Been a busy period!

Well, I'm back at the blog.  It's been a very busy period interspersed with lounging about in the sun.  It's every workings man right to lounge in the sun so I make no excuses! I have been to France to see my parents but especially my mum who has undergone a major operation on her lungs.  Keep up the speedy recovery mum!

Ollies been winning more Beaver badges, Flag carrying at the St Georges day parade and completed succesfully his Junior Divers badge -well done Ollie!

Happy Easter everyone, and look out at night for two space related happenings.  Late evenings you may see a shooting star or two, the remnants of the Lyrids meteor shower.  These will be visable until the 27th.  Also it's a good period for ISS sightings and you can check out the times of overflys on the sidebar info bar.

Strolling through local villages near my parents..they live on the Champs du Chateau

Chouppes..the next village to Mirebeau where my parents live

walking around Poitiers...

A quick shandy...

Ollie..in thought ahead of the St Georges day parade

Best foot forward...carrying the flag.  Look at all your badges Ollie!

Guard of honour for the parade

There will always be an England...Salts park last Sunday

..the band playing

Well done Ollie...but don't use these skills in your football!

Enjoying a stroll underneath the blossom yesterday

Ollie enjoying his bike....

The week just gone..

Another busy week with work.  Lincoln Monday and Tuesday, Bournemouth Wednesday to Friday..

I was able to sample the beach...this is looking back towards the town and pier after walking for sometime

Sometimes a picture paints a thousand words..

this is one of my favourite English villages...home to Lord Montagu, the Beaulieu estate and the National motor museum.
Located in the New Forest you have to be aware of some of the local residents..

 very surreal..as though some hidden force has turned the residents into...Donkeys!

"If you want to pass you have to give me the password...Ee-aaw"

Things are not much different in the New Forest itself..

Lunch at the Montagu Arms, Beaulieu

Next to Beaulieu is 'Bucklers Hard' - where amongst other ships, Nelson's favourite ship HMS Agamemnom was built.

This view is loking dwn the one street of ship builders cottagers to the slip ways where the ships were built and launched into the Beaulieu river.

'D' is the position of the photo above.  'K' is where the ships were built and launched including the Agamemnon which fought in the battle of Trafalger.  Turning left at 'G' heading towards 'M' is a lovely riverside/woodland walk to Beaulieu of aprroximately 2 miles.

Yesterday Ollie and I went to St Ives estate and took different paths to the ususal ones we take..

...where you happen across some very strange things..

we also went to my old stomping ground of East Morton where Ollie became a 'Dimps' boy and played on the Dimps where i grew up and played.

 we played by the stream..

..and 'New Age' Ollie wanted to meditate...!

Back in a week after my visit to France.

Happy Mothers Day ...MUM!

Have a great day Mum and I'll see you on the 11th (or thereabouts)!

Honest, I'd do the cooking and cleaning up if I was there today...lol (God bless the English Channel lol)

And here's Ollie, chuffed with his pressies for his mum!

Have a look at this...

This is a normal house....what's going through your mind when you look at it..?

Clue:  Apparantly he only has one ball....(the house btw is in Swansea)

Wow..the week that was..!

Myself and two others have had...erm...an interesting week!  Leaving Baildon at 5.30am on Monday I've spent my time in Swansea and Carmarthen getting home at 7.30pm on Thursday.  The reason?  an I.T. release that went live on Monday morning and I was managing a Business Confidence Testing programme over the three days.  At the end of day 1 we still had not seen one live example of what we were expecting!  Days 2 and 3 were both over 12 hours long but the testing we did identified and proved the 'bug' causing the issues.  Test, phone conference, test, phone conference, test, phone conference, test, phone conference....Day four was busy presenting to the senior management team on completely seperate issues, then came the 5 hour drive home!

Anyway, you get the gist.

Monday night when all seemed depressing, one of our colleagues made us guests at his Yacht club for a well desired and well earned pint or two.  Before that he took us down to the marina to view his yacht..

'Bob's yacht moored in Swansea marina. Jo, Dawn and myself walking the plank!

Captain Bob, Dawn and myself just glad we made it aboard without ending up in the drink..

The view for three nights from my hotel room...who said it was all glam?  Though you cannot tell in this photo, the mist is obscuring the top of the hill.  If I had been on the other side of the corridor my view would have been of the rejuvenating dockside area..

After a long week away it was time to relax tonight.  Those that know me best will know that means good food...so, into the kitchen I went

Course 1

King Scallops with Spanish Chorizo on a bed of rocket leaves in balsamic vinegar sprinkled with fresh corriander

Course 2

Baked Sea Bass with slow roasted plum tomatoes, Charlotte potatoes with salad leaves (splash of Sambucca in the cooking of the fish for that special zing)

Course 3

Courtesy of Morrisons...Pecan, toffee and Bramley apple tart served with lashings of Double cream..

Later, French Brie or Red leicester with Sweet Chilli  biscuits at the ready with fresh coffee follwed by Sambucca or Bushmills to aid a restful nights sleep...ahhhhh sleep...