In the torrential rain I drove down to The Deer Park cross country in Gloucestershire to walk the show-jumping and cross country track in preparation for
Category: Stuff
Just about to go to bed when…
Soph says “Is it too late to watch a film?” “Nah, not really. What film do you want to watch?” “Night of the Comet?” “Cool!”
Get up you lazy sod!
You! Yes you in the green bathrobe; sitting there on the couch. Expression like a half-intelligent zombie while you’re bashing away at that laptop. Haven’t
The welfare of the child is paramount
This is a quote from a piece of legislation that is the centrepiece of English and Welsh childcare legislation: The Children Act (1989) as updated
Header (again)
Got bored with the previous. Umm… I’m actually in this photo! Oh yes, ’tis true. B.
Zero carbon? Zero bull?
This is a tough one, the subject is open to as many opinions as there are bands appearing at this weekend’s V Festival (where the
Knew this would happen
Don’t often twitter about the 9-5 side of things but… Last week I accepted a very interesting opportunity in Wiltshire that I’m due to start
The sins of the parents, visited on the public…
So we learn today that six teenaged Warrington children (one of fifteen, two of sixteen, two of seventeen and one of eighteen) have been charged
… silence…
Bliss. She’s stopped. 18.20 and the parents of the owner (or his wife’s parents) have arrived. B.
More doggy thoughts (again)
Yep. She’s at it again – Millie. Been howling away since 15.30 (it’s 17.55 now). The earlier howls stopped around 13.15. This now is not
Friends Reunited
Friends Reunited seems to have taken a back seat in the Web v2.0 explosion. Peculiar really, given that Friends Reunited has a much better search
More doggy thoughts
Yep, it’s been over an hour since my last post and Millie’s still at it. So now I’m having ‘fix the doggy’ thoughts. Weedkiller-flavoured raw
Good morning!
Ah, Sunday morning. Breakfast in bed, an ogle at The Lovely S, a quick tap of the laptop. And all accompanied by the ever-present howling
Not a good jumpy experience…
Because the Hunter Trial was canclled I jumped Vin in the arena at home. Sue had set up a schooling grid of three fences on
Don’t go outside tomorrow evening
Don’t look out the window. Stay indoors. Seal yourself away. There’s going to be a meteor shower – or so we are told. Well I’ve
Hangin’ on the telephone…
Had a call from Mr Vodafone. Mr V: Hi Mr Jones, you know that your annual contract has expired? Mr J: Yes. Mr V: Well,
Book review: Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
I approached this with considerable trepidation. It was a ‘set text’ ‘ a novel from the list for the Readers Group. I haven’t read many works by
Cleaning out my closet
Blimey, I’m quoting Eminem! I’ve just finished performing some housekeeping on an old email account. I don’t know why I still keep it, I don’t
Sorry luv…
Tomorrow’s Hunter Trial at Allenshill has been called off – waterlogged course. Need to make some phone calls! B.
Sometimes I live a simple life
Today I: Backed up my laptop (complete not incremental) Backed up The Lovely S’s laptop (same procedure) Backed up my iPod Backed up the static
Well yes. I mean no. Erm, of course. Not.
I’ll use this string of vegetarian sausages I just happened to be carrying, then. Maybe. B.
(Horse) News At Ten
Bong! I’ve been remiss. Bong! Much has occurred. Bong! Â Horse stuff: Two days of fence-judging at last week’s British Riding Club Horse Trials Championships
Pssssst… wanna buy a pistol?
It’s a beaut. * Beretta M9, 9mm (so it’ll take NATO, Russian and Chinese 9mm ammunition) * Semi-automatic * Single or double-action * Handle up
Mercury rising
An interesting story here tells us that heatwaves are getting longer. I haven’t read the research and frankly I’m not very likely to because my reading
Book review: Lois On The Loose
I was desperate for something ‘light’ and this paperback was on top of one of our reading piles in the spare room. And it’s about
Tonight Matthew, I’m going to be… grumpy.
So. I lent my horsebox to someone at the yard. She went off in it on Friday and brought it back Sunday evening – as
OMG, horror in Asia
I was going to write a ferreting-about examination of active/passive voice; try to work out something that’s been in my head for most of the day. But
Improving with age
My funny bone is on active rather than passive mode today. BBC Radio 2’s daily competition to find the network’s most narrow-minded listener (the Jeremy
Sitting in judgment
I’m so excited! Tomorrow I get to go over Leamington way to do something nerdy: Fence judging at the 2008 British Riding Club Horse Trials
Published again…
I’ve neglected writing news lately. Bit odd, for a blog on a writer’s website. But fingers in pies etc. So the news… Words Magazine have
Comedy gold
Big Brother 8. The half-way housemates game. In their boxes. Shanessa pops up and says ‘I’m free!’ Dressed in a cow’s suit. With a cow’s
A little horsey humour
The best horse in Europe… 🙂 B.
Misunderstanding statistics the BBC way
We’re screwed. The battle between the continual advance of technology and mankind’s equally continual ability to misunderstand data continues. But the latter edges ahead in
Combined Training
Brilliant. The Lovely S and I got out of bed more or less on time. We did the usual stuff then left the house more
Sixteen hands between your legs
It is a tradition (in my world anyway) to give one’s horse a gentle hack around the immediate countryside on the day before a competition.
How to cut your motoring bills
Driver? Car owner? Want to reduce your motoring overheads? Let me help you. I guarantee that by following my four easy steps you can cut the
Horsebox fixed…
Gary The Mechanic (bless) has fitted a new exhaust on the lorry. So we’re fully mobile again. Yay! Brennig.
Let’s get high…
US astronauts were allowed to fly while drunk at least twice, a review panel set up by space agency Nasa has found. Wow! I mean…
Combined training, Sunday
Hmm… Dressage at 12.22 and show jumping as soon as we’ve changed tack and worked in. Need to be at Allenshill at 11.00. Which means
Film news…
Got to see…Â Transformers (hey, I’ve seen four trailers for it; it looks brilliant!), and… The Simpsons and… The Bourne Ultimatum. On Sunday The Lovely
Writing? Of course!
My friend is running a writing course. A course for those wishing to improve their writing. Style, technique, voice – the lot. And she’s holding
This is the age of the train?
Try this commute, any websites you can think of. Your journey is Bromsgrove to Swindon. A. by Train: = 3 hours (Bromsgrove to Birmingham New
Book review: the book, the film, the t-shirt by Matt Beaumont
Front cover description: ‘a very funny book about very stupid people’ Actually… No. I laughed once during this book (top of page 139 if you’re
Facebook, Faceparty, Bebo – social networking websites
With the news that Facebook might seek a horrendously large buyout in the future… And that Facebook is facing a lawsuit from another social networker… I’m
This morning’s show jumping…
Didn’t happen. Yeah, I know. Waste of space. It didn’t happen because I was too tired last night. I could explain but… But I schooled
For the busy motorist
Afraid of getting caught out? Need to ‘go’ but you’re already going somewhere? Caught in a nose-to-tail jam with the tortoise poking its nose out?
Passive smoking can kill you
the words Hell and Handbasket figure largely in my head today… In west London a 47-year-old former British Heavyweight Champion is in hospital fighting for
Student daze…
It’s official. My first pile of course-work has been delivered. And today I received the official ‘welcome’ letter. I am once again a university student.