Monday

Surf shop in town and a jewellers to buy a new watch

Sunday

New thing today was heading to church - St Mary's Speen. It was high time I went to church - I haven't been for ages, and it was obvious to me when we were sitting through mass that I was in need of some spirituality and calm. My life is a treadmill of rushing about - even if it's to do good things, and it was great to enjoy the peace and a wonderful, friendly welcome from the congregation there.

Saturday

This is more like it! I got home just before midnight last night and was reading the paper just before bed and spotted the Shalbourne Soaring Society's open day was today! After a huge breakfast (which proved to be my undoing later in the day!), I drove down there via another new thing which was Francis Bailey School (they were having a boot sale and for once in my life I managed not to buy anything). So I drove along the lovely country lanes to Shalbourne, which was actually far more dangerous than being propelled into the sky -two cars charging down the lanes on my side of the road nearly did for me. Anyway, I arrived at the club, with £30 in my pocket which was a leeedle bit of the cash that my parents had given me for my birthday. There was an old bus parked up which was the HQ so I went in to join as a temporary member. I actually thought there would be a lot of waiting around, but no sooner had I arrived, than I was heading for a glider! Everyone there was incredibly friendly (and brave!) and I was weighed (in front of six people -yikes!) AFTER donning my parachute, and then led to the glider which I scrambled about to get into like Bambi learning to walk. All strapped in, then we were off, catapulted into the sky which was just amazing. It was like going on a rollercoaster that didn't feel as if it would stop. It was almost like dying, like heading for the heavens and the fact that there was a beautiful blue sky made it even better. Looking around to my left and right to take it in, I just couldn't believe how idyllic the countryside was - just perfect. Then we started to fly around and I started to feel a bit travel sick (stupid healthy breakfast). After about 10 minutes of gliding on the uplifts, we came down. I was absolutely prepared to land upside down in a hedge, but the landing was smooth as silk and gobsmackingly accurate. I had a smile on my face that just wouldn't go for the rest of the weekend! Can't wait to do this again - on an empty stomach....

Friday

Shameful. Had a new flavour of coffee.

Thursday

A lovely, if wasted, journey to lovely Cambridge. In fact, it was well worth it in the end. In fact, yseterday was very much worth it...http://www.newburysound.co.uk/and-the-winner-is-i-6234.php

Wednesday

Got lost in Birmingham because I have started to get used to satnav and have stopped using my brain! Even ended up in the high Street much to the bemusement of shoppers, but was helped on my way by a lovely Parcelforce man! Then I met the two participants of Renault's Very Good Trip!
Vote, vote, vote!
http://www.renault.co.uk/verygoodtrip/#/teams/gb/news/

Tuesday

New thing was going to a fascinating talk about the newly-launched book "My Improper Mother and Me" which was enhanced by the fact that everyone present seemed to know the author and her mother which made for some hilarious insights.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Improper-Mother-Esther-Fairfax/dp/1904590268/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276848522&sr=8-1

Monday

We went for a trial at Greenacres Leisure which was great, the pool was clean, not too busy and didn't smell of wee, which are my only three stipulations, but very few live up to this! We signed up, assured by the girl on the desk that we didn't have to pay a sign up fee, then when her colleague told us that we did, she disappeared! Had it been me, I would have apologised for misleading, but I think I am a dying breed! Then we waited for membership cards while the guy just left us standing there, thinking he had dealt with us! The things we do for our health!

Sunday

Breakfast in a room of the pub we'd not been in to, which showed us just how old the building was as there were low ceilings and fantastic features. Then to Northampton Market Square where we checked out a few bands -one in particular, didn't catch the name, were superb.

Saturday

Mr SthgNew has been plotting things for a while and today was D-Day! All I knew was that I had to get up at 6am and that we were driving towards Telford. As we approached, Mr SthgNew announced that we were renting a tandem bicycle for the day something which I have wanted to do for ages, and with the Tour de France coming up - extremely topical!
We arrived just after 9am at the village of Ironbridge, marvelling at the beautiful scenery and pitching up at the Tandem Experience just as six people on two bikes and a lot of lycra giggled their way past us.
We were met by a very nice man who gave us a quick run down of how a tandem is different to a normal bike (apart from the obvious), and showed us how to get on and off the tandem and that was it! We were away! Mr Sthgnew was a bit apprehensive -but then he had a much harder role to play than I did as I did absolutely nothing expect look at the map and eat crisps, while he had to brake, steer and maintain the equalibrium of the bike!.
We opted to go off the road and onto Route 45 heading towards Bridgnorth. "Beautiful view of the River Severn down there" said Mr SthgNew as we passed a sewerage plant.
We went into Bridgnorth which I idly said was in Wales until we got there to find a riot of England flags and an expectant atmosphere for the England v USA match later.
I wandered into the Oxfam shop there, but parking a tandem isn't easy in a busy town centre, so we had a quick sandwich and headed back to the cycle route aiming for the heartland of the industrial revolution and the Ironbridge. We cycled back and then through Madeley, Coalport and then through Ironbridge before stopping off for a pint and then returning the bike - intact!
Tandeming is great because on the back, I was able to look around and appreciate the countryside without wobbling off the bike! A couple of people we passed had a bit of a giggle when they passed us as I had my feet up and my hands behind my head. The best part was that I had asked Mr Sthgnew if I could stop pedalling and he said no - unaware that I hadn't been pedalling for the past 10 minutes!
Just a brilliant, thrilling experience which put a smile on our faces for the whole day! We even managed to come up with a communication system so we would know how fast the other one wanted to pedal.
He really came up trumps here as it was a wonderful day and the setting was wonderful - great countryside and plenty to see.

We topped off the day by heading to our accomodation which was the Golden Ball -the oldest pub in Shropshire where we watched the football with much sympathy for Rob Green, then went for a walk around Ironbridge!

Friday

A jewellers in town. The woman in the shop managed to ask me if I needed help without looking up from her computer!

Wednesday

New thing was work in Weston-super-nightmare and then a quick visit to Tesco (which smelled terrible -can't understand it).

Tuesday

Happy birthday to me! Mr SThg New took me to a wonderful restaurant called the “Art of Siam” which is a brilliant Thai restaurant which is beautifully decorated with hand-carved wooden dining tables and chairs with images from old time Thailand.. The food was great too, and as the place filled up I got happier and happier to see so many people enjoying it. Will definitely come back!


http://www.artofsiamuk.com/gallery/gallery_newbury.html

Monday

Went to a house in Benham Hill to interview an inspirational couple. Nearly had tears in my eyes when I left....

Sunday

Bit of an emergency one here -the new Starbucks at Membury. Not a big fan of global coffee shop chains - particularly ones with such a poor environmental record, but still....

Saturday

The 5 Bells at Wickham where there's a stunning view over the hills and then the lovely Coach at Beedon which was lovely.

Friday

A car dealership in Hungerford

Thursday

Card shop in Kennet Centre where I bought a card for my friend's daughter. Bit of a coincidink that she emailed me just before the big day when I haven't heard from her for ages!

Wednesday

New Look at Pinchington Lane! After buying two super new garden chairs!

Tuesday

The designer outlet centre in Swindon which used to be part of the Great Western railway. I then went to the post office in Wootton Bassett and found that someone had blocked me in when I returned to my car. I was trying to inch out really gingerly when a woman came up to my window and said: "you want to be careful doing that in case you hit that van". The guy eventually came back and drove off sans apology!

Monday

Just hours after crawling into bed, we had breakfast at the hotel in the drawing room and library.

Sunday

New thing was the MacDonald Hotel in Ansty for my friend's wedding. (Not McDonalds in Coventry, as the best man's joke went!). Had a blimming brilliant time, catching up with friends, beautiful weather, the bride looked so fantastic, lovely food and great tunes!

Saturday

Went to see two smashing bands tonight - have seen both before, but haven't been to the venue before! Twas the Perfect Fifth in Taunton - almost directly across the road from the newspaper where I did a week of work experience as a youngster. Good to be back in lovely Taunton again where we saw the Julian Tulk band and 3 Daft Monkeys.....my am I still warm from the dancing!!

Friday

HUngerford Garden Centre - I was about an inch from buying a really cool garden chair but wondered if I needed consent from my partner. Groceries no, furniture, yes.

Thursday

New thing was going to a pub called the Green Man (didn't lots of pubs used to be called this!) on Great Portland Street before attending a very helpful and interesting information seminar at International Students House about the MBA course.

Wednesday

New thing was a very disappointing visit to the Minor Injuries Unit here in Newbury. The woman on reception was very nice, but as it had just gone 6pm, she made me phone Westcall where the woman was so unnecessarily rude, I decided I would rather just live with a broken finger than put up with it! I then realised on the way home that this is what the term "triage" means....

Tuesday

Red Cross Shop in Amersham. The number of times I have passed this and wanted to go in! It was always closed at the time of day I went past, but today it was open, so I went in to have a look and someone knocked down a display in the window. I helped him pick it up and the staff member came over and thought it was me and gave me such a dissaproving look that I ran out of the shop and back to the car!