It's been ages since I've been near a boat so today was a trip to watch some of Cowes Week

Watch people messing around in boats here

Posted by Mark at 11:12 PM | Permalink

There's always something happening along the South Bank and today, apart from a new selection of shops and restaurants opening under the Royal Festival Hall, there were some guys practicing Le Parkour. You probably saw on the BBC station idents.

The real reason I was in town was to go to the European Design Show at the Design Museum. It was an interesting mix of McLaren racing car, Prada and a lighing installation which was a set of cables and light bulbs immersed in containers of water....

Walking back there was the biggest summer storm, pushing all the tourists under the Millenium Bridge but at least it wasn't too wet if you were out in your Yellow Submarine.

Posted by Mark at 7:09 PM | Permalink

I had to go the bank today so I ended up straying close to the other end of town and stumbled across a French market.

The market was full of people trying the cheese, meats and pates brought here to tempt us all to buy. The bread seemed to be selling the best and the baker had even brought a portable oven to produce fresh bread all day long.

Wandering home with a bag of croissants, cheeses, saucisson and a warm baguette (wrapped with a small paper bag covering the middle of the bread) in my hand my mind drifted back to time spent in Paris and Prague where one of the things which struck me was how the simple act of buying bread was a daily event. The bread we eat in this country simply doesn't compare.

So, tonight instead of crisps we'll have la nourriture de la France.

Bon Appétit !

Posted by Mark at 6:04 PM | Permalink

It's nice to be home today but with all the conference calls and meetings it's hard to stay awake.

Yesterday was a trip to Derby for six hours of meetings at the football club. Not being a great football supporter it was nice to nose around evn though the place was empty and all you got to see was the grass growing, which was more exciting than some of the meetings.

At least I'm home and today won't be a thirteen hour marathon...

Posted by Mark at 5:58 PM | Permalink

It’s hard to imagine seven years on. I’ll be a lot older, Richard will be in his teens and Amanda’s baby will be well past the first five years of life. Scary huh ? But seven years today we will all be sitting down to watch the first day of the Olympics.

I hope it will be a better day weather wise than today. Summer seems lost completely and today there’s been rain, low cloud and an almost autumnal chill in the air.

Posted by Mark at 11:18 PM | Permalink

I thought this was a wind up when I got the link in my mail but it’s true.

If you go to Survivalbox you can get a “Personal Commuter Kit”.

I can understand the “particle mask to filter out dust”, perhaps even the small torch and whistle. But the sachet of water and the antiseptic wipes seem hardly useful.

I guess a few will sell.

Posted by Mark at 2:24 PM | Permalink

News from Microsoft about the new version of Windows, codenamed Vista.

Check out the Vista Virtual Pressroom and some screenshots here

Posted by Mark at 7:54 PM | Permalink

For the last few years we've been lucky and had really nice weather at the Thai food festival but not this year.

Everyone was complaining about the fon-tok and it was certainly raining. So much so Martin and I had to hide in the beer tent.

Despite all that the food was really good and we all came away with sauces, herbs and food to eat that evening.

On the stage was a Bond spectular with ladies that even James would have struggled to cope with ...

Posted by Mark at 5:50 PM | Permalink

Two hundred people dressed in pink on an English summer afternoon is quite a sight.

We made a bit enough impact as five people dressed in pink in The Mistley Thorn where we stopped for a pre-party snack.

The party was Penny’s, Amanda’s friend’s mum, and the occasion was party summer party and part birthday party.

I’m somewhat ashamed to say I don’t know the area very well at all. I’ve been to Essex a few times with Amanda and used to go to some of the local hospitals years ago when I was travelling the UK installing Patient Administration Systems.

Today was different, time to look around and take in all the sights and to show off my pink shirt….

Posted by Mark at 11:22 PM | Permalink

It’s been ages since I’ve been to this pub but I’m sure the last time I came it didn’t have bottles of wine on display, designer beers and antique leather rifle cases pinned to the wall.

When I was growing up it was the place to go for people with a car. Our next door neighbours, the Johnstones, used to go there because it served rabbit and local beef. Years later it’s ripped out some of the old walls, exposed the beams and the brickwork and become this years trendy place to sit out under parasols, warmed by large patio heaters.

I’m not sure what Mr Johnstone would say to a VAT receipt with his pint.

Posted by Mark at 11:13 PM | Permalink

It's happened again but thankfully no one was hurt. Even better news is the fact that the devices failed to explode so their will be forensics to check over.

Rather ironically after yesterday's post about the Digital Citizens it's interesting to see how mainstream news organisations are now using blogging, moblogging and the average man in the street to report on the events of the day.

Here's the BBC's reporters log for today and reader's pictures of the day.

Posted by Mark at 9:05 PM | Permalink

Seems everyone is doing it now and here’s an interesting article on enhanced podcasts

The BBC has been running a week of items on Digital Citizens and here’s their pick of :

• Podcasts
• Photobloggers
• Bloggers

Posted by Mark at 8:54 PM | Permalink

Of course today just seems odd with no seagulls.

Amazing how fast you get back into the routine of life. Tonight I'm sitting out with Part Owned trying to get to grips with "The Rule of Four" which is described as "The Da Vinci Code for people with brains", perhaps that's where I'm going wrong ....

Posted by Mark at 8:47 PM | Permalink

I don't know what happened to the weather today but it went quickly from summer to stormy.

In the end we decided to head back west where the sun was supposidly hiding.

On the way back a coach passing in the opposite direction shed something glass and metal which ended up bouncing in front of our car, over the bonnet, windscreen and roof. It wasn't until we got to Windsor for a meal and look around the castle that the reason people were looking oddly at the car was discovered. A 1 metre long length of metal and glass wedged under the bonnet giving us a lance on the front of the car....

Windsor Castle was interesting. St. George's chapel is interesting but a lot smaller than it appears on the TV.

As Edward Heath, a member of the Order of the Garter, had died the day before his stall in the quire was covered with a wreath. It was interesting to hear from the guide about the Stranger Knights, a name which dates to the middle ages, which is sometimes applied to foreign monarchs in the Order of the Garter.

A good weekend, a little rushed but nice to relax and see some new scenes.

Posted by Mark at 8:29 PM | Permalink

It's odd to wake up listening to seagulls and odder still to look out f the window to see people walking the Cornish Cliff path past the small harbour next to the hotel.

Today was St Ives for sleeping on the beach, a trip to see some seals and a slow drive back to The Lugger for a long, slow meal, coffee and chocolates by the sea and more sleeping to the noises of seagulls.

Posted by Mark at 11:15 PM | Permalink

From today’s calm, the lane’s enclosing green
Leads inland to a usual Cornish scene-
Slate cottages with sycamore between,

From Cornish Cliffs By Sir John Betjeman

It was more a long drive and late arriving at The Lugger but we’re here…

Posted by Mark at 11:56 PM | Permalink

Posted by Mark at 11:39 PM | Permalink

It's 9:45 and finally the heat is giving in.

Sitting out with a glass of Jack Daniels, listening to last night's Late Junction and trying to make sense of a six hour trip across country on Autoroute.

I was looking back at the entries here and wondering what happened to July to October last year. It was very much a time of breaking some old habits for me, re-discovering older ones and finding some new ones. I wish now I'd stuck with it and written, even in the more painful moments.

One of the things about writing is that it makes you think about life and what's happening around you and forces you to set it down in some type of order. Maybe that's just for my own benefit, maybe in years to come it will mean something perhaps to the people I write about. At best I guess it's a comfort to me and traces the changes which happen around me. So, lets hope this year there's no lost months.

Posted by Mark at 9:45 PM | Permalink

One week on and London, Britain and the world stops for two minutes.

Two minutes of silence to unite us; remember those who died; those who were hurt and to thank whatever God we beleive in that people are there to help us, to risk life and to comfort and heal us with strength of character and skill it's hard to imagine.

Two minutes, a small price to pay for all of that.

Posted by Mark at 12:20 PM | Permalink

Matinees are a whole new thng to be, but when you're theatre buddy is asleep by 8pm nowadays you have to go with the flow and change the order of things.

I'd wanted to see the Woman in White since I read the posters at the theatre ahead of the production starting. Mind you that was so long ago that I'd forgotten a lot of detail of this show. I knew the book well as many years ago it was a set book at my English O Level. What Id forgotten was that the show has few props and no backcloths. Set onstage with a set of circular walls, which move around to enclose the stage of move from the back to the front of the stage, all of the scenes are played in front of projected backdrops using either still or computer generated, and animated, images.

I have to admit it takes a little getting used to but the story is so strong, and so well portrayed, you soon forget.

Maybe I could get used to matinees after all...

Posted by Mark at 9:11 PM | Permalink

After a load of phone calls, pleading, shouting and arm twisting at long, long last we have a network !

I really hope the next challenge doesn't take this long, or is this stressy.

Posted by Mark at 5:33 PM | Permalink

She always promised that they would meet again, and today they did. Perhaps together for the last time 11,000 veterans of the war sat out in the boiling heat of a London summer and sang old songs and remembered those who fell.

Along The Mall 250,000 people watched and waved as the Queen and members of the Royal Family passed them either in an open carriage or standing on the back of a converted Range Rover. People talked, laughed, stood in silence and spoke to the police and ambulance staff on duty whose worst medial emergency was young and old fainting in the heat.

On the other side of town flowers were being laid at Kings Cross to remember those who died on 7/7, camera crews were waiting for the latest newsflash to deliver to the world and a police dog was taking a little time out from the mayhem and heat to play with a bottle of water. Everywhere the pictures of those who were lost looked out on a busy, cautious and damaged quarter of the city.

After the processions and the show on Horse Guards, the people standing in the shade of trees of St James's Park, dancing to the sounds of the big band we all walked along to Buckingham Palace. Some needed an arm to support them, others marched holding their banners, one last proud parade behind their Sovereign.

After the cheers and the waves the planes came. The modern jets, sleek and fast; the B17, B25 and De Havilland Dragon Rapide and slow and stately. Finally the Lancaster, flanked by a Spitfire and a Hurricane, low, loud and slow across the Park to the crowd. Then one million poppies, their colour matching the blue and white in the sky to echo the Union Flags on the ground.

Same city; both sides of it with carpets of flowers, both marking those who fell.

Posted by Mark at 10:56 PM | Permalink

It's ages since I've seen Amanda and the only film which fitted in with her schedule was Batman. So, armed with popcorn and drinks we went to see it.

Even on a second viewing I couldn't work out what I'd seen filmed in Lincoln's Inn. Maybe it was the board room ....

Fish and chips, catching up on news and a visit from her Mum and Drew rounded off a very relaxing day.

Posted by Mark at 11:27 PM | Permalink

I can't' beleive how complicated and torterous getting something setup at work is. This whole week seems to have been one hurdle after another.

Least it's Friday and time for a beer. Catch you all later.

Posted by Mark at 6:53 PM | Permalink

Thank god it wasn't as bad as New York or Madrid but 24 hours on from the elation of the Olympics on what should have been a normal Thursday commute to work it was bad enough.

Watching the news tonight I'm amazed at the care, skill and devotion of the police, fire, ambulance services and of the Underground staff who most days of the week get abuse from anyone and everyone.

What a mess.

Posted by Mark at 11:26 PM | Permalink

TibetNet - News Flash

"As a Buddhist monk, I do not celebrate my birthday. For me, every morning is like a birthday"

Nevertheless today is the birthday of His Holiness the Dali Lama and for the first time in many years he attended the ceremonies which will mark it.

Listen to the webcast of the ceremony here

Tashi Delek !

Posted by Mark at 10:06 PM | Permalink

Posted by Mark at 1:04 PM | Permalink

After a long day of stress I needed a little escapism.

You'd think getting a network connection would be simple. You'd think checking with all the people regularily would help. Nope. It's turned into a nightmare of mismanagement some of which is my fault.

I need to ask more questions and not to assume that everyone is as focused on getting to my end goal as I am.

I needed to get away and Batman Begins was the route out of reality. Great escapism and a cool story.

Wonder how I'd look in a cape....

Posted by Mark at 10:50 PM | Permalink

While the present I got Amanda is great for wrapping (like most things I get it's square and even I can wrap it) the posting part will be fun. I've checked out Staples and I can get it couriered from there. Back to the sellotape...

Posted by Mark at 6:55 PM | Permalink

London felt strangely calm today. Perhaps we were all tired and overwhealmed by the gig yesterday.

I spent the walking along the South Bank looking for a wedding anniversary present for Amanda. I'd tried to get downstream to Greenwich to have a look there but the normal river taxis don't run on a Sunday and the two o'clock tourist boat was full.

In the end I got what I wanted near the Tate Modern, despite a rather prentious shop owner, a leaking pen and a bag that I could use as a tent.

Now the challenge of wrapping it ....

Posted by Mark at 7:21 PM | Permalink

Twenty years ago today Bob Geldof asked the world to feed Africa today we’re trying to provide them with a fair and equal standing in the world.

Maybe it’s only with a rock show that spans the world, with figures that we can’t comprehend (the 5,000 people involved worldwide to make it happen, the London stage as high as five double decker buses, the miles of cables, the hundreds of satellite feeds) do we stand a hope of bringing the enormity of the issue home to people.

Simply put, during the time of the concerts 30,000 people died in Africa.

Maybe you watched the tennis at Wimbledon. That’s all the people watching on Centre Court. Dead. In one day. The same tomorrow. Then the next.

For me the most moving thing was seeing Birhan Woldu who twenty years ago was given ten minutes to live while her family dug her grave. Now she is a health, happy and beautiful 24 year old woman who is now at agricultural college and hopes to combine this with a degree in nursing to prepare her for work among poor farming families in the largely impoverished northern provinces of her home country.

Everyone deserves that chance at life.

So, stand up, don’t give up, get involved.

• Read the BBC Weblog of the event here

• Read the letter from Bob Geldof here

• Sign the Live 8 List here

• Mail your MP here

It’s really simple. We can fix it and I, for one, don’t want those deaths to happen any more.

Posted by Mark at 11:22 PM | Permalink