Down in the Dumps…

We have not feeling so well recently for various reasons. Sue has been suffering with her damaged shoulder and is struggling with the physiotherapy with some minor improvement. I have had a bad case of eczema currently and it is being very irritating. I have developed computer-mouse elbow (like tennis elbow but without the running about) and have had to change to an orthopaedic mouse which is helping. In addition we are both feeling unfit and overweight. Overall we are not in the best spirits about our physical condition and this has had knock on effects to our mental piece of mind.

Dancers Descend on Dorking…

We stumbled across the Dorking Day of Dance when we went into town and enjoyed the various Morris sides and entertainment groups (loved the Monty Python sketch about the French and English Knights - very funny).

Sunny Daze…

Now that the weather has improved we have been working in the garden trying to encourage the plants to grow better then the weeds (with mixed success) and have been eating out on the deck, enjoying the al fresco living until gone 9:30pm with friends or just by ourselves.

Geek Temple…

The UK Games Expo 2014 was even bigger than last year and it looks like it won’t be long before it moves to the NEC proper. It is the premier show for gamers and the types of games being played included RPG (Role Play Game), miniature, card, board, and alien laser tag. There are several trade halls some showing new unreleased games, a room for bring and buy trading and areas for LARP (Live Action role Play) and a children’s games area.

I had gone primarily for the RPG and enrolled for three sessions through the weekend thoroughly enjoying them all. In between times I met up with friends and played other board and card games and browsed the stalls buying a few things on the way.

RPG played

• Savage Worlds- Star Trek, Return to Axanar
• Savage Worlds – Achtung! Cthulhu, Operation Deliverance
• Changeling the Lost, When brave boys go to war

Board games played

• Tortuga
• Tsuro

Card games played

• Rocket Race

Stuff bought

• Pandemic
• Martian Dice
• Zombie Dice
• Rocket Race
• Couple of T-Shirts

On a School Night…

We went out midweek to the wonderful Roundhouse venue and saw the sassy and energetic Paloma Faith performing as she tours promoting her new album. She looked great in a black and white dress in the rockabilly style of the 1950’s, her red hair was fluffed up and she wore a small black hat/fascinator and killer black heals. The set was gleaming white on several levels and the band played white instruments (apart from the brass and double bass). There was a trumpet, saxophone and a trombone player in the brass section, a lead guitarist, a drummer a piano/keyboard player and a couple of musicians that played several instruments (a keyboard/guitar player and a striking woman who played keyboard, electric and double bass). Faith showed her insecure side as she reacted to less than whole positive review in the papers by referring to it throughout her set, otherwise she was her normal funny and bubbly self. The opening act was King Holiday and ‘astro-soul’ group from Brooklyn, the lead singer of which channelled Prince and James Brown in equal measures, the band were a talent group of drummer, bassist, lead guitar, saxophone player and a couple of girls singing backup. It was a long night and the fact that it was standing only tickets meant we were quite exhausted when we got home after midnight. Go fun even though.

Glamping in Shropshire…

On the last May bank holiday we added an extra day to give us a four day weekend and we visited Andy & Jodie in Shropshire and helped them with the renovation of their stone cottage and garden. As the house was in the process of being stripped back to the bare bones we a tent in the orchard glamped up with a double bed in it. The weather was not great but we still managed to get out and work in the garden and help with the house. One day we visited the nearby beautiful market town of Ludlow full of interesting architecture, quirky shops and a very impressive castle. Later we ate in the Church Inn and each had one of their famous pies. On the evenings we drank more than was wise and played a few games (Tokaido, Ticket to Ride and Cards Against Humanity) went to bed late and stated all over again the following day. We had a lot of fun and even momentarily considered throwing it all in to do something similar.