It's Been A Long Time

Its been a long time since I've posted anything on here. Will anybody read any updates? Who knows...

Still I've decided I'll just use this to post any amusing pictures and stories and the like I find round the internet.

To get you started, here is a quality shot of the Dubai Skyline, covered in clouds. Pretty impressive I think...

Your County Needs You!

Reading List

My normal reading of choice is either sci-fi/fantasy series (Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern Series, or Raymond E. Feist’s Midkemia/Kelewan based books are my favourites) or a light hearted comedy (Ben Elton or Robert Llewellyn are good choices here).
Recently though I have found my self reading a couple of books that would not normally be my choice. Firstly I read ‘Stupid White Men’ and ‘Dude, Where’s My Country?’, both by Michael Moore. Now I’d seen a couple of his films and thought they raised some good points so I was interested to read more. Now I’m not one for much politics, though I did enjoy The West Wing on TV and it did help give me somewhat more of an understanding of how things happen in the US. I have to admit to finding the books reasonably hard going (a lot of facts and procedure about the American electoral system for example), but some of the actual claims Moore makes in the book are shocking. Even if only half of them are true it is obscene what went on, especially what allegedly happened with Bush winning the election. Of course Michael Moore is perhaps fighting from one extreme against another, but its still scary reading.

The other book I’ve read recently was 'Stamping Grounds', about a journalist who spent a year following the Liechtenstein National Football Team. You might know I enjoy reading interesting football stories, especially ones where the team involved is so small and struggling (another good book along these lines is 'Pointless', about East Stirling FC in the Scottish 3rd Division). Anyway this book actually turned more into finding out the culture and history behind such a small country and was really interesting to read. I would like to visit Liechtenstein someday to see how it compares to how it was described in the book.

DANNY BERGARA RIP

You may have heard the news, but Danny Bergara has sadly passed away, after fighting illness recently. This has kind of hit the fans of County, including myself.

For those of you not in the know, 'Sir' Danny was County manager during the early 90s, and led County to some of their most successful times, including a promotion and 4 trips to Wembley! He is the man who start the period of success during the 90s which led us getting promotion eventually to the Championship and on the verge of the play-offs to the Premiership.

Born in Uruguay, it is believed he was the first ever non-British manager to manage an English league side. Though he never achieved any real success in his other jobs before or after County, he always had a great welcome when he returned to Edgeley Park and will always be remebered as a hero for what he did with County.

RIP Danny Bergara - a legend in the true sense of the word!

How insignificant are we?

I just saw this video and its really impressive. Makes you realise just how small an unimportant we really are in the grand scheme of things. You can't imagine how big some of the stars in the Universe are, they really are mind-blowing!

The Goos and Smoking

Last night myself and Shiz went to the Apollo to watch The Goo Goo Dolls. This was the third time I've seen them in probably a year and a half, perhaps less! And once again they were brilliant. I think thats all I need to say about it!

Whilst in the Apollo I was interested to see how effectively the smoking ban was going to be enforced, as the Apollo is usually an inceadibly smoky venue. But to my surprise I didn't see anyone smoking, and it made the whole place much more pleasant. Though it was quite sweaty by the end of the concert...

Benidorm

Benidorm is an interesting place. Well interesting isn't perhaps the right description for it, but its close enough.

Was there over the weekend just gone for a stag do for Neil, mate from Uni. Basically the weekend consisted of 3 nights solid drinking, getting back around 6am, up for about 12noon each day to sit round the pool. So by Sunday I was pretty much dead on my feet, and I was one of people who felt better!

Benidorm is a horrible place though for anything other than a stag do/hen party or something similar. Why you would want to go for a holiday for a week, or even two weeks like some people there, I really don't know. Apart from the bars, there is only the beach or the pool for something to do during the day! And some of the shows in the bars are...uncomfortable to say the least!

Still as a stag do we had a good laugh, and it was good to meet up with some of the Uni lot again.

And its given some ideas of where NOT to go for Belch's stag do next year!!

Yippee Ki Yay

Well I went and did it again! Left it ages since my last post. In my defence I have been pretty busy with the move and settling in to my house - I haven't got the internet set up yet and left my computer at my parents house - but too be honest thats no excuse as I have had plenty of time at work really just have been lazy...its actually harder to find things to write about than I thought it might be...

Anyway this is now two weeks since I properly moved into my house. Things are slowly fitting into place. The first weekend I moved a lot of stuff over, bought a tv and stuff. The following weekend I had the housewarming. This was great - the Friday Rich, Alex and Mikey from Uni came over, we watched the England game then got right royally bladdered at Cobdens in Stockport. Nights out in Stockport are very...interesting. We saw the most bizarre kareoke at a pub in Edgeley, and Cobdens had its funny moments too. The Saturday Rish and Amit (a couple more mates from Uni) arrived, we had a game of football and then most people from home came over and warmed my house, as it were. Good times, it was good to see lots of my mates together having a good time and good to catch up with the Uni lot.

Anyway that'll do (for now). Oh, one more thing - HI SCOTT!!

Housewarming!

So finally I should be definately moving in next weekend. Tiling pretty much done (just the last bit of touching up to do). Blinds ordered and should be here next week. Bits and pieces slowly being bought, kitchen set up now. Its all taking shape!

The important details though - the Housewarming date and time is set. Saturday June 2nd 2007, kicking off from 6.30pm. Already plenty of people confirmed. The Friday I have a couple of Uni mates coming over to experience the Stockport Beer Festival, more coming over on the Saturday for a Bramhall Rangers vs Indus Milan game (see the post on the Rangers blog) and then the housewarming. No doubt there will be comedy moments abound, so expect photos!

Speaking of photos, I've been getting a bit addicted to Facebook, which is a really good way to keep in touch with people and share photos. If your on there let me know! :)

Looking at New Year now and where to go this time round after the sucess of Cork and Windermere. Whitby gets my vote, but York, Barcelona and Wales have been mentioned...

St George's Day

Well today is the 23rd April, and that means St George's Day. What, you didn't know?!?

Unsurprisingly if you didn't you are not alone, and I think its a sad state of affairs personally. People seem to be more than happy to celebrate St Patrick's Day (admittedly more as a result of some clever marketing by Guinness than anything else, but still...) despite not being Irish or anywhere near it.

It seems strange that Countries around the world have National Holidays when we don't seem to be bothered. OK admittedly something like Independence Day in the US celebrates an important date, but we really should celebrate being English!

No doubt the PC-brigade would be quick to jump on this as offensive, however listening to news reports I even heard immigrants to this Country (one woman in particular stood out - she was born, bred and raised in India and now lives in Manchester, and she was celebrating St George's Day as she felt it was part of living in this Country.

The sooner we get a Bank Holiday (remember we have less than most other Countries in the Western World) to celebrate being English the better in my opinion!

Changing Rooms

So I've been busy pottering around slowly sorting out bits and pieces for the house. Won't move in until there is a shower put in and a couple of bits of electrics work sorted, I reckcon 2-3weeks still. Hopefully the electrician can do his stuff next week, then I can get the bathroom tiled. That will be it then.

Cooker and fride-freezer coming on Friday when I am hiring a van to move the big bits of furniture (beds, wardrobes and the like) over Friday night and Saturday morning.

I'm keen to get in now, but struggling to find a sofa and chairs for the lounge, which will be one of the last things holding me back. Got to find curtains/blinds too - but that means thinking ahead to what colour scheme I want my rooms. Not as easy as it might sound!

Glasgow...and a house!

Just a short update. Glasgow was good - had some beers, saw the sights, watch some Scottish 3rd Division football (Albion, the team we were there to watch, lost 3-0 so that was disappointing, but it was quite good to see something like that) and went round the Hamden Park museum and tour. I'll post some pictures later this week.

However in more important I now have a house! Eventually picked the keys up on the way to the airport on Friday! So now got to start getting things sorted like bills and council tax...and then start thinking about DIY and stuff. I won't be moving in for a few weeks yet though.

Anyway more later! :)

Nearly A Man Of Property!

Well I'm sat waiting for the phone to go from the estate agents to confirm I can go pick up the keys for my house. The solicitors rang me about 10am this morning to say they are transferring the money to the sellers, and I should hear within an hour from the estate agents to confirm this. The Estate Agents then rang about 45 minutes later to say they are just waiting for confirmaion, but I've not heard since. I wish it would just hurry up now! I will be heading to the airport to Glasgow about 2.30pm, and I was hoping to get the keys and have a quick look in before I went!!

Anyway while thats all going I'm all set for Glasgow. Should be good - a few beers, some Scottish 3rd division football... Back late on Sunday so sometime early next week I'll post a short report of anything of note and maybe a couple of photos. Unless I am getting too carried away with my house!

Don't forget the photos from Mini and Charlottes 1 year housewarming are up. Click on the link on the right for my Photobucket account to see them!!

Photo-time!

We will ignore the weekends football, both England and County were poor. One more so than the other, but anyway...

Just a quick message - on behalf of Mini and Charlotte I have uploaded most of the photos of the 1 Year Anniversary House Warming Party. You can see the good times that were had by all! They are in my photobucket account.

The house should be nearly done and dusted - as far as I am aware everything is back from the sellers though got to check a couple of things with my solicitors. More soon (hopefully!).