Light Night

This year is the twelfth time that Nottingham has held it’s annual Light Night and although we’ve considered it before, we’ve never been. Tonight we decide to give it a go.

L’s tennis is off because it’s very windy but before we hit Light Night I need to get my run in.

I don’t run as far tonight, partly because of wanting to do Light Night but also because of the wind, which was almost blowing me off my feet at lunchtime but then Pride Park does get the worst of it. I run the nine miles or so to Long Eaton and meet L in Tesco’s car park, where she has a complete change of clothes for me and hot coffee.

Then we drive into town where we park in the train station car park. The dogs have come too but we leave them in the car. The plan was to walk the boys as well but a lot of Light Night looks like it’s indoors but then even taking MD into places like the Market Square when it’s busy might not be the best idea. He can be a bit sensitive.

First stop is Carrington Street, where there are old images being projected onto the wall which are pretty cool. This turns out to be the highlight, the rest of it was nothing special. Lots of displays from schools which is great for them but not actually that exciting for everyone else. There’s quite a bit of dancing and such, again quite good but not really ‘light’ related or particularly exciting.

After our wander around we end up in BeerHeadZ, the micro bar by the railway station. Where I think L feels I’m leading her astray by ordering her a half pint of the 3.0% beer they have on although this is only a 0.2% upgrade on the Mackesons she’s hooked on at home. At least we showed we can still have disagreements without having to be drunk. 

(Friday 8^th February)

Not At Hootenanny

I am at work and L isn’t, so she takes the boys out where she loses three tennis balls and one dog. I'm sure she's losing the tennis balls on purpose to cut down on how many grotty ones we've got around house while she did get the dog back. The Lad disappeared through the park fence and was then in a complete panic when he couldn’t get back. He’s done that with me as well and clearly hasn’t learnt his lesson yet.

I finish work at 3:30 and head off to do an hour in the Velodrome gym. Then in the evening L and I can’t decide what to do. We should have probably stuck to our plan of going to the Lakes but last year's traumas with Doggo have put us off a bit.

In Nottingham more and more places are becoming ticket only or simply closing early. I think a lot of people are now heading down to the Old Market Square which has really taken off. We must do that one year but you still need somewhere to go first.

So we stay in, I cook Thai and we watch Hootenanny. You know the thing that we weren’t invited to.Not that we'd actually be there tonight as it was filmed a couple of weeks ago but it would have been nice looking out for one's self.

I suggest we open L’s bottle of Champagne that’s in the wine rack and I assumed was from her boss but she tells me it’s mine from my 50^th Birthday. Ah yes. Your memory goes at 50 you know. Anyway I don't really like Champagne and L’s cut back on her drinking so we make do with a small bottle of Prosecco between us instead. Not that I like Prosecco either!

(Monday 31^st December)

What Is The World Coming To?

L heads off to Parkrun at Rushcliffe but gets diverted by the tram works, which are everywhere at the moment. This means she misses the run but, looking on the bright side, gets an extended bike ride.

I’m at yet another dog show at Catton Hall. I’m there both days this weekend. It doesn’t start well; Doggo misses a jump and gets five faults. What is the world coming to? I don’t know what he was playing at; it was right in front of him.

MD on the other hand is very good at missing out what is right in front of him and he’s so bloody frustrating today that I come to the conclusion that there must be better ways of spending a weekend. Actually probably hundreds of better ways of spending a weekend. He totally lacks confidence and this isn’t just in agility but with everything really. 

I task him with doing pretty much three runs back to back late morning. I don’t know if this is a good strategy to beat the heat or not. Putting him back in the car between runs two and three doesn’t seem to cool him much but it does produce our best run of the day. Today two largely rubbish jumping runs are followed by a fairly decent agility one albeit with a pole down. It is however, far too hot for all of us, so I shouldn’t be too hard on him.

My Mum and Dad turn up to watch and are surprised to find us completely done and rosette-less by lunch time. We head home, in search of some shade.

In the evening, L and I head over to Derby Beer Festival which this year is held mostly in a marquee on the market square due to the closure of the main hall at the Assembly Rooms. It’s pretty grotty in the marquee though and most of the best beer seems to be inside in the foyer or the Darwin Suite, along with much cooler temperatures, so we loiter there.

Me

‘Unknown’ Porter 5.5%

Fullers London Porter 5.4%

Fullers London Porter 5.4%

Titanic Nautical Mild 4.8%

Bartrams Conrade Bill 6.9% (Stout)

Elvedon Ported Porter 4.4%

Muirhouse Stumblin About 5.2% (Ruby)

L

Leatherbritches Game Over 5.0% (Mild)

Muirhouse Stumblin About 5.2% (Ruby)

Muirhouse Hat Trick IPA 5.2%

Titanic Nine Tenths Below 5.9% (IPA)

Navigation Abus 5.5% (IPA)

Everards Old Original 5.0%

(Saturday 13^th July)

Company At The Bar

Today is a rest day; everything is being rested ahead of the Sheffield Half Marathon on Sunday. Turns out to be another wet day as well, so it wouldn’t have been much fun on the bike anyway.

It doesn’t put L off walking up to meet me from the bus though, with the boys. Seems she’s desperate to try and wear them out because I’m not available to kick footballs tonight, even if it means walking them in the rain.

I’m off out in Bingham, with four other chaps from the University days. I’m the only one who needs to be well hydrated for Sheffield on Sunday but they all keep me company at the bar.

Our usual pub, The Horse and Plough, is quieter than normal and we put this down to the new Wetherspoon's, The Butter Cross, although the pub used to be called The Crown. The Butter Cross being the 19^th shelter in the centre of the market square.

We go in there for the last one of the night but as usual I’m not terribly impressed. All Wetherspoons are cheap but not terribly comfy places to spend an evening and this is no exception.

The Horse and Plough has been Bingham’s only decent pub for beer for years but it’s never had a particularly eclectic range of ales. Now it’s got some competition, they’ll have to up their game or else they’ll lose a lot of custom. The best beer we found tonight was in the Wetherspoons.

(Friday 10^th May)