Chancellor Osborne- George
Kept to the course that he forged
He ignored all advice
And stuck to his vice
Now we're on the edge of a gorge
George Osborne -what can we say?
History's been made today
With all said & done
You turn out the one-
Who's lost us our "Triple A"
Chancellor George Osborne
Deprived us of all our fun
He caused us real pain
With none of the gain-
And now there is nowhere to run
Chancellor George Osborne
No wonder he is looking forlorn
With such heavy loss
Perhaps now will his boss
Give somebody different a turn
Comes across arrogant as a sod
He made our economy plod-
Now he's lost our trust
And it's all "doom & bust"
No wonder they call for his blood
As far as Chancellors go-
This one's at an all time low
For years he's been smug
Now they've pulled out the plug
Daresay- we told you so!
Saturday, 23 February 2013
Sunday, 30 December 2012
Festivals
We urgently need a directory of festivals. And I don't mean music festivals like "Glasto" (June 26) or the family friendly "Latitude" in Southwold in Suffolk (July 18). Okay- I guess if you like that sort of thing. And I suppose there are more mature music festivals like "The Big Chill", or the "Larmer Tree", or the one in Portmeirion in Wales. But I was thinking more of the exotic, unusual, characterful, nonsense-fun kind of festival.
Over the years, I've been discouraged gently from running-with-the-bulls in Pamplona in June. (Had hotels booked and all). So my new "bezzie" is "La Tomatina" in Bunol near Valencia- last wednesday in August. (Bunol is famed for it's Paella-yum-yum!).
The big one of course- (dr-e-eee-aaa-mmms) will be the New Orleans Jazz Festival (nojazzfest.com April 26) or the Rio Carnival. For Jazz buffs, Nice puts on a good Jazz Festival in June.
In the meantime- locally- across the water in Ireland- in August is the Galway Oyster Festival. (Be sure also to venture to Moran's Oyster Cottage in nearby Kilcolgan. In Alba (close to Genoa) in Italy, there's the "White Truffle Festival" (October 1). Imagine Truffles over pasta in the town square! Also in Italy is the interesting "Il Palio" horse-riding race event in Siena (16th July and 16th August). And if you happen to be close by Malmo in Sweden- then savour the Malmo Crayfish festival (August 15-22, www.malmofestivalen.se)
Other local favourites are the Town Crier's festival (there's one close to Liverpool I think). and a few festivals where you roll a big round cheese down a small hill (there's bound to be one near you- otherwise head for Cooper's Hill near Gloucester. www.cheese-rolling.co.uk (May 27). There's also the "Dieppe Kite Flying Festival"- the world's largest -alternate Septembers- if you are so prone. "Oktoberfest" for beer drinkers in Munich- don't ask when. And of course not forgetting the "International Balloon Festival" in new fave city- Bristol.
Fantastic recently also to read about the Calcot (a kind of Asparagus-shaped onion) festival in Valls (last sunday in January), near Reus -not far from Barcelona in Spain. You learn to peel and eat the roasted Calcots- and wash them down with local red wine from a "purro". Or otherwise eat your Calcots in a "masia"- a traditional farmhouse-style restaurant. Yes please!
Of course, if all else fails- there's always the Chelsea Flower Show (rhs.org.uk, May 21st).
Bye.
Over the years, I've been discouraged gently from running-with-the-bulls in Pamplona in June. (Had hotels booked and all). So my new "bezzie" is "La Tomatina" in Bunol near Valencia- last wednesday in August. (Bunol is famed for it's Paella-yum-yum!).
The big one of course- (dr-e-eee-aaa-mmms) will be the New Orleans Jazz Festival (nojazzfest.com April 26) or the Rio Carnival. For Jazz buffs, Nice puts on a good Jazz Festival in June.
In the meantime- locally- across the water in Ireland- in August is the Galway Oyster Festival. (Be sure also to venture to Moran's Oyster Cottage in nearby Kilcolgan. In Alba (close to Genoa) in Italy, there's the "White Truffle Festival" (October 1). Imagine Truffles over pasta in the town square! Also in Italy is the interesting "Il Palio" horse-riding race event in Siena (16th July and 16th August). And if you happen to be close by Malmo in Sweden- then savour the Malmo Crayfish festival (August 15-22, www.malmofestivalen.se)
Other local favourites are the Town Crier's festival (there's one close to Liverpool I think). and a few festivals where you roll a big round cheese down a small hill (there's bound to be one near you- otherwise head for Cooper's Hill near Gloucester. www.cheese-rolling.co.uk (May 27). There's also the "Dieppe Kite Flying Festival"- the world's largest -alternate Septembers- if you are so prone. "Oktoberfest" for beer drinkers in Munich- don't ask when. And of course not forgetting the "International Balloon Festival" in new fave city- Bristol.
Fantastic recently also to read about the Calcot (a kind of Asparagus-shaped onion) festival in Valls (last sunday in January), near Reus -not far from Barcelona in Spain. You learn to peel and eat the roasted Calcots- and wash them down with local red wine from a "purro". Or otherwise eat your Calcots in a "masia"- a traditional farmhouse-style restaurant. Yes please!
Of course, if all else fails- there's always the Chelsea Flower Show (rhs.org.uk, May 21st).
Bye.
Wednesday, 26 December 2012
Non, Rien de rien by Edith Pilaf
Tracked down the words to this lovely song. Love it so much. Generally love french- and this song is good old fashioned traditional french. Quite simple but cohesive- it holds together well (apart from the chorus). But mostly, like most folk I love the way they r-r-r-r-r- oll thei-r-r-r-r "R"-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-s.
Non, rien de rien
Non, Je ne regrette rien
Ni le bien qu'on m'a fait
Ni le mal, tout ca me bien egal
Non, rien de rien
Non Je ne regrette rien
C'est paye, balaye, oublie-
Je me fous du passe.
Avec mes souvenirs
J'ai allume des feux
Mes chagrins, mes plaisirs-
Je n'ai plus besoin d'eux
Balayes mes amours,
Avec leurs tremolos
Balayes pour toujours
Je repars a zero
Non, rien de rien
Non je ne regrette rien
Ni le bien qu'on ma fait
Ni le mal, tout ca m'est bien egal
Non, rien de rien
Non, Je ne regrette rien
Car ma vie, car mes joies, aujourd'hui-
Ca commence avec toi.
Non, rien de rien
Non, Je ne regrette rien
Ni le bien qu'on m'a fait
Ni le mal, tout ca me bien egal
Non, rien de rien
Non Je ne regrette rien
C'est paye, balaye, oublie-
Je me fous du passe.
Avec mes souvenirs
J'ai allume des feux
Mes chagrins, mes plaisirs-
Je n'ai plus besoin d'eux
Balayes mes amours,
Avec leurs tremolos
Balayes pour toujours
Je repars a zero
Non, rien de rien
Non je ne regrette rien
Ni le bien qu'on ma fait
Ni le mal, tout ca m'est bien egal
Non, rien de rien
Non, Je ne regrette rien
Car ma vie, car mes joies, aujourd'hui-
Ca commence avec toi.
Thursday, 7 June 2012
Gifts
Thought there should certainly be a directory for gifts & gift shops & suppliers.
Of course there are the usual favourites- like John Lewis', Jo Malone, the Conran Shop, L'Occitane (en Provence et en-ligne), Iwantoneof those - dot-com, Amazon, www.lovethelakes.net and many more.
You can always give Spa vouchers like those from the RibbyHall SpaHotel.
Stuff comes up every now & then-
Recently there's been - www.ayedo.co.uk who do a lovely bath set in a bucket at a good price & www.slumberslumber.com who sell a fab silk pillowcase which prevents hair crease & wrinkles.
Will update whenever there's new stuff.
Of course there are the usual favourites- like John Lewis', Jo Malone, the Conran Shop, L'Occitane (en Provence et en-ligne), Iwantoneof those - dot-com, Amazon, www.lovethelakes.net and many more.
You can always give Spa vouchers like those from the RibbyHall SpaHotel.
Stuff comes up every now & then-
Recently there's been - www.ayedo.co.uk who do a lovely bath set in a bucket at a good price & www.slumberslumber.com who sell a fab silk pillowcase which prevents hair crease & wrinkles.
Will update whenever there's new stuff.
Saturday, 26 May 2012
Foreign Affairs
I should really collect all my tit-bits about places to stay in, or eat out in, overseas in one place.
Take the Hotel Al Duemila in rustic Puglia. Supervised activities around the pool for the kids. Priceless.
And it's easy to get to Marseille where you can stay at Le Rhul - 269 Corniche Kennedy, 04 91 52 01 77, www.lerhul.fr. They do an excellent Bouillabaisse. Similar at restaurants- Le Miramar 12, Quai du Port, 04 91 91 10 40, www.lemiramar.fr or Chez Fonfon 140 Vallon des Auffes, 04 91 52 14 38, www.chez-fonfon.com . You can also stay also by the sea at "Au Vieux Panier"- 6 rooms each by a different artist. www.auvieuxpanier.com 0033 632 199005.
Oh and when in Marseille, please pop into "La Maison du Pastis"- which stocks 95 varieties of Pastis.- www.lamaisondupastis.com 0033 491 908 677.
Easy to overlook the beaujolais region in France- close to Lyon. Here there's the Sarmentelles celebrations on November 14 in the capital "Beaujeu". Stay at The Auberge de Clochemerle in Vaux-en-Beaujolais (+ 33 4 74 03 20 16, www.aubergedeclochemerle.fr ) Really cheap and it has a Michelin Star. Or there's a wine farm- Domaine de la Tour de la Belle-Mere- in Charentay (+33 4 74 66 82 21, www.dutraive.com - stunningly cheap).
Quite fancy one day travelling by train along the route from Athens to Thessaloniki. Takes 4 and a half hours- but so so scenic.
Or enjoy the Barolo region of Italy. Bra for excellent slow-food. Nieve home to the top Grappa maker Romano Levi, & Alba - home to Ferrero Rocher- look out for the famous ambassador.
If in the Ronda area of Spain- look out for the music "Festival de Cante Grande" in August (www.turismoderonda.es). Why not splash out and stay at the Casa Consistorial- part of a chain which includes historic castles & monasteries called "Paradores de Turismo de Espana".
But there's no need to focus so much on big towns or cities, or popular places. There's a lot of joy to be had "off the beaten track": so perhaps Montreuil (1 hour away from Calais), Bayeux for that famous "embroidery"- yes it really is a big embroidery, and Amboise (near Tours) in the Loire valley- Chateau, river boats (www.milliere-raboton.net), patisserie (www.bigot-amboise.com), and Le 36 restaurant at the Hotel Choiseul (www.le36-amboise.fr). Alternatively wander the cobbled streets of Saint-Emilion(near Bordeaux)- wine tasting as you go.
There you go.
Take the Hotel Al Duemila in rustic Puglia. Supervised activities around the pool for the kids. Priceless.
And it's easy to get to Marseille where you can stay at Le Rhul - 269 Corniche Kennedy, 04 91 52 01 77, www.lerhul.fr. They do an excellent Bouillabaisse. Similar at restaurants- Le Miramar 12, Quai du Port, 04 91 91 10 40, www.lemiramar.fr or Chez Fonfon 140 Vallon des Auffes, 04 91 52 14 38, www.chez-fonfon.com . You can also stay also by the sea at "Au Vieux Panier"- 6 rooms each by a different artist. www.auvieuxpanier.com 0033 632 199005.
Oh and when in Marseille, please pop into "La Maison du Pastis"- which stocks 95 varieties of Pastis.- www.lamaisondupastis.com 0033 491 908 677.
Easy to overlook the beaujolais region in France- close to Lyon. Here there's the Sarmentelles celebrations on November 14 in the capital "Beaujeu". Stay at The Auberge de Clochemerle in Vaux-en-Beaujolais (+ 33 4 74 03 20 16, www.aubergedeclochemerle.fr ) Really cheap and it has a Michelin Star. Or there's a wine farm- Domaine de la Tour de la Belle-Mere- in Charentay (+33 4 74 66 82 21, www.dutraive.com - stunningly cheap).
Quite fancy one day travelling by train along the route from Athens to Thessaloniki. Takes 4 and a half hours- but so so scenic.
Or enjoy the Barolo region of Italy. Bra for excellent slow-food. Nieve home to the top Grappa maker Romano Levi, & Alba - home to Ferrero Rocher- look out for the famous ambassador.
If in the Ronda area of Spain- look out for the music "Festival de Cante Grande" in August (www.turismoderonda.es). Why not splash out and stay at the Casa Consistorial- part of a chain which includes historic castles & monasteries called "Paradores de Turismo de Espana".
But there's no need to focus so much on big towns or cities, or popular places. There's a lot of joy to be had "off the beaten track": so perhaps Montreuil (1 hour away from Calais), Bayeux for that famous "embroidery"- yes it really is a big embroidery, and Amboise (near Tours) in the Loire valley- Chateau, river boats (www.milliere-raboton.net), patisserie (www.bigot-amboise.com), and Le 36 restaurant at the Hotel Choiseul (www.le36-amboise.fr). Alternatively wander the cobbled streets of Saint-Emilion(near Bordeaux)- wine tasting as you go.
There you go.
Friday, 6 April 2012
Our Likes
Few handy hints from recent St Albans holiday.
Baltic restaurant- near the Tate Modern- 74 Blackfriars Rd, SE1 8HA, 02079281111. Eastern European food in an awesomely contemporary setting.
Hummus Bros- restaurant-Southampton Row in Holborn- www.hbros.co.uk 02074047079
Then there's Ace Fusion -afro-carribean place- at Clapham Junction- www.acefusion.co.uk 02072285584. And check out the nearby 5-star luxury www.hotelrafayel.com nearby.
Or if you'd rather South African cuisine at Shaka Zulu in Camden- at Stables Market, London NW1 8AB- www.shaka-zulu.com 02033769911. Looks nice on the web-site- set on 3 floors- with DJs in residence- but still family friendly. Hooray!
Still in Camden- Frederick's- Camden Passage, Islington- 0207 359 2888.
Like the sound of "The Gun". 0207 515 5222 www.thegundocklands.com . Portugese barbecue restaurant. Views across the docklands to the O2 Arena- and a riverside terrace.
And now they've got all these Lidos in London- in case you fancy an impromptu plunge. They have them in Hampstead Heath, Hyde Park (The Serpentine), Tooting Bec, and in Brockwell Park- my old stamping ground when I lived in Herne Hill.
Outside of London check out-
Farington Lodge Hotel in Preston- www.classiclodges.co.uk 5 minutes from Leyland Station
and - Leoni's Italian restaurant - 55 Cross St, Manchesterrr. M2 4FW- 0161 835 1254
In Bristol at Clifton there's Papaji's Bar and Teasmith's- that's right tea taken to another artistic level- 01179 466 144, www.papajis.co.uk
DemiJohn is a "Liquid Deli" in York at 11 Museum Street- 01904 637487 www.demijohn.co.uk. Sounds interesting- a "liquid deli".
And if you're short of somewhere to stay in the South West- try Archanagel Hotel in Frome in Somerset. 01373 456 111 www.archangelfrome.com
(Also just heard of Cafe de la Post in Biot near Nice for lovely cupcakes- but of course that's miles away). Enjoy. But then heard of Ashoka- bar with a live DJ and open fire in CapeTown. 0027214220909- www.asokabar.co.za
Baltic restaurant- near the Tate Modern- 74 Blackfriars Rd, SE1 8HA, 02079281111. Eastern European food in an awesomely contemporary setting.
Hummus Bros- restaurant-Southampton Row in Holborn- www.hbros.co.uk 02074047079
Then there's Ace Fusion -afro-carribean place- at Clapham Junction- www.acefusion.co.uk 02072285584. And check out the nearby 5-star luxury www.hotelrafayel.com nearby.
Or if you'd rather South African cuisine at Shaka Zulu in Camden- at Stables Market, London NW1 8AB- www.shaka-zulu.com 02033769911. Looks nice on the web-site- set on 3 floors- with DJs in residence- but still family friendly. Hooray!
Still in Camden- Frederick's- Camden Passage, Islington- 0207 359 2888.
Like the sound of "The Gun". 0207 515 5222 www.thegundocklands.com . Portugese barbecue restaurant. Views across the docklands to the O2 Arena- and a riverside terrace.
And now they've got all these Lidos in London- in case you fancy an impromptu plunge. They have them in Hampstead Heath, Hyde Park (The Serpentine), Tooting Bec, and in Brockwell Park- my old stamping ground when I lived in Herne Hill.
Outside of London check out-
Farington Lodge Hotel in Preston- www.classiclodges.co.uk 5 minutes from Leyland Station
and - Leoni's Italian restaurant - 55 Cross St, Manchesterrr. M2 4FW- 0161 835 1254
In Bristol at Clifton there's Papaji's Bar and Teasmith's- that's right tea taken to another artistic level- 01179 466 144, www.papajis.co.uk
DemiJohn is a "Liquid Deli" in York at 11 Museum Street- 01904 637487 www.demijohn.co.uk. Sounds interesting- a "liquid deli".
And if you're short of somewhere to stay in the South West- try Archanagel Hotel in Frome in Somerset. 01373 456 111 www.archangelfrome.com
(Also just heard of Cafe de la Post in Biot near Nice for lovely cupcakes- but of course that's miles away). Enjoy. But then heard of Ashoka- bar with a live DJ and open fire in CapeTown. 0027214220909- www.asokabar.co.za
Monday, 2 April 2012
Quick B & Bs
Quick post of B&Bs that have caught the eye and aint too expensive.
Quality seems to approach that in Shaftsbury (Somerset) stayed in years ago.
There's southquaybedandbreakfastpadstow.co.uk (01841532383) in Cornwall- close to Uncle Rick's place and the Padstow harbour.
I also quite fancy - The Archway in Cumbria of Windermere. www.thearchway.com 01539445613
And of course, if you stay in Staffordshire- it has to be Stoop House Farm in Butterton. www.stoophousefarm.co.uk 01538304486.
Really fancy Ivydene House in the tiny village of Uckingall, near Tewkesbury, in Gloucestershire close to the M50 and M5 and Cotswolds. £75. www.ivydenehouse.net 01684592453. (It has it's own tennis court in the garden!).
But nearby in Northleach in Gloucestershire is Wheatsheaf Inn- a reasonably priced country hotel- with Bang & Olufsen TVs, a spa, & 14 charming rooms. Billed as "countryside with edge" this one. (01451 860244, cotswoldswheatsheaf.com). Hmmmmm!
In chic Clifton Village in Bristol is the cool Number 38 Clifton. Handy for Bristol Zoo, the Lido (restaurant, Spa and Pool www.lidobristol.com) and for shopping in Clifton Village. www.number38clifton.com 01179466905.
Quality seems to approach that in Shaftsbury (Somerset) stayed in years ago.
There's southquaybedandbreakfastpadstow.co.uk (01841532383) in Cornwall- close to Uncle Rick's place and the Padstow harbour.
I also quite fancy - The Archway in Cumbria of Windermere. www.thearchway.com 01539445613
And of course, if you stay in Staffordshire- it has to be Stoop House Farm in Butterton. www.stoophousefarm.co.uk 01538304486.
Really fancy Ivydene House in the tiny village of Uckingall, near Tewkesbury, in Gloucestershire close to the M50 and M5 and Cotswolds. £75. www.ivydenehouse.net 01684592453. (It has it's own tennis court in the garden!).
But nearby in Northleach in Gloucestershire is Wheatsheaf Inn- a reasonably priced country hotel- with Bang & Olufsen TVs, a spa, & 14 charming rooms. Billed as "countryside with edge" this one. (01451 860244, cotswoldswheatsheaf.com). Hmmmmm!
In chic Clifton Village in Bristol is the cool Number 38 Clifton. Handy for Bristol Zoo, the Lido (restaurant, Spa and Pool www.lidobristol.com) and for shopping in Clifton Village. www.number38clifton.com 01179466905.
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