blogtribe

Just returned from a weekend in London, a great, and busy, time was had!

We travelled down on the Friday night after work by train into Kings Cross, we were then met by Andrew, friend and guide (who had stayed at work waiting for us to arrive to save travelling home then back), who showed us to our hotel, only a 15min walk away. We stayed at The Royal National Hotel, owned by The Imperial Group, which is a large hotel in the Russel Square area of London. After a little mishap with the room number, i.e. we were given wrong room and door card meaning I scared the life out of some poor woman by barging in at 22:30 while she was trying to sleep, we headed back to reception where it was cleared up and we headed to our “proper” room to hoy in our bag and then down to the bar to quench the travellers thirst before heading back up to bed to build up our strength for a busy Saturday.

Saturday morning began brightly at 07:30 with a full English breakfast to set us up for the day, champion! Andrew met us just after 09:30 and off we went for a wander, last time we were down Bev didn’t get a good look round Covent Garden so that was our first stop of the day.

While we were there we stopped for coffee where Andrew chose the Hot Chocolate, it was literally hot chocolate, it came in a very hot metal jug to keep it liquid we assume and it was bloody lovely, made my Latte taste like crap ;-) There was a street entertainer trying his best to get a reaction from the 3 or 4 people around, but I found him too slow, we stood there 5 mins and all he’d done was talk about what he was going to do and try to interact. Would have been fine with a big crowd around but not when the street was empty :-)

We wandered around a bit more after that and ended up at Carnaby Street, where we decided to pop into Carnaby Burger Co for lunch, bloody hell take your appetite if you’re going there, the burgers are huge!

After lunch it was time for one of the main reasons we went, We Will Rock You! at the Dominion Theatre, I’ve wanted to see it for ages but Bev wasn’t interested until last month when Bethany played Scaramouche in her school version of it, ‘Schools Will Rock You’. It was bloody brilliant and I recommend it to everyone. It also showed how well the school did in their version as it was just like seeing it for the second time, but with better singers, Bethany not included in that of course ;-)

We left the theatre buzzing and headed off for something to drink, heading back to Covent Garden where we were pleased to see a slightly larger crowd for the street entertainers. We saw huge paella pans cooking enough to feed the five thousand and set about looking for somewhere with space to get a drink. We chose a cafe with outdoor seating back in Covent Garden, Le Pain Quotidien, where I found a nice organic cider called Dunkertons Premium Organic that I recommend if you can find it. Just as we were coming to the end of our drinks the wind began to pick up and a few drops of rain fell, which, considering the weather had forecast heavy rain most of the day, wasn’t bad. We headed off to our next port of call, The Adelphi Theatre for Sweeney Todd, Bev’s choice cos it has Michael Ball in it. I’d recommend going to see this too, it’s dark and morbid but utterly brilliant overall. Imelda Staunton is brilliant and although Michael Ball looks nothing like himself and Bev was disappointed as she couldn’t see his dimples he portrays Sweeney Todd brilliantly, so much so that they got a standing ovation at the end, well deserved.

After that it was a short walk back to our hotel for a couple of drinks to round off a very full day before heading to bed.

Next morning it was up early for breakfast and then straight for the train home following Andrew’s directions for getting to Kings Cross, as he was working and not available to guide, easy!

Next time I think we’ll check out of our hotel and then store our luggage at Kings Cross and get the later train home as it seemed to be a hurried weekend with a very very full Saturday.

We were almost tempted to head off to Hogwarts instead of home as they had kindly signposted Platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross in the new section. ;-)

Well done for anyone who stayed to the end, cos I’m crap at writing this stuff down but wanted to keep a record of this :-)

Here’s a couple of photos as a thanks for hanging in there ;-)

Still as infrequent as ever, don’t panic.

Quick update since last post, Ashington lost to Grimsby but we had a great day anyway. They’ve progressed in the FA Vase though and we’ve had away days, last one to Milton Keynes, and have another one on 12th Feb, 300 mile trip to Gloucestershire. Disco Bus warmed up and alcohol chilling ready!

My full time has ended as from tomorrow I’m down to 25 hours, 5 hours more than I was on when I took the temporary upgrade to full time but I’d still prefer full time. Job has changed yet again, 2 posties, 2 duties, one van now. This means a repick has been brought in where we all choose our duties, for the first time since I started 5 years ago I should have the chance of my own duty, bonus, means I’ll know when my days off are and can work out my long weekends. This means I can plan stuff with Bev, who begins her new job tomorrow, Monday to Friday 9-5, no shifts, no nights, no weekends, lucky bugger!

Had sinusitis over Christmas and New Year, still recovering so still not been out on my bike, it’s still at the back of the shed. Hopefully soon though.

Still watching live bands, I pop along to Crackdown practice weekly and go to see The Blisters live when they play. Got some gigs coming up in the next few weeks so plenty to keep me occupied. Should put some sort of review on here really, always take pics and maybe a video or two so I should spread the word.

Beetle is due its MOT next week, exhaust fell to bits as I took it off to get welded so am on the lookout for a very cheap (free) replacement. Don’t want to spend too much money until I know how bad things may be. I know it will pass on the majority of things but it’s the minority that worries me.

As usual I’ll sign off promising to update this more frequently but no doubt it will be qaurterly again!

Wikipedia: A blister is a small pocket of fluid within the upper layers of the skin, typically caused by forceful rubbing, burning, freezing, chemical exposure or infection. ?

Been a while again, I should set this up to set out an apology at the top of each new message ;-)

New job is great, did 10-6 for a while then they decided it wasn’t working the way they wanted so moved us to 07:30-15:30, works great for them, not so great for us but it’s still full time so I’ll take it. So we’ve gone from delivering our duty then doing parcels to delivering parcels then doing our duty’  No sign of it ending for now so that’s a good thing.

Since the last post we’ve done a bit of home renovation, we’ve knocked out the wall between living room and passage to great one larger room, looks great if I say so myself but it was bloody hard work.

Because of all this hard work I’ve not managed to get out on the bike, I just didn’t have the time when I was busy, I even missed a few home games at the football, bad scene. Since then though I’ve just lacked the motivation, I need to get back into the routine of just getting on the bike and riding.

I’ve also got myself some sort of life, wow. I’ve been out watching a new band practice, getting ready for their first gig. Been to watch another band who have been going a bit longer and also popped along to a couple of acoustic nights around the town. That along with the football means I’ve been out more in the last few months than ever before. ;-)

Talking football, Ashington have managed to get themselves to the 4th qualifying round of the F.A. Cup, playing Grimsby Town this Saturday at Cleethorpes, bus trip! It’s going to be a great day and if we manage to get past Grimsby, who are about 5 levels above us, we’ll be into the F.A. Cup proper and a possibility of a big team, scary thought, but exciting.

As of next week, or week after if boss doesn’t get sorted in time, I shall be heading into full time hours. I’m taking a “Hybrid” role. I’ll be doing 10am-6pm (8am-4pm Saturday), going in and doing a delivery then, instead of finishing and heading home, I’ll be heading back to the office to pick up parcels and head out to deliver those. Only temporary till big changes come in October but I’m hoping it puts me in good stead with regards a permanent change to full time hours, don’t know how I’d cope going back to 20hours (or 22.5 as it now is).

We’ve already had some changes in the office, instead of being just an LDO (Local Delivery Office) we’re now an MPU (Mail Processing Unit) due to the new sequencing machines recently installed. We now process mail for 5 local delivery units, the machines sequence the mail for sorting. This means when you pull a pile of mail from your tray at your frame wherever your first letter begins the rest follows on in sequence, means faster sorting times. Doesn’t include all mail though so there is still manual sorting to be done.

I’m looking forward to the challenge of the new role so hopefully all will go well. I’ll let you know how it goes.

I must remember to update this at normal times and not when lying in bed and not tired.

New job is going great, makes a huge difference knowing what jobs I’m on daily and knowing what my days off will be. My long weekend this weekend, although I’m on holiday next week so slightly longer weekend than normal. I’ll also see the benefit the week after my holiday when I get paid a decent wage, one on par with a week at work and not feeling like half pay.

Off to London next week for a couple of (busy) days. Off to see Michael Ball with Bev and a friend we dragged along for company (sorry Andrew), also seeing a show, Legally Blonde, yet another item chosen by Bev. We tried for We Will Rock You but were outvoted, funny how women can pull extra votes out of thin air ;-) Going to do a bit of sightseeing too, must remember my camera.

Slapped a bit more paint on the Beetle today, on the inside this time, the red is no more, apart from tiny spots here and there that I didn’t spot till I put the paint away, will get them next time. Also have some new wheels although they need a lick of paint and some tyres before fitting. Will add a couple of pics at the end of interior and also the wheels against the car. Slowly but surely it’s coming along and Bev is putting her stamp on it.

It’s Bethanys 16th birthday on Sunday (eek, scary to think she’s my youngest) We’re having a BBQ on saturday hopefully, she wants it then as she wants to go to the Mighty Dub Fest on Sunday, woohoo :-D

May as well try for sleep now, thanks for reading my rambling, those of you who stuck it out.

After 4 years as a 20 hour reserve float postie, which meant no set day off and no set duty, just whatever I was placed on, I have had my hours upped to 33 and have a set float of my own. This means I cover the days off of posties on the same 5 duties every week. This also means that once every 6 weeks I will get my long weekend, Saturday, Sunday, Monday.

I’ve never actually worked only 20 hours, always more and for a time between November last year and the end of March this year I averaged 44 hour weeks, so the work has been there, however the downside to a 20 hour contract is holidays and sickness, you only get paid the flat 20. At least now I will get paid for 33 hours during holidays :) It also means I now know I’m near the top of the pecking order for if a full time position appears, which is even better :-D

I love my job but it was getting to the stage where the overtime was going to dry up, we’re getting new machines in that should cut down on some work and we’ve also just hired more part-timers so less chance I’d be needed to work days off. Whereas we don’t need the extra money to pay bills and such, it always comes in handy to live rather than just survive. Any overtime worked has always paid for things like take-aways, cinema visits and a little thing called The Beetle :-D

As well as the new job we now have new start and finish times, last letter has gone from 2pm to 3pm so my new hours are 8:30am-3pm Mon-Wed, 8am-3pm Thu/Fri and 7:30am-1:30pm Sat, they’ve let us keep our earlier finishes on a Saturday for now but it will change later in the year.

So in summary, new job & new duty = happytribe, later finish times = sadtribe, but more happy than sad. :-)

A day out in the Beetle, starting at The Melton Constable at Seaton Sluice followed by a 20 mile or so drive to Druridge Bay where we thought we’d support the organisers of The Mighty Dub Fest as they were there handing out promotional materials. If we’d known earlier we could have changed our meet location and headed straight for Druridge in the first place :-)

Been a few days so thought I would add it to the blog, I officially completed the #30daysofbiking, I cycled every day in April. End totals were:-

30 days, 123.09 leisure miles, 95.5 work miles, giving a total mileage of 218.59 miles.

This means that not only did I complete the #30daysofbiking I also completed #Apr100 by cycling more than 100 leisure miles, hopefully that will give me a good start for the year as I head for 1,000. I had a couple of good rides in that total, mostly up the coast, my favourite ride, I also had a few of my 10 mile route that I want to start getting in regularly. It has also given me the push to begin recording my work miles again, which I dropped last year because I couldn’t be bothered to keep mapping the routes to work out distances.

As of yet I’ve not been out in May, slack I know but it’s been a busy bank holiday weekend, I should hopefully begin my assault of the #May100 today providing I finish everything off that I need done.

Well, after knocking out my first set of leisure miles on April 1st I’ve managed to complete the #Apr100 with days to spare, I’m currently sitting at 119.79 leisure miles. That combined with the 77 miles I’ve so far done for work means I have a nice mixed leisure and work total of 196.79 miles, tomorrow will take me over the 200 mile total for the month.

The main push for this has been the #30daysofbiking challenge, wanting to complete this challenge has meant I have to go out on my bike on my days off, I’m thinking of trying to keep it up and cycle as many days as possible from now until the bike goes back away for winter. (cos I’m a wuss in the cold) I know I won’t manage every day as we have some days away planned where I won’t be near a bike but I’d like to miss as few as possible.

We’ve had a few nice drives out in the Beetle lately, mainly as an excuse to go for fish & chips ;-)

It’s still as much fun as it was when we got it and puts a massive grin on my face. It’s so much fun and puts smiles on other peoples faces too, even though it’s not the best looking Bug around. Still can’t get used to the waves from drivers of other classic cars though and have almost missed returning a wave once or twice.

Got some bits of work to be done in the next month, after some complications we should finally get our box of new bits on Friday. This means the bank holiday weekend may be a working one, installing new interior and some trim bits then we can decide what else we’d like to do for now. We’ve also got someone to come look at the electrics with a view to giving a tidy up, safety check and to fit a hot start relay and see if we can cure some of the starting hiccups we have now and again.

Pics will appear as we do stuff I’m sure. :-)

Well, I’d planned a 40 mile or so ride for today. Forecast was good and Bev was at work all day so the plan was to head up to Alnmouth, with a flask of coffee and some cake to enjoy the day. Woke up with a splitting headache and feeling “squiffy”, my technical term. Decided it probably wasn’t the best time to head out so took painkillers and waited for it to pass. Bad head disappeared but felt lightheaded for the rest of the day, didn’t think riding a bike in that condition was the best idea so shelved the plan totally :-(

I did sneak out for a ride round the lake to keep up my #30daysofbiking, all 2.6 miles of it and I struggled to finish that, my legs were like jelly at the end. So I didn’t complete the last 26 or so miles I needed to complete my #Apr100 challenge but at least I’m still in with a shout of completing both this month.

I’m now lying here in bed feeling much better but annoyingly wide awake so thought I’d write this.

Oh and while I’m here, I applied for a new position within Royal Mail, we have new machines being installed in our depot in July and night shift operators are required. No times finalised but a midnight-8am shift was mentioned. Plus side for me is that it’s a possible full time position instead of the part-time I currently have. Not sure if I’ll have a chance but it’s worth a try. If I’m not successful there’s always the possibility I could get the job of someone moving from days to nights so fingers crossed for anything. :-)