English Blogger - Musings of an Ordinary Bloke

A Free Kryten ringtone

2009-09-29T13:16:00.003+01:00

Robert Llewellyn has recorded this mobile phone ringtone in the style of Kryten (full name Kryten 2X4B-523P) from the brilliant Red Dwarf for anyone who wants it. I have edited and compressed in Pro Tools it so it is a little louder and tighter.

It is totally free and copyright free with the blessings of @bobbyllew

Download Kryten - Phone Message

A grumpy moan about TV

2009-09-24T18:09:00.003+01:00

As regular readers of my Blog will know I have opinions and they are mine and I tend not to sit on the fence. Prime Time Terrestrial TV is a bug bear of mine especially Saturday night TV, I can't really moan as I refuse to watch that sort of TV programme....it is lowest common denominator TV aimed at people who don't want to think...X Pop Strictly Factor Big Brother Idol. I cannot understand why anyone would want to watch it, I know I am in a minority and lots of people get plenty of enjoyment from these programmes.

The problem I have with these programmes is most of them have the general public having a go... where I don't have a problem with people having a go, I do object to it being on my TV at prime time and then being asked to pay to vote for the act to go through or win? Sorry but that doesn't equal entertainment in my book. Oh how I wish I could get rid of this crap once and for all.

Hand Made Rain

2009-09-04T11:32:00.006+01:00

This just blew me away when I saw it online. Please turn up your volume and just listen to about the first 2 minutes or so, the singing after that is great, but the first bit is just wonderful.

Walk on the Wild Side

2009-09-01T11:42:00.004+01:00

I just love this trailer for Walk on the Wild Side, the version on You Tube doesn't work if you live outside of the UK so I have been a little sneaky and converted it and stuck it here for you to enjoy if you cannot see it on You Tube

Prisoners who are dying....what to do?

2009-08-24T09:46:00.004+01:00

I have been discussing the case of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi who was released from jail as he has terminal prostate cancer with a few friends on Facebook, and like Kenny MacAskill believe giving someone a little compassion and Christian love is the way forward. I have been slated for believing this and saying so publicly.

Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi in many circles is believed to not even to have been the bomber of the Pan-Am flight but a scape goat for Gaddafi who wanted to enter the world market again. His accomplice was found not guilty and sent home again. The second reason is, I have been in a jail, not as a prisoner but as a teacher. Jails are horrid places at the best of times, inmates are on their guard 24/7. They are under threat of bullying, violence, rape and murder. Most have to share a cell and you don't choose your cell mate. Prison is a place of rehabilitation, a place to change peoples mindsets about life. Hopefully to make people accept society and conform to a way of life that is acceptable to the majority and not the minority. Prison can work, but it is far to overcrowded and people are just banged up and then let out, try as the education and work systems do there isn't enough time and people to make it work, so inmates go in and out most without changing, Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi is dying and has little or nothing to gain from being in prison, he has little time left and is a very long way from his home and his family.

Anyhoo back to the decision to send Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi home. In the possible 3 months left in his life what would keeping him in a Scottish jail achieve? I don't think it will achieve anything. He has a short time left and this will not be good for him at best. He will have a lot of pain and will for the most of it be under very heavy sedation. Sending Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi home will give him time to think why? if he really did the murders and planted that bomb, he will have to face God very soon.

Showing a little of Compassion and Gods love now and letting him die with dignity will afford him a little comfort in his last days. Lets hope Libya has the palliative care we offer in the UK.

If you want to look at it in another way, sending Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi home will save the UK taxpayer a heck of a lot of money, it costs roughly £3000 a day to keep and inmate in jail who is healthy, once they become ill and need to go to hospital that can easily go up to and over£10,000 a day as he will need transportation, 2 permanent guards and his own room at the hospital, plus all of the medications.......

Questions

2009-08-19T18:17:00.005+01:00

I am a Christian, I am proud to say I follow Jesus and his teachings, I am really crap at it, but I do try and that is all that is expected really. Over the past few years I have had my faith tested to breaking point on a few occasions, and that is where I am at at the moment. Things happen I don't understand, and I see people hurt so bad that it makes me cry and question why? I know there are no easy answers, I know God has never said we wouldn't suffer, he did say he would be with us in our suffering.

I really don't understand why certain things happen, why people hurt each other or why people are taken early? I don't know why accidents happen or incurable illness's take over peoples bodies....I know at the moment I am again questioning...........

Tesco!!! and V.F.M

2009-08-12T09:44:00.003+01:00

Yesterday I popped in to Tesco for provisions, nothing unusual or remarkable about that really I do it a few times a week. Yesterday was slightly different though, I had my clubcard vouchers...all £20 of them, so I went for a little walk first and had a look at the wine...they had a few very nice Spanish reds on offer...so off I go and exchange £20 of vouchers for £40 of wine vouchers...I bought 8 bottles of Spanish red reduced from £10 to £4.99. I also got a discount off that of a further £2 for buying over 6 bottles...if they reduced them anymore they would have had to pay me to take them away!!!!

So I was very pleased with Tesco yesterday, I really felt we had had Value For Money. When I told Mrs EB about how we got all of that good Red wine from our vouchers her answer was "Well I'm having a large Red wine tonight then!!!" She didn't, she had a Mojito hahahaha

London Trip August 2009

2009-08-06T12:57:00.002+01:00

We spent 2 days and one night in Kensington London.

We went down on Tuesday the 4th of August, the main reason for going down on the Tuesday we had be bought a food experience and we chose to dine at Peridot at the Bentley Hotel.

The meal was amazing, we both started off with "Maryland crab cake with sweet corn relish and red pepper aioli" these tasted wonderful and was just the right size for a starter. Mrs EB had Confit of duck with pear mash and ginger honey wine with a green side salad. and I had Lamb cutlet served with garlic mash, buttered baby spinach and red wine jus and a mixed side salad. We had a wonderful bottle Rioja Crianza to accompany the meal. Mrs EB then had Warm pear tart tatin with crème brulee ice-cream and I had a Trio of crème brulée with fresh raspberrys. The food was a delight, the service was wonderful, we were the only two people in the resturant for most of the evening.

We then went for a walk around Kensington and Chelsea which was a great way to let the meal go down, on the way back we stoped off at a pub for a swifty and it had to be, we had just settled down with our drinks and they rang the bell and were chasing us out of the pub!!!

Wednesday was my birthday and after we woke up we went to breakfast, I orded two soft poached eggs and Mrs EB went off helped herself to the the breakfast bar buffet...I waited and waited, and then waited some more. I then asked for my poached eggs...they hadn't been ordered!!! anyhoo after another short wait my poached eggs arrived I added some bacon and toast and they went down a treat.

Then we packed, OK Mrs EB packed, then put the luggage into the hotel locker. Then we went on a tourist trip, 1st to the Mac shop....I love that place, then we went to the embankment...that was wonderful. A guy called Bruce was doing a busking act, comedy and juggling, he pulled me out of the crowd I'll add some pictures later, well I laughed and laughed.

After that we made our way slowly to Victoria for the theatre, we went to the pub first then to Maccy D's for a cheese burger. The off to see Wicked....

Wicked

WOW what a show, it was just wonderful, I wont say too much because if you haven't seen and you may see it, then it might take the edge off it if I tell the story. I will say it is the back story of the Witches from The Wizzard of Oz. Setting the scene for the film. The actors and actresses were just amazing and the singing just blew me away. I shed tears with wonderment and joy.

Then we went over to Soho had a beer and then a massive chinese feast, softeshell crab, Seaweed, then Chicken with chili and blackbean and lobster with noodles before heading off to Euson and home. All in all one of the best birthdays ever.

Yay a look at the Next Dr Who

2009-07-28T18:11:00.004+01:00

Hot off the press, here's a new preview clip for the next Doctor Who special, Waters of Mars:

This clip was shown earlier today at a special Doctor Who panel at Comic-Con in San Diego.

Amazing

2009-07-21T14:59:00.004+01:00

I have been looking at this amazing video it makes me smile and is a real feel good video I have posted it on Facebook and various other places... enjoy it and see what people can do just for the sake of doing something.

Green Cars?

2009-07-09T12:12:00.008+01:00

I am slightly confused, I follow Robert Llewellyn on Twitter and do watch the odd Carpool, a wonderful weekly show on his website please do go and have look.

He is really pushing electric cars as the saviour of the planet?

Now an electric car needs charging, to charge this car, you need to go to the national grid, which means power stations burning millions of tons of coal (fossil fuel) everyday to feed the grid, and this obviously sends millions of tons of carbons and other poisons into the environment just like petrol, being that they are both fossil fuels. Now there is an argument that this would happen anyway as they need to produce the electricity for the country to run...well they need to produce petrol anyway as cars need to move, it will get produced anyway as the petro-chemical industry produce Petrol and LPG, Propane, Oil, Diesel and other refined oils and various other bi-products anyway.

I am not against electric cars or even hydrogen powered cars as there is a 100% clean exhaust, but it burns loads of fuel getting the hydrogen too separate from oxygen to get at that fuel. Are there any other forms of alternative fuelled cars apart from Bio-Diesel? Don't say LPG that is just another bi-product of petrol.

I am against being told electric cars are the answer to all of our problems, they are not, they may be one small solution, but as making the electricity to charge them up is still causing massive pollution, how can it be the solution? it is just moving the pollution from the car to the power station it is not removing it. Wind farms don't supply enough electricity into the grid and everyone seems to be against having a wind farm near them...and no one seems to want nuclear power stations... there doesn't seem to be an answer...or does there? Am I being too blinkered to see it?

We live in a world that we are killing by pollution and greed...the alternative clean fuels like wind power, solar and wave power never seem to get above a small taster without locals saying we don't want that in our back yard it looks awful.......so what can we do?

Is there a clean answer to car fuel? I really don't know? kinetic energy seems to be one answer but how that would work? I don't know? You can't shake a car like you can a wrist watch..or can you?

Also what happens to all of the batteries from electric cars when they are no longer useful? a 2 - 3 maybe even a 5 year life span on the batteries seems to be the going life span...that is a heck of a lot of batteries to recycle...can you recycle the old new super batteries?

As I said I am confused about electric cars being the answer...maybe I can't see the wood for trees, I am open to being sold on them, I really am... but all I can see is moving one problem and creating yet another.

Michael Jackson 1958 -2009

2009-07-08T12:47:00.004+01:00

I was a fan of Michael Jackson. not a die hard must buy everything fan, I like his early music, the Jackson 5 stuff, I loved "Off The Wall", Thriller and Dangerous. I didn't take much notice of his personal life, his Wacco stuff as it was called. I enjoyed his music and felt sorry for him. I cried when I heard he had died at just 50, Mrs EB and I were on our Narrow Boat, we had tea and put on some of his music and shed some tears. I have a few favourite songs, Ben, ABC, One Day the list goes on and on.
But this song being my most favourite song of Michaels. It was used last night at the Thanks Giving Service, I cried again. I also cried when Jermaine sang, when Marlon spoke and when young Paris spoke my heart broke for her and her brothers.

I pray the press will leave Michael and his family alone now, they need time to grieve and be a family. Rest in Peace Michael thank you for the all of the music you brought us, they joy you shared with us and the most amazing dances you danced for us. God Bless you and your family, I pray you knew Jesus as your own personal Lord and Saviour and you are dancing and singng for him now.

The Glass Harp

2009-05-29T10:09:00.004+01:00

Via twitter and the QI Elves I have found this chap, he is amazing and a talented chap with a few wine glasses. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Qustions of Faith

2009-05-19T09:57:00.004+01:00

My faith is my life really, I know that may sound trite but it is the truth, I try base how I am by what I believe. I am awful at it and in no way an example of a good Christian so please do not look at me and expect something worth looking at.

This is very hard at the moment especially when people I know and care for are hurting. I get angry with God for these people. I don't know why people get ill, I don't understand cancer or why people get it, but it does make me question my faith sometimes. This is no bad thing, when my two friends died in an awful car crash I questioned my faith long and hard. and because of it I believe I am a stronger and better Christian. A young Lady who is one of Mrs E.B's staff has a growth on her brain, why? she is in surgery Today after it being diagnosed on Sunday evening. I pray that God will look after her and after the surgeons and I pray that what they find can be removed with no damage to her brain and she will make a full recovery.

An amazing family I know, the wonderful wife has tumours in her lung and hip, they have two children and have spent many years working for God in the Mission Field in Mozambique...why does this happen? I pray the new treatment will work miracles and the tumours will vanish and she will be healed of Cancer.

I don't understand any of this, my heart is crying, my insides feel awful? I really don't want to praise God at the moment, but these are the times I will Praise God, I don't really want to go to Church or be involved with Church activities, but I will go and do them with even more vigour because I trust God, I am questioning God and this means I am questioning my Faith, but that doesn't mean I don't believe in God or that Jesus died for me, just why God gave man free will and with free will comes all that is crap, why cancer can take hold in his servants when so much work is left to do. Why take the Good and amazing people when there are murderers and evil people about???? I know I wont get the answers I want but I am allowed to question my faith.

Saint Georges Day or not

2009-04-22T10:10:00.006+01:00

Thursday April 23rd is a good day really, it is my Brother-in-Law David's Birthday, it is St Georges Day the Patron Saint of England if you believe in Saints of that sort, personally I don't, well actually scripturally I do, as all Christians are Saints. I just don't Deiatify dead people, or pray or talk to them. The Bible says leave them alone and I do. I will let God sort out that sort of thing on Judgement day, it is his job not man's. (argue with me as much as you like, but the pope is just a man, he aint God, he is elected by men to lead a denomination of a Church, but he has no special powers or special direct line to God, he only has what any other Christian has, sorry to shock you, unless I am reading a different Bible to you?)

Anyhoo April 23rd was my Friend Matthew's birthday, someone who should be here to share a curry with me on that day, but he was called home with our friend Christopher on September 10th 2006. I still really miss Matt and Chris, but the pain is not as sharpe now, it still cuts deep, I still weep tears at times, but the momories make smile and chuckle. I have taken a few photos of my Cherry tree blossom, Matt loved Cherry Tree blossom, and I know his Mum loves it too.

Cherry Blossom for Matthew Milford Sellers and his family

Websites and Photos

2009-04-21T10:07:00.005+01:00

Wow sorry I haven't blogged for a few weeks.. What's been happening? I have been updating my website I have had a website on www.thebaynhams.com for about 7 years now and it was looking very tired and needed pages taking down and other things doing to it. So I revamped for want of a better description. I have taken all of the old pages down now. I have my CV on there and some of the better photos I have taken that I think people may want to see, I am not saying they are great photos, far from it, but they are composed photos that I have enjoyed taking. I don't have an all singing all dancing megga camera with interchangeable lenses just a Fuji F810 and patience and sometimes I have seen something worth taking a picture of. I hope you like them if you go and have a look. There are several different pages. Underwater, Underwater 2, Animal, Bird, Panorama and General These pages are in an update phase and new photos are being added as and when I find them in my vast files of photos and edit them.

We have been to The Robber Button most weekends and had some fun with friends tootling up the canal. I have been enjoying Easter, the most special time in the Christian Calender, we have been to a wedding and Mrs EB has been working megga hard. I have had a few meetings but nothing I can really write about as stuff is in the air.

I found this on You Tube the late great Johnny Cash

That is about it really.

Weekend away with Church

2009-04-08T09:31:00.008+01:00

We spent last weekend away with our Church at The Pioneer Centre, Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire. Well that was were I ended up after a trip across Birmingham thanks to O2.

I ordered Mrs EB's and my new phones after a deal was struck with O2 and they were to be delivered to me here Friday AM. 10:30ish my DHL delivery driver arrives and gives me just 1 box? I said there should be 2 parcels? he went and checked nope just the one? He said maybe another driver will have it. I waited until after 12 and phoned O2 to check both had been sent, they said yes and gave me the delivery number of the 2nd parcel. I phoned DHL I then had to phone the local branch... The wonderful lady there did a load of checking, it would seem the local guy who delivered my parcel wasn't telling the whole truth, he had had two parcels the other didn't have my house number on it, so he sent it back!!!

DHL Lady said it was with a driver who was prepared to have me drive to where he was and collect it from him as long as I showed ID and proof of address. I phoned him, he was in South Birmingham, I was in North Birmingham and was I needing to head to West Birmingham across the city? So I drove to a very dodgy looking estate where lots of houses and flats were boarded up, and saw this white transit van all on its own that was like a beacon to all muggers and ne're-do-wells in that area, the guy jumped out thrust a parcel in my hands ,I signed and off he went. Anyone witnessing this must have thought a drug deal was going on!!!! I certainly didn't stick around in case I was mugged or the police came and stripped searched me. What fun on a Friday afternoon. To get to the Pioneer Centre would normally take about and hour, it took just over 2!!!! As I had to drive through Birmingham City Centre on a Friday afternoon to drive all the way down the Hagley Road to Kidderminster and beyond.

I was looking after the sound and when I got too The Pioneer Centre, time just vanished and I was busy doing various sound and I.T things. We had Phil Collins as speaker for the weekend, he has spoken at our Church as is a great person who always challenges you and makes you really belly laugh. Saturday afternoon was set aside for activities, Mrs EB did the rope slide and other daredevil things and I did archery. I have to say after some coaching I really enjoyed it and I got to be OK. The weather was wonderful and we had a wonderful time of fun friendship and fellowship.

Trace Bundy

2009-04-03T07:50:00.009+01:00

A good friend of mine Andy has invited me to a gig I think it's at DeMonford Hall to see this guy, Trace Bundy, he plays an acoustic guitar ..... no that's not quite true, he REALLY PLAYS the acoustic guitar like no one I have ever seen or heard, enjoy this video.

A Catch up

2009-04-02T09:30:00.005+01:00

Well in just over 10 days I can rejoin Facebook. To be honest I have missed some parts of it and I haven't missed other bits at all. But it will be good to see some old friends again.

Our phone contracts are up!!! and last night I did a new deal for two new phones which should be arriving tomorrow morning all being well. I am having the Nokia 5800 and Mrs EB is having the Backberry 8900. Both come with unlimited interweb and loads of txts and minutes each month which is good. Tomorrow is the start of our Church weekend away at The Pioneer Centre I am really looking forward to spending some time with friends. The last church weekend away was excellent and I will be remember my friends who I spent much of the last weekend with.

Last weekend was spent on The Robber Button with Mrs EB's sister Liz, we had a wonderful trip to Wolesely Bridge and back with an over night on the cut. We really would like some good weather this year to enjoy some good times with friends on TRB.

After my last cooking exploits at Church cooking for Alpha I have been asked to cook again!!! April 29th thats 4 weeks time I am guessing for 50 people again.

You Tube and copyright

2009-03-30T12:25:00.003+01:00

You Tube has removed one of my videos, saying it breaches copyright? I don't really know how it can, it played everyday in Las Vegas and all I have done is to film it and redub the same music in time with the original played so it sounds like it did in Las Vegas. Ho hum. Anyhoo here it is now on my blog.

Blacking a Bottom

2009-03-25T20:04:00.003Z

For the past 3 days I have been very busy Blacking the Hull of our Narrowboat The Robber Button. I have never really done D.I.Y on the boat before but I had a go. There are a few blogs here about it.

Apart from that not a lot has been happening.

People come People go

2009-03-21T10:28:00.006Z

Life is strange, or maybe my life is strange. You have contact with people you make friends then they drift out of your life for various reasons then: Hey presto they are back again for short while. Over the years I have had friends from church who have moved on for millions of different reasons. One chap just drifted away, came back into our lives for a short time then drifted away again. I didn't see or hear from him for years and years, then I bumped into him one evening in my local shopping mall. We hugged and chatted for a few minutes, then I gave him my mobile number as he didn't have his with him. That was about a month ago....and nothing.

I received an email from someone this week who I made contact with again via facebook, we have been friends or over 20 years, he and his lovely family are in another country and work in the mission field, he is leading a hard but rewarding life, I was really blessed to read what he is up to and it is a privilege to pray for them. They have moved to a knew town in a different part of the country, they have new jobs teaching in a seminary and their daughter is in a new school. I'm looking forward to keeping in touch via blogs and emails and one never knows....

The 3rd and final ones are a few new people in my life I guess, I have 3 blogs, this one, one about the mission I took part in Mozambique and one about our Narrow Boat. The narrow boat community is a lively one and a lot of narrow boaters have blogs, I really enjoy reading about other peoples lives on the waterways. Their blogs range from the very informative, the technical to the musing of every day life. Life on the waterways is usually a friendly and helpful place and boaters in general enjoy the community and social life (usually involving pubs and grub) I feel after 18 months of owning a narrow boat we have been excepted into the life of our marina and that of narrow boat blogging world and community. Our biggest problem is we don't get enough time to enjoy our narrow boat.

Feeding of the 5000 less 4950

2009-03-19T18:20:00.001Z

Yesterday was a completely different day, I spent the day cooking a meal for 50 people. As a Church we cater for many events one being Alpha and Alpha+ on a Wednesday evening. So armed with a small budget and knowing what the last few weeks meals had been I went to Tesco Tuesday afternoon. I had decided to make a beef and redwine stew with goose fat roasted spuds and a Apple crumble.

9am Wednesday I was peeling my many, many pounds of spuds, and an hour and half later they were pealed and cut and were washing off, then I was peeling my many lbs of apples, then onions and garlic. As I walked past one of my trays of goodies I knocked a box and broke a bottle of wine!!! then my mum phoned me, to see where I was as I wasn't at home? I told her I was cooking a meal at Church on my own for 50 people, I said I had just broken a bottle of wine. She phoned me back abut 20 minutes later to say she was going to pop down and give me another bottle and she also wanted to help me...

So about 30 minutes later my Mum was in the kitchen pealing the rest of the onions then making my crumble pastry, I was starting the cutting of the joints of meat then frying that off then frying off the garlic and onions. By 3pm the basic stew was slowly cooking with a bottle of red wine. I had started the vegetarian meal, of Mediterranean Roasted veg (they were roasting) in a spicy fresh passata I was reducing the tomato with garlic and fresh chilli. About 4pm my Mum had finished making the crumble and that was slowy cooking in the oven,I had done the first few batches of washing up, and we had called my Dad to collect her.

I had par boiled the spuds and they were going in the oven, the veg's had roasted and had a wonderful flavour and I had chopped the olives and all was well. I had no problems all day apart from the bottle issue... At 7pm I was serving up the meal into bowls to put on the tables. Mr and Mrs Church Administrator helped with the serving and washing up and I was home at 9pm.

I had a few compliments and I was very happy overall by the food I cooked, if I do it again there are maybe two things I will do differntly...so all in all a sucksess.

Boats and Food

2009-03-16T17:59:00.003Z

We had a really nice weekend, Friday evening we arrived separately at The Robber Button, I arrived about an hour before Mrs EB and I spent the time cleaning the boat and getting it nice and warm. When Mrs EB arrived we drove up to Stone and had a wonderful curry. Saturday was far to windy to go out so we stayed at the marina, I helped Jon and John move a couple of boats and made us all bacon and egg sandwiches.

Sunday I couldn't get out of bed as I had a horrid migraine. Today I went to the dentist ...all very good mouth wise. Then I went to Tesco to do a shop and I also looked to see what they had for a large meal I am cooking for Alpha and Alpha+.

Cooking for Alpha and Alpha+ means cookin for 50 people... I haven't cooked for that many people for many years and I am a little anxious, I went to have a look at the kitchen this afternoon and to see what ingredients they have in the kitchen... they have nothing... Oh well I have a budget of £2 a head and I have 3 or 4 Vegetarians. All good fun.

Facebook

2009-03-12T15:56:00.004Z

Well I haven't been on facebook for a few weeks now and to be honest I haven't really missed it, I do miss the funny comments I read on the front page but apart from that ...not so much. I guess come Easter Sunday I will log back in and turn my account back on...but there again I may not.

I phoned o2 I was supposed to be able to upgrade my phones today, I phoned o2 and no.... not until April 13th... ho humm so next month then.

Passion

2009-03-10T11:01:00.006Z

I am one of those people who likes the TV on in the evening, but I also surf whilst watching it with one eye. But recently I have stopped watching even with one eye when the soaps are on, there is something so unreal about east enders and coronation street that I have lost complete interest even with one eye. I used to love The Bill and I do enjoy watching that but that seems to have come off the boil... maybe its the budget cuts or maybe I have changed?

I have loved watching Heston Blumenthal's new cooking programme on Channel 4, he is a genius and I love his way of solving a problem... A layered drink... click this link and enjoy I am one of those people that really do want to go his restaurant and try the tasting menu. There are people everywhere in all walks of life who are just natural brilliant people from social workers to brain surgeons, preachers to chefs, we all know them, we have seen them , heard them or watched them they stick out a mile at what they do, Heston is one of those people. It isn't a secret ingrediant that he or they have, it is just a passion for what they do. The greatest of all Passions is about to happen again, the Easter Story, Christ's Passion for Man.

Easter is the most important festival in the Christian calendar. It is the commemoration of Jesus's death and his rising from the dead, also known as the resurrection. It comes at the end of Lent. The week leading up to it is called Holy Week.

Palm Sunday is the first day of Holy Week and celebrates Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Crowds of people came out of the city to greet him, throwing down palm branches on the road. Many churches give out small crosses made from palm leaves, as a reminder of Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem and his death on the cross.

On Good Friday Christians remember when Jesus ate the Passover meal with his disciples, breaking bread and drinking wine, which is now known as the Last Supper. Since then this meal has been symbolically re-enacted by many Christians as a way of drawing closer to God. This is called the Eucharist or Holy Communion, which means 'thanksgiving'. It is a reminder that Jesus sacrificed his life for mankind and is also a part of many services throughout out the year.

The Bible tells us that, later that night, Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot. After his arrest, Jesus was brought before the Jewish high priests who found him guilty of blasphemy because he called himself the Son of God. They handed him over to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.

As was the custom at the time of the Feast of Passover, Pilate gave the crowds the choice as to which of the two prisoners should be freed: Jesus, or Barrabas, a notorious criminal. Ironically, the the same crowd who had welcomed Jesus with palm branches a few days earlier now chose Barrabas to be released, and Pilate condemned Jesus to death by crucifixion.

On Good Friday, many churches hold services meditating on the events leading up to Christ's death: his interrogation, flogging, the mocking by the Roman soldiers, and his journey with the cross to Golgotha, the place of his death. Finally he was stripped naked and nailed to the cross, where he hung in agony for three hours, jeered at by the crowds, before he died. This is the day when people traditionally eat hot cross buns, because the cross on the bun is a reminder of the cross Jesus died on, and a reminder of the Christian belief that Jesus died to save us all.

Jesus was taken down from the Cross and laid in a Tomb to be made ready for death, this couldn't be done as The Sabbath had started and it would be another dau before Christ could be made ready for a burial.

Easter Sunday marks Jesus' resurrection. The Bible tells us that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb to make Jesus ready, followed later by some of Jesus' disciples. They discovered Jesus' body had gone and that the tomb was empty. Jesus then appeared to Mary and many of his disciples, speaking with them on separate occasions during the following forty days. As he left them for the last time, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit so the disciples would know God would never leave them. He then ascended into heaven. The Church celebrates this on Ascension day.

an Update

2009-03-08T08:58:00.003Z

We had a wonderful time in a cold Barcelona, the Gothic Area is a labyrinth of back streets crammed with little shops and Tapas Bars, which we visited a few of. It was wonderful to get away and spend a bit of us time.
Arriving back in the UK we got home and planned to visit The Robber Button, when I woke Saturday, Mrs EB was already wide awake and had been up a couple of hours, the sun was shining and we set off for Great Haywood Marina. We set off for Tixall Wide and had a few hours there enjoying the peace and quiet.

Barcelona Update

2009-03-05T13:40:00.002Z

Mrs Eb and I are in Barcelona at the moment enjoying a mini break, the city is a busy city and itis full of charm and has someamazing eating places. Last night we went out to look for somewhere to eat, it was drizzling and cold so we wrapped up warm and I put my sweedish style hat on, as we crossed Las Rambles a man looked at us and said "English?" and asked us to go to his bar...we declined. How the heck did he know we were Englsih?

Anyhoo we are having an amazing time exploring the back streets, finding little tapas bars and just chillin' out. This lunch time whilst at El Xampanyet a world famous Cava Bar, Mrs EB and I were enjoying some Tapas and Cava and my phone rings... a chap from Norway asked if he could buy a photo of mine taken whilst diving...yay I thought. We will see what happens.

It all ends so soon, be back home tomorrow

mini update

2009-03-01T22:11:00.004Z

It would seem I am a nerd, someone who likes and knows a little about computers, I have been playing with some .ico files on some websites I look after. The ico files are the little picture or letter you see next to the http web address like the B on a blogger page. I have been making some of these but without a box around them so you only see the letters. This has been a challenge, but I have managed it:-)) to see what I mean have a look here.

STOP PRESS!!!!

2009-02-27T15:32:00.004Z

Yay I am now Certified!!! I have passed my Health and Hygiene Catering Certificate. I can now cook at Church for Alpha, I am not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing for both parties involved LOL

Friday Update

2009-02-27T08:41:00.004Z

Wow 3 days without Facebook and I am still alive!!! I have been very busy designing a website for someone, so all of my time has been spent in Photoshop and Frontpage. If/When it gets approval I will post a link. After the Church meeting on Tuesday I spoke to Mission Team Leader and mentioned that I don't have a current Health and Hygiene Catering Certificate and would that be a problem as I am cooking a meal for Alpha in a few weeks???? We went and spoke to Church Administrator and he said aaaaah. So I need 4 hours uniterupted and click on the link he sent to me. I will try and do this, this afternoon after I finish vaccing and tidying before Mrs EB returns from London.
Monday is Mrs EB's 40th!!! so we have things happening this weekend and I am not sure of we will get time to go to The Robber Button... Shame :-(

Lent and Music

2009-02-25T10:06:00.006Z

We are now in Lent... a period of sacrifice before Easter. Traditionally a big feast before giving up Eggs and Dairy, I tend to give up something that I will find very hard to give up. In the past I have given up Alcohol (that wouldn't be problem the amount I drink now) Curry!!! that was a nightmare I can tell you, Chocolate, that had an awful backfire on me, on Easter Sunday Mrs EB bought me a huge Easter Egg I took a bite and found I had gone off Chocolate!!! So this year I have given up Facebook!!! not a drastic sacrifice some would say, but I tend to have it on the background and have 4 or 5 conversations going on all day long as I do various other things. So it will be quite quiet for me for the next 40 days. I am hoping it will give a chance to remember what Easter is all about, the biggest sacrifice of all.

I heard a programme on Radio 4 on my way back from a Church meeting last night on a new website called Spotify a new way of listening to music???? "yeah right", I thought, then I heard the guy talking about it and some record company moguls and I thought, "OK I'll give it a try," they said they have access to all the albums, you can listen for free..and get the odd 15" advert beween a few tracks or pay £10 a month for unlimited access and NO adverts!!!

So my tried and tested test is an Album called "Original Sin" by Pandora's Box an album that is just not available anywhere and is Jim Steinman's first ever work on Album , I believe it was aa demo of some tracks that have appeared on many other albums. over the past 30 years. It has it!!!! I was very impressed until I looked up Mike Oldfield...... only a couple of his works...there again it was only launched last week here in the UK.

an update

2009-02-19T09:33:00.005Z

I have been a little busy so no blogs sorry.

Last week I was here there any everywhere but didn't seem to achieve an awful lot. This week has been very different. The weekend started well, after Friday evening/night Mrs EB was singing at a celebration for 2 years great work by two friends who run support groups for Marriage, Marriage prep and divorced people called Foundations. We went to The Robber Button for the night, when we woke up the weather was good so we went out for our first proper trip of 2009, only a short trip to Tixall Wide, but it was just so nice to get out of the marina.

Sunday Mrs EB was singing at both services and I just enjoyed the services. Monday I asked my Dad if he would help me to sort out a couple of little problems on The Robber Button, I had fixed the leak on the Central heating but I wanted my dad, a retired Plumber to give it the once over, also I wanted him to use his power plainer to shave some wood off a plinth so we could fit a fly screen over our side hatch. This caused so much saw dust it is a joke and it will take forever to clear up. After that wonderful morning with Ronnie. I had to do our weekly shop (urghh). Tuesday was a day of meetings, I had a meeting with the Church Administrator to update me on a meeting I had missed in Mozambique. Then Team Leaders son asked I would do a further training session on Pro Tools with him, I enjoy those as he is very keen to learn and he has specific questions he wants to know answers too, or if I can set something up so he can then do something.

Yesterday I went to the Heart of the Black Country an amazing part of the West Midlands where they speak in their own dialect and it is often mimicked as a thick Brummie, it is wonderful and not dull and thick. Sorry...mini rant over. I went to give some I.T Support for a Christian Organisation, setting up a notebook and laptop and making sure that they were working and all the software was OK. I then went to sort the phones and two other PC's at the office, a very long but very rewarding day. and that is about it really.

Another week

2009-02-09T10:25:00.004Z

Well I seemed to have had a migraine most of last week...which was a real pain. I woke this morning and it still there, but it isn't as bad. We popped up to the boat on Saturday, that was brilliant. The marina was frozen solid. We grabbed mugs of hot coffee and had a walk around the basin. There is something so beautiful but sad about a frozen marina... Nothing can move and boats are made to move, but it so peaceful.

Anyhoo I spent a bit of time doing boat things, like checking the oil, the coolant/anti freeze, water levels and eating bacon sandwiches. We also programmed the heating to come on a 2nd time in the night as the weather forecast for this next week is awful, and we really dont want any sort of burst on-board.

Mrs EB was out on Saturday night so I had a chinese takeawy and really enjoyed it, I watched QI XD on BBC2 its an extra 10 minutes and it is extremely funny. Sunday morning I went to Church and felt awful, my migraine had returned and I just wanted to go to bed, my Mum and Dad had invited us out to lunch and we went to The Speckled Hen a brand new pub in Mere Green. It was a training day and we had a free meal, it was wonderful, but I really couldn't do it justice, but I did try my best.

When we got home I went to bed and stayed there for the rest of the day, and that really was my week... ho hum.

New Season of Torchwood

2009-02-06T10:27:00.007Z

The BBC has just released a new trailer for the upcoming season of Torchwood...Yay!!!!! This season will be on BBC 1 and each episode will be shorter than the 50 minutes of season's 1 & 2 ho humm but at least there will be a new series and then before we know it the next episode of Dr Who will be on at Easter.

Snow

2009-02-03T16:34:00.002Z

Snow... England has a bit of snow and yep it grinds to a halt?

The whole of London didn't work yesterday? The UK's capitol ground to a halt, no bus's the trains not running? I really don't understand. The rest of Europe has snow, Sweden has so much of the stuff they even make Ice Hotels...yet we grind to halt.

Now I can understand schools closing, hundreds of kids and snow can lead to broken legs, cold wet kids could lead to hypothermia, Teachers have enough to worry about as it is, and having less 4x4 mums on the road can only be a good thing. But London on shut down? I am sorry but that is just pathetic and what does it say to the rest of the World during a recession?

Sorry we can't cope........ leave a message after tone and once the snow, frost, rain, sunshine, wind has gone we will call you back.

A prayer from Celtic oral tradition

2009-02-01T12:27:00.004Z

As readers who follow me in the blogosphere regularly will know a few things about me. 1 being I am a committed Christian. I believe with a passion 2nd to none that God created the World and all within it, he sent his Son, Jesus to redeem our Sins and I am saved as I have accepted his love and try to follow him as best I can. I also love following blogs and down the side of all of my blogs (I have 3) you will see some of the blogs I follow. 1 such blog is from Media Chaplain (Tony Miles) who has a wonderful ministry. I have copied this prayer from his blog. This prayer really spoke to me this morning and I really believe it would sound amazing set to a piece of music and used in worship.

You are the peace of all things calm
You are the place to hide from harm
You are the light that shines in dark
You are the heart’s eternal spark
You are the door that’s open wide
You are the guest who waits inside
You are the stranger at the door
You are the calling of the poor
You are my Lord and with me still
You are my Love, keep me from ill
You are the light, the truth, the way
You are my Saviour this very day.

A prayer from Celtic oral tradition (1st millennium)

a quick update

2009-01-28T10:50:00.004Z

I have had quite a busy few days....

Saturday I spent at Church I was there from 10am until about 11:20pm. Geraldine Latty was performing a gospel evening (fantastic evening) and someone from Church needed to be there all day really. I offered as a member of the sound team, it sort of seemed obvious really. I knew a couple of the band and had a good time catching up. Church Administrator sorted out the Vineyards small lighting rig, which I put up, I also dug out the follow spot from another lighting rig that we borrow. All in all a great day and evening.

Sunday I was on sound...I needed a very strong coffee to get going in the morning...

Monday and Tuesday I have been doing a few bits for Cube...

An update

2009-01-22T20:37:00.002Z

Well the last few days have been a little hard, I have been quite nervous and on edge. Today I went into hospital and had a general anaesthetic while my nose was examined. My consultant Mr Trotter did tell me something that it was clear, but I don't fully remember what he said. I will have to wait a few weeks until I see him again.

We wont be going to the boat this weekend as it's our good friend Skip's birthday and he is having a birthday Balti on Friday and on Saturday I have to be at Church for 10:30am for a concert that is happening that night, and I am on sound Sunday.

Today a New World starts

2009-01-20T16:44:00.007Z

President Barack Obama

Today the World changes, today has been a long process, but one that I believe God will be smiling up on. Really it started with Rosa Louise Parks who is recognized as the "mother of the modern day civil rights movement" in America. Her refusal to surrender her seat to a white male passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama bus, December 1, 1955, triggered a wave of protest to December 5, 1955 that reverberated throughout the United States. Her quiet courageous act changed America, its view of black people and redirected the course of history.

Rosa Parks
Look who is in the background

Because of Rosa's brave stand and that of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Junior today Barack Obama will become the 1st Afro American President and 44th President of the United States of America. This is an amazing day and I pray that God will truly Bless, President Barack Obama, may God be with him and may God drive all of his decisions for the next 4 years.

I have high hopes today, a wonderful day that shouts in the face of evil and that of slavery and racism. The late Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks must be having a massive party in Heaven today....

Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Junior

HOW MUCH!!!!

2009-01-14T18:02:00.009Z

I don't normally care what someone earns or what someone is worth, usually the two never meet anyway, but today I am so annoyed with football. How can anyone be worth £90 million? it is obscene, But not just that oh no, plus £500,000 a week!!! a half of a Million pounds a week , that is £26 million a year salary!!!!!!!! COME ON, NO ONE IS WORTH THAT. Britain and the World are in a recession, thousands of people are losing their jobs everyday, firms, shops, factories are closing.... and Manchester City offer to pay that stupid mount of money for someone who kicks a ball around a field...It is just total bollocks..sorry about the language, but I am totally incensed... It is just so wrong. Maybe I am seeing things slightly differently having gone to Mozambique and seeing people living on nothing, catching the food they eat or not eating... I cannot see how Kaka can be worth that stupid amount of money for kicking a bloody football, I know he is a Christian and a he must be an excellent footballer, but £90million and a £26million salary, no way.

Another gripe I have with football is, I hate the way people bully each other, so called fans shout abuse at other footballers, especially if a footballer or manager should ever move team and that team should play his old team!!! he will be abused like no tomorrow... It is evil, if someone you loved moved work place and received that sort of abuse whilst he was at work I am sure something would be done about it.

I am sure in Heaven today tears have been shed for man's greed and total stupidity.

Monday update.

2009-01-12T15:16:00.003Z

Not an awful lot has been happening, I have been up to our boat The Robber Button a couple of times and I have now fixed the central heating, well I have got it going again. Yay woop woop woop we should now be able go and spend a few weekends on the boat again without freezing to death.

I have now set up a separate blog about my trip to Mozambique, I had received a couple of emails saying that people couldn't find the posts about the mission, as they have archived into last years postings. So I thought it best to just have a blog about the mission trip. This is now up and all working. Feel free to pass on the link to anyone you think would like to read it.

Avenue Q and Dr Who

2009-01-09T10:06:00.008Z

Avenue Q!!! what can I say. it is amazing, very funny, very rude in places, but it is an excellent show. Both Mrs EB and I laughed our socks off and really enjoyed the show. After the show we went to Soho for a Chinese, earlier in the day we had seen the ducks hanging in the windows and we both fancied some Crispy duck, the place we visited was wonderful the Duck was tasty, the Singapore noodles were hot and Mmmm and the seaweed just delicious.
London is one of those places, it is great to go and see and spend a day or so there but I would hate to live there. We spent the morning walking across Regents Park which was a great start to the day, after that we went to Harrods for lunch, they have a great seafood bar in the basement. I had the Deluxe Bullion and Mrs EB had fish and chips. We then spent time going around the food halls, both of us were tired and had very achy legs and headed back to the hotel for our luggaebag and headed for Euston.
We now know that the new Dr Who will be Matt Smith a relatively unknown actor, which will give him a big Mountain to climb, but the new head writer Stephen Moffet is a wonderful chap and he will not let Dr Who be a bad show. Anyhoo I spent a little time playing in my studio, I have the sound track from season 4. There was a piece of music that was written by Murray Gold called the Song of Freedom, it was use twice with a more pop feel the 2nd time in Saving the World, I have blogged about it before, anyhoo I have edited it all together to make a suite, added some video and stills...I hope you enjoy it.

New Starts for a New year

2009-01-02T10:10:00.004Z

The New Year is here and it a blank sheet, with a lot of mysteries around the corner, I like a New year it is a time for fresh starts and new beginnings. I will endeavour to be a better person and fail, but I will try. I will try to get a job, and I will try to spend more time praying and being a better Christian.... I have the best intentions but I am a week human and I guess I am doomed to fail, but I will try my hardest.

The New Year was celebrated with a few friends round at their house, it was a great night with a lot of laughter and just being relaxed and enjoying each others company. It was one of those nights where you just chat and have fun and the next thing you know it's 3:30 am..... So yesterday was just a day of resting for me. Mrs EB went to the cinema in the evening I just enjoyed watching TV and a new Jonathan Creek....worked out the bath thing as soon as they showed you the room!!! It was the only thing it could be. A great programme never the less. I also watch my favourite programme The Bill, a slow episode but a good one.

Mrs EB is off for four days after today and she is taking me to London on Monday to give me my Christmas present on Monday, which I am really looking forward too. Though she heard a track on her IPod the other day and it had a swear word in it!!! So it did shock her! I did say it was an adult show... LOL. Apart from that the world stays the same in my life at the moment. Health is still naff, I am still worried about my hospital appointment at the end of the month...I guess that's about it really.

A nice post for the end of the year

2008-12-31T13:02:00.004Z

I guess today is a day for looking back, and as I was looking back I started to think about when I was a young child and Sunday afternoons.
I loved Sunday afternoons, it was lazy time, as a family we would all watch TV if we weren't out with friends playing or things. We always had a nice tea of toast, jam, pate, crumpets, Jamaica ginger cake, blue ribbon biscuits and big mugs of hot sweet milky tea.(I think I would be sick if I tried to drink that now) But by far the best thing was, what was on TV, it was a programme that was made only a few miles away from our house, and I think became one of the worlds biggest TV programmes of the 1970's. The Muppet Show. Mrs EB and I have been fortunate enough to visit the mock up theatre at the MGM Studio's Florida and it is wonderful. I defy anyone to go and not laugh. The TV programme was actually made at the ATV Studio's at Aston Cross, Aston, Birmingham.

Anyhoo I was just looking on You Tube today and found what I think was one of the best sketches ever.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did then and now.

Happy New Year

English Blogger

Another day

2008-12-30T09:38:00.003Z

The New Year is almost up on us and I am thinking this year I may even make a New Years Resolution!!! I know, I never bother normally but I think 2009 I should do something. So I am going to try and eat a little healthier. I don't think Mrs EB and I eat badly, I do try and cook using fresh ingredients, even the Indian food I eat is not really that bad as they are all cooked fresh, yes they do use gee and that isn't really that good for you. I am thinking all around I would like try and eat a little healthier, so maybe I will lose a little of the spare tyre around my waste. When I was first diagnosed with Diabetes I cut sugar from my diet and I actually lost a little weight so I am guessing just by being a little careful I should lose some weight over the next year? who knows...

My health is awful at the moment, I am waking up feeling like I did a few years ago, the easiest way to describe it is like a massive hangover...well it can't be that as I haven't had any booze for a few days. So I am guessing it is the diabetes or a virus or something? anyhoo I hate feeling like this. I just would like to feel normal ..what ever that is.

That Was The Year That Was

2008-12-28T14:05:00.003Z

As 2008 comes a close and 2009 yawns and wakes up I thought now is a good time to think about the year and sum up what has happened.

The year started off well I was employed and I was sort of enjoying teaching in a Prison, I was using my knowledge of Radio and production and I was helping some guys who had made a few mistakes. Though it wasn't to last and in May I was made unemployed...

My health has been up and down this year, the worst thing about being diabetic is you are always aware that you have to look after your blood sugar, I don't make a martyr of my food intake I eat virtually everything. But this year I have learnt Chocolate gives me migraine, if I have too much sugar my body goes into a sort of sugar shock and it exits everything inside of me PDQ. I have also learnt to read how I feel, I don't really drink alcohol any more, the odd beer on a Sunday and the occasional glass of red wine at home and the odd brandy. I have found I get very tired quickly and I also get aching legs. Also health wise I have had a horrid blocked nose and sinus's for over a year, my Doctor has taken this seriously and I am now under a consultant and I am going into hospital in late January for the consultant to have a good look whilst I am under anaesthetic, not something I am looking forward to I have to say, but I am also tired of not being able to breathe.

I didn't get any diving in this year, money is very tight, also with my nose and breathing and blocked sinus's I can't dive. We did get some great trips out on The Robber Button We had a slightly wet trip up the Caldon Canal, and a few great weekends away with and without friends. I need to do some work on the boat over the next few weeks and we will be ready for some more trips out and about.

I have spent a lot of time at Church, doing the sound and getting involved doing various things, like going for a baked spud on a Friday at Friday diner. I was involved with the mission on Falcon Lodge, I videoed it and made a short film, I also did a little running around. I was involved in both cabaret's and really enjoyed both. They are very stressful and very tiring, the acts are always amazing and we are now growing with the technical side of things and all in all the are nights that just blow me away. They are a wonderful way of getting people into church in a safe and none cringey way.

The big highlight of the year was the Mission Trip to Mozambique I do not think in my wildest dreams I would be going to Mozambique this time last year., with the help of my wonderful friends and an amazing Church behind me I was able to go. I have blogged about this fully and all of my Blogs are in December and are labelled 1 to 7.

That sort of sums my up my year in brief, health not brilliant, but I am OK.I have some of the most amazing friends any person could ever want. I have a wife who I love dearly and by far my best friend and I am very happy and content. Yes I want a Job and I need to actually earn some money again, and I would like to feel better. Yes I would love a nice holiday away with Mrs EB, but that is just the icing on a already great cake.

Happy New Year.

Christmas Day

2008-12-26T09:58:00.009Z

I loved Christmas day, it started off with a wonderful service at Church, by far my favourite service of the year. Team leader always enjoys doing the service and that just rubs off all the way down. The general hubbub and and noise in the Church is just so exciting and as always the sermon was just spot on.

After Church we went to my parents for Christmas dinner, we got to their house at about 12:30 and my Dad took us to the Pub for a beer, we got home just about the right time, my Mum had made us a splendid dinner. In fact I think I ate a little too much!!! I know me? After dinner we settled into some chairs and watched a tiny bit of TV but I was getting a nasty headache, I didn't say anything, but we headed home. We got home and by the time we got home I felt awful and yes I had a fine old dose of Man Flu!!! urgh...I had some co-codamol, we got some drinks I lit coal fire and we settled down and opened our Presents, and what a wonderful lot of presents we had. We have the most generous friends. My big prezzie off Mrs EB is a trip to London to see Avenue Q, I am so looking forward to seeing this. It is a sort of adult Sesame Street for want of a better description. One of our friends bought us the Sound Track fr Christmas....as I write this blog in my Studio I am listening to it...it is brilliant.
So in early January we are off London for an over night stay a night at the theatre and a wonderful meal out.....Yay, woop, woop woop.

My good friend Baddog who has an amazing blog that I always enjoy reading posted an Amazing U2 Video and I have pinched that link to add to my Blog. One of my Favourite Christmas Songs is Greg Lake's "I believe in Father Christmas "(yes I know, how ironic). U2 have covered this in a way only U2 could.... please Enjoy this.

Father Santa Christmas

2008-12-23T17:19:00.004Z

I have strong views on a lot of things. I don't tend to sit on the fence. Since becoming a Christian I find the concept of Santa so wrong. There are many reasons... like we don't want children to talk to strangers, don't accept gifts from Strangers. Never let strangers in to your house. Then this total stranger with a false white beard in a stupid red smock (red because of Coke the Coke company not the drug) is supposed to sneak in to your house, and even in some cases into the child's bedroom and leave some presents. I am sorry but that is so wrong!!!! Anyway here is the proof he no longer exists look he is dead. Christmas is about the birth of Christ, it isn't about consumerism and Santa (an anagram of Satan). Christmas is nothing to do with being good or bad and an old guy with a white beard keeping a list. Christmas is about Mankind's salvation and the birth of God Incarnate as Man. I buy gifts and I receive gifts for Christmas, in fact I love Christmas, it's a wonderful amazing time of the year. I really don't get why parents especially Christian parents keep up the awful pretence of Father Christmas.

Lets please keep Christ in Christmas.

Phewwww and now rest

2008-12-22T11:54:00.003Z

That was a frantic few days...and boy am I tired.

Wednesday evening saw the technical rehearsal for the Christmas Cabaret, Thursday was the rehearsal for the Carol Service. Friday was the first night of the Cabaret, that was a fantastic evening, we had a few tiny problems, the biggest being that most of the cast has colds and sore throats!!! Each act was amazing though. Saturday morning was the technical rehearsal for Sunday Morning's young children's service. Saturday night was the full blown Christmas Cabaret, and what a night by far the best show we have put on, the quality of the acts were just brilliant, each act put 100% into it. Technically I thick we did a top job, over the years we have done a few shows and each one we try to improve on the show. I don't think anyone who came to either show could say they had not seen a show that was not 100% profesional, food that was 2nd to none and not had a great evening.

Sunday morning the young children did their production, called "Stable Manners" it was just fantastic, I laughed and really enjoyed the kids being just kids and really going for it. They all coped really well and the main 5 characters coped so well with the headset mics. Sunday evening was the carol service, and that was so beautiful, Mrs EB's solo was just wonderful and AmyandAmiability's solo was a treat and sounded so fanatsic. But I do have to say I am spent, my brain is all fluffy and my ears are shot.

What is Christmas? Well it's not Xmas!!!

2008-12-19T10:19:00.006Z

It is Christmas, perhaps the best time to share faith, everyone talks about what they hope to receive as a Christmas present. A couple of year ago at a radio station I was working at someone had sent me an email saying Happy Xmas, I email them back saying I actually found that offensive!!! and explained that I like to keep Christ in Christmas, I was a Christian and that taking Christ out of Christmas was offensive. They emailed me back saying sorry, but it's only a phrase and everybody does it. I said thank you for the apology, but I didn't do it...

I really do hate Merry Xmas I think it sums up the World we live in, we have taken Christ out of it. Christmas has become all about consumerism and spending money, getting drunk, fighting and not about what Christmas is all about. "The Mass of Christ" I do not celebrate Mass, I am not a Catholic, but I do celebrate the Birth of Christ, and I will sing Christmas Carols at my Church on Christmas Morning. We will sing the 6th Verse of "O Come all ye Faithful" that is usually only sung on Christmas morning.

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be the glory giv'n;
Word of the Father,
Now in the flesh appearing,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Christmas is a wonderful time to talk about Faith. I am not a hard hitting evangelist, I don't smack people with theology or condemn people for the way they live, but I do believe in inviting people to The Carol Service, or a special service. I try to live my life in a good way and share the Love of Jesus, hopefully through my actions as well as my words, OK, I know I am not always very good at it, in fact I am pretty lousy at it, but I do try, and that is what matters, as God knows what is in my Heart.

Over the next week Christmas will come and go, Millions if not Billions of Pounds will be spent, millions of gallons of booze will be consumed and hangovers will had, arguments will escalate, and people will be hurt physically and mentally. Just over two thousand years ago in a town in the Middle East a baby was born in the poorest of conditions to a young girl and young man. He would grow to become a carpenter and then a Rabbi. That Rabbi would preach sermons that some would listen too, he would heal the sick, raise people from the dead, he would walk on water. He would be crucified and die for being a Good Man, and on the third day he would be raised from the dead by his Father and over five thousand people would see this miracle over the next weeks. Every sin of man can be carried on his shoulders. They can only be placed there by the sinner themselves, no one else can put them there, no priest, vicar, minister or Pope, only the sinner. Christ will gladly take them and he will forgive each one of us, but there is a clause it is not Santa it is WE MUST ASK FOR FORGIVENESS and accept him into our hearts.

By far the best Christmas Present of all.

2008-12-17T13:33:00.003Z

So what's happening in my life now I am back in UK. well I am still looking for a job, not the greatest time to be looking. I am feeling quite ill, I have a nasal infection (saw a doctor at the local hospital at a ENT clinic, he said woooo that is really badly infected, we need to have a proper look inside) I am guessing this why I feel so tired and headachey all the time? and I guess I will be going in to hospital as a day patient soon.

At Church we are in full blown mode at the moment, we have two Cabaret performances Friday and Saturday night, tonight is the rehearsal for the Carol Service on Sunday, Thursday is the technical rehearsal for Friday, then Saturday Morning is the Technical Rehearsal for Sunday Mornings Youth Service. So all in all a very busy time especially for Mrs English Blogger as she is doing a full time job on top of everything else.

We are having the odd problem with The Robber Button and I just haven't the energy to go over and look at fixing a few bits ad bobs that need sorting. I will be putting the Christmas tree up soon, I went and fetched it out of the loft this morning along with all of our decorations... I have been watching a bit of TV, I read a Rebus novel on the Mission and I am now enjoying the TV show, it's on the Channel Alibi on Saturday night. Well that's about it really.

Mozambique Mission Part 7 (Nampula and Johannesburg & Soweto)

2008-12-13T11:19:00.022Z

We arrived back at the Missionary Organisation Campus in Nampula late afternoon, it was wonderful to be back, I was again in the man's house and we had running water and a flushing loo !!!..yay. Though a slight problem we had was; that the shower was either on boiling hot or cold, there was no happy medium, but having a shower that actually works was just so nice. It was American Independence Day and the guys at the Organisation had made us an amazing meal of BBQ chicken, rice and coleslaw, a couple of amazing desserts and bottles of Fanta and Coke. It was just a wonderful meal and a great time of fun and laughter. Back at the men's house, Mr C, Dr S and myself had an evening of reading and laughter... it was one of those nights, Dr S started to laugh and no one could then stop laughing, an evening that will last in my memory for a long time. J had made a visa for each of us, taking the micky out of the Mozambique Immigration Office... I didn't pack my copy just in case it caused problems later... like at Mozambique Immigration whilst trying to leave Mozambique..lol

In Johannesburg R & R met us and it was like seeing old friends, and I guess they are now. They took us home and we had a wonderful tea, it was Piri-Piri Chicken from Nandos !!!! yay!!!woop woop woop. It was wonderful, absolutely fantastic...Mmmmm it was a feast for any ones eyes. The four of us guys Mr C, Dr S, Camerman and I were stopping in a guesthouse as were the girls and Mr and Mrs Teamleader but they were in a different one. I got into my room, a power shower, a flushing loo, and a TV plus a huge double bed with fluffy pillows.... It is amazing, I never missed any of that stuff, but once you have it again it is so nice. I showered and then spent 20 minutes getting rid of 3 huge flying beetles out of my room, then got into bed to find I had disturbed yet anther one!!! got him out of my room and watched 5 minutes of TV to find it loud and annoying and I hadn't missed that at all. I Turned over to find my alarm beeping to tell me it was breakfast time!!! I then had a call from Mr R to say he would be collecting us in 30 minutes!!! eeeek, I rushed to the breakfast room to get some wonderful bacon and eggs...told camerman he would need to be packed up in 25 minutes...he left toot-sweet to pack. LOL he always made me laugh, he always took so long to do things.

Anyhoo we all jumped in Mr R's car and were taken to the lady's guest house to get on the mini-coach for our tour. This tour was totally mind blowing, we had a history of South Africa and Johannesburg and the Gold Mines, we went to Soweto and the Apartheid Museum... I will never understand racism? the colour of someones skin makes people different, how? Robert Mugabe needs to learn this, he is so anti white it is evil.

There must over 600 bricks each one marks someone who died in the anti-apartheid struggle at the Hector Pieterson Museum.

There are a million things wrong with South Africa, but it is really trying to sort things out. The biggest problem I can see is the problem between the haves and have not's, this means anyone with anything has to protect it by guns and barbed wire fences...not nice. This also makes it the most violent country in the World, Johannesburg is the car jacking and murder capitol of the world... I have to say we were all OK and didn't see anything happen.

We visited two museum's the first was the Hector Pieterson Museum, Hector was young boy 13 years old when he was shot in 1976 by the police and was one of the catalysts for the end of Apartheid, a martyr so to speak. Even though it would be another 28 years for this to happen.

We then went to lunch, at Wandies restaurant it's supposed to be really famous and is in Soweto, Richard Branson has eaten there and loads of other people... oh well, food was OK, but nothing to write home about.

After that we went past Bishop Desmond Tutu's house, couldn't see it as it has high walls and razor wire around it...like any other house in Johannesburg. So we saw a white wall really ho humm.

The Apartheid Museum was a museum everyone should see once in their lives really, it shows what man can be like if he lets evil take over his life. Hitler did and look what happened, well this happened in my lifetime in South Africa. I fear it will keep happening in one form or another....Zimbabwe, lots of Eastern European Countries, India, Thailand various South American countries, will we never learn? God made man and woman in his image, black, white, red....what ever colour or sex we are, we are equal in Gods eyes and that is good enough me.

The South African Bill of Rights

A Poster of Nelson Mandela outside The Apartheid Museum

The wonderful Mr & Mrs R

After a wonderful day in Johannesburg we went back to Mrs & Mrs R's for tea, melon and a wash and brush up. Mr and Mrs R are the masters of hospitality and I love them to bits. I could never thank them enough for their warm and genuine welcome and opening up their home to all of us.

Well that is about it really, my Mission Trip to Mozambique, 16 days at times it was hard emotionally and hard on the body, but I have fallen in love with Angoche, it is so beautiful and genuine. I have met some amazing people, spent time with a wonderful team of people, Most of all I have learnt a little about what 4 brave and diligent people have done over 12 years, I am so proud and in total awe of them all. I think I have learnt so much and I think I will be spending the next few months mulling over everything I have seen and been a part of.

Mozambique Mission part 6

2008-12-12T11:25:00.004Z

This is by far the hardest post of the Mission Trip posts, my thoughts and musings about what I have learnt and taken away from the trip. Angoche is a poor town, I don't mean I can't afford those new Nike trainers poor, I mean hand to mouth poor, so poor that people sometimes cannot afford to eat. Angoche is a town that was once a really splendid town and a town that was once very rich before the Portuguese left and before war. But now it's a tired town, but it is also a beautiful town and a safe town. A town were Children can run around bare foot and play all day long. There are hardly any cars a few motor bikes and lots of pushbikes.

There is a gentleness about Angoche that you would never see here in England, it will take years for that horrid must buy, buy, buy, must have consumerism to catch up, if it ever does. I guess to have that they would need money, and in a way I hope they don't get it, as I like seeing kids playing in the streets being children, though I do wish they were at school at least some of the time. I am not saying the people of Angoche are happy, they are not, but there is a peace from not having to fight to get the latest Wii or PS3 for the kids or the latest BMW or Prada handbag. I saw a little boy playing with a flattened drinks carton with 4 big seeds in each corner pulling it on a string. It was a crude car, he was quite contented. It brought a tear to my eye, not for him, but for me.

I think being there and sharing with the Churches in Angoche spending time with a wonderful team of friends from my Church has shown me that I need to listen to God more. Being in a church and not understanding I spent time listening, I heard God talking through things; seeing someone get a book of God in their own language and hugging it. Having someone serve you by poring a jug of water over a bowl and washing your hands is just so powerful, as Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, these men washed our hands. Catching a Dow a basic wooden boat that hasn't changed in thousands of years and was probably similar to the boat that Simon Peter fished from, the sort of boat that Jesus walked out too. These things spoke to me in a way I have never had before. I was left unable to control my emotions on a few occasions but I didn't really care, I know God was working on me. I don't know yet what he was saying, I need to wait upon God and listen.....see I am learning.

I was part of a team an amazing team, we all bought along our own strengths and weaknesses and it isn't for me to point any of these out about the team. I will say that Mr & Mrs Teamleader did an amazing job, I think a large part of the success of the mission was due to them. and the way they served the team. I enjoyed my time with each member of the team our chats, our evening Devotion's, each night lead by a different member of the team, and each night was just fantastic. I believe I have grown as a person on this trip with the help of this amazing group of people.

One day on the Mission, it was Missionary Man's birthday and to celebrate this an evening meal out was organised, Missionary Girl did this at a restaurant, she pre-ordered the food and it was an amazing buffet of chicken, fish, king prawns, chips!! and Coconut rice. I was blown away by that evening, the food was excellent and it was just a wonderful night, one that I will remember for many years.I am trying to think of all of the emotions I felt during my time there. I had so many things going on in my head I at times I found it hard to cope. I saw things I didn't want to see and felt things I didn't want to feel. Seeing young children with rickets in ripped clothes and hungry it hurts, it cuts really deep, I wanted to hold the child, make everything better for him, but that wasn't why I was there and if I tried, it would cause so many problems.

As Missionary Man said it was all about how we were perceived, so we couldn't go out to one of the small bars and have a quiet ice cold beer. We were a large group of white people, and that caused us to be a crowd puller, we had people outside our house watching us most of the time, I really didn't like that, I felt like I was a goldfish in a bowl and as Missionary Man said whatever we did would be common news around the town within a very short time. So if I went for a beer it would be perceived that we were all drunks, people go to bars to get drunk....that is the perception. So whenever we were on show, which was anytime we were outside of the houses, we had to be on our best behaviour, and as anyone who knows me that isn't always my best trait....but I managed. Though I have to say when it was so hot and so humid a ice cold beer would have been very welcome on more than one occasion. So helping one child would have meant helping every child.... and that wasn't possible, so I would pray for them, it was all I could do at that time.

In our house as I mentioned in an earlier post we had Assani, he was amazing. We would go out, leave our dirty clothes in the bathroom on our return they would be washed, ironed and waiting for us. He would cook us a meal on our off days. He wouldn't use the stove, oh no. Assani would cook via a charcoal burner, and boy could he cook, it always tasted amazing. Assani will be working for a couple who have come from The Mission Centre for a year to help with discipleship, he will be looking after them and will be earning a wage. I know they will be so happy with Assani he really is an amazing guy.

One thing I will never forget are the smells!!! when you live a subsistence existence you can be forgiven for not buying deodorant and I guess if you are really busy you may not wash your clothes. Body Oder is a big thing there or I guess it isn't a big thing, but you can certainly smell people coming.

It wasn't all hard work, we had some great times just being friends and enjoying each others company, one of my favourite times was when we went to the beach, white talcum power beaches with warm Indian Ocean Seas it was just wonderful and relaxing and some great fun swimming and just walking along the sands and letting the mind wander.

One thing about being in Angoche is I don't think I have ever had such dirty feet in my life and I am sure I still have mud and dirt under my toenails, I don't think I have ever had a shower got dressed and needed a shower again so quickly. I also have never felt so hot and so laid back about so many things either. I am guessing as the weeks move on I will feel different and then as weeks turn into months a lot of this will change and I guess I will go back to normal? I want to keep some of this "special feeling" that is one of the reasons for these blogs.

As long time readers of my blog will know I blogged most days after Matt and Chris's accident, this helped me to deal with everything, the feelings, the anger, the grief. So I am hoping in the future I can look back at these blogs and remember how I felt, remember those amazing things I did, the boat rides, the services, the people I met, the food I ate and most of all how God made me feel. I had some amazing times on this Mission, my last post on the trip will be about the last few days of our trip back to The Mission Centre and Johannesburg. In this post I am trying to reflect on the time I spent in Angoche. One thought I did have was, I wonder if this is the pace of life in Britain a few years ago, before the rat race. Though I doubt even Britain was that slow, everything is at a slow pace for a reason, it's so hot you can't do it any quicker.

I will finish this off by saying; Seeing God working through what Missionary Man and Lady have done has been one of the most amazing times of my life. I have a million memories and it is going to take a lot of time to actually sort through everything, so I guess there maybe another post or two about my feelings and how this mission has affected me, who knows? I would like to thank everyone who made it possible for me to go on the mission, those that prayed for me and those that bought the CD and those that gave so generously of time, talent and money, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Mozambique Mission Part 5 (2 Dedications and a Translation Office)

2008-12-11T11:33:00.018Z

The next dedication was in Angoche itself so didn't require a mega early start, though with it getting light at 3:30am we tended to wake early anyway. The area was called Inguri and again this was outside under a Cashew nut tree. The service was slightly different this time with some drama and a Choir singing for us. The one big difference this time we were next to a water pump well. I managed to move after a short while of sitting on the floor and sat on a small wall by the well and did end up missing a few bits due to the noise of buckets being filled.

The Choir of Ladies singing the Worship

Missionary Man handing over Kithaapu to Jose

Missionary Man playing a Video message from Missionary Lady to the Church at Inguri

Me sat at the well listening to either a sermon or a bucket being filled

The following day was a free day and we did a few things one of them being a hospital visit, I decided not do that and had a slow start to the day along with Mr C and Cameraman. We arranged to meet the team at a certain time at the Church house building in Down Town Angoche. Well that time came and went...I kept forgetting Africa time and Missionary Man was great at keeping Africa time ;-) Anyhoo we were meeting there as The Missionary Organisation are now using a room there as a translation Office and Missionary Man was taking some of his books there for the library, and he thought it would be good for us to see where it will all be happening from now on. Also whilst we were there Dr S joined us!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay.

With Jose taking in some books for the new Translation Office

Sorting the Books for the Library

Happy that Dr S has joined us.

The last dedication was again on an Island and involved and early morning boat ride this the team were split up as it would be on two smaller Dow's. We headed off for Nyaluki at 6am I believe. There wasn't much wind and the tide was very low and our Dow did ground once or twice on very shallow sand banks. I spent quite a lot of this time with my IPod on just reflect on what I had taken in so far. I was also preparing myself to share my testimony. I had spent time over the last few days rewriting what I wanted to say to fit into 5 minutes (including translation) and also to be relevant to the Church and the people there.

The other Dow

So when we moored up at a beach...a quite smelly and muddy beach at that , and then we had a walk.....oh boy what a walk! it must have been a good couple of miles clear across the Island. I haven't really mentioned this before but now is a good time. These are Islands and they are very beautiful but they don't really have plumbing, the villages will have a well or two and that is about it. So trying to find a flushing toilet on the island would be like trying to find teeth on the feral chickens. What the Villagers tend to do is wait for the tide to be out, pop over to the mangroves do what needs to be done and let the tide flush it all away later.

So we had a very interesting and smelly walk through the low tide Mangroves to the first Village, then through that village across to the other side of the island to the other Village. It was so good to arrive there, I was so hot and shattered, walking in the heat and humidity was so exhausting. We were shown into the Church. Most of the Village and a lot of other people were gathering under the temporary gazebo Church not far away. When we got into the Church we were greeted with a wonderful Green Coconut each...I don't think I have ever wanted anything so much as the man with the machete opened my Coconut, it was amazing and so refreshing. We waited in the Church for about 20 minutes or so and then we were called over to the Church.

The Church at Nyaluki

The service followed the usual format for the services of Tarikki ya Hakki so we were introduced and then others were introduced. People had come far and wide and some will have travelled for a maybe even a few days!!! It is so humbling to think that people wanted and needed to come to all of these dedication services. We then had a time of Worship, listening and worshipping I was getting used to some of the songs and I was joining in, I really hope that wasn't videoed ......

After a short time I was asked to give my testimony, I think this was one of the scariest and most amazing things. I would say a sentence or two, this would be translated into Portuguese and then into Koti. I believe that it went well and will have spoken to at least one person. After I had spoken Mrs Administrator and Dr S both spoke and both were wonderful. We then had four Sermons, and prayer. Then we asked if the Church would pray for us on our journey home. The Church did this and it was mind blowing, one of the team described it as a Typhoon of prayer swirling around us.... It did make my eyes leak again. But what else would expect from me?

Jose bringing one of the Sermons

3 leaders from one of the Churches with their new Kithaarpu's!!!

After the service we then went into the Church for dinner, this one was different!!! Coconut Rice, Beans and Prawns and it was a magnificent meal. Again this was started off with the washing of hands. It is such a simple act but probably spoke to me the most.

Leaving the Church our Fan Club

After the meal we headed back to the boats, they had been able to move around the island as the tide had come up. This meant we didn't need to walk for miles, just a few hundred yards, as you can see from the photo it was still very muddy. I think I still have mud under my toe nails!!!!!

Getting on the boats on a very muddy beach

And that was all of our Dedication Services all over and done with, I think the impact of Kithaapu will not be known for several years. I feel very privileged to have been a very small part of the dedication services and being able to see what Missionary Man and Missionary lady and their family have been involved in for the past twelve years.

My Next blog will be a surmise of some my thoughts and what I think I will have taken away from the Mission Trip.

Mozambique Mission Part 4 (8 weddings and a boat trip)

2008-12-10T09:23:00.017Z

The next dedication was just amazing. We had to be up very early 4 a.m!!!! and walk to the harbour beach to catch a Dow at 5 a.m to an Island called Khelelene (pron Keya-laynee). The boat trip was 3 hours which I loved every second of. We sailed past Islands that could have been in Bounty adverts, I dipped my hand in the sea and it was as warm as a cool bath.

On some of the little islands there would be guys fishing with big nets catching everything they could, these nets would be so heavy when they were pulling them in it would make you wonder if they ever would pull them in.

When we arrived at Khelelene there was a shortish walk to a rest area a small gazebo like area they had built for us. we were then invited into the Church where one of the best things I have ever tasted was waiting for us.

The Church on Khelelene

Fresh green Coconuts!!! I have had a coconut before, they are brown and sometimes they have a little milk inside... naaa. Fresh green Coconuts taste nothing like that. The milk inside is clear and just has a hint of a coconut flavour to it, but they do taste slightly fizzy!!! and it is so refreshing!!! I have never tasted anything like it in my life. God knew what he was doing creating the Coconut. As Ray Mears the survivalist says...If I was ever marooned on an Island with Coconuts I could last forever. The tree gives you... Food, shelter and the best drink ever.

Cutting open our Coconuts for the best drink ever.

Enjoying God's Bounty!!!! without the chocolate.

After a break and time to collect our thoughts we were taken on a small tour of the island and to the beach. We were followed by loads of Children who it seemed were mesmerised by us. They would hold our hands and keep looking at us smiling, it was just wonderful. When we got to the beach I was taken with how beautiful the Island was and how perfect it seemed, I said to Missionary Man that the island was Paradise, to which he replied, Yes if you don't have to live here. Which was very true.

Some of the Children who had followed us to the beach playing in the sand.

A fisherman showing us his catch

Some of the fish caught drying in the sand, if only I could of bottled the smell!!!!

Again this island is a fishing Island and as we headed back to the Church we would come across area's of fish drying in the sun, you could smell them way before you ever saw them!!! We walked back by what must be the High Street!!! half a dozen or so houses with produce outside for sale Mango's, Rice, this root that is mashed up into a porridge that has no taste or nutrients but fills you up, clothes and this shop that even had Haribo!!! Julia you could live here!!!!

A General Store that even had Haribo!!!

As we were walking back to the Church we passed a slightly larger hut that even had a satellite dish next to it, it was a cinema and had a couple of posters up advertising films!! both were the violent types like Fight Club!!! Just before the Church we walked past a small hut and the little boy who was holding Mr Administrator's hand mimed getting drunk and said no and pointed to the Church!!! Then he mimed smoking a Joint and did the same...obviously what goes on that little hut come pub...but at least this little chap of about 8 new it's wrong to get drunk and high....

The service was again just amazing and it left me emotional and totally drained, it is just amazing that during most of the services I didn't really understand the words but I knew what was being said. I can see God working and feel that he is changing the lives of the Koti. Whilst the service was going on a little girl sat near me and would inch her way closer, eventually she got close enough and got up the courage and touched my arm where I have a tattoo and rubbed it gently with her finger then looked at her finger to see if it had come off. I couldn't help but smile.

After the service and a wonderful meal, the same sort of meal we had before Chicken, Beans and Coconut Rice, we had 20 minutes to refresh ourselves before we headed back to the beach to catch our Dow back to the mainland. I looked up at a Coconut tree and there was this little boy maybe about 8 years old, standing happy as anything a good 20 feet up at the top.

The Dow trip back was a little more exciting the wind had got up a little bit and this made the boat rock a little. I thought this wonderful, a few of the team didn't really like it, which is understandable. As we got closer to the beach the boat needed to cross the waves and of course this made the boat rock a lot....Yay I thought, it's like a fair ground ride. I don't think everyone agreed with me.

The next big thing we did was head inland early one morning to attend a wedding, this wasn't a Koti wedding but a Macau Wedding, Macau in an area a little further inland. It was a wonderful honour to be invited to a wedding and I was very excited to attend. It took quite a while to arrive at the wedding because the truck we had borrowed belonged to the shop we had earlier purchased the cokes from and changed our Dollars to the local currency at. Well, he wanted us to deliver some corrugated zinc roofing in exchange for the use of his truck. This involved a trip up a wonderful dirt track to a house nearly finished. We all thought ohh a Church with no roof!!! I hope I have enough sunscreen on. Everyone got off the back of the truck the roofing was removed and everyone got back on and we headed back down this track. It was so funny, as no one knew what was happening.

On the way back down this track I saw a Mongoose!!! Yay I saw some real African wildlife. It took probably another 30 or so minutes to arrive at the wedding, and an area had been saved for us at the front in the shade under a Cashew Nut tree, that was shedding cashew nuts, one landed on my head!!! and it hurt. There were a few sermons 5 I think and Missionary Man did 2 of them, the 2nd one was due to a misunderstanding about a passage and he cleared up what was being said. (Paul and it's better not to marry, Missionary Man explained the context and all was OK)

Sitting under a Cashew Nut Tree (sorry I am yawning) (yes I am in Mrs EB's trousers)

We then went through 8 Marriage ceremonies!!! I know but it was just amazing and wonderful 8 couples wanting to stand up in front of a entire village and say we believe in Christ and want to marry and promise to stay faithful to each other and God. In these Muslim Villages and the culture of many wives and divorce, it is an amazing and brilliant thing. Though affection is not really shown, after the vows (supplied by our Church's previous Minister using the book of common Prayer, the; to have and hold, richer or poorer) The couple give each other a small piece of wedding cake and then some mango juice, wipe each other face and then kiss...well a peck on the cheek. Then it's a big cheer and you then give them a present, usually a small gift, and most people do give them a present, some sweets, a small amount of cash, fizzy pop, a head scarf etc. After the amazing weddings we went to the Church and were given a wonderful meal of Chicken, beans and Coconut Rice and then someone came in with some wedding cake for us. It was possibly the best and longest wedding I have been too, unless of course I was at your wedding and then that was the best wedding.

The next post the last two dedications.

Mozambique Mission Part 3 (A few Problems and what we did on some of the Rest Days, rest days indeed)

2008-12-09T17:08:00.016Z

On the Mission we did have a few problems, most were concerning health and the heat, I had a migraine one day, that took me out of action. I sent out a txt to Mission Team Leader back at home and I was prayed for and it had lifted by the evening!!! A couple of others had upset tums and were taken out of action for the odd day but over all we all did very well.

The other problem we had was after the first dedication we were all full of the joys of an amazing day. After we arrived back at the men's house (there were a lot of us as about 6 or 7 extra people had arrived from The Organisation to join in the dedication) we were visited by the Police and immigration. Obviously we all kept a low profile and let Missionary Man + J deal with this. There was a lot of talking at the front of the house, a couple of armed police kept their eye on everything. Missionary Man and J would update us and say things like...well they want to check our passports and visa's, then, what the man from immigration really wants is a bribe!!! There was no way we would pay him a bribe so, things got a little worse. He wanted all passport numbers, names and visa numbers. J started to write these out for him then he said no, no, no I want everyone to come down to the Immigration Office with Passports.

So off we all walked. There will have been 20+ people all standing in his office, the armed Police waiting over the road with an eye on us. And one by one we had our passports and visa's checked, well the team from the Mission Organisation couldn't have theirs checked as they didn't have them with them... and Missionary Man hadn't had his passport stamped at immigration, he had given in his passport along with Missionary Girl and Boys and they hadn't stamped his passport. This was a big problem or so the Immigration Officer said. Missionary Man would have to go back to Nampula and try and sort it out. J would stay with us and Missionary man and Missionary Boy along with the Mission Organisation team would go to Immigration in Nampula.

Missionary Man's passport should have been stamped when he entered Mozambique, but they hadn't done this. This is a way of generating some money as they charge you $50 a day for not having it stamped!!! Well Missionary Man spent a very frustrating morning in Nampula, the Immigration man had caused himself a whole heap of problems!! when they got to Nampula and the Organisation team arrived with their passports all sorted with the right Visa's his boss was not well pleased and told him so. Mozambique are trying to encourage tourism and this was a real spanner in the works. Anyhoo Missionary Man couldn't get it sorted so J told him to come back and see what happens at the Airport. (Guess what? he left Mozambique without any problems at all, the Power of Prayer is amazing)

We all felt a little deflated and attacked back at the Men's house. I made us all some Homemade Soup for out tea, a hearty soup with loads of fresh vegetables. After Tea I lead the devotions I felt it was a good thing to debrief about the day in full. I started off by reading from John and the washing of the Disciples feet. Then said how I been so affected by this service, the washing of our Hands, the food and how I felt we had helped lay a massive foundation stone for the Church in Angoche, and if we do that Satan would be really cheesed off and we should expect to be attacked and this really felt demonic. As a group we had a great discussion and a wonderful time of Prayer and reclaiming of the day for God.

The day after the dedication was a rest day. I had a walk up to the shopping centre or Down Town Angoche ..... well this is an amazing thing. I think there are about 12 shops all selling virtually the same thing. I walked down to the town with Mr and Mrs Administrator he was buying some provisions for the team, cokes and other bits and bobs.

Mr & Mrs Administrator buying things in one of the shops in Down Town Angoche

I thought I would have a look at what was available....not a lot to be honest. As I have said Angoche is really a subsistence town so I guess there is no point stocking trinkets and nick-knacks that wouldn't sell in a month of Sundays. But there again in one shop window there was a clutch from a Morris Minor? I think there must be 30 cars in Angoche and not one of them is a Morris Minor.

Rush Hour Down Town Angoche

With Pipi in the shopping centre of Angoche

So we had a few rest days, on one of these I went to the market with Missionary Girl, the market is a wonderfully colourful place full of colours, smells (some not so nice) people and dust. I went with Missionary Girl as she can speak Portuguese and would help me buy some Kapulana's (a wrap worn by ladies) I wanted some as gifts. Missionary Man asked us not to take any photo's of the market as it a Muslim area and it may cause some problems. So I don't have any photo's from there.

In the Men's House we had a house man called Assani, Assani was Mr & Mrs Missionary Man's House Man. And as Mr Missionary Man said he is a golden find; he is honest and a very hard worker. He will look for work, he would do our washing, ironing, if the water was off he would walk to the Girls House and fetch water.... and he would cook a meal for us on the rest days. This is a photo of him cooking for us. He is an amazing cook

Assani Cooking us a wonderful meal

Now when I am away on I usually keep my head shaved, it saves time and its so easy to keep tidy, well don't let Missionary Girl and Mrs G loose with your razor........

The Men's unlike the Girls house only had Water for part of the day, also the Girls house had Air-con in the bedrooms...we didn't. I had a fan in my room that was louder than an aircraft taking off, which is more than Mr and Mrs Administrator had in their bedroom. A shower usually consisted of.... Standing in the bath next to a large container of water with a Jug, poor a jug of cold (well luke warm) over your head, this felt wonderful as by then I was boiling hot. Then washing yourself down, get another Jug of water and poor away. 1 shower completed, the toilet cistern needed to be filled the same way after use.

More about Dedications and 8 weddings in my next posting.

Mozabique Mission post 2

2008-12-08T10:18:00.019Z

We arrived hot, sweaty and very dusty in Angoche, though the others in the other cars obviously had air-con so felt cool and relaxed!!! Our first view of Angoche thanks to John were of the harbour...Angoche used to be the Worlds exporter of Cashew Nuts, until a virus hit the trees and the factories went bust. There are about a dozen boats moored up at the harbour...they never moved when we were there.

Angoche is now a subsistence town, people fish, sell the fish so they can survive if they don't sell the fish they eat the fish. Obviously this isn't everyone but it does seem to count for a lot of the people especially on the islands. Some will be farmers, goats and chickens seem to be feral but will belong some people, how they can tell who's are who's is a thing I have wondered about as they have no markings or tags?

Anyhooo back to my Mission Trip. The next morning we were up at 5am!!! I know arghhhh.....But as it gets light at about 3:30am and when it gets light it gets even hotter you tend to wake early. This was the first dedication and was on the mainland It was about 25 minutes away near the beach. The village was called Thamoole (pron Tamooley). This dedication affected me the most, it was biggest culture shock I guess.

Arriving at the village I was blown away buy how simple the village was, grass and mud huts, children looking after children. Then I heard the singing coming from the Church, it was beautiful. We weren't actually having the dedication service in the Church as the Church would not be big enough, so they had erected a temporary Church for this occasion.

In the Church, after taking our shoes off!!! Chris had forgotten tell us this little gem, they had found us some chairs (that wouldn't happen again!!)

We were all introduced, then all of the other visitors were introduced, people from other Churches, from different districts etc. This was just wonderful and would mean so much more after a few more dedication services to see how far some of these fellow Christians had actually travelled!!!!

we then went into a time of worship, I was moved to complete speechlessness!!! I know me... this lasted for about 30-50 minutes??? not really sure (the worship not my speechlessness) Then 3 of the team gave testimony or a prepared sermon, then the dedication of Kithaarpu, then 4 sermons, then communion, communion was really special, unless I could hear a translation of what was going I was a little lost sometimes, but having communion was a united Christian act. Then we had a little worship, then prayer, lunch was prayed for and then the service was over. During the sermons, Ian asked if I would fetch the water container he had in his car.... I was passed the keys and off I went, and burnt my feet in the sand I ran back...to much laughter from some children sat in shade outside. Put on my shoes and fetched the water.

Water was the largest part of our lives. The house we were in only had running water from about 5am to 5pm. That water was brown and needed to filtered so water so we could drink it!!! in the heat and humidity of Mozambique you needed a lot of water, and coke (isotonic drinks replace the salts and sugars lost) We also needed to wash.... There were two large water buts in the bathroom for washing and flushing the toilet. (more about this in a later blog...back to Thamoole)

I had brought some modelling balloons to make stuff for the kids...I started to do this and ended up mobbed not just by kids but by adults and it was ugly. I stopped after 20 minutes. (again more about this in a later Blog) We were asked into the Church, it was laid out with mats and some large cooking pots of food. I walked in and burst into tears. The generosity of the village was so overwhelming. I don't think the basics of Christianity had ever been shown to me in such a way. I left the Church to try and compose myself and bumped into Chris, I thanked him for letting come to this amazing place and just cried. The love and compassion of Christ is an amazing thing, I believe I glimpsed a tiny part of it that day. We sat on the mats in circles and a man came round and washed mour hands, again I just cried, it was all scriptural and so amazing. I have been a Christian 22 years I like to think I am a fairly nice guy and an OK Christian, Thamoole showed me I have so much to learn, even the basics are so important. Sharing and serving each other.

We had lunch of Coconut rice, chicken in a wonderful sauce and beans. (also it contained a bit of sand, well more than a bit) I loved every mouthful. To be honest I would have eaten and loved anything served to me I felt so honoured and humbled by the Thamoole/Angoche people.

After dinner we had our hands washed again. Then a few of us were shown shown around Vitor's house. a small Hut with a small kitchen, livingroom and a tiny bedroom. 8 people live in Vitors house...I left speechless again.

Vitor is the leader of Tarikki ya Hakki (this is probably spelt wrong sorry) which is a group of 5 Churches where the dedications will be taking place. Well 4 dedications. Vitor is an amazing man, and a very good pastor. Whislt in his house I made his children some balloon swords....this seemed to go down very well.

A Mission Trip Part 1

2008-12-05T09:47:00.051Z

To get to Angoche was a mission on it's own. We left Sutton Baptist Church around 2pm Friday and arrived at Heathrow at about 5:00pm ish. We all congregated at fast check in (Mr Administrator had already checked us in online) and I went to find Mr C (an ex elder from SCBC now living in Devon) who was a few yards away!!!! We said our good-byes to Ms G who was taking the minibus back to SCBC and checked in.

We flew at just after 8pm and arrived in Johannesburg at just after 6am local time . We were met by Mr & Mrs R who work for The Missionary Organisation as fixers, getting things that the guys in Mozambique and other places need. We were taken to their house and made to feel very welcome, we showered and had tea and coffee, melon, biscuits and sandwiches. In the afternoon we went to a craft market, where I met Picaso who sculpts rock, photo below. We then had tea at R & R's a fanastic cooked meal and a time of just wonderful sharing and fellowship. Later Mr C, Cameraman and myself were taken to an amazing guest cottage somewhere in countryside that was so peaceful (apart from the peacock!!)

At 6:30am the next morning (Sunday) we were taken to the airport and off we flew to Maputo (International Airport hahaha) a short 1 hour flight. Maputo is a funny airport for an international airport, it is tiny and cannot receive anything bigger than a 737? ho hum. We had a 6 hour wait also Ms T would be joining us here. We had bumped into her at Jo'burg airport earlier that morning. Two guys had gone to find Ms T from immigration but she had been taken somewhere else. After they had been gone an hour and they hadn't returned I was a little concerned and mentioned to Mr Administrator that I would like to see what was happening. Mrs G and I went outside and were heading to arrivals when I heard a small cry of "English Blogger!!!" I looked around and there was Ms T running up to us. She was OK but a little shaken. Immigration had tried to put her on an earlier plane and other things.

From Maputo we flew to Nampula and 3 and half to 4 hour flight. For a meal we were given a small can of coke and a bag of crisps?. The flight went very smoothly and we met up with E and P in the baggage claim, E and P are friends of Missionary Man and Missionary Lady from Holland, Missionary Lady trained with E as a midwife. Missionary Man and B.G a fellow worker for The Mission Organisation met us at the airport and took us to the Organisation Campus. We had a Boys and Girls house, and a few screams in the night. hahaha none of mine.

After a shared breakfast on Monday we had a tour of the Organisation Compound site and saw the offices and "Kithaapuo" the work that Missionary Man and Missionary Lady Missionary Girl and Missionary Boy have spent the past 12 years working on!!!!

Then we had a dust ride!!!! a 2 and bit hours ride to Angoche, most of the road is a dirt road.......well a dust road and we got filthy our landrover unlike the other two cars going to Angoche had no aircon so we had the windows down....I am sure I still have red dust in my lungs.
Well it was a great ride and I learned so much from our driver, J (who is Missionary Man's boss!!!) he was telling me about the tribal systems and the way things work in the villages and stuff like that it was just amazing. As we were driving we saw hardly any wildlife apart from the odd chicken or goat, Most of the houses along the road were made of grass, mud or weaved palm leaves. It was very Tarzan for want of a better description. I was so amazed at the beauty of the place and how peaceful everything seemed to be.... We stopped a few miles out of Nampula and looked at a Mountain...."Old Man" it's called.....
Hardly any cars or trucks, plenty of push-bikes and people walking. Having a convoy of the three 4x4 vehicles did turn a lot of heads...this would be one thing I did find hard, which I will mention in a latter blog. Anyhoo after just over two hours of dust and very fast driving!!!!! We made it to Angoche safe and dirty Monday late afternoon!!!! 3 days of travelling and we would need to do this again in 8 days time!!!!!

Cast on Mission
Missionary Man (Translated 4 books of the Bible in to Koti)
Missionary Lady (Translated 4 books of the Bible in to Koti)
Missionary Girl (Daughter of Missionary Man & Lady)
Missionary Boy (Son of Missionary Man & Lady)
Mr Administrator (Church administrator & Team Leader)
Mrs Administrator (Team Leaders wife and Joint Team Leader)
English Blogger (Me)
Ms A (a great lady and my seating companion on all the flights)
Cameraman (Videoing the Mission)
Mr C (Ex Elder from SCBC and very wise man)
Mrs G (singer and French)
Miss C (American and Youth Volunteer at SCBC))
Mrs R (Called Pipi "Grannie" in Koti)
E & P (Dutch friends of Missionary Man & Lady)
Dr S (Wonderful Doctor and man of God, and totally bonkers)
Ms T (a Youth worker and new member of our Church)
J (Missionary Man's Boss) + a few other friends from the Organisation.

South Africa, Mozambique and Woooooooooooooooooow

2008-12-01T20:08:00.003Z

A Mozambique Sunset

I will do a full posing about my Mission Trip to Mozambique. This is just a short update to say I am now back and so tired. I have seen things that have changed me, I have been to maybe one of the most beautiful places in the World, I have eaten more sand than a man should ever eat, and been made food by people who really know how to share food.
We were shown amazing hospitality in Johannesburg that made feel so special and loved, we were shown Soweto and the Apartheid museum.
As I have said I will do a full Blog once I have my head a little more sorted, my brain is in overload and I am slowly sifting through things and will update my diary then this blog.

Speechless

2008-11-12T19:52:00.002Z

Some days I am left speechless, words completely fail me.

I had a days work at Cube (the production house that give me the cover work when their Producer is away) and had a wonderful day. Anyhoo I arrived home an envelope was waiting for me with an amount of cash in it for me to go towards Mozambique. I was moved to tears and left speechless; during the time since I decided to go on the mission, I have been so touch by people who have been so generous, with time, talent, Prayer and financially.

There is absolutely no way I could of ever have afforded to go on the Mission, I did feel I should go and after seeing Mission Team Leader and Prayer I filled out the forms. I went to the interview and felt it was right to go and through peoples generosity I am able to go. I cannot thank everyone who has helped with me to go enough. I give my thanks God for such wonderful, loving and caring friends.

2008-11-10T18:10:00.003Z

I have been a little busy over the past week or so, I have been doing a little production for Cube, a production house I do holiday cover for. This has been wonderful, I love working there as everyone who works there are just so nice.

I have been shopping for bits and bobs for Mozambique this is time consuming but quite enjoyable, I also went into Brum today to have my IPod looked at...the LCD is is staring to go....unfortunately it is just out of warranty so I must put up with it, I am sure it will last for a few more months yet.

I need to get some Dollars...not the best time to buying Dollars...bugger!!!

Church yesterday was great as a team we were commissioned to go out to Mozambique and that was really special, I was also prayed for by a wonderful lady called Janice, who has spent the most of the last 20+ years in Sudan working for God. The last few weeks have been am emotional roller-coaster, though I do sort of expect that as I am a nervous fligher and I am also not great with new things...an old dog and new tricks spring to mind....

This may well be my last blog until I return.

An Update

2008-11-05T19:30:00.004Z

As people who know me, know I can take a joke a tad over the line....as one friend has said on many occasions the line is but a dot to me. last week a so called DJ/Comedian Russell Brand and someone who I used to really like Jonathan Ross went over my dot and that is but an atom in the distance. I wont go into details as they have been dissected and pulled apart. I have the wonderful privilege to have worked in radio for many years and fI have worked for the BBC as well. All I will say is justice was seen to be nearly done, maybe Jonathan Ross will do the decent thing as well.

Today the world has changed again Barack Obama was elected President of the United States of America. A Black American Christian, who has morals and a few bright ideas. He has to wait until January to takeover the reigns, but I am sure he will be working away until then. I pray he will change America and how they treat the world.

There is a funny side to all of the USA elections, G.W.Bush has no power at all now, the senate will not back anything he says, Barack has no power until January 21st I believe, when he is sworn in, so the USA impotent and paralyzed until Mr Obama takes over.

A weekly update....

2008-11-03T09:21:00.003Z

Crikey how time speeds by..... Last week I was in Bournemouth do the I.T. and tech stuff for a conference it was an interesting time and I did enjoy it, though there were points that I thought I would not enjoy....but I was proved wrong.
I have spent the week also mulling things over, I can't seem to find a job...I keep looking, I email, I write, I phone....nothing! So what next? I am praying for guidance.
In roughly 11 days I fly out to South Africa and the first leg of a mission trip, that I find quite scary it has come around quickly. I am starting to excited about visiting somewhere new, somewhere I don't know or understand the culture, somewhere completely out of my comfort zone. I am sure God will use to open my eyes and change me.
That is about it really, I am quite busy up to going away so my weekly Blog...when did it become a weekly blog? I have blogged upto 3 times a day in the past, then most days now sadly it has become a weekly blog. I guess Blogs are to be used as when.... If anything happens that warrents a Blog I will blog......

Very very sad news it's all change in the TARDIS

2008-10-30T08:55:00.002Z

David Tennant Announces He's Leaving Doctor Who

Yesterday at 22:32

David has announced that he is leaving Doctor Who during his acceptance speech at tonight's National Television Awards.
Speaking live from the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford Upon Avon David explained that he will be returning to Cardiff in January 2009 to film the 2009 Doctor Who specials, but when the show returns for a new series in 2010 it will be without him as the Doctor.

David said: "I’ve had the most brilliant, bewildering and life-changing time working on Doctor Who. I have loved every day of it.
It would be easy to cling on to the Tardis console but I fear that if I don’t take a deep breath and make the decision to move on now, I never will.
You would be prising the Tardis key out of my cold dead hand. This show has been so special to me, I don’t want to outstay my welcome."
He added: "This is all a long way off, of course. I’m not quitting, I’m back in January to film four special episodes which will take Doctor Who all the way through 2009. I’m still the Doctor all next year but when the time finally comes I’ll be honoured to hand on the best job in the world to the next lucky git, whoever that may be. I feel very privileged to have been part of this incredible phenomenon. I’m looking forward to new challenges but I’ll always be proud to be the 10th Doctor."

The following interview with BBC News is about David's decision to leave the show:

Why have you decided to say goodbye to Doctor Who?
When I first started back in 2005, I always thought that if it worked out, three years would be about the right time.Three years, three series. Which I did and I loved and I had a great time. And with Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner [executive producers] leaving, that became a very natural stepping off point for me.

What became very difficult was when it was announced that Steven Moffatt was taking over because I'm such a fan of his, he's such a great writer, he's written such amazing stories for me in Doctor Who already.

The prospect of hanging around for a while and enjoying working with him was sorely tempting and very nearly changed my mind.But I think it's better to go when there's a chance that people might miss you, rather than to hang around and outstay your welcome.

What's your message to the fans?

When I was a kid, I loved Doctor Who, I grew up with it. For me, it was the most exciting time when the Doctor changed.You know he's on his way out, you know something terrible's going to happen, it's very exciting - and then you've got this whole new character to look forward and wonder about.It's very exciting and it's part of what makes Doctor Who so great. I'm excited as a viewer to see what happens next.

Russell T Davies must have given you some hints about what your exit will be like?

No! He hasn't. I do not know what he's thinking about. But Russell being Russell, I'm sure it'll be a send off to be proud of.

What are your memories of the last three-and-a-bit years?

It's been the most extraordinary time, it's been bewildering, life changing, very exciting. And just so much fun, such a great show to work on. And again I think that's one of the reasons I think it's right to take a deep breath and bow out when it's still fun, when it's a novelty.I don't ever want it to feel like a job, so I want to move on when it still feels exciting and fresh and that means I'll miss it.

What do you think you'll miss the most?

I think I'll miss all the people who work on the show. I'll miss Russell's fantastic scripts and of all the other writers who work on it.And I'll miss playing this character. I don't think there's a better character on television. He gets to be everything - he gets to be funny and intense, he's a hero but he's also a bit of a clown, he's an anarchist but he's strong and dependable and crazy. Like mercury one minute and like steel the next.And to get the chance to play all those things for 45 minutes on a Saturday night - I'll miss that I'm sure.

As an actor, do you think you'll always be known as Doctor Who?

I think it's one of those parts that does that does follow you around, yeah. I know a couple of the old Doctors and it's clearly still a part of their life. I think the public has such an enthusiasm for it and such an intrigue for the show, that once you've been part of it it does tend to stick to you like glue. But that's fine - it's something I'm very proud to be forever associated with.

Do you think you'll ever do anything as special as Doctor Who again?

It's difficult to know.… I think the cross-generational, cross-cultural appeal of Doctor Who is pretty unique. I can't think of anything else that has fans who are seven and 70 in almost equal measure. It's difficult to think of what else one might do that could rival that. I hope I'll do things that will be as exciting and as thrilling artistically and professionally, obviously, but I think Doctor Who is pretty unique.

How has Doctor Who changed your life - it must have had great positives and great negatives?

Obviously the great positive is I get to be involved in this show I'm desperately proud of, and I get to work on these great scripts and I get to play this incredible character.I suppose it has a level of public scrutiny and attention which is very flattering and kind of thrilling to be in the middle of, but also bewildering, and sometimes it does make make you famous in a way that was never a particular intention of mine. It's churlish to complain about, but it does bring certain tensions to your life which you might not always choose to have. But I knew what I was getting into, that's part of the job, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

The huge question is - who would you like to replace you?

Well I've always been a big supporter of Wee Jimmy Krankie. So the campaign starts here to get Wee Jimmy Krankie in the Tardis and big Ian Krankie as the companion. I think that works.

Whoever your successor turns out to be, what would your advice be to them?

I wouldn't be as pompous as to offer them advice - I'm sure they'll sort it out for themselves. Just have fun. It's the best part around. Enjoy it.

What will it be like for the fans - you're their Doctor and it will be a huge change for them when you go?

I guess if you were eight when I took over, you'll be 12 when I leave, which is quite a big time of life isn't it? But I think that's one of the exciting parts of being a fan of the show - you know that the doctor can change, the character and the centre of the drama can be a completely different person, and act very different. It's not like James Bond, where you know he's a certain type of man, like Tarzan is a certain type of character, or Sherlock Holmes. The Doctor can change quite radically, but there's still an essential Doctor-ness and I'm sure whoever takes over will find their own way of communicating that. And when I was a kid, Tom Baker turned into Peter Davison, and it was thrilling and extraordinary and a little bit disorientating at first, but in a really exciting way, so I'm excited for everyone else getting to watch that happen. I think it'll be great.

You're not leaving immediately - you've got another year for the specials. Can you tell us about that?

We've already shot the Christmas special for this year called The Next Doctor, which in the circumstances is perhaps a more intriguing title than it was before. We see the 10th Doctor meeting another Doctor. And then in January we'll film four more specials, which will be screened throughout next year, and they'll be the four last stories that I do. I don't quite know when they'll go out, but they'll go out sometime throughout 2009.

2008-10-29T12:09:00.003Z

I am in Bournemouth as I write this Blog, I am the IT/Tech guy for Dave Pope's Flame "Time Out" it is snowing in the Midlands but here it is a wonderfully sunny day. I have been very bustdoing IT/Tech things but this afternoon is our time off. Mrs EB is at home and is very poorly with a gastric bug and I am here and because of that I feel a bit guilty. I do wish I was at home to make her feel better.So I am here in Bournemouth with a group of the 1/3 generation and it is wonderful, Ian Coffey is the preacher and is just fantastic...the people are great so all is good.

Well all would be good but God does put things on our Hearts as a burden and I have had a family put on my heart at the moment and as I read her blog I cry, all I will say if you know my friends from Church who also have a narrow boat and have two children ask her to be allowed to read her Blog, there is a link on my blogroll but you do need and invite to read it. It makes very sad and harrowing reading, but I do know she will appreciate your support and prayers.

a grumle and moan

2008-10-21T09:46:00.005+01:00

My life at the moment is pretty good, though I am a bit bored, as I have no work, and that bothers me. I do the odd thing now and then, fix a PC (two this week), I help out at Church (edited a load of video's for team leader for Holiday Club) do the shopping that sort of thing, but I really do need a job. I have a few days work next week where I have been invited to attend a conference in Bournemouth and look after the technical side of things...PA and PC's which will be great and may lead on to more work.

I have tried to post all week, but with events in the News I have found it hard, another family have died at the hands of a foreign lorry driver!!! and that hurts. We really do need to sort out this stupid law, it also need enforcing!!! We have knife laws in this country and young Lads are still dying it seems daily, we have firework laws yet they are let off after midnight...no one seems to respect the law, so having tougher Laws on continental lorry drivers taking proper breaks...no one will keep them...as no one cares...well I bloody well care, and I care a lot. I have seen firsthand what a tired driver can do thank you, and it is devastating to say the least. WE NEED A NEW LAW THAT STATES WHEN A LORRY DRIVER ENTERS THE UK HE NEEDS TO SHOW HIS TACHO IF HE HASN'T GOT AT LEAST 6 HOURS DRIVING TIME HE MUST BE FORCED TO REST UP, NO IF'S NO BUT'S. When a lorry driver falls asleep at the wheel of a 18 wheeler it doesn't just roll to a stop it carries on and even when it hits something it doesn't stop, it kills innocent people, people going about daily life.

Music for a Mission UPDATE

2008-10-13T09:38:00.002+01:00

I haven't blogged much as I haven't had much to Blog about. Things are little slow I am still looking for a job, I spent a day with Mrs EB's brother and we remixed his live album that was recorded about 14 months ago. It had been mixed and sounded OK, but it needed a few tweeks for myself to be really happy, and Mrs EB's brother felt the same. Its a Blues album and sounds wonderful and has some great guitar and harmonica playing on it.

Well that leads me on to "Music for a Mission".... what can I say?, I thought I would be really struggling to raise the money needed for the Mozambique Mission, but after this weekends sales I have raised the money!!!!! Praise the Lord. I will still be selling the album after the services at Church and the funds will be going to the Mission trip fund to help others raising funds. I am so amazed by the sales and the generous people who have paid quite often over the odds for the album.

The feed back from the album has been really encourging as well, people who bought the CD have quite often come back to me and said some really great things, one lady at Church last night said "I will have one of those I heard it at a friends in the week..it is wonderful"

And that is about for now.

Weddings, Jelly Babies and Friends

2008-10-07T09:59:00.005+01:00

I am so bad at Blogging at the moment, sorry.

I really need to blog about Saturday... what a day. My great friend Curley Al married his beautiful girlfriend Jen. It was an amazing service Team Leader did a service to be proud of. It started off with Mrs EB singing a Nina Simone song for Jen to come down the aisle too and things just carried at such a high standard all the way through. After the service we went across to the hall for muffins and cakes but alas after tidying up the cables and mics and burning a CD of the services they had all gone.... We then went onto Penns Hall and had a wonderful meal and a bowl of much sort after Jelly Babies....I really think Gordon Brown should get Alistair Darling to put a few billion of the UK's funds into Jelly Babies everyone was after our Jelly Babies.

I had a wonderful day chatting to Al's relatives most of which I hadn’t seen since much sadder times. This was a real day of healing you could feel that especially when Dom made his best man's speech and I did shed tear, but that's OK, I know that if Matt and Chris had been there they would have been so proud of Al and Jen and both would have stole my Jelly Babies!!!!!

Part 2

On a completely different track, Music for a Mission is well on its way to raising the funds I need to visit Mozambique I am so blown away by peoples generosity, I will never name names, but some people have been so generous with what they have given for a copy of the CD it has made me cry. I will keep selling the CD until I run out and if there is still a market I will buy another MCPS licence to produce more, as all the money will go to the Church Mission Fund which is a great cause and Mission Team Leader has amazing Vision and a wonderful Passion for Christ and winning people over for Him.

The CD has had some amazing reactions from people, from “I loved it so much I gave it to a friend and now i need to buy another one!! To what a shame there is no Chris King on it? Which did make me laugh...and a little flabbergasted. I haven’t kept tabs on the actual number sold I know how many I have produced so far, but there are copies out in places not sold as yet, but I am guessing that 100 copies have now been sold or there abouts, which is fantastic. I think one of the nicest comments about the album was “It sounds amazing and is great to listen too, I want everyone to hear how great it sounds”

My friends, who are the talented ones behind my album, especially Amy, Skip and Mrs EB have to take the credit for the album really, I just had the idea and I stuck my ha’ppenys worth in and mixed the album. Amy is such an amazing talent, she plays the piano with such a talent it’s a real pleasure to listen to and she is just as good on Flute, recorder, whistle, Sax.....actually is there anything she can’t play? And she sings wonderfully as well, Skip a guitar player 2^nd to none in my eyes and ears for that matter, we had a few great days together getting the lead and bass down and also he has one of the best male voices I know. Mrs EB, well possibly the best singer in the world in my eyes and she tries to keep me in check and she has an amazing ear, and she is a wonderful song writer. I could not have done this album or for that matter go on this journey without them. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Music for a Mission

2008-09-17T11:21:00.006+01:00

Well "Music for a Mission" is completed, the artwork is back and the CD's look great, well they sound great too...

The idea for the CD came about as a way to try and raise the money needed to go to Mozambique with my Church in November of this year. I don't have the money to go, but I believe that I should go and after a chat with Mission Team Leader, I asked some special friends and my beautiful wife if they would help me. All of my friends are only too happy to get rid of me for a few weeks and said yes. After a little planning we recorded Piano. Drums and guide vocals at Sutton Baptist Church one evening in July, then Skip came round during a few days of August and laid down the bass and lead guitar. Over the next few weeks, Skip Amy and Mrs EB recorded most of the main vocals, Gaynor came round and recorded her lead vocal. A Friday evening was set aside and a few friends came by and sang the choir parts. Amythen came round and sung her song beautifully and also played Flute and recorder. I then spent a few days mixing, remixing running down to the car listening to the mixes, then tweaking.

I then spent time in Photoshop doing the artwork, asking Mrs EB to spell check then tweaks then respell check. The result is "Music for a Mission" a 9 track album of Contemporary Christian worship music and a bonus track written By Mrs EB and Timelord called "Praise You Again" I am asking for a minimum £10 donation plus P&P all Monies will go to my Mission fund and remaining Monies will go to my Church's Mission Fund to support our mission partners or for future missions.

Track Listings

Happy Day
On Holy Ground
These are the Days of Elijah
Never Let Go
Your Love has Lifted Me
You Give Rest to the Weary
Be Thou My Vision
There is a Hight Throne

Bonus track

Praise You Again

Blown Away

2008-09-02T19:40:00.004+01:00

Every now and then I get moved and this evening I was moved to tears. I belong to a Church where God is moving and working miracles within the Youth. I am so proud of these guys and the way they are going for it. Well this evening two of the young Ladies asked me to watch a video they had produced....
Facebook Video I don't know if you can see this if you are not a friend of these guys on Facebook though.
Please watch it and enjoy.

It has been one of those weeks.

2008-08-29T09:50:00.003+01:00

My medications are making me very tired and I am "Out of Salts" as they used to say. So I have been sort of taking it easy, well nearly.

Monday was a great day Gaye, Andy, Zach and Mission Team Leader joined us on The Robber Button. Both Mrs EB really enjoyed the day. We got home Tuesday afternoon and did various bits and bobs.
Wednesday I had been summoned to the DHS to see why I hadn't found a job yet? I now needed to say what other work I could do? He was most unhelpful to be honest. I even asked if I found a training course would the DHS fund my training I was told NO! ho hum.
Thursday was a sad day, one of my Church's great ladies had passed away and I was doing the sound for her Thanks Giving Service, the service was wonderful and a great testimony to a wonderful lady, but as always tinged with much sadness.
Today I am hopefully recording my good friend Skip singing for my album he will also hopefully do a small amount of guitar and maybe some extra singing.....
Tomorrow, well that will be spent on The Robber Button

Voting

2008-08-27T09:59:00.002+01:00

It would seem that the way we vote for our local and national Government is dated, well I never, you go down to a school or other comunity building and hand over your polling card, then you have to tell them your postcode, because no fraudster could ever remember it from your polling card? then you go to a little quarter of a display stand and pencil in a cross.

But thats not what they are talking about?

The UK's electoral system is stuck in the 19th Century and is under "severe strain", a report says.

The Electoral Commission said the rules on running elections should be simpler and the role of returning officers should be strengthened.

It also backs new electoral management boards, to support and co-ordinate local elections.

Commission chairman Sam Younger said "a consistently high standard of service for all electors" was needed.

'Fragmented arrangements'

The report follows the 2007 elections in Scotland, which were plagued by delays and in which more than 140,000 ballot papers were rejected.

An independent study found mistakes at all levels and suggested voters were treated as an "afterthought".

The commission said it was unlikely that the "current fragmented arrangements for electoral administration" would be used if the system was being designed from scratch.

The planning and running of elections need to be more robust and co-ordinated

Sam Younger
Electoral Commission

It proposes that funding for electoral administration should be improved, changes to electoral law finalised at least six months before any election and returning officers' roles strengthened.

It also suggests bringing returning officers and registration officers together into regional electoral management boards to co-ordinate local elections.

And the commission says its own role should be strengthened to keep checks on standards of those in charge of running elections.

The report calls for existing laws on managing elections to be "rationalised and consolidated" and focused on "clearly articulating electoral policy rather than micro-managing the delivery of elections".

Mr Younger said: "The planning and running of elections need to be more robust and co-ordinated. We are still trying to run 21st Century elections with 19th Century structures, and the system is under severe strain."

He added: "Our proposal is designed to allow local returning officers to continue to respond to local circumstances while ensuring that there is a consistently high standard of service for all electors across the UK." BBC News

Personally I would digitise it, I would have touch screen minitors at the polling station, you give your polling card, and tell them your postcode? they activate the next available monitor, you then touch the candidate of your choice. This would give a constant update of the voting at HQ, removing the need for hundreds of people counting and also human error. They could also save the need for people staying up all night waiting, come 9pm when the polling stations close the returning officer goes to the main PC enters his code number up pop the results he prints them off and off he goes, all over by 9:30.

It seems simple to me....

Memories

2008-08-22T22:23:00.002+01:00

Ohhh Ohhh I just found this on You Tube, it is very good and full of memories.

Vegetarian or not?

2008-08-22T14:45:00.005+01:00

My friend Richard, a chap who I have known for a few years, we worked together in Nottingham as producers. Richard married Yvette a really beautiful Chinese girl from Beijing, after a few years they emigrated to Beijing.
Now Richard is a vegetarian ..... well he told me he was, then I saw him eating a McDonalds Burger..... It seems vegetarians can eat burgers in China?

Beijing Olympics 2008

2008-08-20T14:49:00.003+01:00

I am not a sports fan of any sort really, if people want to run around and kick a ball or stand in a field in front of some sticks with bat and hit a ball about, great, but I am not interested. My friend Matt was trying to convert me to the joys of the leather and willow and was going to take me to a 20 Twenty, but alas that did not happen. Anyhoo for those of you that have had their heads under a pile of rocks for the past few weeks the Olympics are happening, well they will be over in a few days. And Team GB, that's what Great Britain are now called after an expensive re-branding? Team GB are doing amazingly well, in fact they are 3rd in the league table!!! I don't think I have ever been as proud of or guys and girls, they are real hero's.

Mrs EB was unwell yesterday, she hasn't really been well since GB Camp!!! and was watching the Olympics from the Velodome and wow, those guys and girls can really ride a bike!!!!

Team GB have been playing a blinder this year and have surpassed all expectations and have done better than any other Great British Team since before 1908!!! It seems the National Lottery has actually paid off!!! buying a lottery ticket has actually helped these Olympians bring home Gold, Silver & Bronze BRING ON 2012 and my 6 lucky numbers.

My friend Duncan

2008-08-13T15:10:00.003+01:00

As long term readers of my blog will know I have a friend who was involved in a really nasty accident in 2006, my friend Duncan who is one of the most articulate and safety concious people I know, was filming a safety video for his company, he was filming how to use a safety flair when the flair miss-fired and went into his stomach.

I know how safety concious Duncan is, I was lucky enough to be invited for a day trip on Duncan's previous boat, and we went out for a wonderful trip. That trip was planned with maps and buoys and GPS tracking. We were told where the life vests were. Mrs EB and I had a wonderful day and we were both very upset by Duncan's accident. Many prayers were said, and thanks be to God, Duncan is mending well, OK he'll never be 100% better, but by crikey, I know Duncan and he won't stop trying to getting better.

Duncan who is a fighter; amazed nearly everyone who was involved in his emergency care, after two years of tireless fund raising he and a lot of very good people have raised £50,000!!! anyhooo please watch this video

2008-08-11T09:45:00.003+01:00

Being someone who has become Diabetic, I wont let it take over my life; but it is in the front of your mind. Last week a few people who came into the shop were offered Tea and coffee and cake said I can't have cake I'm diabetic? I said so am I and I can eat it? Oh I was told I can't eat cakes or sweets or this and that! So I said I was told I can eat anything, but as with with all things it's about moderation.

Now I know I am not a good diabetic, I do like sweets and puddings, I will try and be good, but I fail. I am going to start a new diet this week and I am going cut right back on all stodgy and fattening foods and yes that includes sweets.

Diabetes is a killer, no if's and no buts. I know that it kills most of those that have it, indirectly. Organ failure, strokes and Heart attacks. One of my uncles had a leg removed and died a few months later only a few years ago because of Diabetes. So I don't take my Diabetes lightly, but I also don't let it ruin my life.

This article off the Sky News Website is well worth a read

2008-08-10T20:00:00.002+01:00

It has been an amazing week!!!
I haven't had any joy on the job hunt, but I have spent the week with some fellow members of my Church on a mission on Falcon Lodge. It has been wonderful. I can't do the heavy gardening or the manual labour, but I did the videoing and I also spent quite a bit of time in the shop.
I did balloon modelling and other things in the shop with the kids and I loved every minute of it.

A good weekend

2008-08-04T10:16:00.002+01:00

I had a good weekend all the more so as Mrs EB had returned from her camping trip with GB. Mrs EB had a very husky voice due to her losing her voice on camp.... I am just really pleased she is home safe and sound. Saturday evening we went to Simla for a curry, it was a welcome home meal and I told the guys at Simla that I was checking up on the food for Tuesday when 16 of us go for my Birthday Balti...Mmmmmmmmmm tasty.

I was on sound again this weekend at Church and I also did the sound at a very quiet wedding on Friday, about 20 people and the Bride and Groom, they had been on Alpha and wanted to marry. It was a very special wedding.

Team Leader did his final sermon on Hebrews...and of course it was amazing, we really are a very blessed Church to have such an amazingly humble and fantastic teacher. Team leader told me a very funny joke on Sunday.

Patient: Doctor, I think I'm a moth!
Doctor: (looking at his notes) You are not my patient your Doctor is next door
Patient: I know but your light was on.

Made me chuckle.

After church the usual suspects went to the Jockey, well the usual minus a few on holiday and those heading to Cornwall. It was a nice crowd last night and we had a good chat and laugh. Later today I am off for another Jab to allow me to travells to Mozambique and later this week my good friend Skip will be coming round to hopefully do some more guitar and bass on the album. I really need to start the vocals and think about artwork and stuff. I am also going to pop up to the mission we are doing on Falcon Lodge and do some balloon stuff....

All in all good fun.

Wednesday

2008-07-30T09:31:00.005+01:00

I have had a trip out to the MASTA Clinic!!!! the what? well if you intend to visit places that don't have the same diseases as us you need to visit there for a Cholera injection as my GP clinic doesn't do that one? well if only it were that easy!!!

Monday I called to make an appointment, the message said leave your name and number someone will call you back, I believed this statement of fact and did just that. I phoned at 10am and by 6pm no one had called me back? So yesterday I went to Handsworth Wood and visited the centre to ask for an appointment I have one for next week. Joy of joys....

I have a friend...well I like to think I have a few friends, but one friend who emigrated to Beijing a couple of years ago, we worked together at GWR Creative in Nottingham knocking out adverts by the dozen every day. Well my friend Richard has started a blog!!!! only a few years behind everyone else...but he was always like that (a little slow) It is good to welcome Richard to the blogosphere. I hope you enjoy Richard's slant on life, which seems to be a hankering for American food? I think I would want a good old English Roast or British Balti, each to his or her own huh?

Lastly, I have heard off Mrs EB from the Girls Brigade Camp that she has laryngitis via a text as she couldn't phone.. what luck huh, she never has that here!!!! I knew I could never be that lucky.

Penguin Cafe Orchestra

2008-07-28T12:56:00.004+01:00

I was never what you would call a fan of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, more someone who didn't mind the music. I have used Penguin Cafe music in adverts and heard it on TV and Radio, so after my searches on Saturday I thought I would spend some time listening to their music. I have a couple of tracks on my Ipod and did some more searches on You Tube, and actually found the more tracks I listened too the more I liked the music. I did a search for a website, and did some reading and then looked at the albums...no new stuff for years? well I bought an album called A History (only £10 on Itunes) ...then I did a little more hunting on the founder Simon Jeffes an amazingly talented man, and he had passed away in December 1997... no wonder no new music then. I can honestly say the past few days listening to his and their music has been a real treat.

Whilst the Cats Away

2008-07-26T22:22:00.008+01:00

Well whilst Mrs EB is away...I have been out with my Mum and Dad to The Lodge for a curry, very tasty it was as well.

As a reader of my Blog you will know music is in my blood and I am often taken by a piece of music and then I can spend ages tracing it and today was one of those days, armed with a £15 Itunes voucher I went a hunting.
1st one was by Karl Orff a piece for Xylophone that is used in the HSBC bank commercial, I have used a few times making Radio ads and traced it on Itunes a well spent .79p then was a the toughie. Just what is the music used on the MFI advert? I knew it, I have heard it time and again, in films and adverts, but not who did or a name. Good old google and Youtube.

It is an oldish tune called "Music for a Found Harmonium" by The Penguin Cafe Orchestra, the ones that did the amazing piece called "Telephone and Rubber Band" that was used in the old One2One telephone advert, I'll stick it up here as well so you know the one I mean.

I do love You Tube, so I went a hunting and found it was by an Irish Folk Band called Patrick Street...another 79p well spent well I bought 2 versions by Patrick Street a live and studio version and I think I may be buying an album called Irish Times as they really are amazing.

So that has been my Saturday, apart from seeing Mrs EB off to GB Camp and a bit of soldering and pre-mixing my album tracks so that the vocals can be done.... I am off to my Parents for a Sunday Roast tomorrow as well....top banana

An Update ....

2008-07-21T12:50:00.003+01:00

I have not been feeling good again? I am not sure what it is...it might be my medications or a virus or something? I am feeling very rough with a stomach that is doing untold things, a migraine that won’t lift and ..........

Anyhoo Mrs EB is off GB camp this Saturday!!! It is her first time with GB and I am sure she will have fun camping. I have a week alone I wonder what I will do about food...any Ideas? (bet it will involve Curry)

Thanks to Amy, Pete and Mrs EB I have started work on the Worship Album that I hoping to release in September to help raise the Money to go to Mozambique. My good friend Skip is now back from his guitar playing in Keswick so I am hoping he can pop round and start work on the guitar and bass.

I then need to organise an evening or Saturday for my friends to come round and sing!!!! that will be great fun and I know will sound great.

Steve and Me

2008-07-18T21:19:00.003+01:00

I am reading a book called Steve and Me by Terri Irwin, I have had the book some time now, but I haven't been able to look at it. Steve died tragically days before my two friends Matt and Chris, and it has just been far to painful to even pick the book up.

Anyhoo I have started reading the book, it is written with love and care, and yes I am crying as I read it but that is OK, I have learned that to cry is OK. I loved Steve Irwin his passion and love of wildlife was so amazing it had me gripped. I would be gripped by his programmes and his easy on camera style. He made me feel like he was actually talking to me and explaining everything to me.

The book is so tender it must have been a labour of love and such pain to write. My heart and prayer go out to Terri, Bindi and young Bob.

Music from the Dr

2008-07-15T10:26:00.007+01:00

I am a massive Dr Who fan I love the adventure and the morality of the show, I love David Tennant's energy and passion that come out in the show. I know there are things wrong with it, I don't care. One of the things I do love about the show is the music and this years offerings where amazing. The Song of the Ood by Murray Gold was so beautiful it actually made me cry...yeah yeah yeah I know...

Well this music was reprised was reprised for Journey Home

I really hope these will be available on CD or Download they are so amazing.

Ohh a version from the Proms LIVE!!!

Wowowowowowow

A Mission.......Mozambigue

2008-07-08T13:12:00.005+01:00

My Church is sending a team out to Mozambique for two weeks at end of November and I have been accepted on to the team. This is so exciting and also very challenging, firstly health wise I have to get the all clear from my Dr, and financially I have to raise £1500.00 or there abouts.

This is making me a little nervous, it is a lot of money especially when you are unemployed....I have a plan to make a Worship album...don't worry I wont be singing or playing on it. I have some amazingly talented friends who hopefully will do that for me. I actually have 5 tracks virtually ready!!! last year we made an Album for Mullins Burger to help finance a 2nd year at Nexus but that wasn't to be, so it was mothballed and 4 of the tracks off there are ideal. I have also recorded another track with my great friend Skip and that is nearly finished..it just needs some harmonies and recorder... so the album is half finished.

So I have an idea for raising some of the money.... Mrs FLN thinks I should auction off a day on The Robber Button ..... who knows? I do know that if it is right for me to go that God will provide the money for the mission trip.

2008-06-03T20:32:00.002+01:00

Well whats been a happening?

I am now unemployed....and totally chesed off. I am Praying about my future....who knows what will happen.

We have been to the boat a few times and had a few nice trips, I love being on the boat.

I have a bee in my bonnet about certain things ...one being the way people get so angry when footballers move team? why?
If someone moves job...everyone is happy, if Joe Bloggs moves from football team A to team B it's all we hate him and will boo him and make his life hell? I am sorry but that isn't on especially from a Christian. FOOTBALL IS JUST A BALL GAME, but a Pro footballer has a job life span of 15 years max...he has a few years to earn a lifes wages....Grow up and let a man earn a living.
More so if you are a Christian....show love and understanding...not bitterness and ugliness....rant over for now.

That's how I know

2008-05-05T20:24:00.004+01:00

I know I am a big poof, but I love musicals and I love song and dance routines.....Mrs EB and I watched a wonderful film the other week, Enchanted by Disney, staring Amy Harris (wwwwoooooooooooooooooooooooowwww, what a beautiful and fantistic star she is, and a Nicole Kidman look-a-like mmmmmmmmmmm). This is the main song and dance routine from the film, its just fantsic.

A Cat Burglar or is it Cat Removals?

2008-04-18T19:47:00.004+01:00

A good friend of mine woke up the other morning and went downstairs and noticed a few things a miss even a chair had moved!!! He popped upstairs and mentioned he thought another cat had entered his house and maybe that cat and his cat had moved the chair. His wife said she doubted that very much.

Unfortunatly it was burglars....I am so sorry Timelord and Teapot.

2008-04-15T20:10:00.002+01:00

So I haven't been blogging sorry.

Mrs FLN popped round this evening (I had backed up FLN's Laptop) and I burned her the backed up DVD's. She mentioned my lack of blogging!!!!

So here is a little catch up.

Been at work...can't really talk about that. Just to say it's very tough but it's also OK.
I have been on the boat a few times but we haven't been out as we have had weather issues.

Apart from that not much has been happening.

April Fools

2008-04-01T18:33:00.004+01:00

The BBC are the World leaders in making TV and I am proud to say I have worked for them. Today is All Fools Day or April Fools Day and the BBC have surpassed themselves here. Enjoy and have a wonder at the miracle of TV and the backroom boys and girls with a tad too much time on their hands.

Prophet of God

2008-03-29T15:23:00.003Z

I haven't Blogged much as I have been really busy with work and the Celebrate 100 stuff at Church and then my Bro in Law Scubbrov has been here.

A couple of months ago I recieved the latest Video of Rob Bell, this video is amazing and I have been blown away by this Prophet of God. I mean the word Prophet in the true meaning of the word someone who is being used by God to share his word.

Prophet:- In religion, a prophet is a person who has directly encountered the numinous or the divine and serves as an intermediary with humanity. Traditionally prophets are regarded as having a founding or galvanizing role in society due to their teachings and actions.

I have been blessed to hear some of the greatest Christian preachers of our time though not Rob Bell in person as yet, but I have seen a number of the Nooma videos and this full sermon on Everything Is Spirtual I think Rob will be taking the mantel off Dr Billy Graham as a Preacher who will reach the millions with the Word of God in way that people can and will listen, a wonderful Prophet of God.

New Music

2008-02-17T20:56:00.004Z

On Valentines day Mrs EB and I went to the Little Civic in Wolverhampton, we went with Mandy and Dave to see The Delays. What a band!!! they are gonna be megga big very soon, they write their own stuff and they can really sing and play.

This was a track they played that night Valentine of course. Enjoy the track, if you do get a chance surf for them on You Tube and visit their site via this link. I really do recomend this band and tip them for the top.

A very bad and expensive day

2008-02-13T20:22:00.006Z

Well what a totally crap day....and I mean CRAP.

Yesterday my car was playing up quite a bit, even more than normal, and it had left a little puddle of liquid by the passenger front side wheel, Mrs EB was having a day off so I took her Corsa and asked if she could take my Fiesta to Kwik Fit and have them check the brakes. I called at lunch time (I don't have phone contact during lesson times) and Mrs EB was really upset. My car had been condemned!!! the head gasket had gone plus a few other things...it would cost a lot more than it was worth to put right!!!!

I had to leave work and sort it out, I was also having a very bad day at work....plus my PC was playing up...Mrs EB's laptop wasn't working ...the new washing machine is playing up....Mrs EB had taken the day off to sort things out for the Church’s 100^th birthday celebration in March.....We know we are being attacked...but I really want to just curl up and cry.

Anyhooo we have bought a 2^nd hand 4 year old Citroen Xara Picaso Desire lets hope it is good friend to us.

(this isn't our actual car)

Never say never huh.....

2008-02-03T16:02:00.000Z

LOL I wasn't going to blog on here until I thought of something worth blogging about, well on 9/10th full of Penguin's blog he is talking about music and how it makes us feel.

Well music is my life and a huge passion of mine, and I mentioned on his blog about this song, a music track that I think is one of the best piece of produced music I have ever heard. I hope you enjoy it.

A new Blog maybe

2008-01-31T20:31:00.000Z

I haven’t Blogged much lately as I am restricted on what I can say about my job, as such I have decided I will only blog when I have something worth Blogging about that isn’t really work connected if that makes sense? I have decided to start a new blog about my Narrowboat "The Robber Button" so this blog will quite possibly just fade away as it has served it's time now, I wont delete it as it has some very special postings from friends.

So thanks for staying with My Back Garden for the past few years, and I’ll Blog again on here as and when it feels right.

I'll see you on "The Robber Button's Blog"

God Bless

Weekly Update

2008-01-19T17:40:00.000Z

I have had an interesting week, Last Sunday evening was a great service and I got to see someone to tell them something they had preached on in church a few months before had been amazing. I have had a week to try and prepare my lessons....well that didn't work out, I spent half of one day finding chairs for my classroom, spent another day trying to get to grips with the PC's and software which I ended up more confused. I had a day for lesson planning so I have done my two induction course. I was told we are expecting an OFSTED at anytime!!!!! I am scared stiff of the prospect. I am not a teacher, I have never taught before and within weeks of starting I am going to be OFSTED'D (if that's the word or a word)

On Friday I had a chap come in and help me set up the Radio Studio...we spent all morning setting a Network for the all the PC's, easy peasy I hear you say...yeah I thought so, but NO, things just wouldn't talk and a Buffalo Drive...well that’s a DODO, and I had high hopes for that as a server for my SFX library.

So Monday see's me start my classes, this is exciting and scary, as I have said I am not a teacher and from Monday I will be expected to teach.....Well it will be in God's strength and not mine, and any Glory will be his. Please pray for me this week.

Saturday Update

2008-01-12T14:55:00.000Z

Having been ill for a very long time then working from home, actually going out to work 5 days a week is a real shock to my system!!!! Getting out of bed early then popping off to work is a habit I had gotten out of. Also doing something I don’t really know how to do is a very strange concept to me...

God has been amazing and as things unfold I can really see and feel his presence with me, I am still unsure of my potential, but I know God is there and that means I cannot really lose can I.

Anyhoo I had a fairly good week, some highs and a few lows which is to be expected.

2008-01-08T19:11:00.000Z

Crikey time is just flying by....I am now working Monday to Friday and it is strange to be back in a steady job. It is also a strange job, but I am working in a sensitive area and I cannot really put what the job is, I can say I am teaching Radio for Derby College. I am coming to the end of my shaddowing and I will teaching my own lessons very soon.
Monday to Friday are now full and my evenings are spent resting though lesson planning is becoming an issue....who would have thought it...me a teacher?