Busy doing nothing

It's very strange when you finally have chance to stop and think and maybe catch up the world. It gives you time to realise that although you haven't done anything much to talk about, you have actually been very busy doing that not much. I suspect I will forget a few, but these are the ones I remember.

1. We went on a weekend trip to Cardiff, staying one night in Bromsgrove and one night in Newport with a day in Cardiff in between the two. This was a promise to a small person in my house how knew for years that Daddy went to Wales but had no idea where Wales actually was. Even managed to stay in my 'usual' hotel. Strange to be in a work place with family but nice all the same. Cardiff Castle was nice though rather peculiar that is was ordered to be built by a Scotsman. the rest of the Cardiff was OK but very similar to any other British city.

2. Went with extended family for a long weekend in Paris. The first time I went to Paris many years ago I was a little unimpressed. This time I stayed in a gorgeous apartment and sunshine shone all weekend and it was a much more interesting and rewarding place. It was also intriguing in its own way spending so much time with family outside of the three of us I don't think I have ever done that before and it had its moments of angst but overall it worked and I think or at least I hop, we all enjoyed ourselves.

3. Took an overnight trip to Taunton for a wedding. Taunton is one of those places that's a bit far even for a work meeting and I wouldn't normally do it as a single overnight for anyone if it wasn't for the fact it was a wedding and work constraints meant we could be away any longer than that. On a normal run it should be 5 hours to get from home to Taunton. this time it took over 8 and included an emergency clothes changes in a lay-by 2 miles from the wedding itself. It was a fun trip but really really knackering!!

4. A day trip this time and went up to Carlisle for the annual Stobart Fest pilgrimage. Plenty of green truck but spent more time queuing up at the gift shop tan actually looking at things. Pity really, hoped it would be better.

Work wise I spent a few nights at a sea-front B&B in Weston Super Mare and a nice trip down to Reading a week ago in a very quaint B&B that enabled me to spend half the evening with some local-to-the-area friends I hadn't seen in a few years. Other than that their has been a lot of trip to the office and back and a few round Yorkshire trying to get some local business

Sure their was a few more trips but old age and a bad memory are taking their toll ;-)

A reason to return from holiday?

Holidays are great but they have one downside and that is coming home again. Home is nice but always comes with a dose of reality. This time however I had something to look forward to as 7 hours after I got back to my house my new company car got delivered.

 

I have had company cars for over 14 years and they haven't varied too much (3 Fords, 3 Volkswagens and 2 Skoda's) but this time my boss allowed me to have the car I wanted in the colour I wanted and the spec level I wanted (within reason). So I now have for the next 3 years or 100000 miles a bright red top of the range Nissan Qashqui and its lovely. Loads of buttons to press, nice leather interior, panoramic roof and economical engine.

 

Most importantly (for me) its bright red and it makes me smile :)

Morocco

So easer came round again and thoughts turned to holiday. Now, most Easter we go on an exploring holiday, usually over to the USA and drive around for a week and last year we drove down to Switzerland and back but this year financial and other constraints meant something a bit different.

 

Family consultations occurred and the decision was that I wanted someone I hadn't been to before, my wife wanted hot and my daughter demanded a beach. Guaranteed hot at Easter on a reasonable budget suggested North Africa but having been to Tunisia and Egypt and not been too fond of either we had to pick a different choice. Quick search through the brochures and Agadir in Morocco ended up being the choice. 

 

Now Agadir is not the most historic of cities. An earthquake 50 years ago levelled the city and in its place is a fairly modern African city with tourist territory (big hotels, wide beaches) all across the bay. Part of me wanted something a bit more different and distinctive but it is hot, has a beach and  haven't been before. Ticks the boxes!

 

So off we trundled and I have to say, he had a good time. nice hotel (Iberostar Founty Beach), Nice 6 mile walk across the bay, decent pool to swim in, good food and a gorgeous beach with tiny little fish in the waves that tried desperately to avoid the feet sploshing in their water. Even the locals trying to flog tat to tourists weren't too intrusive. For a change the holiday managed exactly what we wanted and allowed us to completely chill out and relax, I even got a bit of a tan!!

Up North, part 2

The second part of our day trip to the north east involved a trip to the seaside. the original aim for the weekend was to see the sea and family forced diversions were not going to get in the way. We ended up in the village of Marston just south of South Shields in Tyne and Wear. Their is a pub/restaurant in Marston that is built into some smugglers caves at the bottom of  cliff. I remember going there years ago with a customer so thought it might be nice to take the family this time and see if my memory held true. Also thought it might be a good place for tea.

Well I can confirm that the walk along the top of the cliffs is very bracing, that the steps down to the beach are a bit wobbly, that the beach is very peaceful and that their are plenty of caves and tunnels to explore. unfortunately the pub itself shuts at 5 during the winter season so isn't much use when you try and go in at 5:15 for some tea. We also saw a cool lighthouse! A journey home hoping to find tea in Sunderland also turned out to be unrewarding and a third and ultimately much better option turned out to be Chinese takeaway and dropping in on an unsuspecting relative.

They talk funny up north

Family commitments last weekend took us up into Northumberland and a brief stop to find some lunch gave me the opportunity to photograph another football ground. This time it was  Bishop Auckland FC. Not a team I know much about but it turns out they have been around since 1882!! A nice member of staff let us through the gate and inside the ground so we got a picture of the pitch as well and not just the badge outside. Turns out they even have a wall of remembrance as well.

 

You get a different feel from a smaller club, a more inclusive ground and staff that don't mind just being friendly. If I lived near their I can see it being one I like to go to, but its 90 minutes away so cant see that happening.

 

 

Holiday Booked

After a large amount of umming and arring a holiday has been booked for April. Trying to balance the various requirements of the lady of the house (must be hot), the small person of the house (needs a beach) and myself (want somewhere new) has resulted in a hotel on the beach in Agadir, Morocco. It's not the trip to the USA that I really wanted but that was heading towards £800 a person and Morocco is a hell of a lot cheaper. Never been to Morocco before, expecting it to mainly be a lot of sand. Hopefully it will be interesting and different but at least I know it will be hot and I know it has a beach.

Interesting Week

It's been an interesting couple of weeks. A blanket of snow came down to make the journeys more interesting, I ended up at a meeting with my old employer and I got to test drive a new car.

My current employer happens to be a major customer of my old employer of many years. Last Wednesday I got invited to a technical meeting at the old office to discuss some potential product developments and I have to admit was stuck between looking forward to seeing them all again and dreading what some of them might say. Just to add to the fun it snowed the night before and the journey became much more scenic and somewhat slower than anticipated. So I got there at 9:15 for my 9am meeting and found out the meeting was actually at 10. Bad weather delayed my colleagues arriving as well and all in all I ended up with 2 hours sat in reception talking to whichever of my old workmates happened to walk by. The meeting was good when it eventually started but those couple of hours just catching up and reminiscing were nice, and inside, a tad emotional. Shouldn't be too surprised, I was their a long long time, nice to go back, but at the end of the meeting I was also glad to leave again. I've moved on. and it wont ever be what it was.

So, the snow had a few attempts and as is often the case, all the snow stopped 20 miles from York so I never got to build a snowman. Managed to see a bit whilst driving round and some of it made for some spectacular views but would have liked to have woken up to a decent flurry of my own. I enjoy the snow, I like making snowman, I even like the workout you get from shifting it off the driveway. It just makes the world seem fresh and clean. Hopefully we will get some more before the winter is done.

 

Final bit of fun results from the fact that my current car is only on a short term lease and at some point in the next couple of months I get a new one. So, as both a skint student and then a sales rep for many years, I have had a decent selection of cars but never really been able to pick the one I actually wanted, A VW Polo was the first car I had followed by a pair of Ford Fiestas, started the sales job with a pair of Ford focuses and then one VW Passat after another. Ford Mondeo came next and then a very nice Skoda Superb. the first three were helped by my parents for whom I am eternally grateful but are never as cool and shiny as my teenage head would idealise!! :-) The company cars were great, not least because they were free, but I never actually had a relatively free choice. When I changed jobs this time last year I was given another Passat. On the plus side it was red and cheery. On the downside it was bottom of the range and had been trashed by the previous owner. Six months on and the new yob came with the short term lease of a bright red and brand new Skoda Yeti. bit different to what I am used to. not a standard rep car but nicely a pointed and oddly pleasing to drive from the higher SUV seating position. A few months of that and my instinct is that I don't want a 'standard' rep car again. Something a bit different is my preference and to that end I think I am going to go with a Nissan Qashqui. It comes in bright red, does 70 miles to the gallon, has a lot of toys built in and turns out to be a pretty decent drive. I was hoping I would like it as I had been thinking about it for a couple of months and I did. not sure if I will get it, depends on the boss and what sort of mood he is in at my review meeting in a couple of weeks. Fingers crossed, if I can get the one I want, it will be awesome.