The repair man

My aunt has just brought her computer round as it has decided to stop working. I instantly notice that the power lead is very loose, but suggests that she takes it into a repair shop as it is still charging and has power, yet won’t re-boot. I googled how much a new cable would cost, and the nearest computer repair shop, and was surprised to learn that the closest one had actually turned into a vintage record store. I also googled what the various combinations of flashing lights meant, but all the manufacturer pages asked me to download their free tool, which isn’t a great help when it was my aunt’s machine that was broken, not mine (great help guys). There are various options for her to take into account, and the last thing I want doing is her to buy a new one which would mean that muggins here would have to get everything up and running for her again. But hopefully she will get great service from Mr. computer man.

A royal welcome at the Royal Pug, Leamington Spa

The Royal Pug is another trendy pub on the edge of the shopping district. It has a square bar in the middle of an open plan pub, and the first thing you see as you enter is the selection of real ales available. It’s a busy pub that also serves gastro food, but as we entered the regulars recognised us as customers and moved away so that we could see the hand pumps. The barman was knowledgeable about the beers and was pleased to serve us. We then wanted somewhere to sit, but being at the bar wasn’t going to help newcomers, so we shifted over to a dead end table in a corner where the only view we had was of leftover menus and magazines. The beer was very good, but the muzak was in full flow which hindered the atmosphere. Most people were dining at the time of our visit.

Stop the Train!

Earlier this month, I introduced my three-year-old niece to Stop the Train! It’s an old board game that I played when I was little, and I’m very fond of it. After playing a number of her creative games, we eventually convinced her to give it a try. It’s a very simple and addictive game, and it’s a real shame that they don’t sell it any more. Each player has three passengers which need to take a round trip across the board and return home. Movement is through a coloured dice to make things simple, and you then choose which of the two trains to move. The game is mainly through luck of the dice, but you can be tactical by forcing people to miss their stop because the seats are full, or delay them by forcing them to change trains. She absolutely loves it, along with her mum who also played, and since then her sister has played it too!

Greene King's Finest at the Copper Pot, Leamington Spa

In the middle of a busy shopping high street lies Greene King’s the Copper Pot. This one-roomed pub is a rather cosy lounge split into several sections with a raised platform near the window which serves as a stage. It is popular with both drinkers and diners, but not much else is there in terms of atmosphere apart from muzak (which probably becomes music in the evenings) and TV screens to keep up with the day’s events. The beer choice was quite plain with only the Greene King array of beers, and we sat on a small round table in the corner next to a knocked over Christmas tree. The staff seemed attentive to those ordering food, but not doing much in the way of clearing tables leaving a fair amount of clutter within the pub. At least it was one pub that we could cross off my Cask Marque list.

What cult have I joined now?

So there I was, finally on the train. I’d managed to buy the birthday cards that made me last the previous one, so the next thing to do was to write them. An elderly Indian lady attracts my attention and asks how long the ride is to Birmingham. She then explains to me that she’s just moved into Redditch at the hospital to work. She then asks about the supermarkets and the buses that go there, followed by places to visit and things to see and ideas for walks. She mentions that she is a Methodist and asks where the nearest church is. Honestly, if you’re going to move somewhere, wouldn’t you try and find out a bit more about the area first? I now have her number and she wants to meet for coffee and cake with her friend to discuss this further. Do I really look that different to everyone else?

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ahoy there! Stevenson’s classic tale of piracy and treasure-seeking is a children’s must read for all who crave adventure. After the death of his father, tavern boy Jim Hawkins is forced by societal authority to abandon his family and set off in pursuit of wealth. Jim’s naivety of the situation does sometimes ruin the plot, as often he mentions the possibility of something happening in disbelief, then later we find that is does actually happen.At the threat of mutiny, Jim decides to grow up and forgo all authority to seek the treasure for himself, and older readers would sense that this would be a bold yet sentiment move. It’s great that Stevenson introduced a second narrator at this point so that readers wouldn't miss any of the action and have to resort to a flashback later in the story. Flashbacks towards the end of a story often stretch the book’s conclusion and looses the reader’s attention, and only emphasises how minor that particular character is involved with the story. Ar Jim Lad.

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I attempt to catch a train...

Saturday was not a good morning. After heading to the gym only to find that it was packed and I had left my gym card at home; I gave up the attempt and decided to do some domestic chores. Taking a shower, washing clothes and finishing my daily game allowance seemed to do it. The next event of the day was a pub crawl in Birmingham, and I decided to headed into town to do some beer festival publicity before arriving at the venue at a decent time. There was a queue for tickets as I forgot how often trains now run; and there was no-one at the ticket office. So I headed up the road and had just enough time to deliver flyers to the pubs and return to the station. No queue this time, but as the tickets came out of the machine they looked a little different. The format of the tickets seemed to have been redesigned; so I trekked back to the machine to make sure that I had the right tickets. Then as I returned, off the train went without me. To kill time, I then decided to buy some birthday cards while waiting for the next one but misread the departure board and watched the second train pull away as I returned to the platform. So I camped in the little shelter waiting for the next one, watching someone ram their car into the fence behind. Not a good place to sit. Then the train arrived, and this time I made sure that I was on it and that I knew where I was going…

King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard

King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Allan Quartermain is the classic English explorer; having a reputation of wishing to treat everyone equally when embarking on his request to retrieve Sir Curtis’s brother. His terms of service shows that he is an honest man that won't go back on his word. However, he seems to be used to a life of luxury; not recognising early signs of hypothermia or geographical traits of the mountains; and his survival skills certainly seem to be under par for a man of his reputation as he crosses the desert. Sir Henry’s skills are much more practical which portrays Quartermain as a simpleton in comparison. Much of the tale focuses on the deception of Kukuanaland; which ruins the tale and sincerely delays the journey as Quartermain focuses upon this tribe. I'm somewhat amazed that our heroes fell for Gagool’s trap, having mistrusted her from their very first encounter with her. The discovery of George is perhaps the anti-climax; as he is found in a sub-plot upon the story’s conclusion, of which the tale comes to a very sudden halt.

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Dream Diary 4

Last night’s dream followed a spout of uncontrolled sleep in front of the telly. After four hours’ sleep, I woke up with the light on and the TV on with BBC’s new standby music. After reading a book, I managed to get back to sleep and found myself in a square with my family somewhere in Eastbourne. We were waiting for Bob Marley who was visiting the town that day. He arrived with his band and we got quite close as his team very quickly set up the stage. Then he found that the sun was in our eyes so the stage was very quickly deconstructed and set up again on the other side of the square. At one point Marley plucked audience members out of the crowd to use as markers so that the stage pillars could be positioned quickly, including a very tall man and a small boy with dreadlocks. The concert started and we found a great spot in the square to sit down which offered lots of shade. But I was supposed to be delivering and my van was nearby. Then I spotted my colleague smoking a fag at the side of the stage.

Fine dining at the Benjamin Satchwell, Leamington Spa

Hidden amongst the High Street is the Benjamin Satchwell; a Wetherspoons camouflaged amongst the shops. We only found it because of the blackboard outside the door. This pub was very open plan with an upper and lower dining room area; with little emphasis on tables just for drinking. You can tell quite easily that several shops have been knocked through to create the space; but the lower area seemed very dark and dinghy. The service at the bar was very good and you didn’t have the usual scrum of customers waiting to order unlike many Wetherspoon outlets. There were no problems with the beer; but what it was I could not tell you as it was one of the many blurs of the day. Still, my burger was very nice; and certainly did the job. Although I still have no notion of who Benjamin Satchwell is, the food was served very quickly and I’d recommend eating here again. I'd need another visit to judge the beer though. 

The 9th Redditch Winter Ale Festival!

Welcome to the ninth Redditch Winter Ale Festival! Regular visitors will notice that our bar is smaller than usual this year; but we’ve still managed to hide away thirty-three real ales alongside a selection of cider and perry; from local favourites to beers from further afield. We’re sure that there’s something here to satisfy everyone’s taste buds; just ask a member of our friendly volunteer team for a recommendation.

Beer, cider and perry is available in half and third measures; but please note that the bar staff will only serve festival drinks in RWAF 2016 glasses. Payment is through strikethrough cards and you can purchase or refund strikethrough cards at the entrance; or you may like to donate any unused tokens to Troop Aid, our festival charity. A selection of hot and cold food is available from the function room bar, and the Rocklands club bar is also open to serve other drinks.

While you’re here, why not talk to our volunteers to find out what CAMRA is about and what’s going on? We run social trips and events throughout the year; as well as regular meetings and campaigns to protect our pubs and promote our local breweries. We’d love it if you got involved; you can join today at the CAMRA membership stand.

Thanks for your support, and enjoy the festival.

A new deity has come to life...

I nearly found a new god. I heard on the radio about the struggle of an Austrian Pastafanarian who was recently challenged to remove his religious dress when having his driver’s licence photograph taken. This was because he followed the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a modern and novel satire on religion when an American protested that Intelligent Design would replace Creationism on his school’s curriculum. What followed is an internet phenomenon with many people dressing up as pirates and taking to the streets to preach of this mock religion; where not much is known as the creator was drunk at the time; but the ancient teachings of pirates tell us that there’s a beer volcano and stripper factory in the afterlife. It just goes to show that some people are asking for a line to be called when people use religion and faith as an excuse for their behaviour; and that everyone should be treated equally. But, if you fancy putting a colander on your head (or spaghetti strainer as some call it as they see no other purpose for that object), then be my guest and check them out. 

Frankenstein by Mary Shelly

Frankenstein or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the ultimate book of brains. In this gothic horror, Shelly chronicles the experiments of Victor Frankenstein and of how his ultimate creation turns upon the creator. The whole tale is from a first person perspective and there is a sense of tragedy throughout the whole narrative and also very little dialogue which emphasises the narrator’s isolation. He does however, give fair warning of his ethics, and is happy to share the philosophy but not the science for fear of leading the reader down the same path. His experiments are put on hold when his brother is murdered and he learn of the humanity of the narrator and that he is capable of being human. Once Frankenstein learns of the true murderer he naturally exhibits hatred over his creation, but then the reader is allowed an interesting perspective from the point of the monster, as if the reader himself becomes a judge.

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The Drawing Board in Leamington Spa

This pub is definitely worth more credit than is given. A trendy bar allows a variety of guest beers in both cask and keg format to be showcased alongside a range of ciders and wines. There's bar stools to sit at the bar; a variety of seating including lounge furniture to stretch out and relax upstairs. There's a popular food venue (which sold out when we were there); board games to entertain, posh potted snacks and the best thing of all is the comic book Art Deco featured throughout the building.It’s also a Grade II listed Georgian building; though you wouldn't think it because of its modern design.  The only thing that lets the place down is that the staff seemed unwilling to chat; preferring instead to huddle together in the corner. I can't quite remember if they give you free paper and drawing materials; but if they don't then they should do. 

Sula by Toni Morrison

Sula by Toni Morrison
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Morrison writes to shock the reader in describing the everyday lives of early twentieth century ethnic minority people. From the start, the book makes it clear of how there are two peoples residing within the same town and of their societal differences. Her vulgar descriptions from public conveniences to the murder of Plum shows how everyone is forced to accept their differences without question or prejudice. Shadrack’s comical invention of National Suicide Day clearly shows that her characters struggle to react to change. We are only made aware of Sula’s fear of Eva after her exile; very little is revealed of Eva’s mistreatment of Sula during her childhood. If Sula was written in the first person, it would be a lot easier to understand her. But writing in the third person allows Morrison to comment on her other characters as they were some kind of societal freak show, and allow them to act so outrageously.

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Dodgy deals at McDonald's

It was a sprint to get to work this morning. I kept dozing off and left the house far too late; I also ran out of de-icer. This meant that I needed breakfast, and I was very tempted to have a fry up in Tesco’s in Banbury; but I felt that I needed to eat before then to stay alert. So I decided to try the McDonald's on the Queensway island in Leamington. This is a feat in itself as parking the van would be a problem, but I had trouble enough getting in while two cars stopped five feet apart on either side of the road; not giving me enough room to manoeuvre while they finished stuffing their faces. Inside, I used the kiosk to place my order; but the server decided to give up on the order number system and my breakfast was nearly given out to someone waiting to order. I felt that it was way too small to be a restaurant; hopefully the majority of their business is through the drive-through. But on the plus side, it seems to be cheaper than my usual restaurant; meaning that I could have a toffee latee for he same price that I usually pay. 

More keys please

Why in the world aren't my colleagues organised? All this week there has been a problem with keys; none of which is my fault. On Monday I had to wake someone up to come and deliver keys because he hadn't handed them on as requested. On Tuesday I found out that my keys have actually gone on holiday with someone who isn't available to return them. On Wednesday I had to make arrangements to have keys delivered which I had to collect on my day off at my nearest store. Then this morning there was a great panic as neither of the day managers had keys as the general manager decided to take two sets with him and I had to leave a set behind in Leamington for them to collect. Two people have lost their key sets and it seems that the rest of us have to suffer the consequences. Why?

Slaughterhouse Best Bitter at the Cricketers Arms, Leamington Spa

This popular pub had just finished it's lunchtime shift. It’s found in a picturesque part of Leamington near the river Avon and overlooks a local bowling green. The tables were full of empty plates and locals making arrangements for future bookings. We’d just managed to grab the last homemade sausage roll and found a table in the older part of the pub amongst the timber paneling. The pub seemed to be run by a young couple but didn't make any engagement with us other than a source of income. Mounted on this paneling was a large TV which completely ruined the effect. We were left to our own devices to enjoy a Slaughterhouse beer, which was in fairly good nick. Then a family came in on the next table; and it seemed like the second meal was starting. Not much of an atmosphere for drinkers. I wonder how busy it is when mealtimes are over. 

Back car driver

When you’re higher up in the van, it’s great fun trying to figure out what’s in the car in front of you. How many passengers are there? Are they old or young, male or female? Are they all puppets which are remotely controlled by computer to get in our way? What’s that on the backseat? Is it a Hoover? Is it a lawnmower? No, it's a push chair, you're close enough to see the rain cover. You could make a great little puppet show of what goes on inside the car. How do people spend their time on the journey? Do they all sing along to  the radio with the kids watching DVDs with earphones in their ears? Do any interesting debates take place? Do they talk about the world before them; commenting on every move that the driver in front makes? It would be great fun to listen in and find out what people get up to. 

Anyone got a clue for Celebrity Big Brother?

I accidentally ended up watching a whole hour of Celebrity Big Brother today. I had absolutely no idea who any of the contestants were, and ended up googling them to work out what they were famous for. It turns out that they’re not famous for much. There’s several Americans which we have never heard of, and some are only famous for being divorced from other more famous people. In the whole hour I watched, they were required to put on a talent show; and the rich ex-divorcee put up a serious protest as it was obvious that she had no talent to exhibit. The only talent that these people seem to have is to bitch about each other; and we seem to have given them a platform for them to over-emphasise their already inflated egos to the point of hysteria. Can’t we just put them down and do away with them?

It's back to the old cup and string...

I have a phone call that I need to make. It’s about an e-mail that I’ve sent which urgently needs a reply. And the minute I pick up the phone to make the call, the network goes down. Oddly, I have managed to text a friend to ask if his phone is working, and he did text back. I then tried to call him and since then nothing has been going out or is being received. It’s just at a time when I actually want to cross something off my task list; and now I can’t. I have contacted the provider through the web, and they’ve sent me a text with a link to a guide of things to try. And now the guide won’t load as everyone is going on the website to complain that their phone isn’t working. There is no official statement or advice from the network provider. There are only comments from angry customers and it seems that no-one is prepared to state what the outage is or how long we are being deprived of service. Surely in this brief day and age someone from the company could put a brief statement to say sorry; we’re broken and are trying to fix it. 

I missed my ride at the White Horse, Leamington Spa

This is one of the more interesting haunts of Leamington Spa. We entered through the first door that we saw and instantly made a beeline for the bar. And waited. And waited and waited. And no staff appeared to take our order. I glance across at a group of people at a table who tell us that that particular bar is just for show, and that the real pub started around the corner. This meant that we’d missed the gigantic statue of the White Horse underneath the archway; though we found it on the way out and I was very tempted to ride it. The real bar was a part of a long corridor with separate areas for drinking, dining and relaxing. The pub is very popular with the craft beer scene and serves keg as well as craft, but certainly makes the effort to get a variety of guest beers to entice people to come back for more. I will.

Banks's Bitter at the Holy Bush, Leamington Spa

We were really looking forward to venturing into the Somerville Arms, an Everards Pub that was formerly voted as the local CAMRA branch’s Pub of the Year. However, we’d fallen victim to the bank holiday closing, and the Holly Bush was the next closest pub. It was another saloon bar on entry, with two TVs in one corner while a pool table was hidden on the other side of the pub in darkness. In between was the bar with a single Banks’s Bitter hand pump. The beer wasn’t bad, but again it was the atmosphere that killed it. The barmaid seemed to have brought her family along to watch her work, and work with reluctance she certainly did. The pub itself seemed hastily constructed out of timber, as if sprung up only to cater for the immediate area. I got the feel that it was more of a local social club than anything else.  

Life As We Have Known It: The Voices of Working-Class Women by Margaret Llewelyn Davies

Life as We Have Known It: The Voices of Working-Class Women by Margaret Llewelyn Davies
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Co-operative Working Women have produced an interesting historical insight into life for early twentieth century working family lives. We learn how difficult and precious life is, of how they scrape through, and how people cope with changing times.There are heartbreaking stories of how people coped in times of poverty; and how only the innocence of the children brought aid to the whole family. All the stories sing the praises of the Co-operative and how each lady is involved, but it's the opening accounts of their stories that are the most interesting when the writer tells us their working livelihood as a child. The only dull account within this book is of the introductory letter by Virginia Woolf; which mentions family life not once and seems to focus solely on female workers and feminist politics; which mocks the ladies’s account in some way. At the end of the day, everyone has a story to tell.

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Despicible App

What is going on with Despicable Me: Minion Rush lately? This was a game done to perfection with comedy from the film franchise tied in to video game action as you race through the various zones to collect seasonal tokens which unlock special characters. Lately though, it's hard to get the ball rolling at all. It seems that Dreamworks are planning a new film entitled Pets. And their advertising campaign is so big that they are actually trailing the film over the course of the game. The problem is that the game won't actually load after the advert regardless or not of whether you've given them your buck, causing the game to crash with no further screens appearing. This is especially annoying when you are trying to complete a limited edition time-based quest. It's going to be another game for the bin if I can't fulfil the game because the ad won't let me.

Tripped by Tripped...

just found out this morning that there is no more Tripped planned to grace our screens. I was really enjoying the parallel worlds where drugs are available at the supermarket; have intimate relationships with relatives and escaping hoards of fans, all while avoiding a bunch of killer assassins. In the last episode we at least found out why the protagonists were being hunted. But the writers could have put a lot more effort into creating other worlds. What about a world where global warming has already happened; or a world where dogs had superior intelligence? Of course, some ideas would have needed a bigger budget; but the worlds that were covered seemed very easy to construct with hardly any effort to demonstrate that they were different. The annoying thing was that we weren't given any notice that that was it; that no more episodes were forthcoming, and that kind of gives the impression that it wasn't received well and the plug was pulled. 

One Hundred Degrees Below Zero

One Hundred Degrees Below Zero is a cheap sci-fi film produced for the Syfy channel. You can tell it’s cheap as you can often see people wearing hi-vis jackets in the background of a city that is supposed to be deserted. In one of the final scenes (spoiler alert), the kids climb the Eiffel Tower as it's the agreed rendezvous to meet their parents (who just happen to be ex. war buddies with the colonel, himself only seems to be occupied with their safety over the rest of his occupation). It's then decided to tie the helicopter to the tower so that they can slide down rather than land on the rather large bridge that's four car lengths wide on the river Seine. All through the film I was trying to decide whether the girl was from Marvel’s Agents of Shield, but it turns out it’s a Thai actress with bigger boobs. If you like picking out movie plot holes, then this is for you.

Jumping for joy at the Jug and Jester, Leamington Spa

Many modern pubs go for the open plan approach with just one bar and everything has its place so that the licensee can see that everything is in order. The Jug and Jester is such a refreshing change in that it has many nooks and crannies to hide yourself away in for a quiet conversation. There are two bars should someone crave a large gathering; and bookcases and potted plants seductively create many booths and tables in four large rooms. There are high ceilings with paintings and ornaments adorning the walls; and the toilets are on a separate level to add to that fun feeling? I particularly enjoyed spotting the different vats of beer mounted high near the ceiling. The beer was adequate but the pub was completely lacking in atmosphere, perhaps because of the recent Christmas weekend. It's such a shame that the pub was so quiet on a bank holiday Monday evening.

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Moby Dick by Herman Melville
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Ah, the white whale. Captain Picard boldly vouches to have read this tale of a nineteenth century maritime hunt in his effort to claim vengeance against the Borg. Sadly, the tale itself features no cyborgs or phasers; but is told through the eyes of Ishmel; an experienced sailor who is recruited by Captain Ahab to hunt Moby. The story is a long one and we learn much of zoological anatomy and life at sea along the way as Melville attempts to give his readers a realistic experience. The text can be quite contrasting in nature, and the narrative often switches from simple dialogue to a journal and sometimes even to a Shakespearian play to maintain the interest of the reader. It is certainly not to be attempted in one reading; and the reader is often reminded by the author of incidents in previous chapters to refresh the reader’s memory. If you enjoy fishing or historical accounts of maritime life then this is for you; but otherwise beware the white whale.

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My NYE

So how did I see in the New Year this year? Well, for the second time in a row I’d won the wonderful privilege of being allowed to start work at 5 in the morning. I hadn’t received any party offers so I decided to invite some friends over for a game of cards, and that we would get in a Chinese feast. But the first friend couldn’t afford it, so it was changed to pizza, but the second friend couldn’t eat cheese. And they both didn’t manage to make it round until 9pm, and also decided that staying till 2am would be fine, despite me telling them about working the same morning. So after watching fireworks, Bryan Adams in concert and a Christmas special, they finally disappeared allowing me a whole hour’s sleep before driving to work and making a u-turn on my usual route as someone had crashed down the side of the steep hill. But the best bit was being able to wake up all the customers who’d paid for a morning delivery. Well, they did ask for it…

I've missed the Big Bang...

So a new year has arrived; and with it began grand celebrations in Stratford upon Avon to mark a four hundred year anniversary of their most famous resident, big Will. The celebrations started with a huge firework display over the Royal Shakespeare theatre, and judging by the photographs it looked to be on a similar scale to the show in London. It’s a shame that the celebrations weren't more publicised as we could have easily driven up to see the sights. We could have hung out in a pub or even book accommodation so that I wouldn't have far to travel to work the following day and get diverted because of someone crashing down a steep hill. But as I don't reside in the town, it was probably a secret best kept to the local people. I just hope that they put a bit more effort in publicising events throughout the rest of the year.