Welwyn Garden City - The Visit (Part 6)

M and G took a trip to York from last Tuesday to Friday... and thoroughly enjoyed it (I think). On Saturday, SG came and visited us as he was over from Cape Town and we all had dinner outside in the back garden. I managed to gorge myself again through about 10 plate loads of food and umpteen beers... it was a great evening! Today M and G set off for Edinburgh by train and as I write this post they have texted N to say they have arrived and are in the taxi going to the hotel - the train was delayed, so I hope they manage to get some dinner!

To be continued...

X Factor - Cheryl Cole

Likewise with Cheryl Cole... what credibilty has she got for judging on The X Factor...? Let me see... she sings in a girl group created by the same lot as the contest she is judging. Oh yes and she is married to an ignorant, arrogant, philandering, obnoxious footballer... and she has two rings worth a total of £310,000... and that's it.

Rant over.

X Factor - Dannii Minogue

If I was a competitor on The X Factor I would seriously struggle to accept criticism from Dannii Minogue. What credentials has this woman got for judging a singing contest? Without looking things up on the Internet - name a hit of hers? Hum one of her songs? Bet you can't! Talentless Australian rubbish...

Rant over.

Gok Wan

What the hell does he think he looks like...? Gok Wan... more like Berk Wan...

Rant over.

Welwyn Garden City - The Visit (Part 5)

Today we had a braai... and an excellent braai it was too. Mainly because G took control of it and N got all the food ready. MO produced an excellent potato salad and NS made a waldorf salad. I of course shared the difficult job of eating it all... with gusto! Fortunately the weather has been excellent and it was fine all Sunday afternoon. What was even better was that T and NS did the washing up afterwards! Of course now I have the depressing thought of work tomorrow... yet another weekend has passed in the blinking of an eye.

To be continued...

Welwyn Garden City - The Visit (Part 4)

I believe there is something distinctly malevolent about the Disney Corporation. Mickey Mouse does nothing for me. The lifeless staring eyes positively sends a shudder down my spine. We paid a visit to one of their stores after we saw the Saturday matinee performance of The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre in London. The musical is entertaining and a lot less complicated a story than The Lord of The Rings and Wicked which we had seen previously. The cast were all good however not as good as the two leads in Wicked. Afterwards we wandered around Covent Garden and then went and had dinner at Chiquito's Mexican restaurant in Leicester Square.

Welwyn Garden City - The Visit (Part 3)

M and G spent Friday sightseeing in London including a visit to Madame Tussauds. In the evening the four of us plus my mum all went to the new Stonegrill restaurant in St. Albans. The novelty with this place is that you cook your own food to your liking at your seat on a slab of volcanic stone that has been superheated to about 10,000,000 degrees! To protect yourself from the splattering fat coming from the meat you wear an apron. It was very good but a bit on the expensive side for what it was. You get a visit to salad bar included - however the salad items were a bit basic so you were less inclined to stack 'em high in your bowl. I recommend giving it a try but I reckon they will have gone bust in a few months.

On the way back, after dropping my mum off at home, we encountered a psycho driver coming in the opposite direction along Coopers Green Lane who overtook the car in front and narrowly missed us (I was forced to brake hard).

To be continued...

Welwyn Garden City - The Visit (Part 2)

Today, I realised how expensive it is to visit London attractions. We showed M and G where they must catch the Original London Sightseeing Bus Tour and then made our way to the South Bank to make a revolution on The London Eye. Not that N or I went on it... only M and G. Our next port of call was the The London Dungeon an attraction I had last visited about 30 years ago! It has evolved somewhat since my last visit and now features live actors who take you on a journey through the dark side of the capital. The Plague, The Great Fire of London and Jack The Ripper to name but a few of the stories featured. The finale involved a free fall drop which was supposed to represent the drop you feel when you are hanged from the gallows... nice!

To be continued...

Welwyn Garden City - The Visit (Part 1)

All went to plan today... although I must admit I hate putting on a king size duvet cover on my own. I managed to time to perfection our rendezvous at Heathrow and fortunately there were no hold ups on the way back. M and G were pretty knackered and had a lie down whilst I went to pick up N from work. Chicken and ribs for dinner and a half hour dose of EastEnders... at 9pm was one of N's new favourite programmes - UK Border Control. Hmmmmmmm...

On a separate note there was a brief trailer to Fringe which is written and produced by the creators of Lost. Gotta be good!

To be continued...

Welwyn Garden City - The Visit (Prologue)

N has issued me with my instructions:

• Strip the bed and put on new sheets
• Vinegar the kettle
• Vacuum the house
• Drive to Heathrow Airport and pick up Mother-in-law and G
• Drive back
• Make lunch and tea / coffee
• Pick up N from work

Can I remember all this... and execute it correctly?

To be continued...

Bring Back Star Wars

I watched most of this programme last night and quite enjoyed it... of course Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill refused to talk (in fact Hamill's agent demanded £50,000 for him to co-operate) and Ford was a total non-compliance. Kenny Baker and Anthony Daniels (R2D2 and C3PO) hate one another - actually I could see why Baker couldn't stand his co-star as Daniels came over as a complete prick. The best ex-Star Wars actor was Warwick Davis who played Wicket the Ewok in Return of The Jedi. In the end the reunion was attended by Davis, Baker, David Prowse (Darth Vader) and the bloke who played Boba Fett (whose name escapes me). Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew and Billy Dee Williams (Princess Leia, Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian) apologised for not being able to make it.

Good stuff.

Happy Birthday Little C

Have a fabulous 2nd birthday Little C - from your disagreeable and grouchy uncle!

Wax on wax off...

There is nothing more exhilarating than painting the garden fence... actually I'm lying... it is dead boring, however that is how I spent Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning - but I must say the sense of achievement afterwards was truly... exhilarating!

CelebAir

I don't know why I watched this programme... actually that is not strictly true - It was probably because N wanted to watch it (I have to blame someone after all!). However what perplexes me is why is it called CelebAir ? Because if they call the Z-rated shite that appeared on it "Celebs" then I'm a monkey's uncle. Of particular note was the excrutiating Chico... an individual that is so nauseating - he should be taken away and beaten to death.

Rant over.

Ulrika Jonnson

Not that I really give a toss... but I couldn't help notice that apparently the supremely talentless Ulrika Jonnson is the frontrunner to replace some non-entity on GM-TV. I know I keep banging on about the same things but how this mediocrity manages to keep hanging on is simply incredible.

Rant over.

DFS... again, again and again...

I utterly detest DFS sofa adverts... but the latest one irritates the hell out of me. Halfwits pretending to play the guitar to a track by the supremely banal and highly unoriginal Nickelback (I think). If I see that blonde bitch powerchording again I think I will scream!!!

Rant over.

Death to Bin Men

Again my ranting continues on the subject of bin men. The subhuman race that are so f*cking retarded it beggars belief. This time I came home from work to find tyre ruts in the grass verge by our driveway clearly made by a large vehicle cutting the corner (today was rubbish collection day). Of course if I complain to the local council I wouldn't put it past the bin scum to take revenge.

Rant over.

Death to Cats

Over the last few days I have noticed that some of my flowers have been have been stripped clean... then yesterday I caught the culprit. Much to my disgust whilst looking out the bathroom window I saw next doors moggy munching on my busy lizzies - only the white ones though. I shouted and shook my fist but this seemed to have little effect.

Rant over.