some old holiday pictures

At the Charles Bridge, Prague.

Strawberry Fields, New York

Nevada Smiths, New York, as Manchester United completed the treble in 1999.

I've been sorting some stuff out and changing some photographs in frames, and while doing so, came across (amongst many others) these fine examples of old holidays. 

Ah, the good old days, when we didn't have a care in the world.

toodle pip

humans of new york and american tales

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david vann - dirt

Despite never hearing about the book or author before, I read David Vann's 'Dirt' after it was recommended to me as something l'd like, and l wasn't disappointed.  It features Galen, a spoilt, new age worshiping would be guru and spiritual master (who isn't), who refuses to eat, and takes great pleasure in winding up his mother, who won't pay for him to further his education.  He goes out walking at night to be at one with nature, has some painful/pleasurable sex with a relative, and then goes completely off the rails as things start to spiral out of control.  
Marvelous stuff.

toodle pip

I'm back!! (again) - this time from menorca

Well, at long last, l'm back again.  It's been a strange old time and l have just returned from Menorca (through work), but should be back in sunny Catterick until at least September, so the blog is now back on.
I'm really brown, I've now got two cars, and l have seen the Spanish Elvis (who was so bad, it was excellent).  Stone me - what a life.

toodle pip

books l read in egypt (#1) we - yevgeny zamyatin

Well, l finally got around to finishing this while away in Egypt (Sharm el-Sheikh), as l had been starting and stopping it for some time, mainly because l was reading it at night while l was tired at work.  'We' (by Yevgeny Zamyatin) tells the story of a glass covered and bleak dystopian future, where everything is state controlled, and kept in order by 'One State', until some of the citizens (who have no names, only numbers) decide to rebel and go back to the old days and break down the (literal) green wall separating them from nature.  They try to enlist D-503, the architect of a rocket, who falls in love with one of them (1-330).  However, he feels he may be being used, and thinks the rebels goals are insane as (to him) everything is logical and perfect, but he slowly starts to come around to their way of thinking.  In the meantime, the state fights back by ordering compulsory  'Great Operations', basically a lobotomy that will put the populace back under their control.  From 1921, and the first book to be banned by the Soviet censorship board, it's well worth sticking with, even if it does take some time, and it's weird to think that Zamyatin got some of the ideas for the book while working in the shipyards at Jesmond, Newcastle (just up the road from me).

toodle pip

holidays, las vegas and new york

 Ah, lovely Las Vegas / Sin City

 You've got to go under the sign!

Midtown comics in New York.  Mmmmmmm.....Spidey comics

Myself and the FPO (and maybe others) are jetting off early next week to go somewhere for a last minute holiday.  It won't be in the USA, but looking through some earlier photographs, these ones leapt out and reminded us of other splendid holidays thereabouts.  I don't really care where we go this time, as long as it is hot and relaxing, so we can do some reading and chill out.  The weather in the UK has been crap this year, with near constant rain oop north, so it will be good to get away.  You know who l blame?   God.   He's meant to be in charge of sunshine duties (or did l misread the Bible?).

toodle pip

the long walk - slavomir rawicz

The Long Walk is supposedly true story of an escape from the Russian Gulags, by walking to India via Mongolia, the Gobi desert and the Himalayas. On the way, some of the escapes die, and they also get to view a pair of Abominable snowmen for a couple of hours.
While reading the book, l had my doubts about some of the episodes and the books validity generally, and on researching it a bit afterwards, it seems l am not the only one.
That's not to say the book isn't interesting, as a lot of it would no doubt have been based on true events, and probably other peoples tales. Slavomir Rawicz still tells an amazing (if somewhat repetitive) tale, and l know a lot more about the Mongols and the Russian / Polish hatred of each other than l did before.
Interesting, but certainly to be taken with a large pinch of salt.

toodle pip

back from corfu

It's a hard life and all of that, but l am now back from the work trip to Corfu, where it was blazing sunshine every day, and l got to do a lot of reading (and some work).
I also managed to catch the football and get a great tan, but l got bitten by mosquitos (which was not so good) as there were swarms of them on a couple of nights (the little spitty blood sucking bastards).
Pretty pleased it has been pissing down in England while l have been away, as l don't want other people enjoying themselves, but it could do with stopping now that l am back. The bloody grass in the garden will be 10 feet tall soon.

toodle pip

off to corfu later tonight

It's going to be a long night, as l am getting picked up at 2.30 am to head to work, then off to Newcastle Airport for a trip to Corfu for a week. I've just been packing my gear, and no doubt l will have left something behind, but as long as l've got everyone's passports, tickets and money, things will be fine (they foolishly entrust me to take care of everything).
I think l may be a bit hot in the outfit above, so l may have to re jig the old suitcase and stick in something more suitable.
(It's actually Oscar Wilde, aged 46,  in 1900).
See you suckers in a week - l'll be back before you know it (and in time for England's second game).

toodle pip 

the inbetweeners (2011) - ben palmer

I never got around to seeing The Inbetweeners movie at the pictures, after all, I'm a busy man, things to do, fish to fry etc.  The DVD arrived this evening, and myself and the FPO watched it while we were having our tea (because we are pretty classy people).  If you have ever seen the TV series, you know what should be in store and what to expect, and this film certainly doesn't let you down.  The boys go on holiday, act as they usually do back home, but all (somehow) manage to cop off with the ladies. Plenty of laughs all the way through, and the film just flew by. You can see why it was such a success at the old box office, as l bet the approving word of mouth afterwards would have bought plenty more punters in. Apart from the fact Will managed to pull his girl (Alison, played by Laura Haddock), it was all sooooooo believable. Funny, gross, sad, and with plenty of nudity, it even has a stripper who performs autofellatio ferchristsakes. The film has got something for everyone. That is, if you are not easily offended. Thankfully, l most definitely don't fall into that particular category.


toodle pip

figo's advert and bar

Watching the new Luis Figo advert (Just for Men), which seems to be shown about every 4.5 seconds at the moment, l can't help but think back to the glorious days of being on holiday with bugger all to do. There are a couple of pictures above from his ( as wikipedia would have it, 'upscale' ) bar in Portugal, featuring other footballers and his partner in the bar, China. Wish l was still in there now, especially now the crappy weather seems to be arriving.

toodle pip

new jersey beaches in 1904 and 1910

These photos were taken a long time ago in New Jersey, but things have not changed that much since then, which is the reason why l like to have a private villa with a swimming pool when l go on holiday nowadays.

Plus it keeps me well away from the scumbags (apart from my friends and wife).

toodle pip