I`m Back

Been away for a while but now i`m back, I've been busy learning to drive,Trying to sell my house. trying to find a job in Canada, trying to feed 500 from two loafs of bread and a couple of fish (that's a metaphor for money).
Oh and I haven`t actually achieved any of these thing but I keep on trying.

Gizza Job

Remember Yosser Hughes, the lovable job seeking maniac from the early 80s TV series, the wonderful Thatcher baiting "Boys From The Blackstuff.

Well that's me at the moment and no I haven`t grown a Grahame Souness like tache, I`m after a job in Canada which isn't easy seen as I live in the UK but i`m trying, i`m currently in the process of sending my CV (or Resume as the Canadians/Americans call it) to all the major companies in the Guelph/Kitchener/Waterloo region and hoping one of them picks up on what a wonderful asset I would be to any workforce, If that fails I`ll move on to sending my wife's CV.

So go on gizza job

The same man?

Earthquake

It was the main topic of conversation at work this morning, the earthquake that rocked most of England.
I personally woke up and believed I had some kind of violent dream which had resulted in me shaking the bed which in turn had set the dog off barking downstairs ( he never barks during the night normally). My wife said what was that to which I replied “no idea”.
My second thought was that we were been broken into so I ran down stairs (what a hero, I don’t know what I would have done if there was anyone there though) and checked on the dog who just looked up at me as if to say “what the hell do you want”.
So I basically went back to bed, Earthquake never even crossed my mind until I switched the BBC on when I woke up and it was plastered all over the news.
It had happened around 1.00am and I remember distinctly looking at the clock on the oven and it had said 1.00am exactly.
A little bit of excitement for millions of people in the UK, next ones due in about 20 years.

The Canadian Adventure

After 42 years of living in the UK, My family and I have decided to immigrate to Canada; the reasons for this include boredom, disillusionment and hopes of a better life.
The kids aren’t particularly bothered about moving, our 9yr old was quite belligerent to start with but he’s been gradually talked around.
They don’t make it easy to emigrate these days and it could be a pretty long drawn out affair, we have our application in (put in last June) but we were told it may take up to 4 years.
We are currently looking at getting in the back door (legally of course) and trying to find employment in Canada, applying for a work permit and then taking it from there, not easy believe me but as of today the campaign has begun so I will update my progress on a regular basis.
As we stand at the moment the place we are looking at is called Guelph which is 100kms from Toronto

Elvis on a Motorbike

Sad to read about the death of Evel Knievel on the 30th November 2007.

Any guy my age or similar should have fond memories of him, along with the Steve Austin (Six Million Dollar Man) action figure, his action doll standing tall on his motorbike was one of the must have toys of the seventies.

Knievel was was one of those people where the legend was probably greater than the truth but he certainly epitomised the American dream and whenever I think of a London Bus, his name immediately springs to mind.

In an age of false celebrities and numerous wannabes, its quite easy to under-estimate Knievels impact 30 years ago but he was and will remain a true American hero.

Evel Knievel, we salute you R.I.P

A Winters Tale

York City Centre on a mild winters day

Winter in England seems to have been a pretty dull affair the last few years, a serious lack of snow and very cold days.
If you suffer from S.A.D as I do dramatically, the day the clocks go back is the worse day of the year.
Officially as I write 28th November, I suppose we are not actually in Winter yet but for me once its pitch black at 4.30pm then Autumn is over.
So far this month its been a little bit of rain, a few cold nights and some genuinely mild days, nothing yet to suggest a harsh winter (not that anybodies predicting one).
After a crap summer, there is supposed to be a record number of S.A.D sufferers this year and although the symptoms are closely linked with depression, I believe more people suffer with it then actually know.
For me personally, if we had a lot of snow and the rivers froze over for a prolonged period of time, I think it would cheer me up a little bit, either that or move to within 30 degress of the equater where daylight hours are long, constant and extremley bright. Gate Helmsley, me and the dog, mild winters day
Some different views of my home village

Halloween in Gate Helmsley (no Micheal Myers)

Halloween in Gate Helmsley is great as most of the kids in the village are herded into two groups and go round the village each starting at different ends.

This means that you only have the one call at your door during the night, granted that might mean 20 or more kids, but at least you don`t have to keep getting up when your favourite T.V programme is on.

A lot of people make an effort with their Halloween decorations and most of the kids and some of the adults dress up appropriately.

The UK seems to be now making an effort to celebrate Allhallows Eve these days (I cant remember any effort at all been made when I was a child) and I for one think this is excellent.

We should make a serious effort on Halloween, kids love scary stories and dressing up as monsters, witches and ghosts and I think a lot of adults do too.

I tried to find a decent (but tame) horror movie on telly for my 9yr old son but the best I could come up with was The Creature From The Black Lagoon, He isn't really that keen on black and white horror/Sci Fi as he seems to think they don't have proper endings, hes citing Invasion of the Bodysnatchers and The Incredible Shrinking Man as references