The Quest for Colouring Books

The humble colouring book. It keeps kids occupied for whole minutes. But now there’s a new craze; magic painting. All you need is a paintbrush and some water. Simply apply your paintbrush with water to the page and the printed image fills with colour. It’s just lazy painting if you ask me, and the colours that do appear are quite faded, but the kids love em and they don’t make as much mess as regular paints. So it was my job to source some more. I looked in supermarkets and bookshops and toy shops and discount stores but we couldn’t find them anywhere, so we resorted to the internet and had them sent through the post. The pictures aren’t exactly exciting; they’re just themes of things that you might see on a day out such as a boat or a zoo animal. I wander what their criteria is when deciding on which picture to publish.

Fownes Crispin's Ommer at the Jolly Crispin, Upper Gornal

This pub is set on the hillside of beautiful Upper Gornal. There’s a regular bus service from Sedgley and you can do a great tour of Black Country pubs by bus. In previous visits, the pub’s beer garden overlooked the rest of the valley, but this year the view has been spoiled because of houses being built below. Inside, the pub has a large lounge with a traditional log fire and a back room which also acts as a restaurant and there’s a corridor with facilities linking the two, while the bar sits in the middle serving both rooms. The only trouble here is the slow service as there’s usually just the one member of staff. Beers are usually from local brewers and are on display on a chalk board. I always like to look at the pump clips though as you’ve got a better chance of recognising whether you’ve had the beer or not, and it’s more up to date than the chalk board too. There’s also a brewery that’s behind the pub and we got to visit this on our most recent visit.

A New Taste of India

We tried a new Indian restaurant today on a recommendation from our friends. They told us that a set menu was available of a starter, main, dessert and drink for under £12; and we could also take our own drinks. We arrived and got a table next to the window and the waiter quickly dispatched some poppadums but never offered to open our drinks for us or supply the correct vessels. We also weren’t told about the set menu and had to ask for it. Once we established that we could get the deal, I ordered a sheek kebab. It was a bit tougher than what we usually have and lacked a marinated flavour; but we were paying a cheaper price. It was well presented with dribbles of sauce on the plate; though the accompanying salad was warm. Next up was a Kashi Dali which was presented in a giant bowl. It certainly was filling; though again the meat was a bit tough. Then dessert came which was a slice of dry chocolate cake; though there were sweets in bowls as an alternative. Not the most authentic of Indian meals, but it made for a nice cost effective change.

Backyard Antipodean at the Bishop Vesey, Boldmere

This was a delightful little Wetherspoons that we visited on our way into the Black Country. It was a modern pub that was quite cosy and had lots of little snugs and lounges. We grabbed a table and ordered breakfast through the app to avoid the queues. Others questioned our methods but it gave us more time to relax and plan the rest of the trip while we waited. We weren’t sure how they would bring out the tea but they just brought the mug and pointed us in the direction of the self-service machine. Despite this, the staff were very happy and efficient in their service and were pleasant to talk to. After our nosh we decided to try the beer. It was a bit of a strong one for our first drink of the day but it was the only beer that I hadn’t tried before and it was very refreshing.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions...

"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity." -Amelia Earhart

What should you do? That’s the question that many of us face every day when deciding what to do with our spare time. How will the day best be spent? For some people, there’s not much choice. But when you do have some spare time; how do ensure that you are making the best decision? Do you do those niggling little jobs that you’ve been put off? Or do you relax and save them for another time for when they really matter, and they must be done? The trouble is that you need to have a sense of how long a task will take and whether you have the energy to complete it. If you change your decision, then you know that you’re in trouble. But it’s the deciding that takes up most of my time. When you commit to doing the task without putting it off, then you know that you’ve made the right choice. Make your decision and stick to it.

Derby Brewing Company Business As Usual at the Weighbridge, Alvechurch

I sometimes wonder if landlords hold a grudge over me. Hopefully it’s just paranoia. I’m someone that they must know to retain links and be of reputable standing in our beer society. It’s not as if I’m a regular in their pub, or attend their special events, or go there on a regular basis, even though I do my best to attend. Honestly, I’d love to be a loyal local, but I’d just be bored. Not everyone is friendly each and every time you visit a pub. I also like to move around to find out the best number of guest beers. Likewise, I don’t expect special treatment. I’m happy just to be treated as a normal customer and don’t expect everything to stop just because I ask a question. It is nice to get special treatment but then I think that I should repay the favour in turn somehow.

A Social Swim #dreamdiary 64

I’m being looked after by a social worker. I don’t really know why the state has suddenly decided that I need to be looked after. The social worker has suggested that we go swimming and that I meet up with my friends there. We set off in her car which is a small brown fiat and there’s not much room in it. We pull up at a car park behind a pool. I explain that we’re at the wrong pool and that the pool that I regularly go to is much bigger. The social worker explains that we’re here because the car parking here is much cheaper. We go in and the pool is tiny. It’s literally a ten-foot square in the ground. Even though I can swim and swim regularly, the social worker insists that I try and paddle towards her. There’s a group of people standing at the edge waiting to go in. I just shrug and do what I’m told.