Beautiful Saville Garden on a beautiful day

The Saville Garden is only about seven miles from where we live, but my wife and I have never been there before yesterday.

What a lovely place! Helped, undoubtedly, by a glorious autumn day.

We had a marvellous walk among the autumn colours.

 

As parts of the garden are called Spring, Summer and Winter as well as Autumn, I imagine it's beautiful any time of the year.

You can walk down to Virginia Water in about 10 minutes too. Around Virginia Water might take a bit longer at 4.5 miles - for another day, as we will be back.

Those miles of overnight motorway cones

Roadworks are nobody's best friend, are they?

Recently I've been to events at the O2 and in Leeds which have meant travelling home after midnight. The number of roadworks on our motorways (in these case, M25 and M1) was amazing. Currently there appears to be long-term work on the M25 in Kent, but other mobile roadworks sprout up in the small hours.

Seemingly mile after mile of coned off lanes slow us drivers down to 50mph when all we really want to do is get back home quickly. Finally we see a few workers re-doing some worn out white lines, doing some quick re-surfacing work, or maybe fixing an overhead sign. Then there seems to be another mile of cones as a run-off before we're allowed to accelerate again. A couple of miles further down the road, there's another sign warning us of more roadworks a mile ahead.

But I'm not writing this to complain!

No, I'm going to sing the praises of our overnight motorway workforces, keeping our motorways usable while the traffic is reasonably quiet. It can't be fun for them to be out in the dead of night, dark, cold, probably miles from home themselves.

So let's hear it for our motorway mobile workforce, working at night to make driving easier for us during the day.

The Shard view proves popular

Having worked close to the growing Shard in London for the past five years or so, I have grown (not in quite the same way) to love the building. I think it's an exciting piece of architecture.

I am delighted to read (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-20970513) that its viewing platform at 243m (the Shard is 310m high) is proving popular, with its first two days of tickets selling out before it's even open.

Viewing begins on 1 February, with tickets being sold for £24.95 for adults and £18.95 for children. Viewing is from floor 72, which is partly open to the elements. A February start will certainly test the visitors' mettle! Although tickets are bets purchased in advance there will apparently be some available for on-the-day visitors who are happy to walk up those 72 flights.

It should be an amazing view. I must book myself a ticket.

What a year 2012 was!

I know it's been said, many times, many ways, but what a year 2012 was!

Primarily for sport, of course, but then I'm a fan.
And primarily for the Olympics, of course, but then I'm a fan!

Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis, Nicola Adams ...

Bradley Wiggins winning Olympic Gold and the first Brit to win the Tour de France!
Andy Murray winning Olympic Gold and the first Brit in two-and-a half generations to win a tennis Grand Slam.

The London 2012 Paralympics set a new standard that has not even been aspired to before, and will have to be followed in Rio in 2016 (good luck with that!).

Josie Pearson - Paralympic discuss gold medal winner

If your 2012 didn't match up to mine, I wish you a better 2013.

I can't help feeling my 2013 won't quite match my 2012.

Career mother teenagers

I try not to be political in this blog. I actually believe that most politicians mean well, whatever angle they're coming from. Despite my a-political stance, I had to comment on something from the recent oarty conferences.

You may or may not like Chancellor George Osborne (and most vocal people, it seems, do not), but it is surely hard to disagree with one thing he said at the recent Conservative Party Conference.

He said: "How can we justify giving flats to young people who have never worked, when working people twice their age are still living with their parents because they can't afford their first home?"

And how can we?

I know personally two teenage girls who deliberately got themselves pregnant so that, with a baby, they would be on the list (and be given) accommodation and would not have to work.

These girls may not end up having a great life, but they made their choice - based on not wanting to work - and will have to live with the consequences.

But why should they be given accommodation while other hard-working youngsters are striving to make a living for themselves and save anough money to be able to move out of the family home - whether that's to rented accommodation to a property financed by a mortgage?

It makes no sense to me.

Sand ceremony

Never heard of a sand ceremony? Then prepare to be enlightened!

A unity sand ceremony is a celebration that enhances a wedding, where the bride and groom both pour sand to bring it together into a single vase.

That’s the simple explanation, but of course sand ceremonies can be carried out with different colours of sand and your choice of vase – entirely to your own tastes and to fit in with your styles.  

Weddingstar provide all you need for a sand ceremony, with their unity sand ceremony sets designed for customer satisfaction.

Vases can be engraved too – with names or the date – to make them an even more memorable keepsake.

Let's learn from the Olympics

A lot has been spoken and written about the London 2012 Olympics. I'm sure what I'm about to write has probbaly been covered, but here are my feelings about what we might be able to learn from those magnificent two and a half week.

1. London is a marvellous city. Can any city match London for its scenery, history and splendour? It's hard to think of one.
2. Britons wanted the Olympics. Despite all the doom-mongers and nay-sayers, the Brits loved the Olympics and turned out wherever and whenever they could: the Torch Relay, the venues, the events on the streets or in the parks. They were all superbly supported.
3. Britain can do it. Again, all the voices of doom were proven wrong as Britain built the venues, or converted other venues, put on a superb Opening Ceremony, and basically hosted the Best Games Ever.
4. We're stronger together than we would be apart. Scottish separatists take note. This was Great Britain and Northern Ireland putting on a magnificent display of sporting prowess and Games hosting, the like of which each individual nation could not achieve. We Are Great Britain.
5. Sport is an inspiration. Like no other walk of life, sport can bring together and inspire a nation. Politicians take note. And next time we bid for a big sporting event, let the doom-mongers stay silent.
6. Bin the cult of celebrity. As our sportswomen and sportsmen performed so admirably, yet with honour and humility, let's do away with celebrity for celebrity's sake and praise those that can and do. Banish Big Brother, X-Factor and all that crap - we're done with it.
7. Let's learn from these sports people. There have been numerous comparisons between the Olympians and footballers, and totally justifiably. We're fed up with arrogant, money-grabbing, cheats, and we want honest endeavour, striving for a goal, humility and honesty.