In Training – 7 March 2017

It was Scamp’s idea.  We had booked lunch at Cafe Tabou in Perth.  How about, she said, How about getting the train instead of driving there?  It sounded like a good idea, a great idea.  I added to it.  Why don’t we get a taxi to the station?  You can never get parked on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.  Mondays and Fridays aren’t too bad.  So it was settled.  A day in Perth without driving and without the drudgery of travelling on the bus.

The journey was really good.  Taxi to the station, train to Stirling, quick connection to Perth.  Brilliant.  Visited my favourite second-hand bookshop and then a quick visit to Waterstones.  One of my favourite Scottish authors, James Oswald was there talking to a readers group.  I don’t do readers groups, neither do I read the ‘Questions to the author’ at the back of a good book.  If the author didn’t explain everything in his book, either he wanted it that way or else he wasn’t such a great writer after all.  Either way, questions aren’t going to provide the answers you want.  Went for coffee in Nero before we went for a walk through the park.  Then more coffee – beans this time in The Bean Shop.  Finally, it was lunch time.  Mine was Venison Stovies, then Saddle of Rabbit stuffed with Pork and Chorizo <Posh Word meaning Sausage> served with Roasted Root Vegetables and Sliced Potatoes washed down with a couple of glasses of Rose D’ Anjou.  Simply delicious.

After lunch I returned to Waterstones and used up my Christmas present from Scamp.  I turned out that James Oswald was promoting his new book so I decided to buy it, along with another two ‘real’ books.  Time to get used to books that don’t self illuminate or automatically remember your page or even provide a dictionary, but ‘real books’ are a great idea.  I think they’ll catch on.

The return journey was equally as good as the one this morning with nicely timed connections.  Even the wait for the taxi was minimal.  A great day out.

Today’s flower photos came from the park at Perth and the bottle pic?  It came from Cafe Nero’s window.  Like I said on my Flickr description, I wondered How?  I also wondered Who?  I finally wondered Why?

Tomorrow?  I think we might be getting in training properly as we return to the gym.

Mind The Gap – 26 January 2017

Train to Embra from Croy.  Train from Embra to London Kings Cross.  Train from London Kings Cross to Gatwick Airport.  That was our training for the day.  More exhausting than a day at the gym

Earlier in the day I’d taken the rubbish and the old gin, wine and beer bottles to the recycling centre, and that’s where I found today’s picture which for once is not a the top of the blog.  I’m hoping to rectify it tomorrow.  If you’re desperate to find it, you can look at my Flickr feed.  Just use yesterday’s link and you’ll see Big Ted and Little Ted liming in the sun.

After that, it was taxi to the station and then the train to Embra, first class to keep us away from the plebs.

Went to Platform 19 and found the train already in and boarding.  Then the old lady in front of us got down on her knees and started reaching down between the train and the platform to retrieve … a shocked looking terrier that had fallen down the gap between train and platform and was dangling by its leash!  Lucky dog.  It seemed none the worse for its experience after it recovered from the shock.  Never seen that before.

Uneventful train trip down to London.  Sunny at first, but then the mist and fog came in and the sun disappeared.  Drank too much and ate too little.

Decided to risk the rush hour on the tube and it wasn’t too bad a journey from KC to VIctoria where we got on the Gatwick Express.  Unfortunately, the train had problems and the driver explained that he was going to turn everything off for three to five minutes.  I think that’s called a reboot in computer terms.  It worked.  The ZX81 that runs the train kicked into life and off we went.  Got off the train at Gatwick and found the Hilton.  That’s where we are now.

Just finished our dinner in the restaurant.  Mini Fish & Chips for Scamp.  Burger and Chips for me.  Washed down with a lager each.  Most enjoyable.

Early start for us tomorrow.  Hpoing for clear skies.