ABBA Voyage

My lovely wife, Helen, mentioned last year that she would like to see ABBA Voyage. Seeing as I wanted to see it as well, I bought us both tickets to see the show on her birthday.

It was an almost stress free journey. Avanti West Coast train to London, and then two Tube rides to Stratford station near to the Olympic village. A small detour and we found our hotel. It was a Travelodge, and it wasn’t particularly good. We won’t be staying with them again.

We found a local bar serving food, which was mostly filled with people who looked like they were going to see ABBA. A couple of drinks later we headed to the purpose built arena, which holds 3,000 people and has sold out every night since the show opened. Long queue for the ladies toilets, as always. I don’t understand. It’s a purpose made arena. Why didn’t they build more loos? Anyway, another drink before the doors opened and we could enter.

The area in front of the stage doesn’t have any seats so that people can dance, although people are encouraged to get up and dance wherever they are sat. There were also a few dancing pods set half way up the seating area for larger groups.

On to the show. What can I say? It was brilliant. A live band. All of the hits and spectacular in every way. So good that you completely forget that ABBA are not actually there. I would absolutely recommend it to everyone.

In hindsight, I should have booked a hotel in the center of London, close to the Docklands Light Railway, which has a station which couldn’t be any closer to the venue. Next time, as we will be going again.

The following morning we had a walk around the Olympic village, although the funny tower thing was closed for maintenance, which was a shame as it appeared that there was a huge slide to take people back down again.

That evening we planned on meeting Helen’s eldest son, who works in London, and his girlfriend, for a meal at Mercato Metropolitano, a huge warehouse filled with dozens of different food stalls, close to the Elephant and Castle.

Afterwards, we went to Puttshack for 9 holes of indoor crazy golf. This was also brilliant, with electronic scoring that recognized each ball. With three different 9 hole courses, this is also somewhere I would like to go again.

Hell, Fire and Damnation

One of my favourite bands have a new album out.

It is very good, although I was always under the impression that hellfire was all one word.

Saxon were the second band I ever saw live back in 1983, and I still have their best albums on vinyl from that period.

It is scary to see how old the band look, with Biff being 72. They are supporting Judas Priest in a couple of months, but the dates don’t work particularly well, or the venues. Hopefully, Saxon will do their own UK tour later in the year.

Anyway, the new album is excellent.

86.1 Kg

I weighed myself this morning for the first time in many months. It was a bit of a shock. I haven’t been as heavy as that for a very long time. It is time for a few minor changes.

Both me and my lovely wife, Helen, are taking part in dry January again. We successfully managed it last year, and I have to say that we both felt better for it. I’ve been using the Stay Dry App, and I will admit that in December I drank 126.8 units of alcohol. Far too much. 30 years ago I worked in a pub. At the time, a small glass of wine was 125 ml and a large was 175 ml. Today, a small glass will be 175 ml and a large 250 ml, which is a third of a bottle. On top of this, the strength has increased. Most wines used to be 9 or 10%, but over Christmas we drank a very good Italian red wine which was 14.5%.

I also need to cut down on unhealthy snacks. I need to eat less chocolate and biscuits, and increase my intake of fresh fruit and nuts.

I’m not going to weigh myself every day, just once a week, and hopefully over the course of the next few months I can slowly lose some of this excess weight. I did really well towards the end of 2022, running my fastest 5 km for many years as well as dropping down to 78 Kg.

I’m going to aim to walk or run at least 10,000 steps every day during January, which isn’t always easy on a work day. I’m also going to try to run more. I fell ill in early December and it took a few weeks to recover, but I am now feeling ready to run four or five times a week. On a Saturday I will continue with parkrun, but either a Friday or a Sunday, me and Helen are going to try and head into the Lake District again. Our new puppy, Gordon, has never seen a Wainwright, which we hope to rectify very soon. It is very easy to open a bottle of wine and sit on the sofa. Once the weather improves we’ll cycle more often, especially when there’s more daylight.

That’s about it, nothing too drastic, just a few small changes.

Mentally, we’re also going to reduce how much we look at our phones, and to make TV more of an event, rather than something to do on an evening. We’re looking at being more creative, especially during the evenings. Helen gifted me a BBC Maestro writing course with Alan Moore, which I have watched the first four “lessons”. He is an amazing man and I know that he will inspire me.

Helen has also stated that she will review one book every month. I’m looking forward to reading these as she is a much better writer than me.

Both me and Helen have always been incredibly active, but this last year has been difficult. I don’t want this blog to appear to be some kind of a New Year’s resolution list, although it has turned out that way.

Glasgow with Geddy Lee

My lovely wife, Helen, is a massive Rush fan and has been since she was young. Many of the bands that Helen likes to listen to were influenced by her older brother’s taste. However, neither her brother or sister particularly liked Rush, making the band her own.

When Helen found out that Geddy Lee, the singer and bass player from the band, had written a book and was performing a book reading tour, she immediately bought tickets. Rush were one of those bands that passed me by, and I remember that all I owned was the single Tom Sawyer. Admittedly, it is a very good song. Anyway, we were off to Glasgow a week after we’d been to Edinburgh to see The Darkness. (Read about it here).

We arrived in the city with plenty of time for a walk around. It was very busy with Christmas just around the corner. There was a big wheel, exactly the same as one that was in Lancaster. We didn’t go on as we weren’t sure how much time we had. Pizza and a beer was devoured in a busy restaurant, and then it was time to amble to the venue.

The Geddy Lee event was at the Royal Concert Hall, next to our hotel. We grabbed a beer and found our seats, which wasn’t easy as the tickets seemed to be numbered differently to how the venue was set out. We were in the stalls with a great view of the stage.

The event was in two parts, with a mock interview in the first half and an audience Q & A in the secind half, with each half bookended with Geddy reading a couple of passages from his book. Each event had a different interviewee. Glasgow was fortunate enough to have Phil Jupitus as the host, who was engaging and funny, putting Geddy at ease.

The Q & A was conducted by Phil Wilding, who used to be the producer on the 6 Music breakfast show hosted by the other Phil. There were some very good questions.

I have to say that the whole show was fantastic. Despite not being a fan, I really enjoyed it. The tickets also included a copy of the book, which I haven’t started to read yet, but I definitely will.

The following day we had a short walk around the city before jumping on a train home. Although I changed trains at Carlisle as I had a work Christmas party in Leeds, which is a whole other story.

Edinburgh

Me and my lovely wife, Helen, have just returned from a short break in the amazing Scottish city of Edinburgh. We arrived on the Monday afternoon, found our hotel and headed out for a short walk up and down the famous Edinburgh mile. We were both still feeling the effects of a bad cold and as it had started to rain we bought a couple of salads from Tesco and a couple of beers to take away from the Brew Dog pub conveniently located adjacent to our hotel.

The following morning, after a good night’s sleep and a sadly disappointing hotel breakfast, we headed off for a walk. Our first stop was at the Scottish Parliament Building, which looks interesting. However, over the road is the Palace of Holyroodhouse, which is stunning.

It was too early to be open, but Holyrood Park across the road never closes. We followed the signs and the dozen’s of other tourists and made our way up to the top of Arthur’s Seat.

The weather was cold and cloudy, but it wasn’t too bad considering that it was early December. The views of the city were amazing, and never look as good in a photo.

Arthur’s Seat is the highest point in the park and was originally an ancient volcano, sitting 251m above sea level.

Back in the city we ambled about. For a Tuesday the city was busy. I imagine that it would be uncomfortably busy at weekends. We found a quiet cafe for a coffee, which was far superior to the coffee I had at breakfast.

We returned to our hotel and had a bit of a rest, before eating and drinking at the Brew Dog. We then caught a train to Slateford for the main reason of our trip. Helen had purchased two tickets to see The Darkness. They were brilliant.

It was 20 years since the release of their debut album – Permission to Land – so they performed every song from it. Justin, the lead singer, was on good form, railing against people using their phones as well as encouraging everyone to bounce! Definitely one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to.

The final morning we gave the hotel breakfast a miss, finding somewhere pleasant just off the mile. With a little time before our train we decided to walk down the famous Scotsman Steps, a flight of 100 steps that formed a turreted ‘gateway’ between the old town and the new town.

They were built in 1900 during the construction of the building housing The Scotsman newspaper, which became The Scotsman Hotel in 2001. The steps were built in a French style as a spiral staircase within an enclosed octagonal tower; the tower was decorated with wrought iron grilles and glazed tiles in the interior.

The 104 steps form a pedestrian link between the North Bridge and Waverley Station. The construction of the Scotsman building at the turn of the 20th century was part of a regeneration of the surrounding North Bridge area.

However, the steps fell into disrepair and became plagued by vandalism and antisocial behaviour. In 2010 they were revamped, with each step being covered in a different type of marble, with every major marble quarry in the world represented. The steps should be one of the most iconic features in the city, but they were dirty, covered in graffiti with rubbish strewn all over the place. It seems such a shame that either the city or the hotel can’t find the time or the money to keep them looking special.

Anyway, it was a brilliant and much needed short little break.

Wordle – Day 678

I’m still addicted to playing Wordle every day. This morning I was struggling, as I often am, and I tried a word that I was sure wouldn’t be a word.

NOUNY

Apparently, “nouny” is a real word. As expected it means a word which is like a noun. The only word like a noun I can think of is nouny.

Nell Ceramics

A few years ago my wife had a taster session at Bentham Pottery. She absolutely loved it, and since then she has become more and more proficient at the skilled art of pottery making. Helen started out with a very small potters wheel in the cellar, but it was damp and cold. The dinning room in our house was being used as a dumping ground, so she converted it into a studio, complete with an upgraded wheel, shelves and two work benches.

In the last few months Helen has got serious. She went to an early Christmas fair at the hospice up the road, and she now has an Etsy page. Click on the link below and check out her first few select items.

Nell Ceramics

Helen’s pottery studio is named after our old dog, Nell, who sadly passed away earlier this year. Nell was an incredibly lively English Pointer with an amazing temperament who would often lie next to the radiator in Helen’s studio while she was working.

One thing that amazes me about pottery is how hard it is and just how much there is to learn. I tried it once and could barely make anything. What I made resembled a very wonky ashtray.

It doesn’t just take a great deal of skill, there are dozens of types of clay to chose from, as well as thousands of types and colours of glazes. Every day I am impressed with what Helen achieves, knowing that I couldn’t in a thousand years.

Helen has made some incredibly unique and stylish mugs and bowls, as well as spoon rest and container. Currently she is making a load of soap dishes, possibly in time for Christmas, however, homemade and handmade ceramics takes time. Making, trimming, first firing, painting, glazing and then second firing.

I can’t wait to see what she makes next.

Nell Ceramics

Grange-over-Sands

It was windy with the potential for rain. What could be better than a trip to Grange-over-Sands? Friday morning, me, my lovely wife, Helen and our six-month old puppy, Gordon, set off walking for the train station, where we would catch a train across to Grange. It was also Gordon’s first time on a train. As you can see, he wasn’t sure what was going on.

However, he liked to look out of the window.

The train journey is less than 30 minutes, which is quicker than driving as the train can cross the bay using the Arnside Viaduct. The viaduct should be widened to include a walkway for pedestrians and cyclists. One day it might happen.

Anyway, we jumped off the train and walked along the prom, stopping at a cafe for coffee and bacon/sausage baps. Gordon was a good boy and was given some bacon. The views across the bay, even on a windy day in October, were stunning.

I have only cycled through Grange, so it was a change to be on foot, especially as we could have a look at the famous lido, which is in the middle of being renovated. There has been a campaign for many years for this.

There was also a crazy golf course a little further along, although it was very closed. That might have been a good thing as I’m not sure if Gordon would be able to hold a golf club.

We came off the prom and walked through the town, although we didn’t stop to shop, not even at the expensive chocolate shop which tried to lure us in.

The duck pond, on the other hand, was incredibly exciting for a young puppy. We spotted a pair of Mandarin ducks and there was also a flock of Bar Headed Geese. Much to Gordon’s surprise, they weren’t in the slightest bit afraid of him.

It was then time to jump on a train home.

The station at Grange has to be one of the most picturesque stations in the country. However, the train back home was much busier and noisier, and Gordon wasn’t as keen.

After an exciting day, we’re all glad to be home. The heating is on and a night on the sofa with wine, beer and a pizza is calling.

You don’t need to travel for hours for an adventure.

Youlgreave

My lovely wife booked a surprise weekend away to celebrate my 54th birthday. (Seriously, 54! How did that happen). She booked a lovely cottage in the small village of Youlgreave, located close to Bakewell in the Peak District. We’d stayed in the next village a couple of years earlier, so we knew the area. On top of that, the cottage had enough rooms for her two sons and their partners to stay as well. Lastly, it was going to be the first time we’d been away with our new young pointer puppy.

There was some traffic on the journey and unfortunately, young Gordon was sick in the back of the car. He doesn’t travel very well, but he is slowly getting better. We went for a short walk when we arrived and then drank too much that evening.

The following morning I went to Monsal Trail parkrun, which you read about here. Everyone else moseyed on into Bakewell, while me and Helen took Gordon for a walk, finding an incredible tiled mosaic outside the village hall. Read more about it here.

The following afternoon we went for another walk, although we had to turn back as there was a group of young cows blocking the footpath. We found an alternative route and after a drink in the river, Gordon shook his head, spraying dog saliva all over the place. He’s a fun little lad.

Helen’s two sons had to return on the Sunday as everyone was back at work the following day, except for me, although we were on the road by 9 am on the Monday morning. We did leave a dog bed behind. No matter how hard you search a rented cottage before leaving, there’s always something. Hopefully the owners will find a use for it.

Anyway, it was a fantastic weekend away, made all the better for having Helen’s sons joining us. Me and Helen really enjoy this area of the Peak District and will probably return again before too long. Now if only the journey didn’t involve the horrible Manchester motorway network.

New Garmin Badges

I like to collect Garmin virtual badges, just as I like to complete the various challenges in Strava. Today, Garmin added three new badges to Connect, both online and the App. My previous blogs written about Garmin badges, challenges and devices can be found here.

Sleep Savant

The first new badge is called Sleep Savant. It is only worth 1 point and all you need to do to obtain it is receive sleep data 30 consecutive days (or nights). It is also repeatable, although a limit on the number of times the badge can be obtained hasn’t been listed. All existing repeatable badges have a limit of 250 times, which for the 100 mile run badge is highly unlikely.

30 for 30

The second new badge is 30 for 30, where you have to record an activity of at least 30 minutes in length, 30 days in a row. This is worth 2 points and once again it is repeatable. This is another fairly easy badge to collect as even when I’m completely exhausted, I can generally manage a 30 minute walk.

Sleep Streak

The final new badge is the Sleep Streak. It is worth 4 points, but you have to record a sleep score of 75 or above for 7 consecutive days. It is highly unlikely that I will ever obtain this badge. The highest sleep score that I have ever recorded is 79, and my average sleep score for the previous month was 62. Unlike my lovely wife, I seem to be able to function on less sleep. Potentially, if you sleep loads, you could pick up 200 points in a single year, as this badge is also repeatable.

Anyway, good luck points gathering.