AND THEN WE SLEPT.
How was it for you ? We had a full on four days a foraging with Fergus and his friends. 120 grand (ish) raised for C.I.N. and the floor of my restaurant nearly ending up in the...
...cellar.
What was meant to be a night of friendly madness turned into three nights of relative mayhem.
My house was over run by colleagues, prize bidders, helicopter pilots and survival experts for the majority of the bank holiday weekend. i went for lunch yesterday when everybody had finally left and fell asleep, completely exhausted, on the way home. I was in bed for five o'clock yesterday afternoon and didn't stir again until this morning.
The whole event was a raging success and went even better than we had hoped. All our listeners, forty four of them turned out to be good souls, each and everyone. The mighty Oz Clark and the legendary Giorgio Locatelli went way beyond the call of duty, I will be forever in their debt. Ben and Lisa, bushcraft and survival experts from "Woodsmoke" were amazing. Fergus Drennon, as always, a foraging tour de force.
Today we're back at the home ground ready for another run of what we normally do for a living. very few concerns this week, although a little horse from the weekend everything else seems to be tip top.
Although i do have thoughts of the future and feel a slow panic at the diminishing amount of time we have ahead of us in order to achieve the things we would like.
Need to learn about wine, have definitely decided i'm not a traveller, a four by four course sounds interesting. i want to spend more time amongst my vegetables, I want more of my own animals. Golf has been downgraded to once a week. I find the less i play the more I enjoy it. Television is becoming a thing of the past both to watch and to work in. Sleep is feeling better all the time and more necessary as more physical excercise means automatic sleepsville at night with less need for, "relaxants."
Currently having an afternoon blog cup of tea. I don't think it's ever tasted sweeter. Life is full and that is good.
CLP 2007.
X.
Comments
Hi Chris - sounds like a rare old weekend - I do hope you weren't driving when you fell asleep on the way home?
Yep life is good and full and not enough time to do all the things I want to. I still haven't learned how to play the piano - probably cos I haven't got one - that would be step one.
Mange tout xx
Chris,
The weekend really does sound as though it were fantastic for you and your fellow foragers - hip, hip hooray!
You sound pretty content with your lot, but what I really like, is the way you continually challenge yourself and you're not afraid to make changes!
I know some people who have very busy lives; they have great jobs, go out most nights, do exciting things every weekend, but really, all these activities keep them occupied, but don't fill the gap in their lives, that the end of a long term relationship leaves.
I could say the same for you - but I'm not sure, I understand there is someone on the scene (not me though - huh, huh??) and maybe that's why the golf interest is waning!
Whatever you do - be happy!
S xx.
Chris
Just back from a great weekend myself. Great weather, so managed to dig out the old golf clubs & have a round of pitch & put with my boys; 3 hours in the sun fantastic. I had an obsession with golf a few years back - kept the clubs in the car boot so that I could take a detour to the driving range whenever I was out getting a pint of milk; joined my eldest up for leasons every Saturday morning & on the course every Sunday. Not surprisingly that all didnt go down too well at home! Then one Sunday I saw 4 really old guys dragging their clubs & weary bones to the first tee in the sweltering heat & it occurred to me, what a riduculous waste of time it all was. The following week at an office social I asked someone if he played golf - "No, I've still got a sex life". What do you say to that! The clubs went straight to the back of the garage & I went in search of satisfaction elsewhere.
Have a good evening
harl - hmmm - I'm just about to start lessons... bit worried now though! Loved yourt colleagues retort though!
S xx.
Christophe
Your glass is definitely half-full today.
By contrast, I’m knackered beyond belief and in dire need of a good holiday. I feel I need a change of surroundings, a break from routine. On that very note, the road trip is virtually all planned. A few tweaks here and there, a little departure from Plan A, straight past Plan B and I think we’re there.
T-minus five weeks. And counting.
Still, life could be worse. Fulham are safe, nothing could possibly prevent me from getting a good nights sleep tonight, and I do like your little fridge magnets that you dish out with the bill. By the way, the squash risotto was yummy.
Much peace and love
MfR
PS Zodiac Mindwarp
Dear Christophe.
Am confused.
Firstly, are you getting a little horse? Would this go with the chickens? Why not get a little goat?
Secondly, a four by four course? That seems like an awful lot of food just for one person. Unless it is that noovell qwizeen malarkey in which case, one string bean and a sliver of fwargwar does not a meal make.
Otherwise, all sounds good. Life is usually full.
Not even half empty!
Nearly time for you to go to work...
love
hazel
x
ps am also a tad horse from the weekend. My other car's a deux chevaux.
Yo Christoff & Blog friends.
Bingo Star ere - ( that's here without an aych - H - hugh- err yeah).
Just wanted to say wot a mega wrockin' opening tune you played today Chris- ASIA- WROCKIN'!!
I play the Guitar, keyboards and drums- just as a hobby and to annoy the neighbours, but not intentially. Maybe all me neighbours are secretly mega wrockin' to my noise polution without me even realising it. Aye and if ever I make it to wrock meagadom, very unlikely, but yer never know, stranger things ave 'appened (Happened without an H) like Bush becoming US 0f A Pres, they might boast I used to live next door ter that wrock dude- oh well can only dream.
Getting back to the Guitar- err yeah the guitar is my fav instrument to play because it's so damn versitile- yer can bend the 24 neck and make it cry with passion or use those low power chords ter make the ground shake- know what am sayin' Chris.
The point i'm trying to get to is i've never heard you play any Greenday or Darkness on your brill, award winning show- so, FRIEND, anychance of mega wrockin' the Drivetime show even more so than you did with ternight's great opening tune by Asia. (pause for breath)- by playing some Greenday or Darkness. - Wrockin'!!
PS Chris Great to hear your shares in the Pru ave been doing well of late. I do abit of dabbling in the old markets of happiness and had a few successes meself of late. It's a great feeling when you get a day were the company yer in, it's share price rockets up.
Christoff i've spotted an exciting new possible company to invest in although i'm not in it yet but very much watching/considering it- TANFIELD GROUP.
I strongly recommend anyone to check it out- It's British and is building electric 7.5ton delivery vans with TNT & Sainsburys just signing up for big orders. From what i've read it is producing some very exciting enviromently friendly vans of the future. (Although of course no shares are guaranteed to go up but I get a good gut feeling with this baby- am tellin' yer!)
Anyway blog friends i'm out of hear before I bore any none investers too much.
PS Chris Got some 10CC - Wall Street Shuffle, or Greenday or Darkness- wrockin' err CHOW!!
"Life IS sweet!" - Chris and team you must have had a blast over the 3 day weekend? - wow 120 grand for CIN, well done mate - you rock! :)
hope you learned quite a bit - of living it up, outdoors?
wish I was there to cover it as a blogger / podcaster.. hmm what are you next up to?
Happy hump day for Wednesday! - and wasn't Richard Hammond great on Monday's drive-time!? I was listening to him while watching CH4 as my best mate Justin Lee Collins was hosting The Paul O'Grady Show! - Justin was fantastic!!!!!
As Justin say's to me "Rock on!"
Chris,
I knew it would be a success.........you put so much hard work and effort in.
Well done : )
Gaby
x
Like Chris' blog and his show is wonderful to listen to. Enjoyed Chris' comments today on Van Morrison - he is simply the master music man - would love to spend 1 hour with him watching him record. My hubby and I go to a concert of his every year and have done for the last 18 years. Van is as good as Mozart etc no matter what he says.
Chris,
You are a exceptionally compasionate and intelligent person.
You should be awarded an OBE or MBE or whatever for raising morale - your output could cause a very much needed change in culture if only everybody could get to know about it.
We're all so opened up by such rare honesty, and positive outlook that's not preachy. The way you live and the fact that you are so likeable would make anyone want to emulate you.
Seriously, you must have changed many peoples' lives for the better, and they of course can influence people that see their lives improve as a result.
Dunno what to say about the picky spelling complainers - I love to see that you make typos like we do when are excitedly tapping away, it just adds the beautifulness of what you say and, of course makes us all feel we can relax and not have to check our stuff.
You have influenced me and I thought I had everything sussed - a sincere thank you for being open and taking the time to share.
Clairedees.
To all the posters on here - thank you too - it seems that everyone feels freed up as a result of the way Chris is, so they can all be the honest peeps they have always wanted to be. This is so liberating isn't it? Night night.
Just one more thing; the people who make comments on here about the financial circumstances of Chris and how 'it's alright for him with his money' etc. shouldn't do this. Everyone has someone they know and many they don't who are less well off than themselves; I think it would be nicer to think if there is anything they could do to help those people rather than knock Chris.
Chris does a lot of stuff for others, giving of his time, spirit and influence which he does cheerfully anc consistently. He seems to have a desire to improve things if he can, which is a rare attribute.
Morning one and all, I trust you're all over the long weekend and the countdown to Fri has already commenced?
CLP - sounds like you had a whale at the CIN bunfight, I do love the way you sound so grateful when other celebs go that extra mile. Can't wait to see any piccies or hear more stories.
Had a lovely BH weekend, didn't do a huge amount but just seemed to be smiling the whole time - until yesterday!!!
We are moving house soon and decided to treat ourslves to a fancy wall mounted lcd tv, so we bought one from a firm that supplies MrsW's very large employers who are an insurance union in Norwich! All done over the phone very swiftly and even got a little discount. Be here Weds.
Yesterday they call and tell me (words to the effect) that the one I chose wasn't actually in stock so don't bother sitting in on Weds!!!!
Managed to speak to the organ grinder of the monkey that called me, he was ok but they still have my money and I'm still not receiving my new tv today - boo hiss - as the man who's in charge of the stock was off on an extended BH weekend. Yes folks - one man knows the stock for the whole company!!! Hope nothing serious ever happens to him or they'll fold?
Anyhoo, don't you just hate poor customer service? The annoying thing is another online firm are advertising it at roughly the same price and have it in stock - grrr.
I am awaitng a call before lunch today so fingers crossed and I hope the outcome is satisfactory enough or I may just have to name them?
Em - glad the camping went well(ish)
Hazel - well done on the job.
Sammie - we all seem to be here now
missy - are you safely back from Manchester?
MfR - haven't a clue what your ps's mean but do like reading them???
Bonnet de douche
KWx
..oh I nearly forgot to tell you all the joke my 10 ten old daughter told me over the weekend.
How do you make a snooker table laugh?
Tickle it's balls!
Well, it made me laugh. Don't think she actually got the full meaning which made it funnier!
KW
Good Humpday morning Christophe PΓΆtΓ© en CroΓ»te d'Agneau et tous Les Autres!
Missed pretty much all of the show, apart from your introduction Sir! Because...the man from Virgin (other cable suppliers available in your area, please see local paper for details) FINALLY CAME!
However, the phone still isn't working as there may have been the possibility of cutting off the neighbours (ooer etc). Anyway, he was lovely and definitely worth the wait. The new TV system and remote control...well...does anyone know a 6 year old who wouldn't mind earning themselves a quick dollar?
I suppose it'll just take a bit of getting used to.
Anyhoo, the bit of talky that I heard just after getting into my car to beetle homeward, you were extolling the virtues of 'Woodsmoke'. I have a boy at home who watches all sorts of stuff on survival (let's just see him try and find it on the new box shall we children?), I think I may have a nosey at their web site, and see about a Christmas/Birthday pressie for him for this/next year...how exciting...Christmas already hoorah!
Having said that, he's also gonna need a new jacket by then, so I'll have to see.
Now I'm starting to sound like my mother.
I suppose it'll just take a bit of getting used to.
love
hazel
x
ps Don't raise your voice
Morning all. Chris, your weekend sounded fab and you make us all richer with your sense of fun and wonder at the world!
Hazel - I love your blogs!!
Hope everyone's ok - Weds already, woo hoo!!
Glad it was a brilliant weekend. Was thinking of you all!
Manchester was brilliant but like you chris, worn out now but well worth it!
starting to plan my mum birthday bbq for this weekend. please let the weather be good!
will be listening tonight and would love to see some photos of the weekend!
missy xx
Blimey.
It's really quiet everywhere today intit?
The Virgin man (heh heh) needs to come back this evening to test the line. This would be after I have awoken the boy and packed him off to work, and returned from the v-e-t with both cats (just a check-up so nothing to worry about apart from a vicious clawing) and tried to start a relaxing evening...and I now have two likely chappies hanging around to fit a new phone line (at work, for crying out loud...is there no escape?) and I'm waiting for someone else to call me back so that I can speak to someone else else to get the access code to the building into which they need, erm, access, and I'm trying to have a quiet cuppa char and a smoke.
...and a bit of a snooze if the truth be told...
ring ting ba-ding dong ding
love
hazel
x
ps Tinsel - thank you! Also for your words of encouragement for the three years...and Gingembre, how's the knees?
Hello all
Very jealous of people who have direction and contentment. Still not got there yet - am just starting counselling again as split from long-term is still very painful and I need to move forward again.
So Monday was spent relating tale of woe to new counsellor and then trying to recover some energy after emotional blowout!
Sammie - sorry i didn't get a go on your limmerick yesterday but we had a power cut at work and so I'm only just now back on line! But HL did a splendid job with it I thought!
jx
PS It is uncool to be nosey about CLP's frequent use of the word 'we' now?
J - check this, I'm nosey too
she's v pretty, and she looks fun and nice too!
:o) Jo
Jo and J - did you not notice the feminine hand holding the first egg the other day in the piccie as well?????
Had to laugh yesterday when CLP and Sal were discussing acupuncture and CLP said he didn't need to feel any better than he already did - ah, the honeymoon period, those were the days!!!
well u will eventually die, so just enjoy the ride and have fun fun fun!!!
Can you keep a secret?????
I'M PREGNANT - YEH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We did the test at the weekend so its still very early days, but am dying to tell someone, so I thought who better than the relative anonymity yet family like feel of the CLP bloggers.
So you are officially the first to know, will be keeping tight lipped for the next 8 weeks, but fell better now that I've shared it with someone.
Not telling my 2 yr old just yet, it would be comparable to...'Are we there yet!'
At last an excuse not to hold my stomach in for
the next 8 months.
Love
SammyM xxxxx
Warm greetings on this cool day.
J - if you want to see who the "we" is, look at the foraging photo's #45 & 47.
Hazel, glad to see you survived your car journey and well done. Can I book an appointment now - it'll probably have to be a series of them though! I shall provide biccies and home made cakes if you could make the brew. Always assuming that you accept me as a case - test/suit/nut - whatever.
PS I could be in Barbados now - D'oh!!!
Wilsmar
The CIN Weekend was great!
Met the team, lovely folk!
Fed and watered, entertained and sent home Happy.... but knackered!!
Hope it all happens again one day...if indeed it happened at all!
Thanks to you all!
Golf Bandit!!
Jo and Tinsel - Fab thank you - feel much better now I know these things. I hope they'll continue in the honeymoon period for ever!
Sammie - WOWWWWIIIIIEEEEE
Fantastic news and huge congratulations to you. Is this our first blogging baby?
Jx
Hi Chris
Your weekend sounds fab, so pleased it went as well as expected. :o)
J - thanks for sharing the link, she is very pretty indeed!
SammyM - Congratulations on your pregnancy!
Says it all about how great this blog is when you can share exciting news but still keep it private within your personal circle :o)
Lots of love
Mary xx
ps. Joanne, Sallycat, Cat, Jax, Tracey-Ann hello to all of you and any of the others who haven't been on for a while. Hope you are all well xx
Sammy M - Congratulations!!! Am feeling very broody so I'm a bit jealous!
Chris - she's gorgeous, are you cutting down on the golf cos she keeps beating you?!
Em xx
Hazel - my knee is improving, I'm back at work Friday on light duties for 2 weeks then all being ok will be back on full duties on June 27.
Thank you for asking, I hope this 2nd op has cured the problem as I really don't wish to hear the twang again as it goes.
I've also sorted my tv problem, they're giving me the next model up for the same price as the one I originally paid for - result!
KWx
hello Chris L P, hello everyone
sounds like you had a fabby weekend, and well done on the C I N total..you truely are a man of the people..Chris for Prime Minister i say!
courses - well, i am sooo thinking about setting up either a childrens cooking school or adults "everyday easy stuff and show off occasionally" cooking lessons..so if you want to be my first customer, you are welcome.
Hey, hazel - I hope Chris isn't getting a little horse(hoarse) 'cos he wouldn't be able to do the radio show...I've only read to your comment..so i bet this isn't the first aside.
SammyM - Ooer! welldone, congratulations
I'm so trying to keep up and become a regular again, other things keep on stopping me..i am here in spirit though
Love
caroline x
SammyM - congrats hun! Don't worry - I won't tell a sole ....
Never been maternal myself, but I am simply the world's best auntie/godmother!
Currently getting rather obsessed with a pair of shoes I bought from a certain on line auction site. Paid for them on 1st May and they're still not here and I NEED them for a black tie 'do' this Friday - 11th May! Yikes!!! I may be going to the ball barefoot.
All going well in Diva land. Mr Diva is home from the Lakes today and should be waiting for me when I get home at 6ish. Hurrah! My weekend with the cat was fab, but to be honest, she's not the greatest when it comes to conversation or fine dining!
Right, best get on.
CtD x x x
PS: very excited about the prospect of Prince tickets going on sale also! xx xxxx
Hi Chris (and everyone)
So glad your weekend was a great success. You are sounding great and your happiness is quite contagious!
However, Chris, (and I don't want to sound like an old goat) there is no way that there is enough time left for any of us to do EVERYTHING we want to do. It would drive me crazy if I start to think of the time I have wasted in the last 20 years! But onward, every onward and we just have to live for the day. If you feel you must learn about wine, by all means go ahead. Your wee friend Chrissie here will just drink the stuff she likes and shun the rest!
The blog today is really great - it feels like the old days when we could "talk" to each other and say how we are feeling.
J #19 - contentment and direction are not everything they are cracked up to be! Sorry you are struggling a bit at the moment, it must be so tough. But you will start again, and hopefully talking about it will help. And you also have us!
SammyM #24 - congratulations! Oooh, it's really difficult not to tell people, but you can talk about it to us as much as you want to!
J #27 - this is our second blogging baby! Jo is first things are progressing beautifully!
Golf Bandit #26 - you lucky ...... golf bandit, you!
MWK #28 - well remembered to say hello to our friends we haven't heard from for so long. I have really wondered how things worked out for Jax, hope Tracey-Ann is feeling o.k. and really miss Sallycat - when the nutters arrived, she took her leave.
See you all later.
C xx
A Bloggy Baby, yay!! Congratulations!!!!!
J #19 - see this as the start of an exciting journey. I had counselling over the past 12 months and I feel like a completely different (and much better, more confident) person for it. Best of luck to you. xxx
SammyM
CONGRATULATIONS
I didn't break the news here (it was next door), but I too was only 5 weeks - am now 19 and having 2nd scan next week. Work are being arses (can I say that) but hey ho, I guess you just carry on. It's my first so am v v v excited!
Hope you aren't vomiting at every opportunity
:o) jo
Is the lady in purple the infamous "girl on the sofa" ?
Whoever, whatever ... if she's the one making Our CLP as happy as a bunch of bunnies, then she's gotta be OK!!!
Peace love and chocolate cake.
CtD
Sammy M - congratulations!!!!!!!! What fantastic news, and I promise I won't tell a soul either!!!
jillygoat xx
Oh, many congratulations SammyM! How exciting for you, and what a huge privilege for us to be the firsts to knows!
Now Jo has got someone she can talk to. Hours of fun there then. Like CtD, can't do the baby thang meself. Put me down for Β£1 and I'll see you at the Christening if that's ok?!
Also, like CtD, I am waiting for a delivery. It has been sent speshul. It was sent last Friday. And it is not here.
anyhoo, wilsmar, would morning or afternoon be better for you? I'm thinking basket.
...and KW...glad you're healing. The 'twang' is just one of the noises which can emanate from the human body. It is also one which is best not heard, ever! Good luck with it/them.
J...there are a hundred platitudes, cliches, a blah de blah de blah, but if there is anything that is giving you jip, you know that there are LOADS of us on here...and it always seems to be best to ask the audience! By the way, it was a shot in the dark about the marigolds...and you have even got Tinsel on yours gawd love 'er xx
eh Rachel?
keep smiling
love
hazel
x
Ms - soon to be Prof/Doc?? - Love..... you decide - I will have to use the M25 though. Driving the "other" route for me is imposs/passible - I can't get through Guildford!! been up and down it several times. So if a.m. not too early please.
Basket? ok with that.
Cheers Wilsmar
Jo - are you the lady who had a problem with fixed term contract and maternity rights? if so, then as a fixed term employee you are entitled to the same as a standard employee so provided you meet the criteria for maternity leave/pay, you should be okay.
Good luck