2.4.2013 - Eureka! (Apr 2, 2013)
Today I went to the National Children's Museum, but was very disappointed. Instead of seeing lots of youngsters behind glass cases arranged geographically, there were lots of hands-on interactive displays for kids to play with...

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1.4.2013 - Walk De-feet (Apr 1, 2013)
The walking holiday didn't quite work out as expected. We got to Avebury Stone Circle, the start of the Ridgeway walk, but what The Fish U43536 had assumed to be a sprain or twisted ankle was in fact a broken leg. Instead of walking 90 miles from Avebury, we successfully managed to walk around the Avebury Stone Circle and visited A&E.

Hopefully we'll actually walk the walk later this year...

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28.3.2013 - I am just going outside (Mar 28, 2013)
I may be some time...

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26.3.2013 - Any Ridgeway But Loose (Mar 26, 2013)
I have a cunning plan for walking the Ridgeway National Trail, an 87-mile walk through the North Wessex Downs and Chilterns :

Day 1 - Saturday 30th March - 13 miles - Avebury Stone Circule to Liddington Castle via Avebury Stone Circle, White Horse, Barbury Castle (Back in time for Doctor Who)
Day 2 - Sunday 31st March - 15 miles - Liddington Castle to Ridgeway Centre via Wayland's Smithy, Uffington Castle & White Horse
Day 3 - Saturday 6th April - 14 miles - Ridgeway Centre to Goring via Monument
Day 4 - Sunday 7th April - 15 miles - Goring to Watlington via Wallingford Castle
Day 5 - Saturday 13th April - 17 miles - Watlington to Wendover via David Cameron's House
Day 6 - Sunday 14th April - 13 miles - Wendover to Ivinghoe Beacon

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11.3.2013 - Mothering Skypeday (Mar 11, 2013)
Yesterday I finally joined the 20th Century by making a video call on my computer (in this case, to wish my Mum a happy Mothering Sunday at 7:30am).

I also learnt a very important lesson - always put the webcam high up if you want to avoid looking like you have an enormous double-chin.

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13.2.2013 - Doesn't that just take the biscuit? (Feb 13, 2013)
I've now given up chocolate, crisps, fizzy drinks and my fatal weakness, biscuits, for Lent. I'll have to see if I lose any weight between now and Easter Sunday.

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4.1.2013 - New Year, New Resolutions (Jan 4, 2013)
My h2g2 related resolutions for 2013 are to:
Write at least 10 things for .
Get a 200 Edited Articles Badge!
Write an article beginning with the letter X
Do 2 or more Flea Market Rescues (not necessarily to the Front Page, but at least put through Peer Review)
Do something to take part in Create each month.
Do arty stuff for the Art Volunteers.
Try to attend a H2G2 Meet-Up.

How many of these will I be able to do? I'll let you know this time next year!

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27.11.2012 - Going Through The Stop-Motions (Nov 27, 2012)
Yesterday I went to the cinema (an unusual event in itself since having children) to see a documentary about childhood hero Ray Harryhausen, entitled 'Ray Harryhausen Special Effects Titan' at the Harbour Lights Picture House. This was the only showing on the only day it was on in the only cinema in Southampton (and, I believe, Hampshire) showing it . After the screening their was an unanounnced Q&A session with Tony Dalton, Curator of the Harryhausen Foundation and author of many books about and with Ray Harryhausen (he lives on the Isle of Wight) who was the producer of the documentary, and he'd brought along with him a skeleton from Jason And The Argonauts and the ornithomimus dinosaur from The Valley of Gwangi.

I had a good long chat with him in the bar afterwards (I offered, but the skeleton didn't want a drink).

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23.9.2012 - Blast from the Past (Sep 23, 2012)
Yesterday we went to Broadlands House in Romsey to their 'You're History' event. In this, over 700 re-enactors put on displays of all eras of history, especially armed combat, from the Ancient Greeks to the modern day. We'd gone mainly to support my Dad, who was representing Princess Beatrice's Isle of Wight Rifles Living History Association and the Great War.

It's not every day that you see a white Zulu warrior from 1879 queuing between a member of the German SS and a Greek Hoplite to use the portaloos. Good day out.

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28.8.2012 - CBeebies in Scarborough (Aug 28, 2012)
Today my son and I met up with The Fish and his family in Scarborough, a town famous for being in the CBeebies Summer song. We had a great time on the North Bay Miniature Railway, the water chute boat and paddle boats, as well as on the beach, all of which appear on the CBeebies song.

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16.7.2012 - All the Galaxy's a stage, and all the Hitchhikers merely players (Jul 16, 2012)
Yesterday I saw 'The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Live Radio Show' at Southampton's Mayflower Theatre, starring the radio series' original cast, with Hugh Dennis replacing Peter Jones as the Book. I haven't laughed so hard at jokes I know for a very, very long time.

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30.6.2012 - Award Winning Cyclist* (Jul 2, 2012)
On Saturday 30th June I cycled over 66 miles, travelled on 6 ferries on three wheels to complete the Solent Coast Cycle Challenge - a sponsored bike round around the Isle of Wight and Hampshire.
I arrived at Southampton's Town Quay ferry terminal for the ferry over Southampton Water to Hythe at 7am, crossing over to Hythe and arriving at 8am. From there I cycled across the New Forest National Park to the port of Lymington (this was interesting when, cycling in a convoy of half a dozen cyclists, we swerved in and out through a herd of cattle and a dozen New Forest ponies along a narrow country lane).
Ferry 2 was the 9:30am boat from Lymington over to the Island, and as it was the day of the Round the Island Yacht Race, the voyage was surrounded by over 1,800 yachts covering the sea as far as the eye could see. Arriving in Yarmouth it was a case of up and down very steep hills across the spine of the Island to Newport, and then taking the blissful National Cycle Route 23 (former Newport-Cowes railway) to Cowes and then the floating bridge to East Cowes - ferry number 3. From East Cowes the route went uphill, passing Osborne House, through Whippingham and down to Wootton and Fishbourne, for the fourth ferry over to Portsmouth, followed quickly the the fifth ferry to Gosport.
Outside Gosport I had a worrying moment when, between Gosport and Lee-on-Solent next to the Browndown Danger Area, disaster struck - my back wheel's axle snapped. I was devastated - surely this meant that my bike ride was over and that I was stranded miles from home somewhere I didn't know, and I didn't even know whether there was a station nearby to help me get home. Fortunately a couple of other cyclists stopped and informed me that a bike shop was located a couple of miles ahead. I managed to push my bike there, and fortunately they were able to repair my bike and replace my back wheel in half an hour - while I waited, I took advantage of the next-door icecream parlour.
After that I was back on the road, making up for my hour's lost time, although there was a large diversion near Titchfield when the road we were due to go down was closed due to pylon repair work. After winding around the diversion I made it to the Warsash-Hamble microscopic pink boat, which barely looked capable of floating, yet alone carrying bicycles. After being carried over on the sixth and final boat of the day I sped along, making it to the Royal Victoria Country Park, but an hour later than I'd hoped (my initial plan had been to arrive before 4pm so I could have a ride on the miniature railway, but it was just before 5pm, after the last train had gone). Sadly in the wood of the Royal Victoria Country Park I took a wrong turn and left the park somewhere random, but managed to make my way to the Itchen Bridge and back on track. From the bridge it was a short journey down to Hythe Ferry where I collected my medal for completing the challenge - and from there went back to Southampton Central station, arriving just in time to see a steam train (70013 Oliver Cromwell) rush through the station.

And then I went home.

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10.6.2012 - Red cable or blue cable? (Jun 10, 2012)
At work they are upgrading the floor below ours to a Media Hub, which means hiring workmen to bash down all the straight walls and replace them with curved ones and add bean bags and scatter cushions. Two weeks ago the workmen decided to cut off the building's water supply by making a big hole in the mains water pipe. On Friday they cut right through the main power line to the top three floors and then, five minutes later, spotted the network cable and decided to cut through that.

So no computers working at work (only at a time when students will want to know their results...) and worst of all, almost no h2g2 access!

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9.5.2012 - These Boots were made for Walking (May 9, 2012)
I have a pair of hiking boots I am very fond of.

They have trod the soils of three continents.
They have walked inside Pyramids, temples, cathedrals, forts, farms and zoos.
They have walked the battlements of castles and the walls of mediæval towns.
They have walked Britain from East to West shore.
They have followed Hadrian's Wall, walking in the footsteps of history.
They have circumnavigated the Isle of Wight.
They have traced the whole border of an entire country in a day.
They have been transported by steam train, areoplane and by car near and far.

They now have a hole in them.

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20.2.2012 - Blue Lid, Purple Bottle (Feb 20, 2012)
On Saturday I attended my first major meet-up since the Reading meet-up in 2001. In recent years family commitments have stopped me from attending meet-ups and was supposed to be in Leeds attending an in-law family-thing, but I rebelled, sneaked out for a bit and managed to, albeit briefly, gatecrash the Manchester meet at last minute. Alas I had to run off before 3:30pm to catch a train back, but although only there for a short time and unable to spend as much time with everyone as I would have liked, I enjoyed every minute. Looking forward to the next one, when hopefully I'll be able to stay for a bit longer.

As the meet up page said name badges were required, I decided to make one. My fool-proof plan: find a blue bottle, put a label saying 'Bluebottle' on it and then use a safety-pin to turn it into a badge. Although there was a minor technical issue of my being unable to actually find a bottle coloured blue, the closest being purple with a blue lid, but I don't think anyone noticed...

I might have to stay as 'Purplebottle' for a week, though

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11.1.2012 - All The Galaxy's A Stage (Jan 11, 2012)
It's official, we've got the tickets - Former H2G2 President Peregrin and I are off to see the stage version of the Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy on Sunday 15th July 2012.

It's at the Mayflower Theatre for one night only, and The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Show stars the original cast members from the television and radio series of Douglas Adam's The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy reuniting for a new stage version of the show. So Simon Jones as Arthur Dent, Geoff McGivern as Ford Prefect, Susan Sheridan as Trillian, Mark Wing-Davey as Zaphod Beeblebrox and the voice of Stephen Moore as Marvin the Paranoid Android.

I hope the bar has stocked up on

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3.1.2012 - New Year's Resolutions (Jan 3, 2012)
Like many people, I have made a few New Year's Resoluations. Many of them are the normal things I hope to do anyway - stay active and continue cycling to work, eat healthier and spend more quality day-to-day time with the kids (difficult as they tend to go to bed as soon as I get in from work). But who cares about them, eh? What are my h2g2 related resolutions?

This year for h2g2 I plan to:
Write at least 10 things for .
Write a couple of things for the Edited Guide.
Do 3 or more Flea Market Rescues (not necessarily to the Front Page, but at least put through Peer Review)
Do something to take part in Create each month.
Do arty stuff for the Art Volunteers.
Try to attend a H2G2 Meet-Up.

How many of these will I be able to do? Only the year will tell.

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22.12.2011 - String (Four Journal Posts in December 4) (Dec 22, 2011)
In these days of musical Christmas lights, fibre optic Christmas trees, dancing Father Christmases and twinkling advent candles, what is the best Christmas decoration?
In my view nothing can beat the old classic, a piece of string. Just a plain piece of string, held on the wall with drawing pins. Any length will do, one that's twice the distance from the middle to either end is fine.

What is so special about the piece of string? Well, from mid-December, whenever a Christmas card arrives, it is put on the piece of string. When your child brings home a card they made at nursery or pre-school, they are put proudly on display on the piece of string. The humble piece of string soon becomes a cherished focus of Christmas, with all the warm wishes and joy that Christmas brings proudly presented on display on the string for all to see.

And no number of sparkly lights or musical gimmickry can replace that.

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19.12.2011 - Dressing Gowns & Tea Towels (Four Journal Posts 3) (Dec 19, 2011)
Q) Have you ever discovered that your family or neighbourhood has what others consider an unusual holiday custom?
A) Wearing a dressing gown, with a tea-towel on your head

The tea towel and dressing gown – the unsung heroes of the Christmas Nativity Play. Your son has been cast as Joseph? Simply dress him in a dressing gown and put a tea-towel on his head, held in place with a bit of string. He's a shepherd? Dressing gown and tea-towel (optional walking stick and cuddly sheep). Inn keeper? Dressing-gown and tea-towel. King or Wise Man? Dressing gown, tea-towel and additionally a hat from a Christmas cracker. King Herod? The same.

What if you have a daughter playing Mary? Light blue dressing gown and a plain white tea-towel on her head, and a doll. It's only if you were a sheep, donkey, camel or angel that you had to deviate from the tried, tested, trusty tea-towel and dressing gown combination.

Douglas Adams must have really enjoyed his Christmas Nativity plays and ensured that his hero, Arthur Dent, would be ready to play Joseph at a moment's notice.

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13.12.2011 - That Festive Feeling (Dec 13, 2011)
The Christmas feeling has now come. And what is it that annually brings this on? It doesn't feel like Christmas when the first Christmas tree goes up in the shops (in August!) It doesn't feel like Christmas when you hear the first Christmas song and it still doesn't feel fully like Christmas when you light the first advent candle or open the first door. But now it is official - Christmas is here! The Christmas Radio Times is on sale - and if you buy it, this year you get a free Gruffalo colouring book!

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9.12.2011 - Four Journal Posts in December - 2 (Dec 9, 2011)
As a child I celebrated Christmas by sitting in the back of a van, bumping along country lanes, visiting the four corners of the Isle of Wight. My parents divorced when I was a child and so for Christmas my sister and I would spend the morning with my Mum and at midday we'd visit my Dad, step-mum and half-sister. He would drive to where we lived in Sandown (South Wight) in his van and we'd climb in the back (no seat belts) and bump along the country lanes to his house in Haylands (north Wight), where we'd have dinner. After dinner (fish, as my step-mum was a vegetarian and she refused to cook poultry, but breaded fish was okay). After dinner we would have the Christmas slide show, where Dad would insist on showing slides of the Christmasses he had as a child (mainly consisting of a Christmas tree which was an ordinary tree branch painted white with a few baubles on). This was followed by a walk on the beach.
We would then drive, bumping along in the back of the van along country lanes, to Shorwell (West Wight) to visit my step-mum's parents, where we would have tea and macaroons. From there we would drive, bumping along in the back of the van, to visit my Aunt, Uncle and both cousins in Wootton (East Wight). From there we would bump along to Sandown, where my Nana and Granddad lived and walk from there, round the corner back to my house.
Everyone else I knew seemed to stay in one place and spend Christmas with their immediate family, but we tried to see everyone. Nowadays I tend not to go outside at Christmas, and the day seems somehow shorter.

I think the oddest thing that happens these days is that I have salad cream on my Christmas Dinner as I don't like gravy and otherwise the dinner is a little dry.

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6.12.2011 - Four Weeks, Four Journal Posts - 1 (Dec 6, 2011)
Q) Have you ever celebrated a holiday from another country or tradition?
A) I've celebrated Christmas in Yorkshire – and eaten Yorkshire puddings with my Christmas dinner. Does that count?

I often feel that we end up celebrating Christmas the American way rather than sticking to British Christmas traditions. Such as calling Father Christmas 'Santa' etc. Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with that, but it does lack individuality. I'd love to be able to go back in time and see a more traditional Wight Christmas, such as that described in WH Long's '1886 Dictionary of Isle of Wight Dialect to which is appended the Christmas Boys' Play'. It describes how the Christmas Highlight would be going to the Village Inn to have a drink and watch the Mummers' Play, which would feature Lord Nelson as a hero (Hooray!), Napoleon Bonaparte as a villain (Boo hiss!), along with Father Christmas (John Bull), Mother Christmas, King (Saint) George, Turkish Knight, Valiant Soldier, The Doctor (not ) and Gurthead and Blunder, the comic relief. A typical excerpt is:

Here comes I — wold Father Crismus, Welcome, or welcome not.
And I hopes wold Father Crismus, Will never be forgot.
As I don't come onny once a year.
We should all like to taaste your wold strong beer;
And now I'm come I han't got long to stay.
But my sons and I wull make a little spoort avore we goos away.
Zo ladies and gentlemen gimme room, vor room o' you I praay.

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6.12.2011 - Beware Of Darkness (Dec 6, 2011)
We have entered the Time of Darkness.

It is now the time of year when it is pitch black when I leave home in the morning, and pitch black when I leave work in the evening.

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25.11.2011 - Milk, a box, a book and a tree (Nov 25, 2011)
At pre-school yesterday the children were asked what they would like to ask Father Christmas for, while the ladies wrote it down for them. And this is what my son asked for.

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26.9.2011 - New Job Today (Sep 26, 2011)
Despite my mind going more blank in the interview than every episode ever of Blankety Blank (except the Lilly Savage ones) I've been given a promotion at work. I'm now an Acting Course Support Advisor, covering for a colleagues maternity leave, but with a £5k pay rise and more holiday!
If only I could get my new computer to work properly...

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