Passion

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.

New Season of Torchwood

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.

A prayer from Celtic oral tradition

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 grumle and moan

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.

Weddings, Jelly Babies and Friends

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.

New Music

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.

Never say never huh.....

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.

Weekly Update

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.

Job Update

My Wall of Jericho has come tumbling down!!!! Praise God, and a very big thank you to everyone who has prayed for me as well.

I can now put here a little more about the job, it is a teaching job, I will do a Cert.Ed whilst doing the teaching!!! I can't put any more at the moment as I think it is classed as a sensitive job. ( I know!!! how can it be? I need to speak to my new boss)

It will be a very challenging and dificult job, but I feel I am being called there by God I have prayed and waited up on the Lord and I am now going to be doing. I can honestly say I am scared stiff!!!! I am so far out of my comfort zone I can’t even see it.

I am going to see if I can arrange a prayer support group, even it’s only via email to supprt me in my new venture as there is no way I can do this on my own or in my own strength.

I have spent many years learning about recording and making radio programmes and commercials, working in recording studio's, for the BBC and ILR and in production houses and this is where God has been. God has been guiding me and me showing me what I need to know and learn for this next stage in my life. Monday is the start of this next chapter of mine and Mrs EB's lives. I start afresh with my health the best it has been in a long time in quite possibly the scariest but hopefully the most rewarding job, Praise the Lord.

The smoking debate

My good friend Bob and I have been having a chat about smoking, Bob is a smoker and hates being told what to do..well that isn't quite true as he doesn't really go in to bars and pubs, but doesn't like the thought of Big Brother telling him he can't enjoy his cigarette when he wants one. The latest Highway Code was the straw that broke this smokers back as it recommends not lighting up whilst driving as it can distract you, being an ex-smoker I actually agree with what Bob is saying, no one uses two hands to light up, fag in gob, light fag with cigarette lighter with one hand whilst still driving, no more harm than changing gear....apart from when you drop a lighted fag in your lap, there should be no distraction at all. I did drop a lighted fag in my lap twice and it is a scary thing to do.

I don't agree with what Bob is saying about we should let each pub, bar, private club decide if smoking should be allowed on their premises or not as this could lead to confusion and also the breweries would soon be dictating this and not the landlords and within a few weeks we would be back to how it was June. Smokers can still "enjoy" their poison outside (most pubs seem to have a new area with heaters and roof just for this) and it is also a great incentive for those smokers who want to give up too do just that. I know when I gave up it was nearly impossible to stay stopped smoking by going into a Smokey pub or club, so really it is a good thing having a smoke free pub isn't it? I can list a few benefits from a non-smokers point of view, I don’t come home smelling of stale smoke needing to have a shower so I can sleep, I am not being poisoned by just breathing and chatting to friends, food tastes 100% better without smoke in the air and best of all my clothes stay fresher for longer.

Boat Props and Paint

Today Jim came to the boat, he brought his paints and talents, and has painted the one side, tomorrow he does the other side. These photo's are only when he was painting and don't really give the artwork justice, I have some better photo's taken with my camera and not my phone (These are phone)

I will blog those tomorrow if I remember to bring the right leads home!!!!! Like a numpty I left my camera leads on the boat

Anyhoo the marine engineers took some photo's of the bent propeller which I have posted at the the end of this blog...they break my heart, but as you can see by the last picture the bend isn't as bad now. Well done John and John.

Sunday Part 1

We had a great weekend, well Friday night and Saturday on the boat. Two friends who we go on Diving Holidays with came with us as our first weekend stop over guests. Amanda and David, they arrived about 7pm-ish so it was too late to set off as it had started to get dark, a unwritten rule is no night boating, you can but it is frowned up on. So we stayed in the marina and had a wonderful meal cooked by Mrs EB. We then had a few drinks and played Monopoly until 3am!!! and we were far too tired and a little to tidily to play anymore.

Mrs EB and I woke about 8am, and I made the boat ready and I started her on her way to Tixell Wide, David and Amanda got up when we were under way and we moored up at Tixell , Mrs EB made breakfast and tea and coffee. After Breakie we headed off for Acton Trussel and the Moat House for Lunch, this involves two Locks and quite few bridges, two really nasty ones with some very sharp turns and very narrow sailing area. Anyhooo David had a go at steering and did very well, as did Amanda. After a wonderful lunch we headed back to the Marina and got back just as the light faded away. I reversed into our mooring for the first time, not easy with a 57 foot boat let me tell you.

All in all a really nice weekend though I am a tad tired today.

Weekly Update

Pheww another week has flown by.

We took my Mum and Dad and Pippa and Sam my niece and nephew out on the boat for the day on Saturday, we had a great time. Entering Tixell Lock I heard a crunch and bang by the propeller...and the steering went light and we had a few shakes. When we stopped at Acton Trussell for lunch I checked the prop through the weed hatch, and one blade was bent!!! I was so upset and brand new narrow boat and now it is damaged.

On Sunday after the mornings service we went to the marina as it was the official opening, a hog roast and free beer!!! Whilst there I had a chat with marine engineers and they said they would take a look at the prop in the week. I also took the starting battery off as it was playing up.

Monday I picked Phill M up and we went to Braunston and took that battery back, they exchanged it for a new one but twice the size.... we then went to Great Haywood and returned the battery to the boat, I connected it up and nothing....I stuck it on charge and came home a little deflated.

Tuesday, I picked up Phil M and Claudio and we set off to Great Haywood for a day on the boat, once there I checked the battery , a good 12 volts, I tried to turn it over ...nothing? I popped and saw the John and John the marine engineers...Big John had a good look, he said it was an earth leak? he checked the connections and I hadn't connected the earth to the negative...I didn't notice one on before.

Wednesday I spent mixing the live blues album recorded in August in Garrigil with my brother in law Bryan, it sounds great a real good feel of their music. Also the guys at the marina took The Robber Button out of the water to look at the prop, and they have bent it back. I am not sure of the cast of this, I will find out Friday.

Thursday was spent at the Production house that uses me when their guy is away, I had a stressful but good day there, one session was with the comedian Hugh Dennis, a really nice guy and a good session once we could get the connection working.

Today I am at Church at Lunchtime mixing the sound for a lunch then I am off to the boat.

another update

Last week I was visited by Jim the sign writer and I told him what we wanted and he said what he could do. Yesterday he emailed me a plan of what he can do. (The colours are just for show on the diagram) We are going to have cream writing and a light blue highlight I think.

I am supposed to be doing the drive with Dad today, my dad ordered a skip for this, this morning and he refused to deliver it, saying there was too much hardcore and he wouldn’t leave it on the road outside my house? We phoned another company, they came and delivered the skip and after an exhausting day cleared the drive!!!! I am so tired now it isn't funny.

We had a nice weekend on the boat and took her out to Acton Trussell for a short run, we are both a little more confident in steering her now, we have ordered the comfy seats for the saloon/living area of the boat and we have also now ordered the Hi-Fi as well. Once all these bits in and we have some nice weather we will look forward to inviting and receiving visitors

So much to say:

Friday we went to Braunston and took over "The Robber Button" Huzah!!!!! It was a day spent traveling; Mr EB Snr and his friend Ron took us to the Marina, showing them the boat, unloading the car of bedding and other bits and bobs. Kettle (to be found out is a no no on narrow boats, use the gas it saves the batteries!!!. A toaster....again a no no, use the gas grill. Clothes etc. We spent time sorting things and learning where to put stuff. (Space is of a premium on a small boat)

Saturday we did our day course with James, it was 7 hours of far to much info, but between us we have gleamed a little info. Who would have thought you would need to know so much info for a such a slow boat? We both felt this was a day we needed to do, it was like having a massive driving lesson, it took us through the basics and, wel,l we needed it. When we said good-bye to James and carried on we felt a little scared but it was OK.

Sunday; Mrs EB and I did our own thing for the day; it was a tough day and we did have a few problems that we solved in our own way. We did 11 locks at Atherston and also about 12 miles of canal. This may not seem much but at a max of 4 mph and when passing a moored boat 1 mph, it can a long time. I think we eventually moored up at 6pm-ish. Mr and Mrs EB Snr picked us up Mrs EB and left me alone, Mrs EB was coming back with a few we left behind, then going home again as she had work in the morning. I went out for a walk along the towpath looking for some sticks and logs to burn on the woodburner. I couldn't find any, but bumped into a fellow boater, he gave me a big log and an axe!!!! after a while he said actually I have a brand new chain saw inside...and he did!!!! and he cut up some logs for me. I took my logs back and took him a few bottles of beer as a thank you. My neighbour for the night saw I needed some logs and also gave some...this was just wonderful and even though I didn't know these guys they both showed the true meaning of love. When Mrs EB arrived back she could hardly believe I had a wonderful log fire burning.

Monday, I was on my own and I sailed for nearly 11 hours on my own I did 5 locks and I was just totally worn out by the end of the day. The highlight of the day was seeing a King Fisher flying past me. The low point hitting a bridge ( I was tired and well it just happened!!!) I also saw the other side of boaters. I pulled in at Fradley Junction in a mooring and was just about to have a small break and wait for Mrs EB when a chap arrived at my boat and was really grumpy and very rude and told me to move my boat as it was his mooring, and he said he needed in a few hours time? I explained I was on my own and was just waiting for my wife to arrive...well I moved on. and carried on up to Kings Bromely far to tired to manover the narrow boat. I moored up oposite a warf.

Tuesday; The next morning I spoke to warf owner and asked him to mix up some paint and he said I could moor up on his warf...(A nice person) Whilst doing this a lady, Margaret, helped me...she had been boating for over 30 years...I helped her move some logs and she showed me her old boat. A friend from church arrived to help me for the day, he has had a boat for years and he loved sailing mine. I took over to take her into the marina.


Wedesday; I spent at the marina with a chap called Carl from Braunston, he was sent over to fix a few snags I had found en-route. A really nice guy who told me about the toaster and kettle!!! I also started to paint the inside of the water tank, (it was starting to rust as it has sat with a bit of water in for a very long time) I ended up with a lot of water proof paint on me!!! and now I cant get it off!!! and I have even more to do tomorow. After this busy day I headed for church as the new sound desk had arrived and needed to be fitted before Thursday so I can set it for Sunday and have music group arround for the practise.

Bank Holiday Update

Well that was a very busy weekend here is an update of what happened and where we are at now

I travelled upto Garrigill on Friday evening with my Brother-in-law Bryan and got to my Sister-in-law Liz's at about 12:30 am, had a glass of wine and off to bed. We got up early had a wonderful cooked breaky and Bro-in-Law and I went out for the Morning. We came back in time to meet the rest of his blues band in the pub!!! We had some lunch and set up for the gig. I was recording the event on Pro Tools via 12 or so mics.

We had tea and washed and changed and off we went to the village hall for a night of blues, a rather spiffing night it was as well. Afterwards it was back to Mrs EB's sisters for some more wine and food and a very late night. Sunday morning was spent striking the gig and getting my gear back to Sister-in-laws, saying good bye to the band and Bro-in-law then getting ready for Mrs EB's arrival, Mrs EB arrived about 12:30 am.

Got up about 9am Monday had a great cooked breaky and I took Mrs EB and her sister to her sweetie shop, Mrs EB was going to be working in there all day, about 11am I took Mrs EB's sisters friend Pete down to the shop and brought Liz back as Monday was Garrigill Gala day!!! There were bands on the village green and various stalls and attractions....one being a Rubber Duck race down the stream the Tyne!!! (the river starts 1.5 miles up on the moor. ) Anyhoo I was asked to wear a large ducks costume to advertsie this event!!! I was cadjolled into this and it was boiling hot!!! I walked about the village looking a total idiot, waving at kids and along with a young chap we were selling ducks for the race. Then a local photographer from a local paper arrived and took my picture...half an hour later yet another photgrapher arrived. After what was a fantastic day Liz and I went to Alston to pick up Mrs EB and Pete, Liz did the till tally and found out that Mrs EB and Pete had taken the most ever for a day!!!!

We arrived home late Monday night and Mrs EB transfered funds for "The Robber Button" and these should be well cleared by Friday, when Mrs has another day off, we are doing the day course on Saturday and we will be away this weekend as we start to take her to Great Haywood. So that was my weekend.

Thursday

I have been a really busy bunny since my last Blog.

Anyhoo what’s been going on? Well we had new carpets all over the house apart from the living room, so we emptied the rest of the house into the living room, that took a couple of days and a couple of days to put it all back again. Whilst sorting through all of the stuff we have gotten rid of loads of bits and pieces... So I have been up to the tip more times than I can remember and to Second Thoughts (A shop owned and run by our Church) a few times.

I have also been cleaning a tiding the house as today an estate agent is calling in to value our property....ironic really the house is now looking how I have wanted it too for years and now we sell...but we really want the boat and its a matter of finance really, we don't have enough......

Later

Well the estate agent called round and was here for a couple of hours going through how they will market the house etc, and how much she thinks will get for EB Towers…I was very happy with what she said and I called Mrs EB and she was also happy so we agreed and I guess by Friday EB Towers will be on the market.

The cheque finally arrived and I drove into Brum and paid that into our Smile account via the C0-Op bank and then I phoned the Marina and let them know we now have the money, I also booked James for our day skipper course for a week Saturday, that also means I will be away for that following week, finally bringing home "The Robber Button".....

What else?

My Bloods are slowly coming down but they are still roller coastering away up and down, but generally I am feeling so much better now, I have also lost a stone!!!! 14lbs for my readers from across the pond. That is just cutting out sugar, I can't believe it? I am also starting to actually get some energy back which is really nice.
I am away this weekend up in Garrigill recording my Brother in Laws blues band at a festival, I am really looking forward to spending a bit of time with my in-law family, though Mrs EB can't come up until Sunday night after she has lead worship at church. Its a 5 to 6 hour Journey so please pray for our safe arrival and return.

That’s about it really…

Being on a sugar free diet is very hard, I am really struggling. I am craving sweets, even Nestle sweets it is that bad!!!! it isn't even though I am hungry, it is just sugar withdrawal. I am sure this will pass as did the nicotine withdrawal but that was a toughie as well.

On the plus side I am losing weight not quickly but it is coming off, I am guessing eating porridge then lunch, two meals I could often skip and having a large tea my body would go into starvation mode and just store all the fat it could. I am now eating loads of fruit and three smaller meals a day and I am feeling better for it, also the tablets are sort of working and making me feel better than I have felt in years. The next trick will be to exercise a little more, that I will find hard as I am still lethargic most of the time...oh well small steps will finish the race.

we have had the chippie back in and he has now finished so it is over to me with sand paper and stain and varnish, so it will be ready for the decorator and then it will be carpets and a for sale board...and onto the next stage in our lives.

We have been asked by a few people if we will be hiring out the “Unnamed” boat, we haven’t really talked about it in-depth yet, but my gut reaction is no. We will be using the boat most weekend as a getaway home, especially for Mrs EB who is working very hard and needs to unwind. We will of course take friends with us some weekends for short trips and mini breaks. This is not meant to offend anyone but I would not feel comfortable lending or hiring out the boat at the moment, especially as we haven’t even got it yet ;-)

Weekend boating we can't wait!!!

Over the weekend we popped to Braunston and Great Haywood to measure up for curtains and bits and bobs and to have another look at the moorings. This is the marina with the main building being a lounge and office for the site.

As usual click on the photo's to see a larger version

Just off from Great Heywood is a little village called Milford which made me smile. I have taken a photo, I think Matt would have approved as its very beautiful.

As you can see from the photo's the Marina looks a quiet and sleepy place which will be perfect as a getaway starting point.



The photo's below are from on the as yet to be named boat!!!

My sort of 5 favourite Albums

Summerset Bob has challenged me to list and explain why I love my 5 favourite Albums, it was supposed to be songs but I just couldn't do it, I tried that earlier this year, so I changed it slightly to albums... I could easily list 1005 albums, it is nearly impossible to list only 5 but it would take all day to do anymore.....

Tubular Bells...Mike Oldfield

This is the first album I ever bought, and still my favourite piece of music of all time. It has passion and energy and is technically just brilliant, Mike rerecorded this album in 2003 as an homage to his early work. The rerecording is mechanically, technically and musically better as there are fewer mistakes (I have found one technical mistake..producers ears!!) I think I prefer the original for the shear brilliance of its time, also Mike being only 19 at the time. Tubular Bells is a piece of music I listen to all of the time. I love all of the versions of Tubular Bells, Tubular Bells 2, 2003 and Tubular Bells 3, (I used Tubular Bells 3 on the Las Vegas Helicopter Video). I listen to all of these at various times; when I am sad to help with the blues in me, when I am happy to make me smile and all times in between, I even have Tubular Bells tattooed on my right upper arm!!!

The Beatles...Love

I was born a Bealtles fan, they were number 1 when I was born, the films were on TV during the school holidays, my sisters had the albums and would be playing them as I grew up. I sort of lived The Beatles as a child and I just love them. Sgt Pepper's is an all time favourite album and a shear masterpiece of concept music. But Love is the album that has being missing, it is what was needed, and had to be done, and Sir George Martin and his son Giles are the only people who could have done it. They have brought The Beatles into the 21st Century and to new ears. The transitions between tracks are mind blowing the displacement and replacement of instruments around the tracks is total genius. I hear new stuff all of the time in the tracks and this album is always being played on my IPod. If you get a chance to go Las Vegas the show will leave you speechless!!! By far the greatest Beatles album ever. The first time I listened to this album on Christmas day I had leaky eyes!!!

Genesis...A Trick of the Tail

An album that reminds of my teens and some great parties, lost girlfriends, mates that have long vanished and some amazing times of chewing the fat and smoking some funny fags. This is an album that I have played to death. This is the first album after Peter Gabriel left and to me is the best of Genisis’s work. It sort of has a rock opera feel to each track as every song tells a story in its own right. This is an album that I was unable to listen too for a few years as it was a late release on CD and my record deck was totally screwed, but it is now a favourite on my IPod.

Marillion...Clutching at Straws

The last album by fish with Marillon. I just love the feel of this album it so sad and reflective and has beautiful melodies and some amazing lyrics. Fish is a poet second to none and an amazing musician. The feel of this album is a little softer than most of the other Marillion stuff. I do love Misplaced Childhood, Script for a Jesters Tears, Fugazzi, Reel to Reel and all of the B' Sides, the live albums etc. But I think this album wins with the lyrics. Most of the early (Fish) Marillion music is in a style similar to early Genesis which is why I like them I guess, though the Marillion lyrics are 100x more powerful.

Bat out of Hell .. Meatloaf

This is the album that was the anthem of my youth, I don’t think a week went by when I didn’t sing along to the songs on this masterpiece. Jim Steinman is a hero of mine, I love his song writing style, Pandora’s Box his first concept album is where it all started and is amazing as is Bad for Good, but Meatloaf ads his amazing voice and here we get near perfection. The strings on For Crying Out Loud still sends shivers down my spine as does the piano on the title track. Between Jim Steinman, Meatloaf and Mike Oldfield my life has been set music and I love them all.

There are a stack of albums I could add to this like:-

Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys
Abba - Gold
Elvis Presley's - Greatest hits,
The Divine Comedy - A Secret History
Les Mis - Original Cast
Tom Jones - Reload
Amy Grant - The Collection
The News Boys - Shine
Rem - Automatic for the People
Styx - Caught in the Act
Simon and Garfunkle - The Concert in Central Park
Jimmy Nail - Crocodile Shoes
Pink Floyd - Dark side of the Moon
Michael Jackson - Dangerous
Jack Johnson - In between Dreams
U2 - Joshua Tree
Swing out sister - Kalaeidoscope World,
Led Zeplin - Led Zeplin IV
Lemon Jelly - KY
Lynard Skynyrd - One more for the Road
Queen - Queens Greatest Hits
Neil Diamond - Tap Root Manuscript
Baka Beyond - Spirit of the Forrest
Gary Moore - Still got the Blues
Robbie Williams - Swing When You're Winning
Vince Guaraldi Trio- Vince Guaraldi Trio
Jeff Wayne - War of the Worlds
The Who - Live from Leeds
Chris Eaton - Wonderful World
The Carpenters - Yesterday Once More

Of Course this list is just what I am thinking about at the moment and I could keep adding albums.....but I need to be doing other things.

I am told I need to tag 5 people to carry this on, they have to link back to me, if I have got it right?

so over to:-

Baddog http://www.baddogsblog.blogspot.com/

Timelord http://talesofatimelord.blogspot.com/

Teapot http://teapotdiaries.blogspot.com/

Amy and Amiability http://webgirly.blogspot.com/

Scubasis http://www.scubasis.blogspot.com/