Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

Click to see full-size image.

I went on one of those things to Amsterdam a few months back and it was without doubt the loudest airplane I've ever been on.

In contrast a recent flight on the Dreamliner was close to silent. Absolutely incredible airplane. Have you had the pleasure yet? I know you're in to these things.

Have to agree, Mr R, not only loud, but they shake & rattle alarmingly. Safe as houses though.

The 787 Dreamliner? Nope, yet to have that pleasure, but I'm told they give a really smooth & quiet flying experience.

The safety of civil airliners really is something in the Western world. Not so much in darkest Africa, or parts of Asia, Russia South America. Or in the Middle East these days.

[tikay]

On Brighton Beach, right by the ruins of West Pier, they have built this giant sticky-up concrete thing.

 


It's 700 feet tall - that's the height on an 80 storey building.

Cost? £42 million, of which the local council loaned £36 million. Same designers as The London Eye.

How did the Council wave this through? Try erecting an extension to your house & & it's all "we have to preserve the local character".

It goes by the official & trendy name of i360, but the locals have dubbed it iSore. It even has a naming rights sponsor now - The British Airways i360.

I suppose if it brings in tourism, & jobs, all good. Not my cup of tea though.

This is how it looks right now, before they affix the glass "doughnut" observation tower, which goes up & down on cables.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

  


Here's the gumf;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I360


http://www.brightoni360.co.uk/


Nice bit of concrete, mind.

Caused a fair bit of controversy too as the Council have refused to renew the licence of the observation wheel located just to the east of the pier.

The Big Wheel thing opposite the Aquarium?

That's a bit out of order.

It all smells a bit of something fishy to me.

I'm still stunned that the Local Council saw fit to loan £36 million on a pure commercial enterprise. That's not their job, surely? Plenty of Venture Capital outfits for that sort of thing.  

The folks who reside in Sussex Heights, the big white block just behind it, can't be too chuffed, either.

[Tal]

Just wandered around New Street Station for half an hour, before boarding to what I am informed is soggy London.

I have to say it's an impressive sight for a train station. It's more like an airport: huge, open spaces, shops of all kinds and a veritable smorgasbord of places to eat.

It isn't my idea of a train station, but you really have to appreciate what a spectacle it is.

[tikay]

Anyway, we came off the pier, & the wind was howling, the rain horizontal, into our faces, so after a lightning visit to The Royal Pavilion - what an extraordinary structure - & a quick look at The Lanes, that was it, & we hauled ourselves up that long hill back to Brighton Station.

Doubt I could have walked another yard - a sure sign of how badly my physical condition has deteriorated.

We were home by 5pm, & so I caught up on work, Next Door.

Sod's Law is remarkably efficient - I had a pile of work to sort out that had arrived during the day, new Promos & all sorts.

I also had to sort out a little Comp I was running, in which they had to guess how many runners Friday's £33 Main Event would get. It usually gets around 350, but the Guarantee had been doubled, under a "Black Friday" promo. It got, amazingly......881 runners. Wowzer. Amazing what a bit of promo noise can do, coupled with a doubled Guarantee.

One chap said "see, if you double the Guarantees every night, look how many runners you'd get".

It's not like that though, is it? Go to the well too often, & it soon runs dry.

Not intended as spam, but they are pretty clever with their promos Next Door. The Promo budget is not a fixed figure - it is designed to be a fixed % of total margin. (Margin is Reg Fees & Cash Rake). So as the site gets busier, they spend more money. Easy when traffic is on the up, not so much on the way down. 

   

[Tal]

I'm loving this new diary, Tikay.

Who drinks champagne at 8:40 on a Sunday morning? Three people on my train, apparently. 

[tikay]

Just wandered around New Street Station for half an hour, before boarding to what I am informed is soggy London.

I have to say it's an impressive sight for a train station. It's more like an airport: huge, open spaces, shops of all kinds and a veritable smorgasbord of places to eat.

It isn't my idea of a train station, but you really have to appreciate what a spectacle it is.

Not seen it yet, but I do like the idea of nice big open spaces in railway termini. Victoria Station was a disaster in that respect, whereas the newly revamped Kings Cross is very good.

And yes, I can confirm, London is very dull & soggy this morning.  

For a lovely station with ambience, Moor St is a great example.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Enjoy your day in London.

[Tal]

I'll try to enjoy my day. Might depend on this fella:

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

I'm loving this new diary, Tikay.

Who drinks champagne at 8:40 on a Sunday morning? Three people on my train, apparently. 

Ha, thank you. Not sure many would agree, not much in the way of degen or nosebleed stuff, but it's a typical week, & it's been a SIMS for a while to recount - more to myself than anyone - a typical week, & all the odd thought processes I go through.

I'm afraid blonde is struggling badly, (maybe because of twaddle like this) & may not survive much longer, so I'm trying to get a few boxes ticked whilst chance permits. 

I've tried really hard to make blonde busy & vibrant, as have a few others, but the moment we take our foot off the gas, it slows down, & I've been a bit despondent about it the last week or two, & I've lost a bit of oomph & zing for it. Maybe it will return, maybe not. Anyway, nobody will die either way, so I suppose it's no big deal really.

Whereas the following astounded me......   

[tikay]

I'll try to enjoy my day. Might depend on this fella:

Click to see full-size image.

Ahh yes, of course - Spurs v Chelsea.

Did you see Jose, in his press conference, bigging up Spurs? Not like him at all. The cynic in me - & I loathe being cynical, but I can't help myself sometimes -  could not help but think he was making medium term overtures for the Manager's job there, in case Roman loses patience.

[tikay]

Harry's Heroes

We watched this TV Show late on Friday - it blew us away. You may know that "poker hero" is not a term I ever use. These are heroes, imo. 

Cliffs;

The plan is to get 12 injured servicemen & women to WALK 70 miles to the South Pole.

They each have to pull a sled, laden with 70kg of provisions, tents etc.

The temperature was mostly around MINUS 40c, & you can add wind chill to that.

The servicemen & women were mostly amputees or double amputees. Imagine being a double amputee & walking. Or walking ONE MILE. These men & women walked 70 miles, in -40c, pulling a bloody sledge. "Stumps" became raw, ears became frostbitten, altitude sickness struck many of them.

Prince Harry was one of the "leaders", helping them get there.

Along with 3 others, he missed 36 hours due to illness, but they all rejoined the march & carried on.

I didn't know who to admire most - the injured service personnel, or Prince Harry.

Prince Harry? Well yes, he had a cosseted upbringing, & we all know that some feel uncomfy with his status by birth.

He did his time with the RAF in Afghanistan though, & now this. Given his background, I can't imagine many would have the mental & physical strength & courage to do that march. How many of those who diss him non-stop could do that march?

It was incredibly moving, to see him trying to encourage the amputees, all of whom who were just so, so brave.

I was near to tears at the end.

And then, before bed, I thought I'd better check the Forum Next Door, to see if there were any problems. One lad had commented that "the grind (poker grind, lol) was really tough tonight". 

Sure thing mate, sure thing. If poker is a grind, how would he rate this march, I wondered?

You'll notice the young lady in the bottom photo has longish hair. Well that's handy, as it covers her left ear, which suffered horrendous frostbite during the march, & ended up as a cauliflower ear. She was warned that she would be disfigured for life, & advised to quit the march.

She carried on, every damn yard. Every one of them eventually got there.

Just incredible. They are heroes. Proper heroes.   

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

Adele

Am trying to get the Diary to Saturday, & the Bushy ParkRun, but before I do, Adele.

I've managed to swerve all the Adele hoopla & hoohah, & until this week, had never knowingly heard her sing or talk, or seen her perform.

The tsunami wave of publicity was too much though, & so I had a look, a listen & a google.

24 million Twitter followers?

27 million views on her latest single in a single day? (An all time record, say Vevo).

Sold more records, & faster, than almost any female, ever ever ever?

So I just assumed she'd be modern, young, & a bit edgily dressed, somewhat in the mould of Amy, Gwen, or Pink, you know, with bra straps showing, tattoos galore, acres of bare midriff, & living with a bloke who wears dodgy hats & smokes spliffs.



[/img]

Click to see full-size image.

How wrong could I be?

Instead, it turns out she is on the plump side, speaks common, & dresses frumpily.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Which was a bit of a shock. Nice shock, but a shock, all the same. More substance, less hoohah. Like.


In fact, she insta reminded me a younger version of that lady who won X Factor a few years ago, Susan Boyle.

[TightEnd]

she has a voice to die for

this is live on us tv

[tikay]

she has a voice to die for

this is live on us tv

Oh yes, don't doubt that at all.

Just does not fit the stereotype. Quite a shock to me. She has succeeded despite being Lady Frump, rather than all the cool garb.

Fair play to the young lady.

Must be worth a few bob, too.

[MANTIS01]

Yo, just caught up and enjoyed reading about your PLO sessions. Funny what you said about reporting on poker sessions about twice a year because this is a unique & engaging element of the diary and the forum.

[vegaslover]

[/quote]

Caused a fair bit of controversy too as the Council have refused to renew the licence of the observation wheel located just to the east of the pier.
[/quote]

The Big Wheel thing opposite the Aquarium?

That's a bit out of order.

It all smells a bit of something fishy to me.

I'm still stunned that the Local Council saw fit to loan £36 million on a pure commercial enterprise. That's not their job, surely? Plenty of Venture Capital outfits for that sort of thing.  

The folks who reside in Sussex Heights, the big white block just behind it, can't be too chuffed, either.
[/quote]

Yep that's the one. No doubt to do with the money the council have pumped into the new venture