hassock of the week
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December 2007 Archives
happy new year's eve
this is me even after nearly three months without any chocolate (the cravings continue)
i really don't like New Year's eve. i find it highly depressing - which for someone who's generally fairly jolly is a bit of a disappointment. i think it's related to having to stay up to midnight, whilst knowing i need to start getting back in to the routine of getting up before 5am in a few days time, and fearful of carbon-free self induced jet lag. or perhaps it's just fear of progress.
whatever, i find it a bit sad. which is in itself a bit sad. so sorry to our visitors who will be staying with us for a couple of days.
but anyway, thanks for another fantastic year in blog land. i've enjoyed doing this immensely. see you on the other side !
bakewell tart
ether and kezia's godparents invited us round for lunch yesterday which was fantastic. we lived in the Sheffield at the same time before moving south. ruth made this fantastic bakewell tart. my piece had a big thumb print in.
andrew and steve
seen through a christmas cracker kaleidoscope. could you imagine if real life looked like this.
kate conducts, lynda plays
here is kate conducting the singers at church yesterday morning to keep them in time with the organ at the other end of the church. she's using a flashing fairy wand. make of that what you will.
carolyn admires the lights
ian and carolyn came over for dinner yesterday which was very lovely. here is carolyn admiring our lights.
glove and poo bin
do you ever wonder how i manage to get some amazing photos (i'm attempted to be funny by the way) ? you can see how it's done with this fantastic shot that tony took of me in action. it's all about the dress sense.
decorated dalek
decorated dalek
a walk - without geocaching !
we actually managed to go for a walk yesterday which wasn't centred around a geocache !
a selection of pictures of tony
here's tony looking pleased with the trophy which we give each other every celebration day
and here's how tony greated us when we arrived. his first words were "don't talk" as he was in a particularly difficult part of a plumber based wii game
and here's how tony greated us when we arrived. his first words were "don't talk" as he was in a particularly difficult part of a plumber based wii game
and finally, here's tony taking a picture
katie and the christmas angel
this is the sister of the angel that appears on our christmas card (and the christmas vouchers) this year. the actual angel was on the tree. this one is on a stick which katie (in the background) was holding. special thanks to katie's family for letting me use their angelic tree icon this year.
the running jacket
olivia on the move
ooh. more geocaching. who would have thought
here's esther with a giant geocache with katie and olivia
and here they are with chloe in the afternoon (taken with my compact camera which i seem to have lost the ability to use properly!)
trees
here are some trees in gerrards cross. the one above is quite spooky.
and these two have walls built in to them.
christmas debris
perhaps we overdid the wrapping paper this year.
skating
these skates were a christmas present for kezia last year. kezia reminded herself of them this christmas and i spent a couple of hours dragging her around yesterday morning in the chilly coldness. i didn't take my camera (as i had my hands busy dragging her about). whilst we were out 8 red kites were out enjoying the wind and sweeping low over out heads dramatically.
my mum and the girls
here's my mum and the raclette machine
balloon modeling
the girls got some modelling balloons for christmas and much of christmas day was spent pumping and knotting. and modeling.
bizarre periscope
esther got this periscope from a christmas cracker - bizarrely it looks like you can see her eye down the stick though which is quite eery.
kezia and the squirty cream
there's few things more terrifying that a 5 year old with a loaded can of squirty cream.
modern grandma
my mum loved listening to esther playing christmas carols on her (esther's) violin.
so much so that she phoned her parents (my grandma/pa and esther's great grandma/pa) and put them on speaker phone so they could hear. esther's first live performance 'down the wire'.
boxing day geocaching
muddy trip to a couple of geocaching. my mum came along for her first geocaching outing and slipped over in the mud. ooops.
wearing christmas presents
as you know, it's obligatory to wear christmas presents which are capable of being worn on the day you receive them. i got this brilliant photographers access-all areas tabard (just put it on and no one asks you any questions - ideal for invisible photography work in busy places)
my mum got the girls lovely dresses which they were happy to show off
and kezia's new dressing grown made her look like santa doing a repeat visit to the tree
christmas
tired adults, lively children
the fantastic cake
jane's dad caused laughing mayhem by saying the christmas cake had icing and christmas 'knickerations'. he probably didn't actually say that, but jane repeated it and tears of laughter ensured.
when we finally saw it, we were very impressed by the kickerations, although there was some tree subsidance
kezia reset them like some cosmic anti-lumberjack
it did look (and taste very good)
so that's the story of the christmas cake and knickerations.
jane's fantastic christmas dinner
a pile of tasty traditions
kezia and esther were first to the table
my plate (not featuring parsnips (or the other sort of stuffing which i forgot to add)
happy christmas !!!
a day that warrants three exclamation marks in the title !
and seeing as everyone else on the planet has done this, so have we we've deliberately used dreadful photos of ourselves just in case you are worried !
treat vouchers - the perfect last minute christmas present ?
We've made some 'treat vouchers' for our girls for christmas, and it struck me these are a brilliant last minute or additional christmas present for a friend or family member. Best of all, they are individual and needn't cost you any real money if you don't want !
essentially you print off the voucher, cut them out and staple to produce a cheque book of lovely treats, such as:
- A trip to the fun park
- A day out with just mummy or daddy (your choice)
- A free room tidy
- Stay up 30 minutes late
- Use mummy's nail varnish
- Trip to feed the ducks
- Free bag of sweets from the supermarket
- Cook dinner for a week
There are 5 on a sheet - we've made cheque books of 10 vouchers, so that's 2 pages (for those who are mathematically challenged)
Let me know how you get on and the kinds of things you put on the treat vouchers.
UPDATE: just to let you know, jane says it was her bestest friend julie who gave her the idea of the vouchers, so credit to her excellent self is due. And the vouchers themselves went down a treat and esther says they are amongst her best present ! huzzah.
lots of church
there's been lots of church services recently. that happens around christmas. we're halfway through the last 4 though, and it's great to meet together around christmas. the church looks a bit empty in this picture as all the kids and the kids teachers had left for their groups.
jesus in a bin bag
poignant thoughts for christmas day. it's a jesus statue in an old bin bag. no room at the inn.
strange belgian nativity
did mary really wear this much make-up ?
pouty shepherd
pouty shepherd
there were a couple of real sheep wandering around in this life-sized nativity in Belgium's grande place. generally quite bizarre.
visit by exiles
some good friends we haven't seen for a few years popped by with their reshaped accents and ex-pat stories yesterday.
it's a shame they live so far away in the modern era, although when they didn't live quite as far, we still didn't see them. shame on us really.
We last saw them on the 11th May 2003 and here's the evidence from the funkypancake archives (which are still a bit broken, so here's the picture instead of a link. I started doing funkypancake in April 2003 so these were early days pictures.
the annual christmas tree chopping
yesterday was the first day the girls and i had a chance to go and chop down our christmas treet
off we went boldly in to the 'forest' to select our tree
can you see kezia in this picture ?
once we'd chosen our tree we then got to work chopping it down
unfortunately the one we chose was half dead - but we only discovered once we'd dragged it home which was a big disappointment (20 pounds worth of disappointment to be exact). i chopped the dead bits off and now it's a christmas stick. oh well - something to watch out for next year.
the story of the unloved vacuum cleaner
this would make a good xmas story about a vacuum cleaner who nobody loves left to wander the streets at christmas time.
it probably has a happy ending or something.
or perhaps it doesn't
a wall
a wall near london wall in london
a very small man
this was a half accidental optical illusion. i was actually trying to take a picture down a gap in the footway to the right, but missed.
tactile
a bit touchy wheely perhaps
hotel full
hotel flup at xmas. whatever next.
triple celebrity spot
three celebrity spots in order of seeing them.
here's the very excellent carl barat sitting outside a pub off marylebone high street. he kindly let me take this attractive photo.
here's the skinny one from trinny and suzanne whizzing by in a taxi. i've caught the movement i think.
here's the very excellent carl barat sitting outside a pub off marylebone high street. he kindly let me take this attractive photo.
here's the skinny one from trinny and suzanne whizzing by in a taxi. i've caught the movement i think.
and here's matt albright off the telly in a photo. oh, i didn't get a photo. there was definately a decline in photo ability as the day when on and my cold grew worse.
mannequin fly hybrid
mannequin or insect ? you decide
tunnels
which way is up. the person and the lights give it away really !
i really like the light reflections on the walls and floor
rat and no rat
i went past a place where there used to be a banksy rat and noticed it had been painted over. you might be able to see it here
but one round the corner had been (fairly neatly) NOT painted round. that's interesting.
but one round the corner had been (fairly neatly) NOT painted round. that's interesting.
rural wine holder
answering the age old question of where to put your wine glass when out for a woodland ramble ?
fudge the dog with a big stick
(must admit to slight editing of this to remove a stray foot and colour boost)
rebecca's well
this is a really interesting thing completely in the middle of nowhere in Crazies Hill (name never fails to amuse). you can read more about it at this excellent website of strange britain
getting festive
it's the annual 'dressing of the music stands'. christmas has arrived. (except in our house as i didn't win the decorating argument - but actually we wouldn't have had time anyway)
ice breakers
in true christmas spirit we ate scrumptious deer yesterday at the vicarage, then went for a walk to find the geocache down by the old church. nearby was a frozen pond providing some great ice fun.
here's rupert scaring (or imitating?) a giant ice butterfly
and here he is carrying the sun
here's rupert scaring (or imitating?) a giant ice butterfly
and here he is carrying the sun
and again, seen through the ice window
meanwhile harriet was unabale to contain her extra limb.
hassock of the week
look at them all ! brilliant.
more successful geocaching
esther and kezia went to a pantomoon yesterday so jane and i went on some geocache adventures. Three bigguns this time. And for the first time i collected a 'travel bug' to take to another geocache as part of an adventure. you can read more about him here
here are janes with the two other caches we found.
we also went for a lovely meal in the fantastically rustic and calm and lovely bar restaurant "The Old House" in Warren Row near/in Crazies Hill. The owner said he was having trouble getting the phone number in the phone book, so in case you found it via googling for "The Old House", it's 01628 825 861 and the postcode is RG10 8QS. You should go as it's great.
dogs can kill kiwi
by strange coincidence, here's another no dogs sign from another helen. what are the chances of that ?
ancient dog signs
i went to helen's leaving do almost exactly two years ago and she's finally got round to sending me the pictures. i had asked for them because they included the 'no dogs' sign.
thanks helen - and i thought i was a bit behind with my photos !
the picture i left behind
over the summer i carried a couple of pictures everywhere i went to hang on handy hooks if i ever came across any. there was one in a holiday cottage we went to so i left it there. as seen here.
another one went on my parent-in-law's wall and they didn't spot it for a few weeks. once they found it they took it to jane's sister's house and secretly left it there. i've not heard anything since. (about it). not sure if they've found it or just chucked it in the bin. or perhaps i'll get it back as a surprise xmas present.
festive decorations
these things are on a road off oxford street (can't remember which)
the sky was fantastic as i walked by staring up in to the sky.
this weekend might be christmas tree weekend (if i can convince jane)
strange banana
everyone loves a randomly shaped banana. this had more curves than a comedy comparison item which has lots of curves. (a generic joke there)
excuse me madam
she didn't seem to mind
brussels flea market
continental flea markets are brilliant. my work colleague suggested we went to this one on our way to the conference on our first day in brussels.
dolls, and squirrels and wigs and long lost hardware thingybobs
or how about a dog embossed pipe holder, complete with 4 authentic (and used) pipes ?
or perhaps 6 of 12 belt buckles on a display board ?
this man was selling somewhere else carefully reflected in his mirror
and i was particularly taken by this picture of a cobbled floor.
and here's an arty mirror picture
graffiti musicans
these people were having a photo shoot next to the graffiti on the south bank. i managed a sneaky shot from the side lines. technically was a bit tricky as it was dark and i was a long way off. just so you know !
art on wheels
even street ambassadors (tramps) need hobbies. there's at least two in london who make a habit of collecting huge amounts of carrier bags full of stuff and transporting them round london in trollies. it could actually the same chap come to think about it - perhaps he's had a shave and removed all the white paint from his coat.
anyway, quite poignant i think. chap with nothing (we assume) dragging all his found belongings round town in a cumbersome and visually striking way.
makes you fink dunnit.
christmas fayre for the telly
this was for This Morning on the South Bank as i went by yesterday morning.
the smallest geocache i've found
it's a nano cache don't you know
nothing changes
hawkwind and new model army on the bill at the astoria. that's been going on for years hasn't it ?
lifty bridge
i was orderly walking down the thames path when i noticed the pathway lifted up before my eyes sir
the sky from the sky
somewhere between wales and ireland i think.
hardest (and most pointless) job in the world
this man appears to be attempting to brush brighton beach back in to the sea. good luck to him i say.
myserious manequin
wonky photo, but nice effect
clive and a spare moustache
how do christmas crackers know so much about their owner ? so often hairless people get combs, and boys get make up items or lovely hair decorations.
at a christmas lunch yesterday clive got a false moustache, not unlike his own moustache. still, it's good to carry a spare in case there are any unfortunate facial hair incidents.
through the veil
i should have left this one to easter really. but, you know.
fantastic music tv
i don't normally do telly reviews - so excuse my attempt !
if you're interested in live music and love jools holland-type showsthen check out From The Basement on SkyArts. I know i work for the company that broadcasts this, but i don't do anything with telly things, so i think i'm being impartial. You can watch lots of clips on you tube here. i think it's rather special.
Whilst i'm mentioning TV i can tell you i also watch My Name Is Earl, The Mighty Boosh and Flight of The Conchord. and not much else really.
that's the trailers over with. now, back to the blog ...
behind the reflection
i did this deliberately. not sure how well it works though
warning - polished floor ?
polished. see what i did there ? nearly.
gloves
gloves on a soggy day
christmas in brussels
niceness in grande place. (probably spelt wrong)
toast bar
regular readers will know i love signs like these which show the food looking proud to be eaten. this 'toast-bar' also serves chips, as seen here.
i initially read the sign as 'retro-snack'. toast would make a good retro snack
i initially read the sign as 'retro-snack'. toast would make a good retro snack
pew surfing
it's the craze that'll have 'em flocking back to church. it's pew surfing, as demonstrated by our church warden. he's seen the light. have you ?
esther - the people's friend
our friend sally is an illustrator and as a result esther appeared in people's friend last week !
found passport photo
i can't explain the buzz i get when i find an actual lost passport-sized photo in the street. it is quite marvellous. especially if it's face down and you have to turn it over to reveal whether it's a real one or not.
(blurred as it's of a child)
(blurred as it's of a child)
polish motorway
this is one of my favourite photos from my trip to poland in september. slightly tinkered with to get the retro colours, but it sums up all that is great about modern life.
warsaw
a fine square in warsaw
available 24 hours
is this open 24 hours or not ?
bears
nothing to do with art prizes. just genuine bears greeting visitors.
brilliant belgian graffiti
they do things properly in brussels.
transport disaster
this kind of thing can happen. and obviously has.
someone's front room
generations of wallpaper stripped back like rings of a tree
why would anyone plaster over wallpaper ? no wonder the building fell down.
boy on a magic turtle ride
there was a geocache hidden in a light fitting by this little chap.
comedy menus
i had a big pile of raw meat (and a major three day stomach upset) and the miserable with raspberries. a colleague had cuckoo which was impressive.
mannequin pis dressed up nice, like.
never fails to delight.
geocaching in brussels
i dragged my colleague Toby round loads of geocaches in brussels in the evenings. i went to this one on my own. can you see it ? it was really tricky to get our unless you are double jointed or like lying in muddy dirt.
cute little belgian
this chap was all over the place in brussels.
cheese jenga
cousin mike and catherine play cheese charades on long journeys. i got to play cheese jenga at a drinks reception.
mannequin and me
the owner of this shop came out and asked me what i was doing. at least i think he did. he was very french and i'm very english. we had a talk for a good 5 minutes though and he gave me a brief history of his shop which was in his family 5 generations if i understood him correctly. (there's a big chance i didn't)
visiting my mum's office
my mum sells christmas decorations so every day for her is christmas. sometimes it's christmas for us too.
brighton beach
i can't remember whether i mentioned jane and i had a night in brighton the week before last. such is my out of touchness. anyway, we did and it was nice. plenty of photos to show you etc.
if the page was wide enough i'd have put the photo below in the middle of the two above to make a triplet thing. but it isn't so i didn't.
i've been to brussels
not sure if you noticed, but the blog has been on auto for the last week as i've been off to brussels for a conference. here's toby my work colleague on the eurostar on the way back. expect plenty of belgiumy pics over the next few days (or months knowing my up to date-ness)
here's the new st pancras eurostar station which is nice
here's the new st pancras eurostar station which is nice
british holidays at their best
this was from dorset last may. gorgeous.
through the key hole
this is a brilliant idea. it's key hole shaped viewing holes in a builder's barrier. satisfying a basic human need to be nosey.
embellishing service
got anything you want embellishing ? an ill-formed anecdote or a poor excuse for not meeting a deadline at work ? they'll sort it for you
hassock of the week
strange beast spotted by brother edd
bollard dancing
are these bollard practicing for a may pole dance ? or is the yellow one on the right getting married and the others are carry her train ?
open
another picture of the bridge open from city hall
click for big
ancient and modern
click for big
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[funkypancake] has a lust and zeal for life and all its quirks that those with far fewer worries in the world could be quite jealous of. From the mundane to the mad, the interesting to the absurd, [he] captures moments and objects that few of us ever notice ... and perhaps don't need to.
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