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)