A Diarist called Michael

Having Read the first of Michael Palin's Diaries 1969 to 1989 the very weekend it was published, I have now started the second edition covering 1979 to 1989 And a bloomin good read it is too. Not Just because the Pythons are my heros, and they really carried on where the Goons Left off, but because Mr Palin has always kept such a thorough record of a really interesting life, and a loony band of friends............I really wish I had kept a diary :-)

Ancient Stones Untold Stories

Had a great time At Rochester Cathedral This weekend as the New Interpretation Project had its official Launch.

Henry the Eigth cut the Ribbon , and we were treated to a promenade style play by Acclaimed author Alis Hawkins (http://www.hawkinsbizarre.blogspot.com/) which took part in a number of areas inside and outside the Cathedral truly bringing it's history to life.

I recorded it on Camera and hopefully we might be able to put it on disk for a wider audience.

Rebecca has been helping Annie Harvey( who has been project managing the whole thing for the last year and who has done a great job, I think it's taken over her life somewhat ! )

And now visitors can be welcomed in style, and take one of three audio tours of the cathedral and also watch the Video Installations too.

http://www.rochestercathedral.org/

Sleepless !

Ever had a real shock ? One that was at completely out of the blue ? I bet you have.
Well we had one on the way home at 9pm from the Cathedral when we were stopped by an ANPR check vehicle because the Police Database didn't have our car on it. Of course we have insurance :-)
Trouble is Proving it at the side of the road on a dark night without any paperwork ids extremely difficult ... Fortunately we didn't lose our car and we live to drive another day, and I suppose really we shouldnt get too wrapped up in ourselves, When you consider 10% of cars in the UK arent Insured....... So it was just another sleepless night ;-)

There is a good website called:
http://www.askmid.com/ownvehicle/
which allows you to check all your car details with the Motor Insurance Database....

Probably worth doing if you have a minute ....

Darren

Treasure Hunt !

So Did you hear about the Metal Detectorist in Staffordshire who has found a massive hoard of Anglo Saxon Treasure in a Farmers Field...?

He says he has been looking for for a find like this all his life, and pretty amazing it is too. He and the Landowner look set to receive a seven figure sum from the crown, and it will be available in museums eventually for us all to wonder at...Brilliant Eh ?

My favourite piece so far is this gold strip which carries the Latin inscription: "Rise up O Lord, and may thy enemies be dispersed and those who hate thee be driven from thy face." It has two sources, the Book of Numbers or Psalm 67, taken from the Vulgate, the Bible used by the Saxons.

i think it just shows how valid the inscription is in this day and age too....

Fairtrade

Pip Has come home with some Homework tonight relating to Fairtrade. She has designed a questionnaire for us to fill in to gather how much information we know about Fairtrade and What It means, which ties in nicely with an interview I heard on Radio 5 last night on 'Up All Night'. A BBC Journalist called Humphrey Hawksley has written a book to challenge our ideas of the free world and democracy, and he has cited the relationships the Chocolate Companies have with their buyers and producers, and he quoted examples of Young Children of the Ivory Coast still being sold into slavery for the Cocoa growers to achieve cheap labour, Although one Producer who has been growing Cocoa for thirty years , when asked about his price per bag of beans back in 1979 was 60 cents......and his price in 2009 ?.....60 cents. In the time our prices and inflation have gone up fourfold, his market price has stayed the same...
So Perhaps a lesson for us here is to buy A bar of Fairtrade Chocolate from the Coop next time !

Time for Tiffin

Following the food theme...
Pip and I are about to wade into 4 large bars of Milk Choccy, 2 Packs of RichTea Biccys, a Bag of Sultanas and Two Tin Foil Trays. We aren't eating for England just 'cos Rebecca's gone to Turkey, but we're making Tons of Tiffin for the Sunday Club Cake Sale after the 10:30 eucharist on Sunday....I think it will all end up the pot :-)

Lovely Ladies..

A picture from the Ferry Back from Calais in the Summer.

Who'd have thought we had just had a slap up dinner on the boat....and it was a bit lumpy ( the sea , not the dinner !)

The Big Cheese

Wet to Normandy in the Summer to see how our good friends John and Ann are getting on now theyve left the rat race, and We went to Camembert....
Funny how the Cheese is FUll as you enter the village and then all gone as you leave :-)

21st Sept Off We GO !

Lets have another attempt at starting off this Blog Thingy...

What have I been up to over the last few days, I hear you say ?
Well, At work we had Michael Bolton in on the show and we have just recorded two Mica numbers which were quite fun. We're getting ready to pack some bits and pieces up for the Party Conferences over the next two weeks, and Hopefully it will all come back again unlike the last few times I've sent gear out and about.....we seem to have lost a fair few bits, either on jobs, lives or at airports, which can be a bit of a pain....In fact I am still missing a camera light that dissappeared on the Talented Family OBs a few Months ago.

Plans are afoot for the Sunday Club Christmas Film, I think we will have to plan it with military precision, and were looking forward to the Official Launch of Rochester Cathedral Interpretation Project on Saturday 26th at 10am. Its been hard work for quite a few people and althought the New Cathedral West and North Glass Doors arent in yet, it will be great to try out the Hand Held Guides which will be up and running in three different versions.
This Sunday is Cake Sale Day and we have a devious plan to withold the Biscuits during coffee so that everyone has to buy a cake instead hahahaha :-)

SO that's it for today Unbeleiveably whilst Ive been writing this blog, and popping off for a bit of dinner in the meantime we have had 3 calls and visits from people trying to sell Gas, Electricity and St Johns Ambulance ( ! ) Either someone has sold our details or Companies out there are starting to get desperate....thats all for now !