Edinburgh at the weekend

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I had a hard 4 days working in the office training some support staff from a customer.  As soon as the course was completed, it was straight to Luton to catch an Easyjet flight to Edinburgh.  Arrived too late for a meal, so ate chips and sausages on the street.

Next day, Friday, a day at the bank helping one of their staff through certificate configurations for CTG.  Back to the hotel and a meal.

Saturday, a lovely sunny day spent with another Edinburgh customer, helping them go live with an upgrade which included some changes I had made.  All went well, only minor hitches, but on the whole a great success. 

Alas the last plane back was too early (16.00), so another night in Edinburgh on my own.

 

Cambridge & Kettles Yard

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Rosemary wanted to go to see Kettles Yard so off we go on Saturday morning to the Cambridge Park & Ride (no charge for parking, unlike Oxford, but what do you expect from a superior university town?).  Arrived to discover gallery closed to set up for a new exhibition, but house itself open from 14:00.

What else could we do to pass the time other than have lunch?  Cafe Rouge beckoned us and we shared a starter of miniature French bread batons and dips.  Steve had moules (complete with requisite finger sucking) to follow and Rosemary had something she much enjoyed but can’t now remember (must be her age).  Wait, she’s remembered – chicken breast stuffed with brie and wrapped with ham.

Back to Kettles Yard for its opening.  What a lovely place it is, see  http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk/  It was founded by H.S. ‘Jim’ Ede as a place where visitors would ‘find a home and a welcome, a refuge of peace and order, of the visual arts and of music.’  It now belongs to Cambridge University.  We were told on entry that we could sit in any of the chairs and look at the books, but not put them away and instead leave them out ready for shelving by one of the staff.  Pictures were everywhere and so were some very comfy chairs, both upholstered and wooden versions, and some brilliant tablescapes.  Natural objects interspersed the sculptures on tables, shelves, furniture and the wooden or brick floors – including shells and pebbles, some in complex arrangements.  Amazingly, not a speck of dust to be found.  R wrote to compliment them and was told “Like any good employer, we encourage the dust to spend weekends at home.”  R says she knows whose home it went to and she didn’t invite it.  We also encountered Janine the daughter of an ex-Walkerite who is now helping there.  Small world.

Gateshead

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A day trip to Gateshead today.  Left home too early, in the snow, and arrived at Stevenage station at 6.30 for the 7.19 train to Newcastle.

Quick trip up here, had some meetings around placing the portals onto Oracle portal server. 

 Back then on the 17.30 GNER train.  I am writing this on the train, using their free wireless access.  Very cool.

 

Fullers Earth at Aspley Heath

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Rosemary arranged to go on a little trip with the Bedfordshire & Luton Geology group to walk and hear about the Fullers Earth Industry at Aspley Heath near Woburn Sands. Set out with plenty of time, but alas never found Aspley Heath until far too late. The navigation was a total mess. I shall have to buy a Tom Tom.

Instead we stopped at a good farmer’s market in Woburn and bought some good bread and then popped into see John and Carol, and have a bite of our bread with them (plus their cheese etc) for lunch. Then back home.

Being Mothering Sunday, we were delighted to have Selina and Graham over for supper and Rosemary very pleased to receive flowers, vase, chocolates and wine for combined Mothers Day & birthday gifts.  What more could a girl (?) want?

The cold spell has arrived, a quick reversal from the warm and fairly dry weather we have been having for the last few weeks. Forecast is lots of snow, but so far none.

Ireland

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This is now my third week in the office, I have some courses to give, probably next month.  Their preparation should keep me occupied for a while.

Last week I did get a trip to Ireland to watch Clem update a data warehouse with changes required for the e5 product add on product IDOCS.  IDOCS is an airline specific add on which records all charges associated with flights.  (Rosemary says that acronym is also an SAP interface mechanism.)  We worked within walking distance of Dublin airport, but caught a courtesy bus to the hotel.  Managed to get an upgrade to the club floor of the hotel.  Clem gets automatic upgrades as he uses the chain regularly.  I have never stayed in one of their hotels, but the receptionist took pity on me, asked to to give her a big smile and hence upgraded me.

Supper was mainly Guinness, though I was upset at not having any shamrocks drawn in the white cream.

Managed to get back before St Patricks Day!

 

 

Supper with Tessa and Robin

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Had a delightful evening with Tessa and Robin. They had invited over a few ex Walker people, Rosemary and I included. Peter and Janet, John and Carol, Ann and Chris. We had a delightful meal, Rosemary really liked their house and was impressed that Tessa and Robin could easily seat 10, and have enough matching crockery and cutlery.  Their downstairs loo was particularly brilliant with all things electrical on display – Robin is an electrician.

Final week in Edinburgh, or is it

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Arrived up in Edinburgh, lovely dry and sunny, but pretty cold outside. I am sitting in the Mai Thai expecting my Tom Yum soup and main course of duck.  Yes it is the duck yet again.  I am getting rather repetitive.

Already someone from work has suggested I be in the office when the changes go into production.  So looks like I will be here again, at least for a short while.

Rebus on the streets

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Tuesday I had a nice meal at Barjola, Spanish Tapas bar.  As usual the grilled sardines were delicious.

Wednesday, I decided to try a ‘popular place’, so chose The Filling Station.  An American diner like place, decked out in 30s and 40s British motoring memorabilia.  Serves burgers, Tex Mex and steaks.  Chose a steak which I ordered rare, but alas it came in as medium to well done.  Charming Brazilian waitress though, who made all the right noises when I complained.  Shall not be eating there again.

The street next to the hotel was blocked off tonight.  They were making a scene from a new Rebus episode to be show on TV.  The scene was outside Bannermans. A music pub on the same street as Whistle Binkies.  A man walks up the street from Cow Gate, and argues with another man who appears out of Bannermans.  The first man shoots the second, and then rushes up the street.

All this was taken under large sprinklers simulating a wet Edinburgh night.  There must have been 40 people on the shoot, lots controlling the traffic in cowgate, every time they did a shoot, the traffic was stopped.  I was able to watch from 10 metres away, and able to see the scene in the monitor. 

Life Styles and Local Bird Life

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Rosemary’s nephew’s better-half Kirsty has just launched a new business Be Styled Interiors for interior design, home staging & de-cluttering in West Sussex & Surrey.  Should be very exciting her and we had a look at the new website for them.  I reckon we know quite a few homes which could benefit from the de-cluttering!
 
Local birds are behaving very oddly.  Over the past few weeks and for the first time in the 20 years we’ve lived here, the local blue tits are repeatedly tapping at windows and leaping up & down at them, too.  Is it the same single bird?  Not sure, not many distinguishing characteristics, but I don’t think we’ve had more than one window attacked at the same time.  Meanwhile, we spotted a buzzard in the field.  The farmer whose sheep are very kindly eating there said there were buzzards nesting in the wood near him, well blow me if a buzzard hasn’t come here and sat on the fence into the “coppice” part of the field.  However, he doesn’t appear to be that bright cos he was sitting very near a collared dove and there were bunnies running around beneath him.  Surely he shouldn’t have been that friendly with meals?