Re: Bob's Bits.

Thanks for that Nom, I'll try and get a photo next time I go down there. It'll need to be a fast exposure!

Re: Bob's Bits.

It should have been a good run this morning, the sun was shining and not a cloud in the sky, no need for a running top just a tee shirt, and very little traffic on those remote country roads - not at six in the morning there isn't.
But it wasn't a good run, the pace was slow and laboured and the further I went the worse it got. I was determined to make it eight miles though and I continued on at a snails pace. I was glad to arrive home this morning, and lucky that I didn't have to walk.

A nice steady drive to the B&Q for some more paint and perhaps a bacon sandwich in the cafe' sounds like a plan......

Re: Bob's Bits.

After a settled spell of weather all week I decided to get out into the great outdoors. So on Friday, I packed the rucksack with raincoat (never go anywhere in England without it) Spectacles and bus pass (it used to be cigs and lighter, how things have changed) and map and compass (to avoid lengthy diversions due to poor navigation) flung it on the back seat of the car and set off.

The first obstacle came at Howden, after shuffling down into my seat and making myself comfy for the 90 minute drive I happened on a large red ‘Road Closed’ sign; well you never believe them do you so I drove round it only to find that it was telling the truth and the railway bridge further down the deserted road was festooned with cranes and diggers making it totally impassable. After pulling over into the entrance of someone’s drive I thumbed through the dog eared pages of my 1986 AA map book of great Britain in search of an alternative route.
Before I could even find the page, an elderly gentleman stepped out from his drive and gave me a verbal collection of instructions on how to avoid the obstruction. How hard can it be?
It turned out to be quite easy to follow and after, what seemed like an hour, was soon back on my original route and making good time.

I was delving into the unknown today by using the Park and Ride facility situated on Seamer Road a couple of miles outside Scarborough. It was my first time and I was so nervous I sailed past the entrance on the right, it was well signboarded, I just wasn’t taking any notice while listening to the news. I made a swift ‘U’ turn and drove passed the waiting bus. I parked the car, grabbed my rucksack and made the bus. One pound and ten pence for a return ticket, far cheaper than any of the car parks in Scarborough. It trundled its way into Scarborough a visited a few stops before the one I wanted, I alighted and went in search of food.

A pretty young shop assistant in the Scarborough branch of ‘Cooplands’ assembled what was arguably the finest Chicken Salad I have ever had. It was precariously stacked inside what could only be described as a flat cap sized brown bread bun, all held together by a generous squirt of salad cream. A couple of bottles of water and an Almond Tart that looked too good to resist made up the contents of today’s lunch and I carefully wrapped them up in the raincoat and positioned them carefully in the bag.

After a bowl of porridge some hours ago I was hungry now though, so as I reached the last few tea bars and fresh seafood stalls before I continued my journey around the North Bay, I called in to the last one and purchased a hot steaming mug of tea and sausage roll. The tea came in a chipped, stained mug and tasted like creosote, the sausage roll was covered in pastry that –like blotting paper – had absorbed loads of fat. It tasted good though in that fresh sea air; should have gone for the Shrimps and Muscles!

Not much of a view out to sea with a distant sea fret, and the sun was hidden behind some hazy cloud, it wasn’t as warm as yesterday and my hands were cold, wish I’d brought my gloves but didn’t think I’d need them. I quickened my pace to try and warm my hands but it was as I left the hard concrete of the marine drive and climbed the steep steps on to the clifftops that my hands started feeling warmer. The jumper came off ten minutes later. The sun was still just a faint glow behind an endless sea of unbroken cloud, but nice conditions to walk in now my circulation had turned up the heat.

For two hours I walked the cliff path with the occasional thousand steps leading down to a small tree covered inlet and the same thousand steps leading up the other side. Seagulls screamed overhead, and the odd skylark hovered high into the sky whistling as he flew higher trying to lure me away from its nest. The scent of a distant oil seed rape field filled my nostrils and I thought that it was a good job that Mrs Fox wasn’t here today, her eyes would be streaming and she would be unable to stop sneezing until well past the pollen filled air.

With the end in sight I was delighted to see the seat high on the last climb was unoccupied, I had promised myself to take lunch here and sample that exquisite Chicken Salad sandwich.
I was not disappointed, it was delicious, and so was the Almond Tart. A glance at the watch told me that there would be a bus back to Scarborough in about half an hour, so I made haste along the two mile lane that led me to the bus stop beside the road in Cloughton.

Re: Bob's Bits.

One of my oldest and best friends is sixty on Friday. We have run the equivalent of round the world together over the years, and he has saved my bacon on more than one occasion. When the weather starts to go down hill and I can't get to do stuff outside I will write a piece on our adventures. You lucky people!

So I thought it would be a good idea to present him with a gift token to the value of sixty quid to spend in his favourite running shop. (hope he doesn't read stuff on this forum or it will give the game away)
So It's off to catch the ten forty nine train to Meadow Hall and I am excited in anticipation of the train journey. I've got a perfectly good motor car that would manage the journey in half the time, but any excuse to ride on a train, and as the advert says:-

I AM TRAIN

Re: Bob's Bits.

While catching up with today’s banter on the forum I noticed some people on the EU thread referring to the ‘Common Market Referendum’ of 1975. I don’t think I voted in that referendum and I wondered why, so I began to think of all the things that were happening in my life at that time that made me ignore such an important issue..........

The referendum was held on the 5th of June 1975. I was 24 at the time and it was a pivotal time in my life. I had finished a seven year apprenticeship as a Fitter and Turner and on the third of July 1972 started a new better paid job with a Diamond Tooling company, who had just moved into a purpose built factory and were recruiting staff. I was to be married that same year in October and the foreman joked that I would be perfect for the job since I would be starting a family and buying a house; taking on a mortgage and responsibilities and would not risk being sacked, so would be a punctual hard working employee.

The marriage did take place as planned, and the following year, August 1973 we moved into a brand new bungalow, and not long after a daughter followed. So by the time the Referendum came in 1975 I was busy trying to fit into a new working environment; It was difficult at first. New friends and different work to what I had been used to. I recall having a large valve radio situated next to my machine, it would be my responsibility to make sure it was switched on first thing in the morning, and turned off last thing at night.
Listening to music while working was new to me, as an apprentice in an old style factory it was not acceptable, and I found it hard to concentrate with music blaring in my ear twenty four seven.

I eventually got used to it and my knowledge of seventies and eighties music is infinite, but the music of 1975 still haunts me with songs like ‘Killing Me Softly’ by Roberta Flack, ‘Sailing’ by Rod Stewart, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen, ‘Moonlighting’ by Leo Sayer and ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ by Glen Campbell and upon hearing them, even today, take me back to those first years in the factory. I eventually got the radio moved to the other side of the workshop, and in later years (being interested in electronics) I was allowed to build a new more powerful state of the art, transistorised unit that survived until the factory closed in 1994.

The only thing that I remember about the ‘Common Market Referendum’ was a joke by Noel Edmunds on the radio that consisted of a play on words and turning it into ‘A Common Ark Kit F R Hendon’ (does anyone else remember that?) It still haunts me today. So I suppose that with everything that was going on in my life I had no interest whatsoever in world affairs. At the age of 24 life only happened as far as the eye could see, and why worry about things that were out of my control. I think the same is true today, most young people won’t bother to vote as there are more interesting things to think about.
In fact, I have just been speaking to a 24 year old in voter who is leaving the country tomorrow for four weeks and will be away for the Referendum. I asked if he has secured his postal vote, his reply was, “Na’ I forgot”........And it prompted this blog........

Re: Bob's Bits.

I was just 16 in 1975, and about to enter the workplace, as I remember it, the British Workforce was being battered with threats of job security, for various reasons, whilst, the Continentals seemed to have a great work/life balance, so, back then, I would have liked some of that, so would have voted for full integration then, but, the most important thing that year was becoming an age, allowing the riding of a Sports Moped, that and girls, nothing else mattered.

Re: Bob's Bits.

Boiler man has been and done his stuff and now we've got an all singing all dancing state of the art Worcester Bosch condensing combi boiler. I won't be in the dog house now for using all the hot water after my early morning shower, and there won't be a fifty gallon tank of hot water going cold throughout the day when we disappear off to the seaside or some shopping mall to satisfy Mrs Fox's passion for retail therapy....It used to be me that satisfied her in the old days.

Boiler man was supposed to have been here last week but due to unforeseen circumstances fitting was postponed for a week which means we have to crack on with getting the house back to normal because old Foxy is flying off to Guernsey on Friday. Running shoes and shorts are already packed so I'll be running in my old moth eaten shorts and worn out shoes for the rest of the week.

Which moves me seamlessly into this mornings ten mile run. Records have been broken this morning, after a steady start and a spurt in the middle I staggered home sweaty and out of breath. I realised that either it was a fast time or I wasn't in as good shape as I thought I was. After looking at the watch I had knocked three, YES THREE minutes off my years best time for the course. Now I've got to live with the consequences for the rest of the day......

Re: Bob's Bits.

It's nice to see the canals been used for commercial traffic again. There's this great big tanker called Exol Pride comes chugging along every morning and it's so big that it has difficulty stopping so a bloke in a van drives round the countryside and opening all the bridges before it has to stop. How do I know this? Because while on my eight mile run this morning I got stopped at two bridges. It didn't matter this morning because I've got a lot to do today before we fly off to Guernsey tomorrow and I was just having a steady run out into the country.

It's been a week of replacing white goods in the kitchen and filling up all the cupboards - having to visit several rooms to collect all the ingredients every time I want to make a meal has been a right pain in the butt. And Tuesday and Wednesday I've been cutting out the walls for new socket locations, the dust gets everywhere, even on the bedroom floor when I get undressed and all the bits of brick fall out me underwear.

Mrs Fox has been running down all the food stocks and there's bugger all in the house to eat now, so I'm off t' shop for a sandwich.......

Re: Bob's Bits.

Fox arrives in Guernsey safe and sound; well, I say sound, but the pilot could do with a bit more practice on his landings....Gravity is such a bitch....



Just five hours from door to door, It's taken me longer to get to Scarborough when it's busy. This view from the Hotel window, Ray keeps a beautiful garden...



Starving now so off down for dinner......

Re: Bob's Bits.

The first day.

It's such a peaceful place at this hotel, nestled on the clifftops with just the odd bungalow scattered around and buried in the undergrowth, everything grows much faster here and many of the plants we grow in the garden in Yorkshire grow wild in the hedgerows on Guernsey. I awoke at six with the sun illuminating green fields and blue sea. Eight o clock and we entered a busy breakfast room bustling with excitement as plans were being formulated for the day ahead over the egg and bacon. So much to do and so little time to do it......