An ale at the Albion Arms 21-08-2003

28 May 2013

Mornin all

Hope you all enjoyed getting up nice & early to go to work today.

Here's a nice thought for you.

How would you like to live in a suburb/town called......Spital.
My they have some odd names over here but that one is up there with the best
along with Grimsby & Scunthorpe. Why not phlegm or mucus while they're at
it?

For them of youse that were about in the 70's there is a pub here that would
have loved old Tricky Dickie Nixon. He must have generated an astonishing
amount of free publicity for it. It is called ....
The Watergate Inn.


{mosimage}

Nice to see that finally Australia made the news here yesterday. Some
amazing piece of diplomacy or political history being made? Nope! An
extraordinary medical or scientific breakthrough? Nope! Nobel prize winners?
Nope! Some pommie git sailing in the Whitsundays gets hit by a whale. Yep!!!
It seems, via the media over here, that the only things that are in, or ever
happen in Australia are those that eat you, bite you, sting you, try to
swallow you or generally harm you in one form or another.
There is even an add for Fosters in which some bloke bungee jumping into a
river has his head bitten off by a croc just as he touches the water.
Not a bad add, something about the beer not losing it's head. Still wouldn't
make me drink the crap though.

Not entirely sure that there is too much more to see here in Chester. Walked
the walls, walked just about every cobbled street inside them, rowed up the
river, & back, obviously, eaten in 2 rather average restaurants (better than
Derby though), drunk pints of bitter in a small selection of their pubs (
there are quite a few of these) & FINALLY had a good feed in a little pub
called the Albion Arms.
This is one of those accidents that you really enjoy.
Whilst wandering the walls on Tuesday I, for no particularly good reason
after taking some photos of a garden below the walls, paused & looked out
into the town. The was nothing of any great interest there but my gaze was
drawn towards a blackboard sign outside the door of yet another pub. Most of
the little pubs have these, advertising the same dreary menu of chips &
haddock, chips & gammon, chips & curry, chips & beans, chips & chips. good
beer, family friendly blah, blah, blah.... This one, however was slightly
different. It had in large letters...
REAL FOOD.
NO CHIPS.
NO PLASTIC MUSIC/JUKEBOX.
NO CHILDREN.
FAMILY HOSTILE!!.
"Bugger me", thought I.
After taking a photo of the sign I decided that it was just somewhere that I
had to go.
So I did.
The first patrons I came upon as I sauntered in was an old farmy (is there
such a word?) looking couple having their lunch with their dog ( a spaniel
of some description) curled up under the table.
"Good start" thinks I.
Dom, you would have been overcome with excitement with this place. Woody
city for you.
All over the walls were old advertising boards, photos, paintings etc from
the first world war. There was even a framed version of the Royal Mail
newspaper of the day that Lord Kitchener was killed. There were propaganda
posters & brass plates for fallen family members (mostly, sadly, the same
family). It was like stepping back into a pub in 1918. Except for the food.
It may have been fairly standard pub fair(roast lamb, roast turkey, liver,
haggis, salmon, a few different curries etc) but it was bloody good. AND NO
CHIPS!!! Just properly cooked, tasty, good food with real veggies. Not
overcooked slush but real veggies.
And no squealing brats. Think I may go back today.

{mosimage}

It is quite possible that this is where Michael Palin came to refine some of
his voices that he used in the Monty Python stuff. I overheard (it was not
difficult) an argument going on in the street this morning between two
chaps. Out of about 2 minutes of unbroken abuse there were only 3 words that
I recognized. Dickhead, Fucking & Police. Not necessarily in that order or
even in close proximity to each other but I sort of understood what it was
about. The odd thing was that the guy that was being abused ( & looking very
miserable about it) was a very tough looking little sod who, in my
estimation, could have beaten the tripe out of the skinny, lanky noodle that
was dishing it out.
Very odd.

Ah well, I seem to run out of ideas so I might sod off now.

Off to Nantwich & Oulton Park tomorrow. For those of you that recall
Nantwich is where, last year, I climbed the dirty great hill (twice) to take
some photos of Beeston Castle with a camera that wasn't working. Better be
bloody working this time otherwise the swearing fit in Bath last year will
be eclipsed in the extreme.

Hungarian GP this weekend as well. Good luck to everyone but the kraut
bastard in the red car.
I won't be doing much of anything for the next few days except watching
motor racing so it may be well into next week before I gloat again.

cheerio

F.U.S.B.

Right at Home at the Oddfellows Arms 19-08-2003

28 May 2013

A perfectly named place for me to have a drinkie......

Well, a couple of days & about 50 miles (due West) later I am on an entirely
different planet. After the dreary, beggar infested industrial squalor that
is the town of Derby I have wound up in Chester. May only be about 50 miles,
but like Newport & Mount Druit the difference is quite remarkable.
The sun is shining, there is not the constant sound of Police sirens &
burglar alarms & you can hear the birds (& there are some here) singing. The
girls are pretty, England actually won the cricket & all is right with the
world.
Bet the food is good here too. I've got to come across something decent
sooner or later.

{mosimage}

Speaking of the cricket, what an absolute cracker of a day to decide to drop
in on. England led on the first Innings but were 1-0 at the start of the
days play. About 3 hours later they were all out for 118 & it looked for all
the world that after scoring 445 in their first innings they had found yet
another novel way to lose a sporting event. After another 3 hours South
Africa had crumbled to 5-70 odd. There may have been only 30 odd runs scored
in the last session (2 hours) & most of them in the first of those hours but
by christ it was an utterly fascinating afternoons play with the bowlers
right on top & a crumbling pitch but the 2 not out SA batsmen (McKenzie &
Boutcher) hanging on as if their life depended on it. If they had survived
for a while this morning things may have turned out differently but they
lost 3-11 in 13 balls & that, effectively, was that. Lots of very strange
folk in the crowd. If I had been wearing the Kilt I would have looked almost
normal. Hairy guys in dresses & blond wigs & just for Arron, a bloke (I
suppose) in a big wooly sheep costume. He must of damn near died in that
thing as it was quite warm in the sun but he didn't take it off all day.
Being in Nottingham there was even a bunch of Robin Hood types in their
green tights & a particularly ugly Maid Marion with a very bushy mustache.
Sort of Merv Hughes in drag. Hmmm.

Only just arrived in Chester about an hour ago but it seems that there is
plenty do do here for the next few days. Another one of these old walled
cities with building that lean out over the cobble stone streets at alarming
angles. I'm surprised that some of them aren't held up with cables like the
tower at Piza (Pisa?) Buggered if I know the spelling. Buggered if I know
how they stay up. Buggered if I know how they haven't been condemned but
everyone seems quite happy with them & it make for an interesting scene.

Peter, you have competition. There is a Thompson's Fine Foods here as well.
No bloody great Cattleman's Cutlets in the window though so I guess you win.
Just hope they deliver this to you & not the place here.

There was a rather large dinosaur made out of whacking great roles of wheat
on the road here. Didn't seem to be any reason for it, it just was. Would
have thought that a farmer here abouts would have had better things to do
with his time but what the hell. Perhaps it was his idea of a scarecrow, if
I were a crow it would scare the shit out of me. Bloody thing was about 30
feet high. A little further on was what appeared to be the last of the
determined land owners. Poor sod had this little farm, probably not more
than about 10 acres, with a couple of cows & a lovely little white cottage
completely surrounded by a dirty great industrial estate. He obviously
refused to sell up so they just built this thing all around him. Good on him
I say. Pity about his view though.

Al, what happened in the football?
Pete, how goes the GT40?
Rita, how goes your trip? Haven't heard anything from you for a while.

Ah well, I will report in again towards the end of the week before I head
off to Nantwich (& Oulton Park) for more gasoline sniffing.

Enjoy work.

F.U.S.B.

An empty pint at the Pig & Truffle 16-08-2003

28 May 2013

My, it's that time again.

Having consumed another couple of pints of bitter it is time to spew forth
some more drivel to really, really piss you all off.
Ready?
You sure?
OK here we go................

Split from Castle Donington last Monday & sped North (in a round-about sort
of manner) & wound up in Keswick & spent 4 days lazing about the Lakes
district taking in all the rather spectacular sights.

{mosimage}

Lots of green. Lots of VERY big hills. Lots of lakes. On Tuesday, lots of
rain & mist so driving over the goat tracks called roads up there was quite
exciting. They are fun if you have good weather because, with roads going up
& down 30 degrees (bloody steep) that are only as wide as the car, with no
barriers so you can see straight down the side of the cliff & sheep to dodge
they can be a bit of a challenge. When it's pissing down with rain & the
clouds are so low that you are actually driving through them & you can't see
more than about 15 yards in front of you it definitely gets your attention.
Fined up over the next 2 days though so there should be some pretty
pictures. If the camera works this time. After last years debacle I may just
have to climb up that bloody great hill & photo Beeston Castle again. Better
work this time.
Food in Keswick is utter crap.
Not much more to be said on that matter.
Back down to Derby today (about 15 miles from Donington, round & around in
circles I go). Not what you would describe has a scenic little town however
it is nice & close to Nottingham & Trent Bridge where I shall be spending
the day tomorrow wallowing in the sun & watching a days test cricket between
the Poms & South Africa. Poms are reasonably well placed at this point but
SA are about to bat & it IS the English Cricket team.
Sorry Dom.
The old band Queen would have loved Derby, lots of material for their songs
like "Fat bottomed Girls".
There is what is described as an Australian Bar here. It's interesting to
see how we are viewed in other parts by people who obviously have never been
south of Blackpool. The menu was a hoot. Lots of stuff like "Genuine
Australian Wildfire spice/Walkabout sauce" Never bloody heard of them, have
you?
"Australian Crocodile fillets". Funny, I could have sworn that crocs were a
protected species in OZ unless they have been grazing upon humans.
And the decor, GOOD GRIEF!!! Like something out of a Mad Max film. No wonder
they think we have roos in George St.
Mind you, the Pig & Truffle is a nice old pub & will probably pull in some
of my coinage.

For those of you that may want a quick report on the races at Donington,
read on.
The rest of you can bugger off now.

Wasn't a bad meeting all in all.
There was;
Thoroughbred Grand Prix race, non turbo F1 cars from early 70's to early
80's.
FIA World Sports car championship race.
European F3000 championship race.
2- Historic F2 races for F2 cars from late 60's to late 70's
2-British Sportscar championship races.
2-Supercart races.

The main event (as far as I was concerned) was the TGP.
Unfortunately none of the Ferraris or Alfas showed up (they were running
around the Nurburgring) so it was a field full of Cosworths. Williams FW07s
& FW08s dominated the race but there was plenty of interesting beasties in
the lower half of the field. Lotus 81s,87s,91s & even one of the twin
chassised Lotus 88s (banned from the world championship for being too far
ahead of everyone else's thinking)which came home in 6th. Several Arrows A4s
& an A6 which was being driven with élan to say the least.
Not sure if it was intentional however. Getting it completely sideways under
power out of the Melbourne loop every lap was most entertaining if not the
quickest way around. 3 Ensigns also showed up (N175, N177 & N180) which
although rather pretty were not particularly competitive. The was however
the one daft git who went out in the pooring rain on slicks, but not for
long. An expensive decision. One hopeful chap even turned up with an
Osella. Very hopeful, spent more time off the circuit & in the barriers
than on the track. A couple of Tyrrells rounded out the field, 011 & 012.
After a race that started wet, got wetter & red flagged & then started in
the wet again it was a Williams
1-2 with the Tyrrell 011 coming home in 3rd followed by another 2 Williams &
the Lotus 88. All rather spread out & no great dices but lovely to see them
thrashing about all the same.

{mosimage}

The FIA Sportscar race, despite a rather slim field was a fine race all the
way to the end of it's 2 & a half hours.
Ex F1 driver Jan Lammers won in the Dome but probably only because Jamie
Walle's pole-sitting DBA was slowly running out of gears. And then did
altogether with about 15 minutes to go. Wallace was only about 20 seconds
behind at the time & Lammers still had a final pitstop to make. Would have
been close.
There were other bad luck stories as well. One car lost it's engine with
only 2 minutes to go while running 3rd. Bugger.
F3000 race was again a pretty thin field but not a bad race.
Minardi test driver Gabriele Bruni held on in the wet after blowing a 16
second lead in about 14 laps only to have his persuer run up his arse at the
Melbourne hairpin & wipe out his front wing.
Watching some of the minor events from the Cramer curves was illuminating.
Unlike Eau Rouge, which looks daunting on the idiot box, these curves are
utterly spectacular when viewed in person. Bloody fast & bloody steep & the
camber is all wrong so if you stuff up your line..................

Anyhow, the chap here is trying to close up so until next time.....

I'm off for a pint.

f.u.s.b.

Disappearance from Donington 11-08-2003

28 May 2013

Evenin all

Well first things first, it has been brought to my attention that I am now
sans employment.
Yes folks thats right, my redundancy has been confirmed.
YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry Geoff.

Ivan, Hernando, did you get yours? Who else will be going?

Well, back to more mundane matters.
I'm sure you will all be highly relieved to know that my luggage finally
turned up on Saturday afternoon.
I was.

Spent 3 glorious days in the sun at the Donington Park motor circuit
enjoying modern day sports cars & formula 3000 racing & positively
salivating over the Thoroughbred Grand Prix cars.
These are the F1 cars of my childhood. Anything from a 1970 Brabham (one
that Jack drove) to early 80's Williams, Lotus's (Lotii??) & Tyrrells etc.
Unfortunately neither the Ferraris or the Alfas turned up so it was a bit
like super Formula Ford (they were all powered by Cosworth V8s) but lots of
fun & nostalgia.

Poms still bitching about the weather. Apparently yesterday was the first
day in English history that they cracked the old 100 degrees mark. It was a
bloody marvelous day, just like a Sydney summer. Nice & warm in the morning,
a little humid but not too much, then a whacking great thunder storm to cool
everything down in the afternoon.

{mosimage} 

The thunder storm made the racing a great deal more entertaining as the old
F1s & the European Formula 3000 races were held in the wet which made one
chaps decision to go out in his 1977 Ensign on SLICKS!!! somewhat dubious.
There are brave decisions & then there are BRAVE!! decisions. The fact that
he lasted about a lap & a half before clouting the barriers says a lot more
about his car control ability than his ability to make sane decisions. Ah
well, he didn't hit the barriers that hard. Just a lot of cosmetic damage,
the chassis was OK.

Anyhoo I am off to some lookin about at cultural type stuff before my next
Racing hit in 2 weeks at Oulton Park.

Time, I think for a pint of bitter to celebrate my lack of employment.

Until next time...

The really, really,

F.U.S.B.

Day 2 - A Little Improvement 08-08-2003

28 May 2013

This is the Central Scrutinizer....

Hi, It's me again...........

I'm sure that you are all eagerly awaiting the next exciting episode so here
we go...

Well 1 of the 2 missing bags finally arrived at Manchester at about 3;30Pm
by which time British Airways had most generously offered me 1 free coffee
for wasting my entire day. Of course it was not the bag that had any useful
clothes in it. It was the one with my Goodwood's idiot clobber (Kilt etc) so
although I was glad that I wasn't a couple of grand out (Kilts are rather
expensive) it wasn't much use for day to day use.

Hertz, on the other hand were quite repentant about not having my car so
they upgraded me to some rather flash new Toyota (3.5 litre turbo with
electronic everything & GPS navigation system). Goes like the bloody
clappers it does. Didn't take me long to break the 100 mph mark again. I
like the roads over here & I haven't got onto a motorway yet. 150 her we
come.

I have spent a most pleasant morning booking in to the quack here in
Donington & getting registered as a temporary resident so I could get some
replacement drugs for the diabetes etc. Yes folks, the original ones are in
the missing bag as well. Just the sort of fun you really look forward to
when travelling. The bloody bag will probably turn up today now that I have
spent a fortune on drugs/clothes etc.

Had a rather decent Trout for munchies last night. Looking forward to
raiding the Indian joint here in Donington tonight. Easily the best Indian &
have had anywhere. One of the reasons I keep coming back to this little
town. Apart from the cars that is........

Ah well, that'll do for now.

F.U.S.B.