Autumn arrives

So the clocks have gone back and Autumn has arrived with a vengeance.  Argyle, having started to do well have suffered  two defeats, admittedly both away games.  After the hectic summer we had its nice to settle back into a normal period of life.  The wood turning is going well, but I must concentrate on my 'chisel action'.  Problem when I watch my teacher working she makes it look to easy.  Talking about woodturning, I had a look to see if I could get some recycled plastic planks to work with.  Yes its out there but large orders only.  Is it any wonder its hard to use recycled material when you can only buy in large amounts.

had a great visit to Coldharbour Mill near Tiverton the other weekend.  It was one of the rare days when they 'steamed' their steam engines.  Well worth a visit.

Post Olympic and Paralympics Depression!!!

Well, its all over.  What many people call the greatest show on Earth has come to an end once again until it reappears in Rio in 2016.  For the Olympics Mrs M and I were merely spectators, usually at home, sometimes in our caravan and best of all on Kingston-on-Thames bridge to watch the Cycle Road Time Trials and for 3 magical hours in the Velodrome, even if we did only see Ed Clancy win bronze. (tears).

Whilst we were up in London we travelled during the Games to just outside the complex to collect our Games Makers uniforms.  Good job Mrs M is good with a sewing needle, she had to take 5ins off the bottom of my trousers.  Otherwise the uniform was quite good.  Just had a look on EBay.  It's amazing what people are willing to bid for a games maker Watch.  My hasn't been off my wrist since our first day on duty, other than when  I shower!, although it is meant to be shower proof.

Mrs M and I were part of the 'meeters and greaters' team at Eton Manor, the wheel chair tennis venue.  The six days we spent there were (showing my age) absolutely FAB.  Tiring, hot, aching feet, but ggggrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaattttttttttttttttttttttttt. We wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Yes there were hitches both within the Park and on the buses and Underground getting there.  I think I should contact Boris to discuss how he should be getting TFL to improve the trains and stations fro wheelchair users.

But all things consdered, it is clear that the Para' games has come a long way.  Pity the folk in the good old US of A weren't able to have the same TV coverage that Channel 4 put out. Considering you had so little to base your coverage on WELL DONE CHANNEL 4.  It was good to see Russian paralympians doing so well, especially as according to the old Soviet Union, there were no disabled people in the Union when the Games should have been held there in 1980 - it was held in Holland instead.

A further interesting point is that Papa G' thought that amputees and the blind and such like had no place in the Games.  Can't work that one out myself, so even the great can and do get it wrong sometimes.  I always wondering what Joseph Kennedy (JF' s father) thought in may 1945 when Britain ended up on the winning side.  In 1940, when he was US Ambassador to the UK, he told Roosevelt that the UK was about to go under.  Perhaps it was the Irish blood in him.

Being Hurt

Why is that there are times in your life when someone close to you, who up to that point in time you had totally trusted, turns against you.  Even though its clear that he or she has been influenced by someone else, someone who is clearly jealous of your freindship, their actions still cut deeply into you.  I know that we cannot always be perfect and I know  life does not stand still, but .......

Catching-Up AGAIN

It's nearly three months since I last blogged so it's time I caught up.  Since I last wrote Wiggo has won leTour and now Chris Froome is having a serious go at the Vuelta.

Mrs M and I had a good day at Wimbledon, we had Centre Court tickets, and since then we have been up to London to watch the Olympic Road Time Trial and a session in the Velodrome.  We've also collected our Paralympic Games Maker uniforms ready for the far more important Paralympics.  Wasn't that a super play about Poppa, pity it wasn't the full two hours.  Just shows how things have changed since the 1940's.  Mind you we still get people not knowing how to cope with Mrs M, after all surely a broken back is contagious!

Not a good start by Argyle, surely it must get better.

Our very nice neighbour Mer' died recently of the Big C.  Why is it always the nice one's that depart leaving the nasty ones behind. Mer' was very special because he asked for nothing of anybody, nor did he impose.  Perhaps it's something to do with surviving a North Korean POW camp.

Well Done Team Sky - Professional Cycle Racing Team

Well done all of the Team Sky riders in the Giro.  A super team effort.

Marks for the Giro organisers varies from 10 for the last Mountain top stage to 0 for some of the finising routes for most of Sprint stages. Seems someone thought that a Sprint finish without a crash would be boring.

Many Italian Railways were shown but no trains, until they got to Tirano, then we saw a train crossing the main square - no, sorry that was a Swiss train.  See video. But what a route through the town.  No barriers, lights etc, just bells and horns ............

Quiet Week

This has been quite a quiet week, a bit like the calm before the storm.  Mind you the weather hasn't been very exciting, has it!  Had a good shop at ISCA Woodcrafts at Tredegar House, Newport.  I am sure other woodturners think the same as me, in that inspiration for a nice project comes form the wood to be found at places like ISCA.
We've been keeping a close eye on Mark Cavendish in the Giro.  Seems he can at last survive in the mountains.  For instance on Sunday, in appalling weather whilst he may have finished third from last for the stage he was in a group of 58 riders.  Proves to me that he is a far better rider than Cippolini, who whilst a great sprinter, gave up as soon as he saw a hill sign!!
Good luck to Jeremy Hunt who has gone home to catch a child birth.  He's been the main man in getting Sky to front on the sprint stages. 
Don't people take photos with strange things today.  Saw a number of people taking pictures of the torch relay with their I.tablets, strange, surly a nice little digital camera is far handier!!!

Croydon Trams

Whilst in London I had the chance to leave Mrs M at the Olympic Park for a few hours.  So a long walk back to the exit gate, through the Westfield Centre, onto the DLR and then transfer to the District Line, change at Earls Court for a train to Wimbledon, change platforms and straight on top a tram.  Nice line as far as Croydon on former railway line and then interesting section through he streets of Croydon including past the site of the fire destroyed Reeves shop, change trams and then onto Elmers End, off the tram and onto a 'south-eastern' train to London Bridge, onto the Jubilee Line back to Stratford and then another long walk.