Sorry about the dearth of news

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Sorry about the dearth of news.  I have been travelling to Edinburgh each week, so there has not been a great deal to say.  This coming week I have the first two days in the office, so I am feeling quite relaxed as I write this on Sunday evening.

The last couple of weeks have been quite cold, with Northerly and Easterly winds blowing.  Apparently there has been quite a bit of snow around.  As usual none has fallen at home, or in Edinburgh.  So there have been no delays on the flights.

The ants at home appear to think Spring has arrived, never seen them invade the house so early in the year.  At least they are busily eating the Nippon.

Edinburgh and Rosemary

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Nice week in Edinburgh.  Rosemary flew up on Monday and back on Friday for £31 with Flybe.  
She took quite a few tours in the old town, Ghost tour, the Castle (I have still to hear the one o’clock gun), the Royal Mile where she visited the law courts.  She visited the street under the law buildings where Iain Rankin set a scene from one of his Rebus books.  On the Rebus visits we went to the Oxford Bar for a drink.

We met up each evening for supper, once with some colleagues from work, twice at the Petit Paris, and once for Haggis, Tatties and Neaps in a local pub.  Unfortunately the weather was poor.  First time in Edinburgh I have had rain fall while I was out on the street.  So bad one day we had to move hotel rooms because of a leaking roof in the Apex International.

Edinburgh yet again

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Well another week in Edinburgh with a mixture of rain and sunny days.  Going home though was rather a bind.  Started off by having to check my luggage in, this was the first time ever I had not taken my bag as hand luggage.  Plane though was larger then usual, and the trip back to Birmingham was well ahead of schedule. 

Having two buses to meet the plane must have caused severe confusion for the ground staff. The second bus which I boarded had to wait with its doors locked and us on for 15 minutes while someone was found to open the doors to Arrivals.  At least I did not have to wait for the luggage to appear on the carousal.

Next to the car, and as I looked for the fascia to my new MP3 car CD player, I tried to turn the interior light on.  Oh no, it was already on, battery was flat.  As I walked back to the NCP office, I thought luck was with me, I met an NCP man with a battery pack going to start someone else.  I will be with you in 10 minutes he said.  Thirty minutes later I stopped a car park bus and they radioed for him.  On my way he said.  Another 10 minutes and he was with me.  To be fair he had been called back to the multi story to help the police arrest a man breaking into cars.  Soon the car was running and I was away.

Getting Ready for the New Year in Edinburgh

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I was back up to Edinburgh after the Christmas break.  Flight up was in the clear sunshine; view from the window was poor though because of the de-icer which ran off the fuselage and froze over the window.  Saw enough see there was a small covering of snow over the Pennines, Lake District and any high hill.  It was cold in Edinburgh, -6 Celsius.

The City was starting its New Year celebrations; the whole place was shaken with large explosions.  Not sure what was happening as I was in the middle of my Curry.  There were more rides in the gardens, and the place was full of people.  Lots of barricades were going up for the Royal Bank Street Party in Princes Street.

Daba Greff at the Pheasant

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Christmas is over.  The twenty-pound turkey has all but been consumed.  Not a white Christmas, but a mixture of rain and sun.

Boxing day was a windy wintry shower day.  I went out shooting Boxing day was a windy wintry shower day.  I went out shooting and did OK.  After the main shoot we shot a flurry, pairing up at random with another shooter.  I shot with Gavin and we did quite well.  Afterwards we repaired to the P&A for a few pints of beer.and did OK.  After the main shoot we shot a flurry, pairing up at random with another shooter.  I shot with Gavin and we did quite well.  Afterwards we repaired to the P&A for a few pints of beer.

On Saturday went to Aylesbury to buy some bolts for the wind vane, and then had lunch at the Peasant at Brill.  Had a nice meal, and then in walked Daba with his girl friend.  We had heard rumours he was back in the country.

Sunday, at last I placed the wind vane on the garage.  It is of a paraglider.

Lord of the Rings – Return of the King

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Managed to squeeze three hours in to see LOTR in the evening while I was in Edinburgh. Lasted a whole three hours and 10 minutes excluding the credits.

Most of the film was good, excellant battle scenes, and the city of Minas Tirith looked so similar to the picture I have in a painting from Joan Wyatt in a middle earth album. The ents though are far superior in the film.

The film was a bit slow at the end as Frodo leaves on the elf ship, The corruption of the Shire by Saruman and Wormtongue is not depicted in the film.

Weekend with Steve Delman

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Another week up in Edinburgh, uneventful trip back, except for the appalling conditions on the motor way with the rain. Speed restrictions of 20 mph.

Saturday was a pretty dismal day. So watched LOTR Two Towers in anticipation of going to the cinema on Wednesday to see Return of the Kings.

Sunday did brighten for a while, then rained while we were having lunch. Lunch was a Sunday meal in the P&A with John and Carol. Steve Delman and his daughter were visiting Europe, so they had been invited by John. Actually Elizabeth was spending a term at the University of London. Peter WIllson was also in attendance. Some reminisce of the good old days was inevitable.

Broadband update

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Great news! The Grendon Underwood telephone exchange has made its Broadband trigger level. So hopefully in the next few months we will get fast Internet access.

I was getting rather despondant in the last month, so very few new people were registering, and we were so near the target. Then in this last week seven new names registered, bringing is one over the target.

The Diary of an IT consultant

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Today up at 6.00 am. It was a lovely cold morning and no fog.  So there would be no problems with the roads and the planes.  Drove to Birmingham, arrived at 7.15, plenty of time for check in.  First problem, plane delayed until 9.30, technical problems.

Boarded the Dash 8 Flybe plane, and it left at 9.30.  As we approached Edinburgh the captain told us there was fog, and that he had especially loaded extra fuel for the eventuality.  How come, it was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky?  Yes we could see the bank of fog over Edinburgh.  We spent the next 90 minutes circling a spot south of Edinburgh.  We must have done twenty plus circuits, and then off to Preswick as Glasgow was also fogged in.  Landed at 1.00.  Caught the coach to Edinburgh, arrived at that airport at 2.30 (Very foggy), and then on into town where there was no fog. 

Of course as I walked up the street  I could see other aircraft doing the landing circuit.  Rosemary checked and said most flights had been diverted, except those from Heathrow.  I must assume from this that the cheapo airlines either can’t afford ILS, or their crew are not trained for it.  Now the winter is here I maybe should consider using BA from Heathrow.

What was galling though, was Jon Marshall made it on the 6.30 Flybe flight.