Simon's Cat 'Cat Man Do'

My cat tends to bite my ear, without claws.

Friday Off

Yesterday (Friday) I had the day off, another friend had the week off, and the other two in the picture, took the day off, and we went out for a few beers in Bury St.Edmunds town centre starting lunchtime.

We started off in the Regency Hotel, before moving across the road to the Kings Arms, where the picture was taken in the courtyard.

After one in here, we went to the Grapes, and again sat out the back in the courtyard there. After a quick Big Mac at the golden arches, it was the courtyard at the Masons Arms that hosted us next, before moving on to the Queens Head and shooting some pool.
A Taxi back to the local was called for to end an enjoyable day, nice one guys.

No.5

Bank (Blog) Holiday Monday

I haven't been blogging much lately, mainly because I haven't done much outside of the usual 9 to 5 routine.
I have, this weekend, run the wife down to Gatwick airport, and the rain was horrendous. I'm sure if we'd left the house 10 minutes later, the M25 would have been shut off, as a car had aquaplaned into the central reservation barrier, and was facing the wrong way in the fast lane, and we would have been waiting for the vehicle to be recovered. I heard on the way back that the road had just re-opened at the place of the accident.
Today, Bank holiday Monday, was no different to much of my spare time, as in its spent in my local. Apart from a pleasant chat with fellow blogger, GrumpyOldWoman (who doesn't actually look too old, and had been to Turkey, as did I last year, and do again in September, and her legs were browner than in her photograph, she showed me!).
As I sat with the regulars, a member of staff came across and said, a couple at the end of the bar (from America, who read my blog) would like to meet me. So I went over, and they were from Des Moines in Iowa, and had a nice chat with them for 20 minutes, or so.

No.5

Ipswich Town Shirt for 08/09 revealed

Ipswich Town F.C. have today unveiled their new shirt sponsor for next season, and not surprisingly it is the company owned by the football club owner Marcus Evans Group. The deal will last 5 years until the summer of 2013.

No.5

Art or Graffiti

Is this art or graffiti ? This handy-work has appeared in the subway near the the Moreton Hall pub, and I have to say it is very impressive.

When it is a picture like this (as opposed to just a signature (tag)) it is very stunning, and shows the very clever use of the colours used to create it, and the detail (not fish tail).
It generally gets painted out it the subway, but something like this is cheery.
Can it be moderated ? or should it be kept in the youth club ? or, indeed, was it a youth ?

No.5

May Bank Holiday

May Bank holiday weekend and my wife has gone to London with her friend, who got married in Turkey last year, for two nights. They are going to see the Mama Mia show tonight at the Theatre, and she has the camera, so I hope to get a picture or two.
This gives me a free (long) weekend, and I'll be watching the Ipswich v Hull City game tomorrow which kicks off at 2pm, hoping we can make the play-offs.

No.5

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