OK, SO WHAT'S GOING ON HERE ?
Now there should be a picture here and if there is I want you to guess what's going on. That all took place at.....
....elevenish this morning.
How y'all doing ?
What a beautiful day it is today ain't it.
I was at the gym early this morning, swimming and sainaing, all before eight, then off to see my mum and then a bit of flying and then a meeting about the show and then half an hour in the company of an air traffic control crew and then back homa and then party gear ready for a right old do tonight, a school night as well and now here at he mother ship ready to rock and roll for a Monday.
What a lugh.
Two friends of mine announced thay're getting married yesterday, so it was an emergency flying visit tot the pub to celebrate. Ended up very messy with a bottle of black sambuca disappearing pretty damn fast daddio.
I have some news of my own soon but have to make a few more enquiries before I can tell all y'all. You will be the first to know other than those close enough to smell my breath.
David jacobs has just dropped by to say hello, Steve Wright's on in the back ground, I work in the land of legends.
Sold my car last week at the auction and am now immediately tempted to buy anotherone, though i think a motorbike may be next on the list. Never done it properly before, so why the heck not ?
Tell us what you know gang, come on !
CLP 2007.
X.
Comments
News Christophe? An impending event? A baby on the way - or are you considering marriage again?
Sounds fab! What were you flying?
"It's been a funny old day", as Arkwright would say...
Motorbike? SCARY!!! They frighten the life out of me, that's all I can say!
S xx.
I just wish you wouldn't do that. I read the blog avidly every day and them wham another "I have some news...." and I am on pins and needles waiting again.
Please take care if motorbike is next...
have lost some special friends thru those
vehicles...they were promoted (as Jonny
Walker puts it) far too early to the Gods ,
one, very good fiend before he was thirty...
D X
Welcome back Sal x
*should have read 'friend' not fiend
Foggles!
You can see your instruments but can’t see outside. Stops you cheating! In the event of zero vis you can fly by your dials.
They do look old fashioned though.
Btw - BP's....
Can we have a count of comments on the blog page? Would be really good to know when to read/scroll down etc.
In BB style - please note my request and get back to me!
S xx.
Well your thinking of getting a bike are you?
A great idea but get as much training as you can, especially living and working in London, we don't want you getting wiped out by some unattentive car driver. I don't see you as a sports bike rider, don't ask me why, you seem more of a Harley plodder, a bit like Johnny Walker. I am fortunate enough to live on the Isle of Man, a bikers heaven, there are more bikes here than you can shake a stick at. I myself race as I don't really trust myself on the road,but having said that my girl friend is very keen for me to pass my test so we can get away for weekends cos she loves riding pillion.
Anyway back to you, you will love the freedom, the power and probally the animinity of a bike, you can be who you want and no-one knows who you are. I never fail to be suprised by seeing some rider pulling up on a race replica bike complete with race leathers and all the gear to see some 50-60 year old reveal himself from under his helmet. Boys will be boys!
Ride safe on the road, we humans don't bounce that well and us older boy's take a long time to heal, if you want to be a boy racer, get a cheap sports bike and do track day's. If you are any good at it you will know and then go into racing if you like. If you like just riding, I find it is best done with mates and just going anywhere is fun, for the ride not for the where you are going. You will find bikers are a great bunch of people, we have just had 60,000 of them here on the island for the TT and not one bit of trouble. You would'nt get that with football fans or any large group of most people for that matter.
It will be interesting to see in which direction you go, keep us in touch with your progress.
ooooooo whats the news chris?! ok heres my guesses. TFI is coming back, You are getting married, ummm i can't think of anything else! I'm guessing the photo was taken in an aeroplane but thats all i can come up with.
hope you are all well, parents are doing well, went to visit the car this afternoon the poor little thing was all bashed about and stunk of pond! but luckily my pink walking stick survived!
love to you all, missy xx
Hi Chris with all this talk of soul did you know that Barry White was known as the walrus of soul.
John Dublin Ireland
Bikes are great Chris but are you so good the most stupidist muppet in the world cannot kill you? I never used to think about mortality and I still have fun doing track days but a solo bike on the road? Oooerrr your a braver man than me. Fair play to you if you go for it good luck and please stay safe.
Jk Nonegreen
Now then Dick Dastardly.
Jeaysus. Look. Do us a favour would you. If you're gettin' a motorbike, don't be on the Stranraer-Belfast ferry with 58 others and meself waitin' on the car deck, revvin' up an' roarin' fit to burst; it's like bein' stuck in the middle of an angry beehive. Without me smoke gun.
On the other hand you could get a side-car, like my Dear Departed Father did in order to deposit the mother and big sister to whence he could be blissfully oblivious to the bangin' an' roarin' and ejoy his Great Life A-Wheel. Happiest days of his life bless him.
Anyway, it's glad I am to see that you took my advice and wore the flying helmet before taking up anything of an artistic nature, can't be too careful.
Well, must be off. I've to unpack me sporran from the Royal Highland Show, and let the other two thirds of the all-comers' Champion Synchronised Caber Tossers, Orla Valather and Enda McTether, out the boot.
And CLP. I hope you can prove the provenance of your own sporran. As I remember from someplace in the dim and distant past on TFI Friday, you had a rather marvellous ginger sporran and I for one would be distressed to see it impounded. Achtung.
Clodagh.xx
oioi CLP,
i've a stormin headache and want some of those goggles please?
I wouldn't mind but i've not touched a drop of black sambuca, ooh hang on, someone at the door.
Maybe it's David Jacobs or Damian Hurst? oh no, it's just the post man. I work on the land of postmen!
have fun at the party fella!
~cuttsy~
What a great photo one and all
Are they new designer sun glasses at all? If so I definetely want a pair.
Loved the Shirley Bassey heli story she is great and I love her latest song forgot who did it before but she does it better.
Seems to me you are always up to something CLP ... GOOD ON YOU.
Might get my own pc up and running soon in my delightful new home. I am living in a time warp. The kitchen is like student accomodation and the lounge has a sixties tiled fire place and a consevatory attached that given all the rain fills up with water. It's my very own indoor swimming pool. Needs a bit more than Dulux to sort this one out. Where is Lawrence L Bowen when you need him.
chow
'OK, so what's going on here'?
Are you modelling a new revolutionary outfit to prevent the symptons of hayfever?
Looking good CLP xxx
P.S. Hurray up and tell us your news please, I too jumped to the baby or wedding conclusion. As long as it's good news for you Chris it's all good for us!
Nite nite xx
Good day, damp and grey but sunshine online here!!!!!
You're def a scooter rider, take it easy tho, I've been to far too many Car Vs Bike RTC's and the car ALWAYS wins.
Sammie - that's ok, I've been called far worse!!??
missy - I hope your parents are ok, big love to them x
EmM - how was the first aid course?
so.... the big news - here are my guesses, in no particular order (other guesses available)....
TFI (or similar) returns
Toothbrush (please) returns
Marriage
Children on way
Another house
Pilots licence exams passed
..therefore bought a plane
Blog night out at The Mulberry
Anyhoo, thanks for all the best wishes for today's decorating bonanza...I'll be 'hard at it' from 9ish once MrsW and the whippersnappers are all up, fed and out...if there's anyone passing, drop in and pick up a brush.
KWx
After the deluge - it is sunny. Did all that water really fall out of the sky - not flooded myself but the porch at the back leaked a bit.
News hey? I too went down the baby/marriage route - and can I echo the 'be careful' notes about the bike. I had a small Suzuki when I was a teenager and after a while got fed up of sliding past my pal taking the skin off my leg - me and bikes didn't really make it.
Chocks away - have a swell day. xx
Well I think it's that you're getting married - that cryptic thing about a penny bun costing two pennies when you share your house???????
Although baby news would be luuuuuuuurvely - I can see you as a fab dad!
Anyhoo, as someone else said, if it's good news for you CLP, it's good news for us!! Just stay happy.
And YAY Sal's back. You're right, it's just not the same without her.
xxxxxxxxxxx
Hello Chris et al
Those of you who remember me might like to know that I am currently homeless, after the Institute was burned down in a tragic accident. I am blogging under emergency conditions. Everyone is OK, apart from poor Timothy Hedgehog, who has not been seen since the fire.
My terrible news aside, I am pleased to find this blog still going strong. I haven't had much time to tune-in due to the all-consuming effort of coping with a new born son since April. At the moment he is blissfully unaware of his homeless status, and I hope that I can resolve the situation before he works out what is going on.
I will endeavour to get back into the swing of things, as soon as I can
best wishes
J McC
morning guys,
not been around for a few days as things a bit crazy here, childminding going well, first aid course great, just had my photo taken for the local paper as I am campaigning to have a piece of road nearby declared unsafe by the local council so the children will get a free bus to school or a footpath and/or cycle lane. Think i probably look a bit of a dog but i'll maybe get the sympathy vote!! This campaign has been going for over 20 years but I've only just got involved, i just feel so strongly about it, its worth having having a horrible picture of myself in the paper!
Hope whatever your secret news is makes you very happy Chris, am looking forward to seeing you at the Princess Diana concert (on tv, unfortunately I didn't get tickets). Wasn't Glastonbury fab? I was crying when Paolo Nutini performed, i think he's great.
Gingembre - hope the decoratings going well.
Love from Em xx
Happy Hump Day tout le monde!
OOOOOOOH CHRISTOPHE...whatever can it be? C'mon, just whisper...I promise I won't tell...NOOOO REALLY! Blimey...Woodna thought of that in a MILYON years...coo!
I wish I flew to work. Due to some extremely inconsiderate parking I couldn't get my car out this morning. I had to take photos, and now I have the malarkey of phoning a F+rd garage to find out the costs of and blah blah blah etc. I fortunately had the services of International Badger Rescue, and a rather delishus burly chappie from over the road who were able to move the offending veehikle and I was able to proceed in a westerly direction (Gingembre) evechually, to work.
So I was late.
Now then, if I did fly to work, the chocks probably would have got caught in the landing gear, so I'd have probably still needed the services of International Badger Rescue, and a rather delishus burly chappie from over the road. The law of Sod you know.
So, I started life on a motorbike...Penguin, a small Suzuki GP100. 70mph downhill with the wind behind me. I thought I was Barry Sheene...tween times various other machines, and then the last one was a Kwikasiki Z1300...when I stopped at the traffic lights and had to lean over, I looked like I was doing an Arabesque...but that's not for here...
Anyhoo, I'd actively encourage all those about to get a car, to do at least six months either cycling or motorbiking...it gives you much more road sense, and makes you far more aware of the turtle eejits that are in most of the cars...and then they wouldn't be one of them!
So, Christophe, if you want a motorbike, and you think you're gonna love it, and you can afford it, then by all means, I can thoroughly recommend it...but for crying out loud, do a proper course before you ride it out! PLEASE!!!!!!!
...and McCrumble...I almost wish I wasn't moving house...you could all have had my spare room...I'm so terribly sorry about Timothy...
cabbage crates at 11 o'clock
love
hazel
x
Hazel - Hump Day? Surely it's Hump Day Eve today?
Isn't CLP already a dad? Thought I read somewhere he had a daughter with Carol McGuffin (think I've got that confused with a Hitchcock plot, but it's something like that!) off Loose Women.
Yo Christoof & ALL Blog Friends.
Bingo Star ere.
CLP I can't stop laughing at your picture!!!!!
VERY, VERY FUNNY!!!!
Wot ave you been getting up ter know?
Oh I know you've put your head out of a moving train window and ave collected a black signal cover on yer 'ead!
CLP man ain't yer seen the signs above the window- 'Danger do not lean out of the window'.
I'm just damn glad yer didn't pick up the red light otherwise things could get very complicated and I ain't mean aving ter play Billy Ocean - Red Light Spells Danger!!!
Mind you on closer inspection of the pic errr.... could you be on an aeroplane with a pair of welding goggles?
What are you doing welding on a plane? Yer not supposed ter light on a flight!!!!
Chocks away!!!! Biggles or is it Boggles?
I can't stop laughing!!!
PS. Sammie - glad your friends mum is ok. Thanks for your comments on the motorsports. Interesting to hear you like the touring cars. It seems very popular nowadays, I noticed how many families were at Oulton Park.
On the track thing i've already done all that in me twenties. I used to have a racing licence and took part in a few smaller events and tryed a few scholarships. But sometimes I think sometimes it's not what yer know but who yer know so gave up and due a lack of money.
PS CLP I've got a very funny mad pic of me driving a kart on holiday with a crash helmet, bad shades and shorts. I'll ave ter send it to your some time, just it's such an embarressing photo I don't know whether to or not.
It makes me roar with laughter evertime I see it- just like yours today!!!!!!!!
PS CLP Anychance of playing Buffalo Springfield - Flying On The Ground Is Wrong. Wrockin tune friend!!
Hi Chris, and all the gang
Wow, you has been a busy little bee! can't wait to hear your news.
Now, re the bike thing, My fantastic fella has just passed his 'big bike' test, they do actually call it that, 'cos if you pass you can have any bike ya like.
He tells me it wasn't at all easy, he failed once on a tiny technicality, then passed the second time but not before dropping the bike on a patch of gravel in the training pre-test lesson! Ouch,
you should have seen the size of his toe, foot, ankle, knee in the evening, and some real technicolor bruising going on. How he carried on and took the test i'll never know (must be one of those boy things) Anyhow he's my hero. To prove his hero status I bought him the biggest rib-eye steak (the butcher told me that was the best cut to have) and lovingly cooked it for him (the butcher told me how to do that too) with garlic mushrooms, buttered jersey royals and rocket salad. (no mean feat as I've been a veggie for over thirty years)
Big Hi to everyone
take care
Nicki
In the words of frank n furter - don't dream it, just do it! (okay i have some soundtracks on my isplod)
Bikes are fun - on the IOM I have been on the back at 100 plus miles ripping round corners etc (if my parents are reading this - never above 70!) and I am saving up to get my own, I have a license ready and waiting!
Big hariry BUT - they are dangerous and its the cars out to get you! Be careful and don't drive around London -nearly lost a foot that way! They should only be used in the open, where you can see whats coming and more inportantly people can see you!
Hope all are well - great biking day today, wish i won the lottery!
Elm x
Chris,
Get a bike. Direct access. Never look back. (apart from your shoulder checks)
Do it.
Love,
tufty
1845 miles, 4 states and a credit card bill the size of Bolivia.
Millions said it couldn’t be done. Well Aunty Nora and that funny little bloke in accounts anyway. But we proved them all wrong.
We did it.
It was a real trip of contrasts. We drove over mountain passes at 10000 feet with snow drifts of 6 feet still blocking some roads and we crossed the searing desert of Death Valley, 200 feet below sea level and 118 degrees. We basked in luxury in one of San Francisco’s finest hotels and ate pretzels while drinking wine from plastic cups in our room as the food was so bad in a strange hotel on the Washington-Oregon border.
We revisited old haunts, dinner in the restaurant we spent the first night of our honeymoon 9 years ago in Seattle was as good as it was back then, and we discovered new places, we chanced upon the charming town of Mendocino on the north California coast by accident and ended up staying a couple of days.
And, of course, we finished up where every self-respecting road trip should, in Las Vegas.
If you are heading there, make sure you take in The Beatles ‘Love’ show. It is, well, fab.
Hope you are all well. I’ll catch up on the past fortnights blogging when the jet lag wears off later.
Peace & love
MfR
PS Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall
PPS One and one and one is three
PPPS There’s one for you, nineteen for me
Lisa, you may find this interesting...
...and Elmlea, I did read that as big hairy butt...as in most of the bikers I used to go around with...
Oooh ooh
I love to
mis-construe!
...and what is all this about the Sheep? Christophe? Where has it gone? That pitiful song as sung by the lonely Ram. "You know I'll never find another Ewe..."
mint sauce
love
hazel
x
Howya Biggles. Get them goggles off quick.
The last time I saw a sight like that I 'ad to welt it with me Wigan observer before it stung the head off me and made off with me pork pie.
Hope you got your Free Parkin by the way. Excellent. I shall forever do my shopping in Wigan from now on.
Now then. Can I just send my commiserations to anybody in South Yorkshire, and for once I shan't be makin' any off-coloured remarks about Big Soft Yorkshire Jessies, by the crin it's looking desperate over there on t' wrong side of t' Pennines, I do feel for you. How awful.
Next time I get into a strop because the tits have used my washing line for target practice or somebody's welted me wing mirror or there's a mole in me garden or a mouse behind the washer I'll catch meself on.
Please God you all get sorted soon and stay safe.
Clodagh.xx
Whats this then is it a new mrs??
I met L.L. Bowen recently. My un-biased opinion of him was pleasantly enforced. In person, he was softer and more sensitive than his image is portrayed across the 'tube'. I found him more than 'likeable'. Becoming a groupie of his could easily become a threat!
I would especially appreciate his definition/opinion of Caesar's quote: "Vini vidi vici". Any chance?
Santa