I'm the good looking one

You may have read on Anne’s blog about how she just cannot tell me and my brother Keith apart. Peas from the same pod. We look so alike, Well she’s not the only one. Met up with a friend yesterday, who knows Keith. Well we got chatting about photography and he said he’s send me a link to a some software. Well checking my e-mail today I received the mail. Its starts ‘Dear Keith, Here’s that link you wanted…’

I’ve said it before and so I’ll say it again. I’m the good looking one.

End of the Museum

Sad day today. The Bournemouth Aviation Museum is no more. It closed its doors to the public today. The airport authorities want to build a car park on the land the museum occupies. Yes you read that correctly, they want to remove a decent tourist attraction to build a car park! Us spotters are livid. The museums picnic area was ideal for us to watch the planes, many of us have annual membership of the museum. Some of the smaller aircraft should hopefully find homes, but the larger ones I thin will be scrapped. The whole thing just stinks.

Last footie match before Chirstmas

Strange day today. Decided that I wasn’t going to turn up to football two hours before kick off like normal. There isn’t many people around the ground at that time anyway these days. So caught a later train. Sue had already left the house to go and see her friends. Rushed down to catch the train, yep I left it to the last minute again. But made it OK

When I go to football I get off at Pokesdown and have a nice walk through Kings Park. The train I was on stopped at Pokesdown, so I though no more about it. Just settled down for what I hoped would be an enjoyable trip. Pulled into Southampton and noticed that the station sign announced that we were going to Malvern. We’ll they got that wrong, I thought. Then realized that there was a train in front on the same platform, which was the Malvern train. Checked the timetable in my pocket and it would appear that we have 15min wait at Southampton, whilst a faster train overtook us. Just off grabbed a baguette and jumped back on, Safe in the knowledge that my train stopped at Pokesdown, therefore the fast one wouldn’t.

The alarm bells didn’t start to ring until we got towards Brockenhurst. We slowed down unusually early for the station. All was revealed when we crossed over into Platform one. OK it excited me to do this like the last time this happened. The guard then announced that we were due to wait at Brock for 25 mins. Hold on I thought. It was nearly 1pm now. So we were due to leave about 1.25. Twenty-five mins to get to Pokesdown and then a 20 min walk across the park would mean an arrival time at the ground of ten past two. That’s far too late. I’m sure the timetable said we get to Pokesdown at about 1pm. Frantic studying of timetable followed. Oh Bollocks, I should have got on to the ‘fast’ train at Southampton. Oh No.

Legged it across to Platform three and managed to get on the non-stopper to Bournemouth and a longer walk up from there to the ground. Just got near to the ground and a drunk bloke the other way started shouting at me. Obviously trying to pick a fight with someone and I just happened to be there. I managed to skip past him and on to the ground, relived that I got there at 1.30, so that was OK.

Got a pressie from Sandra, Viv and their mum, who buy draw tickets off me each week and are also facebook friends. Kept it to open it on Christmas day. I gave Gill her present of a couple of handwarmers. She was going to keep it till Christmas day as well.

Shock horror though. AFC Bournemouth actually won a league game at home. Our first of the season. Had a Bovril before the match. Haven’t had one of them for years. Quite nice. I think I might have it again.

Then came the journey home. The second half of the match didn’t start till eight mins past four. Then the ref added on more extra time at the end. During which one of our players got injured adding more time. So even though under the new timetable my train home is now 5 mins later leaving Pokesdown then before I still just missed it. The next one was an hour later. Decided to catch a bus to try to get to Bournemouth train station and get on a fast service from there. OK the bus I got on wasn’t the one I was expecting to, but at least it dropped me off right at the station. However it took me past the football ground some hour later than I left it. What a waste of time that was. Got on the train and decided to chill out. When the steward announced that the buffet was open, I headed straight off, quickly downed one can of Murphy’s and went back for another. The steward panicked at this point. He made pains to point out to me that there was only one can left and so next time I’d have to make a different choice. I assured him that I was getting off soon anyway. As I did he wished me a good onward journey and thanked me yet again for my custom. So all in all a strange day, I messed up train times, complexly unlike me. I nearly got beaten up but I got home safely in the end.

Keith and Anne

Monday morning on the train for work. Got to be a quick blog. The train is running 45 mins late and to make up time its not stopping at all the stops it normally does. There is a stopping train just behind us that will do that. So the actually journey will be quicker, but still getting to Bournemouth around 30mins late.

Busy weekend. I had Friday off work to go to London and go to a beer festival. The plan was to use my free tickets I get with my annual season ticket. However I can’t find them. Very annoying. I found the envelope that they were it, together with the letter but no tickets. So no trip for me. I did pop out in the morning. Over to Shirley to try and get some earrings for Sue, but failed in that as well. Did take pictures of the local church for my church photos section on this website, but haven’t uploaded them yet.

Sunday Sue and I went off to the London Wetlands Centre to watch some birds. Met up with my brother Keith and his wife Anne. It was great to see them again, which at the moment is only once a year. Had a great day and saw some nice birds as well. I
know that every time we meet I say that we have to meet more often than we do but this time we REALLY must. How about in the spring? Do you want to choose where we meet?

Highlight bird wise must be the Water Rail. A bird you hear more than you see. Anne did great by not only spotting the bird but recognizing it as well. Also added a few more to my life list (ruddy duck plus others). So a good day all round.

Train is just getting towards Bournemouth now. Had an emergency stop just outside of Christchurch. I blame the driver. I suspect he didn’t press a button when he should have.

The Range and BSL

Writing this on Monday morning on the train for work, Just approaching Southampton as hit happens. Just about to see my mate Tim and my other mate Gottle’s train heading the other way. Don’t know when you are going to read it as I can’t log in to my web site at the moment. Common Niki, sort it out!

Busy weekend. Wanted to go to The Range shop in Southampton. Which is near to Shirley. So we did the charity shops there. Bought quite a bit of stuff there. Books, videos a Santa hat and some flashing balls head gear for when I’m at football over Christmas.

Bought a book on British sign Language, which I think it’s a very funny language. I’ve blogged about BSL words that have amused me in the past. Sue and I had a quick game of guess what the sign means.

Then on to The Range. Hoping to find Christmas pressies for people but didn’t. Then home for a relaxing afternoon.

Sunday, Sue’s parents visited. After lunch we all went out to Blashford Lakes to see what birds were around. I hunted high and low for the Great White Egret that’s been there for ages. Asked around and no one had seen it that day. I did add some to both my life list and my 2007 Hampshire list. Highlight though was being in the woodland hide and seeing so many birds. 15 species in all. All common birds (apart from a Dunnock – one more for my life list) but so nice to sit so close to so many birds. The ground was just covered with chaffinches. Blue and Great tits a plenty on the feeders, Until they were first scared off by a Great Spotted Woodpecker and then later on by a Pheasant, the latter obviously thinking he was a blue tit as well. Went off on my own to see if I could see the Great White Egret. Found some new paths, leading to hides and a screen that have just been opened up. Didn’t see the Egret but did see a Goosander (another to my life list). Then back home for a nice tea and watching TV. Nature programmes, Top Gear and the final part of Long Way Down. I work with two bikers who love the Long Way Down programme. I think they both want to do something like that themselves.

Oh well, my train is now at Christchurch. So nearly time for me to get off. Nearly all of the usual suspects are on the train. Though was reading my past blogs the other day and there was one about all the regulars on my train. I noticed that out of those that I mentioned, only one still catches that train. Wonder what happened to them all.