Home of Andy and Diane's ramblings

Home of Andy and Diane's ramblings

Click [here] to add waterlane.com to your favourites


news	archive	FAA	contact

news


	30th August 2010 - after a pretty dismal August, the bank holiday weekend is surprisingly cheerful weather-wise - which is extremely good news, as there's a camping trip in the offing. This time, the venue is the Wye Valley and la famille Clayton-Smith is accompanied by chums Simon and Fiona, along with their Japanese Fighting Dogs, Bramble and Sky. Despite the fact that their chosen campsite is choc-a-bloc with howling munchkins, zooming around on bikes and generally being a right-royal pain in the backside, the weekend is still a major success with food and drink a plenty and lots of R&R to boot. The homeward journey on Bank Holiday Monday includes a whistle-stop tour of Goodrich Castle, where all and sundry are scared absolutely witless by a band of rogue historical re-enactment types, seemingly hell-bent on the destruction of several hundred ear-drums with the use of considerably too much gunpowder in their dummy musket and cannon fire. Safe to say that this particular faux-skirmish sounded rather more like the bombing of Dresden than the New Model Army's overthrow of a minor-league border stronghold, which begs the question "Does English Heritage do an awful of background checks into the general sanity of the entertainers it employs?". Nevertheless, despite the ringing ears and the no-doubt widespread papperings of attending infants' napkins caused by this band of geriatric psychopaths, it was a top afternoon and a great way to bring to a close what was a very pleasant weekend. ACScam shots can be seen [here].

	*17th July 2010* - sees another musical evening, this time at Villiers Farm where budding rock legend Tommy Chandler brings together his two bands The Locks and The Muntjacks for a bit of a jump around after an evening of mass barbecuing and extreme communal "refreshment". As you can see from the picture to your left (kindly supplied by fellow partygoer Carley Chutter) and the ACScam shots [here] the motley crew assembled for this bash really went for it and the evening was, not surprisingly, a huge success. Thanks once again to Tom and family for inviting the Fristock team along - a night to be remembered (although only in short snippets and edited highlights, given the amount of alcohol that was consumed).

	*10th July 2010* - and the sun blazes down on yet another Fristock - this year boasting no less than six acts and a greatly increased crew to adequately man the PA, gate, barbecue, bouncy castle, tee-shirt & glow-stick store and bar. Without doubt, whilst the run up to this event was probably the toughest so far and the day itself was pretty gruelling for those on-duty, the team's efforts clearly paid-off as feedback from this year's bash has been universally positive (with the exception of a certain public spirited soul in Asfordby who complained to the local borough council about the noise of a Tom Jones song being played at 1.30am... despite the fact that nobody did any Tom Jones covers... and by that time the PA had been switched off, dismantled and packed into several large vans... ho hum). ACS tip for the top? Well, whilst all the bands were pretty splendid, the best of the night was the probably the rather spirited performance by The Grigglefish Project, who are clearly destined for bigger things (although hopefully not too soon, as it'd be rather nice to see them do Fristock again). No ACScam offering this time around, as your humble scribe was busily running around & flogging tee-shirts most of the night; however, shots from official Fristock paprazzo Rob Webber can be viewed at the event website and by clicking [here].

	*13th June 2010* - and there's a road-trip in the offing, as several of the stout and trusty Yeomen of Frisby-on-the-Wreake sally forth on a jaunt to Le Mans for the world renowned 24 hour race. Whilst a slightly shorter trip than its predecessor reported here some five years ago, this was still a lot of fun nonetheless. With a camping pitch not far from the track and with Andy in nocturnal wandering mode, a whole load of racing action was enjoyed throughout the entire event and good times were had by all at the pre-race gathering at La Chartre-sur-le-Loir. All-in-all, a top few days, somewhat augmented by a disastrous performance from the Renault team and a blistering 1st, 2nd and 3rd podium positions for Audi - hooray! Pity the Astons also went bang but hey-ho - such is life. There are a few snaps of the whole, messy affair [here].

	*20th May 2010* - and, thanks to the generosity of certain friends at Microsoft, Andy was recently invited to attend the annual Cannes Film Festival. Whilst this was a work thing there was, nevertheless, plenty of time to wander around town celeb-spotting and generally soaking up the atmos. Additionally, rather than the usual "bijou" hotel just off the main drag (i.e. flea-pit twenty miles out of town) the billet for this trip was the rather splendid Carlton InterContinental, which is apparently where all the movers and shakers hang out (not sure how true this is, however, the place was certainly packed to the rafters with beautiful women, which clearly made the whole stay there a real drag... not). High points to the trip? Well, being snapped by a small army of paparazzi whilst entering the Style Star Lounge was an experience (despite knowing damned well that the same snaps were being deleted a second later, when all concerned realised they'd just wasted disc-space on a nobody). Also, it was rather nice sitting on the beach at midnight, glass of wine in hand, watching old black & white gangster movies, as you can see in the snaps [here]. Low point? Almost being run-over outside the hotel - although that said, it was by a Bugatti Veyron and so very nearly acceptable as an "OK way to go".

	*15th May 2010* - time to recharge the batteries once again, with a quick visit to Radnorshire. Only a matter of weeks since the last trip but nevertheless it's great to get back to Cwmygerwyn, where summer seems to be finally taking a hold. Having abandoned earlier plans to attend the Smallholding and Gardens festival in Builth Wells, Clan C-S opted instead for the chill-out option as demonstrated [here]. Sunshine, solitude, sloth and several bottled ales from the famous Harry Tuffins shopping emporium in Knighton... what more could one ask for?

	*Sunday 14th March 2010* - seemed a little less frozen and desolate than the weekends of late have tended to be and so la famille Clayton-Smith decides to head for the allotment to get cracking with the 2010 grow-your-own-grub campaign. After a couple of days of stripping-off turf, levelling ground, laying paving slabs, weeding paths and digging over beds, it's safe to say that our dynamic duo were left more than a little cream-crackered. However, it's all good stuff really, not least as the relatively recently launched allotments are starting to look really quite splendid, as you can see by clicking on the thumbnail to your left. Here's to a long, hot spring, summer and autumn of fighting off the aphids and defending our veggies from the rabbits - bring it on!

	*Saturday 23rd January 2010* - and it's time to celebrate a rather significant birthday for village stalwart and all-round partay animal, Graham Swann. The simple, clean-living country life clearly works for Mr Swann as he barely looks a day over 59 and so to celebrate his reaching this magnificent milestone, the great and the good of Frisby-on-the-Wreake descended upon Chateau Swanny... along with a fair number of total reprobates too (no names, no pack drill) to raise a glass and wish him many happy returns. As you'll see from the shots [here] the "must-have" haute-couture item of 2010 is undoubtedly the muckboot - here being modelled by the birthday boy himself.

	*Thursday 31st December 2009* - New Years Eve whizzes around once again and unlike last year, it's decided that the best idea would be to go for a slightly less swanky but considerably more cosy option, with a house party at top chums Scott & Lisa's place. As usual, there's enough grog & tucker to feed an army, however the assembled throng is determined to polish off every last scrap - with the inevitable result being that all concerned are destined to end the evening in an "advanced state of refreshment". Ho hum, another year comes to a close with a rampant and rather crapulous send-off, as you can see from the DCScam shots [here]. Clearly, consistancy and a strong sense of tradition are everything where celebration is concerned... ;-) Here's to more fun in 2010 - Happy New Year!

	*Sunday 27th December 2009* - and after a very merry Christmas Day and Boxing Day it's time to embrace the sporting life, by way of the generosity of friends. Huge thanks go to Edward for the invitation to Welford Road and a slap-up, drunken lunch accompanied by pre-match interviews with team members, post-meal speech from Lions legend John Bentley and finally a rather splendid portion of Tigers versus Sharks as an après-repastal treat. In the words of the famous Rowley Birkin "I was very, very drunk at the time", however, whilst a little foggy, there's a definite recollection of a pretty convincing win (32-6 - wonderful!) and also of being given a large, sloppy kiss by the aforementioned Mr Bentley (not so wonderful). Anyhoo - you'll get the general picture by clicking [here] and [here]. What attractive subjects... not.

	*Saturday 31st October 2009* - By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes... and something not a little inebriated, either. It's the weekend in Happy Valley and so, as one might imagine, it's time to get bibulous with chums. This time, the venue for this dose of shambolic bacchanalia was the newly acquired home of recent additons to the squad, Ronan and Lucie (you'll no doubt remember the former is the world renowned Irish folk music legend - and if you don't, you can jog your memory [here]). The assembled team opted for a well-rehearsed routine which involved dressing up, going to the pub, heading up the road to the party, scoffing food, chugging down copious amounts of wine and spirits before sitting back and watching what happened next. As you can see from the fragrant nosegay of images from Diane [here] and the shots taken by Andy [here] the results, whilst not totally unexpected, were nonetheless impressive. And certain people should be happy that there was such a high failure rate from the trusty ACScam on this occasion. Truly, a messy evening - still, another halloween, another party, another excuse to bring out the Ghostbusters costume... happy days!

	*Friday 11th September 2009* - and as the sun sets over the Wreake Valley members of the famous Fristock crew gather together to celebrate this year's musical spectacular, down at the FHRCC pavilion. With tables laid on the veranda to catch the last of the evening sunshine, the assembled throng tucked into an enormous barbecue (care of supremo chef Graham Swann) and more than a glass or two of grog. From there, as darkness fell and the temperature began to plummet, the party (plus barbecue and far too many candles) moved indoors to commit mass murder upon a number of well known tunes, ably assisted by Tommy Chandler and his top guitar skills. However, the main award of the evening has to go to Mr R. Browne of Water Lane, whose spirited rendition of sundry Irish folk tunes brought the house down (very nearly literally, as his time-keeping stomp all but went through the pavilion floor). And so, despite having laid-on enough food and drink to sink a proverbial battleship, the cupboard was pretty much bare by 10pm and the remaining hard-core party-goers decamped to The Bell to finish off the night with copious nightcaps and general drunken badinage. As the incriminating evidence [here] quite clearly demonstrates, it was all very immature... and rather great too!

	*Saturday 18th July 2009* - and a rather tired and dishevelled ACS has just arrived back on Water Lane following a gruelling week, smattered with the occasional bit of merry-making, in New Orleans. Safe to say, it was HOT! In the low thirties most of the week - but what made this one a real challenge was the humidity... it was like living inside a tumble dryer for a week... sweaty - euuw! As one might imagine, there was plenty to see and along with catching up with plenty of old business acquaintances (and meeting great some new folks too), there were also plenty of partay opportunities that were tapped-into liberally during the week. Despite its recent traumas, this is still a mad town and well recommended if you like music and a bit of general mayhem. Apart from managing to grab a supper on the Mississippi aboard a paddle-driven riverboat, as you'll see from the photos [here] there was also a v. strange gathering inside a warehouse full of Mardi Gras carnival floats, accompanied by jugglers, a Police motorcade and a marching band... very, very surreal! You can't top Bourbon Street though - a little grubby, certainly a bit seedy but nevertheless great fun. If you're in town, head for Krazy Korner and the New Orelans Jazz Museum just across the road. Also, if you like seafood there's Acme Oysters and you can't beat Arnaud's for a spot of fine dining. If you're just looking to get launched, then the famous Hurricane cocktail is just ticket... total insanity in a glass. It's all good stuff really - but make sure you take plenty of light clothing!

	*Saturday 4th July 2009* - it's that time of year again and the weather simply couldn't be better for our annual music-fest, Fristock! Weeks of preparation have resulted in a pack-out audience and a far larger number of acts this year, ranging from a ground-based aerial acrobatics squad (aka The Red Barrows) to a nine-piece soul band called The Blue Soul Express. There are a few photos [here] that will give you the basic flavour, however, there's no substitute for experiencing the event first hand so make sure that you're up-to-speed with latest news and reserve your 2010 tickets by visiting the Fristock website (a triumph of cutting-edge web design provided by a certain well-upholstered gent not entirely unattached with this humble Internet tome). Big night, lots of work and a few minor headaches to resolve as the evening unfolded; however, 2009 seems to have raised the bar significantly, so get ready for even better times in 2010!

	*Friday 30th June 2009* - this weekend sees the launch of Andy's latest project, a village allotment society. Having hassled the parish council mercilesly and then called upon the good offices of local farmer and all-round good egg Richard Machin, the small gang that originally created the FAA late last year took up tenancy of a half-hectare of glorious Leicestershire countryside at the end of May. From there on in, the next step was to badger the gracious burghers of Melton Mowbray, who responded splendidly by providing a digger, tipper-truck and drivers to clear the topsoil from fifteen plots and generally prepare the site for occupation. And so we have a new communal gardening space in the village - and it's all looking rather good as you can see [here]!

	*Saturday 30th May 2009* - Been a while since the last posting, however, that's mainly due to the amount of time recently spent in putting together new websites for Fristock and The Frisby Players. It also has to be said that the current format for waterlane.com is looking a little tired, so it's about time for a spot of spring-cleaning - not least, as the current site will shortly become home to a new blog section dedicated to Plot 13 of the newly formed Frisby Allotments Association - a splendid organisation set up by, amongst others, a certain portly, "follicley challenged" fellow who shall remain nameless (hem, hem). So - lots going on at the moment and plenty of stuff to look forward to. However, let's not forget recent events and, in particular, the latest offering from those theatrical titans, the aforementioned Frisby Players. This time around, our noble band of Thespians forsook their traditional staged production format, going instead for a more informal setting and a spot of Wild-West themed murder mystery action, in the shape of "A Rootin'' Tootin' Cowboy Shootin'". As you might imagine, with a hundred or so drunken Frisbyites dressed up like Wyatt Earp or Chief Sitting Bull and merrily firing-off cap-guns hither and yon, it turned into a pretty memorable night, as you can see from the photos [here].

	*Tuesday 17th February 2009* - STOP PRESS! For those of us that mourned it's absence last summer, there's some great news about to be announced... FRISTOCK IS BACK! Whoop-whoop! Yes, a certain portly gent has just put the final touches to the beta site for this year's musical extravaganza and sent it on its merry Internet way. You can see more at www.fristock.co.uk, where you can also say hello to our rather splendid new mascot for the event Fristock Freddy. It's worth mentioning that you can sign-up on the website for a soon-to-be-launched e-newsletter service - or, alternatively, you can drop a line to fristock@waterlane.com, where one of our dedicated customer service representatives (i.e. Andy) will add your details to the ever-growing mailing list. Loads of plans this year, including revved-up sponsorship deals for local companies, the option to reserve a table-space in prime spots near the stage and so on and so forth. Some great ideas about the sort of bands we want to perform too - all very exciting! There's a real drive to get as many people as possible involved in 2009, so whilst looking forward to an action-packed evening of terpsichory and muse, keep in mind the words of the immortal Fred Pontin and BOOK EARLY!

	*Thursday 5th February 2009* - and the weather's gone potty... woohoo! For the first time in years, it has really dropped a load of snow over Frisby-on-the-Wreake this week and so the rooftops and trees are laden with several inches of cotton wool coating and the fields around the village have become a major toboggan and snowball battle zone. A decent showing of seasonal weather was much in evidence at the start of the week but amazingly it’s back again today, with a vengeance, which is almost unheard of in Blighty. Inevitably, within hours of this happening the whole country will grind to a halt, the media will confirm that this is the end of the world as we know it and that we're about to head into the next ice age, where Woolly Mammoths will roam the globe again. However, in the few hours left to us before the country collectively loses its mind - and before the whole lots melts and turns into a huge puddle of mud that will blight our lives for weeks to come - the main idea for all right-minded people should be to get out there and get amongst it! Certainly, that's the over-arching vibe within the Clayton-Smith household right now, where winter togs have been donned and snowballs a-plenty have been thrown - as you can see from the ACSmobilecam photos [here]. A proper winter, eh? Where will it end? Surely we couldn't be on the verge of a decent spring and summer, could we?! Perish the thought!

	*Wednesday 31st December 2008* - try as we might, the Christmas holiday flies by us at a rate of knots and before you know it, the year has come to an end... ho hum. Still, looking back at 2008 it hasn't been as bad a year as it might have been and would certainly seem to warrant a bit of a farewell bean-feast in its honour. Luckily, as the casual reader may have gathered from previous entries in this esteemed tome, the good people of Frisby-on-the-Wreake are more than adequately equipped for this kind of work and so a small, highly trained away-team is mustered to sally forth and wreak drunken mayhem upon a neighbouring community, in the shape of the Brooksby Hall New Year's Eve Ball. As you can see from the delightful snap to your left (the ladies of the village caught in the act of strutting their various kinds of funky stuff) and the photos [here] the gang was very much up to the usual industrial-strength standards of shambolic revelry and a splendid time was, rather inevitably, had by all. So - another New Year's Eve, another gargantuan bar-bill, another great night with the very best of chums... sounds like the ideal way to see in 2009, doesn't it? Cheers all!

	*Saturday 13th December 2008* - another year zooms by and before we know it the partay season is with us again - woohoo! To get the ball rolling, posh frocks are donned (and that's just the blokes) and everybody heads off for the Village Hall to join in the now time-honoured tradition of pushing sprouts around a plate for half an hour before descending into the alcoholic abyss, more commonly known as the Frisby-on-the-Wreake Village Hall Christmas party. It has to be said that in the opinion of your humble author this was far from being the best example of yuletide knees-up we've enjoyed over the past few years. However, and despite the best efforts of the truly awful "Cool Hand Luke" and his indescribably lame mobile discothèque (come back Prince Conker, all is forgiven), the basic aims of getting drunk and looking rather embarassing were, nevertheless, achieved in record time. Click [here] to see the assembled throng in all of their crapulent splendour.

	*Friday 31st October 2008* - Halloween, a celebration of all things ghoulish & ghostly and traditionally a time for things to go bump in the night... and this year's no exception, with sundry members of the parish bouncing off walls, crashing into lamp-posts and generally looking like a rather bibulous re-enactment of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" as they wend their drunken way homewards from another Clayton-Smith soirée. As per usual, the evening ended with the house looking like it had been raided by a SWAT team, or a rugby tour - or both, at the same time - with food, drink and other forms of beastly oomska strewn hither and yon (and, in particular, with showers of pink boa feathers in every room of the house - thanks for that one, Mr Hammersley). Hopefully, a good time was had by all - certainly the resulting memory loss and hangover would appear to indicate that it was a pretty splendid evening, as does the rather unpleasant behaviour captured for posterity by the trusty ACScam... take a look [here]. Really... will these people ever grow up?

	*Thursday 16th October 2008* - finds the Clayton-Smith household all abuzz with excitement at the prospect of an evening in the company of popular skiffle combo, Elbow. Yes, they're back in the neighbourhood, this time playing at the De Montfort Hall, and so a small away-party gathers together and sets off in search of the bright lights and big city of Leicester. Naturally, after the long and arduous voyage from Happy Valley, the first thing our intrepid explorers do is seek sustenance and this is quickly found in the vast, empty canyons of the newly completed Highcross Centre - in the form of a shiny new Wagamama, where yakisoba, edemame, gyoza and plenty of Asahi beer are scoffed in large amounts before heading for the gig. Once there (and having found the bar and had a drink or two - tough work this gigging lark) it's into the main hall and straight to the front of house to soak up the atmos. And what an atmos! From the moment the band arrived on stage the audience went loopy and for the next couple of hours everybody jumped around the place acting stupid and generally having a bloody good time. As ever, the band was terrific - extraordinarily talented fellows and deserving winners of this year's Mercury Prize. On the whole then, not a terribly bad way to spend a Thursday night, as you can see from the combined ACScam/DCScam photos [here].

	*Thursday 18th September 2008* - and given that the sun's shining for probably the last time this year, clan Clayton-Smith down tools and head for the beach... yay! A king-size picnic is hurriedly put together (pork pies, cheese buns, crisps and fizzy pop - the full works!), towels, bowls, bottles of water and a selection of squeaky dog-toys are stowed in the back of the trusty Trooper and it's Eastward Ho! for sunny Norfolk and the particularly lovely Brancaster beach. As we have now entered that halcyon period commonly known to non-parenting types as 'after those bleedin' kids have all gone back to school' the beach was less than crowded, with only a smattering of people pootling up and down. This allowed Charlie and Bert to take full advantage of the tidal pools and streams of sea water criss-crossing the beach, to get totally soaked and completely covered head to toe in sand... happy days - even if three tons of the stuff now requires removal from the back seat of the truck. Just a day on the beach really - not a lot to write home about in the grand scheme of things - but thoroughly enjoyed by all concerned, nonetheless.There are some snaps [here].

	*Tuesday 16th September 2008* - drinking on a school night is never a good idea, however, the fates conspired to combine Diane's last day at Melton Borough Council with the first anniversary of Cosmic Barry and Long-suffering Lynn's arrival at The Bell Inn (and recently designated Brasserie). New job celebrations coupled with gratis tapas and sangria were twin forces impossible to ignore and so the 'quick snifter' at 7.30pm quickly took on an altogether more messy perspective, rapidly descending into a rather massive, drunken Tuesday-nighter, the like of which has not been witnessed in the village for some time. Hats-off to Messrs. Webber and Swann (a.k.a. Hose A and Hose B - pictured left) who gave even greater authenticity to the Spanish theme for the evening, by wobbling about the bar serving beers that were ninety percent head. This dubious service performed whilst jabbering on at all and sundry in a vaguely continental sounding pidgin English. Diane now has several days holiday before starting in her new role as Senior Buyer for the Northamptonshire NHS Trust next Monday. Just as well really... it'll probably take that long to shake off the hangover.

	*Sunday 31st August 2008* - and, surprise surprise, we're back from camping - with a soggy tent. Why is it that as soon as the trusty Montana 6 is out of its bag the Great British weather suddenly turns to poo? The really annoying thing is that up until the last morning of the trip, the weather was absolutely lovely... blazing hot and ideal for sitting about and doing nothing in, as Bertie demonstrates perfectly in the snap on the left. Clearly, the Clayton-Smiths have angered the camping gods as it seems that just about every time they take to the great outdoors it ends with mud, rain and general chaos. Being ever the lazy types, the tent is currently residing in the back of the Trooper, steaming gently and adding to overall fetid aroma originally donated to the vehicle by Messrs. Charlie and Bert. Still - muddy tents aside, there was comedy to be had on this trip - primarily in the form of a couple of much heard but totally unseen 'Derek Trotter clones' camping on the other side of the hedge. Along with such timeless homecoming greetings as 'There you are Paawl - I thought you died on the khaaaarzi', Mrs Trotter was also heard to loudly bemoan the current state of their dog Suki's toilet manners ('Paawl, Paawl... the bleedin' dawg's sht in the 'edge again') and was most upset when her husband collapsed their tent on said mutt as they finally broke camp ('Suki! My baby! Paawl - what've you done, you MUPPET?'*). The English on holiday... you can't beat 'em, can you?

	*Friday 22nd August 2008* - and, amazingly, it's time once again for the annual Tudor Rose fun day. Those of you with good memories may remember last year's photos of a certain portly gent being shoe-horned into an ill-fitting set of overalls before being let loose in a rather smashing Gemini Liberator to (literally) crash around a dusty off-road track on what was probably the hottest day of the year? Well, same sort of idea this time around - with the exception of the hot and dusty bits... this year it was cool - to say the very least - and the track was essentially a swamp, as you can see from the state of the gruesome image to your left. As per usual, our well-upholstered hero failed to make the medal tables. However, having put in a sub-two-minute lap and delivered a reasonable showing in the clay pigeon shoot; it's safe to say that the day didn't end in complete humiliation. Indeed, looking back, it could be said that the assembled gang found themselves secretly admiring the sublime skills on display from one of the older members of staff. Judge for yourself by taking a look at the team's response to this suggestion [here].

	*Sunday 6th July 2008* - and, having just completed a five-hour drive through absolute monsoon conditions, la famille Clayton-Smith is back from a splendid few days R&R in (not-always-so) sunny Wales. Once again, it's time to answer the call of the great outdoors and on this occasion the rather lovely Mwnt (pron. 'Moont') in Cardigan Bay is the venue. Ty-Gwynn Farm offers peace, seclusion, breathtaking scenery and total escape from the humdrum. As you can see from the photos [here] the weather was far from perfect and, to be honest, the facilities were a little 'basic' (downright bloody medieval in actual fact) nevertheless, it is a lovely place to get away from it all. Diane took some photos that capture the vibe perfectly - you can see them [here]. Highlights of the trip? Too many to mention really - Red Kites circling the hills and Choughs hurtling noisily around the cliffs? Watching Charlie and Bert risk life, limb and possible arrest for beach invasion - just to get some sea-swimming in? Sitting on the top of Foel y Mwnt on the look-out for dolphins and grey seals? Glorious organic beef from our friends at Cwm-y-Gerwyn, cooked over a camp-stove and washed down with a glass or two of red wine whilst watching the sun setting over the bay? Yep - any one of those'd do it.

	*Friday 30th May 2008* - and an anonymous well-wisher sends us slightly belated fifteenth wedding anniversary greetings in a very imaginative and unique manner - by burning down Diane's place of work. Well, to be honest, there's no firm proof just yet that this was the reason for this heinous deed but when one ponders the probable cause, how else could it have happened? Whilst la famille CS was enjoying a spot of much-deserved R & R, the headquarters of Melton Borough Council was doing its own little homage to Hollywood, with a fine rendition-in-miniature of 'Towering Inferno' with the vast majority of the building going up in smoke, thereby leaving several hundred hard-working local government employees with a damned good excuse for a long weekend. Typical of Diane's luck that she was already on hols and therefore missed-out on the opportunity to abuse the local tax payer with a bit of impromptu 'crashing-out in the garden with a Pimms on full pay' action that everybody else no doubt got up to. Being ever mindful of the need to maintain a dignified level of decorum and not wanting to appear like some dreadful ghoul, picking over the still-smouldering ashes of this once fine establishment, Diane waited a whole three nano-seconds before snatching up the trusty DCScam, jumping into her car and zooming Melton Mowbray-wards to assess the damage and generally bob about behind the TV reporters, looking nosey. The results of her expedition can be found [here].

	*Saturday 17th May 2008* - and it's all change once again at Casa Clayton-Smith. After a lot of pondering and weighing-up, it was decided that the DevelopMentor thing just wasn't working out and so it's time for a spot of Proustian activity, with a return journey to the gang at Tudor Rose. Old company but an entirely new role and one that has started pretty well - with a flight to Turin and bed & board in the rather splendid Castello di Pavone. In terms of places to hold a conference, this one has to come fairly high up in the list - a beautifully preserved medieval castle, superb victuals, great rooms with incredible views... all in all, pretty spectacular, as you can see [here]. You'd have thought this would be hard to beat, however, the back-end of the week might just have managed to do so, as the party decamped and headed into town to the Lingotto, which turns out to be the old Fiat factory in the centre of Turin - the one with the race-track on the roof, made famous in The Italian Job. So - what does one do when visiting such an iconic landmark? Get amongst it, obviously and so, after checking-in, it was straight off to reception to request the keys and then up to the roof level for a trot around the track. Unfortunately, there was no Cooper S (like this) to hand and, to add insult to injury, the rather a more eco-friendly vehicle offered in its place turned out to be a Segway Personal Transporter (like this). Luckily though, a level of self-respect was ultimately retained by way of inclement weather. Apparently there was concern about potential high speed blow-outs being caused by excess rainwater and so we were eventually reduced to walking around the track instead. Given it's location (i.e. in Italy) one would have assumed that the owners of the Lingotto test track would be more than familiar with atrocious driving but on this occasion that was apparently not the case. Still, in the final analysis it was probably best to leave it to Michael Caine & Co. Snaps of a rather rainy and grey Turin can be found [here].

	*Sunday 20th April 2008* - and just back from a few days of battery recharging in the delightful Cwm-y-Gerwyn, Powys. Whilst this was hardly a new adventure it was nevertheless a corking few days - there are a few snaps [here]. This is probably one of those 'nuff said' moments... glorious place, way off the beaten track, quiet, no TV, no radio, no orange glow in the night sky, no planes, no trains, no traffic zooming up and down outside the lounge window... heaven, basically.

	*Monday 14th April 2008* - the bright lights of Nottingham beckon once again as we head for that well-known den of iniquity Rock City, for an evening of terpsichory and muse with popular Manchester skiffle combo Elbow. What an evening! From the second the first can of Red Stripe went 'phut' this was always going to be a top night - a great view of the stage from the balcony and thankfully not too many jokers bumbling around the place and generally getting in the way (although, special thanks do go out to the two drunken toss-pots who spent the entire evening shouting loudly over the music about their crap mates / crap birds / crap jobs / crap football results / crap lives, etc. Thanks for adding that little special something to proceedings, fellahs). Anyhoo, twerps aside, Elbow were absolutely awesome, start to finish - easily the best fifteen quid's worth of ticket that has been bought for a long time. Amazingly, not only was the main act totally topper but the support was brilliant too! Check out Two Gallants if you get the chance - great guitarist and a very, very loud drummer, who looks rather like Animal from the Muppets. Basically, they make a really interesting sound and are the creators of possibly the largest noise ever to come from just two people on a stage... great stuff. ACScam wasn't in service on this occasion and so the rather shabby ACS and DCSmobile-cams were brought into service - not particularly great quality but hopefully you get the general idea from the snap to the left. Elbow - superb band and a great new album... go and see them now!!

	*Monday 10th March 2008* - It's globe-trotting time again and on this occasion the venue is the world's biggest hotel, the mind-bogglingly vast Venetian, Las Vegas for MIX08. This was Andy's first visit and it has to be said that whilst it's a breathtaking kind of place, in the final analysis Las Vegas smells and is basically full of pensioners with gambling addictions and/or beered-up rednecks. That said, the Venetian is just hilariously over the top - for example, the sightseer can enjoy a wander over the Rialto Bridge in a fashion that the original architect would surely have approved of... by escalator. Alternatively, one might decide to wander alongside a facsimile Grand Canal or dine 'al-fresco-insido' in a gargantuan hall that houses an entire Venetian piazza, fully equipped with street entertainers, stripy shirted Gondoliers and hoards of sweaty accordionists belting out dodgy operatics. All this under a splendid azure blue trompe-l'oeil ceiling, so large that it really does look like the sky... the weird thing being that outside the sky actually IS that blue and the temperature just as pleasant, which seems to have escaped the people that run the place. Similarly, over at Caesars Palace you can wander the streets of the Forum, shopping away to your heart's content, winding through tiny cobbled Roman lanes under blue skies and sunshine - even at eleven o'clock at night... all very weird and slightly disorientating. It's a funny old place, as you can see from the photos [here]. In conclusion, it's worth reminding you that Americans are lunatics - fact.

	*Friday 15th February 2008* - suffice it to say that skiing is not a favoured pastime in the Clayton-Smith household - and this should have been borne in mind by a certain portly individual before he hopped onto a button lift and headed off up the bunny slopes of Winter Park. Clearly, the altitude and the thrill of pootling up the mountain on Denver's famous Ski-Train must have gone to Andy's head - a temporary lapse of reason which inevitably led to a series of inelegant stumbles, trips, collisions & extreme wipe-outs that, in turn, served as ample reminder of the fact that fat blokes don't have low centres of gravity... ho hum. Having re-gained a grip on reality the skis & boots were quickly handed-in and a seat was found outside the rather splendid Derailer Bar, where beers were enjoyed & crowds were watched - far more the thing to do. At 4:15pm the train whistle blew, signalling the start of the return-leg and, more importantly, margarita time - woohoo! There are a few snaps of the day [here]. Denver is a top town and well worth a visit if you get chance. A mile up the air gets a little thin so take it easy on the partying front for a day or so, however, once acclimatised there's more than enough to keep one occupied. Top tips from this trip? The Hotel Monaco is well worth a look - a rather funky and pet-friendly place (there's even a Director of Pet Relations, Hercules the Shih Tzu) with restaurant & bar Panzano built-in and all of this just around the corner from the 16th Street Mall. Retail therapy-wise, REI is based in the former Denver Tramway Building - a huge place with loads to buy if you're even vaguely the outward-bound type. Bar-wise, there's the Rock Bottom Brewery on 16th and just across the road from this is Willie Gs, where they do a mean lobster. It's all good!

	*Sunday 20th January 2008* - Good old Frisby-on-the-Wreake seems a bit grey and dreary at the moment, mainly as somebody's just back from Los Angeles where it was sunny, hot and generally not a bad place to be - despite the Americans. Before that, it was Redmond (which is just north of Seattle) where there was a stack of snow and it all looked very Grizzly Adams... OK, granted, not an entirely dissimilar temperature to home but the mountains and the lakes made a rather better backdrop than the mud and flood that seems to make up life in the East Midlands right now. Oh for the summer time, for long days, evenings sat in the garden enjoying a glass or two of wine and the company of good firends, balmy, halcyon days with NO WELLINGTONS OR WAX JACKETS! Anyhoo, returning to the original point. a pretty good trip with a few laughs along the way - culminating in a few beers at the Hilton LAX with Mickey Dolenz (aka Monkee Boy)… how surreal is that? On the whole then, the role of Microsoft Alliance Manager would seem to be working out fairly well. Next stop – Denver... bring it on!

	Tuesday 1st January 2008 - where on earth has the year gone, part two... Bloody hell - it's New Year's Day! As in previous years, New Year's Eve was spent at The Bell, where the assembled mob enjoyed an evening comprising sundry victuals, overt bonhomie and the general rowdiness - activities with which said establishment has become somewhat synonymous. As you can see from the ACScam snaps [here] having chugged down several pints/bottles and laid waste to a small EU mountain of grub, the party rapidly descended into the usual drunken mess that signifies a Frisby-on-the-Wreake social event and, as far as your humble reporter can recall, a good time was had by all – which is probably a good thing as it would appear that we ended up spending a sum not unadjacent to the gross national product of Japan on this particularbash. Ho hum – time to welcome in the new year in traditional fashion i.e. hung-over and penniless… here’s to 2008!!Now then - where on earth did those shoes, braces and wallet go?

2008


Best viewed at a resolution of 1680 x 1050

	Copyright © 2001 - 2010 waterlane.com. All rights reserved.