March 08, 2007: Stuck on a train
Really chunked off! I've not got a good track record with late night trains, but this time it was not my fault. Went out for a drink with a mate last Thursday night in Soho. Left at a reasonable time to catch the 23:34 from Euston. This journey usually takes about 35 minutes, so I should be home just after 12 o'clock. No biggie. So the train gets to a couple of miles outside of Watford and stops. A minutes or two passes, I think nothing of it. I'm typing away on my laptop anyway. I'm using my time wisely. Then about five minutes pass. I'm thinking this trains taking it's sweet time. Then an announcement, "there's a broken down train at Watford, we can't move". Another couple of minutes, then "another train is on it's way to meet it, but there's signalling problems, so it will take a while… sorry". Another HOUR AND A HALF and we're still there. Fan-tas-tic!
So we're told that there's only one line in use at this time of night, so we just gotta wait. Then we hear that they've opened the other line, but we can't move onto it because of "severe signalling problems". Meanwhile, trains that have left Euston after us are now passing us on these other tracks. I'm on a course the next day in Brighton. I've got to be up at about 6am to catch a train. I'm not happy. We evetually get to Watford, wait there and then slowly progress, but stop at every signal. Whilst others caught some Z's, I forced myself to stay awake so I didn't end up in Milton Keynes again.
I got home at 02:15. I had about 3.5 hours sleep before the Ajax course I was so looking forward too. I couldn't believe it. A 35 minute journey took 5 times as long as it should. Chuffin marvellous!
February 28, 2007: The rumours are true
Yes, it's true. I am honoured to announce that Steph accepted my proposal of marriage whilst staying at the Lawn Cottages near Napier during our holiday in New Zealand. We expect to tie the knot late 2008.
Thank you to everyone who has already given their well-wishes, especially Steph's family.
Steph, you have made me a very happy man. I love you very much!
December 10, 2006: Barcelona Christmas party
I spent last weekend in Barcelona for the corporate Christmas party. Now that's a pretty good Christmas party! Half day on the Friday (always a pleasure) and 2 nights in the fabulous Clarion Hotel Pulitzer. It's not often hotel rooms are as nice as the website pictures would have us believe, but the Pulitzer did not disappoint. Unfortunately the Sky Bar is not open at this time of year, but the lounge bar was very comfortable (just don't order a club sandwich unless you like your chicken clucking in the bun).
Saturday was largely walking around the city and up to GuadÃ's Parc Güell, followed by Casa Batlló and Casa Milà - which is what most of my pictures are of. We followed this up by a quick shop at Vinçon for secret Santa presents. I also got myself a little pressie in the form of a Colorsplash Flash for my Lomo (time for some colourful evening shots).
After watching Dan and Stephen haggle for old soda water bottles it was time for a little sleepy back at the hotel.
The main event started in the private room at a restaurant in the square off the bottom of the Rambla, maybe called Plaça del Teatre, I dunno? So after that we popped into Bar Pippa in the same square. I like this place, it's a great little pub hidden in the corner that feels like you're in somebody's apartment, but with a stage in it. Andrew and I found it when we were there for Jai's stag weekend. We eventually ended up at a club, which my bank statement tells me is called "City Hall". Had a fantastic (and very long, bed at 6am) day. Didn't feel that great on Sunday, and I'm really not a fan of showering whilst still under the influence.
October 17, 2006: Whoops, I did it again...
I woke up in chuffin Milton Keynes again. Not Friday, but the Friday before. I popped over to Hammersmith to see the guys from Tarsus, had a few beers at the Laurie Arms and left at the perfectly reasonable hour of 11. I text the misses to say I'd be home in an hour and a half. I got to Euston to find the blinkin train was full, donned my earphones and rested against the screen. When a seat became available I plonked myself down - the biggest mistake of the night!
I blinked and found myself in MK, yet again. I was so annoyed with myself. The guard happily told me there's no more trains in the London direction until 3:40. Current time 00:45.
That's a miserable feeling. The cabbie wanted £60. I didn't have much to do the following day, so wait it was.
I strolled around Milton Keynes for 3 hours. Not an interesting place to be either. It's all blocks of offices in the middle of their own car parks. I found some police who directed me in the direction on the Theatre District, but I wasn't about to enter the last night Weatherspoons or whatever it was on offer. Instead, I just continued to wander the streets and take a few pictures. Very dull!
So has anyone got any hints on how to stay awake? I was listening to music on my phone, which actually made the alarm (which I had set) inactive apart from flashing the screen.
I'm thinking next time, I'm going to eat. Start munching on a baguette, just to keep me busy.
July 24, 2006: Sleepy head
I had a little miscalculation with the trains last Thursday. There was work party in Hoxton. That was all fine, apart from me falling off the back of a stall in Cru.
So, I had a few drinks, and thought I'd better be on my merry way. I walked up to Old Street and got on the right tube, the wrong way. Changed at Moorgate and eventually made it to Euston. I don't remember much from there actually. The next thing I knew, I'd woken up in Milton Keynes. The train was just about to pull away (heading for Northampton I think), so I quickly jumped off.
I was very confused. It was late (about 0140hrs), and I was tired. I waddled over to the opposing platform and studied the timetable. The next train back to London Euston wasn't until 0331hrs.
A promising young basketball player and his choreographer girlfriend very nicely gave me a couple of taxi numbers. One said £50, the other hadn't even heard of Berkhamsted. That £50 would only mean one extra hours sleep on top of the 2 I was clinging on to. So I decided against that and waited. I feel asleep on the way back to, but luckily the ticket inspector woke me.
Bedtime: 0415hrs.
I thought I've never follow in Andrew's footsteps, but as it turns out, it's very easily done.
A bit rough
Getting on to the train I got talking to some guy who'd been out in Milton Keynes but then fallen asleep waiting for his return train. Leaving him to wait about 3 hours to catch the same train as myself. As we sat down, the ticket inspector came round - at 3 in the bloody morning! - to check our tickets. I explained that I'd fallen asleep and really didn't want to be in Milton Keynes. He shook his head, gave me back my ticket and turned to the other guy.Whilst inspecting the other guys ticket he said 'this is a day return'.
"Yeah" said Other Guy.
"Well it expired at 0230hrs" said the ticket inspector and charged Other Guy another £17 for a one way to Euston.
A bit chuffin steep I thought!!!
May 01, 2006: Start Living
I start a new job tomorrow, working for Living Designs in Shoreditch. I'm very excited about it. I worked at Tarsus for nearly six years, creating sites such as Smart Labels Summit Europe, news and blog systems for Venues, and built their shiny Intranet. I've met a lot of interesting and fun people there, but my time had come to move on.
I'm very much looking forward to this opportunity and all the new challenges. I'll have a good platform to implement my skills and ideas as well as learn lots from the people there. Hopefully I'll be updating my portfolio very soon.
March 26, 2006: Not my mother's day
My poor mother fell down the stairs this morning and broke her ankle in 3 places. She then had to crawl to the phone and call her own ambulance. She's since gone into surgery and had two metal plates put in. Should be out of hospital in three or so days.
I tore ligaments in my ankle playing football once. Seeing you own foot bend the wrong way can be a very traumatic and painful experience. Swelled up like a barrage balloon!
I'm going to take her some DVDs to watch in the hospital, but I'll leave Misery at home.
Get well soon Mum!
February 06, 2006: Happy Birthday to me
Today is my 29th birthday, so I will be mostly playing video games and eating tasty foods. Dump your birthday wishes here and I'll see how popular I really am.
December 11, 2005: Just like MacGyver
Look out MacGyver, there's a new master of practical science! Who needs a plumber when you’ve got a Vittel bottle and some chewing gum?
Last week I noticed a drip coming from my upstairs toilet. This drip became more frequent enticing me to it's damp origin. Inside the cistern I found the plastic nut was leaking, causing the water to reach the overflow drain. I quickly discovered upon tampering with the nut, that this would not be a simple fix.
November 30, 2005: Halo till you drop
Whoops! Might have played a little too much Halo at the weekend, and with the aid of a few fizzy beers, fallen asleep at the wheel. Thanks to Vince for making me the victim of ridicule.
Since I moved home, my router has been resetting my connection to Plus.net every eight minutes. This means I've not been able to take part in Monday Night Halo for over a month. So when Vince suggested a Halo evening, I of course, jumped at the chance. 13 hours later, this was the state of me.
Hopefully my new router should arrive tomorrow and I'll be up and running, ready again.
November 19, 2005: Filming of The IT Crowd
I got into work the other day and the guys said they got tickets for new sitcom called The IT Crowd. Rob had the cheap night out idea of checking out what tickets you get for free and applied for four. Luckily my lovely friend Nikki, works for Talkback Thames and was able to get me a couple. It's written by Graham Linehan of Father Ted fame and produced by Ash Atalla (The Office), so off to a good start there. It's about the IT support department stuck in the murky basement of modern office block. I've worked on a helpdesk before and found the set quite accurate to my previous surroundings. I also know that a majority of IT bods tend to be highly egotistical or, like chefs, completely mad. Either way, this could lead to some interesting character profiles.
When you go to these types of shows, it's common for a stand-up comic to stretch-out the laughter glands of the audience. This case was no exception and the gags were provided by Patrick (don’t know his surname). He was very funny. He didn’t have a routine, but just played off crowd banter enquiring into peoples occupations, like Mark, who makes hair dye.
October 19, 2005: We are Berkoids!
After four months of stress and frustration we finally exchanged contracts. You may have noticed a distinct lack of posts on Brainfire recently. This is due to the final weeks of the purchase taking up all my time and the last thing I wanted to was blog.
But now, I’m a very happy man. Next Friday 28th October I pick up the keys to my wonderful little home. I can’t wait. Berko here I come!
August 31, 2005: Queens Of The Stone Age gig
In contrast to Saturday's concert, Monday dealt me a big of slice hard rock from the band everybody wants to see - Queens Of The Stone Age. This was supposed to take place at Somerset House on 7 July, but was postponed due to the London bomb attacks. This date, at Brixton Academy was also for the fans of other cancelled London shows due to various reasons.
August 28, 2005: Bootleg Beatles gig
It's been a while since my last blog. I guess I've been quite busy. Either that or I've been playing Halo2. Anyway, last Saturday Steph & I went to see the Bootleg Beatles at Kenwood as part of this summers Picnic Concerts.
The format is fantastic! The concert starts 7:30pm. You turn up a couple of hours earlier with a picnic, sit in the sun and relax.
July 26, 2005: New favourite icon
Many thanks to Mr Howat. Who (I'm guessing) got so fed up of looking through his list of bookmarks to find brainfire, took it upon himself to make me an icon (it's up there next to the address).
Now you can all benefit from my little bit of extra branding.
July 14, 2005: Server downtime
Oh dear. What a stressful time it is when your host's server suffer "technical difficulties" and takes 36 hours before it's back online whilst loosing your 2 most recent blogs (now recovered). Hmmm… clearly no load balancing here then. The first technical support guy was so unhelpful. But I knew I had to stay calm, as shouting doesn't get you anywhere in these situations [thinks back to 3 delievries of a Dell].
Thankfully a new server is in place which is actually responds to page requests much faster.
Now I have to find it within myself to re-post the last two blogs.
July 12, 2005: Outcome of the G8
The MPH coalition have updated their website with all the details. All that have supported the cause have made a significant impact on the G8 summit. Greater aid has been promised and some debt removed, but the outcome will not make poverty history. Now that Live8 and the G8 has passed, lets not forget why it happened. These leaders know, now the media coverage has gone the presure will drop. Lets not let this happen. Visit MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY.org every week, stay informed and see what you can do about what's happening in your world.
July 03, 2005: Make Poverty History
You may have noticed the 'MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY' banner on this site. That's because I watched the fantastic Live8 concerts yesterday and I am now a supporter of this worthy cause. Placing this banner onto brainfire is the least I can do. Hopefully, in doing so I will make more people aware and encourage you to get involved.
Hope you watched the gigs yesterday and more importantly listened to what Bob Geldolf had to say.
Oh, and for some of you I know the banner covers the 'Contact' button, but I don't really think that's important right now.
June 25, 2005: Offer accepted
The vendor a lovely house in Berkhamsted accepted our offer on Thursday last week. Before too long we should become Berkoids, enjoying the beautiful surroundings! I'm very much looking forward to moving out of the city and having my own garden. Now starts the whole house buying process… wahoo!
May 08, 2005: Soulwax gig
I've been very busy lately and still trying to recover from the stag do last weekend. So this is a little late.
James and I found ourselves at the Highbury Garage on Thursday to check out the electro-rock 5 piece Soulwax (aka 2 Many DJ's) for the first time in about 4 years.
May 08, 2005: Barcelona stag weekend
Spent last weekend walking around the beautiful city of Barcelona for Jai's stag do. I've been there before on a 3 day training course and managed to get up to the Gaudi Park, albeit at night.
It's amazing to me how little of a place you can see on a 2 day stag do. Trying to make 17 half-cut men walk 100 yards and not lose each other is hard enough as is it, so it's not surprising that we didn't see a single Gaudi bulding.
Continue reading "Barcelona stag weekend"
April 28, 2005: John Butler Trio gig
Went to the Carling Brixton Academy last night to see John Butler Trio. I like this venue, the floor is sloped. Where ever you stand, you can see the stage which is great for shorties like me.
Mr Butler and his rhythm section all perform to a very high standard and made our visit worth while by extending nearly every song. I particularly enjoyed watching the drummer who often abandoned a stick in order to play a conga with one hand which I believe to be a talent in itself.
Plenty of Aussie's in the crowd, which is always a good thing although they did talk an awful lot and there was a support act apparently, but we missed that. All-in-all a good gig which has inspired me to purchase some earlier JBT material.
April 22, 2005: DJ Format gig
James, Stu and myself attended the Mean Fiddler last night to see DJ Format with support from Little Barrie, a 3 piece 70s funk style summer jam type outfit who were rather good. The drummer has a surprisingly high singing voice for his chunky hairy appearance, but this is not to say it was bad. The harmonies & rhythm worked very well over the top of the jingley jangly guitar. Shame we missed the solo on Free Salute due to the second broken string of the night.
April 21, 2005: New sections added
You may notice the new menu on the top right opening 3 new areas of brainfire: About, Portfolio and Contact. This has opened a whole new can of worms - I now have to fill them with words!
Further content will be added throughout the course of my life as and when it happens.
March 04, 2005: New look for brainfire
As you can probably tell, I've launched my new design for brainfire. Exactly 10 months to the day! There's still a few things that need sorting out, which I will be fixing as & when I get a chance & also a few additional sections. Hope you like it? All feedback is welcome.
February 21, 2005: Dan's stag do
Dan's getting married in May this year, so a bunch of us went out to shoot him with paintballs at the weekend. When you're all dressed up in the overalls & masks, it's hard to tell who's who. The stag was presented with some antlers & a booby apron. This made it a lot easier to spot him.
Continue reading "Dan's stag do"
February 04, 2005: A long break
I've been on an amazing long break (35 days) to Australia & New Zealand & hence, have not managed to squeeze out a single blog. I'm finding it difficult to get back into working mode, finding that I'm not really interested.
I might even go back over the last month & log my trip... if I can be bothered. We'll see.
December 18, 2004: Christmas party
It's been a crazy hectic time for me lately. People have been away, there's been a lot of work to do & of course Christmas is coming.
This years Christmas party took place on The Thames, from Tower Hill to the Thames Barrier & back again on a fantastic tall ship called the Artemis last Thursday. Tower Bridge even opened for us on the way out & once again for our moonlit return.
It was fancy dress & the theme was pirates, providing me with the opportunity to imitate Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean, for which I won the prize for Best Dressed Pirate. Yippee!
November 03, 2004: The hand is OK
My hand & myself were discharged from hospital (as an outpatient) today. This is great news for the both of us. I've been told to refrain from any strenuous exercise or anything that could put excess weight on my hand - which is fine with me, PlayStation here I come! I can certainly hold a whole pint, but not necessarily my drink.
November 01, 2004: Drinks with Andrew
Andrew invited me out for a good feed on Tuesday. Got some top grub down my Gregory at the Gourmet Pizza Company on Gabriel's Wharf. It was great to talk full geekyness to someone else who can appreciate it & reciprocate with binary speak. I really need to make sure I make a regular thing of it. Andrew always manages to discover a decent eatery to take me to, like The Marylebone Kitchen.
I haven't been able to blog it until now because the next 2 days all my energy was focused on my 'New Media Strategy Day' which took place today at The Royal Garden Hotel, in Kensington. It's so tiring listening to presentations all day. Although I do find it exciting to take part in the plans for the future our company.
Then Friday, everything stopped because the eagerly awaited Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was released. I narrowly managed to get a copy (one of the last remaining 8 in Hammersmith at 12:30pm). I've been looking forward to this game for a long time & now, in fact, I think I'm gonna go play it.
October 22, 2004: Silly soy sauce
What's going on with these stupid bloody lids on Kikkoman's Soy Sauce bottles? I'm not a fan of this once opened, always open malarky.
I was reaching up to my top shelf in the kitchen & didn't realise I had knocked the bottle over. Next thing I know, my cupboard's bleeding soy sauce all over my chuffin' work tops. Made a right chunking mess I tell ya!
October 21, 2004: Ferrari experience
My lovely friends bought me a Ferrari Taster experience for my birthday. Unfortunately, because of my broken hand I was unable to take part & will have to wait until next year. But Trevor, who was also presented with the same gift did & I went along to watch.
As we booked it so late in the season the only remaining slot was Sunday 17th. Not too much of a problem, until we realised we had to sign in at 08:30. As this experience was taking place near Oxford this meant for an unwelcome early start.
October 14, 2004: Cast off
After 3 long weeks I was starting to forget what my hand looked like. Yesterday I went back to hospital & had my half cast taken off to have my hand examined. The doctor was happy with results considering the state of the fracture. That was great relief I can tell you. My hand was extremely stiff as it was, so any further scar tissue from surgery I can do without.
I was led into the physio's room where Lesley make me this plastic splint within minutes. That was very impressive. I have to wear this in bed & for protection. It's very easy to take off to wash & I can scratch hand when ever I like. I can even tie my shoe laces!
Now I'm on a course of exercises to get my hand back to normal & if all goes well, it should be heeled enough to play Grand Theft Auto in 2 weeks, hurrah!
October 09, 2004: Trip to the Lake District
Last week we had a 5-day holiday in the Lake District, staying at very well equipped & comfortable log cabin in Ambleside. This was supposed to be a biking holiday but because of my broken hand, it became a walking holiday.
It rained pretty much all the time, but I still found it to be a beautiful & inspiring place. On a walk around Rydal Water I was able to stand with my feet in the lake whilst gazing at the perfect reflection of the grassy fell in front of me. As I took a deep breath of the fresh clean air I felt dwarfed by this magnificent Earth we live on. I really should get out of London & appreciate this place some more.
September 23, 2004: Broken wing
Went to the hospital on Tuesday, 9 days after my accident. Turns out, I actually fractured the metacarpal to my index finger. The hand specialist gave me 2 options. Go to Wrexham Park Hospital on Thursday & have a metal plate & wires put in my hand or remain in it's current cast for a further 3 weeks before another examination.
The idea of surgery & risk of infection didn't appeal to me, so I'm going for the suck it & see option. Plus the more scar tissue, the stiffer my hand will become. Hopefully nature will take it's course & my hand will heal, otherwise it's a re-brake & the plate goes in - aaaaargh!
Fingers crossed (left hand only of course)!
September 14, 2004: Pull your finger out
Went on a canal boat trip at the weekend in Bath. Had a great time relaxing, drinking, laughing & general messing about. Sunday though I managed to get my hand stuck under a rope with a 20 ton "Berwyn" the barge attached to the other end & dislocated my finger at the knuckle.
So there I was rolling around on the floor with my clicking finger pointing the wrong way. Managed to pop it back in shortly after & a couple of hours later, as luck would have it - I bumped into a physiotherapist. So at the moment at least, it looks like no serious damage has been done & so for now, I'm practising left handed mouse operation.
September 09, 2004: The filming of "Personal"
"Personal" is a short movie made by a friend of mine, Nicole, who asked if my flat could be used as the main location of the 4-day shoot. This was a big decision to make as of course, my home & personal space was to be completely invaded by up to 15 strangers. But with the consent of my landlord & my interest in the industry we opted in.
With filming due to start on Saturday morning, the preceding week was filled with uncertainty. I kept myself busy taking pictures of local pubs with pool tables & a garden. Friday night felt like the top of a roller coaster - the big rush was eminent. I didn't know whether I should be worried about my home or excited about the experience & there was no going back now.
August 18, 2004: My best friends wedding
Went to one of my greatest friends wedding on Saturday in Herefordshire. It was an excellent wedding that went very well & the weather was very nice to us indeed seeing as it rained either side of the day.
I was very honoured to do a reading of "Love Is..." at the church ceremony which I was very nervous about, but managed to get through it without a hick-up.
This was the first wedding from my group of friends & it was great to see all of us dressed up for the occasion.
The bride looked stunningly beautiful & perfectly matched with her groom. Now on their honeymoon, I wish them all the happiness together for many years to come.
Well done to Trevor who did an excellent job of being the best man. We appreciate how much work you put in to the Stag Do's & the day itself. Thank you for an entertaining speech too.
July 12, 2004: Sherlock Holmes tourist trap
Having some out-of-towners staying with me at the moment, we took to the streets on London to experience the main attractions & points of interest.
One that should really should be missed is the Sherlock Holmes Museum at 239 Baker Street (not really 221B as written in Arthur Conan Doyle's books as it doesn't actually exist).
Continue reading "Sherlock Holmes tourist trap"
May 10, 2004: Glove trading
Over the weekend & helped out the in-laws on their garden glove stall at The Spring Gardening Show in Malvern. It was physically tiring to be on my feet for 10 solid hours for 2 days running. But it was a well received change from the usual stress of 9-5 office job.
Continue reading "Glove trading"
April 18, 2004: Dealing Lilys
Just a quick one to brighten up the place. Went to get some flowers from a stall on the way home of Friday. The guy was packing up & offered me a whole bunch of Red Lilys for £5. Bargain I thought & took them.
Some woman turned up & tried to buy some of them before they were handed over, but quick thinking flower stall guy told her they we sold to us for £25.
Result!
April 18, 2004: Greenpeace scale Disney
The first thing I saw on Thursday (15 Apr 2004) morning was Mickey Mouse waving at me - which was nice, until I realised that his paper-mache head enclosed a Greenpeace Activist who, along with Minnie & 2 helpers had managed to scale the UK headquarters to building to protest against their use of hazardous chemicals in childrens clothing.
With their massive banner which read "Disney: Stop selling toxic pyjamas to kids - Greenpeace", Greenpeace camped out on the reception part of the building until half way through Friday.
April 10, 2004: Saw Concorde & a parrot
Where was I? - London. Yesterday was such a lovely day that we needed to make something of it & went for a walk. Walk became trek as we crossed the Thames to Barnes & eventually hiked from Chiswick to Richmond.
Saw a woodpecker, a parrot (which I think has escaped from some stupid Chiswickian - good luck Polly!) & then BAs last Concorde which is on it's was to Scotland.
Wish I took my camera instead of relying on my crappy Sony Ericsson T610, so many photo opportunities slipped away.
I recommend everyone to get out once in a while & see London from a different perspective.
April 04, 2004: brainfire's first blah blah blog
That's right! I've managed to set up my first blogness using Movable Type. Which is already proving to be an awesome piece of kit.
This space will be used to vent the fat lump in my skull of any subject I see fit. For now though, I'm empty.
Thanks to Andrew for getting me to set this up & helping me with the Perl stuff.
