So...

...my bet nearly came up at 1-3, if Richard Wright hadn't saved the penalty Cardiff were awarded, I'd have been £66 better off. Never mind, hopefully thats the Keano! affect already. Great scoreline 0-3 away.

No.5

Ipswich Town sign Roy Keane !

What a signing this seems. I think it is a major coup for Ipswich Town Football Club, and can only mean some quality players will follow him to Portman Road.
I just hope the two year contract, Roy has signed, will be seen out, and beyond. With premier league football back at Ipswich.
Click here to see the press interview.
Being a betting man, Ipswich are 9/2 to win at Cardiff tomorrow (the last game to be played at Ninian Park) by any score. This is generous odds in any two horse race, so looking to predict the correct score, Corals are offering 66/1 on 1-3 and 100/1 on 1-4, so I've lashed out £1 on each of those two scorelines.
Get 'em goin' Roy !

No.5

This is not a joke

Yesterday.....A man walks into the Post Office with a Parrot on his shoulder. When its his turn to be served, he puts it on the letter scale and it weighs 214 grams, and says to the member of staff serving him "He's 30 grams over weight !" Anyway, he did transacted what he went in for and left, with said Parrot.
How strange.

No.5

Overheard

I was in the Grapes around noon today, and a man came up to the bar beside me to get a pint of Greene King IPA. He handed over £2.50 and walked off without his 10 pence change. The barmaid said "Is this a tip" to which he replied "This ones for Eddy" but he came back and took his 10 pence. I realised what he ment, but he did also say "4:40 at Pontefract"
So I left to get some lunch and put £2 to win on this horse, and I also text a friend the Horses name. At 5:30 I found out it had won at 4/1 so I got a tenner back, and my friend had done it too at 9/2 with a bit more than £2.
Thank heavens it won, but what a way to win a few quid.

No.5

Me, Juvenile ?

I was offered a ticket, by a work colleague, for yesterdays Ipswich v Watford match, and as other plans had gone wrong, I accepted.

I was going to go to Cambridge, and meet up with my Bro and his mate from Cambourne and watch the Rugby, but unfortunately my brother had had a full industrial wheelie bin go over his right foot at the printers he works for, meant he couldn't do it on crutches.

My colleagues spare season ticket was their daughters under 20 ticket, which works out at less than half price, but I decided to try my luck at getting in without paying for the upgrade. I'm 39 soon, so it was a bit of an ego boost to get in without being challenged with a juvenile ticket.

The players used to run out on to the pitch applauded by the crowd to music, boosting the crowds enthusiasm. Now it is like a funeral procession to the halfway line, then both teams shake hands, where in a child's voice, it is announced no one is allowed to swear or make racist comments, the latter understandable.
Anyway the game ends 0-0, but Ipswich appeared to have more possession and more goal scoring opportunities than Watford, just couldn't score. I was impressed with Jon Stead's performance and think he was "our" best player.

No.5

Dangerous Territory

I decided to have a look in Debenhams new store in Bury St Edmunds today, having decided the novelty factor must have worn off by now, and their would be fewer people in there.
I entered the main front doors, and looked for the "men's" department, and to my surprise this is on the ground floor. Usually this is up or down a floor and the "women's" clothes are on this level, which I've wondered if its due to pushchairs and buying powers.
Anyway I wander through noting Ben Sherman, Fred Perry, Jasper Conran, Red Herring plus many other brands. I pass Sketchers shoes and then I've entered my uncomfortable zone.
I'm on my own and I've now left "men's" and I'm in Bikini's and womanly stuff, I'm a Deer caught in headlights.
Where's the door ? shall I turn back, past the shop assistant, who I'd noticed had nothing to do ? Is there an escalator to take me out of this department ?
I keep walking, daylight, there is the door, keeping my eyes looking straight ahead, I don't need a thong !

No.5

Cattle Market Opening

On Thursday 5th March the Cattle Market development finally opened. I took some pictures, but when I got home Thursday night, I found the Camera cable nowhere to be seen. So I have been unable to blog it till now, using photographs, until I was able to locate the cable at my wife's friends house.

Working in close proximity to the Cattle Market development, I've seen it rise from the ground. I can't believe the photo below is dated 06/06/2008 to where the building is now.

On Thursday the offical opening was at 10:30, and in my lunch hour I took a quick walk round the new square, before a quick pint in the Grapes got me back to my senses.

I always feel uncomfortable taking photographs in unusual places, I feel self conscious of people wondering "why is he taking a picture of that". This was reiterated, when the man in the foreground wearing a baseball cap in the picture below, came up to me and said "Do you work for the council" ? "No" I said. "Well I think it looks bloody awful" he said.

I didn't stick around to hear any more, and I haven't been back since. Not in case he's still there, but because it is having its desired effect at the moment, and there are to larger crowds for my liking.

But on opening day, Debenhams were already offering 25% off.

And another thing, someone is going to get hurt in St.Andrews street, the amount of muppets who cannot read the signs at each end of the road that say "Pedestrian Zone" and tear down there at 30 mph is unreal.

No.5

Market Thoroughfare

Work has started on removing the link between The Post Office and Stead & Simpson above the Market Thoroughfare. This is just a small gesture on the link between the Arc shopping centre and the old town centre shops that was promised.

Anyway the Arc starts to be opened on Thursday 5th March, it does look nice through there, but how long will it be before the 1st closing down sale ?

No.5

Playing God

My wife decided that today was the day to say goodbye to Tiggy. The aggressive tumour had grown back and was causing the Cat breathing difficulties, trouble eating and was affecting her right eye. The Cat had spent the morning laying in the sunshine in the bay window watching the world go by, and had had some Tuna to eat.

My Wife couldn't face going to the Vets herself, so I made the short journey with her to Moreton Hall Veterinary Surgery. While I stood at the reception desk, a man and his young daughter also stood waiting behind me. The young girl pointed out our cat in her pet taxi to her dad. Please don't want to look closely at her, I thought to myself. I didn't want to have to explain why we were there.

Called soon after arriving into a side room, a vet and a nurse, very professionally, undertook the reason for us being there, with one injection to a front paw.

This is one of the last pictures I took of her sitting at our back door. "Sleep well" were my last words to her.

Takeaway

This man or woman, lives across the road from an Indian restaurant and a Kebab shop. So their appearance can't be down to malnutrition, or is it. This is on Station hill opposite the Last day of raj, reflected in the window, and appears 'armless.

No.5

The Fish Is No More - Sadly

The subway under the road near the Moreton Hall Pub used to look like this, until last night. Which I blogged on Sunday 4th May 2008.

Now it looks like this. The Artists have had a health and safety conscience to point out the wet paint factor on both sides of the tunnel !

What a mess it looks now. Art or Graffiti ? was my question from my original post. Its neither now, Vandalism !

No.5

Cattle Market Car Park Name

I read that they are going to call the Car Park by two names, Cattle market / Arc. It struck me that Arc Park is an anagram of Car Park.

No.5

How not to play dead!

Sound is equired, to understand this.

This Week

This week I have had a weeks annual leave. One or two people have said "not another week off !". But apart from Christmas day and boxing day, I haven't had any leave since the beginning of November, and after 15 years with my company they give me 6 weeks holiday (I am not a school teacher).

Today, Thursday, I had lunch at my parents, and Mum cooked a leg of Lamb which was so tasty. After which, dad, drove us over to the Ipswich branch of Makro.

This is on the Euro park just off the A14, on the exit after you've gone over the Orwell bridge. You have to be VAT registered to be able to shop in here. It ranges from garden, car accessories, electrical, clothes, food, office, anything for businesses. I purchased some screen wash for my car, and some Turkish beer (Efes) for a friend.

After a couple of beers in the local tonight, I decided on a taste test on 3 different brands of cat biscuits on my cats. Having put 10 biscuits on each plate, sadly in funny faces, I put each of my 2 cats one at a time in front of the plates, they sniffed each and walked off !

The plate on the left is Go-Cat Chicken, Duck and Rabbit, made by Purina, a box of 375g costing 93p from my local Tesco express. The middle plate is Joe Jill's made by Joe Inglis Chicken and Rice 1Kg reduced from £4.49 to £2.99 at Sainbury's. And the right hand plate is Sainsbury's complete Salmon, Shrimp and Tuna at £1.05 for 950g.

Result: While tapping away at the keyboard, my female cat, the poorly one, has been out to the Kitchen. Now the left plate, was nearest to the kitchen door, and the 1st one she would come too. The Go-Cat has all gone. The 2nd plate has just 4 bits left, and the 3rd, maybe the face was too scary for her ?

I think to make this test fair, I need to reverse the order of the plates, and make the Sainsbury's food look less Scary.
No, I haven't had to much time on my hands !

No.5

Officers Club Designer Underpants

I walk past this shop quite frequently, its a couple of doors from where Woolworth's used to trade, in Bury St.Edmunds. A couple of weeks ago the dummies in the window didn't have any clothes on at all. Then last week they were all fitted with their current designer underpants, or rather the shops bags, around their middle.

I wondered whether a complain(s) had been made about their bulge. But I do know the shop maybe going the same way as Woolworth's as the writing on the shop window suggests. A chap I work with joked about going in and asking to try a pair on.

No.5

Poorly Pussycat (2)

Warning: Don't scroll down if your eating a meal or squeamish.

On Thursday 22 January I blogged about a lump I found on my wife's Cats neck. More surgery has now been done.

On Friday the Veterinary Surgery called and the young vet, who had not been comfortable in trying to remove the Tumour, said that we could take Tiggy to their partner practice in Stowmarket, where a more experienced Vet would try and take it all out.

This was scheduled to be performed yesterday. So we left the Cat with them at 08:30. We got a call at 12:40 from the Vets to say it was taking a long time and the Cat would have to be kept there overnight.

We got a call this morning from them at 09:00 to say that we could collect her. She had to have a drain put in to stop fluid from building up where the Tumour was.

You can see the drain hanging below her neck, while being rewarded with some Tuna. The drain has to remain in until Saturday.

No.5

Andrew Lloyd-Webber Give Up Now

This is Turkeys Eurovision song contest entry for 2009, and it gets my vote, and the song isn't bad either.
I think Andrew Lloyd- webber is going to have to go some to beat this if the judges are male from each country.

My Dinner

I walked down to Sainsbury's this afternoon and purchased some Rump Steak. This I cooked tonight with some boiled new Potatoes and Broccoli and some Range dressing "drizzled" over the veg. The Steak I oven grilled, just melted in the mouth and my mouth watered with expectation of the next fork full.

I don't claim to be a good cook, but I know what I like, and repeat dishes I find enjoyable and adjust them with different things until I think they are as good as I can get them, to my taste.
The Steak had Steak seasoning, minced Garlic and salt on it.

No.5

Poorly Pussycat

Last Tuesday night (13th Feb) at 8pm, I was just settling down on the bed to watch Oz Clark and James May on BBC2, so my wife could see another program on TV downstairs.

I was immediately joined by one of our 2 Cats, Tiggy, who seems to always want petting whenever I'm watching TV in the bedroom.

Anyway within seconds I realised the Cat had a lump on her neck, and it was quite prominent. Our Cats are house Cats, having been De-clawed in the States, and never meet face to face, other animals.

So I picked her up and carried her downstairs, and my wife saw me coming and said "What's wrong with the Cat ?" The Cats are nearly 12 years old, I said "You need to feel her neck" and we couldn't believe how we hadn't noticed it before now, and she hadn't been behaving any differently.

The next morning, Wednesday, I'm on the phone to Moreton Hall Veterinary Centre at 08:15 and they tell me they can see the Cat if I can get there for 08:30, I'm on my way ! Teeth brushed, Car started to De-thaw the frost off it, I hastily put the two halves of the animal cage together and find the Cat to put in it. On the way the Cat miaows continuously on the backseat of the Car, and I get there at 08:25

After a short wait the Cats name is called to see the Vet. After an examination and questions asked, the Vet took the cat to another room to insert a needle to take a biopsy of the lump, before returning. "We'll look at it under a microscope, and let you know what it is, by phone, by Friday". "Okay, thank you". Tiggy walks back into her cage, with no encouragement, and we're on our way home.

Thursday afternoon, and my wife and I decide to go for a short drive to get out of the house. We've only gone 500 yards and my mobile phone rings, "You'll have to answer it wifey as I'm driving", Its the Vet "I'm afraid it is a Tumour" our worst outcome. My wife's in tears, shes had the Cats since they were 3 days old and hand fed them, after their mother abandoned them.

So we arranged to have the Tumour removed, if possible, on Wednesday morning of this week. We were told the Cat must not have anything to eat after 7pm Tuesday night, and no Water after 7am that Wednesday.

Wednesday morning we both take the Cat to the Veterinary Centre to leave it for surgery, but I then had to go to work. My wife would have to go back and collect the Cat on her own later that day at 15:30. When she collects Tiggy she is told the Tumour was growing around the Cats jugular vein, so it was impossible to remove 100% of it, and also that tests shows she is in the early stages of a renal problem that can be controlled by medication.

Tiggy is doing fine and behaving like she always has done, and has to go back and have her stitches out in 10 days time.

My Pretty Girl, not looking so pretty.

In the mean time I have to give Tiggy one and a half tablets twice a day, because my wife doesn't want the Cat to get mad with her !

No.5

Woolworths

What now for the building below. Someone told me that Woolworths rented this one and if that's true, it does mean the owner will probably be looking for a new tenant. A suggestion though has been made in the press by a councillor, to level it along with Stead & Simpsons, and make a larger town square.

Lots of family and friends have suggested businesses that they would like to take over this property. The one mentioned most is a Witherspoons pub. Maybe because Witherspoons have recently been advertising a pint of bitter for 99p. When I saw it empty, I thought re-establishing Rollerbury in there on the wooden floor might be a good idea, but there are quite a few concrete pillars, ouch !

This is how things at the back of Woolworths are looking now. Planning applications are being submitted, from the various shops taking up these units, for things like illuminated signs and air conditioning units.

I'm sure "The Arc" is going to look very nice when its all finished, and you might be able to get a pair of Levi 501's in town again.

There will be the obvious initial curiosity when it opens, but when it all dies down, what then in these times of recession for the shops in both parts of town.

Thats why I think the idea levelling the Woolworths building and those up to the market thoroughfare, beside the Post Office, is a good one.

No.5