Visiting Tony and Paula at The Nutshell, Saturday 25th July 2009.

After a lovely meal and an afternoon spent with Tony and Paula putting the world's of Moto GP, F1, literature, Compare the Meercats, and rawk to rights, Vicky demanded that Tony take her for a blast around the roads of Wiltshire so's to offset the thought of a sedate drive home in our Lancer.

If you look closely you can just about make out Tony and Vicky (sack the photographer).

Here's one Vicky took earlier.

A weekend of contrasts: 18th-19th July '09

On Saturday we went into Birmingham. It was sunny and warm. The Council has always been a bit entreprenurial. Here, not to be defeated by its central location, it has organised for a beach to be brought to the city centre. Amazingly, some folk are only too happy to take advantage.



On Sunday, we went to the Worcester Winner Grasstrack held, strangely enough, in Warwickshire. It was warm but it rained quite a lot. Here we are taking shelter under our trusty fishing umbrella. If you are wondering where Howard is, who do you think took the photo?

If it was bad for us, how do you think the riders felt? We believe this is what's known as 'getting filled in'.

England Ladies v's Australia Ladies: New Road, Worcester, Day Four, Friday 13th July 2009

Get yerselves sorted fer gawdsakes.


The Aussies. They must not be allowed to regain the Ashes at any cost.

'Pink! Pink!!' hurrumphs Mr A. Stalwart, lifetime member of the MCC.

N.B. Engerland retained the Ashes. Fair makes yer proud, eh?

Festival of 1000 Bikes: Mallory Park, Sunday 12th July 2009.

So. Would you pay £16k for the new Norton?

Fully paid up members and proud of it.


Bugger. We're gonna need more Solvol Autosol.








Oi! Not now. Come back!



On the lookout for a Hog to slay.




'Apart from the fact he's put on loads of weight and is older in the face, 'e looks exactly the same.' Hopefully, that cruel remark was out of Mick Grant's earshot (if not ours). No respect, some folk.

Festival of 1000 Bikes: Mallory Park, Saturday 11th July 2009.

The Festival of 1000 Loos more like.


Little do they know that each has got hold of the end of the same cable. It's gonna end in tears.



Bazza's oldest groupie is still besotted.

In Hog Heaven and it's barely lunchtime.

Vicky delights in informing Dave that the Food Police have just entered the Paddock Cafe.










Our main job this weekend. Cat sitting Jemma with a 'J' at the Six Star Crockett Towers Hotel, Burbage. Looks impressed, doesn't she?

England Ladies v's Australia Ladies: New Road, Worcester, Day One, Friday 10th July 2009

Oh, very evocative.



The gladiators enter the fray.







Catch it!








Well done girls. We've got the Aussies on the ropes. 28-5 and it's not even lunch.

Four hours later, and this pair have scored a world record 6th wicket partnership. You can go off people, can't you?

Wally: Thursday 9th July 2009.

Wally has had a chequered past. This is what we know.

Wally was ten years old when we met him. He started out in Falkirk. Wally became the property of Dumphries Council. Many years later he was homed in Nuneaton. No-one knows how he got from Scotland to North Warwickshire. In January of this year Wally was taken in by the Dog's Trust Evesham branch. That's where we met him. We took him for walks. It was great. Then, about a month ago, we were told he had been transferred to the Roden branch to see out his days with all the other old dogs. We couldn't bear the thought of him being holed up there for the rest of his days so we went to see him. The DT persuaded us to give him a go. We were only too happy to do so. They knew he had issues about human food. Agression, that sort of thing, but we felt we could look after him. We collected him last Saturday and brought him home. He showed aggression immediatley.


In every other way Wally has been fine. Good with other dogs and people. Unfortunately, even the prospect of human food is enough to transform him into a completely different dog. We discussed this behaviour with the DT over the 'phone and they concluded that Wally is not a family pet and recommended we take him back so they could give him further training.

We drove him back to Roden on Wednesday morning. The longest drive of our lives. The heart warming/breaking thing was that, as soon as we opened the car door and the smells and sounds of the compound wafted in, his ears pricked up and his tail started to wag. He was happy. We believe it is known as being institutionalised. They say they are going to try to re-train him and find him another home.

Out there somewhere, the f*cker that abused Wally when he was younger is living his/her life. Probably abusing other animals/children/anyone else they can bully.

Right now we are feeling frustrated, inadequate, angry and, y'know, generally stressed.

Imagine how Wally feels?

The Answer, Rescue Rooms, Nottingham: 3rd July 2009.

No, it's not here.



It's next door. Time to nip back to the hotel and get changed.












Two avid fans of The Answer preparing to rawk.



If there's one thing that gets right up our noses, it's people (and not all of them are young) who go to rock gigs and stand there with an arm raised clutching a mobile 'phone or a compact digital camera to take a photo just like this.

Gits.

England Lions v's Australia, New Road, Worcester: 2nd July 2009.

Right. We're agreed. It's a batsman's wicket and that Bret Lee-fella's got no chance.



Out first ball? And that Bret Lee-fella's on a hat-trick?? Bugger.









What a lovely place to watch a bit of cricket.




Yay! Here comes Bob with the refreshments. Or should that be: here comes the refreshments with Bob?









Vicky is no longer a cricket-virgin. Her verdict? A most convivial day out.

Prescott Mid-Summer Festival: Sunday 28th June '09.

Let's begin at The Start.












It's official. Our favourite car here today.













Lot's of Bugattis and their owners.










Vicky and Howard wish the RS2000 'all the best'. What could possibly go wrong?












Oops.












Grrrrrrrrr-owl.