Snow Friday.

I am on a train into London and from there back to BS5 today. I've had
a pleasant couple of HQ days but here's the state of the office this
morning.

Much of the south east is like this today, so let's see if crossing
London and heading out is easy or crazy...

The night train!

When I visit my HQ I end the journey at a station that is rather
entertaining for top fast train vids as lots of express trains hurtle
through to London.

Today for the first time in my eight month tenure I arrived in the
dark.....so here's a night train.

Get in!

Larks with my bro'

Today I am blogging from the train to London. I have meetings at HQ
and my department Christmas do as well.

Before getting my train I spent the morning with my brother who had
flown HK to Heathrow during much of yesterday. He got in to BS5 after
midnight and I met him downstairs today, which was cool.

We had a morning errand of purchasing his new Mac from the Apple
store. It's a right smart bit of kit and ginormous too!

Festive BS5 .

Well now, here's Santa on an early run in BS5, and specifically ,
visiting The Rhubarb Tavern last Sunday .

He does an early visit each year but then each year my mate Trevor
disappears at about the same time and always misses it. It's a bit
like Clarke Kent never being around to catch Superman; some journalist
he must be.

Anyhow, here's a festive treat for your enjoyment.

BS5 and the big man

Advent is here and half way through, and from now on Church ( or what
my brother delights in calling my imaginary friends) dons its glad
rags and candles. It's pretty atmospheric and smart. This is St Luke's
here in BS5, my branch!

Beans!

Here I am at Bristol Temple Meads for the 0730 Edinburgh train. I take
the service as far as Derby and then hop on a small train through the
Dales to my store. It's my Christmas visit so I am taking a Christmas
pressie for the store manager because she has done a great job this
year.

No exciting through trains at BTM today, not even a slow, rumbling
goods train!

Further mobile blogging should I see anything fundamentally 'Blog BS5'
during the day.

Mother says...

This weekend I spent some time at my Mum and Dad's house and BS9 came with me, which was rather nice.

Over the Sunday breakfast boiled egg, it was my turn to read out the crossword clues and I did just that for most of the puzzle.

At one point there was a tricky clue about a camel and somehow, we happened upon a strange word in our searching that started with a Dz. I was a bit confused and had to ask three times what this meant (let alone what it had to do with Crossword appearing ungulates) .

Anyhow, Mother and BS9 became impatatient at my stupidity at the same time and shouted out in perfect unison at the top of their lungs...

"SLUT!!!"

Nice experience....I am traumatised to the point of having forgotten the word, its meaning or its relation to camels.

The Collective.

This is a new thermostat at my Mum and Dad's house. For some days now
the temperature has been unwavering and constant and if you know your
sci fi, you know that's a scary sign.

Constant temp' on deck means a Borg drone and a solar plexing beacon
are sure to follow.

Luckily this new one has remedied the issue so no assimilation here.

Phew!

Treemendous

Although I am 37 which is worryingly close to forty, I am still
excited about Christmas.

This is my folks' Christmas tree and it is having a good drink before
it comes into the house (minus the decorative bin) in a week or so.

Top smart!

Filling the reservoir.

Check out this top smart Land Rover that I had a ride in on store
visits too!

Had it just been me and my colleague Gary, I would have asked for a
drive but as we were a group of five I declined!

Oh yes, there's a waterfall that feeds the reservoir too.

Saving the Wales.

For much of this week I have been on store visits in mid Wales. All
great fun but zero phone signal so no calls, no texts, no blogging and
most difficult of all no connection with my BS9 :-(

That is all restored now

Now then, in previous roles, store visits have been to one identical
high st or another with a dull view of a staff car park or a tired
staff room in need of a refurb' . These days I support eight stores
with views like this!

This is Lake Vyrnwy in mid Wales. It was dammed and filled in 1864 and
gravity feeds Liverpool with a source of about eight million gallons
of clean Welsh H2O. My store is at the end of the road atop the
reservoir. It is a profitable store with sound customer service and a
decently low wage to sale ratio (this is good) . The team are
innovative and excellent.

After a store visit with sales analysis, I hopped into a land rover
with some of the gang and explored the 22000 acre reserve! We saw peat
preservation, land management and up close some Welsh Black cattle.
Not a bad few days' work!

Cruise news..

I am on a day's leave today.

I woke at half five and drove to Southampton to collect my folks.

They have just finished a 28 day cruise that covered 8500 miles and a ton of stops and countries!

My Mother entered the digital age and took a new diggie camera with her. She was only on one photo of the 400 she took, most of which were buses with ears, ships, cranes and lorries - oh, and a bridge! She thought I'd like that.....spot on!

Here's a Caribbean crane, Ma and Pa's cruise ship (next to the world's largest), and my Dad in holiday mode! No pix of my Ma here; she wouldn't like that.

Back at Ma and Pa's now, and here comes the rain