Paris

23rd February 2013 - MY BIRTHDAY!

Amanda very kindly whisked me away to Paris (22) on the 22nd Feb for my birthday treat.

During the trip we visited the Moulin Rouge (Red Windmill) (23) with its wide and varied selection of tits on display - including a topless girl who swam with several pythons! I was not allowed to buy any nipple tassles.

I drank a lot of cognac in the bitterly cold weather. We also visited the Musee d'Orsay and saw the Impressionist paintings of Monet, Manet, Cezanne etc - and also some Van Goghs.

Great hotel with a view of the Eiffel Tower from the room. Handy for Monmartre. We didn't visit the grave of Paul Verlaine - I asked but was denied permission. I accept it is grim doing that sort of thing.

Skiing

Saturday 23rd March 2013

Thanks to a very kind birthday present from Peter and Helen Holden for my birthday I spent nearly 3 hours in a skiing lesson at Hemel Hempstead.

It was exhausting. I managed about 2 hours 40 minutes in a group of 8. By the end I could turn in a fashion left and right... which I did not believe I could get to at the start.

Amanda was most impressive having not skied for more than 15 years. She did leave a trail of destruction behind her though.

I was roundly complimented for my Beyonce dancing whilst in the queue for the rope lift.

Thanks again - Peter and Helen (I introduced them to each other you know).

Bayeux Tapestry

Tuesday 19th March 2013

I had always wanted to visit the Tapestry at Bayeux. It is an excellent piece of propoganda - the winners write the history after all.

Bayeux is a lovely place...

I acquired my own mini version of the Tapestry.

Now remember eveybody - the Normans were Vikings as was Harold. They were all related. England was not invaded by the French.

France

Monday 18th March to Tuesday 19th March.

Two day trip to France via Brittany ferries to see:

War Cemetery (19)
D day Beaches (20) and
Bayeux Tapestry (21).

I travelled in the Spitfire (yes, it runs again!) and it performed well - I didn't do more than 65 as there is a need to run carefully and the French roads took their toll on the suspension - plenty of loose bolts, exhaust bracket and gauges at the end of it!

Brittany Ferries took me over and back. Early start on Monday - arrived in France about 3. Direct to cemetary at Douvres... I held myself together until I looked at one grave stone for an 18 year old soldier with a short memorial from his parents. Then it all sunk in.

It was bitterly cold - and yes that is snow piled up behind the car!

I then drove off to Asnelles to stay over in a small cottage owned by the parents of Philip Chatterton. A lovely place - just failed to get provisions so had to drive off in the evening to find a restaurant out of season! The one in Asnelles was shut.

 In the morning (Tuesday) I headed along the coast to look at the war harbour and Gold Beach (all near Arromanches).
The sun was out and it was lovely - I recommend a visit to all. Lots to see. (including a GT6 that passed me in Arronmarches itself!).

I headed off to Bayeux after that to see the tapestry - more to follow. (NB the girl in the Tapestry Shop was divine).

Chelsea v West Ham

Sunday 17th March
Trip to Stamford Bridge to see the Mighty Irons at Chelsea. (18).

I didn't expect much. We lost 2-0 but as we won 3-1 at the Academy last year that is 3-3 on aggregate (no away goals rule of course).

Son, James, and pal Ian Hall, joined me, James above shows a smile before the pain started! Chelsea fans are more like Man Utd fans every time I see them.

Spitfire

15th March 2013
Early start for a trip to Corby. Spitfire fixed - new head gasket - water had poured through no 4 cylinder. No other damage - just a dodgy rocker stud.
Good drive home - no problems - engine full of power again.

Pompey

13th and 14th March 2013
Two day trip to Portsmouth to see the old haunts. Staying over at the home of Mark and Rona Stuart-Bourne in St Andrews Road, Southsea.

A great time was had - the 14th was full of hangover!

I managed to visit the curry house where I had my first ever curry - it was the Eastern Moon then (1982) but is now the T & J Mahal. Would you believe it - it was also the Stuart-Bournes curry house of choice from hundreds!

 Not pretty but a great Madras!

Beers were had at a variety of pubs - special mentions to the Barley Mow which hasn't changed at all, and the Hole in the Wall. We also failed to keep a fire alight in the Dolphin.

Visits were made to everywhere I have lived in Portsmouth:

Trafalgar House Hall of Residence (10) - now a pub. 1981/2.

54 Granada Road Southsea (11) - then a guest house - now a private home. 1982/3.

11 Worthing Road, Southsea (12) - ditto. 1983/4.

46 Angerstein Road, North End (13). A flat (first floor). 1986.

4 Oxford Road, Southsea (14). 1986/89.

 I had a haircut around the corner. This house is near the Akash curry house - a favourite.

Then on to Fareham:

1A St Annes Grove, Fareham (15). 1989/1994. Sarah came home to this house after being born at St Mary's hospital in Eastney in 1991. Andrew too in 1994 after his birth at the cottage hospital in Fareham.

Not a pretty house.

Finally, 36 Uplands Crescent, Fareham (16). 1994 - Andrew and Nicola still live there! £71,000.

Managed to visit HMS Victory (17) of course....

The top masts have been removed for restoration. I acquired a copper cannonball made from the sheathing plates from the hull - scarey to think they may have been at the Battle of Trafalgar...battle scene below.

We won.

Portsmouth is one of those places where I feel instantly at home.

Samuel Pepys again

In the afternoon I visited St Olave's Church (9) in Hart Street off Seething Lane in the City.

SP is buried here and so is his wife Elizabeth. He lived in Seething Lane.

Actually I turned up at 12.30 only to find that a service was about to start (the only one during the week!).

There is a memorial to him...

It is hard to see from the picture but it has the wrong birth date for him - it says 25th Feb whereas he was born on 23rd Feb as he says in his diary. I was tempted to shout it out to a chap doing a guided tour whilst I was there.

This is a bust of his wife, Elizabeth ...

Fascinating because she is animated - she looks like she is talking.

They are both in a vault under the communion table in the church.
The church itself is below...

It was a very strange feeling standing next to the communion table.

Curry

Lunch today was splendid - a City curry (8) at the City Spice with Jonathan Harradine who treated me.

Splendid.

Paul Verlaine

12th March - Tuesday

This is Paul Verlaine (7). He is a famous poet (in France). He is family - my father's mother (Gran - Dorothy) was a Verlaine - she was married to a descendant of Paul Verlaine. That is all I know. I am finding out more each week.

You will hear more about him.

This is a plaque I photographed today - it records that he lived at No 8 Royal College Street in Camden.

And this is the Spitfire today waiting in the cold to be taken to Corby for repair. I got home today to find I am being fined for speeding in it whilst in Lincolnshire last week - proof it does go! I am pondering with the thought of appealing given its general failure to move!

Monday 11th March

A trip to the Greenwich Maritime Museum (6) with Martin Carey (free!!!!). A very cold day but worth it to see Lord Nelson's uniform as worn when he was shot at 1.15pm on the 21st October 1805 by a French sniper located on the rigging of the Redoubtable.

This is the museum...

This is Nelson's uniform...

You can see the hole made by the bullet in the shoulder. Apparently the blood on the stockings isn't his but that of his Secretary who was killed a few minutes earlier (you would have thought that may have suggested it was not a good place to stand).

For good measure... this is Nelson and a picture of a letter he wrote to Lady Hamilton.

There was also a part of the Ensign flown on the Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.

This was used as a Pall on his coffin before he was buried in St Paul's Cathedral. Apparently, he wanted to be buried at All Saints in Burnham Thorpe with his parents, but they decided he was too famous for that. I can understand that - there is no motorway to Norfolk. All visitors would have got stuck behind a tractor and then broken down when their head gasket blew.

Martin bought me lunch which was very kind of him.

I then spent a very hot hour with Philip Chatterton at the RAC having a Turkish Steam Bath (7) in London. A couple of pints of London Pride... perfect end to a very cold day.

Samuel Pepys

This is Samuel Pepys.

This is an Hammerette. The tea girls at the Boleyn Ground.

I like both, just to show I have varied tastes. SP would have loved Hammerettes. You will hear more about him.

I have a healthy interest in the Hammerettes.
I always will.

Sadly, they are no longer to be seen at half time unless you buy an expensive executive box!

(5) 6th February 2013. England v Brazil at Wembley. Courtesy of Andrew Gibbons who hosted well.

An England win!