42 Days around the world with Ross and Pin

Our friends (Ross and Pinar), are currently making everyone VERY jealous by travelling around the world for 6 weeks, and Ross is blogging the trip as they go.
Have a look, - I think it's class!
The fact that he can quickly provide updates AND pictures, no matter what country they're in, is a class use of the internet and it's what blogs were made for!

Even if you don't know them personally, why not leave a comment and say who you are, to let them know you're following the journey....

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Time to look for a new service provider?

I have been unable to update any of my sites for over a week now, which ran on web space offered by my current ISP.
I orginally couldn't fault the services that they provide, but I'm starting to wonder whether they are going down hill as the company grows (same old story!).
When this is the only information you're provided with, and the operators on the end of the phone are basically clueless I have to wonder what I'm paying for!!
Anyways, rant over (for now), and if you're reading this you'll already be aware that I've moved my blog off their ftp servers.

Normal service is resumed, - although you can expect another change of address soon....!

Thanks for reading.

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Take That

We went to the opening night of the 'Take That' tour on Sunday, and as you can imagine I was hardly relishing the prospect! However my preconceptions were proved well and truly wrong and I like the other four and half thousand people had a really good night.

The simple fact is, no matter whether you like the music or the performers, if the atmosphere is good enough, you can't help but have a good time and that's what did it for me. Because the audience was somewhat older than what you'd traditionally get at a 'boy band' concert, it made all the difference. There wasn' t the constant screaming making the music in-audible for a start, and they really knew how to work the crowd! I've put together a little flickr photo blog of the night here, but I'll also give you a quick song run down...

1. Once You've Tasted Love - Definitely not the song I' d have expected them to open with, and was starting to wonder if I actually knew Take That songs!
2. Pray - Things took off with a bang and the crowd sang every word of this one.
3. Only Takes A Minute - Done with a Latin twist and the lads tried to Tango, - didn't work!
4. Everything Changes - With an acoustic feel and this one really worked
5. Million Love Songs - They all sat round Gary whilst he played the piano to this, - one of the best on the night in my opinion.
6. Beatles Melody - Performed on seperate centre stage. Die hard fans loved it, but didn't really work for me.
7. How Deep Is Your Love - Acoustic and again on centre stage. Good.
8. Love Don't Live Here - Sang whilst walking back to the main stage through the audience!! A brave move but I don't think they'll repeat the walk on future nights - Mobbed!
9. 'How to make a Boy Band' - A kind of narrated song acted out by the group about the ingredients to make a band. It was really clever and worked well, - included a couple of references to Robbie.
10. Sure - Bit cheesey for me.
11. Relight My Fire - The stage show for this was amazing, with circus performers etc. Beverley Knight did Lulu's vocals on the centre stage.
12. Back for Good - Again the stage helped to really make this song with rain falling. Worked well.
13. Never Forget - The encore and unsurprisingly the best song in my opinion. It proper whipped the crowd up with everyone's arms going in time, and they soaked the front rows with the puddles which had formed on stage.

There were probably others, inlcuding a couple of solos, but I think I've covered the best bits.

Go see them if you get the chance, and I think as far as Jen's concerned - Robbie will have his work cut out when we see him at Glasgow in September.....!

P.S. Jen returned to the concert venue the following day on a tip off that the group would be there for autographs. She succeeded in meeting Howard (photo at start of post), and also got his autograph.

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Jack Loves Dogs

Jack Loves Dogs
Originally uploaded by Beebop Alula.

My young cousin lives in London and doesn't often come up here, (mainly due to his never ending football commitments!) so it was good to see him last weekend.
He used to be quite warey around dogs, but not any more - he got on famously playing in my parents garden with Cedar and Bertha. In fact, by the end he was even asking his Dad for a dog! - Obviously something that fell upon deaf ears!!

I WILL own one of these some day!

Stormtrooper1
Originally uploaded by Beebop Alula.

Jen went shopping on Bank Holiday Monday whilst I stayed home and listened to the local football derby. TYPICAL that they chose this as the day there would be full size Star Wars models on display at the Metro Centre! Grrr.

What was I doing 20 years ago....?

Approx 20 years ago (30th March 1986), myself and two friends decided to bury a time capsule at the local beach. We provided details of ourselves and current affairs at the time as well as instructions to contact us if it were ever found. We dug a 6 foot hole and buried the capsule, ensuring we didn't tell anyone else.
I arrived home from work 20 years to the day later to find a message on my answerphone from someone who had found the capsule! The person in question did not say what they were calling about, but just left their details and asked me to give them a call. He then asked if I could remember what I was doing 20 years ago to the day. After a little hint I immediately guessed.
I was completely taken aback because over the years I have noticed the sand get deeper and deeper in that area and I always thought the capsule would never be found, - certainly not in my life time anyway!What makes it more ironic is the person that found it, was also one of my younger brother's teachers at school!
He agreed to provide me with a copy of the capsule contents - see below. The capsule was actually found a few weeks ago but he thought he'd leave it until exactly 20 years to the day before contacting me.

Time_Capsule_Contents_Page1.jpg

Page 2 of the letter is bizarre to say the least! - I guess we were going through a phase or drawing what we thought were good cartoon characters at the time...!

Time_Capsule_Contents_Page2.jpg

The photocopies aren't really the clearest, but considering the capsule actually consisted of a Coffee jar sealed with gaffa tape, the contents have stood the test of time quite well!

The finder of the letter also included a covering letter when he sent me copies of the contents;

Finders_Covering_Letter.JPG

One for my nephew

Elliots_Car
Originally uploaded by Beebop Alula.

Thought Shaun might like one; Newcastle United's 'Robbie Elliot', who I often end up queing in traffic with on the way to work. I'm assuming he's taking his kids to school, because they're always in the car too.

3D

3D
Originally uploaded by Beebop Alula.

Came across a link to some 3D pics from 9/11 on BoingBoing, and obviously needed glasses for the full effect!
Luckilly I bought a special edition of the Shrek DVD a few years ago which was in 3D and included some glasses!! (The geek in me coming out again).

Can you see the pilot..?

Can you see the pilot..?
Originally uploaded by Beebop Alula.

Took this pic whilst walking the dog at the beach this morning. An AirSea rescue helicopter flew over really low so i just stuck my phone in the air and clicked. Have to say i'm canny impressed with the quality,- if you zoom in enough you can make out the blurred image of the pilot.

One for the geeks....!

On Wednesday 4th May,
at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00
(in the morning),
the time and date will be
01:02:03 04/05/06.

That won't happen again for quite a while...!

No break for Spartans

It's obvious from previous posts that my main sporting passion is following Newcastle United. However there is also a non-league team in the town where I live called 'Blyth Spartans'. Blyth are having a really good season and are seen by many as favourites to be promoted. They have had loooooaaads of games postponed this season though due to the weather, - frozen and waterlogged pitch etc.
As a result they now have a nightmare fixture pile-up in April to the point where they have MORE than a game every 3 days!!! Check this out;

Blyth Spartans - April 2006 Fixtures

Tue 04.04.06 North Ferriby (h)

Sat 08.04.06 Ilkeston Town (h)

Tue 11.04.06 Ossett Town (a)

Fri 14.04.06 Gateshead (a)

Sat 15.04.06 Radcliffe Borough (h)

Mon 17.04.06 Bradford PA (h)

Wed 19.04.06 Witton Albion (a)

Sat 22.04.06 Runcorn FC Halton (a)

Tue 25.04.06 Matlock Town (a)

Thu 27.04.06 Guiseley (h)

Sat 29.04.06 Wakefield-Emley (h)

Mon 01.05.06 Ossett Town (UCC F) (h)

It's completely ridiculous and something that would obviously never happen at professional level, but I guess there's nothing they can do about it. Good Luck to them, and I just hope their season doesn't come to nothing a result of this!
Incidentally, Blyth are also due to play Newcastle United Reserves in the 'Northumberland Senior Cup Final', but at present they are unable to schedule this fixture! This is obviously the one I want to go to, and before you ask - I will be supporting Blyth 100%!!

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