deadheaduk

We were in the kids section in the library today when we spotted a DVD box set of Trumpton, Camberwick Green and Chigley for rent at £1.25 a week. The two of us looked at each other and grabbed it (we had to pretend it was for Ben obviously) and took it to the counter.

So we have 9 hours of nostalgic viewing in front of us. All together now….

Pugh! Pugh! Barney McGrew! Cuthbert! Dibble! Grubb!

Apparently there has been a earthquake measuring about 4.7 in Kent!!!! Sadly we didn’t feel a thing

Here’s a list of some of the things we’ve got from Freecycle recently

Espresso machine

Garden Gate

Network hub (three actually)

Bike for Ben

Bag of clothes for Ben (including cool Jamaican t-shirts)

Laser Printer

Wiggles car

‘Harriet Potty’ talking book

Double Buggy (just in case!)

Chair for Ben

Brand new hamster cage

Garden table

Love actually DVD

Bad Mothers handbook

Thomas the Tank Engine, ‘Nee-naw Sam’ and ‘P.P.Pat, meow’ videos

Join your local Freecycle group – you know it makes sense

…but only just!

As I said yesterday I’ve spent the weekend working in the press centre for the London Marathon at the Tower Hotel. It was 1am when we got to bed last night and we were back on site at 7:30 this morning.

We were stuck in the hotel during all of the serious racing as we were feeding statistics onto the screens for the journalists who were watching TV feeds on the big screen. We had computers linked into the timing system which fed split times every 5km.

I managed to get out onto Tower bridge for a while after the men’s race finished and I watched the main body of runners coming over the bridge. I have been doing work for the marathon on and off over the years since Mars were the sponsor and this was the first time I’d actually seen any runners! 

It was a beautiful day and some of the runners seemed over dressed – such as the squaddies in full kit and carrying full pack. My favourite was Orinoco who I saw being interviewed by Colin Jackson as he ran!

We did the after race press conference and had the first 3 runners from both the men’s and women’s race being interviewed on the stage in fornt of us. As if they hadn’t had a tough enough day!

I’m just recording the highlights program onto Hard Disc for the client then I’ll be on my way home – assuming the roads have reopened!

ETA I left the hotel at 7:30 and as I drove along the Highway I passed two people who were still “running” the race a full 10 hours after it started and had only reached the 22 mile point,

So I’m working all weekend in the press centre for the Flora London Marathon at the Tower Hotel in London. We are doing all of the technical equipment for the press briefings. So if you see the above set on the TV you’ll know I’m sitting behind it.

This week we’ve had the worst lot of Students so far. Two French girls who are obviously from a quite well to do area of France judging by the fancy matching suitcases they all had – which led to a mix up on the first night when one of them had some one else’s suitcase.

Anyway they have barely said anything to us beyond yes/no/thank you and one of them skulks around the house (when they’re not hold up in their room) and has made me feel really uncomfortable to the point of not wanting to be in the house this evening.

They come in and head down to their room, come up for dinner and then go back to their room, have shower and go to bed usually without saying goodnight. The girls have tried to engage them but it’s been hard work. If this is an educational visit to improve their English then it has been a waste of time.  Oh and I have had to ask them for their lunch bags and bottles every morning – most of the previous students would return them of their own accord after the first day.

Tonight when I collected them tonight one of them (the one who gives me the creeps) suddenly produced a mobile phone that I didn’t even know she had and spent 10 minutes talking to her family (who must be rich enough to pay the bills then) and it was the most I have heard her talk all week.

Anyway they go tomorrow – breathes sigh of relief – and let’s hope we get some nice ones again next time.

The previous set of girls who were obviously from a less well off area tried much harder to join in and communicate

ETA This morning after I had to rush downstairs because they had come up early on their last day I sat down and figured why I have felt so uncomfortable this week. All the others have been like having friends of the kids round but this lot have made me feel like a servant!

So I have moved in to my new desk – see above

Only problem is there isn’t a lot of space to actually do any work!!

I’ve seen Rolf Harris perform Stairway to Heaven three times but only saw Led Zeppelin do it once!

I bought a mac – people always tell me I should be a mac person so now I have one!

£16 off ebay – can’t be bad!