Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, to family, friends, and blog readers both old and on a new P.C. for the first time.
I hope Father Christmas brought you everything you wanted, and you have a great 2009.
I'm going to bawl now watching Noel's Christmas Present on Sky One.

Best wishes,

No.5

Virtual Shoplifting

This is when you load up a shopping cart on a website, then you don't finish check-out, and not pay for anything that you put in it, and log off.
I have noticed with one website (Amazon) it says items will remain in the cart for up to 90 days. Does this possibly mean that the last one (or however many items) could sit on a shelf in a warehouse, gathering dust, until the time runs out or you go back and pay for it ?
This could be like reserving yourself something until you can afford it, if its like one of those "must have" Christmas presents.

No.5

Great weekend....

...apart from one thing.
I left work Friday lunchtime, and after a quick pint in the Grapes, I had a bet on a horse for the first time in weeks. It won at 14/1 so my £2 returned £30, nice start to the weekend. Friday night and I had an invite to a party at a friends house, the couple who got married at Smeetham hall in July. They had a lot of drink left over from their wedding, and wanted to use it up, so there I was until midnight.
Saturday I had a couple of lunchtime pints, before returning home to watch Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports 1. Then at 5pm I went off to another friends house (who supports QPR), to see the QPR v Wolverhampton match live on TV. After the game I went into town with the intention of getting a Kebab, but ended up in the Grapes first, listening to the live band that was performing there, before going to Charlie's Kebab shop in St.Andrews street, and then home to bed.
Sunday I again had a couple of very quick pints, before returning home to the disappointment of the weekend. Ipswich losing to Norwich live on Sky Sports, and my phone starts beeping with messages from friends enquiring what the score is, knowing full well what it is.
Monday sees me going to Cambridge and grocery shopping with the wife. Wishing I had the whole week off, and didn't have to go back to work in the morning.

No.5

2008 MLS CUP: New York Red Bulls vs Columbus Crew

I follow this team "Columbus Crew" and have a subscription to MLSnet.com for $19.99 a season to be able to see some games live on the internet. Finally I have an alliance to a team thats won something. "The Crew" are "2008 MLS Champions"

15 men went to mow....

It should have been 17, but 2 people who had paid for their ticket didn't come. It was the whats becoming annual fixture between Ipswich Town V Queens Park Rangers (until 1 team gets promoted or relegated) where an increasing group of regulars from the Moreton Hall Pub make the journey to Portman Road. Last year it was only 12 in size.

To start the day, and line our stomachs, we had agreed to meet up in the North End Cafe, on St.Andrews Street in Bury St.Edmunds. After a fry up, mug of tea, and a bet on the score on today's game at William Hill, we made our way down to the railway station to catch the train to Ipswich.

Once off the train we made the short walk across the road from the station into the Station Hotel, and I see something new in all the 22 years I've been going into pubs. In front of the curved window is a burger grill and they started cooking in the room, and it stunk. I think I preferred the olden days of cigarette smoke, than grease, in Pubs.

After leaving the Station Hotel, we all went on to the Golden Lion, a Witherspoon's pub (pictured above) in the centre of Ipswich. In a Witherspoon's pub the beer is cheap, and the Golden Lion was no exception. They had some bitters on in a beer festival at £1.69 a pint, and lager from £1.89 a pint, so more than one round was purchased in there. On the way to the ground 3 of us in a round together stopped off at the Black Horse for one more.

If Carlsberg done signs, it'd probably be the best sign in the world !

Of the 17 tickets purchased, 11 of them were for the away section of the ground, as we have a small number of QPR fans in the pub, and hence the reason for the annual trip to this fixture. The away section is pictured here in the far end of the Cobbold stand, from my seat in the North stand.

For as long as I have been going to support Ipswich, the North stand has always been called the same, but a suggestion, on Facebook, has been made that it be changed. Now I would normally be horrified at this apart from the fact the name suggested was the Sir Bobby Robson stand. This I would be happy with as he was the manager who brought us the most success on the football pitch, and went on to achieve so much in the game, a true gent and legend, who is now battling Cancer for the 5th time.

The players of both teams lining up to kick-off the 2nd half of the match (picture taken through the window in the bar in the corner of the North stand). The game ended 2-0 to Ipswich, after 2 second half goals from substitute John Stead. After the game we all met back up in the Golden Lion again, before going back to the station to catch the train back to Bury St.Edmunds, and a final pint and regroup in the MHP before going home.

No.5

Belarus v England

After work tonight, I got changed and went back into town, to see Belarus v England. I had not made any arrangements to meet anybody I knew, and headed down to the Queens Head public house, in Churchgate street, where I hoped and expected them to have Setanta Sports TV channel, that the game was going to be shown on.

Kick off for the game was 7:30 pm, and I wandered through the front doors of the above mentioned pub at 7:15pm. I couldn't see anyone I knew in there, but got myself a pint, and took up a space at the bar where I had a good view of one of their six(6) flat screen TV's.

I'm more than happy to walk into a bar on my own and not talk to a soul (except for asking for a drink), if that's what I want, but struck up a conversation with a guy called Rob, who's job had brought him to Bury St Edmunds, and who was staying in the Angel Hotel, and had been directed to this pub by the Hotel staff, to see the game.

After a fairly reasonable game in which England won 3-1 with goals from Gerrard and two from Rooney, I made my way to the Angel hill to await my lift home, and took a picture of the Abbey gate illuminated in the darkness as I waited.

No.5

Beefy In Bury

Sir Ian Botham was in Bury St Edmunds at 10am this morning, on part of his walk to raise money for Leukaemia research.

The walk is Sponsored by Marks and Spencer, and it was outside the store, in the Buttermarket, that the cricketing legend, set off to walk to, and around, Ickworth Park, with members of the Public.

I managed to duck (cricketing term) out of work and get these photo's on my phone during my teabreak.

No.5

How Much ?

I was asked today "How much would £50 of Euros cost ?"

My Reply was "£50". and I get a blank look.

So I explained to the lady that she would get 60 Euros for her £50.

Anyway she toddles off, and comes back a bit later with her money, and the deals done.

Look out Malta...

No.5

Sloe Gin - Update(1)

48 hours after bottling and the Liquor is turning Crimson, and all the sugar has dissolved. I have noticed though, that I have a couple of "floaters".

..

No.5

Home Brewed - Sloe Gin

On the 20th of February this year, I put a post up about making Sloe Gin. I had noticed in the last few weeks, some Blackthorn bushes on the Moreton Hall estate, during my Bicycle ride to work. So this afternoon I felt the time was right to plunder them for their berries (Sloe's) above Dog leg height, before someone else beat me to them.

Having gathered about a pound in weight, and taking the best of the fruit I could find, I headed home to make my brew. Walking in the opposite direction to me was a couple with empty ice cream containers. Were they after the same thing, or some of the other fruits that grow in the hedgerows in the area ?

Back from foraging, and the three ingredients required. Sloe's, Sugar and Gin.

Time to prick the berries, and this should traditionally be done with a thorn from the bush, but I used a cocktail stick. A time consuming job that takes as long as picking the berries themselves.

Half fill the Gin bottle with berries, then add the Sugar.

Then add the Gin. I Purchased a bottle duty free on the way home from Turkey. Leave a small space in the neck of the bottle, so that you can turn the bottle to dissolve the Sugar, for the first few days. Then store in a cool cupboard for a few months.
Doing it this early can mean its ready for Christmas. Quantities are not essential, and if in doubt keep it simple.

No.5

Holiday

Friday 5th September, saw my wife and I, flying from Stanstead at 10pm to Olu Deniz - Turkey, with the couple who's wedding we went to, this time last year.

With it pouring with rain, it was with great excitement and joy.

This is what we arrived to. This is taken from one end of the beach at Olu Deniz.

Sunday night saw us attending a Turkish evening, which included this rather talented belly dancer. She did rope a few of us into her routine, me included. Unfortunately I only have this poor quality phone camera photo.

Tuesday we were walking along Fethiye habour and spot these two Pelicans, which didn't mind having their heads stroked. I didn't try in case I ended up on You've been framed.

Fethiye harbour, and we booked up to go on a second boat trip from here, on the following Monday, despite already going on one the forth coming Thursday from Olu Deniz.

Thursday's boat trip from Olu Deniz see's us stopping first at the Butterfly valley. There is a "hippie commune" here and people camp on the beach in tents and shacks.
The boat stops here for one hour, and me and the guy from the other couple, paid five Turkish lira each (approx £2.50) to follow the trail through the valley.
We did see some Butterflies, but they were difficult to photograph.

As we got further along the path we could hear the sound of a waterfall getting closer. It started getting more rocky, and involved scrambling over large boulders. I got under the water and it was a bit cold.
There was a pipe catching the water which carried it all the way down to the commune. The route back involved retracing our steps, and we got back with not much time to spare.

St. Nicholas island and again I scrambled up the rocks to capture some pictures of the ruins of old houses and religious buildings.

The view from near the top looking back at the boat we arrived on, which is the middle one. It has a water flume on it at the front and slides you down through the hull of the boat and out the side of it.

Monday's boat trip from Fethiye See's us stop at this flat island, where you could sit under the canopy and have a pancake cooked fresh for you.

Also on the flat island was a couple of "hubbly bubblies"

Coming back into Fethiye and this is the harbour and apartments overlooking it, seen from the boat.

Wednesday we discover this bar (Tequila bar) that we hadn't been in before, in Olu Deniz, and wish we'd found it sooner. They played mainly rock music, but on the day I took this picture it was Motown night.

In the evening you can sit on the beach, on bean bags or chairs, and watch the sun set. I decided to use the sunset picture to end this post.
But if you read the previous days post you will see a great holiday didn't end with a great journey home.

No.5

Back Home - Eventually

I flew home from my summer holiday today, having spent 2 weeks in Turkey. We had arranged our trip via Stanstead airport, but about half an hour from landing the Pilot informs all the passengers on the plane, we are landing at Manchester !
So I've had an unplanned coach tour of Moss Side, Birmingham and a service area on the M6, as the driver had to take a compulsory rest break, driving us back to Stanstead, great.

No.5

Blogging Holiday

I am having a blogging holiday, and will not be posting any new posts on here until about September 20th.You might see me on the Buzz Beach Bar webcam though. in the evening.

No.5

Fish Pond (2)

I posted this time last year about a friends Fish pond that I was looking after, while he was away on holiday with his family.

Well he's away again this year, for 2 weeks in France, but this time I'm also in charge of watering the flowers and vegetables, feeding the Hamster called sandy and moving the post from the doormat.

On Thursday morning I had a text from him, asking is the house O.k. To which I replied "House fine, Fish fine, Hammy fine" and also "Guess you've heard about St Felix". Back came "What about St Felix". Uh Oh you haven't I take it.

My friends wife is a teacher at the school in Newmarket, that burned down on Tuesday, and I thought that they would have heard about it from her colleagues, but they hadn't. Had I just ruined their holiday ?

I text them a few more details about what had happened, and a picture of Sandy.

No.5

Bike Thefts

The BFP reported on their website, on 31st July, that 67 Bicycles have been stolen in the past 3 months totaling £12,000 in value, and the mojority of the bikes have not been recovered.

I have been the victim of bike thefts in the past, and I accept I was a bit careless about how the bikes were left.

The first one happened when I was only about 8 years old. I had been given a bright red Raleigh Tomahawk by my parents, for either a birthday or Christmas present. I hadn't had it long and one evening I had left it leaning against the side of our house, in the front garden, and forgotten to put it away in the garage overnight night.
The next morning it was gone, and there was no sign of it around our small village housing estate. My Dad was kind enough to replace my bike but only with an old fashioned one, that had rod brakes, that he had got from Bury market, and had had to put it back together and painted it blue with white mudguards.
The wheel rims were a bit rusty, but it got me back out cycling around with my friends again. At this time some friends were getting racing bikes and Raleigh Grifters, so I did regret losing that Tomahawk, because my blue replacement was just not "cool".

Years later (1999) and I have a mountain bike, which I'd bought about five years previous from Halfords in Bury St.Edmunds, when it used to be where Superdrug is in town now, for £230.
It was about October time and the evenings were dark, and I had left by bike outside the Moreton Hall pub in the afternoon, with a lock just going around the frame and back wheel.
I go to go home just after 6pm, and its gone. I went back in the pub and asked if anyone knew where it was, if it was a prank, but the barmaid told me she'd seen two men putting a bike in the back of their car, as she arrived for her shift at the pub.
She was able to give me a description of the car (not a common one) and the two guys had been wearing jackets with the name of the company they worked for on them.
I reported my loss to the Police (a Policeman came to my house) with all these details, but I thought I would never see the bike again. Anyway I had taken out specific household insurance on the bike, and put in a claim.
About 3 weeks later I get a call from the Police saying that they have recovered the bike, and when I got home with it that night, there is a Cheque from the Insurance company, waiting for me. Dilemma !
I send the Cheque back !

A couple of weeks before Christmas, that same year, I've ridden my bike (that I've just got back) on a Saturday evening down to the Fox in Eastgate Street, when it used to be a proper Pub, to meet a mate.
Now with a new longer thicker lock, I locked the bike to the tressel fence at the back of the pub, that obscures the toilet block, and gone in the pub for a couple of pints.
My mate and I then decided to go on into the town centre, and I left the bike where it was, thinking it was safe enough. We end up going into one of the nightclubs and at 2am I make my way back to the Fox to retrieve my bike, and as you can probably guess, its gone.
There is now a small chunk cut out of the tressel fence where a saw was used to remove the lock from the fence, you can still see it missing today, but its obscured slightly by a honeysuckle plant now.

I had learned my lesson by securing the bike to something, but my bro' winds me up by saying I should have used something better than a Daffodil ! (Ha bloody Ha).
He had borrowed my bike one afternoon, and taken it down Ickworth Park with some other people. They had been doing some jumps and my bro' "got some big air" and came off my bike breaking his collar bone, and spent three months off work.
I'd cycled home from Horringer late one Sunday night on it, from the Six Bells, and I'd gone over the handlebars, outside what is now the Hairdressers in Lawson Place, then the bike went over me. The next day I had a black eye, from where my face hit the ground, luckily it was on the grass !

I reported my loss to the Police again, who don't seem so interested this time, and put in another claim to the Insurance company, glad that I had returned the first cheque I'd received.
The Insurance company had deducted from the value of the bike/claim, what 5 years wear and tear the bike would have received, for the first Claim I made. The second time I claimed they sent the full value (£230).
I'm not sure if they think I'd lost a second, new bike, but my conscience was clear from returning the first Cheque, so I was pleased with the second one, and bought another bike.

No.5

Bury or Bayern

In the past I've visited Munich and been to the Allianz Arena to see Bayern play. This is a picture of the stadium.

Now look at the building going up in the cattle market development. Have Bury Town F.C. secretly been bought by their own Roman Abramovich and building a new stadium for them ?

View from Kings road in Bury St.Edmunds.

No.5

Smeetham Hall - Wedding

Last night I went to the wedding of the couple, who's grooms stag day I went on 3 weeks ago at Newmarket.
A courtesy coach had been laid on to take 30+ of us from the local to, Smeetham Hall barn, for the reception, which departed at 7pm.

Smeetham Hall is just the other side of Sudbury, and in the morning I had driven 3 of the guests, who were there for the whole day, over to it. The wedding was performed in the barn (the white building) followed by the meal and evening reception. The barn had a large Marquee attached to the back of it, and the whole organization was very impressive.

This is the bride and groom having the 1st dance

The other end of the barn, and guests, including mufc fanatic, enjoying the music and the all night free bar. All evening there were also waiters bringing round trays of sandwiches, fish 'n' chips and other nibbles.
The whole thing went really well, the food was excellent, and it was a brilliant evening which included a magician doing card tricks and a characterist (dunno if thats right) drawing the guests (I didn't have one done) and a chocolate fountain.
To me the evening went so quickly, before I was being called to get on the coach back to Bury St.Edmunds, just before midnight.

Skimmer's

I popped down to Sainsbury's this morning to get a newspaper, sandwich, and a marinade for some Chicken I had planned for diner.
Outside the store, on Bedingfield way, was a Police car that had, again, been called to a card skimming device place on one of the cash point machines (aka ATM's).
I hadn't used the machine, although I have in the past, but I do try pulling about any machine I put my card in, before it asks for my PIN.
A member of my family had their card skimmed, at a petrol station in Bury St.Edmunds, and about £1400 was taken from their account in Malaysia. But the bank they were with were superb, and gave them the money back really quickly.

No.5

Want To Test Your Broadband Speed ?

If you do click here to take you to the BBC website that will give you your download speed. I'm getting on a good day between 4-4.5 mbps.

No.5

My Car Failed Its M.O.T. Test

I took my car to A.P.T.E.C in Eastgate street again yesterday, for its annual MoT test. I left it with them and wandered into town to do a couple of other things. Any way the phone didn't ring, so as I wandered back to pick the car up I thought everything must be O.K. ...wrong.

"Mr No.5 its Failed" The pound signs start going through my head, how much is this going to cost ? "We couldn't do it for you now, we don't have the part". I start to read the test report "Near side rear shock absorber has a serious fluid leak".

That would explain the patch of fluid on my driveway roughly where that back wheel stops. "We estimate it will be £116.00". Not as bad as I first feared.
So with the MoT running out this coming Tuesday, the cars going back to the nice people there Monday.

No.5

A Small Cough In Scotland

aka... a wee cough (week off)...its my soh alright. And today (actually it was yesterday now) I decided to make the most of the superb weather and put a pair of shorts on for the first time this summer, exposing my lily white legs. Yes, I've heard it before 1,000,001 times, "you've got a bit of white string hanging from your shorts", but actually for an "athletic" chap I think my legs are my best feature, due to cycling a lot.
So I get to the local at 12:45 ish of a Tuesday, and there isn't a cloud in the sky apart from a aeroplane vapour trail, and I decide to stay put for the afternoon, as I hear the weather is supposed to turn wet, Wednesday/today.
Anyway, for a Tuesday, there was a nice amount of regulars also there, enjoying the sun too, including the Stag from Saturdays day out and his Fiance (who's off to Dublin this weekend on her hen party), and also Jim and his hounds.

Fourteen stone of hounds, between the two of them, seeking some shade.

No.5

Stag Day at Newmarket July Course

Yesterday about 40 of us went to Newmarket on a Stag day for a friend. This was to be in one of the corporate hospitality suits on the other side of the race course to the grand stand.

After a bacon roll and a pint in the local at 10am we set off, on 2 buses at 11am, for the short journey.

Arrival at the Newmarket July racecourse

The view down the race track as we make our way to our hospitality suite. The red and white disc indicates the finish line.

A bite to eat from the buffet.

Drinks on the decking out the front of the suite, and the stag/bride groom is beside the man in the white shirt.

Down at the on course bookmakers, with the main stand behind, some of our group are in front of the bookies looking for the best price for their chosen horse.

I had 2 winners on the day. Bailey's Cacao in the 2nd race, and Maghya in the 6th. I think this is the 3rd race and my money was on the second placed horse, unfortunately to win.

Some of the guys under the trees, in front of the suite, enjoying some liquid refreshment.

Bus journey back, and chance to reflect on a fantastic day out, and a bit of bad drunken singing.

I ended the day £40 down on what I had taken with me. It would have been a bit less if I hadn't bet, on the Tote, on the last race at Windsor and Newcastle, but I'm certain everybody enjoyed themselves.

No.5

Stag Day

Tomorrow, Saturday, I'm going to Newmarket with about 40 other males, on a stag day, which involves one of the marquees with free food and drink all afternoon.
The wife has told me to take my pillow, and sleep somewhere else tomorrow night.
Breakfast is at 10am in the local, coach departs at 11am...bring it on, pillow and all !

No.5

Route to work today.

I didn't have to start work today until 10am, so with the wife back and the camera, I decided to take a few pictures on my way to work.

I swung into the Abbey gardens from the Mustow street entrance, and the groundsmen were busy watering and replacing weak plants.

The Abbey Gate, and overseas tourists were already arriving to look around, hearing their accents.

Angel Hill, and traffic is flowing smoothly.

Norman Tower, with the Cathedral beside it.

Cornhill, town centre, I was in the shade so it doesn't look so bright.

Arc development, and the building goes on and upwards.

No.5