestin

I enjoyed this book, partly as I have recently visited the city and like jazz music, but mostly for the well-developed characters and interesting interconnecting storylines that are based on historical events (although altered to give a greater sense of drama).

‘New Orleans, 1919. As a dark serial killer – the Axeman – stalks the city, three individuals set out to unmask him.

Detective Lieutenant Michael Talbot, heading up the official investigation, is struggling to find leads and harbouring his own grave secret. Former detective Luca d’Andrea finds himself working for the mafia – whose need to solve the mystery of the Axeman is every bit as urgent as that of the authorities. And Ida, a secretary at the Pinkerton Detective Agency, stumbles across a clue which lures her and her musician friend, Louis Armstrong, to the case and into terrible danger…

As Michael, Luca and Ida each draw closer to discovering the killer’s identity, the Axeman himself will issue a challenge to the people of New Orleans: play jazz or risk becoming the next victim.’

Spare and Found Parts by Sarah Maria Griffin

I found this book a little annoying. The characters and setting were not well developed and I found the whole thing somewhat contrived and lacking depth.

‘Nell Crane has never held a boy’s hand.

In a city devastated by an epidemic, where survivors are all missing parts—an arm, a leg, an eye—Nell has always been an outsider. Her father is the famed scientist who created the biomechanical limbs that everyone now uses. But she’s the only one with her machinery on the inside: her heart. Since the childhood operation, she has ticked. Like a clock, like a bomb. And as her community rebuilds, everyone is expected to contribute to the society’s good . . . but how can Nell live up to her father’s revolutionary ideas when she has none of her own?

Then she finds a lost mannequin’s hand while salvaging on the beach, and inspiration strikes. Can Nell build her own companion in a world that fears advanced technology? The deeper she sinks into this plan, the more she learns about her city—and her father, who is hiding secret experiments of his own.’

Keeping Warm…

We have had a surprisingly mild winter so far and have even enjoyed an evening meal sitting outdoors around a fire pit at the Whittenbury’s where food was cooked over the coals and we sat well into the night along with Paul and Lorraine and Debbie.

Not all Business…

I had a trip away for a few days at a sales meeting and was treated to an outing for evening meal in the Great Hall at Warwick castle. It was a themed event where we all worn tabards and jester’s hats and we treated to entertainment by some talented Mediaeval musicians, a magician, and a host and hostess. It reminded me a little of a school outing I had many years ago, to a venue in Auckland called Dirty Dicks.

Gregarious Glutton’s…

The semi-regular Gregarious Glutton’s outing went this time into London. We met Marc, Derek and Donna at the Botanist for cocktails and then went on to Casa Brindisa (near South Kensington) for some very enjoyable tapas followed by some delicious gelato next door at Venchi and a few more cocktails at Uncle Barts Speakeasy (an intimate and funky little venue).

Culture and Cuisine…

We stayed up in London after our Gregarious Glutton’s evening out and Marc and I went to the Ashurbanipal exhibition the following morning at the British Museum. Afterwards we caught up with Sue and wandered into a few book shops and a comic shop, had coffee at Café Vernano 1882, a drink or two at Clapham before enjoying a most delicious lunch at the trendy eating establishment, The Dairy, at Clapham.

Ole Birthday…

I thoroughly enjoyed a Mexican inspired meal that Sue made for me especially for my birthday. 

More of wot I have heard…

We went to the Harlequin Theatre in Redhill to see Band of Burns perform songs and tunes inspired by the life and works of Rabbie Burns. We met Paul and Lorraine at the theatre after we had a lovely Thai meal at Sia Kitchen above the Junction pub.

The band were amazing with individual members taking turns to lead and provide information in context to the songs and tunes about to be played. They were a very talented group of musicians and we had a wonderful evening.

Just the Two of Us…

Sue and I had a lovely day out with breakfast in Reigate and then watching the very entertaining film, The Favourite, at the Everyman cinema, and then seeing a steam train thunder past as we waited on the platform for our train home again.

Out in the Shire…

Recently we visited Jodie (and Sam the Dog) in Ludlow with Debbie for a weekend of catching up.

We had a bracing walk up at Clee Hill as the clouds closed in and we also had a visit to the quite spectacular Stokesay Castle nearby.

The next day Dawn and Muz also came over to help with some simple DIY and afterwards we all enjoyed a meal and a few drinks.

The following morning before we left we wandered around Ludlow and across the bridges and along the riverside with a great view back to the castle.

More of wot I have heard…

I have bought some new music from some quite different artists.

What Is Love by Clean Bandit. A new band that is currently very popular with catchy lyrics and exciting sound to them.

The Last King of Pop by Paul Heaton. A retrospective through this artist history from the Housemartins, Beautiful South and to his partnership with Jacqui Abbot.

The Essentials II by Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox. An unusual and slightly novelty act of reinterpreting recent (and not to recent) song in an older style. It can be quite a revelation how some songs are changed and reimagined.

More of wot I have read…

I have been re-reading Saga of the Exiles series of books by Julian May that I first read over twenty years ago, and I was pleasantly surprised how well they stood up to the passage of time. Some events and scientific discovers have since had a small impact to what we know about what was a possible future or knowledge of the past, but not enough to truly effect the story in any great way.

I like the premise of the story of how people are transported back from a future where humans have evolved and encountered other sentient species to a pre-history Pliocene earth where they encounter other alien races inhabiting the land. As I am a fan of Celtic mythology I like how the author provides an alternative narrative as to the origins of these fables and how she succeeds to make a science out of magic.

The series includes The Many Colored Land, The Golden Torc, The Nonborn King and The Adversary. Later she went on to write about how humans evolved and became involved with a galactic federation of races in separate series of books.

For me though I most enjoyed the Saga of the Exiles.

The third and final volume of this series which was originally conceived to continue in several more books, but was halted after artistic disagreements is a darker and more melancholic affair.

The Ballad of Halo Jones Volume 3 by Alan Moore and Ian Gibson