Home Rennovations

I've decided to do a few jobs sprucing up my flat. Today I cycled to Warren Evans in Shoreditch to buy a couple of pieces of furniture. The staff are a friendly bunch and the bed I bought from them three years ago has been very good. A successful trip apart from the cobbled streets around Columbia Road flower market which were murder on my bicycle.

I'm going to paint one of the bedrooms and then I'm hoping to get a new carpet, which is where I need some help from my readers! Can anyone recommend a good carpet shop? A quick Google returned EJ Carpets in Forest Hill and Lordship Lane Carpets in East Dulwich. Experiences? Other shops used? Thanks!

New Addition to the blog roll

Check out this crazy video and book your summer holiday to Switzerland!

If you like Andy's blog, buy his book here.

Proving six degrees of separation. Andy and my former flat mate Ed did a Spanish course together in Guatemala (I think). Andy Sloan is also known by an old orchestra friend of mine Andrew Mills. Finally I accompanied Ed to one of Mr Sloan's house parties and lent on the gas hob while talking to his brother and nearly set myself on fire. There is a party trick for you.............

2007 Review

Back in 2005 of I had a fantastic time. I visited nine countries, eight of them for the first time, taking in two new continents. I also bought a painting from the (not so) Affordable Art Fair, which I love. In the November I took a look at my bank account and realised that things could not carry on in the same vain! I retrospectively dubbed 2005 The Year of the Spend.

2006 was ordained The Year of the Cutback. Holidays were cancelled and I set myself aggressive targets for repairing my savings and paying off debts. It didn't make for too much fun, but I met my goals.

Fed up with being so straight laced and mildly discontent with my flat and career, I deemed 2007 The Year of the Change. I wasn't quite sure what, but I was confident something big would change this year. My house, career, continent on which I lived, something, anything.......

Progress report? I bought a new bike. Hardly revolutionary....
I'm still living in the same place and doing the same job. 2008 is not going to have a theme in the hope something might actually happen!

Blog Stats

Some bloggers enjoy putting up their monthly blog stats, showing off an ever increasing readership. The reason I haven't indulged tells you a lot about how big my readership is, or is not!

One stat I did think that I would share with you:
Miles cycled this year: 1,699
Miles driven this year: 1,105

I don't think that many people can claim to have done more miles under their own steam than by the internal combustion engine!

Before you go lauding me for my ubber green credentials I should declare that I have taken a few flights this year which probably wipe out any good I have done above......

Hat Tip to Olly Kendall

Back from the blogging wilderness, Olly Kendall has a piece on the Lib Dem leadership result.

If only he would bring back his old profile picture as well!

Ensuite Interview Rooms

I don't like talking about work on the blog, but I thought I would share this little anecdote.

Yesterday I spent the day at a graduate assessment centre interviewing candidates that we hope to hire. As we didn't have enough meeting rooms in the office, we used a local hotel. Except they didn't have enough meeting rooms in their business suite either, so some of the interviews were conducted in bedrooms. They had removed all the beds, bedside tables etc... from the rooms and installed desks and chairs. It was still a little surreal........

Aldeburgh Weekend

This weekend I was kindly invited for a weekend in Aldeburgh by my friend Ed. I was promised the best fish and chips of my life and plenty of Adnams Ale. The weekend was not a disappointment on either count!

There were bracing walks in the sea air, roaring log fires, good company, a visit to the Benjamin Britten memorial, fine food, the freshest and best fish and chips I have eaten and Adnams Bitter.

I always enjoy going away for the weekend. Somehow getting out of London makes it feel longer and more re-energising.

Big excitments at my old school......

.....as Police search for a gunman in Didcot.

Closure of the East London Line

When I moved to Brockley I didn't really give the East London line a second thought. A bit like the Waterloo and City line, in my eyes, it wasn't really part of the tube network and didn't go anythwhere that useful. I was pinning my transportation hopes on the trains, DLR and buses.

Over the last three and a half years of living on Brockley I have grown to love the East London line. It is regular and dependable and you can use your Oyster card on it, unlike the train network. With easy connections to the Jubilee line it is the south London spring board to anywhere in London.

I took the tube for probably the last time tonight before it closes. I'm fully behind the regeneration of the East London Line, but why oh why does it need to be closed for three years? I could understand a closure for a shorter amount of time or a limited service, but the whole of the line shut for all three years!?!

Enjoying London

When you live in London you begin to take it for granted and can forget that you are living in one of the world's greatest cities. Yesterday Olivier and I went for a walk round the city. We visited Borough Market, the Globe, Tate Modern, Garbriel's Wharf, Royal Fesival Hall...........



......the London Eye, Trafalgar Square, Picadilly Circus, Leceister Square......



....the recently opened St Pancras Station, Angel, and Brockley! Quite a bit to take in on foot, I am sure you will agree, and we didn't even begin to scratch the surface of what London has to offer.

Brockley Christmas Market

I visited the Brockley Christmas Market yesterday and went into Magi, Dandelion Blue and Degustation for the first time. It's great that we have shops of such quality arriving in Brockley (Magi has been there for a while, I've just not been in before) and there is a feeling of momentum about the place.

My biggest interest was in the food shops of Degustation and Dandelion Blue. My friend Olivier, over from France for the weekend, gave Degustation the seal of approval as selling proper French food, including his favourite brand of cassoulet. Dandelion Blue was buzzing on its first weekend after opening.

They both seem to be selling broadly complimentary ranges of produce. Here's hoping they grow and thrive!

Restaurant Review: Just Thai Thai

Last night I went to Just Thai Thai in Brockley for dinner with my friend Olivier.

The menu is very broad for a small place. I tried to speak some of my pigeon Thai and both my efforts at the language and my choices of food were lauded, more out of politeness than anything else I am sure!

All the food tasted like authentic Thai cooking and was most enjoyable. It is a solid local sort of place, rather then spectacular haute cuisine.

The restaurant was quite quiet for a Saturday night. And an over riding memory has to be that the place was cold, I don't think they had the heating on. I might wait for Spring before a return trip!

When we received the bill I was surprised to see that all of the dishes I had ordered in Thai were written on the bill in Thai script, while those ordered by Olivier in English were written in English. Perhaps my Thai isn't so bad after all..........

Have you seen a more cheesy looking photo?