This Weekend at the Duckpond

We have mostly been...


Collecting - more books from the library. Must stop reserving them; my books have now encroached onto Andrew's library card!

Fitting - security stuff to the side of the house. Andrew's had the burglar alarm fitted for over a year, just never got round to actually fitting the box!

Using - up the last of our Pizza Express voucher codes from Tesco's flash sale the other month. £2.50 in Clubcard vouchers bought two main courses and you know at the bottom of the Pizza Express receipt where it mentions a customer survey? Well make sure you always complete it because they give you a voucher for free dough balls or garlic bread which (unusually) can be used with other offers. So the other week we each had a three course Pizza Express meal totalling £40 - and only paid £15. Saturday night we had a two course meal totalling £32 and paid a rather embarrassing £8.80...

Participating - in this month's Photo an Hour challenge. Round up to follow tomorrow :-)


Cleaning - and tidying and washing and sorting and all the other things which get left when you go on holiday. Almost need another holiday to get over the actual holiday.


Booking - tickets for a few shows. Now's about the time of year when comedians start announcing their autumn tours, the ones that start with a stint in Edinburgh in August. Obviously we try and see heaps of people during the Fringe but if anyone we like is coming nearby then we usually book for the proper show rather than the 1 hour Fringe version. So this week my debit card took hits from Mark Thomas at Bath's Rondo Theatre in July (a Fringe preview), Josh Widdicombe at Weston Super Mare's Playhouse in October, Ed Byrne at Bath's Komedia in October and also (not a comedian) the National Theatre Live screening of the film premiere of London Road at Frome's Merlin Theatre.


What did you get up to at the weekend?
 

These Two Weekends (not) at the Duckpond

We have mostly been...


Having - an sort of unplanned blog holiday. I knew we'd be away over Easter and had this vague idea that "of course, it won't be that much bother to put together a couple of posts while we're away!" Ah well, living the life rather than blogging about it took priority - no matter, it's just a hobby after all :-)


Travelling - up to Anglesey, along the North Wales coastline then down through the West Midlands across to Stratford upon Avon before heading slowly home. In total we did about 670 miles over the 10 days and I had it all planned out in advance using Google Maps, yup I am that sad, OCD, organised.

Enjoying - the gorgeous sunny weather. We certainly picked the right week off work for a holiday - we only had one murky evening and one murky morning the whole time.

Visiting - lots of museums and places; as well as just enjoying all the different towns, we also did the Cambrian Railway Museum (in Oswestry), the Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster Railway Museum, the MAD Museum (in Stratford) and three of the houses run by Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust (Shakespeare's Birthplace, Hall's Croft and Harvard House).

Eating - far too many big breakfasts and far too many chips and slabs of cake. But that's what a holiday is for isn't it?

Geocaching - After finding our first few caches back in February and March we managed to get our total number of finds from 4 up to 56. We also had fun with all the lingo - "driving the geowagon around waiting for all the muggles to clear before doing a quick cache and dash" - it's a little bit like this weird secret world that's all around us and most people don't even know it's there. Think it almost warrants its own post!

 

What did you get up to over Easter?

An A-Z of Me - U

  

Hmm, the letters are getting hard now. I can only think of one for U and that's…

 

University - it seems to have played a big part in my life really. I followed the usual path of GCSE's, A-Levels (the pre-2001 old style ones) and then a degree (at the University of Central Lancashire). Then 7 years after I graduated, in 2012 I started doing Masters degree via distance learning with Aberystwyth University (still ongoing, it's a slow process). On top of both of those, I’ve worked at a University (Bath) for coming up to 4 years now. I like education, I like knowledge and I like learning - that just about sums it up!

 

What 'U' things sum you up?

For the rest of the alphabet click here!

Good TV Stuff

 

 

1. Back in Time for Dinner - BBC2 8pm - Tuesdays

Giles Coren and Polly Russell take a modern day family back in time to see what life and dinner were like years ago. I know there's been lots of programmes like this on TV over the years but they're still interesting, even if you've seen something similar before. They've done the 50s and 60s and this week's episode was the 70s - complete with the shops, fashions, furniture and lifestyle a typical family would have had. Mary Berry and Hairy Biker, Dave Myers have popped in along the way to offer advice and ideas and it's quite funny watching the mum, dad and two girls adapt to the living standards of the day. I reckon the star of the show though has to be the dad - it doesn't matter how they style him, he looks like he fits into each decade perfectly! (Also if someone could arrange for me to have units from the 1960s kitchen, that'd do very nicely thank you)

 

 

2. Dara and Ed's Great Big Adventure - BBC2 9pm - Tuesdays

Two of my favourite comedians. In a car. On a road trip. Excellent viewing. Dara and Ed are best buds off screen as well and you can really see it in the show, they way they interact and tease each other is just fabulous to watch. They set out to follow the route of journalist Sullivan Richardson who drove the Pan-American Highway back in 1941 and the two comics try and stop at the same or similar places along the way. Ed peering over the top of an incredibly high bridge teasing Dara who was sat in the car chewing his fingernails (as he didn't like the height) is pretty hilarious. It's the last episode of the three-part series this week but the other two episodes should be on iPlayer if you want to catch up.

 

 

3. Only Connect - sadly just finished but watch out for a new series at some point on BBC2 (and catch up on iPlayer as well)

If you thought University Challenge was difficult, you should try watching Only Connect - there's many a time you're left staring at the screen thinking "what the…?" (or maybe that's just me and Andrew). Victoria Coren Mitchell hosts the quiz with two teams of "celibate research scientists" (her words, not mine) exercising their brains and competing to win. It's all about connections and thinking laterally - things like acronyms, synonyms and alternative names pop up quite often. I do quite like Victoria as well, together with David Mitchell I think they make a lovely couple and I do like her poker face and style of satire. Andrew reckons I'm a little bit like her - or at least that's the reason he claims is behind why he likes her!

 

 

4. All the Politics debates

Whatever everyone thinks about politics, you'd have a hard job to claim it didn't affect your life in some way (the NHS, education, how much tax you're paying, etc, etc). Even though the Miliband/Cameron one on Channel 4 and Sky was excruciating to watch in parts (due to Kay Burley and Paxman's lack of impartiality) it was still a decent show and very interesting to see how each one performed under pressure and on live TV. The seven-way leaders debate the other night was also very good and I'd agree with the general consensus - the women were the real winners of the night! (just a shame in England we can't vote for two of them). The next debates to keep your eye on take place on 16th April on BBC (with all the parties except the Tories) and on 30th April with Cameron, Clegg and Miliband on BBC answering questions from the audience.

 

 

5. Hinterland - BBC1 (Wales only at the mo but I’m hoping it'll be on iPlayer) - 9.30pm - Easter Monday

Think scandi-noir-type drama but set in Aberystwyth and believe me, it's pretty darn good. Very atmospheric with excellent use of the landscape (including the Old College belonging to the uni on the seafront) and really intriguing storylines. Richard Harrington (spotted in Poldark the other week) plays DCI Tom Mathias, a cop with a back story alongside DI Mared Rhys and each episode is shot two times: once completely in Welsh and once bilingually in English and Welsh. It was a four-part series on TV last year, tucked away late in the evening on BBC4 and they showed the version with both languages (with the Welsh bits having subtitles). The show on Easter Monday is a one-off special, first aired on 1st Jan on S4C and now being shown on BBC1. There's a second series in the pipeline I think and I really hope it's shown in a more visible slot – it's such a good show!

 

 

Also, Poldark and Banished (mainly for Julian Rhind-Tutt) but I thought those two were fairly obvious!

 

What are you enjoying on the good old-fashioned box at the moment?

 

Here Is The News #39

Blogland Brilliance

Lots of creativity this week as Rachael stitched herself and her other half into a frame; Laura handmade an Aztec print cami top and Amy finished an actual pair of knitted socks plus is getting on swimmingly with her sky blanket.

Over on Kerri's blog you can meet the new man in her life, Sir Pork Chop.

I'm clearly a bit behind the times as I don't know who Leslie Knope is but I certainly do recognise Harrie's list of annoying clothes problems!

Char is running a Blogger Book Swap if you fancy joining in.

How gorgeous does Kezzie look in her cupcakes dress? Pretty amazing I think.

And Becky summed up perfectly why you should go and make your mark on the 7th May (and seriously, please please do go and vote, even if it's just to go and draw a picture or write rude words on your ballot paper (or even submit a blank one) - all of which still counts as a vote in the government's eyes. If you don't go and vote, as far as the Election is concerned, you've just agreed with whoever gets in - which may or may not be a good thing depending on who wins! You can check out all the different policies over at the excellent Vote for Policies site and take their survey to see who you should vote for. Anyway, lecture over).



Food Porn

Jo's Banoffee Loaf Cake looks pretty tasty (and fairly straightforward).

And Miss Pond's Vanilla and Chocolate Cheesecake recipe looks like a winner for Easter Sunday!



Interesting Info

This thank you letter from a passenger to a pilot is just lovely.

And I take it you all know about Google Maps Pacman? No? Just head on over to Google Maps, search for anywhere you like (ideally somewhere with lots of streets), click on the Pacman box in the bottom left hand corner and then be prepared to waste several hours of your life :-) (from what I can tell on t'internet, it may have been launched for April Fool's Day but it actually does exist and looks like Google will be keeping it active for the foreseeable future!)



Blogs I've followed this week...

Starsinherbelly

Ruby Ruby Slippers

Cocktails and Daydreams (thanks to a post from Elise)

 

What's new with you?

March Books

March saw a total of 7 books finished, making me 8 ahead of schedule in my 2015 GoodReads challenge to read 52 books.

(March also saw the month I remembered to photograph some of the covers (unlike last month) but completely forgot to take a picture of all the books together...)
 

 

Shiverton Hall by Emerald Fennell

 

I picked this up because I recognised the name as the actress who plays Patsy in Call the Midwife (who was quite the socialite in her younger days apparently!). Shiverton Hall is a boarding school with a violent past which is uncovered gradually throughout the book with all sorts of demons and ghosts being thrown in along the way. It's written for children but is actually rather gory in places (graphic descriptions of people vomiting up their own intestines for one). I did think it was quite good though, well written and easy to bring the storyline to life - just the sort of dramatic plot a lot of children seem to enjoy but equally a quick and entertaining read for grown-ups.

 

Shiverton Hall: The Creeper by Emerald Fennell

 

The second in the series by Emerald Fennell, this one sees more adventures with ghouls and poltergeists and a plotline which develops a bit further with Arthur's background and his relationship to the owner of the hall. Just as good as the first book, possibly a bit better as there's more depth to the story and to the characters. I imagine there's going to a third book at some point as there's a few ends that were left open for the future.

 

Sew Over It by Lisa Comfort

 

I picked this up from a charity shop in Bath for 50p after spotting the Sew Over It brand on a few other different blogs. I don't think it's really aimed at advanced sewers (which is good because I'm definitely not that) but there's a good lot of information and ideas of ways to transform clothes and alter things. When I get my sewing and craft area tidied up I'm going to read it properly alongside my sewing machine and random bits of fabric.

 

This Old Thing by Dawn O'Porter

I watched the TV programme when it was on last year and thought it wasn't too bad (admittedly Dawn can get a tad annoying) but I did like the transformations they did to some of the vintage clothing. This book accompanies the show but it's a bit thin on the ground when it comes to actual instructions and ideas for what to do with your vintage and retro bits and pieces. Instead there's lots of advice about how to find and look for vintage clothing and how to identify things but it all seems a bit well, fluffy.

 

The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan

 

This is the next book for the Bloggers Book Club (as organised by Alice and Jenny, we're chatting on 16th April via Skype so I think there might still be time to join in, give them a shout on Twitter if you want to know more - Jenny is here and Alice is here). It's a collection of essays and short stories written by Marina Keegan, a Yale graduate who was killed in a car accident 5 days after her graduation ceremony. It's got quite a cult following after one of her essays was published in the Yale Daily News and then her parents collated lots of her other work together into the book. I thought some essays and stories were better than others and the ones that were good were very well-written. Others were okay but well, maybe it's just me but while you're reading it you can't help wonder all the time whether it would have become quite so famous if she hadn't passed away. There's no doubt she's a good writer but I'm not so sure she's a spectacular writer. Interestingly I thought it was also noticeable how many of her stories featured death in some way.

 

More Than This by Patrick Ness

I have to confess I must be one of the only people in the country who didn't really like The Knife of Never Letting Go. I read it when it was first published back in 2008 when I was working in my local library and spotted in arrive in the new stock boxes. I just really didn't get on with his style of writing and so never wanted to read the other two books in the trilogy. Anyway, despite not liking the author's other work, I thought the storyline of this one sounded intriguing - a boy dies at sea, being smashed onto some rocks only to wake in a strange new (apparently) desolate land. Is this the afterlife or something else entirely? Without spoiling the plotline, when you realise where exactly he is, it's certainly an interesting premise and one that actually makes you slightly paranoid for a short while. The world he wakes up in is very well-described and one of the only main downsides to the plot is that the twist in the tale is revealed about halfway through, which of course makes you think "well, how is the rest of the book going to pan out then?"

 

Martin Harbottle's Appreciation of Time by Dominic Utton

 

I just snuck this one in, finishing it this evening. It's a series of letters and emails sent between Dan (who works at the Globe newspaper) and Martin (the managing director of Premier Westward trains, the line which Dan travels every day). Dan decides that every time his train is late, he'll write a letter to the managing director which lasts the equal amount of minutes. Through these letters we see Dan's home and work life slowly unravel and become more complicated. The idea of the letters is based on the authors real life blog documenting his complaints to First Great Western. I'm not sure how much of the storyline is based on the author's life but the trials and tribulations of Dan's work life very closely mirror the rise and fall of a certain tabloid Sunday newspaper a couple of years ago. It's quite a fun read even if Dan's style and tone of writing do seem a bit grating at times!
 

This Weekend at the Duckpond

We have mostly been...

Getting - a bit of a trim. The last time I had my hair cut was the week before I broke my ankle, back in September and it's become a bit straggly and flat since then. I kept meaning to get it done but hadn't got round to it and then I found out a couple of days ago I'd been given an interview for a job I'd applied for (Wednesday morning, it's a similar role but the next grade up in a different department at the same workplace) so I thought I'd better try and get it smartened up a bit.

 

 

Stuck - in traffic queues in and around Bridgwater, on our way to Minehead to see the Spring Steam Gala at the West Somerset Railway. I knew Bridgwater had ongoing roadworks but we naively assumed they wouldn't be that bad. 45 minutes later in a queue that hadn't really moved much, Andrew did a three point turn and we headed to Minehead via Taunton instead. I did spot these lovely blossom trees while we were waiting though!

 

 

Enjoying - the steam engines in Minehead, once we finally arrived!

 

 

 

Meeting - up with both sets of parents for a meal on Saturday evening. All the family go to Minehead each year to see the trains and we all usually end up at Wetherspoons in the evening for food and a chat.

 

 

Baking - a cake to take out with us on Saturday. I went for a Pear and Almond Pudding Cake - quick and simple and also easily transportable!

 

 

 

Repairing - a fence panel which had blown over in the wind and rain yesterday morning. It was pretty rotten weather all day long so it was definitely a day for doing jobs in the house rather than outside.

 

 

Collecting - a few books from the library; a couple of reserved ones, some extras that were just lying around waiting for me to pick them up and a map of Anglesey for our Easter holiday (not that we really need one, this'll be the 29^th year in a row I've been up there for Easter).

 

 

 

What did you get up to at the weekend?