A little petting didn't hurt anyone....

Let me introduce the new family pets......

Snowy the Hamster and Sparky the Guinea Pig.











These fluff balls of fun are the result of a years worth of negotiations with the children on possible new pets. Dogs, Cats, Spiders, Snakes, Rabbits and even Stick insects have all been mentioned. At long last they've given up on those ideas (spiders.....shiver), and chosen something sensible instead.

Sparky is the Guinea Pig who does nothing all day. I don't think my son realised the irony in calling her Sparky. Here's a little video of her living it wild. It takes a while before you can see her as she's hiding the little minx!



Snowy is a Hamster on a mission. He's a crazy extreme sports sort of Hamster. He'll jump to get away if he can and he's blooming fast! Speedy Gonzales wasn't a mouse but a hamster I tell you!! The video of him was taken when he was only just awake so he's not doing his normal mad dash Roadrunner style. Otherwise we'd have had to slow the film down for you! I'm not kiddin.



The pets names have been the center of some smiling between me and my wife. Snowy the hamster, was given this name before it was even seen or bought. Since then it has had a few other names including Twinkle. The problem is my daughter isn't really considering that the hamster is in fact male! Thankfully Snowy which is the 'safest' of the names is the final decision. The situation isn't much better with my sons Guinea 'Sparky' which is the name you'd give a mate you'd play football with. The other possibility is the nickname for your favourite electrician. Certainly not the first name i'd use for a female, but my boy thinks otherwise. I have to admit I'm looking forward to the interesting names of the grandchildren we'll have one day!!

.... I know, i'm it!

PT has 'kindly' tagged me so i'm now It. He did this about a week ago but I was too comfortable to do anything about it until now.

Being tagged means someone who's meant to be a mate posts 8 facts or habits about themselves, they in turn are meant to tag a further 8 people to do the same. Unlike PT I can't tag anyone else as they have already been tagged by him.

here's my 8 things.....

1. Favourite Food Fact. I love Nandos it is the best. A Chicken with PeriPeri restaurant chain, that takes 10 mins from placing your order to being served it! This is a no fannying about place, just right in my books. I prefer to have mine medium hot and then to add some Garlic Peri Peri sauce on top. I like a bit of sauce! OH just to add to this I also love Ice Cream, a good vanilla being my favourite (not the cheap stuff) On Tuesday I ate two thirds of a tub of Ben & Jerry's Phish Food, curse Tesco's and it half price madness!!

2. Friendship Fact. My mate Kerry is very poorly and going into hospital today. She's likely to be off for at least a month. Get Well Soon !

3. Funny Habit. Delmonti on his 8 items list, said he makes shapes in the air with his foot whilst watching TV. Well I do similar, but I mainly write my name in the air with my foot.

4. Health Fact. I have had Fibromyalgia for nearly 3 years. So everything either hurts or aches all the flipping time. I just try to ignore it if I can, maybe it'll just go away - ha ha.


5. Family Habit. Every night I fill up the dishwasher and wipe the kitchen tops. Then I check all the doors and lights. I go in and see the kids who are sound asleep and make sure they are comfortable and that their lights are off, before giving them a little peck on the head and getting myself ready for bed. If I didnt do this I wouldnt be able to sleep at night!

6. Blast from the past Fact. My school mate Lucie Sheargold (maiden name) has got in touch with me through friendsreunited, after 20 years. We went to the Ashcombe School together in Dorking. Lucie was always a straight talker, which still is a characteristic I like in people, including myself.

7. Sport Fact. Tennis is my favourite sport. I havent been able to play for a few years, but i'm determined to get back to it next year! Sports like Footy are lower down my list and I enjoy them when with others rather than as a personal passion.

8. Music Fact. I have been asked if i'd like to have a go at singing with a local band that playes Blues and good old fashioned Rhythm & Blues. This is a dream come true, and I know I can do it. BUT, I'm so scared I turned it down. People who know me might find it hard to believe that I suffer in the nerves department, but I do. I wish I'd done more singing in public when I was a kid. In those days I had a voice like an angel and confidence by the bucket load. It annoys me more than you can know that i'm like this.

A Year On.......

It's been a year today (9th July) since my mum died. I don't want to make a annual big deal of it because I think its unnecessary to make anniversaries of the harsh events in life. Its not yearly that I think about her anyway, but rather everyday.

I have been wondering what have I accomplished this year and have I learnt anything or improved as a person.

I certainly had to wake out of a self indulgent mood I had been suffering early in 2006. It made me think a lot more about where I was brought up, and about my relationship with my family and my children. You've got to always appreciate what you have!

The other thing of course is that I got the push I needed to go through with the move out of Surrey and into East Sussex. I think it was Jane Marple that always said you could learn a lot about human nature within a village. Well I think the move to Bexhill has certainly opened up a diverse menagerie of human character and nature.

So all in all the year has been a good one, except at the start. I believe I have made more progress in my journey in life, I have greater empathy and understanding with those who have lost loved ones. Also as a family we are doing darn good. As the saying goes every cloud has a silver lining. (the weather had to get in their somewhere!)

Some photos i want to share of my mums garden, it may not be anything special to look at but it was her special place. I took these when I visited my father last Thursday.

I know I'm no photographer, and using a cameraphone doesn't help, but thats not really the purpose of these photos.

It's positive thoughts........

....and loving memories.

It never rains but it pours.......

It never rains but it pours, I don't think this saying is meant to have such a literal application?

If you are anything like me you'll have had enough of the rain by now!! I just want to get out and enjoy the lovely Sussex surroundings. The few times its dried up I've been inconveniently doing something else, like working.

I live in the UK surely I should be use to it? Not in July I'm not!! June too, can you believe how wet its been. I'm almost considering building the Ark and getting the hamster in there ready.

An argument that might be used is that it is Wimbledon and it always rains during Wimbledon. This is very true, but I bet even Wimbledon didn't think they'd be dealing with hailstones in the UK. I tell you hailstones might be handy if Cliff Richard starts his old shenanigans again at the tournament. Also a spot of carefully directed lightening might come in handy if he breaks into Bachelor Boy or Living Doll! Unless he has the young ones with him then its allowed!

I guess you get the idea that I'm a bit miffed at the moment. I think what has brought this on is that I've caught a flu of some kind that has made me spend most of the last few days in bed. I'm on pain killers to help with the additional pains I'm getting from it in my legs, feet, arms, back and chest.

But what would you expect eh? As they say, It never rains but it pours!

results...........

No its not the footy back on again. This is to update you on what we did for our anniversary, and what i decided on after much deliberation for a gift.

Taking onboard a little of what you had suggested on the last post here's the results.

Initially I must say that Jo's suggestion of a box of her favourite things was a great idea. But! I couldnt get past a copy of Hello magazine and a Cadburys Twirl chocolate bar as things i'd know she'd like. Does that make me a bad man?

So I did the best i could do in the circumstances and went to have a look around the shops in Eastbourne. I looked at craft things. I looked at books, be it novel, biographies or factual and historical until I went crossed eyed. Smiths thats normally a good place, maybe some attractive stationery, but that has no passion!

Eventually I went to Past Times, which isnt a normal blokey shop but I must say if you are stuck for ideas it's worth a look. When you get past the throw cushions and sickening smell of pot pouree if has some nice little bits. It was here I stumbled over my eventual idea. I was looking at the unusual jewellery, which in my book is always over priced, and I saw a round locket with a Celtic Design. I didnt buy the locket but it made me think a locket might be a nice idea. Its not my wifes normal fare but with a couple of pictures of me and the kids she'd like it! So thats what I did, I found a nice locket. Even though I had previously said that I wasnt keen on buying jewelery.

Its a funny thing though, almost a law or rule unto itself, that if you choose and purchase one thing, suddenly you see a hundred of other ideas. I had to battle with myself not to buy much more. In fact I purchased a small box of hand made chocolates personally chosen and beautifully decorated, but thats it! Thats if you don't include the fine meal I cooked for her along with wines and cheeses. Main Course was an Indonesian Prawn dish, similar to a mild curry, bursting with flavour from the fresh corriander. Then we watched a soppy flick called 'Music and Lyrics', not my normal fare but appropriate for the occassion.

The anniversary was Wednesday and i'm pleased how it went. Its Friday today and my mother-in-law is down to stay and gonna babysit for us. So we are off out tonight for a meal in a Thai restaurant not far away in the village of Little Common, within the area of Bexhill.

Thats that, thought you might be interested and have supplied some rather poor photo's so you can see what i was talking about.

thanks for the help! have a drink on me!

I need your help............its life or death

You'll understand the urgency when I explain to you its our 15th (yes I was a child bride) Wedding Anniversary in less than 2 weeks!! I want to get my wife a present, but need some ideas.


With the big move to Bexhill we have decided although 15 years is a decent milestone in our marriage we dont have the resources to go to town with our celebrations, such as a party. I plan for us still to go for a nice dinner out together, but finding a good restaurant in an unfamiliar area is a problem. I'm randomly approaching 'locals' pretending to be a market researcher in an endeavour to solve where too eat. I'm sure i'll work it out. There is always KFC!



Its this present quandry that is muffling the activities of the grey cells. I want it to be something that will make her go ahhh and smile. I'm not talking about mega expensive here. In the past I bought her a white gold diamond solitare and so jewelery unless something really unusual and beautiful (and much cheaper than that ring) wouldnt be on the list. I have given her CD's and books, beauty treatments, perfume and smellies in the past but I want to do something else. Underware and chocolates have been done in the past too, but I don't really think they are my darlings 'thing' at the moment.


So I throw myself on your mercy and ask if you have any ideas?
What about gifts you have given in the past that had a good reaction? Or, maybe you received something that you always cherish or at least thought it was particularly sweet?

Its been 2 months

This living by the seaside melarky has been great on the whole! To show you, I have at long last had a go at using YouTube to get some of my camera-phone videos online so you can get a 'low-res' feel for the place.

here's kite flying with the kids. The bigger fella at the back is my mate Dave NOT my son in case you wondered.



Not far way is Middle Farm, its a working farm that allows visitors. We had a good time here and had a picnic. I tried to get the kids to talk about the place on camera but it went a little sour. Made me laugh though!



Place we want to check out soon is the Long Man of Wilmington, we'll make that one a walking adventure I think. Also there is Drusillas Park a childrens Zoo and play park between Long Man and Middle Farm which looks worth a family fun day out.

On a personal note I will make a discreet visit back to Middle Farm sometime as they have there own Cider and Perry production onsite that needs checking out. Whilst i'm there they have dozens of different bottles of Sussex ales and beers that I think would be worth trying. Just to widen my appreciation of the fine work these people do you understand!

and there are vineyards not far ............... oh the hard life I live