After our last trip to the Mizen, which didn’t have power, or lights and couldn’t open the till this trip was a lot warmer, brighter and more costly.

We’d been down to Michael’s for a drink but the place was busy and he, for once, seemed to be working. We had enough people to talk to as most of L’s family had returned so I was using the phrase book again.

Back before midnight and the fireworks to sit with the boys, enjoy the midnight banquet and drink champagne.

In last few moments of this year. Happy New Year.

Posted by Mark at 11:58 PM | Permalink

As I’m sure I won’t get a moment to do this tomorrow, here’s a little review of the year.

• At a rough estimate of 8 bottles per boys and 30 odd “events” we managed 40 cases of Horgarden and a shelf full of prawn crackers

• Mr Singh’s shop disappeared only to return as a shell which is proving hard to rent out.

• Book of the year for me was Shadow of the Wind :I’m still trying to convert people to it and so far only failed with Amanda.

• Work has been a mix. On the whole this new job is the best I’ve had here. There’s been a few other offer within the same company but none have caught my eye. Who knows what will happen next year.

• We have had some great days out : the beach; eating out; tapas;London markets and oysters and swimming in the sea. I managed to make a lot more of this summer for which I’m really grateful.

• The memory of the amount of champagne Amanda drunk before I turned up will live with me for a long time …

• I acquired a large number of Airmiles which need using ..

• I have been out to some very cool exhibitions and shows.

• I met some Russians, and still keep in touch.

• I watched Joanne go to school for the first time.

• I’ve taken more pictures but need to finish the course.

• I met a family who have welcomed me in.

• I met someone who means so much to me.

Posted by Mark at 11:24 PM | Permalink

I blame the smoked taste on the snow.

The snow came today confining us to the village as no one felt confident enough to drive out in it. It was a good excuse to do some chores in the village and go for a walk.

L and I cooked today. The same Beef Wellington we did for Martin and Fhai. The problem was whilst we had a great local butcher and excellent beef we couldn’t find the ham to wrap it all up in. After trying all the shops in the village (which doesn’t take long) we headed back to the butcher to ask his advice.

His solution was a smoked bacon which he sliced thinly for us. It worked but not with the same “wow” factor that it does with all the right ingrediants. I also managed to overcook for us all. I’m only just getting used to producing the right amount for L and me but now to cook for 5 threw me completely.

As L’s Mum said, “Little people need little portions”.

At least the boys ate well.

Posted by Mark at 10:29 PM | Permalink

Ben William born at 10:30 am : son of Amanda and Chris.

Posted by Mark at 11:18 AM | Permalink

It all started with two postcards I got showing the village L lives in from the 1900’s. One of them had been sent to a Mr Sefe in London. The problem was that we couldn’t read the signature of the person who had sent it.

After a few attempts at Google we gave up and tried the 1901 census. From there it was a short step to tracing L’s family history back through each census, each with handwriting as bad as mine and some with different spellings of the surname.

I wonder where my roots are ?

Posted by Mark at 11:14 PM | Permalink

I’d been warned it would be a houseful and it was.

With more of L’s family down today I needed my Larn Yersel Geordie book and my bottle of Brown Ale (another subtle attempt to convert me from Soft Southerner).

After the gathering of the clan we set off for Michael’s pub for more stories, drinks and to try to win at the quiz machine.

As they say up here : Ah wes pelatick.

Posted by Mark at 11:26 PM | Permalink

Christmases are odd things. Those from one’s past tend to be fondly remembered. As we get older they mean less and less and we perhaps see the commercialism of the season and let go of the innocence and magic of Christmas.

Today started with presents for the boys. Treats to eat and two new toys which look like reindeer, made of plastic with rope legs to bite and pull. As L said if they worry them like they do the ducks no one’s shins will survive Christmas unbruised.

Our presents were in the front room around the tree. I’m slowly being converted to God’s Own COuntry and to help with that I got my own flat cap (albeit a training one) and Northumberland cheeses. L and I gave each other new cameras, both from Canon, so all we need now is a holiday to try them out on..

Thinking back I don’t remember Christmas meals as a child. I know we had them but somewhere those memories are lost. Christmas for me seems to start when I was married with catering for the masses for weeks on end and the trauma of cooking course upon course. Latterly it’s been just me and not a lot of point of making a big thing of it. This year I was spoiled rotten and only had to sit down, eat and drink and enjoy what was the best Christmas meal I can remember.

This will always be a Christmas fondly remembered.

Posted by Mark at 11:03 PM | Permalink

Another bright, cold, sunny day which started with a cooked breakfast and some more leisurely packing.

We did well at leisurely today what with little traffic on the road and Heathrow resting after dealing with an estimated 2 million passengers yesterday. This trip we had no catering voucher to spend so we had to invest in our own pre-flight wine. We drank one bottle and sneaked the other onto the flight which was almost empty with rows in front of us and behind us of empty seats.

The catering onboard turned out to be crisps, coffee, wine and a Celebrations chocolate. This being Christmas there was a second bottle of wine each so we arrived very relaxed.

At L’s parents the tree was up in the front room with present around it. After the final packing we had the best beef stew I’ve eaten in a long time and headed out to Michael’s for a few drinks, listen to the Pogues singing Fairytale of New York and trying to sneak home before Santa calls.

Posted by Mark at 11:53 PM | Permalink

This morning was spent in all those things which somehow magically appear when you are trying to get out of work and on with your holiday.

From last minute meetings, administration, funding panics and arguments with a very misnamed help desk it all descended like snow : suddenly and needing to be cleared.

Yet more tense was the packing. An even larger case than I last used into which I was trying to force clothes, presents and wrapping for the more delicate stuff which wouldn’t last the journey. I soon ran out of space and had to resort to a plastic bag praying that L had some room I could steal.

Out in the road Don was cleaning the car before it’s service and looking glum as I told him where I was heading for Christmas. It’s his end of the country with his parents living just down the coast from L’s. “Make sure you have a beer for me” he said as I left. “You maybe thirsty and I’ll have to have two”, I replied.

Sainsbury’s was full of panic buyers and people who seem to shop only once a year and that immediately before Christmas. The aisles were full of abandoned trolleys and abandoned husbands as the last turkey was claimed and the last box of crackers bought.

Walking into the Ice Box tonight it finally felt like Christmas. Whatever else needs doing can wait. We just need to have a great holiday together.

Posted by Mark at 11:26 PM | Permalink

After all the wrapping stress it’s the fun of delivering presents tonight. First on the rounds was Martin and Fhai’s. for a few moments of quiet with the tree lights on, a mug of tea and some chocolates to eat while we talked about plans for Christmas and who would be spending it where.

The peace was soon broken when Helen brought the kids back from her house. Joanne was checking all the labels, Richard was switching from showing me the latest model made of Brio to peaking under the edges of the paper on all the presents to see what he might have.

The only way to calm them seemed to be to let them take my presents from them back up the hill to my house. I’d forgotten that they hadn’t seen the sheepskin rug which L and I had bought on Sunday to go in front of the fire. With the presents abandoned they concentrated on making a nest with the new cushions from Fhai and rolling from side to side on it saying “hmm nice”.

Maybe after Christmas I’ll get a chance to try it myself !.

Posted by Mark at 11:05 PM | Permalink

Out today to be wined and dined by one of the suppliers in the luxury of Hush in Mayfair.

New Bond Street is another world compared to where I have been shopping recently. Wandering past Calvin Klein, Armani, Mulberry and Versace with limos pulled up and people wandering and window shopping is so peaceful compared to Oxford Street.

There’s no doubt that Hush is a trendy place to eat. It’s styled in the 70’s with pictures on the walls of all the people who have eaten there. Upstairs is a trendy cocktail bar whilst downstairs is a bustling brasserie style
restaurant.

I have to say I have eaten better food out. The sashimi wasn’t as good as the Tokyo diner and the steak was OK but the lunch was free and that can’t be complained about.

Back at the Ice Box we had chicken stuffed with goats cheese, a bottle or two of wine and got over a very stressy day.

A few days to go and it will be relaxation, walks on the beach and the sound of ducks being quietly chewed….

Posted by Mark at 10:09 PM | Permalink

I wonder if Colin Kininmonth and George Gray ever considered how important their invention would be when they developed it back in 1937.

Tonight I’m sitting here with rolls of the stuff. wrapping paper and tags trying to conqueor the pile of presents I have to wrap.

Luckily, most are square but a few would present a challenge to an Origami master.

I think i’m in for a long night.

Posted by Mark at 10:55 PM | Permalink

I drive from the Ice Box to the office, find a seat (which at least is easier at this time of year with so many on holiday), sign into mail and see the person who I was meeting has cried off at the last minute.

Luckily some of the guys from The Project are in today so I get to speak to them. Despite some setbacks the demo seems to be almost complete and we have the kit we need for the network.

Perhaps today wasn’t too much of a wasted day after all.

Posted by Mark at 11:27 PM | Permalink

We left the kitchen in not too bad a state. I’d forgotten about the roast potatos in the oven but aside from that there wasn’t too much mess.

Today was supposed to be a day of chores at the Ice Box but as L hadn’t started Christmas shopping (and showed no sign of ever starting) we decided to change priorities and see if Christmas could come completely from the local John Lewis store.

We didn’t do too badly. The crowds were reasonable, we got all we wanted (as well as a large sheepskin for in front of the fire) and no ones nerves were frayed in the process. The worst part of the trip was getting out of the car park which took an age. Longer if you are the person waiting to have a smoke and all that seems to be happening is you are slowly crawling past one no smoking sign after another.

After all that good food last night no one wanted to cook so we settled for fish and chips, a quick look at my work mail to see where I was to be on Monday and a trip back to the Ice Box for the night.

Needless to say the boiler was off but it does heat up faster. Hopefully we can get that fixed next week.

Posted by Mark at 11:18 PM | Permalink

Today has been one of those brilliant, crisp and sunny pre Christmas days you seem to get every year. But only one of us saw it.

This morning was shopping and baking as I made Nigella Lawson’s London Chesecake and tomato sauce for the pizzas for this evening’s dinner party. This afternoon was setting the table and getting the house ready while I waited for the call from L who’d been out on her work Christmas Party last night. Or rather this morning as she confessed when she called me. Already “in recovery” on the sofa with the blanket and Inspector Morse she hadn’t moved at all by the time I arrived to pick her up.

Back here in a remarkable prawn and snowball fuelled turn around she was ready for the onslaught as Fhai, Martin, Richard and Joanne appeared for an evening meal. I’d told her what the kids would be like and she seemed prepared, despite the headache, but thanks to Martins team talk they were both quiet and well behaved. It was most unsettling. Things changed however when they helped me make their own pizzas and after the initial shyness over meeting L had worn off.

Most parties here seem to be in the kitchen but for once we were posh and used the dining room to all sit down and eat together. The kids with homemade cheese and tomato pizza and the adults with Beef Wellington, roast potatoes and roast vegetables.

It’s been a long time since this house had this warm, happy feeling.

Posted by Mark at 11:55 PM | Permalink

After what seems an age comes the return of Boys Night.

I hardly get a hello as Richard strides in, takes off his coat and heads for the kitchen and the laptop. Joanne at least is a little more interested in seeing me if only to show off her new trainers, which light up when she walks.

I’d already had a beer today at lunchtime when I met Amanda at the Inn on the Lake for a pre-Christmas celebration. This year a much scaled down event, unlike Amanda who has scaled up in the 3 weeks since I last saw her. No longer able to fit in the Mercedes she roared into the car park in the Jeep. On what should be a few days away from her due date it’s obvious that something will happen soon.

This evening we sit and talk. Drink Hoegaarden and listen to music. Richard, a complete addict for 4 To The Bar is busy singing along with “A Little Piece of Paper” and eating a whole bag of prawn crackers; Joanne is climbing up me to do backflips while I hold her hands.

I wonder what homelife will be like for Amanda in the New Year.

Posted by Mark at 11:58 PM | Permalink

I think it’s some serious illness; L says it’s a hangover but whatever it is I feel rough today.

The plumber appeared at The Ice Box to try to coax the boiler into turning on more regularly. He adjusted a few sensors, cleaned it out and declared it needed a new logic board saying he’d call with a price and to arrange a date to fit it but that basically the boiler was sound, if a little temperamental.

I managed to just make it home before feeling really bad and limping through a day of calls and meetings.

Depite that it’s a month and the happiest I’ve had in a long, long time.

I get a text when L is home tonight : the boiler was out.

Posted by Mark at 11:05 PM | Permalink

I have a challenge from Amanda to put her resourcing spreadsheet on the Internet for her fellow directors to update.

I’ve been playing around with an easy way to host this Exel file and still make it updatable by all of them and I can’t figure out how to do it. So now I’m looking through Sourceforge trying to find a package which will suit what she wants to do.

I think this is going to take some time ….

Posted by Mark at 10:25 PM | Permalink

I didn’t think plumbing was a seasonal business but it seems it is.

After calling all of the plumbers in a 25 mile radius of the Ice Box I have at last got someone to come out and check the boiler over. It’s the next step in “Project Warm Up”. All but two of the plumbers I spoke to were more interested in 3 days of fitting a new boiler than an hour of cleaning out the current one. That said we’re only a few steps behind needing a new one. I suppose it’s the plumbing equivalent of holding someone to ransom. A few weeks before Christmas and your boiler dies most people would pay anything to have it fixed.

Let’s hope the only red nose here at Christmas will be Rudolph’s.

Posted by Mark at 11:47 PM | Permalink

compelling : adjective

1 If a reason, argument, etc. is compelling, it makes you believe it or accept it because it is so strong:
compelling evidence
It’s a fairly compelling argument for going.

2 very exciting and interesting and making you want to watch or listen:
I found the whole film very compelling.
a compelling story

We’ve been told for some time that we should develop a compelling demo for the project we are working on. The problem is that no one seems to know what that means. What is compelling about this work ? What makes people get excited about it ?

We struggle on and on to find a sensible story and put something together that people will say “wow!” about. We’ve tried the people in the States and partners in the UK and no one seems to know what that ingredient is.

In the middle of the Christmas season we need that magic ingredient to stop us becoming a panto.

Posted by Mark at 11:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Today was an odd day on the beach.

Firstly we met a group of walkers who tried to get rid of a collie to us, then we saw a woman who looked like she’d escaped from a battlefield re-enactment society dressed all in tarten with large floppy tarten hat. This was probably more upsetting to us than to the dogs who seemed happy chasing sticks and running around in circles.

The point of the walk was to work up an appetite for Sunday lunch. Not just any Sunday lunch but the Sunday lunch at the Victoria Hotel with extra roasties and the famous Yorkshires. Being a relative newcomer to this world of food I was really looking forward to it. Unfortunately the expectation was let down by the cooking. “Frozen Yorkshires”, said L with one look at her plate. It wasn’t the best of meals with no stuffing or apple sauce for the pork, undercooked vegetables and the wrong type of Yorkshires.

All too soon the weekend was over and we were flying south. For me what could have been a stress laden weekend meeting L’s parents has been instead so relaxing. Thats really down to them. L’s Mum has a warm, welcoming home which is immaculate; her Dad cooks a mean breakfast; both seem to have accepted me.

After all that relaxing things took a downward turn. The taxi we booked to get home turned up late. He seemed OK driving on motorways but had an issue with roads with curves which he took at rally speeds. More concerning was his approach at traffic lights. Crawl up to the lights when on green; run the red light then stop in the crossroads to make sure nothing was coming.

Shame we left those drinks at Newcastle airport ….

Posted by Mark at 10:54 PM | Permalink

We set off with good intentions to complete the Christmas shopping but somehow it all went wrong.

Maybe it was Alnwick’s Christmas lightshow with it’s steaming turkey picked out in lightbulbs on the local pub or the decorations in the local shops but somewhere we got sidetracked from shopping and ended the trip with 6 bottles of wine (including the Lindisfarne cherry wine); a new lead for Bob and two squeeky, furry duck toys for the dogs.

Well we had to try the wine and luckily there was a sausage casserole to try it with and some boxing to watch on TV so in the end we stopped the day slipping away. A bit like the car on the hill. Foot on the clutch and it slides. Foot on the brake and it doesn’t.

Posted by Mark at 11:54 PM | Permalink

Out today on the beach with the boys for a long walk in the rain thowing sticks and wandering around the castle and the dunes.

This evening was quiz night where we came third despite not knowing that the international car code ET was Egypt and not Estonia or that the other name for egg white wasn’t albumen but glare.

After all that culture we had to let our hair down so we wandered down to Michael’s for a drink and to watch the local youth air guitaring to Mark Knopfler.

Posted by Mark at 11:19 PM | Permalink

Some travel is exotic, some isn’t. Sitting in the lounge at Heathrow drinking white wine bought with our £5 vouchers in lieu of Gate Gourmet food is somewhere in the middle but a good start to a long weekend being taken north to L’s home.

Across the aisle from me is a woman with two young children. They seem to be seasoned travellers and aren’t over awed with all the bustle of people inside and outside the plane. Settled into their seats and belted in the older one asked in a loud voice “Mummy, what happens when planes land in the sea”….

Luckily we didn’t land there but instead at Newcastle. In the late evening gloom we were driven home by L’s Dad to a warm welcome and a hearty Northumbrian meal of soup and cow pie.

People say villages can be insular and cold but this place doesn’t seem that way. We went out for a tour of the local pubs letting me meet people and L catch up with all the local news and gossip.

The Castle has a lot going for it as a pub. The atmosphere, the bar owner and the fact that if you’re an outsider you’re likely to be thrown out. Luckily I was accepted and in return got to stand at Michael’s bar and listen to his stories of life in the brewery trade and the working men’s clubs of Newcastle.

That night we walked back up the road, under the stars and a frosty night.

Home at last.

Posted by Mark at 11:49 PM | Permalink

One of the problems with having big feet is the size of the shoes, or in this case, the walking boots.

No longer able to fit all I need for this weekend into my small case I’m sitting looking at the next case up into which it all fits but it appears that I’ve packed for several months. I seem to have taken less to India. This isn’t the “look” I was hoping to have when I travelled North. Last thing I want to appear as is a soft southerner who has brought all his clothes with him.

Nor do I want to turn up with a smaller case and a plastic bag full of walking boots. Aside from the stress of which plastic bag to use I hate looking like I stopped off en route to buy a bag of groceries from Sainsburys.

Perhaps the best option is to pack the shoes and wear the walking boots. The only stress with that is what happened in New York when my smart new boots set off the metal detector.

Having big feet makes life interesting…

Posted by Mark at 11:54 PM | Permalink

It’s been a while since I seen Richard and Martin, longer still since a Boys Night, so tonight we all headed up the road to watch Richard at karate and catch up with each other’s news.

Not many people turned up for the lesson so we got to speak to the instructors Terry and Phil, watch Richard practice curling his toes for kicks and have a good natter.

Posted by Mark at 11:59 PM | Permalink

Driving into work today I was listening to Radio London proclaim this to be “the gayest of days”. To me it seems a long overdue step to a more inclusive society.

In an age when the office photocopier has a greater life than the average marriage in this country; where people bring children into this world on the merest whim the granting of equal rights for same sex couples should be a day for us all to rejoice.

Imagine being denied the ability to register the death of a partner of 40 years simply because you are in a gay relationship; of not being recognised under intestacy rules and loosing all that you had both worked for; of not having employment and pension benefits or no access to fatal accidents compensation.

Many of these people suffered simply because they wanted to be with the person they loved. At least from today they don’t have to, they have the same rights you and I simply take for granted.

So, to Graham Ferguson and Christopher Heyd-Smith, the first couple to announce their Civil Partnership in today’s Births, Marriages and Deaths columns of The Times (which has carried family announcements for almost 221 years) I raise a glass and wish you both the very best, and happiest, life together.

Posted by Mark at 8:59 PM | Permalink

There’s no doubt that there are gaps in my culinary knowledge.

My scrambled eggs, I was told today, aren’t up to the same standard as Delia’s and I have little experiance with roasting. Despite that I was given a lesson on the art of the roast dinner today. The chicken naturally came from Texaco and, luckily, didn’t need plucking (unlike the dead pheasant we walked past on the way to the railway station yesterday).

Butternut squash, parsnips, roast potatoes and swede all went into the inferno at L’s and came out reasonable well cooked for a week ending roast.

So, Sunday evening finished as Saturday morning started, with Yorkshire pudding.

Posted by Mark at 11:48 PM | Permalink

I call it a Bismark, L calls it Yorkshire Pudding but whatever it’s called it and maple syrup set us up for a day in London and a trip to the theatre.

After a leisurely morning the problem was that we were both hungry by the time we were in central London and no one could make a decision on where to eat. As we’d both been looking at the guide book to Marrakech and dreaming of sun L decided on Maison Touaregue. The deciding factor had been the camel on the restaurant sign.

Heros, written by the unknown French author, Gerald Sibleyras, and translated by Tom Stoppard features Richard Griffiths, John Hurt and Ken Stott. It is set in 1959, in a retirement home for veterans of the First World War. Each day Philippe, Gustave and Henri gather on a quiet terrace, look out across the cemetery to the poplars beyond, and dream of escape. The problem is that none of them can as each has something wrong with them: one a gammy leg, another keeps passing out because of the shrapnel that is still lodged in his head, and another is agoraphobic. Both achingly funny and piercingly sad it is a great show.

Even late in the evening Regents Street was busy and Hamleys was manic. After returning a somewhat hasty and wrong purchase we drifted to the much quieter back streets and some gentle window shopping.

Oh, the food ? Excellent, after all it was the sign of the camel that did it.

Posted by Mark at 11:26 PM | Permalink

I don’t every recall seeing so many items in one day which needed batteries.

Things which roar, things that buzz and a rather truclent roboraptor. After watching Power Rangers with Alex while we waited for Elizabeth he unwrapped his presents; Karen and I installed half the weekly battery production of Duracell into all the new toys; ate some sausage rolls and then we all wandered into the village for the Christmas fair.

I’ve known this village for years. My Aunt was the local postmistress and her brothers ran the local garage which was also a Rolls Royce dealership. Until recently their old bungalow still had the name plate my father made on the gate.

A lot has changed here. The expansion of the local towns has meant the loss of the field behind the bungalow where we used to feed horses the windfall apples from the garden and the walk down Sheldon’s Lane doesn’t end with a meadow with white beehives scattered around it.

The heart of the village is still the same though. The same buildings with familar roads and stretching over the years the same rituals of the village lights being turned on, friends meeting and children singing.

This week ended perfectly.

Posted by Mark at 11:56 PM | Permalink

I don’t want you to get the impression I’ve left this to the last minute. Nor that I don’t know my Gameboy from my Gameboy Advanced (note to self don’t say cool to the young salesman in the games shop) but this evening has been late night shopping for presents for Alex.

Toys have certainly moved on since I was a kid. I remember the local toy shop with its selection of toys. Almost at the top of Giffords, a large shop set on the main corner of the town. Giffords stocked everything from washing machines to nails. The hardware section on the ground floor was my favourite. It had what seemed like hundreds of drawers of bits and bobs, the topmost accessed by a ladder on wheels which ran around the store. When my Action Man’s hip became dislocated it was the lady at Giffords who fixed him with a crochet hook inserted in a very private place. I blame that for my distrust of hospitals.

I don’t have a problem buying for Richard or Alex. Ideas seem to leap out. Karen and Elizabeth are easy as well. The person I have a problem with is Joanne. Already a person with defined and refined tastes it’s hard to find the right thing for her.

This year, I think, I will have the same problems with someone else.

Posted by Mark at 11:00 PM | Permalink