Wednesday 30 September 2009

The universe and things over which we have no control

Yesterday was not such a good day, but its started well. I had seen brown signs on the way into Sale for Jodrell Bank, the symbol on the sign was not a generic one, but it was intriguing one none the less. I decided I'd get up early the next day to go and check it out.


Monday 28 September 2009

Boat lifts, birds of prey and funeral wakes

So the day to leave my student digs arrived. I took the chance to wash all my clothes and hang them all over the banisters to dry like I used to many years ago in my own student house, then pack the damp smoke smelling items back into my wardrobe/suitcase. Unbelievably my car wasn't broken into, despite being in an area that looked liked this...

Sunday 27 September 2009

U-Boat stories and Britain's largest cathedral

It was a late/early bedtime last night/this morning (5am - I seriously am getting far too old for this but I was out with a student so I had to keep up), and had a great night having dinner in one of the weirdest restaurants-come-karaoke-eat-as-much-as-you-like-chineses I've ever had the displeasure to eat in then doing most of the bars in Liverpool. There is something just a little bit scary though about walking home through scenes that can only be described as something out of Shaun of the Dead. Wasted Liverpuddlians semi-clad, screaming, vomiting and groping each other all around you. I tried to keep well out of biting distance and tried to think of a happy place.


Saturday 26 September 2009

To Liverpool... and not beyond

After walking, riding, eating my pie and blog writing (and making friends in the inn) I went to bed knackered. I woke up even more knackered and decided the brown signs may have to wait for my enthusiasm to be rekindled before they got me again. I left the Druid Inn, beautiful location, here's the view from my window...


Friday 25 September 2009

Less of the car more of the legs

If yesterday was about driving all over Wales and only using my legs to stamp on the break so as not to hit stubborn sheep and walk downstairs to the bar, today was all about using my legs so much they hurt.

It was an early start because I’d booked myself on the earliest train up Snowdon at 9am. You wouldn't think that sounds like an early start, but it is when you have to factor in breakfast, and not just any old breakfast. Having a travelling saleswoman as your friend comes in very handy when you can stay in her accommodation and eat a free breakfast all courtesy of the company funds, large cooked breakfast for me with everything possible on it (including black pudding which I don't even like) please waitress, thank you.

Thursday 24 September 2009

Hangovers, alternative energy and dams

Today I left Eleri's house in Cardiff (South Wales) for Caernarfon (North Wales) with the sat nav reading 176 miles to destination. At the end of my journey my odometer (apparently this what milometers are actually called) said I had done 266 miles. I did get a lot done though, mainly a lot of Wales, and will almost certainly have a drink in the bar downstairs at 8.30pm with fish and chips, go to bed at approximately 9pm and fall asleep at 9.01pm.

A lot of driving and eating but little sleeping

So here's Wales. The only brown sign of the day technically visited, but being the first day of the trip I see it as easing myself in gently, also constant driving makes you blind and act a bit funny, I find, so that had a lot to do with the lack of brown sign visiting. Instead I took the time in Wales to make and eat risotto...

Tuesday 22 September 2009

Neither ready nor steady but going anyway

OK so I've finally decided I'm bored of applying for jobs I don't want and that life's too short to sit around feeling depressed, there's also only so much painting and decorating one can do with their twin sister without departure from reality accompanied by all sorts of hysteria and ridiculousness.