Date
| "Today's Moan"
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| 14 August | Good news (1) - I have sold the house, moved out and moved in with Cheryl. It was a great relief to get shot of the old place but I will miss not having "my own" place. For a while there was a concern about not having a garage but I have rented one from a former neighbour on a short term basis, with the intention of buying it as soon as I can afford to.
Work in Liverpool continues is relentless march. I've been in the automotive industry for twenty years now and it started to lose it's appeal a long time ago. Now, it's positively hateful. I registered with some recruitment agencies a while back to see what there was out there as the current situation can't continue. Well, hopefully it won't for much longer. I had an interview last week with an electronics company in St Leonards, a mere 3 miles from the house. It's for a production engineer, a post I've not held for some time and a major drop in salary but the location makes it an extremely attractive proposition. I was not confident in getting anywhere, truth be told, especially as I have had no real interview experience for 10 years now. However, my second interview is on Friday this week, so I couldn't have done that badly. I'll keep you all posted. One of the great advantages of taking this job (assuming I am offered it) will be getting home at a reasonable time each day and being able to pursue my old activities again. The hbay site has not had a proper update for a long time now, plus there's all that bike riding woth Mark et al. Which brings me on to..... Good news (2) - I was pleasantly surprised to come out of the house sale in profit. £4500 in profit, to be accurate. Cheryl knows how much I had missed my old R6 sports bike and, although she worries about me going out on bikes generally, she didn't object to the idea of me replacing the bike I had to sell last year. Never one to not look a gift horse etc, I took a look at the online version of Motorcycle News to see what R6s were available near Hastings. I was truly gobsmacked to find my own bike for sale at the shop I had sold it to. It turns out that it had never moved in twelve months so, following a visit at the weekend, I struck a deal with the salesman. I pick it up on Saturday. To say I'm excited doesn't come close..... |
| 13 July | I'm working up near Liverpool at the moment. I am employed as a Supplier Quality Engineer, which requires me to assist suppliers in getting their components up to desired quality levels. The job itself won't be hard but there are so many procedures, most of which are completely new to me. Plus there's the difficulty of
We've had a crop of birthdays recently; it was Dad's last Thursday, nephew Drew Friday and me on Saturday. Being away meant there was little time to see people when I'm home, so it was a case of sending out cards and arranging visits later. Cheryl and I did, however, go to Tankerton on Sunday. We bypassed Canterbury and it's cycling mania and drove up to the slopes instead. It was a glorious day and we spend an hour just walking and sitting on a bench, watching the sea flow and the world go by. Man; I miss that stuff. I'm now typing this in the office (yes; rather than actually working), in a quiet Friday moment. I'm actually hoping to get off early today and make the short drive from Halewood to Oulton Park. This weekend, the British Superbike championship comes north to the Cheshire circuit, which is only 25 miles away from the factory. If I can get off, I'll pop in to see some of the practice sessions. I'll still go home for the weekend, though. I can record the bike racing. I can't record time with Cheryl. |
| 5 February | I had a call from Ami recently. She moved in with friends to a house in Feversham last year but things haven't worked out as they might. However, she's now put a deposit down on a flat with her Simon. Suddenly I'm feeling a lot older.....
I've not been back to Whitstable very much of late and to Herne Bay even less. I've also come to realise that being without work for any length of time and spending too much of that time at home is a seriously bad thing. I'm off to Germany next week with my boss but it will be the first time I've done any proper work-related stuff for a while. I still visit the one customer we have left, back in Sittingbourne but other than that, things are frightenly quiet.
Thinking about Ami; I also had a chance to reflect on this site and specifically this weblog. The weblog phenomenon has really taken off lately as it allows anyone to put their thoughts out to the world at large. There are a lot of online diaries out there. Most of them are likely to be simple "Dear Diary, today I did this....." types but there are also going to be some that are more sinister. |
| 4 Jan 2007 | First of all; Happy New Year to everyone. I've once again been too bone idle to get around to updating the site but, following the arrival of some photos from Ron Foad and Audrey Moore (see the "Old Views" page), I thought it was high time I addressed this. In the meantime, life on the south coast continues it's usual uneventful path. Christmas was spent at home with Cheryl. Her family went away for a few days and mine are still back in Kent, so the 25th was spent as just the two of us, which was actually very pleasant. Cheryl has a new job now and with it lots more free time, so we get to spend more time together. It also meant that she was not on duty Christmas Day so, aside from making some well-wishing phone calls, the day was ours. Lovely. New Year was also a muted affair. Cheryl was working this time and I was on call for a group of volunteer motorcycle blood transporters that I joined last autumn. Fortunately, no call came, although I was actually gagging to go. Still; it's always better not to be needed. I've not been back to either Herne Bay or Whitstable much of late. Mark finally sold the house in Grand Drive, so my last connection with the Bay has gone. I popped in to see Mum and Dad over Christmas but the weather was not condusive to photography. This measn I've not even managed to get any Christmas lights pictures. For a while, I considered dropping the site as I can't really do it any justice now. However, I changed my mind and will keep it going, although updates are going to be even more erratic than they have been of late. In fact, the update this time has been courtesy of other people, as referred to in the first paragraph. Thanks to both Ron and Audrey for at least helping me to make some additions. Work is still deathly quiet, although money has now arrived from our German colleagues, so I am all right for a while. I spoke to my boss last night and he wants me to stick with my liason role with our one remaining customer in Sittingbourne. We also have a trip to Germany planned to discuss the future. I am looking elsewhere and have told the boss so but I'm also happy to stay where I am, so long as the money comes in. We shall see..... |
| 13 November | Well, we got back from our Tobago holiday with not too much incident. It wasn't entirely drama-free, of course; there was the matter of having no return tickets, for a start. We had handed our paperwork over at Gatwick on the Saturday and were given our tickets but no return paperwork. It didn't occur to me until Wednesday, when I was looking for some other stuff. However, as you can see, we did get home. Tobago was quite an experience, from the 36° temperature that hit us on arrival to the erratic yet remarkably laid back driving style of everyone out there. Work is still a little iffy at present. I'm still doing the agency stuff but my boss is looking out for some contracting work too. We hope to be able to get the German company we represent to honour outstanding commission monies which will at least tide us over for the rest of the year but it may be touch and go. |
| 22 September | Why do we let things get in such a state? Blimey; I've only been here a month and already the house looks like a pit. I keep looking at the rooms and thinking "I will clear it up" but do I? Yeah; right. I also have another convenient excuse. Two excuses, actually. One is called Cleopatra, the other Millie. Both of these excuses are actually Maine Coon kittens. I'd been thinking about getting a cat for a while now but not until I'd got the house. Now I have the house, I have the cat. Or cats to be precise. Neither of these ladies look anything like Savanna did; Cleo is a very dark tortoiseshell, whilst Millie is a brown tabby. Cleo is currently 8 months old and very long. Millie, by comparison, is 9 weeks old and tiny. There's no prizes for guessing who gets all the fuss from the human ladies in my life..... What else? Oh yes; the R6. Sad to say she has been sold. At a great financial loss, I might add. I probably would have got far more selling privately but didn't want to risk getting no interest for a few weeks. I sold it to a local dealer a couple of weeks ago. It broke my heart but I had to be pragmatic. Bills have been paid, cheques for excess rent payments have come back and there's the bonus of a loan repaid, too. I hope that means I'll be on an even keel for a while now. Work is still a little iffy at present. I'm still doing the agency stuff but my boss is looking out for some contracting work too. We hope to be able to get the German company we represent to honour outstanding commission monies which will at least tide us over for the rest of the year but it may be touch and go. |
| 4 September | I'm as settled as I'm going to be for a while now. Pretty well all the boxes are gone, apart from a couple of odds and ends I've still got to sort out. All the windows here are different to those in the flat so all my old curtains and nets will have to be chucked out. Which is a shame. Unfortunately, the professional procrastinator in me didn't cancel the standing order for the rent in time, so I had to contact the letting agent to arrange it's return. It also meant I had to grovel to the bank to get a temporary ("only until you salary arrives, Mr Male", they said) overdraft. Bugger. It also brought up another terror. The financial numbers aren't stacking up at the moment, so I have had to come to another momentous decision. My beloved R6 sportsbike has to be sold. It's the highest value asset I own outright and whilst I am extremely reluctant to see it go, I can get another (and will, as soon as I get back onto an even keel) and I have to be pragmatic. Keeping the house is far more important than keeping the bike. What else? Oh yes; the job. For the last 3 years, I've been working from home. Sometimes busy but often not. The contract my guv'nors company has had with a German manufacturer ends this year. Originally it was to end on 31 December but they want to move the new contract to 1 October and have made some significant changes, none of which look good for us/me. Just in case, I have updated my CV and will start touting for work immediately. The timing could not have been worse; I've only just made my first mortgage payment. Bugger (again). |
| 17 July | More house news. The mortgage offer arrived in today's post. The anticipation and excitement were somewhat dented when I saw what the monthly payments will be; something like 50% of my take home pay. Geez. This is going to hurt. I have to convince myself that renting is not the way forward; it's just money down the drain. Having a house of my own will help set me up in the short and long-term and will help me re-establish some roots. Plus there's the garage, of course. The garage is actually behind the house, accessed via a drive between blocks of houses leading to a private parking area. I took the Mondeo down the drive to see the area first hand last week and discovered that the change in height from the road to the drive is enough for the car's exhaust to ground, even when there's only me in the car. That can't be right. If it looks like it'll damage the car, I'll have to park it in the road out front. Oh well. I contacted the guy who had arranged the mortgage for Mark and me to buy the house in Grand Drive, in order to get some mortgage and life cover, too. This has proved to be particularly difficult since I've had the heart op but Lee is hopeful that I'll get it this time, as he is applying to the same company he went to 18 months ago. Then, the company had wanted to defer any decision for a year, presumably to see if I'd still be alive. Well, fellas; I'm still here and look! I'm applying for a mortgage in my own right, too. Wa-hey! |
| 12 July | House news. I put an offer in for the place I mentioned in the 21 June entry which was accepted last week. I spoke to a mortgage adviser who secured me a promise from the Halifax bank but later came back to say he couldn't do the business because he could not get me life cover, on account of my recent heart op. This meant I had to approach the Halifax directly and all the old fears of a poor credit rating came back again. I needen't have worried, though; thirty minutes later, I walked out of the bank £300 lighter (for the valuation survey) and potentially £150,000 in debt. The mortgage application sailed through without any hitches. I have a solicitor sorted, to do the conveyencing and, with luck and a fair wind, will have a new address by the end of the summer. This may be just as well. When I got back to my flat yesterday morning, I was greeted with the sight of a police raid being carried out in my block of flats. Both Cheryl and I were rapidly coming to the conclusion that the area was going downhill and this pretty much put the tin lid on it all. If the house sale falls through, I will look at getting anothe place anyway. Here's hoping the house does work out all right, though. |
| 2 July | Some while back, I put a small entry saying that I had taken my TDM 900 round Cadwell Park, a race track in Lincolnshire. It was not a track day but a "track experience", where we were allowed to take a bike on three laps of the circuit.
This weekend, Mark and I took our sportsbikes to Silverstone in Northants. Mark recently bought a Suzuki GSX-R750 and I was keen to give my Yamaha R6 a "proper" airing. |
| 21 June | Elsewhere in this section, I alluded to my perceived "rootless" situation; being both not settled in Hastings and no longer being part of Whitstable. That entry was not intended as a whine or a dig; merely a reflection on how I saw the situation at the time.
So, rather than mither in my own self-pity, I thought I should perhaps do something about it. This decision was further spurred on by the arrival of new neighbours in my apartment block with a passion for R&B music played at maximum decibel limit day in day out. |
| 15 June | The weather these last few days has been extremely scorchio, with temperatures up in the high 20's/low 30's. Yes, here in England. Which means that your idle, fair-skinned web author has been applying plenty of the suncream.
I spent last weekend at Snetterton, near Norwich, to help Mark from AM Racing. He's on his own now, as Alan has desired to sit out the rest of the season. Mark is subsequently in negotiations to buy Alan's bike to complement his own. Which, following a decision to have his bike tested, is not a bad thing.
Sorry - enough of that. This "racer sponsor" mantle has given me a fascinating new interest but I'm sure it's of more interest to me than to you. Still - it makes a change for the weblog entry not to be a whinge. |
| 15 May | Once again, the idle head of Steve rises and thinks, "Maybe I'll look at the hbay site today". This time, I actually did something about it. I've added/updated some photos and fiddled with a few of the pages.
I spent last weekend at Brands Hatch, working with Mark & Alan, the riders from AM Racing. They've had a particularly awful seasaon so far, with only Mark getting into the points in the opening rouns back in March. Alan has yet to score. In some cases, both riders didn't make it much beyond the start line, let alone finish in the points. However, we persevere, learning a little more at each meeting. Cheryl's kitchen is finished and looks cracking. The builder did a really good job, although it seemed to take an age before it was done. And get this; I actually got the bathroom finished. Well, I should say that I finally asked Mark to get the tiling done. We then both got the shower installed and I did the last jobs of grouting the floor tiles and fitting the ancillary bits (shower curtain, loo roll holder, etc).
Work continues it's up and down activity level. I've been busier these last few weeks but it doesn't occupy the time it could, so I need to start returning some discipline in my time management. So long as I get back into the get up at a semsible time, have breakfast, open the emails, make the calls and so on, I'll be OK. Just have to get past that first hurdle..... |
| 12 Mar | A couple of things to add today:
However, when we did get there, there was Mum, Dad, Shirley, Ivy, Andy, Sam, Drew, Ami, Lara, Cheryl and me. A large table, with 11 of the Male clan made for a really good evening. When we left, both girls said that we shouldn't have to wait for a major event but should perhaps have a family gathering more often. Nice thought, girls. Being down in Hastings meant that doing stuff for the WTRA was getting more difficult. Not being able to put the time in (Why? Are you doing anything else?) brought me to the decision to stand down as Secretary. Mark also took the opportunity to stand down as Treasurer, too. Both of us now hope to get more involved both with AM Racing and with a campaign to get more British involvement in motorcycling Grands Prix. However, that's (maybe) for another time. Suffice to say, we're both sad to be walking away from the Toy Run. We were only involved for just over a year but I hope we were able to provide a professional front for the group. However, they'll be on their own after 9 April. Good luck, guys. I drove to Herne Bay this morning to take Mark to Brands Hatch, in order to watch the fortunes of Mark & Alan in the Yamaha Past Masters championship. The weather was bitterly cold, with snow on the drive up from Ashford but the racing was great to see. Being "sponsors", (racer) Mark sent us two tickets that gave us full access to the circuit, paddock, pit and all. For me personally, it was fantastic to see a pair of bikes with "hbay.co.uk" on the side. For our part, Mark (chum) and I took a few photos and learned what life was like at the bottom end of the British motorcycle racing scene. Frankly, I can't wait to go again. The next round is at Snetterton in Norfolk but Mark and I can't make that one. Instead, we'll wait for the 9 April Lydden meeting. |
| 5 Mar | Blimey. Two consecutive days and two entries. Whatever next? It occured to me when I wrote yesterday's entry that there was actually a few things I could have reported recently:
Item 2. Being the sad motorcycle racing fan that I am, I contribute to a forum on the Shane Byrne Fan Club website. Shane "Sakey" Byrne is a local GP bike racer who hails from Medway. Anyway; back to the sponsorship thing. One of the forum contributors is also a racer, albeit on a local, clubman level. Mark rides an old Yamaha TZR250 two-stroke in the Yamaha Past Masters series. This will be his first full season and he is finding the funding a struggle. Whilst I'm not rich in any sense of the word, I was at least able to give him the money to buy a decent sized gazebo so he can work on his bike in the dry between races. The reward of that funding is getting hbay.co.uk on the side of the bike somewhere. I look forward to the first round at Brands Hatch. Item 3. There are now two more websites I have unleashed into the world. The first is perhaps a little sad but one that Cheryl & I both like to share: www.savvie-cat.co.uk. This is our little site dedicated to the kittens. The second site is www.am-race.com, the official website of the rider I refer to in item 2. Item 4. This came as a bit of a shock yesterday. I received a letter from my car insurance company, demanding the return of my insurance certificate, as I had apparently not paid them. Now, in previous times, I would admit to not wanting to open my post but today, I'm a little more financially stable, so that's not an issue. However, it seems the company has been trying to take direct debits from an account I no longer have and have not been able to collect payments since December. Fortunately, a quick call on Saturday morning, a revision of bank details and paying the backlog of premiums has me fully legal again. |
| 4 Mar | I'd like to say that the reason for the lack of any updates on this site are because I've been really busy, work has taken me away, or some other such credible option. No. Idleness, linked with the "what am I doing with this thing?" thoughts are recurring of late. So, to try and exorcise those thoughts, I thought I had better add something in here and update the news page, at the very least. Of course, things have been going on. Work continues it's feast or famine routine and, as the weather is starting to improve, I finally took my TDM900 out for it's first blast of the year. The thing is, I'm beginning to feel a little "rootless", if that's the right word. I no longer live in Tankerton, so I don't get to see Mark as often as I once did and, until Cheryl sorts her house out, I don't really feel like I belong in Hastings either. Work is continuing on the house, though. Well, it would if only the builder would show up to finish the kitchen tiling. "Should be done in two days, love." was the promise. Nearly three weeks later and we still can't use the kitchen as it looks like a tip. I'm not entirely clean in all this, either; I should have organised the retiling of the bathroom ages ago. Now, when I finally get to trying to get the old tiles off (two hours to prise two tiles? I gave up. We're going to tile over the tiles), I choose the busiest week of the year, when I'll be travelling to Birmingham, Germany and to Whitstable. I only have one free evening this week, so Mark's coming down on Tuesday, when we'll spend the evening preparing the bathroom for tiling. He's also going to fit the tiles for us and will come back to finish the job over a couple of nights. Hopefully, I'll be able to get to the stage when I can start getting the life back on track again. I know; this all sounds self-pitying. Wanting to belong and to settle is not particularly unusual, mind. OK; enough now. |
| 21 Feb | Another day, another rock concert. I'd bought some more tickets to see Alkaline Trio at Folkestone's Leas Cliff Hall tonight; me, Ami, Lara and Mark. Naturally, I couldn't simply buy tickets and leave it at that. Oh no. This morning, I had the flat turned upside down trying to find the mislaid tickets. I contacted the booking office to find out what my options were, only to be told it was find them or buy replacements. "Don't worry sir; there's plenty of tickets. It won't sell out". I was late leaving for Chatham (nothing new there) and when I collected the girls, we hurtled down the M20 to Folkestone, arriving just before the 7:00 door opening time. However, when we arrived, the queue to get in was horrendous. Not sold out? I beg to differ. We waited patiently in the freezing cold and Mark and I were wondering whether being fashion victims (e.g. micro mini's & crop tops) was a smart move by some of the girls in the queue, given the general inclemency. Still; we're both boring old farts now, so that's OK. We finally got in the venue at about 7:45 and had plenty of time to thaw out, as the headliners didn't come on stage until 9:20. So what was the hurry, Steve? The band were good. And loud. The accoutics at the Leas Cliff are really not suited to a band like Alkaline Trio, though; all hard, flat, reflective surfaces. Mark likened the gig to a school concert; all flashing lights and distortion. The girls loved it, though, which was the main thing. Actually we all enjoyed it. I'd be happy to see the band again. Maybe not such an old fart, after all. And no earplugs, either..... |
| 19 Feb | I got back from hospital last Saturday and promptly awarded myself a week off. Whilst there are no issues with the heart now, it'll be a while before the soreness in the leg goes. What a wuss. Still, other things are going on; there's a new kitchen being fitted in Cheryl's place, which means the cat is staying at my flat, which is interesting, to say the least. Once the kitchen is done, it leaves only the bathroom that Mark & I will be retiling soon. In the meantime, maybe I'll get round to updating this website. I went to Whitstable yesterday for a meeting and took my camera, hoping to get off a few pictures. However, it rained all the way there and back so that put paid to that idea. However, it won't rain every time I visit (I hope) and I'd like to get photos of as many of the towns' schools as I can, for another page. Finally; on Tuesday, I'm taking Ami, Lara and Mark to the Lees Cliff Hall in Folkestone to see Alkaline Trio, a Chicago-based Goth rock band. I took the girls to see them at the Brixton Academy last November and when I saw they were coming this way, bought another set of tickets. I must make sure I take my earplugs again, though. Man but they're loud..... |
| 8 Feb 2006 | So, what's been going on these last couple of months? Life down on the south coast remains pretty much the same. I've not been back to Herne Bay properly for a while now and want to get back in order to take some replacement photographs. Work continues it's occasionally busy, often not, situation. My boss and I are looking for ways to expand the firm's horizons. 2006 is not a good year to be involved in the UK automotive industry, so if we can find alternative outlest for our work and our German partners, then it will do us no end of good this year. What else? Oh yes; Cheryl and I have decided the house needs another personal touch, in the form of a couple of kittens. We found a silver tabby Maine Coon queen about a month ago and take delivery of her in a few days time. Today, we also found another kitten, a ginger moggie queen, to keep our first kitten company. All we need to find out now is:
One more thing; I'm going to hospital tomorrow to get a hole in the heart closed up. I can't say I'm looking forward to the operation but I'm assured that it's a common procedure these days. The actual operation is on Friday and Ishould be coming home on Saturday. Joy. |
| 28 Dec | Well, Christmas is over for another year. I had the girls stay with me at Cheryl's house on Christmas Eve, returning to Chatham on the eveening of the 25th. It's times like this that make me more aware of mortality, of course. Ami is now 18 and Lara just turned 17. The presents they received from me were also considerably smaller yet certainly not cheaper. Tastes mature and prices rise. Their gratitude, on the other hand, was as genuine as ever. I am happy to be blessed with two well-rounded children who have grown up to be wonderful young adults. I'm hoping to visit Mum & Dad in Whitstable tomorrow for a belated dinner with the family. Mother Nature may conspire against me, unfortunately, what with the recent snowfall. My gaff is at the bottom of a steep road and my car is pointing uphill, the result of a rather short-sighted decision by me to park it thus. Still, I'll give it a go. In the meantime, I'd like to wish everyone a great holiday and a prosperous New Year. I'll make sure that there will be updates throughout 2006. Just don't expect them weekly. |
| 26 Nov | We've had a bit of snow recently, though the worst of it seemed to fall in the west and north. Down in the south east, whilst it's been cold, the "snow" we saw was merely a few flakes that didn't get the chance to settle before the wind and warmth put paid to them. However, that didn't stop it being more than a little nippy when the girls and I went to Canterbury to see the annual Eurofair in Dane John gardens. My but this event has grown. This year, there were over 100 stalls, with traders and exhibitors coming over from France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and for the first time that I remember, Hungary. I was keen to have the girls try a little goulash but when I told Lara what it was, her expression made it clear that she wasn't interested. At all. So, to warm ourselves up, we had a helping of curry served in pitta breads, coffee (for me), chocolate (for the girls), and sweet crêpes. The fair was interesting, if rather expensive and was certainly popular. The stalls stretched the entire length of the main gardens walkway and the place was heaving. It's also good to try out new stuff, Lara's opinion of certain recipes notwithstanding..... Later that evening, we went to see the latest Harry Potter film. Now; this release has caused a bit of a stir in the UK. Unlike the previous films, which were all given a "U" cerificate (suitable for all), Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire has a 12A certificate. Having seen the film now, I can see why. It's a lot darker than the others, with considerably more violence and implied horror (people being swallowed by hedges, for example). The cinema was packed out, too. At Ashford, they had six screens showing the film, all of which were sold out. We waited about twenty minutes to get in and the queue filled the entire foyer of the multiplex. As it was, the only seats we could find were three rows from the front. Not the best place to see (too close to the screen for my liking). However, the film was very good, if a little long at 2 hours 40 minutes. |
| 13 Nov | Sorry about yesterday's self-pitying rant. To make myself feel a little better, I took my TDM out today. I've not given the older bike a run for a while since I bought the R6 sportsbike. As is the way with things mechanical, leaving it sitting idle in a garage for a couple of months is never a good idea. When I tried to start it a couple of weeks back - nothing. I tried to bump start it down the main London Road to no avail and had to wait for Cheryl to rescue me, armed with a set of jump leads. So, before the battery became knackered again, this morning I decided to take a ride to Rye. First thing I noticed was that the alarm light wasn't flashing. If you leave the bike too long, the alarm goes into "sleep" mode and switches off the warning light. So, I assumed the alarm had disabled itself. At least, I thought that until I turned the ignition on. Man but that alarm is L O U D, especially when it goes off in a small garage. Panic set in as I tried to press the button to turn the damn thing off, which I did after a third attempt. Having got past that hurdle, I managed to start the bike first go. It was a cold day but, suitably togged up, I took the bike along the very pleasant country lanes up to Rye. Here, at the Strand Quay café, was the usual collection of bikes and riders, taking a rest from the regular Sunday blast. I got myself a coffee in the café, convinced the owner to put up a poster and leave some leaflets promoting the Toy Run, then made my way home. Shame I didn't have any more petrol, really; once I was out, I wanted to go a bit further afield. Still, never mind; it was great just going out on the bike again. So now, you'll be pleased to know I feel a lot better..... |
| 12 Nov | How is it that, even though I earn a decent salary, my personal finances are always in such a dire state? I really wish I could blame it on living a lavish lifestyle but I seem to simply be a victim of modern life and my apparent inability to keep on top of things. Why have I included this in here? Not sure really; just exorcising the thought, I guess. |
| 6 Nov | Another Guy Fawke's night over. Having said that, tonight being Sunday, there may still be a few more last-gasp firework displays. Now, I know this puts me deep into grumpy old git territory but I really can't be doing with all these bloody fireworks. If it was just over the weekend, it wouldn't be so bad but shops started selling fireworks about a month ago and there have been constant ground-shaking blasts pretty well every night since. Last night was by far the loudest I have witnessed this year. Where I'm living currently is quite densely populated and there was no escaping. Nor watching TV, come to that. Still; nearly Christmas..... |
| 2 Oct | Lara's friend Lauren is emigrating this week, so she asked me a while back to create a CD for her. The plan was to get it to Lara last week, in time for her to give it to Lauren at a farewell bash at Lara's new house. However, plans being what they are, I managed to screw that one up, on account of my losing the USB cable from my camera. However, via a highly convoluted route (thanks again, Mark), I got the pictures off the camera and onto the CD label. I was planning to take the CD to Lara's this morning but she phoned to say that Lauren was leaving earlier and could I take the CD directly to Whitstable? Please? By happy circumstance, today dawned very sunny, albeit chilly. So it was that I took the R6 to Whitstable, via the bendy marsh road between Rye and Ashford. Fantastic! CD duly delivered, I took a few photos of the locality. You'll find them posted in both the Herne Bay and Whitstable photo pages. |
| 15 Sep | Driving back home from a visit to Mum and Dad, we came across one of those home-made roadside signs. Writ large on a sheet was "I love you, Joe". Both Cheryl and I thought that was really sweet. However, a few hundred yards up was a second sign: "I am a fool". As soon as we saw this one, I said to Cheryl, "There'll be a third". Sure enough, at the next junction: "Please come home". Man; that left us cold. How much of a story is ther behind those three simple sentences? Here's a woman (presumably) really wearing her heart on her sleeve. It gave us food for thought, certainly. I wonder whether doing such a thing is a good idea or not. I mean, whilst it was probably cathartic for her, she remained anonymous, yet Joe's name was there for all to see. Part of me still hopes that they work it out, though. |
| 11 Jul | It's been a while since I wrote anything here. Which is down to my move to Hastings firstly and secondly down to BT not giving me Internet access. I had hoped (and advised accordingly) that my Broadband account would remain live even though I was changing numbers. It may take a couple of days to get it reconnected, though. So, here I am, 10 days later, just getting back online. I can't remember the last time my email inbox went into meltdown like that. It took seemingly ages for all that junk mail to arrive.... |
| 23 Jun | I'm really turning into a grumpy old bastard these days. After reading about the vandalism going on in Herne Bay, I really wonder what these morons hope to achieve, other than notoriety among their insular mates. Ripping up flowers, flooding properties and applying grafitti are not, despite what your mates think, clever ways to spend your time. Get a life, idiots. |
| 9 Jun | Tonight, Cheryl and I had the genuine pleasure of meeting Geoff and Shirley Holden during their visit to Herne Bay. After so long in long-distance correspondence, it seemed really strange to actually meet up. We sat down for a meal at the Whistlestop restaurant and I have no idea where the time went. Suffice to say, we were last out of the place and left only after we felt the staff were going to have to physically eject us. Thanks to the staff for the great meal. Thanks even more to Geoff and Shirley for making it such a great night. |
| 25 May | Well, things have been moving on apace. Literally, as it happens. I got a call from a letting agent yesterday, telling me that I checked out financially and that they are offering me a flat in Hastings. However, the agent also wanted me to move on Bank Holiday Monday. Yeah, right. The Bank Holiday is less than a week away. That's really going to happen, isn't it? Notwithstanding the fact that I have to give a month's notice. Still, it's all settled now. Moving day is Friday 1 July, so I'll have a new address before my next birthday. This is going to seem so weird. Other than a six month period living in naval quarters in Plymouth when I was 16 (and being born in London), I've never lived away from Herne Bay or Whitstable. This is one big change for me. Bloody hell - I'm feeling homesick already and I've not left yet. What's worse however, is that I've not even told my parents about this, as I never expected it to happen so fast. Oops. |
| 23 May | What a glorious day it's been today. I took Ami to Canterbury, meeting Mark in Casey's Irish pub whilst there. After dropping Ami back home, I felt it only right to give the R6 an airing. Plus my overly bright new leathers, too. My god but they're red. Very red. Mark found them for me at the BMF rally at the weekend. They'll take a bit of breaking in, too but that's the perfect excuse (like I need one) to take the bike out more. Ah; roll on Summer proper. |
| 21 May | I went into Whitstable today, or at least tried to. I came to town via Borstal Hill but once I'd reached the Belmont Road traffic lights, I was greeted with a diversion sign. This sent me down Belmont Road, Bridge Approach, Teynham Road, Cromwell Road, Tower Parade, Harbour Street and finally the High Street. Now; it's likely that this particular roadworks session was a short, one-night stand affair but as I walked through the town, having abandoned any hope of actually using my car, I wondered how long it will be before the good townspeople of Whitstable get up in arms and force the council to get it's bloody act together. The list of woes is as follows:
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| 20 May | Mark's off to Peterborough today to spend the weekend at the annual British Motorcycling Federation rally. Ordinarilly, I'd be jealous. I would have like to go myself but can't commit the time today. Plus the forecast is poor (naturally). Rain and gusting winds are expected over the weekend. Not your ideal conditions for taking a 3 hour motorcycle ride. Maybe I'll go up tomorrow, if the outlook changes. Then again, maybe not. |
| 18 May | CONGRATULATIONS, AMI!  This week, I've been in Germany on business. Today I've been waiting for the opportunity to phone Ami to see how she got on with her driving test. I needn't have been concerned of course, as she passed. Fantastic. Having said that, if I felt old about her reaching 18 (see below), then this is a further step to her becoming ever more independent. I know; it has to be a good thing. Doesn't make it any easier, of course. |
| 8 May | Finally, finally, the R6 is run in. It seems ages since I parted with a not inconsiderable chunk of cash to buy the thing but the weather has not always been conducive to (fair-weather) riding. Today, the 1,000 mile barrier was broken at last. A blast down to Rye with the boys got the final 70 miles out of the way, which means I have free rein to thrash the chats off the beast. And boy, did I do that today. John told me that, along the A2, he was not able to keep up with me, despite riding a Triumph Daytona (955cc). It seem that size isn't everything. My bike is only 600cc but has a reputation for being a bit of a screamer. I know; not big. Not clever..... |
| 4 May | HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMI! Oh my. Today, my eldest daughter is eighteen. EIGHTEEN! Now I do feel old. I'm getting to that stage of asking myself where all the years have gone..... Still; she's my daughter, I love her very much and I'm inordinately proud of her. Ahhhh. |
| 18 Apr | I read the comment about St Mary's school being allowed to take on more reception children this year and wondered what will happen to those children in Years 1-6? It's all very well allowing more new children in but what of those already in the system? We already have a major shortage of schools and places and to hear that St Mary's is now the nearest catholic schools for three, not two towns, begs the question: why are there not more schools? How long will it be before we find that, despite building all these "attractive housing developments", there's no other infrastructure? |
| 17 Apr | Splendid weekend weather for once. Mark has been away this weekend, so to get some more miles on the R6, I had to go out alone. That's OK but riding in a group is always more enjoyable. However, I went down to Hastings, through the country lanes, taking in villages between Faversham, Ashford and Rye on the way. When the weather is this good (and when there aren't too many cars about), there's really nothing like it. I wasn't able to see Cheryl but I stopped off at the seafront in Hastings, took a stroll, had a coffee, then made my way back, discovering a wonderful new (to me) road along the way. In the meantime, the mileage is up to 530 on the bike, so I need to get another 70 in prior to the first service on Friday, after which I can open the bike up a little more. Roll on next weekend..... |
| 14 Apr | This has been a real bummer. I've had the R6 for a week now but I've only been out on it 3 times. Saturday was the first opportunity, having collected it from Faversham. Mark and I had planned a trip to Rye on Sunday but a turn in the weather cut that short, so we went to Deal once the weather calmed down. The last time I took it out was Monday when I added a few miles only. Since then, it's been cold and wet all week, so the bike has stayed put in the garage. I've got the 600 mile service booked for next Friday. Let's hope the weather improves over the weekend, so I can get the requisite miles on the clock. |
| 31 Mar | Well, now I've REALLY gone and done it; I'd been mulling this new bike purchase over for the last few days and, just before it closed at 6:00, I phoned the Bike Shop in Faversham to change my mind about this R6. "So; the lad has come to his senses and cancelled the order". Well, yes. And no. I cancelled the 2004 Model Year machine and asked Paul to supply the 2005 version instead. In black. I know; "You don't need another bike, Steve." True, true. This is most definitely a case of the heart overruling the head. I'd spoken at length to Paul on the pros and cons of each machine and decided that I really did prefer the newer version, despite the added expense. Man; my parents will think I've gone mad. Now that Dad has access to the Internet (and this site), he'll know about it, too. I've not actually told my parents, y'see..... |
| 27 Mar | Well, I've gone and done it; I went out and bought a(nother) new motorcycle today. I don't know what came over me. Actually, I do know. I'd been hankering for an arse rocket for so long now, especially after the road test I took last year. So, today I gave Paul at the Bike Shop in Faversham my order for a brand new Yamaha YZF-R6. I had really been looking to get the Rossi replica R46 but there had still been no word from Yamaha UK as to when that version would actually be on sale. Instead I went for the available (and slightly cheaper) 2004 model year version, in Mistral grey. I take delivery on 9 April, after which you'll not here from me for ages, as I play with the new toy..... |
| 17 Mar | Finances seem to be settling down at the moment. I worked out that there was enough funding for me to be able to replace my Nikon compact camera with a better class of disital camera. So, I have bought a Fujifilm S5500. It's very much like a "normal" 35mm SLR but somewhat smaller (and lighter). The quality of the pictures I can get from it is remarkable, especially when I ompare it with the price I paid for my Minolta a few years back. It also has a 10x optical zoom/4x digital zoom which is the equivalent to a 35-390mm zoom lens on a 35mm SLR. I wanted a long lens so I could get some shots of the wind farm construction. I also wanted a camera that would allow me to take fast shots of the bike races I want to visit this year. So far, I'm very happy with it. Dull but true. |
| 9 Mar |
I've been looking at the local rags with a view to updating the news page for once today. One story that keeps coming around is that of the relentless drive to fill whatever green spaces are left with houses, particularly in the south east. Our incumbent Government (and John Prescott in particular) seems hell-bent on putting as many houses as possible down here. Houses, yes but what of the schools, places of employment (not just shops), schools, surgeries, hospitals? The infrastructure, for Heaven's sake? Fantastically clogged up roads (which get all the more exciting in the rare event of snow, of course) are only going to get worse when more people arrive. I realise we can't stop people living here. That would be churlish. However, if they are going to live here, how are they going to contribute to the local economy? Or is Kent simply going to end up as a dormitory county for London? Then there's the issue of our water table. Kent is dangerously close to having to get desalinisation plants set up as it is because the water table is so close to sea level. A development near Hythe was stopped because of the massive environmental damage the seasonal influx of tourist would have on the fresh water there. If that happened, it would have affected the entire county, not just the Dover district. How much more damage is going to occur if Prescott gets his way and has over 200,000 new homes in the southeast? Man, this really pisses me off. You'd never have guessed, would you? |
| 8 Mar |
It's getting close to that time of year when I can finally get the bike back out on the road. Whilst not generally just a fair weather biker, there's no way I would consider taking my TDM out on those snow-damaged, salt-encrusted roads. However, Cheryl doesn't have a proper jacket, so we went in search of something suitable. There's not a lot of choice for ladies. Bikes are evidently a blokes thing, or at least evidence would suggest as much at the bike shops. It was while looking at The Bike Shop in Faversham that I also got to see the current Yamaha R6 models. Oh dear. I've not got the money but already I'm spending it, mentally at least. I'd always fancied a blue one but Yamaha is doing it in black this year. Oh, my. Oh, my. Get me out of here, Cheryl, before I do something I may not regret..... |
| 20 Feb | I had planned to visit Cheryl today but woke up with a bugger of a cold. What a wuss. So, I've spent the day adding photos, updating the news page (for a change) and putting up the fancy dress party photos from 1982. Ah; the joy of nostalgia. |
| 16 Feb |
The council has been digging up the old Thanet Way between Whitstable and Herne Bay recently, in order to make a new entrance to the recycling centre at Hampton. Accordingly, until the road layout is finished, there's a temporary barrier in the middle of the carriageway to stop people overtaking at the junction. As I was driving to Mark's house today, I was aware of a kid on his bike coming out of the Wrentham housing estate at Greenhill. The point at which he emerged was just at this barrier. Not content with cycling the 20 yards along the road to get around the barrier, he crosses the road and lifts the bike over it. All very well, but he obviously struggled with the weight of his bike, getting it stuck on the barrier whilst cars were approaching from both directions. I must be getting old. What the hell was he thinking of? Road safety is apparently not high on his list of priorities. The youth of today..... |
| 5 Feb |
I had an interesting chat with the girls this week which got me to thinking about how I'm spending my money, particularly with regard to the flat. In the past 2½ years, I have spent about £14,000 in rent. Whilst I really like the flat and it's location, I decided to find out the going price for a 3 bed house. Wow; what an eye-opener. It soon became clear that buying in Whitstable is a nonstarter. I'd be mortgaging myself to the hilt and beyond, just to get an old mid-terrace place. The going rate for some of the tiny places near the harbour is anything from £160-250,000. £250,000? For a terraced house? What the hell's that about? I reluctantly decided to take a look in Herne Bay instead. I was really pleased to have got back to Whitstable but I have to be realistic if I really am going to buy again. I found loads of suitable properties in Herne Bay priced closer to what I think I could afford. My next move will be to see how much mortgage I can realistically pay. The other thing I became aware of was the enormous variety in approaches from estate agents. When I told the guy at Kents what price rtange I hoped to be looking for, he stopped short of laughing out loud, before seeing if he could "find anything I think I might be able to afford". Condescending little oik. Other agents were considerably more helpful. I'll remember to select my agent carefully before I make any purchasing decisions. Oh my; back on to the housing ladder once more. Perhaps. |
| 23 Jan |
I've just come back from a visit to Hastings and Bexhill with Cheryl. Whilst there, I could see that they have fantastic sunsets down that way, too. Want to see it? Of course you do. Just click the pic.
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| 21 Jan |
Bugger. I was hoping that 2005 would be better than 2004. Well, perhaps that's a bit simplistic. There are far worse things going on out in the big bad world than anything that may be happening to me but I can't do much about them. Actually, I can't seem to do much about my issues either at the moment. So much seems to be out of my control or influence. In particular, my financial problems, far from being sorted, lurch from crisis to crisis. I'm having particular difficulties with my bank at present which isn't helping matters. They appear not to be too keen on any catchy slogans, unless it's "We're the bank that wants our money back. Oh; and a pound of your flesh will do nicely, thank you." Bitter? Me? You'd better believe it. I'm in the throes of changing banks at the moment but until I'm sorted out, I also fall into that delightful category of being less than credit-worthy. So, I have all the incentive I need to try and straighten things out. The day that I finally remove the my financial shackles will indeed be a pleasurable one. Still; mustn't grumble..... |