In the deep freeze

Had a pint earlier, and asked "Chef" who teaches all aspects of food at a college, and who's pond I looked after last summer for a couple of weeks, what a fillet steak, I had had in the freezer for 12 months, was going to be like for dinner tonight.
He told me, as it defrosted the juices in the meat would run clear from the meat, and when cooked it would be dry. I seasoned then grilled it, and gave it its best chance. It had flavour, and it was to nice a piece of meat to let go to waste, but his comments were spot on.

No.5

Norwich v QPR

Connecting train between Stowmarket and Norwich with a buffet car, and a couple of passengers have a beer.

Arrive into Norwich station and "we " go for breakfast in Morrison's. And tasty it was too.

After breakfast, and down by "the water front" we have a beer in the Queen of Iceni. Left here and went to the "Coach and Horses" on Thorpe road, to see the Man Utd v Chelsea game.

PMT. (pre-match-tension), and the guys spot me taking a pic down at the front of the stand.

I don't know what is going on in the row of seats behind me, but it wasn't me

These apartments, on the waterfront, could do with some patio doors on their balconies.

Ten minutes into the game and QPR have a player sent off, and Norwich score from a free kick. The rest of the game is very one sided in Norwich's favour, because of the sending off, and the game ended 3-0 to Norwich.

No.5

Going Up...

I took this picture this week of the Arc construction. I see this almost every day, but sometimes it is amazing when you see how much more has been done.

Tomorrow I'm going up to Norwich, with basically the same bunch of guys who went to the Ipswich v QPR game, to the Norwich v QPR game, and sitting in the away section.

No.5

Bury St.Edmunds Beer Festival

Yesterday afternoon I went to the Bury Beer Festival in the Corn Exchange.

Having Purchased two of the £5 cards required to buy the beer with, and my pint glass and guide, I went and got a 1/2 pint of Umbel ale, and went and sat down to ponder through the guide as to what to have next.

Having drunk my half I went to get my next choice, and it wasn't ready for sale, so I opted for one brewed in Rougham, called Rougham Ready.

I've misplaced my guide, but I remember trying such beers as Sir Rogers Porter, Gone Fishing and Rusty Bucket.
Its on until Saturday night, so don't miss the chance to go.

No.5

Beer Fest

This years Bury St.Edmunds Beer festival starts this Wednesday 23rd April (St.Georges day) and runs till Saturday 26th.
Previous years I've gone on Friday or Saturday evening, by which time the more popular beers have run out, so this year my plan is to go Wednesday afternoon.
There is usually over 80 different beers and ciders, and you get a booklet detailing the different characteristics in each one.
To sample any drink, you must first purchase a card ,or two, marked out with 50 x 10p squares for £5 each, and a glass (usually £2) which you can keep or return for a refund.
Once you've chosen which fine ale you want, and in what quantity, your card will be reduced by the cost quoted on the barrel of that ale.
This year will be the first time you will be able to buy the beer by the 1/3rd of a pint, thus giving you chance to try more, or reducing the quantity you would need to drink to try them all !
A particular favourite of mine is Nethergate's Umbel ale, which is brewed using coriander seed grist, giving it a nice spicy taste, but don't go drinking it all before I get there and have a glass.

No.5

I Must Mention

...the fact that Ipswich beat Norwich 2-1 today. Ipswich went a goal down after 5 minutes, but it was all one way traffic after that, listening to Radio Suffolk's unbiased commentary.
Ipswich won nine corners to Norwich's one, to back up the commentators claims, and it did sound like Ipswich could have scored five or six, easily, if the strikers hadn't got their boots on, sponsored by Toblerone.

Couldn't resist posting this picture of my wife's cat, taking a break during a wash, leaning up against the wall.

No.5

Grand National

On Thursdays post, I asked "any tips on the Grand National", well I didn't need any. I backed Comply or Die on the nose @ 7/1 , And , King Johns Castle, each way, at 20/1, which came second !
£2 to win, and 50p each way, paid £16 and £3. Enough to cover a chinese takeaway.

No.5

A Weeks Waffle In One Post

Monday was my day off, and didn't see me doing a lot. I burnt a CD of pictures from Saturday's game and dropped it round to a friends house, and spent time with the wife.

Tuesday, did I "April fool" you, with my post ? I should have had an early finish at work, but stayed to help because we have staffing issues at the moment. That evening, after the wife got home at 9.30pm, I decided that, with only one bottle of beer left in the fridge, I needed to go and get a couple more for the week (I had only had one, earlier that evening, before driving).

With Sainsbury's now closed, I went to the big Tesco's, not the express that shuts at 10pm as well, and stocked the fridge with an 8 for £6.00 deal, so they would be cold for the next night.

Wednesday, sees me telling a customer to "get lost". I wanted to say something a very lot stronger, but a lot of people would have heard it, and I don't wish to jeopardise my position. When I got home I had a couple of Tuesday nights purchases, to de-stress.

Twist-off cap and chilled perfectly !

Thursday was a better day. Bro' texts me this evening to say that Zane Lowe's masterpieces on Radio 1 features Guns'n'Roses, so I sit hear blogging whilst listening to two hours of their music, while having a couple of the above (see Photo)...Superb !

Its F.F.F.Friday tomorrow, and that means the weekend.

Any tips on the Grand National ?

No.5

Moreton Hall - Recording Studio

The ever expanding Moreton Hall estate, is to have a recording studio built. This will be on the road that leads down to the Abbey gardens. Local residence are concerned about noise issues, as is the church reverend, but developer Lirpa Loof says that it should be totally sound proof.

Could a future band be photographed on this crossing, or will it just be Volkswagen Beetles going over it.

No.5

When Saturday Comes (3)

Great day, thanks everyone of you. Picture taken at the Black Horse in Ipswich.

Ipswich should have got all three points from the game, the ball crossed the goal line and a player kept it out with his arm !

When Saturday Comes (2)

It doesn't look like the group of us will be travelling by train, to Ipswich, due to line repair works, over this weekend, How Frustrating. There are coaches laid on for the journey, which are just not going to be the same. Hopefully Ipswich will win to soften the inconvenience.

No.5

When Saturday Comes

This Saturday eleven of us from "the local" are going on the train to Ipswich to see the Ipswich v QPR game, K.O. 3pm. Five of us, including myself, are sitting in the "home end", north stand, and the other six, not all actual QPR fans, are sitting in the away end.
Last season, for the same fixture, there was only five of us in total, so the numbers have more than doubled for this one.
One moment of hilarity, on the last trip, came when four of us came into Thurston train station, expecting to see another friend on the platform, only to see him rounding the corner into the car park, as the train pulled out. Him having to get the next train, Hi Stuart (aka peanut) - you'll never live it down.

No.5

Snow ! (2)

More pictures of the snow taken on my walk to the local, for a lunchtime pint.

The local

The pond, and no sign of the Carp today

No.5

Snow !

Its a white Easter, instead of Christmas. I had to go out and knock the snow off the satellite dish, because it had stopped me getting a TV signal. So while I was out I took a short walk to the footbridge to take a picture.

Off to the pub at lunchtime so I'll get some more photo's if it hasn't melted by then.

No.5

Lark Valley Trail

We, Bro' and I, set off today, along the public footpath that starts between Anglia bodyworks and the Somerfield Supermarket, along Mildenhall Road, at about 10am. Destination - Flempton Greyhound.

At the beginning of this trail, behind the Padley factory, there was a horrendous stench in the air. Not sure what the source of it was, but maybe you could blame the river and ditches being in flood.

The amount of water in the river was pushing through really fast, and we were starting to experience rain and sleet as we walked along the river Lark towards Fornham, (Fornham Sluice, above).

On from Fornham, behind Hengrave, we come to Culford and walk through the School grounds back down to the river, and this bridge spans the river (above), and the view down stream from the top of it (below).

Carrying on along the Lark Valley Trail (that goes all the way to Mildenhall) got a bit tricky not far from here. The Trail diverted us around a fenced off area, signed as a biological area for the school, through a very boggy field, where we needed to step/jump between clumps of reads to keep our feet out of water.

Having climbed over this style, first, out of this boggy field, I started to laugh at the next sign to greet us on the other side of the fence, much to my brothers puzzlement. " Why weren't we warned of this entering the field!"

Maybe this was what the smell was along the river behind Padley's.

Having emerged out on the road in West Stow, the church bells chimed twelve. We turned right, then left, and walked the road up to Flempton village, and to the Greyhound public house. Once in the pub, they had an open fire going in the public bar, and after a couple of pints of Woodforde's Wherry, my sister-in-law arrived to give us lift back.

No.5

Why Is Easter When It Is

Easter falls on the first Sunday, after the First full moon, after the spring equinox (March 21st). This can fall between 22nd March and April 25th.

No.5

Happy 50th Birthday Steve

Happy 50th Birthday Steve

In the Moreton Hall pub

No.5

Waiting Room Magazines

I had a check-up appointment with my dentist today, and picked up a Motorboat and Yacht magazine while I sat in the waiting room, and I have two different things to mention.
The first being, as I sat there thumbing through the magazine, I realized the person in "my" dentists chair (not the type you have alcoholic spirits squirted into your mouth) was a neighbour who lives across the road from me. When he came out of the room we shook hands, exchanged pleasantries and I jokingly asked him if he was having his teeth whitened (as does Jeremy Clarkson, about Richard Hammond, on Top Gear).
The second thing I want to mention is I've always dreamed of an ocean going motorboat. And I now know I need about £400k to have something a little bit luxurious, so I got a lucky dip for the lotto tonight, on top of the usual ticket I buy for each draw. Monaco here I come.

No.5

Food Poisoning

On the way home from Cambourne, on Saturday, we stopped off and got a takeaway which involved Chicken. There was some left over, and on Sunday night, about 8pm, I zapped it in the microwave oven, against my wife's warnings, and ate it.
Well boy do I wish I'd listened to her. At about 2am Monday morning, I woke up and didn't feel right, and not being able to get back to sleep, I thought I'd get up and watch a bit of TV to take my mind off it. I went back to bed at 3:30am, not feeling better but not any worse either.
It wasn't long though, before I was thinking that I would be better off in the bathroom, and in this situation, I was glad the hand basin is close to the Toilet. I was back and forth a couple more times, before I had to start getting ready for work at 7am.
When I got to work a fever started to affect me, the sort you get with flu, the alternate shivers and sweats. At 10am I left work, in the rain and gales, knowing that I could get the 83 bus home at 10:10 from outside Palmers. When I got to Palmers I was shivery so I stepped inside the store, I then felt like I was going to pass or black out, so I went back outside and the cold air helped, but was still feeling weak on my feet, and crouched down.
Then the bus didn't turn up ! I gave it 10-15 minutes after the bus was due to arrive, and walked to the Taxi rank. I look in the first cab, no driver, I look in the second cab, no driver, I go to the next cab parked round the corner of Specsavers and explain this to the driver and he blasts his horn, "he doesn't need to scare the crap out of me" I thought to myself.
"Can you just get me home please, I don't feel good" "they are probably in the betting shop" the cabbie replies, "I can't wait for them" I said, and he drove me home.
Once home I took some ibuprofen and zantac and took up residence on the sofa, with a blanket for the shivers, and wished the aching neck, headache and fever would go away.
I'm dozing off in the afternoon, and the house phone rings waking me back up, its a voice message reminding me I have a dental appointment on Wednesday, I know I have an appointment as I can't afford the fine for missing it !
I sipped some water occasionally and at about 6pm, felt I should try to eat something and I heated a can of soup and had toast with nothing on it, and had more ibuprofen. Thankfully the soup and toast digested ok.
I headed off to bed about 10pm, watched TV in bed for about 30 minutes, but still felt like I wouldn't be going to work the next day, but in the morning I felt much much better and went in, all day.

No.5

Cambourne

I went to Cambourne, today, with my brother, sister-in-law and nephew to visit a mate called Jon, his wife and three children. With the plan to leave the two women and children at Jon's house while my bro' Jon and I went to his local, The Monkfield Arms in Cambourne.

Here is the pub with the two of them loitering outside each window, while I get a picture for the blog.

Cambourne is a new estate with about 3000 houses, similar to the Moreton Hall estate, and still growing.

It is supplied by a large Morrisons supermarket, and has a small shopping precinct, which includes Chutney Joe's Indian takeaway, a Chinese, estate agents and other businesses.

We chose to meet up today, to coincide with the rugby (Scotland v England), and this trip was to replace the Christmas shopping trip that never happened due to Bro's illness at the time.
In the Monkfield Arms, while watching the rugby, a huge washing up bowl size tub of ravioli/chili-con-carne with ladle and plates was brought out for a local rugby team, drinking in the pub. It did smell good, but that was as close as we got to it.
After England lost the rugby, and a few beers had been drunk, we returned to Jon's and later my sister-in-law drove the four of us back to Bury.

No.5