Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

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Crombies are the dogs bollox 

Truly, I've had two in my entire life, the first lasted 15 years, the next I still have, that one has managed 30 years, & it's as good as the day I got it. I never wear it, mind.

I took my Dad out on Friday night and he was talking about the coat he was wearing. He bought it to attend my first carol concert when I went to the Grammar School as he didn't have one until then - we were not well off and they seemed to spend most of their money on my school uniforms. Anyway - he wore it on Friday and I remarked that it had worn well (don't do the maths) and he admitted that he rarely wore it as it was a posh coat - so he only wore it for Christmas and when he went out with me.

It wasn't until later I realised he might have been having a dig....

It is a Crombie and a beautiful coat. Good choice.

Have a lovely break, stay off the internet. x

Well I did stay off the internet, Miss D - I had no choice, there WAS no internet, there was not even much phone signal, it was usually unavailable.

Hope the Comedy career is booming - been looking out for you on the telly!

Get it done, am incredibly proud that you have been so brave, talking the talk is easy, walking the walk, not so much.

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trip sounds idyllic.  enjoy it hard-man

And don't you forget it, girlie.

Hannah excited, I bet?

If I may ask, how much do you spend on Xmas pressies for her, & do you sort of set a limit?

Yes, she's super-excited.  It's her 9th birthday on the 28th too.

Pressies - don't really set a limit.  She's not a greedy kid, and her Christmas/birthday list is usually a bunch of modest stuff (mainly craft/designery type things) which myself, her dad, grandparents, aunts and uncles just divide up between us.  My mum usually gets her a 'big' present.  This year it's a wii which I'm pretty happy about myself   We're off to see Matilda the musical in the west end the night before her birthday which I paid for last time I had a poker bink (thank goodness these things go on sale well in advance, eh?), and that's easily been my biggest expenditure.

How was "Matilda"? Trip report, please.

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Happy Holidays Tony.
 
Take some photos, even out of focus could be described as ethereal arty landscapes!

I took hundreds!

I'll spare you most of them, & slip a few of them in in dribs & drabs over the next few weeks, other folks"holiday snaps" are rarely gripping viewing....

Have decided to invest in a proper camera. I note Rod Paradise Posted on Tom's Diary some snaps from his new camera - something like that, if idiot proof, would be ideal.

I saw so many amazing sights up in Scotland, many of them wildlife, & my current camera is just not up to the job. Think nature photography is going to be my next hobby.

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hope you enjoy your holiday.  I'm rather guilty that I haven't been in that part of the world since I was 14 - on a youth hostel rock climbing course!  I left Glasgow about 6am on a train north, then a ferry to Skye, then a bus, then a 10 mile walk over a moorland pass to Glenbrittle.  Thought nothing of it!

Wait till I show you some of the places I visited, & the stunning scenery, you'll ACHE to go back.

Spent most of the time on the Isle of Skye, but more of that to follow......

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A very funny thing happened this morning I wanted to share. The family went for xmas at my sister's new house in the Cotswolds where she lives with her husband Tom. Tom has always been a proper city guy but since buying this house in the sticks he really fancies himself as an authentic country gent. He's bought some land and got livestock and is currently getting together all the clobber to look the part. It's abs hilarious to see. Well over dinner yesterday all he can talk about is getting some proper leather farmer's boots and tells me there's a boxing day sale at this country footwear outlet a couple of miles outside the village. So we wake up this morning and the two of us hotfoot it to the shop early doors. Now Tom hates shopping at the best of times and tells me he wants to get in and out quick smart. A proper military style operation he calls it.

We arrive at the store and Tom rushes in with me following behind. Almost immediately he sees the boots he wants but they are size 9 and he's a 10. So he picks it up and looks around for a sales assistant to help but can't find one who isn't with a customer. Already showing signs of anxiety he takes the boot and rushes to queue up at the till. About 15 minutes later he arrives at the front of the queue and plonks the boot on the counter and says "I want these in a 10" and starts counting out some cash. Shop assistant looks at the boot, looks at Tom, and says "We don't sell those boots sir". As they are both staring at each other in silence somebody shouts out "Oi you" from behind. We all whirl around to see this farmer type chap hobblin down the aisle red-faced with one boot on his left foot and just sock on the right. "That's my bloody boot" he bellows. Tom's only gone and nabbed this guy's boot while he was trying out another pair. Turns out his daughter bought them for xmas but he didn't like em so came to the sale to buy himself something different. He's been all over the shop rooting around for his other boot. Whole queue is in bits and hilarious because farmer guy then tries to sell Tom the boots and Tom is trying to squeeze into the size 9's before giving up and coming away bootless. Sorry for hijack but haven't stopped laughing at his impressive military style operation.

Mr Mantis, Sir - remind me to reply to that properly. In the meantime, keep your Posts coming, please - I'll explain why when I reply.

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Amazing piece of footage (thanks to BBC news, though it is in most of today's newspapers), from Cleveleys, near Blackpool, yesterday.

That white stuff you can see is foam, not seawater as such.

Various theories put forward by different agencies, from the action of waves on algae, to detergent in the sea (really?!), who knows the truth?

Having viewed the mind-blowing footage from Rod Paradise yesterday on Tom's diary of dolphins "herding" fish onto the beach to catch them, (I saw something similar on "Eden" last night, too), in Nature, I'm sure almost anything is unbelievably possible.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-16354575

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Most staggering sports stat of the Festive period - & there were many - was that massive crowd @ Twickers (which I now pass daily, on my way to the office) to watch a CLUB RU Match. The crowd? 82,000!

What?

Cliffs on the background, & how it came about, anyone?

82,000, eat your heart out Old Trafford!

Great to see, too, RU deserves it, & can only become more popular as Association Football falls ever more into a cynical & cheating mire. Contrary to what many think & say, I think the RFU have managed their affairs wonderfully, with Twickers etc, contrast that with the dithery FA, & their the twin debacles of the new Wembley Stadium, & the UK Football Academy.

I still thing Premiership Football is THE most wonderful product, beautifully presented by Sky, too, but the authorities need to show some strength, & do a bit of tinkering to solve a few issues. As an example, "guessing" an arbitary amount of added time, for starters, then ignoring it, makes little sense.

[TightEnd]

Rugby Union not Rugby League

Quins v Saracens

82,000 a pretty amazing achievement really, and I am at a loss to explain it. Both are reasonably supported, but no more. Certainly not Northampton, Gloucester, leicester, Bath supported

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Spent the holiday in the West Scottish Highlands (not sure that properly explains the area), & it was simply the greatest thing ever.

It's quite a drive - I clocked exactly 600 miles coming home on Wednesday, & never took a break except for several Starbys to go.

Heading north, stopped over at Loch Lomond to break the journey, & from there to Loch Duich (pronounced "dewish" I think), which is slightly to the south & east of the Isle of Skye, is another 150 miles on the wonderfully maintained, bendy, & incredibly picturesque A82.

Just north of Fort William (instantly forgettable, as are most rural Towns with a Morrisons, Tesco, & Lidl, though the Railway Station - seperate Post - is iconic & well worth a visit) at a little place called Spien Bridge stumbled across this magnificent memorial - it's called "The Commandos Memorial", & is there to celebrate the fact that for WWII, many of the Commandos did their training up there on those bleak, cold & desolate hills.

Wiki noted.....

The location was chosen because it is on the route from Spean Bridge railway station to the former Commando Training Centre at nearby Achnacarry Castle. Arriving prospective Commandos would de-train after a 14-hour journey, load their kit bags onto waiting trucks and then speed march the 7 miles (11 km) to the training centre in full kit with weapon, weighing a total of 36 pounds (16 kg). Anyone not completing it within 60 minutes was immediately RTU'd (returned to unit).

See....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commando_Memorial

Here's my typically crap photos, though google images have many, & better.

Click to see full-size image.

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Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

Rugby Union not Rugby League
Quins v Saracens

82,000 a pretty amazing achievement really, and I am at a loss to explain it. Both are reasonably supported, but no more. Certainly not Northampton, Gloucester, leicester, Bath supported

Yes of course, my bad, sorry. Spinning plates don't you know.....

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Here's my typically crap photos, though google images have many, & better.

Taking good photos is an art.....

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The Memorial, despite what Wiki suggests, was beautifully maintained & squeaky clean & tidy.

Not entirely sure if this is deemed good form or not, (if not, let me know & I'll remove) but I took a photo or two of the "Ashes scattering area", which, as you may be able to see, commenorates even very recent deaths of Servicemen in Afghanistan & other areas of conflict.

Incredibly emotive, a reality check as I sped north for my jollies, if ever there was one. Planned to stop there again on the way home, but the weather was magnificently atrocious that day. (100mph gales & over 110mm of rain in the 24 hour period).

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

RIP indeed.

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Is Ratagan the same place as Mam Ratagan? Horsey called Mam Ratagan is all.

Thought I'd give you something to check out from your tinsel-free bunker in the Surrey highlands.

Spooky, or what?

About 800 yards from base camp, on the very edge of Loch Duich, but around 6 miles via a single track road, right on top of a big hill/little mountain, sits this viewpoint - Mam Ratagan.  It has THE most magnificent views of Glenelg, & the surrounding hills & mountains, including the "Five Sisters of Kintail". Apart from a ferry - only runs in the summer - there is no way to approach Mam Ratagan except on foot, or by the single track road. Excuse my crappy photos, the weather was pretty "Scottish".

I'd be quite interested in knowing the name of the owner, or dam & sire, of (the horse) Dam Ratagan, to see how they came up with the name, there is bound to be a connection.

Click to see full-size image.

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The pics are terrific Tone. Very atmospheric. You can't take bright shiny photographs under overcast skies.

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The pics are terrific Tone. Very atmospheric. You can't take bright shiny photographs under overcast skies.

I'm afraid there are loads more, Tom, but I'll spread them out & mix the holiday stuff over the next week or so with my usual blatherings to make it more palatable for mere mortals, & keepers of ordinary Diaries.