My arm was on telly!!!

A few weeks ago, Jay and I did the weekly Saturday shopping haul at ASDA in Southport while Kerris and Luca got their collective locks cut back home.

While in the shop, I noticed some filming going on and at the time I thought nothing of it until I caught, completely by accident, a part of "How Green Is Your High Street" on BBC2 on Thursday night.

The program was all about ASDA trialling a green grocer style approach to packaging by displaying its veg "au naturale" rather than washed and in packaging.

Anyway, next thing, I see a handsome looking ginger haired arm come into shot attached to a Liverpool training top and BANG, its me picking peppers for our various pasta and rice dishes for the week.

So there you go, I am living testament to shopping greener and if anyone wants to argue about it then I can point them to this blog entry!!!

I saw Genesis live in Dusseldorf....in a cinema....in Staines!!!

Well there was a surreal experience if ever there was one!!! I went to see a live simulcast of Genesis at a Vue cinema in Staines!!!

I was dahn-saff for the night so it occupied my night nicely. The cinema was pretty full and at £15.00 a ticket it needed to be good value and I enjoyed it immensely.

I love Genesis, I am really happy that they got back together to tour but there was no way I was forking out for a stadium gig as they are just too big to enjoy!!! I much prefer arena's or theatres.

They sounded great, it was like they had never been away and the stage set was fantastic too.

Phil Collins kept referring to people in the cinemas to make noise and join in which was very funny but it was quite placid affair in Staines so everyone just sat back, relaxed and enjoyed the show.

There is something nice about watching a gig on a 40ft screen in Dolby 5.1 surround sound though!!! If one comes to a town near you.....go!!!

PS....how can anyone live anywhere called Staines?

I have joined the You Tube revolution!!!

This one kind of speaks for itself really.......impressive though!!!

Happy Birthday Nanny June!!! 60 Today!!!

Today sees my Mum, Nanny June, turn the ripe age of 60 and it's time to sit back, put your feet up and enjoy your retirement!!! Happy birthday Mum!!!

This lovely picture shows Mum with her young sidekick, Jay, on holiday last year and I am sure even Mum will agree that its a nice picture.

For those who don't know, Nanny June actually retired 2 years ago. She left work at the cushion cover factory to look after Jay for 2 days a week so that Kerris could return to work and get a much needed break away from the 24/7 demands of raising Jay.

Mum has been so good to us, she has never moaned or complained and always looks at looking after the kids as a pleasure rather than a task. She is obviously showing signs of dementia here. She has taken Jay under her wing and taught him so many new things that we would never have have dreamed of. Mum has been as much of a contributor to Jays' development as a child and sunny disposition as Kerris and I have.

So thank you Mum, we love you loads and really appreciate all you have done for us. Happy Birthday XXX.

Handreader frustrations!!!

This is an external Handreader, in fact to be more precise, its an ID3D/RW with built in 24V AC heater.

This is a product I sell in my day job as possibly the best security consultant in the UK and it is, without doubt, the best product that Ingersoll Rand produce by a country mile.

The product is a biometric reader (not strictly but its a long explanation) and it require you to type in a unique PIN code (like an ATM) and then place your hand onto a plate and the technology compares that hand on the plate to that of your template stored in the machine and decides whether you are who you claim to be and sends a message to open the door.

OK so you are with me up to here? Good.

Well, when I sell this machine (or when I sell 2 as I did recently) it needs to be connected to another piece of kit to release the door securely (not strictly true but another long explanation).

My frustration is, this other piece of kit is generally supplied by another company, Paxton Access, and this means that every time I sell a Handreader, I also indirectly do a great sales job for Paxton Access at the same time.

Now I hear what you say......."Why don't you use your own version of the Paxton product and get the full sale?". Well, Ingersoll Rand in their wisdom do not sell said piece of equipment in the UK and I am sick of asking for it to be brought in. So my bosses can always push me harder for better sales while they don't do small things like this that could make a big difference.

The other frustration is that I know Paxton Access better than my own product and 9 times out of 10 end up commissioning that side of the job while setting my own products up because it just makes the whole thing easier for me in the long run as when the Handreader fails to open the door, the client does not see the Paxton product or understand its role in the system and its generally the Paxton side that is at fault when a door does not open!!!

Well there is another frustration aired.

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Today would have been my Dad's 60th birthday if he was still with us. Even though he is not here, it's still his birthday anyway!!!

So wherever you are Dad, all the best to you, we do miss you and love you a lot and you are always in our thoughts.

I don't have any pics of my Dad scanned into my PC but I do have a funny one that my brother, Andy, sent to me a while ago. He called it "Separated At Birth". Obviously the black and white one is my Dad but who is the handsome young ginger one?

And on the subject of music......

I had to do a little research on this before I put my foot in it but if I ever made it big, I think that KT Tunstall and myself may end up in court!!!

Although this is a shameless plug to draw attention once again to my own musical masterpiece, I noticed a while ago that KT and me must have been on the same wavelength for a short time. Her tune, Heal Over (2005), from The Eye Of The Telescope album has an uncanny chord structure likeness to my own song, Beautiful Day (2004).

Why not compare the two and see if you get where I am going.....

Click here for KT Tunstall.

Click here for Me!!

And just for the record, I dont hold any grudge at all!! I like KT Tunstall and long may we share the same wavelength!!!

Oh, I think to avoid any problems with old KT, I need to link to her website to be on the safe side!! Yes KT, I lifted the link off your site so I am more than happy to link back over to you!!! Click here - KT Tunstall Website.

Top 10's!!!

While I was on holiday, my iPod filled many an hour and I got to thinking about my fave songs of all time. For the record (terrible pun) I thought it was worth listing them and coming back in 10 years to see if I still felt the same. Here they are in all their glory with a short comment on why they are there. They are also in no particular order -

1 - Its Late, Queen (My fave band are at the top. This song shows why this band are so good, its raw, melodic, heartfelt, and with all the Queen trademarks that still make it sound like it was recorded yesterday!).

2 - Like A Satellite, Thunder (The best rock ballad ever penned in my opinion, great use of Danny Bowes vocal range and excellent lyrics and also, the only Thunder song I can completely play on my guitar!).

3 - Change, Bowes & Morely (Another Thunder related song based on pure emotion and worthy of an Ivor Novello. It gets to me that this song was never huge).

4 - Love Don't Lie, Def Leppard (If you want a great pop/rock record then look no further than this from 2002. If I ever become famous, I am going to cover it!!!).

5 - Champagne Supernova, Oasis (An example that every band has at least 1 great song in them!! I am not an Oasis fan but this is an almighty piece of work that deserves the credit it so regularly gets).

6 - Seems Like I'm Losing You, GUN (You will find a certain pattern to songs that I love and this one sits in there just right. For me, its the quality of the bass and drums on this song that makes it stand out. The lead singer is not the best but it shows what can be achieved when you work within your range).

7 - Distant Sun, Crowded House (I love these guys and I an so happy they have re-united. This is all about getting a good rhythm melody on an acoustic guitar and dropping some drums into the mix. It seems very simple but very effective).

8 - Top Of The World Ma' - The Cross (I guess not many people know The Cross but if you get the chance to hear this gem then you see what happens when you rip off a Zepplin riff and drop guitars and a Hammond organ on top of it. Roger Taylor's vocal performance from hell makes this song rock!! Great live too!!).

9 - I Can't Stop Loving You, Van Halen (We all know that Van Halen was a better band with Dave Lee Roth at the front and its somehow wrong to like the Sammy Hagar era but this is another perfect Pop/Rock piece that sounds great on a hot day with the windows down and the stereo on full!!).

10 - Crash Into Me, Dave Matthews Band (Another band that a lot of people wont have heard of but Dave Matthews comes out with some fantastic tunes. This song is probably the most atmospheric of them all, just listen to it, I dare you not to like it!!!).

Obviously all these tunes are locked somewhere on my hard drive with about 3000 other songs but its good to be able to list the prime movers and shakers to see if I still feel the same in 10 years from now!!!

Happy Holidays!!!!

Look at this picture of a happy couple then!!! Yes, Kerris and I have just returned from the most relaxing week in Cabopino.

I was not looking forward to spending the days just on a sun lounger but surprisingly, I took to it rather well and with my iPod at my side and Terry Wogan's autobiography in my hand, I was unwound from the off. More shockingly, it took Kerris (usually a lady who only has to sit down and she is asleep 10 minutes later) a full 2 days to sink into a relaxed state.

I even managed to stay away from the many Internet cafes on offer and refused the chance to remotely update the blog or read my mostly pointless email!!!



We had a wonderful time. Just what we needed. Its been a tough time for me recently and Kerris also. We took every opportunity to relax and enjoy the peace, the weather, the food and of course the drink.

My only complaint is that I am fast turning into a terrible flyer. I was so nervous on the plane there and back that I think I need a little help in the way of a book, some hypnotherapy or just plain drugs to make me at ease on these winged beasts.

On the plus side, it is also rumoured that I have a tan too!!! No, not just dark red, something that actually resembles a healthy glow!!! Judge for yourself when you see me although with the nerves on the plane today, I think all colour has drained right out of me!!!

Sometimes, even I take good photographs!!!

It's a slow news day day today so I thought I would share with you a rather spectacular photograph I took recently.

Every year, Kerris, me, Luca and our niece Annabel make a pilgrimage over to Anglesey. The reason why is for another day but it all goes back to my childhood. Anyway, you need to go there, the scenery can be stunning and on this occasion, Kerris, Luca and Annabel are pictured on the steps that lead down to the South Stack Lighthouse. I am rather proud of this one!!!

Weight loss update 7.....

Yes, after a quiet few weeks where I enjoyed a little more excess than I have been used to recently (don't mention the "Death By Chocolate" sharing dessert in Anglesey), another pound has left me for good.

So here I stand, a svelte 17st 2Lbs in weight which must be the lightest I have been in over 10 years I reckon.

We now go on holiday next week (D'oh) so please don't expect any further progress for at least a fortnight!!!

The main difference for me right now is that I can see a difference in my size. I have started buying clothes from the XL peg instead of the XXL and when I look down, I can see my toes!!! What I am saying is, I feel physically thinner which give me a huge amount of motivation to carry on.

I know its been a slow process and any weight lost is through healthier eating alone as exercise is still something that worries me a little. My balance problems have gone but I still feel a little wobbly over distance so I think there is still an amount of healing to be done there.

I do have a pool right outside the apartment though so I will be hitting that daily and trying to do a few more lengths than I would usually so I will be active!!! What's that? You want to see this pool I speak of? Oh, OK then!!!