Bavarian Beerhouse

I got up this morning at 04:20, drove around to my brothers house, nearby, to pick him up, and took him to Stanstead airport.
The last two years running I've gone with him to Germany, last year it was Berlin, the year before it was Munich. This year was back to Munich again, and I wished I was going too.
Previous years had been great, I like the cold air out walking around the cities, seeing the sights, finding out about life during WWII out there. Then warming up with a hot meal (particularly a hock of pork) washed down with a stein of beer, in a Bavarian beerhouse, that this time of year gives you.
We try to take in a Football match too, and saw Bayern Munich play. This time my bro's seeing 1860 Munich as it is easier to get tickets for them. They share a ground, the Allianz arena, but Bayern always sell out to the club's members.
I have next week off work, so I'm going to pick him up again, so I'll hear all about it 1st.

No.5

"Can you do me a favour"

I was waiting outside work at 08:00, on Monday, when a lad in his teens comes walking along and says to me "Can you do me a favour". Being stood outside my place of employment, I thought it might be work related, so I said "I might be able too". "Can you get me some cigarettes ?" he asks. "No" I reply, and he walks off, generally in the direction of school.
I admit that I did use to drink under age in pubs, so it was kind of hypocritical of me, but there is a principle behind not helping him in his quest for a fag. If I got away with it, I got away with it. Not as much medical research had been done in the 80's about the damage caused, and warnings of its danger was not printed on packaging. So I'm not going to encourage others to drink and smoke underage as well, and make purchases for them.
"Sorry fella"

No.5

Local Car Servicing

I dropped the car off for an oil/filter change today at A.P.T.E.C. in Eastgate street. It is up the side of the A14 bridge next to the tanning salon. I had been thinking about having the cam/timing belt changed as well, but couldn't leave the car long enough with them today, because someone I work with needed a new engine recently. When I dropped the car off this morning at 07:45 nobody was there, and I put the key through the letterbox. I went back at 13:00 to pick the car up and they mentioned the timing belt job. They said "your car hasn't got a timing belt". "Hey, what's it got then ?" "a timing chain" "how long do they last ?" " as long as the car" Result !

So if your car needs a service call them on Bury 700856. Or alternatively Barry Keymer on Chapel Pond Hill (near Marlows) on Bury 767913 who are also independent car mechanics.

No.5

Free Range Chicken(2)

I cooked the free range Chicken, that I bought on Friday, for dinner this evening. I hadn't actually cooked a whole Chicken myself before, so followed the instructions.
Cook for 20 minutes for every 500g and add 20 minutes. The birds weight was 1.5Kg, so that's 1 hour 20 minutes, but it ended up being about an hour and 40 minutes, due to an air lock in the pipes in the bathroom, that needed sorting out.
I'd glazed over the bird with some olive oil and put it in a roasting bag, but maybe because of the slightly longer cooking time than the instructions stated, I did find the breast meat a little dry, but the leg meat was juicy.
I'm not totally convinced there was more flavour, but am happier knowing that the bird did get to see some daylight during its short life and scratch around outside, and will be buying free range again.

No.5

Arc Today

I took these pictures today at about 12:45pm, from the top deck of the multi-storey car park in Bury St.Edmunds. I have to say it is probably the first time I've been to the top of it.

Spot the parking space, there is one between the silver and red car, be quick !

Free Range Chicken

Yesterday was my day off work, and I called in Sainsbury's, and they actually had some free range Chickens on their shelves. So I got one for £5.67 which should be enough for the two of us on Sunday. So I'll give a report back on the taste test when I've had it, as I don't think I've had free range before.

No.5

Pork Chops

Everyone knows what they like on their plate, as we all have taste buds in our mouths. Now I did have a few "domestic science" lessons at school, but it was always uncool when you had to carry the ingredients on the school bus on a Friday, as that was the day for my lesson, and then transport your burnt offerings back home, again on an Eastern Counties double decker.
A lot of men think that their mother is the best cook in the world, particularly the Italians, because her cooking is what they were brought up on, me included, although I'm not Italian, but have never really been shown any dishes, just a few tips here and there.
So when I've been fending for myself over the last 12 years, I have built up a repertoire of about 5 or 6 dishes. These are Steak, Chicken with rice, the good old Spaghetti Bolognese, Pasta, Fish and Pork Chops.
The latter is the one I've never been able to make very tasty to me, "no matter what I've tried" (are they lyrics) until tonight.
I've tried garlic, onion, steak seasoning, Cajun, and all sorts of herbs and sauces. Tonight I came home and simply put salt (yes, that unhealthy ingredient) and cracked pepper from a pepper mill on a couple of chops, and they were delicious, along with broccoli, boiled potatoes and ranch dressing over the Veg.

Call me Chef No.5

Hit and Run

On Wednesday 19th of December 2007 at around 6:30pm, it was my mothers cousin Thelma (Joyce) Driver 81, who was hit, and subsequently died, as a result of being hit by a van in Out Northgate, at the Junction with Station Hill, in Bury St.Edmunds, which was then driven off without stopping.
If you'd like to have a look at the type of van (Vauxhall Combo) suspected to have been in collision with the lady, and see if you know anyone who may drive a vehicle like it, to help the investigation, click here to see the Bury Free Press article about the van.

Many Thanks.

No.5

Robbery and Burglary - the difference

On Monday 7th January, I put up a post that questioned the difference between robbery and burglary.
After work last Friday I walked into "the local" and a friend says "I've got something for you No.5". Surprised at this, I was given a folded piece of paper. Opening it revealed the answer to the question, they had read my blog and looked it up for me, thanks Alison.

So here it is.

Robbery - A person is guilty of robbery if he/she:

• Steals and immediately before or;
• At the time of doing so, and in order to do so, uses force on any person, or
• Puts or seeks to put any person in fear of being then there subjected to force.

Burglary - A person is guilty of burglary if they:

• Enter any building or part of a building as a trespasser with the intention to steal, inflict grievous bodily harm, rape or cause unlawful damage, or having entered any building or part of a building as a trespasser they steal, inflict or attempt to inflict grievous body harm.

So if you wondered, like me, now you know.

No.5

ChickenOut.TV

Last week, firstly, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall had a TV program leading a campaign to get people eating free range chicken instead of intensively farmed.
Then Jamie Oliver did something similar, with Gordon Ramsey giving his backing to them both.
On Saturday I was in Morrisons' in Ipswich, and they had completely sold out of free range Chicken, which we'd decided we would start buying.
So not defeated, I went into Sainsbury's in Bury St.Edmunds, Sunday, and they had completely sold out too !
Well rather than making my carbon footprint bigger, by driving to the other supermarkets, I had no choice but to take the easy cooked Chicken option, Thus not needing the oven on for an hour or so, to cook one.
So hopefully, next week, when we're doing the grocery shopping the supermarkets have looked at their sales figures and stocked more on their shelves.

No.5

Felixstowe

After having to work this morning, I went home at lunch time and headed off to Felixstowe with the wife. The first stop was the sea front, and a quick go in the amusement arcade, where I lost about £3 playing the machines.

We left the amusements and took a stroll along the promenade, which was a bit fresh, but nice and sunny.

Above is one of many container ships you see going in and out of the Port. Below is the sun getting low in the sky behind the pier, and a young family playing on the beach.

Landguard Fort

This is always my favourite part of visiting Felixstowe, going to the viewing area at the port, but unfortunately there wasn't much happening during our time there today.

This was the first time I'd been there as it started to get dark, and see the lights on.

Being a good weather angler myself, I enquired with the fisherman if they had caught anything, but they said no it was slow going today.
Called into Morrisons in Ipswich, on the way back, for some groceries, and cooked the wife surf and turf for dinner tonight.

No.5

Tesco Express - Update

A man will appear in Magistrates court today, charged with robbery, burglary (whats the difference ? does a burglar not rob, or a robber not burgle) and aggravated vehicle taking. Also drink driving and driving with no insurance, the least of his worries as the car he parked inside the shop wasn't his. Lets hope the car owner was.

No.5

Tesco Express Drive Thru'

In the early hours of this morning a car ended up in the first aisle of the Moreton Hall Tesco Express, near the sandwiches, looking at the tyre marks on the floor. The steel shutters were down at the time, causing damage to the brickwork either side of the entrance. Tesco staff refused to say if anything had been taken, but I was told the car was still inside the store when the police arrived.

Workmen carry out temporary repairs to the shop front.

No.5

It's No Snow

The weather forecasters have been building my hopes up for some snow for today,(It is probably the child in me mixed with the fact it doesn't happen very often). Well what do they know ? Absolutely no more than I do. We can all stand up and say its going to snow on Thursday, the difference is these people are Meteorologists. Professionals paid to study weather patterns.
I appreciate that some parts of the country have had snow, but I haven't !
Then when we hear from a member of the public about some bad weather heading are way, the people supposedly in the know, say it isn't.
So trust the feel of a piece of seaweed hanging in your garden, or your Auntie's bunion aching, it appears more accurate.
But i still like the weather girls on GMTV.

No.5

Happy New Year

Last night I went to the Moreton Hall pub to see in the new year. I had had to work until 4pm on new years eve and when I got home, prior to going out, I watched a bit of Television. Flicking through the channels available on Sky, there wasn't much that interested me, and set about cooking some pasta for dinner.
The wife had arranged to go to the Beefeater restaurant on the Angel Hill, with her friend who got married in Turkey along with another two girls, and I wasn't invited.
Slightly annoying, as I do like the food in there, particularly the Lamb Tava, but giving me the option to do as I pleased.
Deciding that if I wanted a seat for the evening, in the local, it would be best if I was there when it opened at 7pm to get one, and went out early.
The wife came to the pub with her friends, after her meal, and saw the new year in with me, and then she gave her friends a lift home as she doesn't drink, and was driving.
I fell asleep on the sofa, watching the soaps we had recorded, and woke up at 06:10 and went to bed.
Great night out (thanks Russell - the landlord).

No.5