The Last Physio

You know the gym is getting really bad i.e. busy, when even L is saying she doesn't fancy battling for the machines and this is at 8am but she heroically drags herself there anyway. Then does Lenton gym in evening too.

I cycle and take my Dad as usual. He enjoys having his tea at the velodrome and often muses about having a go in the gym while he’s there but this week he was asking me about how to do the plank... This is something he’s been reading in his newspaper. Which is a worry as should he attempt it might not be able to get back up off the floor.

It looks like there is some snow on the forecast for the weekend up in Scotland but I’m sure it’ll all be gone by the time we get there.

On Tuesday L has PT and then crawls into work afterwards despite it being an ‘arms session’. So crawling shouldn’t be strictly necessary? Then she describes a couple of sets of 20 squats, lunges across the room, 30 seconds wall squat, then lunge back. I would have needed an ambulance after that. Yet L still manages to run with Daughter later.

I have my last physio session on Wednesday which he makes the hardest one yet. Not that it was on the level of ‘couple of sets of 20 squats, lunges across the room, 30 seconds wall squat, then lunge back’.

I’m in the gym on Thursday where I have a bit of an argument with one chap who is using three pieces of equipment at once. The gym is really busy, so he’s lucky he hasn’t got a separate queue for each piece.

On Friday L gets the train over to Leamington to see Son and of course has the usual travel problems that you associate with the train service in this country. Her first train terminates at Birmingham and she has to move onto another one where eight of them share a doorway. While her return one is completely cancelled. While she’s there they do Warwick and he tells her he’s resigned his job and is looking for a new one.

Somehow she makes it back in time for me to meet her in Derby for a fascinating talk by Simon MacDonald, a former Diplomat in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, at Quad as part of the latest Derby Book Festival. He’s talking about his latest book ‘Beyond Britannia: Reshaping UK Foreign Policy and Leadership’. They have Indian Porter on afterwards in the Exeter which helps with our debrief.

Saturday starts with heavy rain showers, so we hide under the duvet and for once skip Parkrun.

After losing 2-1 to Charlton in midweek, after leading but then giving away stupid goals again, Derby do better on Saturday and beat Port Vale 3-0. We’re at the Plough again in the evening.

(Saturday 2^nd March)

Popup Lake

The week opens with a trip to the Octagon in Sheffield to see the Vaccines rather than my usual cycling. A gentle introduction to the week by comparison.

So on Tuesday, for some exercise (drumroll...), I risk a trip to the gym. I say that because it’s been so busy recently it’s become unpleasant. Even L’s trainer has jumped ship and has been trying out a new gym in Derby because ours is too busy. They have an ice bath apparently but I’m not sure that's a selling point.

It wasn’t too bad today though and I even got reacquainted with the leg curl machine. We’ve missed each other. L had already been in there and warmed it up for me. There’s now a video nasty of her work out on Instagram filmed by her trainer. I assumed he had to edit out her swearing.

Dog training goes well, which is a rarity. I suspect somebody may has swapped my dog as this one seemed to listen to me. L says she hopes it’s a Doodle.

My GP surgery tells me that everything has checked out ok after my urine and blood tests.

Wednesday is my Physio and lots of core stuff that was mostly unrepeatably evil including the almost malicious sideways plank and then normal plank into a press ups back into the plank. Lots of fun.

In the evening I take my Dad to the New Inn in Shardlow where the Lad gets a full meal courtesy of leftovers from the next table.

On Thursday L impressively runs first thing in torrential rain, then does the morning walk with us before going out for lunch with her friends.

On Friday L swims and the Lad briefly considers doing the same thing in the latest popup lake on Wollaton Park but in the end settles for simply lying down in it.

 The week is out of kilter because we have our Saturday night in the Plough on a Friday after having had our Friday night on a Thursday sharing a nice bottle of Soave white wine. L says her Friday night should have really been in the gym but then they do have Honey Porter and the gym doesn’t. Not that she goes for the Porter...

On Saturday L Parkruns at Alvaston while I continue to nurse my injured calf and placate the Lad. Afterwards we try the Unity cafe in Alvaston for a bacon roll and coffee. We have to wait for them to open at 10am and then they tell us they don’t take dogs. What’s wrong with these people?

I take my Dad to pick up his cost of living payment of £140 from the Government and as he needs a new kettle I take him straight to Asda with his new wad of cash. However being a ‘savvy’ pensioner he won’t blow any more than about 5% of it on the kettle.

We are out with friends later. First in the now reopened Crafty Crow and then in Mem Saab for a curry. They serve me a rather evil Jalfrezi.

On Sunday we walk off the curry in Sherwood Forest and visit the Major Oak. Lots have changed since we last visited which was admittedly ages ago. They have a new visitor centre, a new car park and some rather pushy salespeople trying to sell memberships.

(Sunday 25th February)

The Vaccines

Tonight I am seeing the Vaccines and for the first time in many a year I am at the Sheffield Octagon. This is because I was too slow in getting tickets for Rock City which sold out very quickly.

Outside the Octagon it seems to have changed somewhat. For starters there’s a big multi-storey car park right next to it. I’m sure that wasn’t there before. It’s convenient but will no doubt be a nightmare to get out of later. All the same I give it a go.

Inside it is pretty much how I remember it. A big airy venue with a high stage and now with the added bonus of decent local beer e.g. Thornbridge. I should come here more often.

I just catch the end of Divorce, who are from Nottingham, but sadly I didn’t see much of them.

  

After only a fifteen minute break we then have Teen Jesus & the Jean Teasers. Who have a great name and give a very energetic performance. They are four girls with 400 tattoos. Not judging just saying... They are also from Australia and are possibly just the type of raucous warm-up we need for the Vaccines. Who are, as ever, pretty lively themselves.

 

This tour is to promote their new album, which is their sixth, ‘Pick Up Full Of Pink Carnations’. The stage is dutifully adorned with carnations although not many of them seem to be pink.

They open with ‘Love To Walk Away’ off the new record before going straight into a run of favourites. From the lively ‘Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra)’ into the even more lively ‘I Can’t Quit’ with the guitar of Timothy Lanham hogging centre stage and singer Justin Hayward-Young ‘dancing’ madly.

 

Then we get ‘Post Break-Up Sex’ before the classic and anthemic ‘Wetsuit’ stops the show. As it always does with its poignant reminder of the unstoppable passage of time. This gives everyone a breather.

There were plenty from the new record, as you’d expect. Six tracks in total including the excellent ‘Discount de Kooning (Last One Standing)’ and these were well received, no doubt thanks to its very familiar formula. There was also the same number from their debut. Again largely as expected.

 

I think we will have to agree to disagree on what they should have picked from the rest of their albums but then few bands agree with me on this point.

The end of the set was peppered with favourites as they wound things up with 'I Always Knew', ‘If You Wanna’ and, as always, ‘All In White’.

 

For the encore there were two more tracks from the new album ‘Sometimes, I Swear’ and ‘Lunar Eclipse’ before ‘All My Friends Are Falling In Love’ closes an excellent performance or so we thought.

But there was one more track as the band struck up ‘Nørgaard’ but Justin didn’t offer any vocals and let the crowd sing it by themselves. A few seconds later he simply walks off stage and leaves the crowd to it as the band play the full track.

It’s a track that has somewhat dropped off their setlist in the last few years. It has some problematic lyrics and perhaps the 37 year old Hayward-Young, who admits his homage to the Danish model now seems a bit creepy, would rather not sing it anymore. This may or may not be the solution.

Old Age

On Monday L is in work but says she’d rather be in Sainsburys and believe me Sainsburys isn’t that exciting.

There is no cycling tonight as Bill Bailey has commandeered the Arena. We have Steak night instead once L is back from her yoga evening.

She then has Weightlifting aka PT on Tuesday and in the evening I go over to watch the match at my Dad’s on Tuesday. Derby beat Exeter 3-0 to stay 2nd. We celebrate with a naughty whiskey but it should also really be a toast to DJ Steve Wright who died today aged a mere 69.

Wednesday starts with a romantic morning as it’s Valentine’s Day but then I’m in favour of every morning being a Valentine’s morning.

L is in the gym later, trying to avoid photobombing a girl’s live stream in the weights section. Which may have been of her impressive workout or maybe just to flash her chest and her tattoos. L’s boss is also in the gym but that’s his own gym.

The park had almost dried out and we were almost not having to wade through the mud but now... it’s started raining again and we’re back to where we were.

I get my jacket back from the Zip Yard in Toton and they have done a fantastic job.

L now no longer works Thursdays and today she takes advantage of that with a swim and a run. I, meanwhile, take the unhealthier option of meeting my ex-colleague for our first Brunswick lunch in a while.

My old age seems to have now inflicted a dodgy bladder, so I book a GP appointment to get checked out. As booking an appointment by phone is close to impossible I stalk their online booking system to see if anything comes up on there. These only seem to show cancellations but after a week of stalking I finally got one at 7:30am on Friday.

My GP says it is most likely down to my prodigious caffeine intake but asks me to book in for a blood test next week. He tells me to cut down on the coffees and drink more clear fluids. I assume he means pale ales. Grudgingly I agree to give doctor’s orders a go. Then as Daughter is out with her mystery friend we get a Friday night.

We go to Cowlick on Saturday for Parkrun where they are using their ‘B’ Finish because the ‘A’ Finish is underwater. I am still feeling the old war wound, so I support. Afterwards we do breakfast at Daleside.

At the match later, Derby are dire but sneak a 1-0 win over an even more dire Stevenage. Later it’s the Plough and sea of pale ales again. So my doctor will be pleased. Daughter kindly picks us up later because the rain is so heavy but the Lad is totally freaked out getting in a different car and in the front passenger seat too.

On Sunday we do an 8k walk round Sherwood Pines. In the evening we have a late Valentine’s date night at Mr Mans. The beer range isn’t as bad as I feared as they have 7% Guinness Export in bottles. 

(Sunday 18th February)

What We Were Looking For

L starts a new yoga class at the Lenton Centre on Monday evening. She describes it as very nice which I think means it was too easy but it just what she was looking for. I’m at my cycling. Which was indescribably evil, just what I was looking for. Evil is also what the Lad thinks of my bike and he always hides upstairs when I arrive home arm in arm with my trusty steed.

Tuesday is L’s PT and also my dog training. Wednesday is my HIIT which is starting to approach the same level of evil that I endure at cycling on Mondays.

I manage to get to the gym on Thursday where I again struggle to park. They either need a bigger car park or less members. Perhaps everyone is simply sheltering from the snow because yes it’s snowing. Although I can’t see us being able to build a snowman out of it.

From Wednesday we have the house to ourselves as Daughter is dog sitting for a friend for the whole of the next week. We celebrate with a romantic evening fuelled by a large bottle of Leffe and a Spam curry.

L has been moaning for weeks about the ‘All About Boris’ podcast that she’s heard being pushed on BBC Sounds but it actually turns out it’s called ‘All About Forest’. Oops. Good job she didn’t complain to the BBC.

On Friday L gets time off for good behaviour, from Derby’s shopping centre, because her sister is up visiting.

On Saturday we travel to Abbey Park in Leicester for Parkrun. Unfortunately an old war wound resurfaces as my calf goes half-way through. I hobble home in 32 minutes. Then we join the massive queue in their understaffed café to grab a bacon roll.

Given the furore generated by certain right wing newspapers assassinating Parkrun’s laissez-faire attitude to gender I am surprised to see that my parkrun email is still referring to me as male. I could complain but actually no one cares because it’s not actually supposed to be competitive. 

Derby draw with Shrewsbury Town after throwing away a 1-0 lead late on but still stay second in the table. Son was there, which explains why we didn’t win. In the Plough later there is not a single dark ale on, which is a massive change from before, so I spend the night on the Legend.

On Sunday I manage the gym on one leg which is obviously better than not going at all. I think.

(Sunday 11th February)

Peas

Monday’s cycling was a bit quieter and therefore a bit easier this week but still worthy of a Black Pudding scotch egg afterwards. Beautiful.

L describes Tuesday’s PT as interesting, can now barely walk and doesn't even get a scotch egg afterwards.

I take my Rab jacket in for repairs at the Zip Yard in Toton. The zip has now broken, they are going to fix that and apparently sew up the rip that I've had for ages as well. 

L makes it to her new Waterstones book club on Tuesday mainly because she isn't speaking to her boss and so gets out of work on time. He failed to show up at the office at all on Monday so she tells him she’s retiring. He wasn't very happy about that idea. 

She isn't over glowing about the book club and says she probably wouldn’t go again.

I do the Gym at lunch on Wednesday and get the last space in the car park although thankfully most people seemed to be there for a spin class not for the gym. There seems to be a lot of stuff broken at the moment but sadly, to L’s displeasure, not the leg curl.

Later the Lad and I head off to dog training and another wild tunnel session. Meanwhile L will look forward to an exciting night in reading, perhaps a bit of yoga, undisturbed hoovering, copious mugs of tea and cooking something with peas in it.

Now I have nothing par se against peas, they just don't make my top ten list of must eat vegetables, but there is also a time and a place for peas. I don’t feel that pasta is that place but that’s perhaps just me.

Apparently this month's Runners World, which I no longer get, has an article about how to start running with your dog but what do they know. Unless they advise on how to stop it biting its lead. There are very few things in life more stressful that running with the Lad although attempting agility with him is one of them. Come to think of it walking with him isn’t that great either.

On Thursday evening I have a Committee meeting. Then on Friday evening we’re out with friends at Niccos in Derby for a curry. The foods good but often not terribly Indian. The place however is always very noisy which makes it difficult to talk. At least this time we are seated almost out of earshot from their singer.

On Saturday we do our home Parkrun at Wollaton Park. Then afterwards I take my Dad out to the New Inn for lunch. I have a sandwich which turns out to be a very large sandwich and comes with chips. So the Lad gets loads. After which we end up at a garden centre looking at hose pipes, as you do, before we head back to listen to Derby’s match on the radio. L and I are in the Plough again later.

On Sunday our walking tour takes us to Shipley Park.

(Sunday 4th February)

Supposed To Be A Sunday Lunch

We head back home on Thursday after a Holiday Inn breakfast and, amazingly, our train is on time. When we get home I’m not sure Lad has missed us. Clearly he’s had a good time with Daughter and Netflix.

On Friday L is in Derby while I get out of work early to head over to Grantham as we are setting up our Dog Show up for Saturday.

I’m back there again for the full day on Saturday running the show and without the Lad who stays at home. It also means I miss Derby County v Cheltenham Town which therefore sadly my Dad misses it too as my brother is helping at the show as well. The show itself is our most successful winter show yet. Deciding to expand and offer more classes has clearly paid off.

In my absence L tail walks at Wollaton Parkrun and comes in 526th. That’s a huge entry and probably because Beeston is currently closed. We’re in the Plough later.

On Sunday we do a walk in Allestree before dropping in at Mickleover and then Aston from where we take my Dad for a late Sunday Lunch at the Clock Warehouse. Well it was supposed to be a Sunday Lunch but the roasts are off. My second choice ham hock is off as well, obviously. There is also only one bowl of soup available for L and I to share. They don’t even offer us two spoons. So all a bit of a disaster really but my third choice main course, a rib eye steak, is to be fair very good. 

(Sunday 28th January)

Mountain Climbers And Burpees

On Monday the park is closed because there is a deer cull going on so the Lad and I have to pound the streets. L goes into work and then comes home when her boss doesn’t show. In the evening it’s my cycling followed by a beer and a scotch egg in the Exeter with my Dad.

After a brief dry day we’re back to the constant rain on Tuesday but we do manage to get our morning walk in before the latest deluge hits.

L’s PT gets her doing mountain climbers and burpees which is already a favourite with my physio. Our workouts seem to be merging and its great news that she’s got that combo to do as well. She should also probably be doing stuff like that for homework. Which the Lad would enjoy immensely.

Parkrun say that their website has been given a ‘slick new makeover’ but it looks just as un-slick as ever to me. Their events map is still far from helpful when trying to decide on our latest tourist trip. 

Derby are playing away at Reading on Tuesday, so I go over to my Dad’s to watch it with him. They lose 1-0.

Nottingham’s Splendour has been cancelled. Apparently the council put the festival out to tender rather than just letting Nottingham’s own DHP run it as usual. This was presumably to try to make more money out of it. The tender process decided to give it to… DHP and DHP say it’s now too short notice to organise this year's event. It’s probably too late to book enough portaloos. At the dog club we have already booked ours.

Late afternoon on Wednesday we head off to Birmingham on the train. Tonight it’s Depeche Mode. We are staying in the Crowne Plaza which is part of the Holiday Inn group and we’re getting another freebie from the points we’ve amassed. We go in the Brasshouse pub for food and I indulge in two pints of Lumi which is a 6.2% Winter Ale from Thornbridge. 

Then we head off to the gig..

(Wednesday 24th January)

Depeche Mode

The last time I saw Depeche Mode was way back in 1986 on the Black Celebration tour which is obviously a very long time ago. That was at the NEC and that gig was one of the reasons that I decided that I don't like big arena shows but here I am now in a big arena seeing them again 38 years on. Of course Depeche Mode don't do anything other than arena shows and since they are showing no signs of coming down to my level here I am. This show at the Utilita Arena (aka the NIA) in Birmingham is their second UK date as part of their massive Memento Mori World Tour which began in March 2023 and will not finish until this April.

My partner is with me, tempted by seeing the band but fast regretting it now as I have insisted on standing up. The last time we were here for Arcade Fire we had seats that were so far way I could barely see or even hear the band properly. To get anywhere near the front tonight we had to be relatively early which means a lot of standing and waiting. Thankfully Depeche Mode hit the stage bang on time at 8.45.

In the meantime there is a distraction from the waiting in the form of Nadine Shah. Shah is from Tyneside but with a part Norwegian mother and a Pakistani father. She’s been around since 2009 and has supported Depeche Mode before, ten years ago. Still I haven’t heard of her.

I feel a bit sorry for her because her band seem dwarfed by their surroundings perched as they are on a small proportion of the massive staging playing to a not very attentive audience in such a cavernous arena. She’s fine, a polished performer who can sing but she’s not really my thing. Then after only six songs she’s gone.

Then it’s Depeche Mode who start off with a couple from their new album 'Memento Mori', the brooding 'My Cosmos Is Mine' and the rather excellent 'Wagging Tongue'. The new album is pretty good and the likes of 'Wagging Tongue' and 'Ghosts Again' which comes later stand up well against most of their older material. The album is probably their best since 2005's ‘Playing The Angel’ which gets three tracks itself tonight, and I’m a little disappointingly they play only two more from it tonight but then when you have fifteen albums to pick from set lists are a nightmare.

We haven't got the greatest spot in the world but we're near enough to get the full benefit of the sound which is much better than I expected for such a big arena and I've got a good view but then I'm a bit taller than my partner who says she hasn't. Hopefully she is enthralled by the impressive visuals on the big backdrop behind the band that accompany every song.  

 

The band then move on to a journey through some of their finest moment starting with 'Walking In My Shoes' and which is followed by the even better `It’s No Good`.

Depeche Mode are now vocalist Dave Gahan, whose voice still sounds great, and everything else-ist Martin Gore. They are assisted on stage by Christian Eigner on drums and Peter Gordeno on bass\keyboards.

As ever I will disagree with the set choices as I’m not a great fan of 'In Your Room' nor ‘I Feel You’ but there’s plenty I love. The likes of 'Policy Of Truth' hit the spot, 'Precious' is terrific and the classic `Everything Counts` from way back in 1983 sees Gahan and Gore sharing vocals along with most of the crowd.

After 'Speak To Me' Gahan disappears for a lie down leaving us with a Martin Gore solo segment. He has varied his two tracks throughout the tour and tonight it is 'Strangelove', one of two from 1987's 'Music for the Masses', followed by 'Heaven', the only one tonight from 2013's 'Delta Machine'. Interesting choices but he has been doing 'Home' from my favourite album ‘Ultra’ from 1997 and he doesn't do that tonight. The bastard.

Gahan is back for the finale which includes the `World in My Eyes` performed alongside images of Andrew Fletcher who sadly passed away in May 2022. It was a nice touch.

 

Then with some form of weird symmetry of 38 years ago they surprisingly play 'Black Celebration' itself. Then it's the brilliant 'Stripped' and a personal favourite of mine 'John The Revelator' from the aforementioned ‘Playing The Angel’ before closing out with `Enjoy the Silence`.

If you thought that maybe 'Violator' was not getting enough love tonight they put that right when it clocks up its fourth and fifth tracks in the encore starting with 'Waiting For The Night'. Then it’s the mega oldie 'Just Can’t Get Enough' with a lot of bad dancing from Gahan, 'Never Let Me Down Again' and finally 'Personal Jesus' that ends the night. Even I have to admit it was a pretty well thought out set list.

Depeche Mode were in the past known as quite a gloomy bunch and maybe it looked as if they were not always totally enjoying themselves on stage but now, perhaps as they get older, the two remaining members of the band look like they're having a ball and long may it continue.

Excitable

I don’t cycle on Monday thanks to Sky TV because Derby have a home match against Burton Albion. Which Derby make more exciting than they need to, throwing away a 2-0 lead before then scoring a late winner to win 3-2.

Tuesday is very cold with a very light sprinkling of snow which actually made dealing with an excitable collie slightly easier than normal because the mud was frozen solid. L manages to make it through the ‘snow drifts’ to her PT.

The excitable collie is even more excitable come dog training but that's nothing new.

After two days in work, L is back to PWFH on Wednesday. I am out in the evening with my old school chum on a strong cherry stout in the Alexandra and then finally, after several missed opportunities, on the Imperial Drake in the Exeter. It’s a merry night.

On Thursday evening we do a joint gym although it's so busy we can’t even get in the car park. Friday is a night in with a home cooked curry and Saturday is, of course, spent in the Plough where they have four different porters all queued up for a in a line on their bar. Heaven.

Before that there was Parkrun. We do a new one at Sence Valley near Ibstock. Then I drop L in Derby before taking my Dad out to lunch. We head back to his house via the Garden Centre in Borrowash to buy up the world's supply of bird feeders.

Then we listen to the match on his old radio as he currently has no TV ariel. I’m not sure if it’s got damaged on the roof or whether it's because he's been ‘repairing’ it. I will get someone in to look at it.

On Sunday we head over to Derby to do a walk and then go around to L’s Mum’s to try to solve the long running problem of her jigsaw stand. She has tried buying several off the internet which have subsequently been sent back because they haven't done the job. L thinks she may be able to bodge a solution for her.

(Sunday 21^st January)