Monthly Archives: June 2008

Gonville and Caius Alumni

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This Saturday was the Gonville and Caius benefactors lunch. We had booked to attend. Drove there by a round about route as we had to pick up my 10mm-20mm Sigma lens from the coach company. I had left it on the mini bus the previous weekend while visiting Richard and Andrea. Many panic phone calls on the Monday to ensure it was found before some one walked off with it.

So we went to Cambridge via the M25, and M11, and Stansted airport. Still arrived in time to park in the Park and Ride, partake of a cup of coffee in Cafe Nero and then have some bubbly at Caius.

Day remained sunny, though it did threaten to rain, and both Rosemary and I are sure we heard some thunder. Food was good, speech was rousing, still 75% of the alumni are yet to give to Gonville and Cauis, but by British standards the college was doing quite well.

Rosemary and I visited the library and saw some archive material, including the two charters for the college. All kinds of odds and ends, including a 17th Century notebook on the coal purchases for the college.

Back to catch the bus where we had to wait 35 minutes for it to arrive. If we are to be enticed away from our cars or parking in the centre, then the public transport has got to get much better. Cambridge Council has got to do better with its buses. I for one will never park in the Cambridge Park and Ride ever again. It spoilt a really nice day. Made it back home in time for a pint in the P&A with George and Annie.

New cooker wired into the mains. Again not as easy as it seems. Badly designed connections would not take the size of cable. Connector is right at ground level making it hard to connect, and the sharp edges of the hatch caused severe loss of blood. Definitely a down turn in design, the previous cooker was a doddle to connect with proper side bolts under which to connect and trap the wire. Electrolux needs to go back to the drawing board. [Ed’s note:  Steve is to undergo Grumpy Old Man syndrome management/minimization training very shortly before it is too late.]

The new Electrolux replaces an old electric Jackson, bought as a temporary measure more than 20 years ago and still working, and also the once-loved, oil-fired Esse range, which was bought a mere nine years ago and doesn’t work; useless thing. 

Fire alarms at 1am

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I have been working at a Grocers in Bristol this week. The weather started off fine, a nice sunny day as I drove into Bristol. Even ate lunch sitting outside in the sun at their staff canteen. Progressively the weather has got worse and ended on Wednesday evening with torrential rain. The end of the summer.

The tanker driver strike (which has not started) has caused panic buying with people in the office saying how they have queued up for 20 minutes waiting to fill up. I was lucky, filled up last night and there was not a queue in site. The Blasdale luck never fails.

Well maybe it does, last night was awoken by the fire alarm going off at 1.00 am. Trooped out of the hotel [Ed’s comment: And note he does not wear PJs] and stood in the rain. Remember I said torrential rain. After 5 minutes back into the hotel. Several false alarm bells after that required the pillow-over-the-head technique to block out the noise.

New Lamb

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During one of Rosemary’s ad hoc, but frequent, sheep counts of the field flock, a discrepancy was noted.  One extra.  More stringent stocktaking showed the reason – a tiny, newborn lamb.  It is June, isn’t it?

Apex hotels

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Firiday at last, dress down day so am in work in my black jeans and T-shirt.

When I checked out of the Apex International Hotel I was given a message by the very polite receptionist. She said that the Manager of Customer relations thanked me for my blog entry. It’s good to hear they keep an automatic track on what is being said on the Internet. This has happened before, twice where I have visited restaurants. Once I had an email within a couple of days of commenting on a restaurant. The second time was when I was eating at the Mai Thai, I was asked if I wrote a blog. They were wondering who it was who kept coming in eating and then commenting on the food. Well that’s at least three people who have read an entry in my blog.

Picked up my coffee from the Cafe Nero on Lothian road. Again they had Pain Au Raisin (only downside was to be caught in the act of its illicit purchase by Rosemary phoning and overhearing my purchase. How do women know what you are doing when they can’t see you?) Happy and setup for the day, I entered work.

Thai food yet again

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Thursday was a warm day, no rain, not particularly sunny though. Started off with my usual cup of coffee at Cafe Nero, and happiness they had Pain Au Raisins today. The last two days have been devoid of this delicacy. So ignoring my pension savings plan, I bought my designer coffee and my Pain Au Raisin, took them to the office and ate my breakfast at my desk.

Supper was at a Thai restaurant on Rose Street called Ruanmai. I have eaten there in the long, dim and distant past. Had a couple of Thai beers, a hot soup and a penang duck curry with sticky rice. Adequate but not nearly as good at Dusit or Mai Thai.

Afterwards had a couple of beers at Whistle Binkies before heading home.