Mix
Mix… well that was a day and a half, felt knackered all day after yesterdays shenanagins. Mix as a prompt so off to Tom and Gerry’s for a Gin and Tonic as a result.
What Inspires Me
Sunday and off to work on the Sunday service. Early start but that gave me a chance to mooch around in search of a photo. Luckily Wigan never fails to provide something and after several possible candidates I arrive at this. Some sort of hen party had discarded it going on the proximity of the Brides Gang piece of rubbish.
Grab a coffee and packet of Wotsits from John Menzies, wander in and no surprises I’m first in. Get my shit out of the locker and set up for the day. Not a great day work wise but not a totally shite day. Got to catch up with a bit of writing which was positive. Finally got to meet Meg who’s been off ill. Seems pleasant enough.
Back home via superior bus and in the door and I’m fed by Carol with stew and dumplings, delish. Phone home. Shoot the breeze with the folks. Catch up with the blogging and write some shit.
Discover a change in the shift pattern, early’s next week to be followed by lates. It’s no bad thing delaying the lates given that C returns to work tomorrow. Need to nip in early so I can visit Asda, C needs more hot chocolate.
Music
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The Best Of Horace Silver The Blue Note Years – Horace Silver
- Horace Silver And The Jazz Messengers – Horace Silver
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Serenade To A Soul Sister – Horace Silver
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III -Walter Smith III
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In Common – Walter Smith III
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Twio – Walter Smith III
Something White
So 55 today. Lots of birthday wishes which was nice. Lovely card from C and fun card from S. Ch as St bring a card round too which was cool and appreciated.
Morning a bit of a food shop followed by a bit of a contretemps regarding the availability of a pound coin as we move shops between Lidl and Aldi, fetch change and off to Aldi we go. Birthday lunch in the Robin, nice touch was the bar staff buying me a birthday drink.
Steven drags round copious amounts of beer too which is most welcome. A few of the usual suspects like Doom Bar, Bishops Finger and Old Speckled Hen but a few different ones too. I guess that I’m a bit predictable! Lol, we also bought me a bottle of Leffe. Didn’t get round to drinking any of them.
Cal calls after work which was good. Relatively early night in anticipation of work in the morning. Have to admit bed is welcome, not been the best of birthdays to be fair.
Music
- Butterfly – Natalie Merchant
- Natalie Merchant – Natalie Merchant
- Ophelia – Natalie Merchant
- Tigerlily – Natalie Merchant
- Rarities (1998-2017) – Natalie Merchant
- Keep Your Courage – Natalie Merchant
Season
Cases packed and out for 06.30. slight panic that they go to the right Bus. Sorted, I go for a stroll down to the Spar to take some pics. C rings to find out where I am.Breakfast at 9.00 and pile into the bus for 10.00 to return home. We stop in Beverley, with time enough to get scran and a drink but not enough time to do anything like visit the Minster. C is livid. I’m a little more chilled but I’ve been to Beverley before. Pint then into a bakery for a sausage roll for C and Bacon, Cheese and Leek pastie for me.
Remount the bus and off we go, weather is foul, roadworks everywhere, C gets a bit stressed about us arriving at the interchange in time to catch the feeder coach. We get back to Burtonwood at around 16:15. Half an hour an we get on the feeder and wonder of wonders we’re first drop. Back home, light shop and then Mr. Krispy shared kebab for tea. Nice.
Music
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Acr Loco – A Certain Ratio
- Acr Box – A Certain Ratio
- Acr:mcr – A Certain Ratio
- Early – A Certain Ratio
- The Graveyard And The Ballroom – A Certain Ratio
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Loco Remezclada – A Certain Ratio
- The Old & The New – A Certain Ratio
- To Each… – A Certain Ratio
- Sextet – A Certain Ratio
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Live at the Blue Note Café, Paris 1961 – Bud Powell
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In Paris – And More – Dexter Gordon
- Dexter Gordon Blows Hot and Cool – Dexter Gordon
Pattern
Beware larks, we’re up, about and after you. Decide Breakfast is a dish best served elsewhere so we head to the train station, eat one bacon barm and one sausage barm (you can guess who had which!) at the caff at the station. Then onto the 07:48 to York.Train journey is uneventful with the exception of pheasant and bunny spotting. Arrive at York, utilise their water closets and head to the Railway Museum. Rodents we’re an hour early and its breezy and chilly again. Get some grief about that! Yep, truly I am in control of the weather! Eventually we get in and what a fab time we had. We find Steven a suitable cushion which we find amusing anyway! After a couple of hours hooning around with the camera we head to the road train.
Dropped at the Minster. Executive decision is taken to view the Minster then seek food on the basis that everyone will be eating now. The Minster is suitably beautiful and interesting. C gets carried away with the archaeology, I still struggle with that one! Still it’s a historically interesting venue. We end up with a new duck and church mouse from the shop!
Lunch provides a few issues, restaurants are full but we eventually find a Greene King pub to eat in. Both of us have the steak pie including a crust manufactured of reinforced concrete, I even try applying gravy to soften it.
Follow lunch with a gentle stroll to the station. C is suffering but she’s walked a relatively long distance today. We have a rest near the station, then into the Tap for a pint as we wait for the train. I Should Be So Wookie for me, delicous!
Uneventful train journey home and gentle stroll across the bridge back to the hotel.
Number
Day at leisure… aka Scarborough day. Usual morning routine, wake early, grumble about breakfast time and then ablute. Brew, breakfast and we plan the day ahead. At least the day is sunny!
So we wander down the hill and cross the bridge with me snapping away with the cameras (much discussion with C as to why I need two cameras with me!) We inspect the Grand Hotel from the outside, a classic piece of overblown Victorian architecture! BY it though we discover whet Brian our driver described as a ‘Vernacular Railway’ (cheap amusement to us), which describes itself as a Victorian Tramway (apparently completed in 1881 I discover via the wonders of Wikipedia). It’s a charming funicular railway so we hop on board to get down to the beach.
While the day is sunny it’s also breezy so we get blown along the front and beech! It’s a pleasant and gentle walk that we just take our time with. Eventually we stop at Richard III house for a brew. Turns out old Dicky stopped here while on naval business. Well everybody loves a sailor and all that malarkey! Coffee is welcome and the service is fab at the cafe. Recommend it.
Wander down the front and it’s time for the compulsory visit to the puggies. £1 each in 2ps to lose on the tipping point machines, I reach that moment when you are just hoping to lose because there are too many 2p coins in your pot and you don’t want to lug them around for the day! Luckily the odds are with the arcade and my gambling is fully unsuccesful!
As we wander along we encounter a kitsch 50s style ice cream parlour offering low sugar ice cream Mr Whippy stylee. We stop them and buy one each, it’s a freezing day and we eat ice cream! Eventually arrive at the vernacular and up we go and into town. Wander round the shops, C getting stressed about food and we eventually locate a Weatherspoons. As I sort the food C hits the paracetamol and gets into discussion comparing the meds, relative illnesses and hidden disabilities with the old girl with the purple hair sat next to us. It’s a cool convo. Lunch is standard ‘spoons fare, and neither bad nor good! Scarborough Stout and Jorvik taken on board.
Carry on wandering the shops ‘til about 3. It’s not exactly a dynamic shopping experience. Then repair to the hotel and chill. Partake of the free booze and eat. General concensus is a good day because we were in control.
Delicate
Wake in the dungeon…. but the bed is comfy. As per usual we wake early and then have the hang around until 9.00 when we are due to have breakfast. It’s a bit of a pain in the backside that suits neither C or me. Ablute and make a brew. Read.
Today’s trip is a day in Whitby via Pickering and Goathland. We leave at 10.00. Again not ideal for us, we like to get on with things.
Breakfast, well a choice of cereals, toast (little choice one slice of white, one brown, thin bread) and a full English. Was OK, the guy serving us is friendly and good. Coffee is like gnats piss.
All aboard the skylark and Brian the driver drags us to Pickering, via Thornton-le-Dale, wave at the Bangers and Cash garage as we go (not as big as it seems on the TV!). All we get to see is the inside of a cafe because we have a a 25 minute stop. Then a drive over the moors to Goathland, apparently they filmed Heartbeat and a scene in one of the Harry Potter movies. My response is meh! Not helped by the fact that there is no room in the carpark for the bus so I just see it out of a window. FFS!
Then off to the main event… Whitby.
Entrance
Wake, ablute and brekky, leave the houseo for trip to Scarborough. At the bus stop by 8.30. Grayway feeder arrives 15 minutes early which suits us. Off to Burtonwood services, changeover is smooth and plenty of time for a coffee.
Journey and a 30 minute break at services followed by an hour at the next services and lunch. As predicted am on a trip with a bunch of senile delinquents and mogadon swallowing Burnley firm intent on finding the match on Sky somewhere. Travel is boring, bus not exactly comfy and we end up devouring as a result of a car accident.
The Cumberland Hotel in Scarborough is a touch rough round the edges, staff are welcoming but almost as geriatric as the party we’re in. Comp drink in the bar though is welcome.
Food is not great, it’s catering for the audience not much crunch. Fish cake sans fish but tasty enough. Roast ham and chips is in fact sliced ham and chips. Cheese and biscuits were good but lack poof knife makes buttering the biscuits difficult.
Bed early in the dungeon.
Egg
Happy Easter! A day of tech support with Cal setting up Sharon’s new PC, getting camera shit together to go away. Setting things to charge.
But first a walk to the building society and then breakfast at the Tom and Gerry. Was good and filling.
Afternoon plans are a bit of gardening and that sort of shit!
Music
- Dexter Gordon Blows Hot and Cool – Dexter Gordon
- In Paris and More – Dexter Gordon
A Favourite Place
An early start and it’s into Wigan in search of today’s photo. Return to the big giant head!
Arrived a t’mill and was first in, sorted my shit and chilled. Not a great day tbh, 1-2-1 with Jess pm. It was ok.
Home to tea and Carry On movies. Could be worse. Now off till Sunday next week and can chill for a bit.
Still feeling a bit down.
Music
- Blondshell – Blondshell
- Round Midnight – Dexter Gordon
- Bright Lights – Susanna Hoffs
- The Deep End – Susanna Hoffs
- Someday – Susanna Hoffs
- The Essential Jim Bob – Jim Bob
- Together All The Way – Levellers