Trusty stead

Home sweet home

Being home is always better than being at work and the first thing on the menu of a stretch at home is rest, followed by personal admin and then loosing some of the added weight that has appeared around my waist, while being stuck in my lardy desk job and of course selling fish & chips on the Brighton sea front.

There has been morning runs up on the hills where solo running outings are still necessary. Every time I have tried to keep up with the blokes in the Sussex men's fitness league (div 1) I have struggled like mad and not enjoyed it so much, preferring, for now to enjoy lonely (div 2) outings where stopping to see the view is a much more acceptable practice.

My trusty bicycle has been out in action too and I have enjoyed a few really good rides over the downs, I have been sailing with John and I have managed a few outings in my kayak one of those might have to be described separately. I have to admit that my athletic prowess has suffered a down turn this year! Unfortunately for my body my brain has been given tremendouse inspiration from the Bejing Olympics.

Watch out for me in London 2012. I am tipped to do well in the mens pie eating and beer drinking.

Walk from Easbourne

A Journey from Eastbourne

This was a day where we really did go to Eastbourne! Seen here looking confused or even slightly lost is my good friend Dai.

Mr. "I thought you were bringing the map?" Thomas, was good company but was in no way taking any responsibility for our lack of navigational material.

I thought it would be fine not to bring my map (*We all know what thought did. Don't we?)because we were, after all travelling in very familiar teritorry. However we were soon lost and Dai was quick to pass the blame over to me.

*Thought, he was going to fart but shit him self

Guy Grieve

While crossing the Atlantic earlier this year I had a chat over the VHF radio with a man on a sailing boat. The sun was just rising and his family was sleeping below. We shared a short conversation, the beauty of the sun rise and I told him that they were heading towards stronger winds with the forecast I had. Looking at this article in The Telegraph newspaper it looks like they found them.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/hubs/allatsea/

The journey home

I left the boat at lunch time and the taxi driver sped through the sand dunes just outside of Eastbourne, to the airport. The airport was just a flat part of the desert with a fence around it and a kind of warehouse as a terminal. The weight was lifting from my shoulders and the hour long delay just meant that I got to sit quietly with a cold beer and look out across the desert for a little longer.

Early this morning after many many hours, we landed, with a moderate bump, at Heathrow airport. As my friends at home will know, Heathrow is a pain in the neck for us Brighton dwellers and the best way to cover the 70 odd miles, is by bus. The bus takes about an hour and a half.
Fate was on my side because a bus was sitting ready to leave, the driver took my case, threw it in the compartment and told me that because he was late, just to jump on (without buying a ticket) Wow cool. The bus then trundled as it does, between all of the terminals before hitting the motorway, then it does the same at Gatwick airport which is about half way home.

I don't know what came across me but I decided by chance to leave the bus at Gatwick airport to take a train instead. I had not paid for a ticket for the bus after all and the trains are quicker and more frequent from Gatwick to Brighton. The driver was happily helping everyone with their cases but mine was not there! This could only mean one thing. Some complete numpty had taken my case instead of his own, when he had got off the bus at one of the previous terminals.
Great!! I was left with a black roller bag that was not mine. I did actually laugh and thought of some stranger checking in, to go on holiday with my stuff. What a complete idiot! The bags were not even that similar.

After some hours my bag and I were eventually re-united. The National Express bus dude was surprised when I asked him to take a picture of me and my bag together. Included is a picture of the happy couple.