Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

Do you want the monies sent to your usual bank? £85 for 1%?

Yes please, Simon, though no rush yet awhile.

Can you up mine to a tooth, or whatever we call that in the fens.

Delighted to, David, thanks.

I'm assuming a "tooth" is 2%, right?

Bloody Chompy & his silly words, lowering the class here.

I'll take 2% if still available please.

Morning Alan.

How did you spot this? I've not been doing much Diary stuff lately, but people keep popping up on here. I ought to make a bit more effort to post. Just so busy with stuff.

Anyway, yes, of course, 2% BOOKED.

Will edit the list shortly.  

Thanks =I'm a  long term and regular reader of your diary.  Have PM'd you re payment and bank details.

£170 received, thanks Alan.

[tikay]

Sit down for a moment, tikay. Trust me.

Seated?

Ok.



BBC FOUR
10:30pm
Monday

Secret Life of the Motorway
Falling in Love
Secret Episode 1 of 3

Three-part documentary which celebrates the birth of motorways and hails the achievements of those behind the 'road revolution'. The first episode takes us from the excitement of the building of the first motorway in Britain, the M6 Preston bypass, to the celebration of the most complex, Spaghetti Junction.

With amazing archive and often hilarious public information films, we take a trip back to a time when not only were motorways exciting and new, but there was also no speed limit. Interviews with the engineers who designed them, the navvies who built them and the people who drove on them bring to life and celebrate an achievement that we now take so much for granted.


You fancy watching that?

Tikay?



I'll take that as a "yes"

Appreciated the nudge, Tal Bloke.

I "series recorded" it, & have watched the first 2 so far & have enjoyed every minute.

Its nothing short of excellent, almost a social history of the UK as well as documenting the birth of our motorway network.

They got many things wrong, but they also did a whole lot very well. The first 110 miles were constructed in 19 months, these days they could not construct 5 miles in less than a decade, what with getting regulatory approval & all that palaver. 

The distinctive blue signage used on the very first British Motorway is still used to this day, & there is even a "Motorway" typeface for the Motorway number, which has remain unchanged in all those years.

It only contains the following letters or characters.

A

B

E

M

N

S

W

&

Toll (a single character)






When the M1 first opened, a popular recreation for many families was to go for a drive up & down the M1. For fun.

Click to see full-size image.

The Motorway Police had some magnificent vehicles, too.

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

Should I cc the editors of Bluff in?

If my brief included writing about Motorways, I'd never have writers block.

They are part of everyday life now, like Supermarkets, mobile phones, computers, social media. Not one of these existed at the time the M1 was opened.

[tikay]

Possible you are attending an gardening and allotment conference Stateside of course.

Nailed it, and you saved me a rather awkward reply and explanation. The Allotment Association Outing is May 31st - June 9th, mixed in with a bit of poker. All other dates are available.

It's very cheap to fly to San Diego and back from Vegas, so maybe we could do it during your trip. Ryan was telling me that Del Mar racecourse is in Dan Diego, too, and well worth a visit.

I don't believe in all this bucket list nonsense, but if I did, going racing at Del Mar would be pretty prominent on mine.

Meant to be the most beautiful racecourse in the world (although would have to go some way to be more amazing than Les landes which is breathtaking).

I believe Del Mar only has one meeting per year though - in August. But I'll check it out to make sure.

If it's practical, & not too pricey, I'm up for that, but it'd have to be after June 10th & before June 27th.

[tikay]

Been up to Foyles this morning, as I'm running short of books.

Got these three.....












Flicked through the Danny Baker books on the train back, & immediately loved it. He writes as he talks, which is perfect, EXACTLY the style I most enjoy in writing.

They'll be finished within the week.

Finished the first Danny B and according to my Kindle 71% through the second at the moment. Both a wonderful read, so much so that some mornings I groan when the train rolls into Fenchurch Street.

Can't disagree with that, he won't win any Pullitzer prizes, but he writes exactly as he speaks, & embellishes his stories in a way that makes them hugely enjoyable.

I read the first volume in 5 nights, could not put it down, & am on Vol 2 now.

Love the stuff about "Spud", his dad, too.

The tale about when he took a young lady round to his Grandmother's house in her absence, & had his wicked way with a youngster in Granny's bed, only to be disturbed by his Mum of all people was so well written.

He just seemed to find himself, so often, in the right place at the right time, & quite by chance, as a spotty teenager, came to know Elton John & the like, & then Chris Evans, all by chance, shows how much luck plays in our lives.

His flippant attitude to money was quite an eye opener, too.

Thoroughly enjoyable read. The problem with good books is that they are time sponges, but I can think of far worse things to do with my time.   

[tikay]

£85 sent by bank transfer. I was going to round it up to £100 but then remembered the grief I got on here last year.

I just hope you ENJOY it and not worry too much about cashing/working too hard when out there/spending too much time reporting back etc etc etc. Go and relax and have a bit of Tikay time for a change.

....looks like I will miss out this year but I hope I may get out there next year.

PS....I only invest every year for the wonderful Jeeves Reports.....and have never expected a return, at all . So, GL GL GL.

Thanks Alan - can confirm your £85 has been safely received, & I'll update the payment list shortly, & let Mere Grumpy know where we are.

I will enjoy it, but I will also fret endlessly about not cashing, doing blogs, work, & everything else, I can't help it, I've become a serial whitterer, it's an age & insecurity thing I suppose.

Jeeves? Fingers crossed, but I don't know yet for sure if she will be there this year, but I'll ask her & see what she says.

Quite unrelated, but blonde used to be a very aggro place at one time, with acerbic & mean comments left right & centre, but its far more civilised these days. (Which is, perhaps, why the Post count is in decline). Meanwhile, the oasis of peace & quiet on Next Door's Forum is but a distant memory, & it's become quite nasty at times, what with so many seemingly bent on causing trouble. Strange how things evolve & change. The vast majority, thank goodness, are still decent sorts, but a few troublemakers can't 'arf make some waves.  

Are you enjoying the Snooker? I was hoping Bingham might beat Trump, & set up a "good guys" final with Murphy, but he's started badly this morning.

I like Bingham immensely, ditto Murphy. Not sure why I have, to a degree, taken against Trump, but I have. It might, partly, be because I tend to like people who smile readily, & dislike scowlers. Daft & illogical, but that's how it is.

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

Oh you better worry about cashing this time! Wasn't it zero cashes last year, embarrassing, I mean let's get back on it this time around! None of this 'I am a weak player and a pussy' talk either!

How much you want? Same deets?

Last year? Don't remind me, it plays on my mind non-stop - "have I lost it?"


We shall see.

Yes, same bank details as previously.

You are down for 5%, which is £425, but if you'd prefer to take a little less, it is not a problem, I'm well oversold & have a reserve list, so it won't be a problem. But if you want 5%, that's great, & you are booked.

[tikay]

Mention of "same Bank Details" got me thinking.

I don't tend to change much unless I'm forced to, but this must tell me something about my nature.

Same bank account since about 1983. 

Same personal e-Mail addy since 1997.

Same mobile phone number since 1987.

Same house since 1980.

Same job since 2006. (& only 2 jobs, lifetime, before that).



There are scores of similar examples. I'm easily pleased, I guess.

[tikay]

Finished the 2nd Danny Baker book yesterday and, for me, it suffers a bit in comparison to the first one because he's told a few of the stories on his radio show before, so I was already familiar with them.

Tikay, you are right in that he writes exactly as he speaks.

It's not a bad way of getting a story across, is it?

Henri Charriere, in "Papillon", did much the same thing.

I much prefer that to fluff & fill, & all that menacing grey clouds scudding across a windswept hilltop bollox. 

[byronkincaid]

Had this book recommended to me. Mixture of engineering geekiness, motorcycle racing and spy novel. All true. Meant to be great, too expensive for me but you may be interested.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1844259757/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d3_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-4&pf_rd_r=11NRR4Z1BSXXFEQ196YD&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=455333147&pf_rd_i=468294

[redsimon]

Sent £85 to the "usual" bank account just now.

[booder]

Will send £85 to the "usual" bank account on or about the 19th of the month..

[Longines]

Can you PM your bank details please Mr T, thanks.

[MANTIS01]

Oh you better worry about cashing this time! Wasn't it zero cashes last year, embarrassing, I mean let's get back on it this time around! None of this 'I am a weak player and a pussy' talk either!

How much you want? Same deets?

Last year? Don't remind me, it plays on my mind non-stop - "have I lost it?"


We shall see.

Yes, same bank details as previously.

You are down for 5%, which is £425, but if you'd prefer to take a little less, it is not a problem, I'm well oversold & have a reserve list, so it won't be a problem. But if you want 5%, that's great, & you are booked.

No way I want a piece of the cake when you win the bracelet, £425 sent. Need a bit of ass busting for my money tho. You can play this game as well as the next man so don't forget it, just feel the hunger, like Fast Eddie Felson in The Colour of Money!

Oh and good news, Sky commissioned our Golf Juice show!

[EvilPie]

Mention of "same Bank Details" got me thinking.

I don't tend to change much unless I'm forced to, but this must tell me something about my nature.

Same bank account since about 1983. 

Same personal e-Mail addy since 1997.

Same mobile phone number since 1987.

Same house since 1980.

Same job since 2006. (& only 2 jobs, lifetime, before that).



There are scores of similar examples. I'm easily pleased, I guess.

Going to call bulls**t on that one I'm afraid and would back it up with cold hard cash.

It might be similar but chances of it being the same are pretty much zero.

Sorry to be a pedant but I'm in that kind of mood today.