where art collides philosoperontap

morning playmates.

Somewhat frazzled after a night full day out with Richard last night. We started with lunch and finished at the Bombay at around 9ish. Not totally sure of the time. After lunch we visited the Prince of Wales and Morning Star before nipping home to get Joe’s trumpet so that he could play at the open mike night in the West End Tap. Rich had driven to Lincoln but was (easily) persuaded to stay the night so that he could indulge in a glass of wine or two.

I am trying to get on with some work today but seem to be hampered by the fact that lots of folk are off on holiday. Ah well.

The fine weather continues. Cloudy but warm. We need to enjoy it whilst we can. Might give the hammock an airing. It’s perfect for an afternoon snooze in the shade. Tonight I’m bbqing again. Spit roast chicken and a few other bits and bobs.

Took Betty down for her MOT followed by Richard who gave me a lift home, fairplay.

wow wow wow just seen the lancaster, 2 spitfires and two typhoons fly over. Never tire of it. Never react quickly enough to get a good photo either and of course I am without a camera at the moment in any case.

Charlotte, who has been with us for over a week and came to Latitude, has gone home. We are always happy to have her:)

I’m going to spend the afternoon mostly listening to the second test against Pakistan at Old Trafford. 

Borderline toothache again. Nothing that can be done I suspect other thank yanking it out. I’m not going to rush to do that.

on the conservatory

A somewhat bleary eyed 5.20 am but I am awake, it is summer, and I am up. The wood pigeons are being their usual noisy selves in the trees around the back garden to which the conservatory doors are open. Today is going to be another warm un – 23 degrees if a little cloudy.

It’s quite still outside although it doesn’t sound still. Cars race by on the road at the front of the house. Poor dabs having to start work at this time of day. I guess you do get used to it and at this time of year it is very much the best time of day.

Got Richard Irving coming up for our usual monthly meeting today so will have to think about where to go for lunch. Outside somewhere. Also been invited to a wine and canapes session at the bank! I have both texted them and called and left a message to say we can’t make it but they keep ringing up whilst we are out so they obviously haven’t registered that it was me calling. As it happens the meeting I was having that prevented me from going is now cancelled so I might yet turn up.

These next few days worth of posts are going to be quite challenging where photos are concerned as I am likely to be without a phone for a few days seeing as I lost mine in London.

I’ve just been processing the claim form. I need to register the los with the cops. I’ll also try calling the lost property office again. Couldn’t get through yesterday.

Before I take ann up a cup of tea I should note that the garden is looking very colourful. This really is the height of the summer. The weather has been perfect/borderline too hot and we need to enjoy it as much as we can.

…

Busy morning already. Sorted insurance claim for phone (inc calling police etc), booked Betty in for MOT and been for a swim. Need to pop down town to pick up a parcel from the post office, get new (spare) key for Anne’s car and get the ball rolling on finding an installer for a new fridge for the camper van.

Picked up parcel from Firth Road post office – was Hannah’s graduation photo. Beautiful 🙂

Featured image is a random pic of a steward at the Elton John gig last month – no camera/phone innit.

oh I do like to be beside the seaside

Our day trips to Skeggy never vary. Get to the South Shore car park in time for a picnic lunch. Nip to the public loos and walk along to the pier where we blow a quid’s worth of two pences each on the amusements. Find toilet to wash hands – those two pees are v grubby.

Into the fair to play a side show or two and then the Wild River log flume for a soaking vid here. Kids went on  pedalo on the boating lake (pronounced pedah-loe). Ice creams, paddle in the extremely brown sea, crazy golf (John won, I was the scorer) and finally fish and chips at the Clock Tower chippy.

On this occasion John and I abstained from the food in favour of a bbq when we got home.

We went in Betty and the Citroen. Betty is a fun party bus with a great stereo.

Before we set off I struggled for 50 minutes on the phone with Student Finance England. They are such an inefficient organisation. Worse than trying to sort out car insurance!!!

PS lost my phone in London yesterday. Fell out of my pocket running for a train. Insurance job!

plus latitude retrospective

Sat on the train en route to London for  day’s consulting activity (work – oo the shame of it!! 🙂 ). Now fully ish refreshed and recovered from Latitude.

Worth taking a look back at Latitude. I’d never been to a major festival before and wasn’t disappointed. I can’t say that many of the bands really caught my attention. I’d never heard of most of them. There were not really any top acts there (in my opinion) although I did catch the end of the Foy Vance song which had Ed Sheeran as a guest singer so that was a bit of a result (fwiw). Notwithstanding this the bands added up to a good all round experience and we did have a great time.

We were with a good crowd of people. All our own kids turned up together with Joe’s girlfriend Charlotte and Ajax’s friends Banner & Rosie, Mike and Bev and Mark and Cathy were great company. Ashley and Sue also turned up with daughter on Friday evening to join the party.

There was a fair old variety of food on offer. I wouldn’t rave about the quality on the whole but if you are catering for thirty thousand people I guess this isn’t going to happen. Ajax went down with food poisoning on one of the days.

The campervan area was poorly served with facilities. We were at one end of the field and all the toilets were at the other end. Not much value for the additional ticket money there. We did get to coral our vans and awnings so that we had a central communal area which was good. We took our bbq firepit along and were able to cook everybody’s breakfasts and reuse it as a campfire in the evenings.

There was only one, communal, shower block, around a mile from us near the entrance to the arena. Ajax and I used it on the Sunday en route to see the bands. Fortunately I had a microfibre towel which I was able to clip to my belt afterwards and didn’t take up too much space. When I say communal showers they really were communal – open to everyone. For us old rugby players this didn’t represent a problem but today’s youth are used to separate showers. Spoilt rotten the lot of them. The dribble of a shower did feel totally luxurious. But would probably been contemptible under other circumstances.

The last comment is in respect of the drinks available. Totally rubbish for the high cost. The only lager was Tuborg at £4.80 a “pint”. It rarely filled up to the pint mark. The Somersby cider was too sweet and they could have done a lot better with the bitter considering that the Adnams brewery was only five miles away.

Bags were searched by tattooed Gestapo types on the way in to make sure you didn’t carry contraband alcohol. Most people smuggled some in although I didn’t bother. Some smuggled gin did come in handy on Sunday evening when it came to anaesthetising a toothache.

So that was Latitude. We would go again and we did get some useful learnings about the campervan that we will take forwards to the next trip.

Back to today the forecast for London is bright sunshine and 33 degrees. I am prepared, wearing shorts, a Tommy Bahama silk shirt and a pair of sandals. No hat though…

with more to come

Yesterday turned out to be a cracker. we started partying at around 10am. White wine and prosecco with sausages and bacon sandwiches. Fair play. I switched on some jazz on Spotify using the van’s stereo and my phone and we eased into the day.

It was probably 1.30 before we headed for the festival and chilled all day listening to various bands on the Obelisk stage. At 4.30ish I headed to the BB Introducing stage to see the Shannon Reilly Trio. It was a very nice surprise to see Tom Whitworth as guest trumpeter. Tom was Joe’s trumpet teacher until he left school.

We ended the day around the campfire (our firepit) until 2am and hit the hay.

This morning there was no rush. We had all day to get home and figured we would give the traffic a chance to die down.  Before setting the compass north we went into Southwold and had a picnic lunch on a bench at the beach.

The drive home was hot and sticky but at 55mph we didn’t get a rush of wind with the window open so it was comfortable enough. Before going home we stopped at Tesco and bought some chicken an salad for the bbq. With it being the hottest day of the year so far we considered it appropriate to eat in the back garden.

Latitude 2016 album

Tomorrow I am in London and the forecast is for 32degrees Centigrade. Shorts weather.

hot hot hot

8.05 and the campervan is already warming up. Our last full day at the latitude festival is going to be a warm one.

We are going to be very much easing into the day though as we didn’t hit the hay until around 2.30 pm last night having ended up at the Alcove bar again. Some great live music.

The highlight of yesterday was seeing Squeeze. They were much better than National who headlined the main stage. After the squeeze set we came back to the van to chill for a bit. Ended up sitting in our little private enclosed area drinking and listening to music played over the van stereo.

Tom arrived early evening bearing sausages that he’d been given by some radio celeb left over from being used in a programme. Today’s breakfast. Hopefully Ajax will be back up and running today. He was laid low with food poisoning yesterday.

Latitude 2016  album.

Featured image is Joe’s former trumpet teacher Tom Whitworth guesting with Shannon Reilly Trio

weather great

Having a bit of a lie in in the campervan this morning. Terrific day yesterday if somewhat tiring by the end. May spend some time resting in the van today –  late afternoon maybe. Trouble is it’s a long way back from where the action is.

Saw numerous bands including Flamingods, Honne,   Bear’s  Den, British Sea Power,  Christine and the Queens, Father John Misty, Beirut and Maccabees who were headlining the obelisk stage. Also saw comedian  Al Murray who was absolutely hilarious if filthy.

Finished the night off at Keith Allen ‘s Establishment Club at the Alcove, a terrific small venue. We saw and danced to the extremely lively band Dingus (fucking)  Khan who were banned last year as one of their number had peed in the portacabin the previous year. For me they were the highlight of the day with Beirut a close second.

We are already starting to feel grubby. Unlikely to see a shower for the whole weekend thought will review that one. Had a couple of problems with the otherwise great Van. Disconnected the new water pump because it started to make a funny noise. Will have to take a look when I get home..also the porta potty leaked when I used it in the night. Fortunately it has a waterproof housing so no damage. I suspect a jammed lid but will have to sort this morning before we go anywhere.

Weather forecast is great and Tom arrives today. He is working on the Fearn Cotton show on Radio 2 before heading up.

More as it happens ish.

PS turns out porta potty issue was user error which is now sorted.

got yer wristband? check!

https://goo.gl/photos/eb4RMZsr451Z6R2m9

to Latitude

There is nothing quite like the stress of the Davies family trying to get the car packed to go away on holiday. This is further exacerbated when there is camping involved, and on this occasion packing stuff for 7 people in a campervan that is really comfortable with two.

It isn’t that seven people are coming in the campervan. We have auxiliary vehicle Nissan Micra carrying the main body of campers. The tents are going in the boot of the Micra because they will be camping in a different field to the campervans. It makes sense for them to take the light stuff and pitch the tents whilst we carry the rest of the gear to base camp in the van.

We won’t have driven the van so heavily laden before. It’ll be fine. The van is a very comfortable drive in a straight line and hopefully the field won’t be wet and we won’t sink in. The weather forecast is looking very good for the weekend so I’m sure it will be fine.

We are off to the Latitude Festival in Southwold. I’m very excited really. Just quite stressed at the moment. It’s a good job I got a lot of the packing done yesterday.

Pics and vids in due course. I’m not taking the laptop. Probably.

Featured image is of most of the Davies contingent plus Mark (Ajax) and Sue Agius in front of our vans.

Latitude 2016 album.

packing for Latitude

Arrived back at Newark Northgate at 21.19 to find that the pre-ordered taxi wasn’t there. Turns out it was in the Retail Park a few hundred yards down the road. This taxi company has done this before – I must check that they get the pick up point right next time. It’s not difficult.

Back at home a party had been in full swing with Joe and his mates sat around the kitchen table playing drinking games. I slipped into the TV room and promptly fell asleep (long day etc).

This morning I already have the doors open to the garden and and clearing up a few work bits before getting the Latitude packing into full swing. Will need to go down to Coops’ to pick up campervan Betty. Won’t be read before ten thirty. Before I pick it up we need to get the last of the sand down on the drive. Nathan left us a bag and a half for brushing into the cracks and has reminded Anne that he noticed we hadn’t done it – fair play 🙂

Today is the first day day of my new data allowance with EE. Used it up last month due to Hansk’s graduation pics and vids backing up. Will now be able to back up my millions of Latitude pics in real time assuming there will be connectivity, which will probably not be the case!

Featured image – produce from our garden:)

London again

Last night I could hear Anne practising her Saxophone. Also Joe was shouting for someone to be quiet from his room. Not sure if they were connected:) Anne’s playing is coming along nicely.

Plans for Latitude are coming along. We have a rendezvous with friends of Ajax in a pub a couple of miles from the Festival and then all going in convoy so that we can camp next to each other in the campervan field. Hopefully.

We did attempt to book the onsite restaurant but are too late for pre booking and will have to go there in person when we arrive. I’m not too bothered. First night is going to be a bbq. Have decided we will need to stock up with plenty of booze, We are talking five pounds a pint in the arena. Mind you we can’t be going back and forth to the van all the time. I don’t think it’s a short trip. We have loads of Carling and Strongbow left over from Joefest for the “kids”.

Today it’s Laandan again for a meeting, lunch and then the ITSPA Summer Forum. Train home at 8.05pm with taxi home from Newark. I’ve booked the ticket from Newark because it was a lot cheaper than doing it from Lincoln. I’ll pay for the Lincoln to Newark leg on the train.

After today it’s very much playtime. At least until next Tuesday when I’m back in London. Again.

Hope you like the featured image – took it just for you. I thought it was very arty. Lots of patterns and shapes at Lincoln Central Station. Nobody else on the platform.

and Joe is back

A great day of sporting results yesterday. First Lewis Hamilton won the British F1 Grand Prix. The our Andy won Wimbledon and finally Portugal won the European cup. Remember that I’m not a football fan but had placed a bet to make it interesting so I have a profit of £56 yay.

The spit roast chicken dinner was one of mixed results. The chicken itself was fine but the combination of the smoked sea salt and garlic rub and Carling lager in the drip tray wasn’t particularly exciting. Will not use Carling again and stick to other meats for the rub. Only used the lager because we have a load left over from Joefest.

Back to the grind today, ish. Got some Netaxis stuff to sort. Also have to nip to the post office and then take the beer barrels back to Pheasantry Brewery. Should also wrap up the student finance stuff today.

Was back in the pool this morning. First time in a while or so it feels. Won’t get much swimming in this week as am in London tomorrow and then we set off for Latitude on Thursday – back Monday.

I’m very excited about Latitude. Never been to a big festival like this before. The girls have been getting stuff ready. Hannah is an expert and has compiled a list of foodstuffs that she would take. It’s more based on a young person’s low budget needs but that is fine. I’m treating this very much as a family holiday so not too worried about what we spend, within reason.

Anne went off to Netto where they are having a closing down sale and bought some stuff to take (bottles of water etc) at 50% off. Shame they are closing down but there again I never shopped there!

Latitude will be our first major expedition in Betty and we have all of Wednesday to get ready – make sure everything we need is packed and stowed away etc. The weather forecast is improving as we move towards the weekend which is good innit.

Joe came back from BSTK Festival and immediately shot off to Joey’s to do some recording. 

Photo is of the flowers around the BBQ area.

and Joe heads to BSTK festival

Up at 6.15am. Making sausage sandwiches for Joe and a couple of the Pylons. They are off to open the main stage at BKST Festival (formerly known as Brownstock). The Pylons played there two years ago in the bar so this is a step up.

Wiping the sleep from my eyes. Think I had a good sleep. Don’t remember waking in the night though that doesn’t mean I didn’t.

Now a good time to type. The fridge is humming quietly in the kitchen and the occasional bird reminds me it is out there. Hiya Tref. Hi bird. Don’t fly off. I promise to refill the bird feeder, now empty.

It is important to get the right sausages. These are spicy Lincolnshire from Fosters on Monks Road. Left over from Joefest 2016. Most others are pale imitations. Joe is taking Barney and Phil in the Micra whilst Joey and Dalton go in the Dalton’s Galaxy, seats down carrying the instruments. The Micra order is for two brown sauces and one red sauce. The Galaxy can look after itself.

I’ve refilled the feeder(s). Need to buy more stocks now. The remaining seed has started to grow in the squirrel proof feeder so will have to remove that for cleaning next time. It will mean cutting the cable tie but hey…

Now I just need to decide when is a good time to take Anne up a cup of tea. It is still only 7.11am. Twirly.

Today is a big sporting day. British F1 Grand Prix at Silverstone, Wimbledon Men’s Final with our Andy and Portugal v France in the European Cup Final (c’mon Portugal). I am also cooking a chicken on the bbq using the rotisserie. Should be good. Might do some roast veg in the drip tray.

There is no sun out there. It’s looking as if it will be a cloudy day. Warm enough though. Shame John’s cricket match isn’t today. Yesterday’s was called off because the opposition couldn’t raise a team but it would probably have been rained off anyway.

Went back to bed taking the tea up and then treated meself to a fryup – one sausage, two bacon, couple of fried new potatoes left over from yesterday, fried bread and an egg sunny side up.

falls mainly in Lincoln

It’s raining in the shire. A nice gentle summer rain. The conservatory doors are open to the garden.

Breakfast was an extremely tasty toast and marmalade with a glass (bottle) of milk. Toast is best made with bread that isn’t too fresh. This was a white loaf purchased from Tesco on Wednesday for the purposes of sandwiches to take to Wimbledon on Thursday. The marmalade was vintage Seville orange made by yours truly a few years ago in such a large batch that we still haven’t finished it.

I also put it in kilner jars that are too large. We don’t consume much marmalade anyway. Just thought it was a good idea at the time, which it was.

Today I was going to Magnum Motorhomes in Grimsby to buy the campervan fridge. However I am not quite ready for it. The fitting isn’t going to be straightforward and I am going to take my time over it. There is still a chance it can get done before we head to Latitude on Thursday but it isn’t a banker.

The garden is still looking very green and the borders quite colourful. We have had a lot of rain this year, or at least that’s how it feels. Bring back the hosepipe bans eh? Would at least mean that we had had a bout of fine weather.

Don’t get me wrong. We do get nice days. Just not enough of them. It isn’t enough to make me want to go and live abroad mind you. I like this country, despite some of the people that live here. They probably have the same types everywhere you go.

Today I do have a jobslist:
Put up blind in playroom (no longer a playroom – more  a gym)
Bathroom sealant – around bath
Check oil and water in Micra for Joe’s trip to Brownstock Festival tomorrow (The Pylons are playing the main stage)
Build trapdoor cover for attic
Look for solar light (no idea)
Fill out student finance forms
Tidy Conservatory
Some of it will get done and it will all definitely be done before the summer is out.
The rain has got heavier. V relaxing.

Today we also say goodbye to an old friend – a pair of shorts that have served me well but which now have a broken zip. Broke whilst at Wimbledon. Don’t think anyone noticed 😉 I have others but I am planning a short trip to TK Max with my style guru Hannah so may pick something up there. I wouldn’t specifically make a trip to TK Max but Hannah wants to go anyway and we need to pick Jose up from the station at around 1pm so it suits. Also have two parcels to pick up from the post office. They are all in the same vicinity ish. Anne would approve.

More in due course – the day is young…

…

The rain still cometh and Hansk and I are off out. I’ve tidied the conservatory, found the lights and sorted the micra which needed nothing doing to it. Spot of sushi from Morrissons for lunch eaten in the car whilst waiting for Jose to turn up from Storth.

Joe duly picked up and now off at a Pylons rehearsal. Also ticked another job off the jobslist – hatch cover for attic. Suspect that’ll be it for the day. Bbq moved back into place ready for the sausages and burgers later.

Calling Inspector Sands

So we had a great night in Camden after returning from an equally good day out in Wimbledon. Caught an Uber out to Wimbledon via the hotel in camden. £30 for an hour’s journey, not bad. Took us an hour and a half or so to get back on foot and tube and then sat on the balcony of room 506 – Penthouse – overlooking the lock with a cold beer.

I called Cafe Chula and was surprised to get a table for four for 8pm. Cafe Chula is a mexican street food joint just over the canal in the market. I have been there previously just for drinks and was suitably impressed.

We were not disappointed. In fact after we arrived the place filled up and they had a guitarist there for our delight and delectation who was very good. The only downside was that Anne felt a little queasy and retired to our room to watch France v Germany in the Semi-finals of the football.

Didn’t make it a late night. Caught the end of the footy. Unfortunately France won. My money was on Germany. I now need Portugal to win the final.

This morning we tubed it back to Kings Cross. Whilst Anne and John were in Waitrose buying supplies (he is off to Skeggy with the school windband to play in a  concert) there was an alert calling for Inspector Sands. This is code for there is something going on.

Ended up in the revamped First Class Lounge. Only had advanced first tix so didn’t think we would be able to get in. However Virgin Trains East Coast appear to have changed their policy which is good.

Now back at home recovering. We are all tired and irritable!

Featured image is of tiles from the Cafe Chula bar.