Category Archives: United Kingdom

ASHES TO ASHES

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As I booked my flight to Edinburgh, the Icelanders decided it was time to resurrect their volcano. Just before I turned the lights off at midnight, I thought I had better check my flight to Edinburgh. Easyjet was warning all flights to and from Scotland and Ireland were liable to  disruption, and I should check the flight.  The part of the site for checking flights was, of course, down.

4.45 am alarm, open laptop and check flights.  Glasgow cancelled, but Edinburgh still open.  Checked the CAA site, and the same news.  So off to Luton airport instead of the station.  Suffice to say, I have arrived in Edinburgh.  Will I get home, am I marooned here for the foreseeable future? [Ed – If he thinks I’ll believe a word of being stranded in Edinburgh because of ash, then the Monster Raving Loony Party will win tomorrow.]

Volcano, I’m Still Excited!!

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0416-ICELAND-VOLCANO_full_380 I had a short trip to Edinburgh this week.  I flew up from Heathrow to Edinburgh with British Airways on Monday morning.  I had tried to book a flight on the Friday evening, but found Easyjet were fully booked, and the price of Flybe from Birmingham was extortionate.  Train travel is also rather slow and expensive, so was rejected.  Last resort was BA.  For the sum of £43.00 I received my ticket to Edinburgh, I was able to take hold luggage at no extra charge (not that I had any),  I had bacon, egg, sausage and tomatoes, orange juice and coffee and daily newspaper on the flight for free, and could use the loo without charge.  I did not have to go through the indignity of proving who I was before flying.  Ryanair and Easyjet, you can go and get stuffed, BA is not over priced.

Terminal 5 was a good experience as well.

At work in Edinburgh, I found out how long I was staying, and booked my hotel through Last Minute dot Com.  Not such a good experience, they sent me to the wrong agency to check into the apartment I had booked.  Lots of walking and eventually a taxi, I was in my room.

Luckily I was there just for one night, any longer and I would still be there, stuck for lack of flights.  I am meant to be flying up there on Wednesday.  Will the ash cloud be being blown in another direction?  Let’s hope so.

We have arrived too late to play the bleeding heart show

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An addendum to my previous post.  We were called, we boarded, then we sat there waiting for lots of passengers who had disappeared.  Then we waited for a ground crew to unload the luggage of the disappeared passengers.  Then the ground crew arrived and spent ages locating whatever luggage that should not be flying.   What puzzles me is those passengers who decided not to fly must not have cared less about their luggage and left it to the machinations of Easyjet and Servisair.

In due course we left at 1.30, and arrived at Edinburgh in a sunny almost Spring like day, bit chilly for Spring, but it looked Spring like.  So by the time I was in Edinburgh is was well past 3.30, so felt I was too late for work, so checked into my hotel.  Good start to the week.

We’re walking in the air

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I am still sitting here in Luton airport, waiting and waiting.  I am most definitely not flying.  As I drove to Luton this morning the snow started to settle.  A little longer journey than usual, due to the cautious nature of most drivers in the snow.  Arrived in plenty of time, and watched several planes land.  Departures were announced and off people flew.  We were called and watched the incoming flight unload, and then nothing, and nothing not even an announcement and the traditional vanishing of everyone in authority.

The airport had closed, flights were cancelled, Malaga, Aberdeen, Galway, Germany.  Ours though still hung on.  Oh, one Easyjet  helper said my flight to Edinburgh had been cancelled, but that was denied by all the other staff.  Eventually the electronic boards were updated with information of the flight status, but why so long for the information?  Why does it take so long to provide this information in an easy place to see when the information is known all the time?

I am sitting here at midday writing this after eating my free Easyjet flight meal, ie  Starbucks coffee and a sandwich.  The flight indicator says an estimated departure of 13.30, but I see the Glasgow flight with the same estimate has started to board.  Maybe I will arrive in Edinburgh after all.  I was a tad worried, the snow flurries outside had all started up again after a brief respite.

My flight has been called.  Off I go, let’s hope I go to Edinburgh & not Prestwick.

Home again, home again, jiggity jig

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Wednesday was slumming it night.  Haggis, neaps and tatties in the Last Drop, named after the gallows on Grassmarket. Then on to Whistle Binkies for some musical entertainment.

Thursday, another nice but cold day. Stay in evening today.  Spent the evening on the PC, but before that out for dinner at the Petit Paris.  Opted for the pre 7.00 menu and had  vol au vents for starters. These were filled with mussels, or rather one mussel and a delicious sauce.  Then it was coq au vin for the main course.  Of course this was all washed down with two large glasses of red wine. Yes I intend to have a pickled liver, I am fed up with being told what I can and cannot do by this Labour Government and the nanny advisors.  Maybe when the death tax is introduced, Gordon will start to encourage us to drink and smoke.

Friday, another sunny day, though a tad on the cool side.  I wish I could get my hotel room cool, was forced to open the window to let some cool air in, despite the heating being off.  Now I am sitting waiting for my flight at Edinburgh airport.

A complaint about Edinburgh Airport.  [Ed – Grumpy Old Man Moment.]  It is being “developed” and so turned into a damn shopping mall.  It’s going to become more crowded.  I hope though, when it’s finished, that they will remove the food areas that presently congest the narrowest sections of the airport, where people stand in the way, stack their luggage, move their chairs and tables into the corridor and make it nearly impassable between sections of the airport.  Yes you can negotiate the area when you have time, but in a rush its a right royal pain in the arse.

Oh I see the flight has started to board, so looks like it will be leaving on time. Home again, home again, jiggity jig.

Second week in Edinburgh Monday

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Arrived in plenty of time, queues minimal in Luton, more staff on security, though lots of rug rats running around.  Must be half term or something.  Glad I am not flying to Faro, Easyjet don’t seem to have anyone to fly that plane.  All the passengers on that flight have been sent back to the departure lounge.  Must not crow though, my flight has not yet been called. Yes it has, so now must be off.

Arrived in Edinburgh, some sun was getting through to the ground, arrived at the office and was set up ready to go by 11.00am.  All change though for lunchtime, now it is pouring with rain.   How much more dismal can this weather be?  Could be a taxi to the hotel, can’t get wet can I?

Cleared up, for the walk back to the hotel.  My evening entertainment was a meal at the Mai Thai.  Restaurant used to be by Holyrood, but seems to have moved up the Royal Mile.  It’s not now run by Alistair, he left the business.

Bradford and the Giant Nan Bread

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I had a night away in Bradford, yes the early get up, the rush to Stevenage and train to Leeds, then on to Bradford.  At least I can get a couple of hours sleep on the train.

28012010061In the evening I did manage to get out and have a curry.  The first suggested curry house was rejected, lack of beers.  So Mike chose Omahs, a balti house, again dry, but what the hell, it was 9.00pm and we were hungry.

Started off with a mixed grill for a starters.  When I had finished eating that, a feeling of surfeit was already on the horizon.  Imagine my surprise at the Nan bread which accompanied my balti curry.  I was informed it was a small Nan. I should not have been surprised, on the door was a challenge, if you could eat one of their large Nans, then you could go away with £50.

We left having eaten well, leaving behind a substantial portion of food, all for £25.  Next week I will be a little more careful on choosing the quantities.

Edinburgh and Bradford

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It’s been a busy week using up my carbon credits; up before six to catch the Easyjet to Edinburgh to start a project with my favourite client.  I was back in their office in Dundas Street where I had started consulting for them more than six years ago.  The office has been renovated and was very smart, with a great canteen.

Evening I tried the Mussel and Steak on Grassmarket, where I had a memorable steak, and some red wine to wash it down.

I had forgotten all the hills in Edinburgh, and my recent sedentary life caused a certain stiffness to the legs in the two days I was there.

On Wednesday I flew home on a late flight arriving home at ten in the evening, quick nap in bed, and up at 4.45 in the morning to travel back up North to Bradford for a days consultancy.  Home again at ten in the evening.

I definitely feel retirement coming on.  Hopefully less travelling next week, or at least not having to rise so early in the morning.

First two weeks at Brighton

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My second week in Brighton is over.  I have been down at a utility company installing a new version of e5, and migrating a test system to the new release.  The first week I was working with Ian Thomas, and stayed in the Preston Park hotel.  Preston Park is a small hotel on the A23, half way between Brighton centre and the A27.  The location is slightly inconvenient for the highlights of Brighton, car or taxi mandatory, but at least you could park at the hotel.

The second week I was on my own doing the upgrade.  Stayed in the Ramada Jarvis on the sea front.  Near the centre, but not a very nice hotel room, very small and no large king size bed to spread on, but the shower was new and good. Parking, what a rip off, 10 pounds a night!  If I parked on the sea front, it was a long walk back to the hotel.

First night I had a tandori mixed grill at an Indian restaurant (Nooris Limited) adjoining the Ship Inn.  Rosemary had recommended the restaurant; she had eaten there last summer when she accompanied me to a Cedar PSD event.  Alas, the quality must have gone down.  I was rather disappointed; probably I should have stuck with my old favourite of vindaloo.

Indian restaurant (Nooris Limited)

Tuesday, was feeling a little unwell, man flu, so went for a small meal at a Greek taverna (Steki’s) on the sea front.  Started off with baked feta with tomato slices, which alas had not been cooked long enough in the oven.  This was followed by pork souvlaki on pitta bread.

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Wednesday I visited the Regency fish restaurant on the front, started off with six oysters.  I bit worried about these, three seemed fresh and tasted of the essence of the sea, the other three were not so nice, and one tasted of salt water, so rather worried that those might be dead, and I would be puking in the morning.  This was followed by a Dover sole and chips, again not sure of the freshness of the fish.

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Thursday, my final night, I went to Preston Street, which runs north from the sea-front, and is full of Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Moroccan and English restaurants.  Chose the Morocann, Cous Cous restaurant.  Nice atmosphere, you could eat at standard tables, or eat in another section where you sat on couches in a pseudo tent around round tables.  Here I ate lamb Cous Cous washed down with a few glasses of  red.  Very relaxing, and I enjoyed listening to the young women chatting.  When the slimmest one left, the comments that the others made!!  One said how her own body had a nicer figure, a better bottom.

The Cous Cous

Another week in Edinburgh

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I have finished another whole week in Edinburgh.  This time travel was a little easier than the previous week.  Travel was almost on time.  Return flight was a little late, so was unable to make the party at New Horizons the new gym which has been opened at Haddeneham by Nigel Stone.  Nigel worked at Walker and Cedar for many years, and now has his own business.

24th July 2006

Flight to Edinburgh left and arrived on time.  Good days work at the bank, followed by a Meal at the Petit Paris.  Went for the full works, a Terrine to start with, followed by Toulouse Sausage, and finally a Creme Brulle.

25th July 2006

Ate at the Radisson hotel today.  Normal fare at the Ichy Coo bar.

26th July 2006

Edinburgh is still managing some good weather, the place is full of people, there will be even more when the festival starts.  Went vegetarian today, and ate at Black Bo’s

27th July 2006

Another uneventful day, and an evening in at the hotel.  The nice Scottish bar maid was on duty today, so had someone to chat to for a while.

28th July 2006

Back home on the Easy jet plane.