Days off!

Last night I  got in from work at about 9.25pm. Sometimes, having stores so far from home is a pain in the bum, especially when I miss a train connection coming home. Nearly six hours to get back last night!

That said, I really was in a spectacular location, working my days as an Area Manager in Retail. The store I visited is up, up, up and up. This is South Stack lighthouse on Anglesey. My store is 200 yards behind this image.

I am home now, it is Friday morning, my work laptop is off and the day is my own.

Is it wrong to have bounced out of bed early to enjoy not having to get up?

Ideal.

Mountain flower goose 5

This week I have been fortunate in work visits. Nature reserves are my office, and most of my stores are on nature reserves.  It is all too rare that I leave the retail environment but this week I have made the effort. These pics are from RSPB Conwy in North Wales. I like the gooseys in particular. 

The cracking 5 series Beemer was incidental and near the railway station!

Lamb, bam thank you ma'am

I am at my parents' house this Sunday and I have pottered over here with my brother.

When we got here, we arrived to see a whole lamb prepared and ready for the freezer. Including offal! This little chap came from a farm just near here , where I suspect it had space, grass, fields and freedom. The lamb was purchased half and half between my folks and their terrific neighbours. I like the idea of bulk purchase and neighbourly sharing. It is a lovely thing.

So, check out the costs: lamb chops from Sainsbury, £6, whole wee-sheep £90!

A decade of BS5 home-owning

In happier news than the post below, I have been in my house for ten years this week (it was a decade on Thursday).

This is Clarke who lives with me and will be familiar to you if you have visited before.

Here are ten things that cover ten years:

1 A missed game of poker with good people on moving in day (sorry Walshy)
2 The Seamus Butler whirlwind
3 Rooming with various BS5ers (Bag, Lummox (RIP dude)  and even my strange mate Tony who asked me if his mate could move in on his release from prison...for murder)
4 Wheeling a piano down the street while a pal played it
5 Fast response to decorating
6 Many hours just chillin' on the wall
7 Joy & potential in making second breakfasts for Suburbia
8 Walshy sent round to mine for a dump because someone was coming to view his house
9 Fessing up to my thing for trains
10 Noisy neighbours for about 7 years of the 10!

Frankie Knuckles.

Really sad to hear of the passing of Frankie Knuckles this week. Some fine tunes came from this excellent house music producer.  Hit you tube and check out Your Love. Gone at 59 from Type II diabetes.

Wok , stock, chop , Soul 'n Funk and Saturday night.

I'm on a bit of a Chinese kick this week, here in BS5.

Went to the Chinese supermarket in the week where beansprouts are a third the price at Sainsbury's. I have those, spring onions, soy sauce and chicken stock. Even have the chop sticks.

Just need to strip cut the beef now.

Let's get on!

Seasonal sofa drama!

All go here at BS5 with a reluctant acknowledgement of colder days.

Time to turn the sofa around so the heat from the radiator adequately fills the room.

Big Wednesday stuff with Clarke the Shark supervising!

Court in the act

It has been a case of fun and games and warrants at BS5 today. A year ago, I received a letter chasing down someone with the same surname as me but a different frst name, and claiming to live at this address. This was a £120 fine for offensive language and behaviour. I thought I had dealt with it by emailing Bristol Court to deny knowledge, but the contact supplied had left two years ago! Another letter today with a fine for 8 x as much and a serious threat of Bailiffs, arrest and imprisonment. That one at least had the variety to be from another county. Spent my lunch hour at Bristol Magistrates' Court (pictured) trying to extricate myself from a fictitious life of crime. I think I am in the clear. It wasn't me Guv'. You'll never take me down!

Working the paddle gates.

Driving and filing at the same time, here we are in a lock with a 6ft rise in the Montgomery Canal. By this time, we had the technique down like a Formula 1 pit crew....

BS5 Barge

On the water last month on the Llangollen canal, and its offshoot, the 7 mile Montgomery canal! Had a great week out with the cast of Moments from Suburbia We covered about 92 miles in the week and had one day of rain. Lots of fun, lots of locks, lots of swing bridges and a hundred hungry ducks.

Cartographic naan bread.

Wow!

Random curry at home. Naan bread on the go and BANG, the naan emerges as an accurate representation of England and Wales.

Cutting edge at BlogBS5.

Rabbits and dogs at Didcot.

This weekend I helped my brother move two beds, a very heavy running machine and several boxes of this and that. He's moving in with my future sister in law later this month. Ideal!

We collected this cracking van (with Bluetooth telephony!) and filled it. On the road for half seven and a good run to Iver Heath and back.

Dogs walked in the same 24 hours.

A fine Saturday.

I will miss stops at Didcot though, it's a belter for numbers!