MSA British Hillclimb Championship, Loton Park: Saturday, 24th September, 2016.

1:30-ish.

We have had a rotten trip to Loton Park today. 

Usually takes 1hr 30mins but took 2hrs 15mins today for various reasons, 

all of which we'd like to forget if you don't mind.

As we drove into the venue at 1:15 we were just in time to see Tony and his fellow class competitors driving back into the paddock after their first run of the day.

So we are not particularly happy by the time we park up at the top of the hill.

Only one thing for it: take some cowin' photos!

That one won't come out will it………….

……….hmmm, not too bad.

Slower shutter speed required maybe.

This is Graham Wynn in his 3500cc Gould GR55 at Museum Corner.

There are a lot of ferns at Loton Park.

There are a lot of trees at Loton Park.

There are a lot of bushes at Loton Park.

We love Loton Park.

We've now walked all the way down the hill taking photos as we go.

This is the 2016 British Hillclimb Champion (for the 6th time), 

Scott Moran in his 3500cc Gould GR61X exiting Triangle Corner.

Having located Team Tony in the paddock Richard gives David

 a much needed Training Seminar on the fine art of texting.

Not sure David is convinced.

Team Tony Team Manager Paula ensures Bill is safely ensconced in the car.

David contemplates taking a photo.

Bill Chaplin blasts the 1000cc Empire Evo past some 

pretty solid looking obstacles on his way into Triangle Corner.

Vicky's perspective of Bill a split second later.

You can't beat an Escort MkI can you. Steve Bailey is the driver of this particular one.

Back in the paddock and Team Manager Paula secures Tony into the Empire.

Tony boots the Empire Evo out of Triangle Corner.

Vicky's view of Tony heading towards Keepers Corner.

We have a well earned cuppa tea whist we wait for Tony to come back down the hill.

Tony returns safe and sound.

This is what we like to see.

It's now time to make our way back up the hill.

Richard Spedding - 1585cc GWR Raptor - on the not particularly straight Cedar Straight.

There are still a lot of trees, ferns and bushes at Loton Park.

See what we mean?

Graham Wynn (again) - 3500cc Gould GR55 - approaches Fallow Corner.

Deryk Young - 4000cc Gould GR51 - enters Museum Corner.

Terry Graves - 3500cc Gould GR55 HB - at Museum Corner.

5:30-ish.

Vicky contemplates the journey home.

Let's hope it's better than the one to get here.

Last action shot of the day.

Roger Deans - 5000cc Lola T142 - drifts out of Museum Corner.

Home lies 60 miles or so in that general direction.

It takes 1hr 25 mins.

That's more like it!

Auntie Louise, Kim, Kurt, and Charlie visit Worcester: Saturday, 17th September, 2016.

11:45-ish:

Meet Charlie.

He's 4 years old, has big paddy paws and a floppy ear.

He's a winner!

Vicky's cousin Kim, Charlie and Vicky relaxing.

Auntie Louise in our 'new' office.

Not sure whether she was impressed.

1:30-ish:

Having driven into town we are now on the way to Elgar's for a snack whilst Vicky and Kurt try to find parking spaces for our vehicles.

This gives Auntie Louise a chance to try out her new mobility scooter.

It's lighter, lower, faster and stronger than her old one.

David, urging her to get her knee down on the corners, fortunately, just out of shot.

4:00-ish:

3 people not taking seriously the serious matter of having their photo taken.

We've had lunch, Vicky, Kim and Auntie Louise have had a look around the shops whilst David, Kurt and Charlie have had a nice walk on both sides of the river and back into town.

We are now sat outside The Boston Tea Party guzzling…..um….tea (Kurt has a diet coke in a jam jar - it's the latest thing. The jam jar not the diet Coke).

Aunty Louise, Kim, David, Charlie and Kurt.

I've done over 10,000 steps. Can I go home now?

I think we all know who the Star Of The Day is.

Stormy weather, Tuesday, 13th September, 2016.

1:45pm-ish.

When we set out for town this morning at 10:45 it was sunny, warm and - of course - humid.

No sooner than we had some lunch and done the shopping it started to rain 

with a side order of thunder and lightning even before we left town. 

At least we brought our raincoats with us if not an umbrella 

(which would have been useful in these conditions).

By the time we are walking through the park we're soaked through 

but at least it's a little less humid now.

4:15pm-ish.

Vicky's done a couple of hours work from home and David's had some rest and now it's time to crack-on with the final bits of the painting in the kitchen.

Just the skirting boards to do.

5:00pm-ish.

Vicky finishes off by cleaning up some spots of emulsion on the window frame (put there by David, no doubt) whilst it p*ss*s down outside.

However, it is still uncomfortably humid.

Grumpyness all 'round then.

Second coat: Monday, 12th September, 2016.

3:00pm-ish.

Up the ladder again to finish off the top half of the wall after Vicky's done the bottom half.

Nearly finished the kitchen now.

Just got the skirting board along this wall to do tomorrow afternoon.

We started with the second bedroom back in April and we've been emulsioning off-and-on ever since.

This horrible sticky humid summer has made it a proper chore.

We'll be glad when it's all over.

We're gonna do the living room next year but that seems a long way off, thank goodness.

4:00pm-ish.

That's it for today.

At least the second coat goes on much quicker than the first.

Just the brush cleaning to do and then a welcome veg-out in front of the telly.

Concert of Legends: Worcs CCC, New Road, Saturday, 10th September, 2016.

3:00pm-ish.

We're off to the cricket ground today for The Concert of Legends. 

A pleasant walk along the river in a light drizzle is a good way to begin.

The BBC predicted it would stop raining by lunchtime, by the way.

Narrow boat passes under the Bridge Street Bridge under leaden skies and steady drizzle.

3:20-ish.

We're in. Doesn't seem to be a lot of folk here and, worse still, Alexander O'Neal is already on stage.

That means we've missed The Real Thing.

B*gg*r!

Note matting protecting the wickets.

It's still drizzling.

Alexander O'Neal doesn't have a backing band so he's kinda 

doing a superior karaoke version of his hits.

Anyway, he's singing great.

All together now: 'I'm fed up 'cos all you ever do is criticise'.

All this takes us back to 1987 when we had only been married for a year and Vicky was busy persuading David that there was more to music than Rock, Prog, & Metal.

We didn't see him live back in the day. Don't know why. 

We should have done but, hey, we've seen him now.

3:45-ish.

Support band on 'The Diglis Stage'.

They're a Ska band who've just flown in from Cheltenham according to the compere. 

Good one (the joke, not the Ska band).

4:15-ish.

We've had a cuppa tea and a sit down and, thus rested, we take up a position towards the front in anticipation of Tunde (The Voice of the Lighthouse Family).

It's still drizzling.

Whilst we wait for Tunde, Vicky spots a 'nice juxtaposition'.

4:30-ish.

Tunde is on stage (note inappropriately dressed cameraman) and we are immediately transported back to the late '90's when we saw The Lighthouse Family at The Wolverhampton Civic.

Some members of the audience sat in the balconies that night were so taken
with Tunde that they threw items of underwear onto the stage.

Thankfully, there's none of that malarky today.

He is a great singer when all said and done and when he starts to sing that one about The Sun's Gonna Shine On You Everyday (or words to that effect)…………………….

……………….the clouds begin to part and the sun comes out!

Now that's what we call 'a moment'.

The power of music, right there.

5:50-ish.

Realising that there is at least an hour between the acts on the Main Stage, we have nipped into town and are now sat in The Gourmet Burger Company waiting for our gourmet burgers to arrive.

These gourmet burgers are good, Vic.

We must come here again.

It'll be back to the fish, fruit and veg tomorrow.

6:30-ish.

View of The Cathedral as we make our way back to the cricket ground.

6:45-ish.

Back inside and Heather Small (The Voice Of M People) is on stage.

We are not fans of M People. Never bought anything by them and always 

thought her voice was a bit 'stylised' (not to mention the stylised hair), shall we say.

But, thankfully, that was then and this is now.

She has lost that 'stylised' voice (and the hair) and sings much more soulfully now.

We are pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoy her gig.

8:00-ish.

Sunset over New Road.

Time for two more teas.

9:00pm-ish.

After another long wait between Main Stage acts whilst a support act, yet another Mod/Ska Band 'entertain' the crowd, we get the chance to get close to the front to watch Lulu.

David's first memory of Lulu is watching her singing 'Shout' on TOTP 

when the world was still in black and white.

Vicky's first memory is of her singing 'Boom Bang-a-bang' in The Eurovision Song Contest.

She sings the former but, thankfully, not the latter.

Lulu is really good. If Rod Stewart could still sing as well as her he'd be a happy man.

10:00pm arrives and we are knackered and so decide to leave and walk home.

UB40 are the headliners but gawd knows what time they'll be on and, in any case, 

we've seen 'em live before back in their 'heyday'.

10:10-ish.

Walking back over The Bridge Street Bridge past one of its many arachnoid residents.

10:15-ish.

Bridge Street Bridge all lit up.

We are home by 10:45-ish.

Fit Bit stats:

19,308 steps.

9.31 miles.

8 flights of stairs.

Blimey, that'll be David getting cramp in one of his calfs then.