Got my jobs out of the way on Friday, yes another day off, and headed off for a nice healthy walk at about 2pm. We walked to The Bouverie Tap, and then to The Firkin Alehouse, and then to the East Cliff Tavern, and finally to The Curry Garden. A lovely day and not home late because we'd headed out early.
Saturday morning up early, but no parkrun, as we were heading to London for the day. Still aching slightly from the run on Thursday and the walk yesterday, I am getting less and less fit I think. Anyway a bit of excitement to start the day, I booked the wrong train tickets, booked singles instead of returns and so was looking like being out of pocket. Couldn't cancel them online so drove up to the station at half seven while the others were getting ready. Lady in the ticket office sorted it out for me, just another forty pence to pay to turn my tickets into returns.
Back home, shower, and back to the station with wife and boys. Nine O'clock train was busy but we did get seats near each other, and I got to ask someone to move their coat which had been arranged to look as if the seat was taken and someone was returning to the seat, hmm not having that.
Changed our plans at the last minute and jumped off at Stratford as the main focus of the day was buying a new coat for T1. He had an eye on one from Barbour (it's not all farm wear) but we hoped to find a cheaper one. Nothing in Stratford, so tube to Oxford Street and he's seen another Barbour one in John Lewis. He offered to contribute to it bless him, so we said no but got it anyway. Shopping done, time for a sit down!
First to The Argyll, very nice old pub with a very dark traditional interior. Actually quite hard to see in there. We wanted Italian for dinner so thought possibly go back to Stratford again at the end of the day to go to Figo which we had enjoyed before, and so booked it just in case it was busy. But still plenty of time to spare in central London. The only other realy plan was to go to Forbidden Planet, where T2 bought no Pokemon cards and a book, and I got that 2000ad t-shirt. Just T2 and I shopped here while wife and T1 waited in Craft Beer Co round the corner, then we joined them. Nice cafeish sort of bar but with good choice of beers. Wife thinks we have been there before I do not remember it. I don't think it is very old so maybe we went when it was called something else. We played lots of cards.
We had basically completed our missions, spent all the money, so back to Stratford to try and move our dinner resolution earlier. No chance, Figo is super busy. So we had to wait in The Cow, what a shame! Another lovely beer and luckily got a table perfectly positioned to watch the rugby. England losing to Italy for the first time ever, but still interesting to witness.
Figo was packed with dinners either on their way to see Abba Voyage or having already been to the matinee show. Lots of fancy dress. So glad we'd booked so we weren't shunted to a table outside under a heater. Very good food, but there was not the vegan ravioli starter that I thought I'd had last time, still really nice though. I had crumbed artichoke starter and some pasta main, T2 and wife had lamb ragu and T1 had a pizza.
Quick trip back to the station to make sure we didn't miss the nine O'clock train, via Waitrose to get puddings. Taxi home and then fell asleep in front of the TV. I will have to watch that episode of How To Get To Heaven From Belfast again.
I'm up early because that little nap. Waiting for shopping delivery, then walking to pick up the car.
Still war. I see there was an attack on the US Embassy in Oslo, where a friend is visiting. Just heard from him he was nowhere near it and is on his way back now. I saw "live now from Portsmouth" on BBC News and thought the worst, but it was footage of that big aircraft carrier which is starting to move.
This is not going down well me having days off with no plans for them. Relaxing is a plan, of sorts. Yesterday I ran 10km in the morning, was quite pleased with that. Until I saw other people's runs that is. Nephew looks to have done a spontaneous 20km.
I also did the lawn and some weed killing. I am not a gardener, no matter what I do it looks worse.
Today some small jobs around the house, done quietly so as not to disturb wife who is working from home. Actually more done quietly so she forgets I am here and doesn't find me more jobs to do. Maybe some more light gardening, trimming the bits of garden that are overhanging the path. Then some washing, ironing, listening to music, but eventually going to the pub. About to reach out to friends see if anyone else has a preference. My friends I like to go to the pub with most don't like to go to the pub I like to go to most, but we'll see. I did go to the Potting Shed briefly before tea yesterday, so I could say I'm done for the week. However I would like to go back there again today, it's a nice crowd and I know I'll see other friends there I'd like to spend time with. I wouldn't mind going on a bit of a pub walk this afternoon too, will see what friends have in mind.
Tomorrow will be a good day, planning on skipping parkrun to get an earlier train up to London. Then a relaxed shop. We will be window shopping for coats for one boy, just getting ideas, but hopefully not spending London prices for the same thing we could get at the outlet. Never know though, we might see something better, and even the outlet price for this particular coat he has in mind was more than I'd spend on myself. Other boy has his own money in hand to spend in Forbidden Planet. I also saw a 2000ad t-shirt that I'd quite like. Wife might get new shoes, and we'll find somewhere nice to eat and drink, but not sure where yet.
Another trip to London in the week, I can't keep ducking out of commuting in. This week it works out, with T1 going to a gig, so I'll go to office, then meet him, see he and his friend get into gig OK, then travel home with them after.
All assuming the war doesn't head in this direction.
More free energy today, as there was on Wednesday. Then I managed to set the timer to use it while we were out and I can do it again today. Sign up here to join Octopus Energy1.
Struggled to sleep last night, mostly thinking about work. Got to a point where I thought oh well I'm awake now, not going back to sleep now. Looked at my watch and it was just gone 2am... So I did not get up and I did get back to sleep. Not super rested now thought.
T1 had a super parents evening yesterday. It's all remote, and only three subjects, and only five minutes with each teacher. So all over very quickly, but glowing praise for him.
T2 had a great guitar breakthrough this week too, the teacher has given him The Scientist by Coldplay, and he's playing the chords, and he kept playing it even after practice time was over. He picked it up again later to play it to T1. Yesterday though, no practice again. Hoping he is into it.
Another day off tomorrow, and I have told wife now that yes, sorry, I have holiday left over and I should have taken it earlier... Not sure what to do yet, hopefully a nice walk in the the sunshine. Weather has perked up so much today that my solar powered security camera sent me an alert to say hey, 100% charge! It has just been telling me the battery is running down fast up to now, which made me think the solar panel wasn't working. But no, it's just that it's generally a bit dark and murky where it is. All good.
Nice day outside, not a nice day if you live in the Middle East. Or if you have shares. Not really that nice if you are in meetings all day too and can't go out and enjoy the nice day. Hope it stays nice later in the week when I have another day off. And I hope it gets nicer generally in the world.
I thought it was premium bonds prize day today. I didn't get anything if it is.
Thirty years ago today I was at Babybird, but today in 1985 The Smiths played Portsmouth Guildhall. This blog should be more about the gigs I was at rather than the gigs I wish I was at, sorry.
Quite a good day of shopping yesterday in Ashford. Just wife and T1 and I shopping, T2 was out with friends. We looked in all the coat shops and did not buy anything but we have seen a possible. Going to look in London next week for more options, but we know we'd pay more there for the same option, so maybe back to Ashford outlet centre again. He did get some new Levis. 501s wouldn't fit him as his muscles are too big.
I was looking forward to my Chinese yesterday as a reward, but when I went to collect it they said oh sorry we've been trying to phone you and can't get through. It won't be ready for another hour and a half! So I cancelled, and back to Tesco, and got a vegan pizza, and it was good. It was the No'Duja from Bosh, on sourdough. It's a bit small but was tasty. Disappointed with The Phoenix takeaway though, it has put me off going back there. It has changed recently, I had been thinking of finding another one. I should just use that one in Hythe.
I have done my bin food run for today, and got some free noodles and vegetables so I will try make some sort of equivalent of what I missed out on yesterday. There wasn't as much "colleague shop" stuff available again, I'm not sure what is going on. I did get a couple of sourdoughs though so will be eating a lot of bread tonight.
I have done more music history researching, old gig guides, found some good stuff for gigs I was not at some old posters of Suede and Radiohead, gah I wish I was at them. A quarter of a century ago today I was at ULU for My Vitriol. Not a very exciting one, but when I find more gig guides for that period I might fill in some more gaps.
Didn't feel like going this morning. This is happening more and more. But two things, 1) I didn't go last wee, have not run all week, 2) if I'd let the alarm go off and not got up for the second week in a row wife would have killed me. So up I got.
I knew the course was changing because of the work being down to fix The Leas, but I didn't realise how far the start would move. So when I parked as near to the normal start as I could and walked there, I then had to run about another kilometre up to the hotels (The Grand and The Metropole) where the start was. Just made it in time, started at the back, and struggled a bit. It was cold and windy running up The Leas, to the West. Towards the end my left knee started twingeing so I had to keep slowing down and stopping. Hence the poor time this week. Still another one done.
Folkestone parkrun results for event #527. Your time was 00:29:06.
Congratulations on completing your 218th parkrun and your 197th at Folkestone parkrun today. You finished in 147th place out of a field of 281 parkrunners. You were the 108th male and came 17th in your age category VM50-54. Take a look at this week's full set of results on our website. Your PB at Folkestone parkrun remains 00:20:50. Your best time this year remains 00:24:35.
I like the new starting position, it will be easier to park up towards that end, but I suppose they'll only keep it while the work is ongoing.
I should be thinking more about the war that is going on rather than Parkrun moving slightly. USA have attacked Iran and in retalliation Iran have attacked US bases in Dubai, Bahrain, Kuwait and others. This is not the end of this is it.
Paulʼs blog - I live near Folkestone, Kent. Wed and dad to two, I am a full-stack web developr, and I do javascript / nodejs, some ruby, other languages ect ect. I like pubbing, parkrun, restaurants, home automation 🤖 + other diy jiggery-pokery, history, genealogy, TV, squirrels, pirates, lego, + time travel.
