As usual there were loads of things last year that I never got round to blogging about for one reason or another. As well as films I watched but didn't review ( Captain America, Tintin ) and bands I saw but never mentioned ( Bristol's Punk/Metal sensations Off The Wall ) there were various events and news stories that didn't make it to the virtual pages of The Glass Walking-Stick. So, here's a quick rummage through the drawers marked "Why the hell didn't I blog about this...?"
In August, a couple of days before Sophie's birthday, we visited the beautiful city of Bath. Sarah and I had been there years ago, but the kids had never seen it.
As well as the wonderful architecture, the shops and the Fashion Museum, we had to check out the world-famous Roman Baths themselves.
A fantastic World Heritage site, the Baths are a must-see for anyone interested in the history of Great Britain, from the Roman occupation up to the present day.
Just don't drink the water...
Seriously... don't drink it. You can sample the warm, lime-scale-tasting water in the Pump Room but you'd probably be better off drinking bath water :-)
On a much sadder note, 2011 was the year the world tragically lost the talented but troubled Amy Winehouse. We were on holiday in Newquay at the time and we sat, open-mouthed, as the news of her death came over the TV. I was genuinely moved by her passing
( more than I thought I would be ) and still find it difficult to listen to her music, which I love, but which has had such a dark shadow cast over it in the last year.
The fact that her music could be heard just about everywhere in the weeks after her death didn't help. We were in one of Rick Stein's establishments in Padstow, an up-market, snooty gift shop, and I was surprised to hear them playing all of Back To Black, swear words and all, in place of the usual Enya or whale-song. I thought
( rightly or wrongly ) that this music and this artist didn't belong here, wasn't just background noise to a shopping trip, and certainly wouldn't have been playing if she hadn't just died.
And, as you can tell, it still annoys me...
RIP Amy...
Also in the Summer we went to the Fairford Royal International Air Tattoo. This was the 40th anniversary of the Air Show and was a spectacular, if wet, weekend of awesome hardware and other attractions...
Featuring ( to mention a few ) the B52 Stratofortress...
The Eurofighter Typhoon...
The Eurofighter Typhoon...
The Pimm's Flight Deck
( jug of Pimm's in evidence - how civilized! )...
We'd bought Sarah's parents tickets to the Air Show as a present for her dad's retirement and, even though the weather was pretty dodgy, we had a great day.
There was even a special appearance by big-nosed Pulp vigilante, The Shadow. I had to get a pic of that one!
Strangely enough, we also saw bootylicious Pop/Soul star Alexandra Burke giving a pretty impressive performance not far from the crowd-line.
This was good fun with Ms. Burke in fine voice, but quite bizarre to be watching a gig whilst also checking out the sky for passing fighter planes...
In the so-called "real" world in 2011 there was apparently a Royal Wedding...
And the less said about that the better. At least we got a Bank Holiday out of it, which we spent at my mate Kev's BBQ, followed by yet another gig by those Chinese Burn boys...
In 2011 we finally got rid of our dilapidated old kitchen ( see above ), which Sarah's had to put up with for 14 years or so. She took great delight in destroying the knackered, hideous old kitchen units, as can be seen below...
You go girl!!
Such fun!
Even James got in on the act, taking it apart from the inside :-)
Here's Sophie, doing her bit...
And here's the new kitchen in all its glory!
Tea and cake, anyone?
Last but not least, 2011 also saw the end of an era as we finally, after much heartache and stress, said goodbye to my Mum's bungalow.
It was definitely a case of mixed emotions as we finally shut the door on The Spinney. Selling the property and dealing with the myriad problems that came with it ( not least being the major subsidence issues that had to be sorted via insurance, tree removal and building work ) seemed to take up all our free time for the first half of the year. Many times we'd thought the place would never sell as potential buyers messed us around, dropped out, and the housing market continued to spiral downwards, while all the time we were chasing estate agents, builders, loss adjusters etc. Nightmare! So, in many ways we were relieved when it was all over but, of course, saddened because another link with the past had gone.
Anyway, onwards and upwards in 2012...
That kitchen is totally transformed. I was loving watching the change come togetehr. From dark to bright is always what I want to see first thing in the morning.
ReplyDeleteI wish someone had tied a knot round those royals neck!
ReplyDeleteLove the kitchen tiles. I used to work in a tile shop...I'm still a bit nerdy about tiles :)
At least once a year, you really should do your 'list of things you did not blog about'....its nice to see your world, and any thoughts you might have to share about it. Take care and Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments, guys! Glad there was something for everyone in a post that was all about my inability to actually get on and post about things :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd a Happy New Year to you all!
I love the new kitchen. In the pictures of the old kitchen, what is the white piece with...are those magnets? on the front? When I first saw it, I thought it was a refrigerator, but then realized it was hanging on the wall.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I am very jealous you went to Bath. That's definitely on my list of places to visit the next time I visit England...
Happy New Year!
getting up to speed simon!
ReplyDelete@Mickey
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you, too!
The white object in the photo is our old, dangerous and condemned gas boiler which was ripped out when the new kitchen went in. And those are indeed fridge magnets on the front, all souvenirs from places like London, Paris or Barcelona. Who knew kitchens were so interesting? :-)
You should definitely visit Bath if you're ever in the UK. I know you're interested in Roman history, and Bath is a perfect place to experience ancient Roman architecture and statuary etc. And, if you're in Bath, you wouldn't be far from Gloucester and you could come up here for a visit...
@Anonymous
I am trying to get up to speed. So much to blog about, so little time
:-)
And, don't be shy, leave your name next time. I don't bite...
too much...
I have recently returned from England where I visited London, York and Bath. I had to see the Roman ruins and do the tourist thing. Check it out at my blog.
ReplyDeleteDoes it rain like every day in England?
Hi Don! Good to hear from you.
ReplyDeleteIt really doesn't rain every day in England. But sometimes it definitely feels like it :-)
But then, it is Winter...
If you'd visited England this time last year, you would have found the country under a blanket of snow which was, er, cool.
I hope the weather didn't put you off England too much! London's an amazing place to visit, and York and Bath are both beautiful, historic cities.
Just getting back to check on what that mysterious kitchen appliance really was...a gas boiler? Stupid question Friday: what is a gas boiler?
ReplyDeleteYou've inspired me: I am going to take a picture of my refrigerator for my blog! Maybe tonight, even!
When I get back to England, Bath is definitely on my list, plus a quick trip to Gloucester! The closest I've been to Gloucester was in London: the Tube stop for my hotel both times was Gloucester Road. =)
Hi Mickey!
ReplyDeleteBasically, a gas boiler powers our central heating system by burning natural gas piped into the house ( at an exorbitant price )which heats the water in our radiators. This is probably not something you're used to in your warmer environment :-)
...but is certainly welcome when you've got snow on the ground, which we have today.
And, if you're ever in this quiet corner of England, that offer of a tour of Gloucestershire still stands. We'd be more than happy to show you around...
I might even waive the usual fee :-)
Refrigerator pr0n is posted at scs! Where did you put the gas boiler when you remodeled? Believe it or not, I've got electric heat that I run on a fairly regular basis in the mornings. Anyone who says southern California is warm all the time has only visited, I think. Or has *just* moved here from colder climes. I used to be one of those people. Now I'm not and 60 degrees F is chilly...
ReplyDeleteI'd love to go to California one day and check out those temperatures for myself :-)
ReplyDeleteBTW The new boiler is in the same place as the old one but concealed by a kitchen unit.
This is such a fascinating insight into my life, isn't it? LOL!