Not What I Expected

It's been an odd day today.  We decided, this morning, we would head to Wolverhampton and go and visit Bantock House, believing it to be similar to Winterbourne Gardens.

Arriving in the city centre we decided the best way to get there was to get a cab.  At first the cab driver wouldn't take us but when he realised we were from out of town he changed his mind. Strange that!  He was very chatty and a little camp but the 5 minute journey (£5 fare) was pleasant enough.

The brochure for Bantock House led us to believe that we could spend ages wandering around the house and gardens and so we were surprised to find a very small garden attached to a park. 

The house itself is lovely and the staff were friendly.  There just wasn't enough of it! 

Having stopped at the cafe we decided to walk around the park.  Although pleasant enough there isn't much there.  Just a green space surrounded on all sides by main roads.  So much for getting lost exploring!

We left feeling a little disappointed and decided to walk back into the city centre.  It took about 15 minutes.  We had a couple of hours going around the shops before heading back to the station.

Getting home around 4.30ish meant I we had time to watch the end of the cricket.  England seem to be in control of the Second Test against India with leading by 374 runs at the end of Day 3.

A bizarre incident occurred when Bell was run out on the final ball before tea.  Believing the final ball had been hit for four he left his crease and headed off the field.  The ball however had not made the boundary and India knocked the bails off his wicket.  During tea behind the scenes a decision was reached that, even though India were correct and Bell had been fairly dismissed, he would be able to take to the wicket again after the break.  I admire India's sense of fair play but if I'm honest I wouldn't have changed my mind!

The weather has been lovely over the last couple of days and yesterday we headed to RSPB Sandwell for our monthly walk.  Bird wise it was very quiet but we did see quite a lot of butterflies including Peacock, Small Tortoise Shell, Green Veined White, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper and a Small Copper.

Having spent the best part of the day wandering around we got back just in time to see Broad get his first test hat-trick.  A maiden over, 0-0-W-W-W-0.  A great display!

With the sunshine and the cricket, the last couple of days has felt like the first proper summer weekend of the year and I'm hoping it continues for a while longer!

The weekend started with a quiet Friday in front of London Boulevard.  With a cast that includes Ray Winstone, Colin Farrel, Keira Knightly it tells the story of a man who is released from prison but finds himself being dragged back into the underworld by gangsters.  Refusing to be drawn in he decides to go head to head with the top man. 

I really enjoyed the film.  It wouldn't make it onto my best of lists but for a couple of hours entertainment it was perfect.  For me Jordan (an out of work classically trained actor who spent his time getting stoned)  played by David Thewlis stole the show although all the parts were well thought out and well acted.

Big City

Saturday 8.05am and I found myself on the train to London. The weather looked promising and despite the train heading to Paddington, rather than Marylebone, and putting 20 minutes on the journey all seemed set for a good day.

Once in London we headed over to Trafalgar Square and The National Gallery.  I'd not been there before but I'll definitely be heading back at some point.  There are some fantastic paintings here, some well known and some not.  Big draws include Van Gough's Sunflowers, Monet's Japanese Bridge, Constable's The Hay Wain and works by Canaletto, Turner, Rembrandt, Degas and so on.

There were so many highlights but favourites included Canaletto's Basin Of San Marco on Ascension Day and Regatta On The Grand Canal.  The detail and vibrancy of these pictures is amazing.  I also really liked Guardi's pictures of Venice.

Boilly's A Girl At A Window (looks like a black and white photograph). Freidrich's Winter Landscape, Zund's Storm Study and various landscapes by Calame also grabbed my attention.

Another highlight was Hoogstraten's Peepshow (circa. 1655).  A wooden box with a hole at either end.  Look through the hole and you can see the inside of a house.  The way it is painted on the inside gives it a 3D effect. 

Having spent a few hours there we headed to the cafe and after something to eat and drink we left.  We walked along the river and eventually came to St Paul's Cathedral.  Again I'd not been there before, I've walked past many a time but never ventured inside. 

We spent a couple of hours wandering around. Looking up at the ceiling.  We went down to the crypt and saw both The Duke of Wellington and Nelson's tombs.  We also saw Christopher Wren's final resting place.

Once back above ground we headed up the The Whispering Gallery and then up again to the Stone Gallery and finally up again until we reached The Golden Gallery.  As you step outside onto the small ledge above the dome the views across London are fantastic.  There is also a sense of relief having just climbed the 528 steps to reach the top! 

After St Paul's we headed over to Oxford Street and then onto Soho before heading back to Embankment and back along the river to The Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey and then back onto Paddington before catching the train home.

It was back at the station that I checked my phone and found a text with the sad news about Amy Whitehouse's demise.  I was shocked but not surprised.  Although not one of my favourite artists she was still a real talent and will be missed in the world of music.

Sunday.  A proper summer's day at last!  We decided to head to Earlswood Lakes.  We've been there quite a bit this year but with the water and woods it's a nice place to wander around and explore. One thing that was noticeable was how the water level has fallen compared to the last time we were there.


Bird wise it was quiet but it was quite a good day for butterflies with Peacock, Speckled Wood, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown as well a quite a few Whites.

We spent a few hours there and then popped along tho The Manor Tea Rooms for something to eat and drink.  It was great being out and about in the sunshine. I just hope there are a few more days like that before the summer ends!

Space Shuttle

Yesterday saw the safe return of the Space Shuttle (Atlantis) having just made it's last flight.  After 30 years NASA have pulled the plug.  I've grown up with the Shuttle project and although I've not paid much attention in recent years it's sad to think it's no longer active.

Back in the 80s I saw it fly over Birmingham on the back of a Boeing 747.  I remember being in an English class. I knew it was due to happen and kept my eyes trained out of the window.  I was lucky as my school was fairly close to Birmingham Airport and I managed to get a view as it ascended from the runway and rose above the houses.

Surprisingly there is very little about it on the internet but after a bit of digging I've narrowed it down to June 1983.  Apparently the Shuttle was touring Europe on it's way back from the Paris Air Show.  The bits of information I've found would have me believe it was a lovely sunny day but I seem to remember my view being obscured by cloud.  Mind you it was nearly 30 years ago so my memory is a bit sketchy. I can't remember which one of the fleet it was now.  When I get a chance I'll do some more research.

Another quiet week.  I went for a meal with Clare and my parents on Tuesday. We went to Bella Italia in Touchwood as my parents really like it, having taken them there a couple of times now.  All in all a lovely night.

Wet Weekend

I'm still waiting for the summer.  The weekend plans to explore the great outdoors were ruined when I awoke on Saturday morning to a torrential downpour.  Believing it was in for the day I decided I wouldn't venture far and opted for a bit of shopping, followed by an afternoon of listening to music.

Popping into Solihull with Clare we popped to the bookies, library and browsed around the shops.  I picked up a couple of CDs at HMV.  The Phantom Band's The Wants (£3) and The Horrors' Primary Colours (£7).  I also bought their new album, Skying.

Since it's release last week it has been getting some decent reviews and so I was looking forward to getting home and having a listen.  I've played it a couple of times over the weekend and so far it hasn't disappointed.

When Primary Colours was released a couple of years ago they had completely reinvented themselves and two years later their new album has a new sound again.  This time they have gone for a more 80s synth soaked theme. On first listen I could definitely hear Simple Minds, circa 1981.   Despite their shift in style it seems there is a natural progression which for me at least works.

They are playing Birmingham in a few months time and I hope to be there. I hope their live performances are as good as their records.

Yesterday, was another quiet day, due to the weather.  Breakfast at Sainsbury's and then over to my parents' for a few hours.

All in all a quiet weekend.

Stuff

Another weekend is upon us.  With rain forecast I may need a back up plan. 

It's not been a bad week and last night I caught up with a few mates and spent the evening at The Coach House in Solihull.  Sitting in the beer garden with a Gin & Tonic, the evening sunshine still warm on the back of my neck, it was great to be out with friends.

The rest of the week had been quiet but Clare and I did sit down on Tuesday to watch Made In Dagenham.  We meant to catch it at the cinema but for whatever reason never got round to it.

The film itself is a dramatization of the 1968 strike at the Ford Dagenham car plant, where female workers walked out in protest against sexual discrimination.

It has a pretty strong cast and a half decent period soundtrack.  All in all quite an enjoyable film but I don't think it will be on any best of lists.

Last Weekend

Monday again!  I can't believe another week has passed!

Weather wise, the last couple of days have been quite nice and what I'd expect for July but on the whole I've given up on the glorious summer I'd hoped for.  Warm and grey with the chance of showers seems to be the theme for this year.

Friday was pretty much like that but as Clare and I would be spending the evening at the cinema I wasn't too bothered.  We were off to see Mammuth, starring Gerard Depardieu at the Royal Spa Centre in Leamington.

We arrived in Leamington and headed for Pizza Express just as the heavens opened up, though it didn't last long.  Having eaten (the place was quiet customer wise but very loud when it came to background noise) we headed over to the Royal Spa Centre.  We were a little early so stopped at the Newbold opposite for a drink. 

Eventually we headed over to the Spa Centre, and before taking our seats, stopped at the confectionary stand.  The woman behind the counter warned us off the popcorn by whispering "it's really expensive".  We ended up chatting about sweets now and past, the theatre and places in around Coventry and Birmingham.  She was really pleasant and it was nice to stand and talk.  She was quite funny and  reminded me of a skinnier version of Miranda Hart.

The film itself is an odd one.  Very funny in parts and quite dark in others.  The audience (which numbered about 15) really seemed to enjoy it.  If you've not heard of it then here is a brief description from IMDb

Serge Pilardosse has just turned 60 and is about to retire from his job in a slaughterhouse. He has always worked from the age of sixteen, never been on sick leave. So, how will this man fill his days? His wife Catherine, who still works in a supermarket, notices that her husband will not get full retirement benefits since some of his former employers failed to do the requisite paperwork. So off goes Serge, riding his old Munch "Mammut" bike, in search of the missing documents.

I enjoyed it and thought the soundtrack was great.  I'm not sure it is for everyone though.

It was really pleasant night and a great way to start the weekend.

Saturday was meant to be a trip to see Macbeth in Stratford.  Throughout the summer various theatre groups are performing some of Shakespeare's plays outdoors, free of charge (if you are interested have a look at the RSC website, there is a link below). 

As we were about to head out Clare took a call from a friend who lives over that way who wanted to meet up for a drink.  We headed over to Stratford (having had breakfast at Morrison's and popped into the bookies). We met our friend outside The Golden Bee before heading in and grabbing a gin. We sat in the window chatting and watching the tourists go by.  The sound of a low flying plane caught my attention.  My friend told me that there was a Spitfire fly over and so I found myself standing n the road outside watching the Spitfire as it circled and flew low over the town a few times before disappearing over the rooftops.  Clare, unfortunately missed this as she was at the bar.

The drinks kept coming and we missed the start of the play.  As there are plenty more throughout the summer we figured we could always catch another one.  Instead, upon saying goodbye to our friend, we opted for a game of mini golf.  Despite my gin soaked haze I still managed to win (Clare beat me at crazy golf a couple of years ago in Great Yarmouth so it was nice to even up the score).

Time was getting on but we decided we would visit the RSC and head to the top of the tower for the views of Stratford.  We purchased our tickets and as we had time to kill before our timeslot went and got some chips.  We sat on a bench and listened to a couple of saxophonists murder well known songs.  If they struggled they would simply stop halfway through, move onto the next tune and murder that instead.  As buskers go they weren't the best but it still didn't stop people throwing their loose to change to them! 

The woman who controlled the lift to the top of the tower at the RSC was at great pains to stress that she was on her own and therefore it was not her fault we had to wait.  Obviously not everyone could go up together and she had to be in the lift to take people up and down.  We waited and eventually we were allowed into the lift. At the top we were greeted by another member of staff.  It made me wonder why we had to be escorted in the lift as there are no floors inbetween and so can only go to the top! Surely the person at the bottom counts them up and down and the person at the top does likewise.  5 come down means another 5 can go up.  I have used a lift before so don't know why we had to be chaparoned.

The views from the top are OK. It's a view of Stratford I'd not seen before. The guide gives you a map that shows places of interest on the horizon but to be honest it isn't very good and I found it to be more confusing than anything.  We looked, took some pictures and left. 

Whilst up the tower the rain came down and once back at ground level I was suprised at how quickly the streets had emptied.  Having looked at the swans on the river we headed home.

Sunday.  The forecast was for a sunny start, clouding over in the afternoon with rain and the possibility of a thunder storm.  Clare and I headed over to Solihull Nature Reserve to make the most of the sunshine before the rain set in.  We followed the path along the river and then over the motorway bridge and across a field before coming to a lane.  Not wanting to venture too far in case of rain we turned around and headed back.  We stopped at the cafe in Brueton Park before heading back over the Nature Reserve.  We spent a good few hours wandering around in the sunshine and it wasn't until we were heading home when the cloud finally rolled in. The rain, however, never came!  On the way home I heard a rustling in the bushes and as I looked a baby hedgehog appeared briefly before disappearing back into the undergrowth.  A nice way to round off the day.

We didn't see much in the way of birds on our travels.  Buzzard, Kestral and Goldfinch seem to have been the main ones but there were a few more butterflies, Ringlet, Speckled Wood, Painted Lady, Red Admiral and quite a few whites were present.

All in all a lovely weekend.

Oh there is one more thing.  Yesterday was the last ever edition of the News Of The World!  I didn't buy the paper myself but over the years my Dad has and I've spent many a Sunday afternoon trawling through it. 

It's demise is due to a phone hacking scandal that happened a few years ago and is now coming to light.  The original claims were glossed over and the police didn't find much in the way of evidence.  It has since emerged that this was much bigger than first thought and a new police investigation is under way.  Members of David Cameron's circle have been arrested and there are sure to be more.  Advertisers such as Ford pulled the plug and others followed. As a result of this Rupert Murdoch decided that the paper could not go on and yesterday saw the final edition.

Last Weekend

The problem with a good weekend is that it is harder to get up on a Monday morning and that's what happened to me this morning.  It's not easy to motivate yourself on a grey, albeit warm, Monday morning at 6am. The weekend was lovely but as is usually the case over far too quickly!

Friday afternoon was spent watching the Wimbledon semi final between Murray and Nadal. I'm not a big tennis fan but enjoyed the match (which Murray lost 5-7 6-2 6-2 6-4).  The rest of the evening was spent listening to music which is something I don't do often enough these days.

Saturday and it was our monthly trip to Sandwell RSPB reserve.  The day was glorious travelling over, with blue skies and plenty of sunshine, but as we arrived at the reserve it started to cloud over.

This time of year is the quiet period for birds and although it certainly seemed that way going round when we arrived back at the centre we had a tally of 40 plus birds seen. These included Lapwing, Pochard, and Sparrowhawk.

After the guided tour Clare and I headed off in search of some Parakeet and bumped into two women, who were lovely but kept us talking for at least half an hour about all the birds and animals that had seen on their trips to Scotland.  Having spent so long chatting we decided to abandon the search for the parakeets and instead headed back across the reserve to the dairy farm on the other side.

Forge Mill Farm is a working farm.  They have Jersey cows and you can watch them being milked at times throughout the day.  We did this and we also fed the goats and chickens.  There isn't much else there to be honest and I was surprised at the lack of food on offer.  A packet of crisps and some orange juice had to suffice.  The shop was reasonably priced which made a change.

The evening was spent watching Black Swan.  It wasn't at all what I expected and I have to say I really enjoyed it, although it did leave me a little confused. I imagine most people know it is set in the world of ballet but I won't spoil the plot for those that are still to see it.

I noticed that the music was credited to Clint Mansell.  I wondered if it was the same Clint Mansell of Pop Will Eat Itself fame.  It turns out that not only is it the same person but he also wo an Oscar for it!

Sunday and with weather similar to Saturday (bright and war whilst travelling and clouding over when we arrive) we headed to Winterbourne House and Gardens.  Part of Birmingham University, it opened it's doors to the public last year. 

The Edwardian House and Gardens was built in 1903 and belonged to the Nettlefold family. The gardens were created in the Arts & Craft style.  It's about six acres and boasts various landscapes including a woodland walk that leads you to the lake on Edgbaston golf course.  It's a lovely place and was fairly quiet.  Having explored the gardens we had something to eat at the terrace cafe. Sitting outside overlooking the gardens was lovely.  A woman close to us had a sparrow land in her hair which was quite amusing.

A stable has been converted to a second hand book stall and we browsed before we heading into the house itself.  Entrance to the house is free as only the downstairs rooms are open but it was still nice to get an insight into the original owner's world.

Having been around the house we did a quick circuit of the gardens again before heading home.  All in all a relaxing day and a great way to spend a summer Sunday