Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

It's such a shame he's so bloody old - he's 65 this year

This is 2012 ffs. 65 isn't old any more, it's the new middle age.

I don't feel old Tom, my mind is still sharp, my energy levels are still pretty high, & all the bits & pieces still seem to work, after a fashion, but I'm like an old car, the bodywork is showing distinct signs of wear & tear. Might struggle with the MOT.

[RED-DOG]

It's such a shame he's so bloody old - he's 65 this year

This is 2012 ffs. 65 isn't old any more, it's the new middle age.

I don't feel old Tom, my mind is still sharp, my energy levels are still pretty high, & all the bits & pieces still seem to work, after a fashion, but I'm like an old car, the bodywork is showing distinct signs of wear & tear. Might struggle with the MOT.

That's the thing. If your body was your car, you would look after it better.

[tikay]

Exciting times this weekend in Kings Lynn, of all places, when the famous (?) "Campbells Tower" will be demolished with explosive charges. (Our friends Tesco have purchased the site).

In a peculiar twist, they ran a competition in Kings Lynn, the winning entry being the person who will get to press the button to bring the thing crashing down.

The winner was a middle-aged lady, who has a particular reason to want the tower gone - her father was killed there in a dreadful factory accident there back in the early 90's.

She was interviewed on the wireless this week, & said the tower reminded her of her Dad every day, & she could see it from all over Kings Lynn.

All a bit sad, & odd.

Click to see full-size image.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-16567792

Interesting that on the countdown the guy said "five." I remember Dick Strawbridge on a programme mentioning that on countdowns they would pause and not actually say "five" and then continue at 4. The reason he gave was to avoid "five" being misheard as "fire" and the charge being set off too early.

Geo

Never knew that Geo, fine spot. Do the Army, in all their controlled explosions, do the same thing?

Very surprised by the way the building fell, they usually fall pretty much within their own footprint, sort of implode, & come down like a pack of dominoes, but this one fell "as a whole", & sideways. Most unusual.

[tikay]

I love the flock of pigeons that are flying towards the tower and then do a U turn.

Trust you to spot that! I guess they felt the blast wave which precedes the noise.

[tikay]

Exciting times this weekend in Kings Lynn, of all places, when the famous (?) "Campbells Tower" will be demolished with explosive charges. (Our friends Tesco have purchased the site).

In a peculiar twist, they ran a competition in Kings Lynn, the winning entry being the person who will get to press the button to bring the thing crashing down.

The winner was a middle-aged lady, who has a particular reason to want the tower gone - her father was killed there in a dreadful factory accident there back in the early 90's.

She was interviewed on the wireless this week, & said the tower reminded her of her Dad every day, & she could see it from all over Kings Lynn.

All a bit sad, & odd.

Click to see full-size image.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-16567792

Interesting that on the countdown the guy said "five." I remember Dick Strawbridge on a programme mentioning that on countdowns they would pause and not actually say "five" and then continue at 4. The reason he gave was to avoid "five" being misheard as "fire" and the charge being set off too early.

Geo

I'm from King's Lynn... this is about as normal as we do. Lovely place King's Lynn..........................................

I did the Shopfit on the Aldi Supermarket in Kings Lynn (pictured) many a year ago, & I thought the journey to Kings Lynn was horrendous, it took forever to get there. Then I picked up the Contract to shopfit the Lowestoft Aldi, & I realised that there IS no place in the UK more tiresome to drive to than Lowestoft, which is the UK's most easterly town, I believe. It takes forever & a bit longer to get there, & the roads are full of bloody farmers trundling around on tractors using red diesel. 

[outragous76]

Couldn't agree more tony! I was involved in the construction of riverside retail park in Norwich which involved fortnightly 8am meetings (I lived in twickenham). The meetings finished at 2, on a Friday, when I then enjoyed the delights of the m25 on the way home! Ug!

It is the town that never arrives. Another hour passes and it always feels like you have an hour to go!

[Skippy]

Norwich is nice when you get there though.

[tikay]

Couldn't agree more tony! I was involved in the construction of riverside retail park in Norwich which involved fortnightly 8am meetings (I lived in twickenham). The meetings finished at 2, on a Friday, when I then enjoyed the delights of the m25 on the way home! Ug!

It is the town that never arrives. Another hour passes and it always feels like you have an hour to go!

Norwich is another "it takes forever" destination.

I used to go there a lot to meet with, surprise surprise, Norwich Union, & I loathed the never-ending drive.

However, it had it's compensations - the Norwich Union HQ in Norwich is an absolutely splendid building, pretty much unchanged internally since it was built, too. Instead of Meeting Rooms, they have little alcoves around an atrium, utterly splendid. Sadly, "Norwich Union" is now called Aviva, or something equally modern, meaningless, & mediocre. In fact, I think they have an Office block (modern) near you, in Leeds now, too.

I will be replying to your weekend Post about Wren (Sir Chris) soonest, too - that started off a whole plethora of fascinating surfing.

Here's the Norwich Union - sorry, AVIVA - Head Office, in Norwich.

[tikay]

Norwich is nice when you get there though.

Beautiful. Few Towns (cities) of such size in the UK have a better collection of fine buildings. But shite road network.

[AndrewT]

Very surprised by the way the building fell, they usually fall pretty much within their own footprint, sort of implode, & come down like a pack of dominoes, but this one fell "as a whole", & sideways. Most unusual.

If you watch the footage, you'll see that the building didn't collapse when it hit the ground - there seemed to be a steel framework around which the bricks were put. On impact it shed its bricks like someone shaking snow off their coat.

[tikay]

Norwich is nice when you get there though.

You might enjoy this, Mr Skippy.

Note that the Norwich Union building only scrapes in at # 10, but they do describe it in beautiful detail.

http://www.culture24.org.uk/places+to+go/east+of+england/norwich/tra23447

[RED-DOG]

I used to go to Norwich regularly. On the way there I would pass through a village called Swineshead.

There was a TV programme on at the time called Brideshead Revisited, so on the way back I used to say out loud (Even if I was alone) "Swineshead revisited".

A pointless story I know, but there it is.

As you were....

[TightEnd]

Guess the blonde who last night on Stars...

1st 200r, 2nd 100r, 2nd 30r and 6th 50r

total, I know not what.....


No fanfare anywhere...he's in the "meh, him again" club....

[TightEnd]

Nice frontpage layout/juxtaposition/sub-editing

Click to see full-size image.

[Dingdell]

Nice frontpage layout/juxtaposition/sub-editing

Click to see full-size image.

LOl - don't knwo why she just can't borrow her old one back. Currently docked in Edinburgh, still working and hosting dinners - Zara had her pre wedding dinner on it which the Queen attended. I think she would be happy to have it back for a few months - like putting on a pair of comfortable slippers.