Yearly Archives: 2008

The Crooked B????

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The kitchen is in the process of being refitted. Tonight was the third night without cooking or washing facilities, so was the third night eating out. We are trying the different eateries around our local area.

Tonight is the Crooked B????. Strange establishment. It has all the looks of a place that should do well. Old world, plenty of parking. Gardens and facilities for the kids. On a main road, so plenty of passing trade. The place though seems to go from one management company to another, and never seems to do well with anyone. Years ago, like 15-20 years ago it was thriving pub. Now it seems to go through lots of mediocre management companies and short time managers.

Unusually for a pub/restaurant there is a split personality about it. It has two restaurants and a bar. I mean two totally differently managed restaurants.

There is the bar area, serving some real ale, in this case Hook Norton, and the usual lagers. Associated with this is the ‘basic” restaurant serving steaks, liver, burgers, fried mushrooms etc. Staple non adventurous food.

The other restaurant is in the function room. This is Angelo’s, originally from Waddesdon, and lately from Springhill.

When we entered I ordered our drinks, and asked for a menu.  We were taken aback, because we could not see any Italian food on the menu, and this rather basic fare.  Not to worry we ordered. While we were waiting we said how nice the function room looked, at this stage we were informed that was Angelo’s.  How do we order for food there we asked?  You walk in and order there we were told.  There was no signs advertising Angelo’s or anything else to intimate that this other restaurant existed in the building.

Our food arrived.  My mushrooms were good.  Not a lot to go wrong with possibly pre-prepared deep fried mushrooms.  My liver and gravy was OK, not special.  Rosemary’s pate looked ordinary and her risotto was the worst she has ever had.  It didn’t seem to be the correct rice, it had not absorbed any flavour from the cooking and was dry!  We are not going to eat there again, unless the next management change brings on an improvement. As for Angelo’s, it had the usual chicken served in five sauces.  Our previous experience at Springhill for lunch had been a real dissapointment, so we would be feeling rather desparate before we tried the place again.

The new kitchen, stage one the walls.

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We have embarked on a new kitchen for the house. The other had been in the house for 20 years, the doors were beginning to break at the hinges, and the drawers were closing with difficulty.

Another picture of the kitchen.The kitchen walls after they had been stripped.

First we chose the kitchen. In this time of recession you would have thought people would have been falling over each other to do you a kitchen. No. Two companies sent out people to look at the existing room, measured up and discussed the design. Weeks later, and despite nagging neither had produced a design or estimate. Eventually we went to Magnet who came out, measured up and designed the kitchen in front of our eyes. They would have installed it, but we were already down the path of independent contractors. The savings made by getting the kitchen at trade prices were quite substantial. Delivery was quick. Now the kitchen is being installed.

Wednesday and Thursday the old kitchen was ripped out, the walls had their cladding removed and the first fixing of the electrics was completed.

The plaster board

Friday the walls were dry-lined (we’ve got to do our green aka economy bit) and plastered.

Delivery

The delivery of the kitchen also took place early in the morning. Really quite neat in checking all the goods had been delivered, the driver ran a scanner over all the boxes in the house, this produced a list of missing items. So back to the lorry to search for the items. Eventually a complete list of items were accounted for, which were then signed for on the scanner.

Norwich

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Rosemary and I went to Norwich for the weekend to see Ann and Mike.  We visited Nick and Ali, and saw the great work they have been doing on their house. Much remodelling, removal of walls, moving staircases and a complete replaster of all the walls. Truely quite a change to the house and a really excellent change.  Their children had changed too!  Both much taller.

Sunday was spent on Mike’s PC sorting out the pictures and re-loading the electronic picture frame we gave them.

Bristol

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Wednesday 8th, just back from Bristol after spending three days working for a Supermarket. Not really much to report about the place. Stayed in the hotel for the two evenings, internet access was bad as I was on the wrong side of the hotel. Also spent a fortune there on the hotel bill, really Bristol could do with a few more hotels to bring down the cost a little.

The last month

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I realise I have not written anything in my blog for a whole month. Well I have been alive and awake, but not doing a great deal. Work wise it has been a bit quite, some trips to Bristol, and a couple of days at Sheffield Hallam university helping them with their system.

The weather has been appalling this September, with rain and more rain, though it did clear up towards the end of the month and allowed us to go to the Cambridge University Alumni bash in brilliant sunlight. Rosemary has copious notes of what went on there, so I am always hopeful she will write something for the blog. We even visited the Vet school out on the West site. They have just installed an Xray Radiation machine for cancer treatment, to replace their old aging one. The facilities look so good I would be well pleased to be treated there. Another thing I learnt at the Cambridge vet school was they use two cat wards, the ward is used for two weeks, and then the second ward is used while the first is disinfected, cleaned and rested. Maybe this should be done with human wards instead of closing the spare wards for good.

We have been to a few National Trust places, and I will be posting some pictures on the web for that, and for the alumni weekend.

Ah well I hope work picks up for the rest of the year, though I do seem to have several holidays on the horizon. We have the usual week in Guernsey, and a longer week in Spain. Looking forward to both of the holidays, but worried about the lack of Internet access in Spain.

Robin’s 50th

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Saturday 30th August saw us complete with tent at a party to celebrate Robin’s 50th birthday. 

How he and Tessa managed to pick the one decent summer’s day & evening, just shows the calibre of people they are.  We could write it up, but John has already done so – http://www.curdhome.co.uk/2008/hog-roast-blues/ – but at least Steve got to take one or two piccies – https://www.blasdale.com/blog/picture-albums/2008-picture-gallery/2008-robins-50th-birthday/.

We woke early Sunday to a lovely view over a misty field which Steve rather ruined with his mutterings about “damn birds are all tweating too loudly” (no double glazing in a tent), but at least he cooked bacon rolls & fried eggs.  

Now just about everyone must know that Robin has reached his half century.

How can they top that one for his 60th?  We’ll report back in 2018.

Country Landowners Association Game Fair

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Country Landowners Association Game Fair Saturday 26th July. We visited the Game Fair at Blenheim Palace on the Saturday. Fairly early start and no real problems getting in. Previous day we had heard of people turning around and not making it because of all the traffic.

The day was very hot and sunny, the place was packed with stalls selling various country goods from posh tables, wood stoves, wood central heating, wellies, guns, and the latest 4 x 4. Notable exception was that Landrover did not have a stand.

Took a look at the birds of prey, and watched some flying with Jemima Parry-Jones.

Spent a considerable time down by the river watching the dogs retrieve their dummies. Later met up with Ann and Chris, we were going to see Chris perform with his gun and dog, but alas the stand had finished.

Very pleasant meal (BBQ steak) with Ann and Chris in the camping site attached to the Gane Fair. Left after dark, took a little while to find the car parked on its own in a dark and large field. No queues leaving at 11.00pm

[jalbum_iframe_album:http://www.blasdale.com/pictures/2008/CLAGameFair/index.html,100%,600px]

New pictures of Tuscany

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I have added the pictures we took of Tuscany to my website. Alas have not placed comments on the pictures yet.

https://www.blasdale.com/blog/picture-albums/2008-picture-gallery/2008-tuscany/

I have also added the pictures of our trip with the Berkshire branch of the Cambridge Society to Dorset. There are some rather nice pictures of the Haynes Motor museum, especially the pictures of the cars in the Red Room.

https://www.blasdale.com/blog/picture-albums/2008-picture-gallery/2008-cambridgeshire-society/

A reminder for the old folk, when you look at the small pictures (called thumbnails), and you find one you like, then click on it for a larger version.

Another neat feature, is when looking at the large pictures, click the right hand gold button which says slide. You will now get a slide show, each picture changing to the next after 4 seconds.

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.