We Can Be Heroes

I would have gone to see Stewart Lee at the Derngate last night, but I'm absolutely blooming skint. But, I am so glad I didn't pass up the opportunity to go and see the very funny Robin Ince, whose show - The Importance of Being Interested -  was the very first gig at NN Cafe this week. NN is the brand new cafe for the fairly new contemporary art gallery - NN - in Northampton's cultural quarter, and just happens to be run by my friends Tamsyn and Alan. It's very groovy in there! Loads of brilliant stuff going on - and they're showing the film Amelie today (gorgeous!).

Robin Ince - explaining.

I acquired a DVD of Nine Carols and Lessons for Godless People, which I've always wanted to see. I got the one with Alan Moore in it. Keeping it Northampton!

Also this week, I travelled to that there London to go and see m'friend the author Gareth Powell interviewed by his editor, Jonathon Oliver of Solaris for the BSFA meeting at The Artillery Arms (free event).The evening was well attended, and it was lovely to see peeps I've not seen since my birthday - or even before! Quite a high number of people who go to these things are writers (like, ahem, me, Paul Cornell, Gaie Sebold, Rebecca Levine and Lavie Tidhar), so it's a great thing to go to if you would like to meet published authors, editors, publishers and other knowledgable types, drink nice beer, and have a jolly good time.

We got to hear all about Gareth's writing career so far, and the success of his Ack-Ack Macacque series. If you fancy chatting with a monkey then you can reach him on Twitter. Apparently lots of ladies like flirting with the monkey. Alternatively, you can speak to Gareth instead.

Audrey Taylor opens proceedings. There are the raffle prizes!

My view of some of the audience. You can't see Gareth Powell, but Jonathon Oliver is clearly inspired by Paul Cornell's presence and casting a weirlight. Magic.

Ah - now I can see Gareth Powell's face!

Afterwards, I did a bookswap with Jonathon Oliver, so now have more free things to read. Also something else came in the post yesterday - a copy of Tony Ballantyne's Dream London. I get a free copy in exchange for a review.

 How gorgeous does that look? Another beautiful cover by South African artist Joey HiFi.

In frugal news this week:

• The bread I made last week was fine. I'm sure you're all relieved.
• I haven't made the pie yet.
• My dad has given me a load of tomatoes. He has advised me to keep the seeds as they're not F1. That way I can grow my own lovely tomatoes for free next year!
• Yesterday was my nephew's birthday. Fortunately, I bought his present ages ago (space books), but I made him a card. He was actually pretty impressed  by it - relief!

Honestly, he is impressed. Just distracted by a game of Minecraft.

•  OH has been given a load of cycling gear for nowt by a mate. It's very bright, but he now has stuff to practice in!

Does not come with bananas.

And today, I am cheering him on as he does HIS VERY FIRST TRIATHLON!!!!. I have cowbells - free present from Chain Reaction bikes! He's just cycled off and I have to get the bus in a minute. We'll be able to see his results here later.

Neil - you are my hero!

This week, I've still been battling my wounded knee, so I took a break from Parkrun to do a bit of volunteering. I handed out the tokens at the end. It was good fun, and I get points as if I won the race! Yay - points! I don't know what they do, but I like getting points anyway. Here's my volunteering face. Proof that not all selfies are necessarily flattering.

And this is me on Unseenn radio this week for those who have been waiting for it.

Pride and Injury

I was doing well on Parkrun this week until....


OOOOOWWWWWW!!!!

Something went wrong with my knee. It seems I've done something to a tendon inside my knee so it only hurts when there is downward pressure applied - i.e. when running.  I limped the last third home and still did it in 30 minutes, 30 seconds. I may have ruined my legs and not be able to run anymore, but I'm faster, dammit! Er...

Hopefully some exercises will sort it.

I was also advised to go cycling, so I took my bike over to my brother's and went to help him with his allotment. I say help... I stood and caught some apples he threw down from the tree. And thanks to his generosity, now I have some cooking apples! Pie or chutney...? Chutney or pie??? Mmm...

This weekend, OH also did some cycling for cheridee. 50 miles, in fact, in aid of Cynthia Sylvia Hospice. And to get to the start point, he had to cycle 7 miles too. So, well over 60 miles in total. I am so proud!

Brave, selfless, sweaty...

And in fame, fame, fatal fame corner, I've done an interview for the Northampton Science Fiction Writers Group website, so head over there to read about how I became I writer, and stay to read about the other folks in our happy band. Also, if anyone knows the story I'm on about, please let me know.

In other frugal news, I made some bread. Looks okay, haven't tried it yet.

Sometimes it's Good to Meet Your Heroes

This weekend we went to my good friend the poet and editor Jamie Spracklen's birthday party to celebrate him being a couple of weeks younger than me. Much fun was had!

Here are the birthday band, the Trans-Siberian March Band, who were jolly good.

Unfortunately, I ran out of battery so couldn't take many photos.

The next day, OH and I took advantage of the fact that we were passing through anyway to stop off at Hyde Park for the World Triathlon Grand Final. What a brilliant day! Yes, the weather was miserable, but I was surprised the place wasn't packed out. After all - it was totally free to go and watch!

On the way, we passed through the Italian Gardens in Kensington - so pretty!

The first thing we saw when we went through were some of the age-groupers finishing their race... next year, OH hopes this will be him. His first triathlon is in 2 weeks, and is just a bit shorter.

And here are some of our other pictures from the day... we found a good spot just by the penalty box so we could see the swimming and the cycling/running fairly close to the finish line.

So pleased with this one - first lap in of the cycling Johnny Brownlee was in the lead, Alastair was third. Alas it didn't stay that way.

is it raining?

 

 

It was a shame Alastair got injured (but he bravely kept on running).

 

Afterwards we got to meet him and his brother, who got beaten into second place by Gomez... but they seemed fine and very stoic. Lovely lads!

 



 

 

And this is what happy looks like... OH gets to meet World Triathlon Champion 2013 - Non Stanford!



Neil loves Non! I think the term is 'squee!'

All in all a fantastic day... However, I am pretty convinced that standing that long watching may be slightly more exhausting than taking part in an actual triathlon???

 

Mmm... maybe not. But maybe I was tired after getting my new PB at Parkrun on Saturday. Oh yes, I've gone sub 30 at 29 minutes, 52 seconds! Watch out Brownlees, might just chick you!

 

Mmm... again, maybe not...





Sorry for the absence...

I've been extremely busy lately. I had a birthday, went away for a brief explore of the south coast... which was the fun stuff. Then I got a bit morbid and depressed: my nan died, other people I liked very much died, and a health check from Diabetes UK was a bit of a wake up call. I'm healthy and well, but apparently if I don't make drastic and permanent changes, belly really is going to get me...


Don't worry, I think they give a lot of slightly overweight thick-middled women that news, but if I do try to get a bit healthier, it's not going to, er, kill me.

Another reason I have been absent is probably guilt. I've not been terribly frugal of late. I feel like an addict who's been on a bit of a binge. I have new clothes... from a clothes shop!! That's right - not given to me, or bought second-hand. What's got into me?

So, here's my plan to rectify my sorry life...

• Run 10km. I've signed up to Mud & Mayhem at Delapre this November - eek!
• Face my fears more often: This is me at Adrenalin Quarry in Liskeard last week. Half a mile of quarry over water zipping down a wire at 40mph. I'm petrified of heights, which it very spacey...

• Challenge myself. I climbed this tor on Dartmoor - Sheeps Tor. I was cursing the whole way up the 369m above sea level. I was the Englishwoman who went up a hill and came down an "effing mountain."

It's a panorama from the top of the tor... and yes, you can see my OH twice if you look carefully.

I also went swimming here... Bournemouth beach.

It wasn't quite as calm or sunny as that though. In fact it was not long after all these ships had gone that had come to watch the Air Festival.

... which was a jolly good festival.

 I managed to get on my bike too!
Last Saturday, OH and I watched a race between members of a cycling group who had built their own bikes for a scramble race around the fields, and afterwards joined them for an immensely cool party. I may have had too much cider... I thought I might have worked some of it off with vigorous and stupid dancing and also having a go on the turbo bikes powering the disco... but apparently not. My cycling there though was adequate, which I was pleased with. I pushed my bike home...

I also put my walking boots on last week and walked to the Windhover - a walk which takes us down National Cycle Route 6, and loads of blackberries. So I did manage to do something frugal after all.

 Also in the way of sport, I did some more conventional swimming in the pool this week, shortly before doing a review show for Unseenn radio. I'll put a link up for that next week when it goes out.

• Make good decisions that will benefit me. Learn the power of 'no'.

Yes, I've been taking the advice of Jessie Pavelka on board. I must say, he is rather nice... :-)

Right, back to the grindstone!

A Walk Around Great Brington

We're well into keeping fit this month. This is because a milestone is approaching...

OH has been signed up to do a triathlon, and I'm trying, well, just to do better. I have been planning healthy meals using the library-sourced Rosemary Conley Ultimate GI Jeans diet. I think I can conclude that even though I have been trying to buy my food as cheaply as possible, it is much more expensive for us to do our shopping this way. It costs us twice as much! I've lost weight, mind... Just don't think the budget can keep up.

 

 But, keeping up with exercise is easy enough. I am carrying on with Parkrun - even though my times are getting mysteriously slower - and OH has his gym membership covered right up until the triathlon. And to be sociable, we've spent time walking around beautiful Northamptonshire country towns. This weekend - Great Brington. Church patronised by the Spencer Family (of Princess Diana fame).

"Do you want me to stop?"
"No, carry on.... thanks!"

I love the Dairy Farm building

They had bagpipes, we heard them. I tried kilt-spotting, but they's all gone.

Beautiful church at Great Brington - St. Mary's

Shhhh!

Entrance to the Spencer family crypt

Diana, Princess of Wales's father and uncle are both resting here. But apparently, the famous Spencer daughter is on an island at Althorp House nearby...

 

 

Images from the Bardic Picnic 2013

Once again, my hectic work schedule has meant I am only posting about an event a week after it happened, but it was a fantastic time indeed - the best Bardic Picnic so far! Well done to the Bardic Chair and Umbrella Fair Organisation for putting on such a cool, chilled, family-friendly free community event.

 

Well done also to Peter James Norman who became the 5th Bard of Northampton - my dynasty is strong! Also to Millie who became the second ever Young Bard.

 

 

I have many happy memories of the Bardic Picnic - the one two years ago was the last fun time I had with my mom and my family all together before we knew she was ill. It's important to make the most of your family, friends and life, and the Bardic Picnic is an example of the sort of thing that only happens because someone cares, because they want to put in the effort, and because they are expecting no further reward than the sight of joy in others. Love you, smiley, happy, hippy people!



my friend Alan went in for the Bardic competition

Alan had a contingent of Alan fans, all bedecked in the Alan beards and Alan vests

Jasmine Shadrack - gorgeous voice!

The drizzles cleeared quite quickly and crowds began to gather.

Joolz Denby and Mik Davis were fantastic

Peter James Norman does his stuff

The Anti-Poet succumbed to the crowd's pleas for 'Tights Not Stockings'!

Peter is stuck on the very high Bardic Chair. We've all been there...

 



Someone did take photos of me and put them all over his website, but frankly, yuk. Poetry gives you triple chins. Be warned, young Padawan!

All Excited About Doctor Who

This Sunday, I'm going to have to change my desktop wallpaper, as a new Doctor Who is announced.

Right now, though, it's Friday night... which means a quiet house to myself to get on with some work. Not much time for internet tomfoolery. But I did write this, speculating on who I think is going to be the new Who.

Head over to the BSFA site and argue with me.