Notorious

L is in work early on Monday, having kept her gym session short, waiting for both her boss and the attachment of a urgent document sent by her boss to turn up.

There are no post-cycling scotch eggs available at Exeter so I’m roughing it on the chip cobs but L upstages me when she dines on a University meal deal with her friend at lunchtime on Tuesday.

In the evening I make my long awaiting running coming back in the first race of the Grand Prix series. This is the notorious Rushcliffe 4 miler where I have experienced some of my most spectacular injuries. Thankfully there is nothing spectacular about tonight injury-wise or any-wise really and I’m happy to get round in just over 35 minutes. Later England draw 0-0 with Slovenia at the Euros.

My reward for my running comeback is... a rejection email from the London Marathon. Again.

On the park on Thursday the Lad and I get attacked by a golden retriever. That is both traumatic and embarrassing. The chap who came belting across the field in hot pursuit of the errant retriever was very apologetic. Clearly this wasn’t a first occurrence.

Round Two of the Grand Prix series in on Thursday which is the almost as notorious Holme Pierrepont 10k for those who like laps around the rowing strip. I start near the back of the field and set myself a steady pace with the aim to get round in under the hour which I feel would be more than acceptable for a comeback. I stick to my plan, mostly, but gradually speed up finishing in just over 57 minutes. So very happy with that.

On Friday L wakes up with indigestion after our mega salad last night. Salads can be such dangerous things. She heads off to the gym to work it off. I’m at the Rescue Rooms. 

(Friday 28^th June)

The Breeders

Tonight’s openers are London based Big Joanie. That’s a band not a person, named after founder Stephanie Phillips’ Mum and with the ‘big’ meaning confident. They formed amid London’s DIY punk scene in 2013 and have two albums out there.

The four piece take the stage with guitar, keyboards, drums and Phillips wielding a tambourine. It’s an odd mix but they add in bass and a second guitar later. Are they a punk band? or something else? It’s hard to tell. They do entertain us with some interesting wordplay and reasonable tunes but they’re not really for me. 

So on to the headliners...

Midway through tonight’s set The Breeders’ Jim Macpherson gets out from behind his drum kit and comes down to the front of the stage. He introduces the rest of the band and then casually mentions that it was 1993 the last time they played Rock City.

Surely not? It really has been a while then. I didn’t actually see them in Nottingham on that occasion. For reasons I can’t recall, I mean it was 30 years ago, I went to Sheffield University to see them the night before. I probably had some football going on. They did then play Nottingham Trent in 2008 but I didn’t make it to that either.

Often I give my apologies why I haven’t seen a band for a long period. This time, with only one chance in 30 years, it’s clearly not all my fault. Meanwhile other people have the better excuse of not being born. Tonight the audience is about a 50-50 split tonight between young and old, so the band can feel smug that they’re introducing a whole new generation to their music.

Therefore tonight is special is for many reasons and from the first few bars of ‘Saints’ everyone is buzzing. It’s not just about music because here is the nicest band on the planet who are clearly ridiculously happy just to be here and that makes a big difference to everyone’s experience. Even if it has taken them 30 years to find the right page on the atlas.

They’re going to be at Glastonbury the next day, as they tell us obviously, and if you watch that performance they grin their way through that one too.

The set is, as you’d expect, ‘Last Splash’ heavy but there is excellence too from their debut ‘Pod’ (‘Doe’ is amazing, ‘Opened’ is amazing etc etc) along with selections from their other records such as the wonderful ‘Huffer’ from 2002’s ‘Title TK’.

Kim Deal and her cryptic lyrics dominate most of the night but it’s over to sister Kelley for ‘I Don’t Get Along and then to Josephine Wiggs for the penultimate track ‘Megagoth’ which morphs into the Pixies ‘Gigantic’ which of course Kim originally wrote and sung.

And of course there’s the legendary ‘Cannonball’ with its classic opening of those distorted vocals and amazing bassline.

In total it takes them only ninety minutes to blitz through a 21 song set of songs that rarely break three minutes and often don’t even exceed two. 

Then there are two more to come in the encore, the last of which is the pure delight of ‘Divine Hammer’ that sends everyone home with a smile as wide as the band’s. Who.. have I mentioned how nice they all are? Just to prove that Josephine ends the night by taking all the band’s set lists which have been turned into paper planes and sends them flying into the crowd. Such a nice night.

Deermageddon

It's the time of year when the deer are a bit frisky. Well, the female ones anyway. So at the start of the week we find that our park entrance is locked due to a deer attack that took place near it. We end up going for a longer walk via the main entrance but still manage to make it out our usual exit on Sutton Passeys without getting attacked. The next day we do a completely different route in case the gate is locked again. 

Monday is a scotch egg free cycling session as the kitchen at the Exeter is being refurbished.

L, being the cultured one in our relationship, is at Derby Cathedral on Tuesday with her friends. They’re also in the book cafe obviously.

While Wednesday sees me forever opening the front door as five parcels are delivered. Three for L, two for Daughter, none for me.

In the evening I up my Grand Prix training and run 9k with the Lad while L is at a new yoga class. My knees whinge and moan about it but at their age I suppose they’re entitled to. They do say you should listen to your body but mine is always moaning.

By Thursday Deermageddon seems to have blown over and we are back to our normal walk. At least for now.

England draw 1-1 with Denmark at the Euros then I’m at the Harrington in Thulston with my Dad.

After work on Friday we head to Coventry for a weekend away. We stay in the dog friendly and cycle themed Hotel Indigo which is near the train station where we park. We spend the evening in the Triumph Brewhouse which is in the student area on some really strong craft ales.

Which is ideal preparation for Parkrun the next day which is held on War Memorial Park. Now War Memorial Park is where we swear they used to hold every running race in the Coventry area regardless of its length. They’d just add extra laps to make up the distance. So it’s somewhat appropriate that this is where Parkrun is. Two laps obviously.

We have a post-run coffee in the park and then go to O’Toole’s cafe in Earlsdon for breakfast where it says dogs eat for free. Then it’s back to the hotel to fresh up before a tour of Coventry that takes in the cathedral, the Godiva statue, the city walls and the canal basin. Yes, Coventry has a canal. We also check out somewhere called Hops D’amour (a pub obviously) and the Old Windmill (a pub not a windmill) where they do Old Peculiar and Yorkshire Pudding Ale but neither are in good shape. Sadly we don’t find any food in these places so we eat back at the hotel.

In the morning L hits the hotel gym and we walk the Lad on War Memorial Park. There’s no avoiding the place. Then we head off to meet Son and his missus in their new abode. We all go for lunch at the Red Lion on Ansty Road.

(Sunday 23^rd June)

Make It Up As You Go Along

The park is locked again on Monday morning so I walk the streets with L and the Lad. Then she’s in work and not happy about it. For some reason she prefers a trip to Sainsbury’s for which I am left a very posh shopping list - Sancere, Emmental and Paxo. Well, I suppose not the Paxo.

L says she’s been really bad and spent £15 in the Audible audiobook sale. Well, there’s worse things she could have spent it on. Such as Paxo.

My cycling session is rather crash strewn but thankfully none of them involve me. 

The General Election campaign is in full swing but it’s more of a dismal funeral for the Tory party rather than a proper campaign. In our area the only election leaflet we’ve had so far is from George Galloway and he isn’t even the candidate here. 

Our neighbour’s dog is now marked as ‘reserved’ but there’s no sign of our neighbour. We are reliably informed ‘he’s brown bread’ by our local mobility scooter riding informant who seems to know what's going on..

Tuesday is steak night and Wednesday is L’s book club and yoga. The Lad and I have dog training. A last chance for some progress before a Dog Show on Sunday.

The weather in horrendous. I am thankful for my own personal ray of sunshine, L, to accompany me on the morning walk. The Lad is just thankful for the muddy puddles, his favourite kind.

L is in Derby on Thursday having given up on the swimming at Lenton. I ‘reschedule’ a training run for my Grand Prix because it’s raining. The Lad doesn’t look too disappointed. Having failed to find any Sancere, we have to make do with a bottle of Chablis.

L double walks on Friday. First with the Lad and I then with her friend. I ‘reschedule’ another training run because it is raining again. Compensation is a Friday night in with a big bottle of Leffe.

On Saturday we Parkrun at Brierly Forest and then go for coffee afterwards in their cafe. Then I go visit my Dad where I work down his favourite checklist. Co-op - check. Garden Centre - check. Lunch in the New Inn - check. At the New Inn, the Lad sits watching opened mouthed in horror as my Dad eats all his chips. It’s a long gap until his bag of crisps in the Plough that evening, filled only by his own tea of course.

On Sunday we have that Dog Show. He does alright on his first jumping run apart from the two extra tunnels he fitted in. Run two meanwhile was, shall we say, entertaining. Runs three and four I shall gloss over but we ended up with the usual four Es. There were some good bits, somewhere I’m sure, and he had a great time.

In the evening I visit the gym with L. She’s on arms. I’m on my usual ‘make it up as you go along’ knee workout. Then it’s back home to watch England beat Serbia 1-0 in the Euros.

(Sunday 16^th June)

WhatsApp For Dogs

L opens the week at the gym and then crawls into work. I point out that it must have been an intense gym session then but she says I misunderstand. By 'crawls' she meant she’s dragged herself by the scruff of the neck into work. Once at work L’s boss threatens to sack her if she votes Labour. She's told him that's absolutely fine.

The Lad now has his own WhatsApp group and gets a picture taken every time he moves any footwear. Now he daren’t move any shoes in case he gets filmed. 

That said, he's probably safer than he think because Daughter set up the group and we don’t see a lot of her these days. Often she just pops home to use the shower then disappears off out again.

I up my training for the Grand Prix with a 7.5k run with the Lad and L on Wednesday after work. 

While we also find out that one of our elderly neighbours is in hospital and he’s given his dog to the RSPCA. We do hope that someone will snap the dog up. Most dogs on the website seem to be reserved, so it looks promising. I’m sure L will be monitoring it closely.

L’s Mum is on the scene as Derby bus station is closed because of a bus fire. This isn't the first time this has happened.

Thursday I have a committee meeting and on Friday we’re in the gym together again.

On Saturday we Parkrun in Burton at somewhere called Battlestead Croft which is the rugby ground. Unfortunately the car, with its bonkers Sat Nav, takes us to completely the wrong place and we have to back track. We arrive late and start five minutes after everyone else but still do the run.

We go straight to see my Dad afterwards. From where I take him to the Co-Op and the Garden Centre while L gets the i4 home. Then I cut my Dad’s lawn while L does ours.

We are in the Plough later with a smelly dog who has rolled in something unpleasant. They have Centurion and Supreme on, so it’s a good night.

On Sunday we have a trip out to the National Memorial Arboretum with L, Daughter and the Lad as they are very dog friendly. 

(Sunday 9^th June)

The Offer Remains On The Table

We are back from Cambridge in time for the Bank Holiday into which we somehow cram in an extremely pleasant lie in, a leisurely walk with the Lad (if such a thing exists) and a not-so-leisurely joint gym session. After which there is somehow still time to take my Dad for a late lunch at the New Inn. Amazingly the Lad puts away the leftovers of garlic bread, chips, fish batter and a slice of bread and butter. Oh and a couple of ginger biscuits.

L is actually in work on Tuesday and it seems weird communicating on email with her again. So I walk and shop on my own. The walk was nice and quiet with no schools around but Sainsburys was traumatic. It took five staff to work out how to take the security tag off the bottle of whiskey I’d bought.

L is unhappy to be in work again on Wednesday but she should be looking on the bright side. It’s only her second day in work this week and its already the start of her weekend tomorrow as she doesn’t work Thursday or Friday.

On Thursday evening we run 6k with the Lad as my first training run towards the Nottingham Grand Prix of four races that I’m doing for the first time since 2018 which was curtailed when I twisted my ankle halfway through the first race. We celebrate my comeback with a bottle of red.

At the same time negotiations reopen over the long illusive summer dress that I offered to buy L around a decade ago. The offer remains on the table but I think L is fearful of following through on the offer in case I get overexcited given my age and ailments.

L is at Derby Book Festival on Friday seeing someone called Francis Spufford at Quad. The Lad and I meet her later in the Exeter and then bring her home to woo her with a Spam Curry.

We parkrun at Wollaton on Saturday and then in the evening we are both at the Book Festival to see James O’Brien, who rants far less in person that he did when reading his own audiobook. The debate in the room is excellent and L and I continue it afterwards in the Smithfield over a pint of Sarah Hughes’s 6% Mild.

L is at the book festival again on Sunday for two talks at the Roundhouse while I attack our hedge. We do the gym in the evening. 

(Sunday 2^nd June)

Cambridge

L is still not in work, so she makes up for the lack of gym sessions recently by packing them in this week. On Tuesday she also cuts our grass. After which the Lad looks totally knackered and he still has dog training to come. Daughter is out twitching again until well past midnight which may well be a euphemism. I will try that one on L.

On Wednesday Rishi Sunak finally announces his own execution. We will be having a General Election on the 4th July.

On Friday morning we arrive at the park gates on Harrow Road to find them locked, yet there are loads of school kids on the other side of it trying to get out and it’s a long way back round to get to the school. We walk the streets instead but wonder how that one got resolved.

L is at PT, three days later than usual as her trainer has been recovering from his competition e.g. getting a decent meal inside him.

Then we head down to Cambridge for the weekend. We spend the first evening in the Royal Standard on Mill Street where their speciality is Greek food which we indulge in.

Parkrun is at Milton Country Park but sadly dogs are not allowed. He joins us for coffee and sausage cobs at the park café afterwards. Then it’s back to hotel to freshen up before a walk into Cambridge. We’re not over impressed with Cambridge. It’s quite scruffy and very trafficky. I’m really surprised that there’s almost no pedestrianisation. It’s not a patch on Norwich.

After our busy morning, L looks like she’s about to faint so we stop for a bacon baguette from a street seller. While we’re stood there a number of people try to sell us a boat trip on the river but we daren’t take a punt on punting with the Lad.

Instead we dive into Heffers bookshop and why not. Then we have coffee by the river at a Greene King pub and then head to another pub, the Geldart, for some hot rocks with chicken and lamb alongside some 6% local stout.

On Sunday morning we find ourselves in a queue for breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express. It’s also not a very good breakfast which is why we don’t do Express usually.

Then we checkout and head to Wandlebury Park for a walk and then Ely. In Ely we visit Cromwell’s House, Ely Cathedral and a rather nice Riverside garden with a band playing on the bandstand. We chill out at a cafe with a puppuccino (and real coffee for us). We conclude that Ely is so much nicer and quieter than Cambridge.

Meanwhile, Derby, described as ‘rundown’ and a ‘dump’, claims the ‘prize’ as the worst UK city for a short break.

(Sunday 26^th May)

Three Walks A Day

The rain is back and Monday cycling is back.

Tuesday sees L at PT. Which she says is her first gym session in a week but... a break is good and... she’s been ill all week.

The Lad is at the Vets for his MOT, his booster jab and the horrible kennel cough one up the nose. They weigh him and he’s put on a whole kg since last time. Clearly he’s been having way too many chips.

L relapses and is too ill for the gym on Wednesday. I keep my distance feeling she might expire if I try anything romantic. In the afternoon I take my Dad to an appointment to have his hearing checked. Amazing they say it’s quite good. The Lad is slightly sane at dog training. Daughter is out twitching.

On Thursday I meet my ex-colleague for lunch in the Brunswick while L visits her Dad who is much better.

L is well enough to swim at Lenton on Friday and even walks the Lad at lunch. He’s a three walks a day dog now he’s having to walk that kg off. Given the choice of an hour of the Theresa May book that we are listening to or a gym session L unsurprisingly opts for the gym. The Theresa May book is as dull as you’d expect it to be.

We Parkrun at Clifton on Saturday and then I go over to Aston to perform lawn cutting duties. The Lad amuses himself by pulling my Dad’s plants out of their pots to get at the bone meal he’s bought. It seems he rather likes bone meal. We have a night in the Plough.

On Sunday we head to the Welbeck Abbey Estate and go for a walk there which clocks in at nearly 10k. L’s PT chap wins the body building competition he’s being starving himself for.

(Sunday 19^th May)

Bone Meal And Blood

On Saturday we go to Markeaton for Parkrun but it’s too hot to leave the Lad in car so I watch with him rather than run. L’s sister is there as she’s come up to see their Dad. We all go to visit at the care home and then meet later at Markeaton Garden Centre for lunch. I go collect my Dad so he can join us. He is thrilled by that and then by the visit to Borrowash Co-op which is followed by us visiting our second garden centre of the day. He’s looking for bone meal and blood apparently. Which, as I have zero gardening expertise, is a foreign language to me.

It’s Eurovision in the evening, so we have a night in and watch that. The UK finished a respectable mid table 12th after the jury vote but then were the only country to be given null points by the public and slipped down to 18th. Switzerland won.

It is during Eurovision that we get a message to say that our friend, who had trained two of our dogs and we had visited in Blackpool only a few months ago, has died. We are stunned. We knew she was unwell but wasn’t aware it was anything life threatening.

On Sunday I do my first cycle sportive in many a year, and my first outing on my road bike in over a year, in Newark. L and the Lad come to support. The route takes me past all the sights. Newark Castle obviously for the start and finish but also past the YMCA where we went to the Mayoral hustings, past the PF International Karting Circuit at Stragglethorpe where I used to taz round in go-kart in my younger more reckless days and even close to Collingham, home to many a dog show. It’s only 40 miles but they serve the best ham sandwich and ginger cake at the half-way stopover. In the evening I rehydrate at the Plough.

(Sunday 12^th May)

The Dawn Chorus

Sunday is International Dawn Chorus Day and we are on Wollaton Park for 4:30 am. Yes really. Amazingly the park is open. Yes really. We even have a birding expert with us. Yes Daughter. And we all have our bird apps at the ready, well except me. The Lad is confused because all this is happening before his breakfast and I’m not too sure how we got away with that. Afterwards we’re all back in bed, after feeding the Lad.

Sunday is the new Saturday this week and after our joint gym we do the Plough but then Monday is a Bank Holiday, so we get another lie in but don’t this time have to get up at 4:30am first. Then it’s a leisurely walk on the park. The sun is out and so are L’s shorts. Sadly hopes to enjoy the sun with a coffee or an ice cream are curtailed by the long queues. So we head home for lunch.

We’re back at work on Tuesday and L is at home all week, so she joins in the ‘excitement’ at Sainsbury’s. In the evening I take my Dad out to make up for him missing out on a trip to the Velodrome due to the Bank Holiday.

It’s L’s birthday on Wednesday for which L is still not feeling her best and suspects she has a chest infection. Despite that she has a busy day with book club and a lunchtime 4.5k run with the Lad and I. After which I am feeling confident enough\mad enough (delete as applicable) to enter the Grand Prix series of races. Dog training in the evening is a case of do your own thing as we don’t have a trainer but this proves quite useful if like me you have an errant dog who always does his own thing.

Thursday sees L, who hates driving, with the stress of driving her Mum to an eye appointment during morning rush hour. She survives that but later requires the gentle application of wine to fully get over it which we manage to turn into a Friday night on a Thursday.

On Friday it’s my turn to take a parent to a medical appointment as my Dad has another injection scheduled on his knee. L walks over to us afterwards as she’s been visiting her Dad. He’s not good and we wonder if he’ll pull through. In the evening we go for a curry at Anoki in Derby with friends. 

(Friday 10^th May)

Sign Language

L practically leaps out of bed on Thursday morning (well sort of) and, while I’m still wondering whether to join her, she heads out on her second run in two days. It’s a warm morning and she returns hot and sweaty. Very nice.

Then she rushes off to visits her Dad who’s sadly been taken into hospital. We do a joint gym later where I have a brief sign language conversation with some lad as I try to get him off the leg curl but he’s seemingly too busy booking his post-gym Deliveroo.

On Friday evening we are at Mr Mans Chinese with my Dad and Daughter. It’s a joint birthday celebration as my birthday was last week and L’s is next week. My Dad pays for us all, so we let him stay over. Daughter takes us in her car and then after dropping us back at home heads out to her mystery man.

Saturday is Parkrun and we run at Wollaton while my Dad stays tucked up in bed. Very sensible of him. I then take him home, make him lunch and cut his lawn. I'm a bit nice like that.

Then it's time for the record attempt.

(Saturday 4^th May)

Frank Turner

Tonight I head down to somewhere called Saltbox for the first time. I don’t even know the place existed and I find it lurking near the Ice Stadium. I don’t know what’s on at the Arena itself but there are loads of stalls selling feather boas and kiss me quick hats. Which is worrying. Although I’m sure it’s nothing to do with Frank Turner, which is why I’m here. A quick internet search tells me it’s the Clubland Arena Tour. So that’s cleared that one up... not.

Tonight it’s Frank Turner’s World Record Attempt. He’s doing 15 shows in 15 cities in 24 hours which will be a new Guinness World Record.

With Frank only due to play around 25 minutes it’s good that we’ve got a support act. George Gadd walks out shouting 'You pies!'. Yes he’s a local and clearly not from the red side of the city. It’s also immediately apparent that he’s a wannabe Frank Turner but he’s very confident with it. He's also pretty good and chatty with it. He tells us he used to be in an Emo band and has been to B&Q today!

He plays us some tracks from his forthcoming début album that he says has been 42 years in the making since he was aged two. It includes a ballad about his dog Leo who he lost during Covid and couldn’t say goodbye to due to restrictions. He also covers Frightened Rabbit’s ‘Swim Until You Can’t See Land’. 

He goes down well and George seems slightly overwhelmed with it all. At half an hour our support act has played longer than the headliner is schedule to do. I don’t think that usually happens.

Saltbox is a nice venue albeit with a small stage and although bigger in actual size to the Rescue Rooms it's probably got about the same 400 or so capacity, due to its layout.

Frank is due on a 9pm and his kit e.g. guitar, pedals etc arrive from Chesterfield at 8:45. So it looks like we’re on schedule. It must be hard lugging stuff into a different places unless you’ve cased the joints first but then perhaps they have.

Bang on time Frank Turner takes the stage wearing a T-shirt with the slogan ‘Whose stupid idea was this anyway?’ and welcomes us along to gig six of his mid-life crisis. 

The eight song set draws mainly from his new album ‘Undefeated’ which I get handed a copy of when I enter the venue. The gig plus the CD for only £18.50 and in aid of the Music Venue Trust. So I order a T-Shirt as well.

Alongside the new material he slots in a couple of classics in the shape of ‘The Ballad of Me and My Friends’ and ‘Get Better’. Both of which induce a mass crowd singalong.

Then after a finale of another newbie ‘Do One’ where the chorus appropriately goes ‘I’m still standing up’ he leaves for his next appointment in Birmingham in only an hour’s time.

Of course he went on to achieve his aim in Southampton the next day and now he’s a World Record holder as well as having raised some money for the Music Venue Trust while being the complete legend that he is.

The Rishi Bribe

It's one of those Monday's when L skips the gym to get to work early but then her boss doesn’t turn up so she heads home in a huff. I warn the kettle that it’s going to be busy. 

When she's refuelled with tea I ask her if she’s had the Rishi bribe yet, her 2% off National Insurance, and yes she checks and she’s a whole £18 better off. What's more he’s now knocked another 2% off so it should double next month. I ask if it's persuaded her to vote for Rishi. Apparently not. 

On Tuesday Nottingham is named the country's worst council to the surprise of no one.

On Wednesday we run 3.7k at lunchtime with L still WFH. Then in the evening I’m in Sheffield at the Leadmill for Editors. 

(Wednesday 1^st May)

Editors

Tonight I’m at the Leadmill and hopefully not for the last time. The venue is very reassuring that they’ll still be around for a very long time yet but they are in court later this month as they continue to fight its new landlord over the eviction notice that was served on them when their lease expired in March last year. Thankfully they are protected by the Landlord and Tenant Act and this is why they are in court as only a court can end their tenancy.

Meanwhile the Leadmill is still here doing what it does so well and remains my second favourite venue after Rock City.

 

The support band tonight are Wings Of Desire from Stroud. Who are supposedly a duo consisting of Chloe Little and James Taylor but they are out in force tonight rocking up at the Leadmill as a five piece wielding a pair of guitars, drums and a bass alongside Little on keyboards. The smartly dressed Taylor in a shirt and tie has one of those guitars as well as the lead mic. 

 

All of which creates a very big, layered sound. At one moment you’re thinking shoegaze then the next you’re hit with a wall of percussion and guitars. They are very good and a decent fit for tonight’s headliners, Editors. 

Editors have developed their sound over the years and today we get the full range. There was plenty from their latest record ‘EBM’ such as the opener ‘Strawberry Lemonade’ and ‘Picturesque’ with the classic oldie ‘An End Has a Start’ sandwiched in between.

 

Tonight is a warm up before they become the first band to play to a capacity crowd at the re-opened Brixton Academy after it was closed following the fatal crowd crush back in December 2022. Then they’re off to do a festival in Spain.

The band are excellent tonight and as always they switch up their set list. While I remain unconvinced by their cover of ‘Killer’, tonight they revisit the likes of ‘Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool’, ‘Formaldehyde’, ‘Ocean of Night’ and to my delight ‘Bricks and Mortar’ which appears just before the set ending ‘Papillon’.

 

An encore that gives us ‘The Weight of the World’ and ‘A Ton of Love’ climaxes with a version of ‘Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors’ that starts with the first verse done slow, acoustic and moody before the rest of the band join in to finish it and us off.

Two Poets, An Author And A Promotion

This week was quite a cultural week.

On Tuesday I have somehow been talked into seeing a couple of poets at Nottingham Playhouse. Brian Bilston to his credit comes on to Elastica and turns out to be more comedian than poet. For instance writing a poem called ‘Pedants’ or is that ‘Pedant’s’ because he’s fed up with people pointing out all the mistakes in his poetry.

He’s also very heavy on the politics which naturally appeals to me. He has even written a poem for Boris Johnson, a reworked version of Rudyard Kipling’s ‘If’. ‘If you can keep your job when all around you lies ravaged from what it is you’ve done’. Excellent stuff.

The evening is a double header with Nottingham’s own Henry Normal, who takes the second half. Normal comes on to Thunderbirds and takes an hour to drink his mug of tea (or whatever beverage it is) and is a lot coarser in his poetry than Brian Bilston but is still very good.

Then on Thursday I settle in with the popcorn to watch Angela Van Den Bogerd, or the weasel as L calls her, on the Post Office Enquiry.

But my cultural re-education continues that evening when L takes me to see someone called John O’Farrell, who’s an author, at Waterstones. It’s a nice bit of politics (again), so I enjoy myself. We pop in the Barrel Drop afterwards for a pint and in L’s case a 10%er.

We have this week's night in the Plough on Friday instead of Saturday and then oiled by a few drinks we come home and watch the new Gary Glitter documentary. A few drinks are needed to get through what perhaps doesn't count as culture.

Then on Saturday I have a very good birthday which includes Wollaton parkrun (well perhaps not that bit) and the final match of the football season that Derby win to get promoted on my birthday.

My Dad and I don’t invade the pitch. He wanted to but my knees weren’t up to it. Son was there too, did invade the pitch and still got over to Nottingham before me.

My birthday treats continue with a romantic meal for two with L at Iberia Tapas. We have the meat and cheese board along with seven diverse tapas which include octopus, beef, salmon, mackerel, lettuce with Manchego cheese, a tortilla that looked like a pizza but wasn’t and open chicken wings. We washed this down with a bottle of Moldovan wine and two no doubt headache inducing Alfonso Oloroso sherries. The Manchego and the Alfonso Oloroso promptly go on the Sainsbury’s shopping list.

Sunday is a foul day and we walk the Lad in the rain. Sadly as they’ve closed the gym for the weekend in honour of my birthday, or maybe they said something about doing maintenance, there’s no joint gym session. 

(Sunday 28^th April)

The Storm With No Name

The weather continues to be stormy. Although I’m not sure this current one has a name. It is the storm with no name. We really do need to get the tent out again.

L is reading a book called Annie Bot (by Sierra Greer) about a robot created to be the perfect girlfriend for its owner. She says it’s weird, getting weirder and doesn’t really sound like her sort of book at all but clearly she can’t put it down. I won’t need to read it because I get a full update very day.

Aside from Annie Bot, the two of us as also listening to Theresa May’s book (which is torture) and have now started watching ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’ about the Russian Revolution. We are so diverse. L has already read that one but the programme has been recommended by L’s boss. That one time he turned up at the office.

I have no Cycling this week as I have a committee meeting which isn’t as exciting but it’s easier on my knees.

On Wednesday I’m out with my old school pal in the Alexandra and then in the Viceroy Indian Restaurant where they have deal on. You get poppadums, a starter, a main and rice for £20. Which is not too shabby but sadly naan for the Lad is extra. 

There is a new Derby mural of Steve Bloomer on Pride Park bridge. Which will be nice until the away supporters vandalise it.

On Friday L is in Derby and I get my gym in early at lunchtime so that Friday night can be a romantic night in. I even spoil us with a spam curry.

Parkrun this week is at Long Eaton where I do my best time of the year or possibly several years with a 26:09. That was the fault of my unintended pacemaker e.g. one of my rivals who caught me up and then made me run with him until I couldn’t anymore. Thing is he never beats me. This is how far I have fallen.

Derby win 1-0 at Cambridge and now need just one point for promotion with one game to go. The Plough is better this week as they have their best pale beer on, the 5.2% Supreme.

I watch the London Marathon on Sunday while L walks the Lad. Given my fast but poor Parkrun performance that evening’s joint gym was definitely needed. 

(Sunday 21^st April)

Licking Into Shape

Yet again, on Monday, L’s boss doesn’t turn up for work and she quickly comes home disgruntled. However, and oddly, the chance to join me at Sainsburys seems to perk her up. In the evening I have my usual cycling, pub and scotch egg night while L has yoga. 

L is in work and with a boss on Tuesday which will be her only day in the office this week as he’s then away. After her PT L’s sends me an article saying you need to build your muscle mass if you want to live to be 100. I best get down the gym then.

Dog training is Tuesday because there’s a match on Wednesday as Derby play at Wycombe, so my Dad and I watch it on TV. It’s a not great 0-0 draw.

Wednesday sees L and I do a 4k lunchtime run with the Lad. Then she’s at the Wollaton book club later. I do get down the gym on Thursday evening for a joint session with both of us doing my routine. L manages to look enthusiastic but she’d probably rather be doing her own thing or swimming, which she does Friday morning. Then she’s running again Friday lunchtime before taking the Lad for an early walk because we have a romantic night out at the YMCA in Newark where they are holding the hustings for our new East Midlands Mayoral Election. It’s sort of informative.

On Saturday we Parkrun at Wollaton where they are now on their third course due to the repeated flooding of both their previous courses. I think it’s going to be very difficult for them to ever return to the original lake route. Then we have breakfast in the Wollaton pub.

Derby win 3-0 at home to Orient. Then it’s the Plough in the evening, collecting L from the gym on the way, where all the beers are pale and below 4.2%. That is bar Draught Bass at 4.4%. So not a great line up.

On Sunday I cut the lawn and decide it’s time to put up the weaves. Time to lick the Lad into shape. Then time to lick myself into shape and make it down the gym again with L in the evening. 

(Sunday 14^th April)

Compulsory Things

Monday is a Easter Monday Bank Holiday\April Fool’s Day double header but a normal sort of day walking the Lad and with a Sainsbury’s trip. Just no work. L takes Daughter to our gym on a guest pass. In the evening Derby play at league leaders Portsmouth and I go over to watch it with my Dad on Sky. It ends in a 2-2 draw.

L spends the rest of the week pretending to work from home while setting up her new phone. Her PT is cancelled as her trainer is ill. It may or may not be anything to do with the fact he’s starving himself ahead of a bodybuilding competition.

L is in Derby on Thursday despite pretty much all the Red Arrows being cancelled but then the i4 does give her more book time. My right knee is really bad today, I can barely walk, but manage an evening gym with L. I also manage the proffered Friday night on a Thursday.

Friday is just a half day at work and then we drive down to Norwich for a weekend break. For once I actually follow by Sat Nav’s suggested route which takes us via Boston and which works out ok. It’s not a fast route but there are no hold ups. Which would have probably happened on the M1.

We are as usual in the Holiday Inn which turns out to be right next door to Norwich FC who have a lunchtime kick off on Saturday against local rivals Ipswich for which we will make ourselves scarce. 

We spend Friday evening in the Coach and Horses which is a pub belonging to the local Chalk Hill Brewery where I alternate between their Ruby Ale at 5.5% and this Black Anna Milk Stout at a more sobering 4.0%. L boycotts the beer and is on the Merlot instead. We eat there as well.

We are woken up on Saturday by the hotel’s fire alarm. The hotel is evacuated but we are less worried about our safety and more concerned that we will miss Parkrun. Thankfully it’s a false alarm or a drill and we make it to Parkrun. Parkrun is at Catton Park where we have a coffee from the van afterwards before heading to the Pavilion cafe on Victoria Park for breakfast as recommended by the Parkrun breakfast FB group.

The third compulsory thing on a weekend away after Parkrun and a Micropub is a bookshop which we head in to Norwich centre to find followed by a nice walk along river. The river and what looks like old city walls dominate Norwich. We are surprised how nice Norwich is.

We stop for afternoon refreshment at the Red Lion at Bishopgate which has a lovely riverside location by a bridge over the River Wensum. The beer is a Norfolk Porter called Triskele by the local craft brewer Moongazer. Then we head back to the hotel for a very late post-Parkrun after fighting through the post-match traffic.

In the evening we go to another local pub The Rose for beer and food. Sadly, much to L’s disapproval, the only food they have is pizza.

On Sunday it’s breakfast at hotel and then we start our journey home. We have two stop offs. Firstly at the Sandringham Estate for a very nice walk and then briefly in a very uninteresting Spalding. 

(Sunday 7^th April)

Culture Week

L is briefly in work on Monday but then comes home when she doesn’t have a boss. He is now in France for the rest of Easter.

L’s Tuesday night is with a vicar doing a book talk or something like that. I’m in Notsa with my deaf again Father. Notsa, which was so promising when it opened, is now going rapidly downhill with less beer, less food and less opening hours. Hopefully it’s not on its last legs.

Sadly the Derby Brewery which owns the pub is on its last legs or at least its pub management company is which means the Brewery Tap and the Greyhound are both being sold but apparently Notsa isn’t.

We are getting cultural this week. We are listening to James O'Brien reading (and ranting) his way through his own book ‘How They Broke Britain’ while watching on TV (yes, actual TV) the Covid-19 drama Breathtaking written by Dr Rachel Clarke.

We are both off on Friday which is Good Friday. L visits her Dad at the care home where there’s been a scabies outbreak so she has to wear PPE. Both her Dad and Mum have it, so her Mum is not allowed to visit at the moment.

Derby have a match and beat Blackpool 1-0. In the evening we stay in with a bottle of red and a homemade curry.

Saturday sees us going up to Graves Park in Sheffield for parkrun where we have post-run coffee and a bacon sandwich at the Rose Garden cafe. Where we also join their campaign to keep it open. It’s covered in scaffolding at the moment to stop it falling down.

Back home it's time to give the lawn its first cut of the year and for the first time in quite a while it’s actually not raining. Post-lawn recovery is of course in the Plough drinking their new 5.1% Bendigo.

On Sunday we do a family run. L, Daughter, the Lad and myself. We run 4k. Then I head over to my Dad’s to do his lawn. L joins us to wield the hoover. She has a PT session later at 7pm, so I join her in the gym which is nice and quiet as it’s a Sunday. 

(Sunday 31^st March)

Feeder (Nottingham)

I start the week at Rock City. 

Support comes from Cameron Hayes. Who are in fact two people but the singer informs us that she is actually Cameron and the other person on stage, a drummer, is not. Then what we get is, without trying to be too unkind, karaoke. We hear guitar, bass and keyboards emanating from the stage alongside the drums and vocals. Spooky. There’s even a backing singer hiding somewhere. It keeps costs down I suppose.

For the record the drumming is fine and Cameron Hayes is a very able singer but, sorry, this is just not my idea of live music. It’s quite irritating really. 

Feeder is my idea of live music and for my second gig of their tour I turned up well-rehearsed as regards their new material. Five of the six tracks they are playing from their as yet to be released new album ‘Black/Red’ have been made available on YouTube.

 

 

The band also seem better ‘rehearsed’, and should be this far into the tour, than they were at the Lincoln gig last week and hopefully free of the illness that’s dogged them. It certainly all seems to hang together a lot better tonight and the crowd were way more into it. 

I’m really liking ‘The Knock’ and ‘Playing With Fire’ to which Grant Nicholas tries to get a mosh pit together. He tried that at Lincoln as well and nothing happened but here Rock City obliges and it gets livelier still when ‘Come Back Around’ and ‘Insomnia’ follow it. 

Then comes a rare outing for their second ever single 1996’s ‘Tangerine’, resurrected and revived with extra umph. That makes my night. Then it’s the tried and trusted finale starting with ‘High’, followed by ‘Buck Rogers’ and ‘Just A Day’ with newbie ‘Soldiers Of Love’ in the middle after an encore break.

Feeder are loud and on fire tonight and Rock City explodes in appreciative ticker-tape at the end.

Deadlifting

This week at work it’s Neurodiversity Celebration Week which I’m sure is a worthy cause but it will be another excuse for a lot of departments going awol this week. 

It’s a usual Monday night. L at yoga, me at cycling and in the Exeter working my way through their range of scotch eggs.

The cycling must have been tough because the morning walk was hard work and not just because of my errant dog. My legs weren’t working very well. L meanwhile is at PT and bragging about deadlifting 50kg. She’s catching me up. Although I only lift 60kg and that’s not deadlifting just squats.

By Wednesday it's raining yet again and we trudge through the ever increasing mud on the morning walk. The Lad did at least miss out on an altercation with his nemesis who was hiding behind a parked car across the road from the entrance to the park.

L does the gym first thing but I do the gym at lunchtime once it’s got time to get busy. Very busy as it turns out and I got on very little of what I really wanted to go on.

In the evening I meet my old pal from school. We drink in the Alexandra and then eat in Peppitos.

L spends both Thursday and Friday in Derby. First with her friend and then with her Mum. She still fits in a swim, a 5k with Daughter and a yoga workout upstairs with the Lad. This gets me out of the gym and I cook a curry instead.

We parkrun this week at Tamworth Castle where we also manage to get a bacon and egg sandwich and a coffee. Then I get to go to the New Inn with my Dad for lunch as well. Then it’s back to his to catch the match on the radio before going to the Plough in the evening with L.

On Sunday we go to see Nick Wallis, he of the Post Office Scandal, on stage at the Garrick Theatre in Lichfield. He is joined by one of the sub-postmasters Harjinder Butoy from Chesterfield. It is an excellent and fascinating evening. 

(Sunday 24^th March)