kimbofo

You could never pay me enough money

Place: Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.
Date: May 25, 2012.
Camera: Panasonic TZ3.

The one-and-only time I went on a fairground ride — something involving cups that spun around and went high into the air — it took me several hours to physically recover from the shock to my delicate system. I was aged 14, or possibly 15, and I've been scarred for life: you could never pay me enough money to get on another one.

When we went on a daytrip to Clacton-on-Sea recently I was mesmirised watching this ride, which swings backwards and forwards until it has made enough momentum to swing in a 360-degree arc. Meanwhile, the seats spin — and everyone sitting in them screams!

Why do people do this to themselves?

Bird on a bouy

Place: Kensington Palace Gardens, London.
Date: April 15, 2012.
Camera: Panasonic TZ3.

Snapped this today on the return leg of an 8 mile walk to Mayfair and back. I can't believe the size of his feet!

Catvertising: the funniest spoof I've seen in a long time

A year ago today...

... I packed my suitcase, kissed the spouse goodbye for a bit and headed off on a three-month solo jaunt to the UAE, China and Australia.

I returned to London in mid-February a different person — happier, healthier, more relaxed (to the point of being Zen like) and motivated about life!

So much has happened since then. I've been to Ireland (twice) — for St Patrick's Day, DublinSwell and Bloomsday — and visited the UAE again (to avoid the Royal wedding). Closer to home, I spent a weekend in Deal, Kent, for a 60th birthday celebration,  a week in Camber Sands, Sussex, for some R&R, a day trip to Warwick (to visit a disappointing castle) and a day trip to Manchester (to see a friend).

I've cycled more than 1,000 miles — in China, Oz and the UK — bought two new bikes (one of which is still in Australia) and sold one on!

I regained my fitness, lost 9kg in weight and dropped a dress size. I changed my diet to include more fruit (and less junk food) and in the process, somewhere along the line, my psioratic arthritis went into remission. (There's a six-month supply of medication, bought before I went to China, still sitting in the cupboard relatively untouched.)

My book blog went from strength to strength, and I started getting invited to all kinds of book events, including Vintage Publishing's 21st birthday, Jonathan Cape's Booker Prize night party and Faber's crime fiction party. I've met a bunch of authors — and interviewed some of them too. And I had a blast being a member of KevinfromCanada's Shadow Giller Prize jury!

I've read about 100 books (no exaggeration), including James Joyce's masterpiece Ulysses (I loved it), and acquired at least 100 more — and then some.

I've seen a bunch of films at the cinema (The Guard, Senna, Animal Kingdom, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Closer to the Edge 3D) and gone to several live music gigs (Neil Finn, Christy Moore, Mary Coughlan, Peter Gabriel, Pierce Turner).

Without looking for work, work came looking for me — and in June I accepted a contract to work on a magazine where I had previously been a staff member (2002-05). The planned six-week stint as acting chief sub editor and production editor ended up lasting for four months — and I loved it. I'm now freelancing (writing, subbing, production) — and am available for hire if you need someone reliable, accurate, quick and thorough.

Finally, I've caught up with my parents on three separate occasions on three separate continents (don't say we are not a well travelled family) — and have been playing tour guide this past week, taking them to all kinds of places, including Hampton Court Palace, Abbey Road and Temple Church.

What will the next year hold? Who knows. But if it is as anywhere as eventful, interesting and fun as the past year, then I really can't wait...

[Please note, this is the positive spin version — shitty stuff has happened too, but I'm not about to share it here.]

Henry VIII spotted in Hampton Court Palace

Place: Hampton Court Palace, Surrey.
Date: November 9, 2011.
Camera: Panasonic TZ3.

We have some VIP guests from Australia staying with us at the moment, so today I escorted them to Hampton Court Palace for a look around.

I've been to the palace on numerous occasions, but this is the first time I've ever spotted the main resident: Henry VIII. The school kids loved him!

Grow-your-own-skeleton

Place: Tenterden Station, Kent.
Date: October 30, 2011.
Camera: BlackBerry Curve.

We recently spent a week's holiday in East Sussex, where we rented a cottage on the beach at Camber Sands, near Rye. On our first day we journeyed to nearby Tenterden, just across the border in Kent, to take a train ride on the Kent & East Sussex Railway (K&ESR). I was amazed at the station's Halloween decorations: there was ghost-adorned bunting flying overhead, carved pumpkins dotted all over the place and skeletons "growing" in the garden beds. Imagine my disappointment when I realised the K&ESR had hosted a special evening ghost ride the night before — take all the kids out of the equation and I would have loved to have gone on a spooky train trip through the countryside.

Dublin graffiti: a message to the Queen

 

Place: Pearse Street, Dublin.
Date: June 16, 2011.
Camera: BlackBerry Curve.

I spent four nights in Dublin last week, as a guest of Tourism Ireland, and every time I headed back to the hotel on Pearse Street, just up the road from the giant Garda station and across the way from Trinity College, I walked past this sign and had a little titter to myself. I know loads of Dubliners loved having the Queen pay a visit recently, but obviously someone wanted to make sure she knew the rules about parking!

My BlackBerry is not working

A whole sketch based on wordplay. Brilliant.

Bono biscuits!

Place: up-market supermarket in Beijing, China.
Date: December 12, 2010.
Camera: BlackBerry Curve.

This takes the biscuit -- Bono brand chocolate cookies! *Boom boom*

(Thanks to some internet research, I believe these are one of Nestle's main biscuit brands in Brazil. And, just for the record, they've got nothing to do with U2 or Paul Hewson.)

Does this mean it gives you an itchy bottom?

 
Place: Hangzhou, China.
Date: December 3, 2010.
Camera: Panasonic TZ3.

I'm loving the English language signs in China, but this one had us all scratching our heads in wonder. For a start, Hangzhou, which is north-east of Shanghai, is a long way from Alaska. And what on earth is a "chafing dish"?*

* Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I see that chafing dish is a dish, raised over a heat source, to keep food warm. You learn something new every day.