The intrepid Ford's conquer striding edge.

IMG_1320
Originally uploaded by Steve Ford

What a day. We climbed Helvelyn up Striding Edge. A task that ranks alongside some of my best achievements. Mainly because it was quite scary, even though we had the best weather and there was almost a queue to get up. In the end you have to climb and there are at times no distinct paths. Still, we got there in the end. Amazing - check out some of the other pics as well.

Rosie's Valentines

Tuesday 5th June 2007

Currently listening to: Stefan's Tape

I have to post this. Rosie - sorry if it's embarrasing but this was the most well written and tear inducingly funny email I have ever read!


my valentines day:
get up 530 am.
beat head on wall several times to wake up as am utterly knackered from very long week so far.

Set off to drive to airport to catch flight.

Pull over after 2 miles of pissing rain to rip off passenger vindscreen viper in fuming frustration, which after gippo mutilation some weeks ago, wafts around limply - except in driving rain where it viciously entangles working viper in constrictor like embrace, causing burning motor smoke to invade car and making it impossible to see.

get to airport to catch shuttle plane

Subject self to lengthy pat down from security after setting off metal detector. Subject handbag to archaeological dig from secuiryt staff who have clearly decided am terrorist.

get plane.

spend day hopping on and off bits of half built submarine, crawling through tight spaces and trying to imagine what a confined space full of 90 blokes stuck under water for 3 months is like.

vaguely get the horn.

get plane home with boss.

Pick up car at airport. Thankfully driving rain has stopped.

Hop enthusiastically onto A3 with good intentions about seeing hubby. Call hubby. Hubby working late and sounds stressed. Ease off accelerator until within stones throw of actual speed limit as clearly any chances of nuptials are vanishingly small and not worth a speeding ticket.

come off M25 a junction early to go to tesco sevenoaks as is more en route than our local which is the other direction, with intention of filling up gasping car and buying nice goodies for valentine supper.

Pull into tesco petrol station. Fill car up. replace nozzle in pump. Look twice at nozzle. Nozzle is wrong colour. Have just filled up unleaded petrol car with diesel.

Swear.

Go into shop and slightly hysterically inform them that have filled up car with diesel but want to pay for it before moving it in case get arrested. Attract looks of pity and possibly slight fear.

Go outside and ring green flag. Whilst collecting info about my car she asks "is that a red corsa? And that's with petrol engine?" "Yes, I know that now!!" sez I not amused.

Return to car. Look for credit card I thought was in pocket. Cannot find card. Go out and scour petrol station forecourt. Cannot see card. Panic slightly. Return to car and find card in handbag. wander round forecourt looking like drooling woman on day release and accost burly man who is deliberately not meeting my mad eye, and beg him to help me move car out of way as have been cretinous, knackered it, and am too tired to move it on my own.

Man unquestioningly (probably fearing for his personal safety) helps me push it to side. As I sit in abject despair sniffling to myself about my own utter crapness, petrol station lady (surely no older than 15) comes out and kindly offers to make me cup of tea, like startled and disturbed old lady. I decline politely, and try and explain my ineptitude.

She nods understandingly and retreats to safety of shop. Nice man turns up in whopping great van, pushes my car to the other end of the petrol station and hoists it onto his flatbed. Dump car outside my little local garage with note on dashboard saying "Dear Andy - DO NOT DRIVE! Have been outstandingly stupid and filled with diesel. Please help. Or maybe this time we turn it into a chicken shed".

Nice rescue man drops me home in flatbed. Get into porch and remember I lent my front door keys to luke some weeks ago - can only go in through back garden. Cannot bear to look like cretin twice in one evening so close porch door and hide in dark until rescue man decides I have gone into a dark house and like it that way as am some sort of vampire, or perhaps am blind which would explain poor choice of fuel, and drives off.

Get in and realise have no food. Hubby arrives home and handles gingerly like
lit firework. Make curry from remains of fridge. whilst attempting to cook with maximum 13% functioning higher brain function, throw pan on floor.

Swear again.

Weigh up level of filth on floor and decide to throw away stuff on lino. Leave to simmer whilst pitta breads smoke and smoulder in the toaster, as I have given up on life and am cuddling the washing machine, eating chocolate spread out of the jar with my fingers.

So yesterday when I couldn't operate my stapler, people were asking if I'd refilled it with tippex..

oh the hilarity just never.. begins..

picked car up last night, drained and cleaned, and suitably chastised (me not car) and only smoking slightly (Car not me)

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Long time no write

Tuesday 5th June 2007

Currently listening to: Our Earthly Pleasures by Maximo Park

Wow, it's been ages since I posted onto here. The reason being that I've been well busy.
After the disappointment of the cup final last May we set about to win division 2. And succeeded. I'm so proud of the team. Mind you, it went down to the last game and the last goal in a 2-1 win!

Here's a photo of the team on that fine May day this year.


I actually played in this game, one of only 3 games I really had some part in. The first was in January of this year when I played a full game. So overalll operation to playing time was probably 11 months or so. The knee seems ok, it did ache when I first started playing again, but now it's ok. The lasting legacy seems to be tight hamstrings and that numb patch on the right side of the knee.

I'm going to try and post more often. Especially since I've managed to link Flickr and Blogger together so there's something more interesting than just words.

Loads of other stuff's happened since last August. People getting married, people leaving the church, people joining, births, deaths, house moces, job moves, holidays, new music, old music, gigs, books and films. All in all a great consumer life. Athough I'm sure there was more to it.

Busy couple of months...

Thursday 3rd August 2006

Currently listening to: XFM

Well, it's been another long wait for a post, and I won't bore you with the details of the last month, except to say that England were incredibly disappointing in the world cup; I had a great night at the Royal Albert Hall, got a new digital camera, new phone and new Bass! Lots of new presents for me!

Helen married Trev last Saturday and it was an amazing day. So chilled out (thanks guys for not getting me to do too much) and all my friends and family were there. We had a great party, the food was good, the company excellant and I just wished it could have carried on for about 3 days.

In order to share some of the fun I've set up a Flickr account which hopefully should help me to share the photo's I've been taking.

So here's the first effort of a link to some online photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/67104512@N00/sets/72157594222612025/

Need to figure out how to link to a photo online - i'll get there eventually. Maybe I should talk to Matt, he seem's to have got it sorted.

I'm sure there's been loads more going on as well. Been playing with Aye, Jack and Max in the band. It's great, sounding good, lots of fun. Want to do some live stuff.

Trev has obviously moved out and it's been quite nice having to the flat to myself. But Luke is planning to move in at the end of August, so that should be good too. I currently only have a 14" TV which is a bit naff!

Here's another photo, just cos I can!