A New Chapter

There have always been things I won't blog about, personal things, things that are not the business of those not involved.  If my blog was anonymous then I could write whatever I liked, but then who would read it

And so it it with this in mind I attempt to sum up the last 9 months and look forward to the start of next year

I think those who know me, and have read my blogs before will know what the big change in my life was in March of this year, I believe it was the talk of the family at one point....as you'd expect really....but in March/April a decision was made that left me looking for somewhere to live

Naivety led to me renting a flat, in Eastleigh, just two streets from Amelia but next door to a members club.  And this was fine, until the first Friday night, or as I will call it here Krapeoke night (that's a play on karaoke but also conveying the quality of the performances, are you with me)

Let's just say the more mature residents of Eastleigh are not quite at the level of the musical greats, Lionel, Elton, Cliff, but by god do they give it a good shot.....until gone midnight :-(

But apart from the music, the flat was ok, well, except for the smell. Smokey Joe was my neighbour downstairs (named changed to protect his identity) and boy did I know it, his delightful aroma seeping through the floorboards.  Still, when he moved out he gave me hash browns and Yorkshire puddings so he wasn't all bad

There was the minor issue of maggotgate (I hate when people put gate on the end of things to make it sound newsworthy) as a part of Fridgegate ;-) when my fridge decided to stop working and some new friends moved in. But all was sorted pretty quickly and my flat was returned to pristine palace status

The shower screen proved safest living on the floor beside the toilet, now you'll probably question it's effectiveness at preventing the escape of water but after it made two attempts to decapitate Amelia when it fell off, I decided it was safest

I could sit here reeling off endless adventures from my time in that flat (I actually couldn't, I've got nothing else) but let's move on

It has been very practical, for walking Amelia to school, for walking to Amelia's, and for getting to McDonald's in time for a sausage and egg mcmuffin with extra bacon (some servers charge for the bacon and some don't) but the time has come to move on

And so it is that this week I have moved back to my spiritual home of Boyatt Wood, or 'The Hood' as some people may call it.  Obviously I wouldn't associate with such ruffians.

I now have a flat big enough for Amelia and I, she has the pinkest bedroom that anyone w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶l̶i̶e̶ ̶a̶w̶a̶k̶e̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶n̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶n̶i̶g̶h̶t̶m̶a̶r̶e̶s̶  ̶a̶b̶o̶u̶t̶ dream for and she loves it. It just needs some finishing touches today in the form of yellow curtains and bedding.....oh and a wardrobe

It's been strange waking up the last couple of mornings to the sound of nothing. No planes, trains and automobiles, and boy did my neighbour love playing that at 5am each day (it's an 80's film reference, no I didn't say it was funny).  But seriously it's quiet, eerily quiet and it'll take some getting used to after 7 years in the town centre

Now it has been suggested that I use this blog as a method of obtaining sympathy or for giving off some impression that I'm the perfect dad or some such. This is not, and has never been the case. Sympathy could only be expected from someone in a better position that myself and I consider myself to be doing pretty darn well to be honest.  Yes I'd love to live with Amelia, of course I would, I never intended to end up in the position I'm now in, but you've got to make the most of any situation and appreciate how much more fortunate you are than others 

It would be fair to say that without the support of my family, Amelia's mum, and my friends I would not have come out of this year in the way that I have.  When I moved on Friday I had 3 good friends there to help me, and by help me, I really mean move my stuff for me (yes I really do have a bad back) and they were a godsend (though I don't believe in god, don't let that ruin the sentiment).  And even today when I need to collect a wardrobe for Amelia I have had several people offer me their time and transport to do so 

If there was one thing I learnt from my late brother in law, it was that you should always be there to help your friends, family, or anyone really. You never know when you will need help yourself, but more than that, it's just good to help people.  

And so it is I head towards Christmas, my ceiling decorations having been left by the previous owners, my tree coming from great friends and decorations coming from some vague acquaintance (I'm joking Clare, it's genuinely appreciated) so there will be Christmas in my new home (near Chandlers Ford) 

I very much doubt I'll be writing anything more this year....except for maybe depressed ramblings on Christmas Day when I'm at work, so I'll end by wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and once again thank everyone that has supported me through this year

May 2014 continue to build on great things and become even greater

:-)

P.S.  It's only in the last few months that I have realised why you text 241 for an orange Wednesday ticket, and why Eminem's name is Eminem. I'm not really as stupid as this makes me sound ;-)

Joyeux Noël 

Amelia doesn't want to stay with you

I've thought long and hard about this blog, debating whether to write it, whether to upload it and then whether to post it to social media (ok so it's only Facebook and twitter...but did I mention I do have Phillip Schofield as a follower)

This isn't a blog aimed at getting sympathy, empathy maybe, from anyone that has found themselves in a similar situation but not sympathy

On Sunday of this week, 3 days ago, I was due to have my daughter for the afternoon, evening, and overnight, dropping her at school on Monday morning.  This had been arranged at the start of the month, as is the routine that seems to have developed, and I was looking forward to it as I always do.  However this day was a little different to normal, she didn't want to see me

I always knew there'd be days when Amelia didn't want her daddy, days when she wanted to be with mummy or on her own, but I guess I thought I had a few years before this happened. But on Sunday she wasn't interested. She didn't want to stay overnight with me, didn't want to spend the afternoon with me, in fact for the half hour or so I was at her mum's house, she wouldn't even speak to me

Now you could argue that I should have packed her bags and forced her to come with me, taken her out of the house kicking and screaming....she'd have calmed down of course...and probably been fine, but I didn't want to do that.  I want her to want to see me, not just to fit in with a predetermined plan made by her mother and I 

So I went home, alone, i spent the rest of the day trying to keep busy, job hunting, washing up, hoovering....and that was just the exciting highlights

Monday marked the start of 3 late shifts for me, these are days that I don't see Amelia, she's at school all day and by finish time I'm already an hour into my day at work.  This Monday however was different, she wasn't interested in me the day before, and it would have been all to easy to think 'ok, well that's her choice, I'll see her Thursday'. But she's not 24, not even 14, she's 4. She doesn't have a long term motive for anything, she acts on impulse and deals with things spontaneously. I couldn't let Sunday's events cloud my thoughts for Monday. So at 8:15 I walked round to her house to walk her to school....with her mum obviously.....and the neighbours...and their children....and a lollipop person or two 

And the result of my effort that morning........completely ignored me again. Not interested in talking to me, disobeyed whatever instruction I gave (put your coat/shoes on etc) and ran to her mum whenever I tried to make contact with her....not exactly what I would call a success 

So Monday evening I'll admit, I sent a text to Amelia's mum telling her that I wasn't setting an alarm for the next morning, if I was awake then I'd do the school run, but I wasn't waking myself up just to be ignored. I was being stubborn and I was wallowing in self pity.

I woke around 7:30, no texts. By 8:15 I'd not heard back, so sent a text making the assumption that Amelia wasn't interested in seeing me.  This wasn't so much the case, but more that I had come across as though I wasn't really bothered so no reply seemed necessary or deserved

So by 8:30 I was at Amelia's front gate.....let's not pretend I'm an athlete or that this was a great expedition, it is only 2 streets away....but I did walk...even though I own a car

I was greeted with a hug and a kiss and a feeling that, whilst she didn't want to show it, she was happy to see me. Her book bag was quickly thrust into my hand, so at least I was trusted with the job of carrying that

Later in the day, I found myself needing to pop home and collect something, by chance this was at just past school end time, and I knew that Amelia was off to a friends house for birthday tea.  So I drove the route of the walk home, hoping I might just catch up, and by 30 seconds I just managed it.  She was quite happy to have just said 'hi' and 'bye'.....after all, she was off for cake and party shenanigans (much underused work that, along with kerfuffle) but I managed to stop her for a minute or two and hear about her day.

I cherish all these little moments, they probably seem quite irrelevant to most people, to most parents even, but in a life when I may only see my daughter for a few minutes in a day, they are the most precious minutes of all

I wasn't up in time for the school run today, so I was unlikely to see Amelia today.  However, I 'accidentally' happened to pass by the house this evening (my colleague wanted chips so my old 'local' seemed a suitable suggestion) and luckily Amelia was still up and I managed to pop in for 5 minutes. She asked lots of questions about my uniform, my radio, my boots etc and I got a great 5 minutes with her on top form.....like this, she's nearly as funny as I am :-)

I reminded her I would collect her from school tomorrow, and that she'd stay with me for two nights....and touch wood....she didn't say no....Happy Days

It could have been all too easy to have just ignored the situation from Sunday but who would benefit from that, hopefully I've turned things back around 

I apologise for waffling on, I'd expect people to have lost interest early on, but I just wanted to get it written down. If nothing else it will remind me of the not so great times, how i felt, how I dealt with the situation and how I kept moving forward

Thanks for reading, bye for now

The Power of Music

It is said that listening to just 1 hour of music per day will greatly reduce stress levels, help you to relax, reduce anxiety

How much music do you listen to?

Yesterday I was questioned on the value of my Spotify subscription. It's £10 a month and gives me mobile access to just about any song I can imagine....except The Beatles....but I can live without The Beatles....unlike Yoko Ono

The argument was that it's expensive, an argument brought by someone drinking a £3 coffee which lasts all of about 5 minutes

I guess the question is, what value do you put on your well being

Now of course some people will say that music is of no benefit to them, I'd say they're probably wrong, but they are of course entitled to their opinion....they're like arseholes after all...

See the power of music is not just in closing your eyes, singing along, escaping the realities of day to day life 

In the last few hours I've listened to songs, albeit unintentionally, that remind my of my first proper girlfriend, my wedding reception, the death of loved ones. Some of the songs are not great, some are outstanding.

I would describe my musical taste as eclectic, from Pachelbel's Canon to Phil Collins' Groovy Kind of Love.....even throw in some Mmmbop (and yes that is the correct number of M's).  I know that some of my choices would attract ridicule, apparently certainly musical tastes make me 'gay' or 'soft'......I'm pretty sure I couldn't be the former if I was also the latter.....though I like to think I'm neither

Music can motivate you, raise your mood, lower your mood. Bring back great memories and sad memories. It can just pass some time or make that time the most productive of the day. Whatever reaction it brings, you can't deny the power of music

As a return to the old days of my blogs, I will include some 'humorous' photos for your amusement, hopefully they will raise a smile....and if not....put some bloody music on

Heating or Eating

This is a phrase that is always in the headlines at this time of year

That people would actually have to choose between being warm and feeding themselves just shows the disgusting state of the world we live in

I've never experienced poverty. Don't get me wrong, it's a difficult decision to put the heating on sometimes, this will be my first winter in a place on my own, but I'm lucky enough to know that whilst it is something of a luxury, I can afford it 

I could save a lot of money on food, a few less bacon rolls at work, less crisps and snacks when I go to the supermarket, but I can afford them....for the moment at least

How can it be acceptable that a basic human right and need, to be fed and warm is placed second to the desire to make money for millionaire shareholders and millionaire managing directors

Politicians debate how there should be a price cap and 'when we are elected we'll freeze the prices'. I could run for election telling everyone that if I'm elected I'll give everyone a million pounds, yes it's more extreme but it's equally as truthful and realistic.  It's like the high school class president we've seen in so many crap tv programs that says 'I'll give you shorter lessons and longer breaks...and candy for lunch' 

Tell people what they want to hear and they'll believe you because sometimes they need to believe you

People need to believe that someone cares, that their grandparents won't die this winter because they can't afford to not freeze to death

People are giving food back to food banks because they can't afford to cook it....what sort of world is that. They can't afford to eat the food they've been given so have to go hungry instead 

They talk about kids going to school hungry, and parents living on bread and butter.  Schools making ridiculously expensive uniform demands when they can't even offer a good enough level of education that teachers are happy to teach.  I'd rather my child went to school in her pyjamas if it meant she had food in her belly and a decent lesson structure

We've seen teachers striking, not just because of pay and pensions, though that's what the media would have you believe, but because they care about our children....believe me, if you didn't care about children, you couldn't be a teacher 

Firefighters on strike, not just because of pension contributions but because of changes that are being made that put more people at risk

Yesterday I watched Prince Charles on tv talking about pensions and how if we didn't act now, our children and grandchildren, his grandchildren, would suffer.  His grandchildren!! Why because they'll have to settle for only 3 Range Rovers and only two palaces to live in....don't even pretend to be 'one of us' 

Maybe this year when you come to do your christmas shopping, or even next week when you do, buy a few extra things, simple things, things that maybe don't need cooking, and give them either directly or indirectly to people that need them.  We can't give people heating but we can give them food

And if you are well enough off that you have money to spare, but you have friends/relatives that are struggling, don't allow them to be proud or stubborn, find out their energy supplier and give them some money 

I'm sure we would all give any amount of money to keep alive someone we've lost, maybe we could give other people the chance to not experience that loss 

Suicide and Sellotape

I've been wanting to write a blog for a week or so now but I just can't think of anything to write about

There might have been many blogs about idiot drivers, idiot pedestrians, idiots in general, but I figured no one would want to read them

So let's start with a chat about suicide....

This morning the M271 was closed whilst the police 'talked down' a man threatening to jump of a bridge. Now I appreciate that my job has probably hardened me to these things and I apologise if I cause any offence, but two thoughts immediately came to my mind. 1) if you're gonna jump off a bridge, to kill yourself, you're not telling anyone about it before hand....if the police are there before you've jumped then you were never really gonna jump. And 2) if you're gonna jump off a bridge, make it one from which the fall would actually kill you....broken ankles/legs would just an inconvenience to you and whoever has to look after you

Now please don't misunderstand me, I have genuine sympathy for anyone in that position, someone that is so desperate for help/attention, that this seems the only option. But jumping/threatening to jump from a motorway bridge has two outcomes. Causing massive traffic tailbacks, thus inconveniencing hundreds of people that don't even know you or worse causing extreme mental anguish for the person/people that are unlucky enough to have collided with you

A few months back an elderly gentlemen walked out in front of motorway traffic on the M3, his family had discovered indecent images of children on his computer and he was being charged, he felt so ashamed that he decided to kill himself.  Now I have no problem with this, but to do it by walking out in front of a perfectly innocent 18 year old girl is just plain wrong. Go to Southampton and jump into the sea or into a river, do it somewhere where no one else is effected, somewhere you may never even be found

So my first blog in weeks has so far been about people committing suicide and my advice on how (not) to do it......I bet you've all really missed by blogs 

So let's move on to something more cheerful, or is it.  They say that there is someone for everyone in this world, now that may be true, it may be complete horse shit, but how will we ever know. What if you're 'someone' lives 10,000 miles away and you just never meet, what if that person has already met the wrong person and just stays in the hamster wheel that we call life, afraid to make the break, afraid of the what if's

I've got into an exchange on Facebook, I won't call it a conversation as I'm not sure it would be accurate, but communication all the same with a girl it is safe to say I was in love with from about age 5-12 or 13. 

Now don't get me wrong, and if you're reading this (probably not) then please don't misunderstand, I'm not mourning the loss of the relationship that never was. But it's interesting to think how simple life is when you're that age....and yet it seems so difficult

We grow up scared of making fools of ourselves, not knowing that it's the perfect time to do it. Who remembers who they asked out as a kid, or more importantly who remembers who they turned down, (technically I don't think I turned anyone down) people grow up and move on, they carry on without a second thought....this isn't necessarily as easy when you're the wrong side of, ahem, 25

Now back to my point, how many people are like the proverbial swan, and mate for life.  I know of a few couples that stick together like the end of the Sellotape and the rest of the roll (you can have that one for free) people that let nothing phase them and come through it stronger.  I know of people that lose the person that makes them whole all too early and I know of people that simply don't deserve the person that they have.

Unfortunately I know too many people that stay in unhappy relationships, because it's easier. I've had conversations with my daughter where she's cried her eyes out because she desperately wants her mummy and daddy to both live with her.  And don't get me wrong, it's difficult to not feel like a failure when a relationship ends but better than getting to age 60 and wondering why you've been unhappy half of your life 

I guess if there's a message to come out of my disjointed ramblings tonight, it's do what makes you happy, if you're not happy then get help to make you happy. Don't make yourself unhappy just to please others and try and put yourself first however selfish it seems

Even I'm starting to wish id watched X factor and I'm not even gonna have to read this rubbish

I'll end with some pictures, god know you needs them to cheer you up after all this.

Bye bye for now 

A goodbye to nursery

Today marks the end of an era, another big stage in my daughter growing up, her last day at nursery

Now I guess for people without kids, nursery may be seen as just a babysitting service, somewhere to leave the kids whilst you go to work, or the shops or wherever

This is not my experience of nursery, and certainly not of The Aviary in Eastleigh 

There's personal information that I won't go into but when Amelia started nursery it was at a time of great difficulty and they welcomed her like their own child

Amelia started at The Aviary when she was 6 months old, her mum was returning to work and whilst we had great family support we needed some additional help with childcare, I work shifts so don't have set days off each week

Amelia loves her nursery, she loves the staff, she loves the building and loves the garden. Above all she loves the friends that she has made. Now if you've ever had a child at school or nursery you'll know there's always a child that cries when their parent leaves, maybe its your child, but Amelia has never cried when dropped off there

The last several months have been hard for Amelia, big changes have happened at home, she's turned 4, and next week she starts school, Big School as we've been calling it for the last few months.  Throughout all of this, one constant that she has had in her life has been nursery 

Today is the end of that. 

44 months of twice or thrice weekly visits there. A goodbye to the staff and helpers. It's not a goodbye to her friends but of course she won't see as much of them, they won't have the days of the week when they always see each other

Maybe it is effecting me more than it's effecting her, she'll start her new school and she'll love it. She'll make new friends, have new teachers and have so much fun. But I know it's made her sad

She didn't want to leave when her mum collected her yesterday and I know for sure she won't want to leave today. I'll be at work this afternoon so I won't get to be there for the end of her last day, but to be honest that's probably not a bad thing, it will be an emotional time and I think tears will be shed, by her mum if no one else

And so we look forward to the next adventure, Big School, starting next Friday. Next week is my last chance to spend time with Amelia before she's a proper school pupil. And as I dropped her off yesterday I told her, as I thought it would be, that this would be the last time I dropped her at nursery and what she said really effected me.  She said 'maybe you could pick me up from big school sometimes daddy'. Half statement but half question. Looking for reassurance that I would still be there for her

Psychologists will tell you that a child will behave better for the parent that doesn't live with them, as though they have to behave because otherwise that parent may just give up and stop seeing them.  I desperately hope that's not how Amelia feels and I have, and will continue to, reassure her that I will always be there for her

I can't be there every morning, I can't be there every evening. She'll have experiences without me and I'll miss some milestones. But I'll be there as much as I can, and she'll know that I'm only ever a phone call away 

And most importantly I'll be there at the gates as she joins her new school and there when she finishes her first day. To take pictures in her new uniform and to cherish every moment of her new learning experience

I have no doubt that my daughter, along with the love and support of me and especially her mum, will go on to achieve great things in life, and this is only the closing of one door as another one flies open

I love you Amelia 

Housey housey, play housey housey

Things are getting serious

I am currently flat hunting. As some of you may know, I live in a pretty reasonable one bedroom flat in Eastleigh, with a few downsides.  

The first one is a man we'll call Smokey Robinson. I wouldn't like to guess how many cigarettes he smokes a day, but we'll choose a conservative figure and say 27000.  Well he lives downstairs. In his defence I think he has reduced his smoking, maybe 26500 now. But I am still greeted by that 'sweet' aroma whenever I come home

The next problem is the Conservative club next door.  This is a place I expected to be frequented by the more mature residents of Eastleigh, with the loudest thing perhaps being a bingo night. But oh no. Even looking past the loud, foul mouthed scrotes that hang around out the front, smoking Smokey's extra 500 fags. The main issue is the Friday Karaoke night and the live band on a Saturday 

I'm no expert in running a club, my last experience back in the 80's was unsuccessful. Apparently milk club should always have a healthy supply of milk....what can I say...I was let down by suppliers. But one thing I do know is if you want people to come and watch a live band, either supply very cheap alcohol, or, as crazy as it sounds, a good quality band.  I can only assume that beer is 10 pence a pint next door

So anyway, I'm flat hunting. Hunting to buy, not rent. And you'd think this would be easier or at least more enjoyable. But no.

See the problem with hunting to buy is that you're not making a 6-12 month commitment, you're going to be there for some time, maybe even the rest of your life. So the decision has to be right, or at least as right as it can be

The next problem with buying, is budget. You set a price, but how much above that price do you allow yourself to search, taking into account the 'cheeky offer' equation. Some would say go 10% above what you can afford, some say more. I guess it depends very much on how cheeky you are 

So I set my search criteria at around 5% above what I can afford, I typed my search criteria into Rightmove (other property based websites/apps are available) and waited for the hundreds of choices that fitted exactly what I need. Hundreds didn't happen. Tens didn't happen. In fact over the last 4 or 5 months of searching, daily, I'm pretty much left with 4, maybe 5 flats. 

I can't afford a house, and I can't afford an actual flat (flats have maintenance charges that shally equate to over £100 a month) so I'm left with maisonettes, purpose built or conversions.  

The downside to my choice of 4 or 5 flats is 3 of them are in the same road as the house I recently moved from, the house that my wife and daughter currently and will continue to occupy. And when I say the same road, what I mean is that one is two doors down, the other two are across the road and two doors down. I'm sure you can appreciate my dilemma.

However enough of that, the humour of property searching is in the estate agents themselves. And pretty much all the estate agents I've ever dealt with have been incompetent.

I was due to view 4 properties on Thursday, all with the same agent, so they were done as a block booking.  The viewings were booked for 3pm so you can imagine my delight when at 10pm the agent phoned to say that one of them was cancelled. Apparently the vendor doesn't do viewings in the daytime, they have to be after 5:30, a fact that the agent was well aware of. 

They then phoned again to cancel a second viewing, this vendor insisted on being there for viewings, but I couldn't see it because they were going to be home all day. Yes that's not a typo, I couldn't see a flat that had to be occupied for viewings, because the vendor was at home

I think I may have made my annoyance clear on the phone when the estate agent appeared to whimper slightly, telling me he was only doing his best. That's me, I'm like a cage fighting champion.....on the phone.....30 miles away

Now the first viewing went without trauma. It was a nice little flat. Some people wouldn't choose to live behind a dog grooming salon, or on a main road, or opposite a primary school. But other than that it was ok. Well, except for the fact that I'd have had to take half the kitchen out just to change the washing machine. Oh, and Amelia would have had to sleep curled up as there wasn't really space for a bed in the second bedroom. So that was a no

At the second viewing the agent arrived before me, I was still walking down. He then informed me that the tenant wasn't at home and he didn't have a key. This was another person that had insisted on being present for all viewings and had assured the agents that she would be there. 

Well she didn't factor in my agent going back to the office to get a key. And actually it was a fantastic flat, the only downside I could find in fact was that it didn't have a freezer, or space for one really, but that's not the end of the world. The viewing went well....a fact that the agent was pleased about as he said 'I was worried if I'd cocked this up that you were going to punch me'.  Success, the agent is scared. Hopefully I can get him to add 5% to my deposit 

A viewing I had the next day was the flat above the previously mentioned one and we had intended to see both of them at the same time. Except the tenant said we couldn't because she was going away for the weekend, so would be in at the time of the viewing....a fact that she insists upon....confused? I certainly was

So we had to settle for a peek through the window. Or walking blatantly up to the patio doors and staring in as the agent did

This agent and another agent this week both told me that vendors would definitely take offers of nearly 10% under the asking price, which did leave me wondering who they were working for exactly...still, it's useful information for me

In the meantime some thinking will be done and the search shall continue 

I don't have any house search related funnies so I'll just add something random

Bye bye for now 

Do we have a right to decide

There is a 'Big Issue' seller that I see quite often in Eastleigh, he stands outside the chemist at the end of Market Street, I've never bought the Big Issue

I understand the concept is that you are giving them an income, they buy the magazine for a small amount and they keep the profit, a point that was made by their chief executive a few years ago when he urged people to not pay more than the cover price....it's a job, not a charity

The question is, how many people would buy the magazine if it was on a shelf in Tesco, maybe the content is so impressive that they would, or maybe people just but it for compassionate reasons 

Now this takes me back to the man outside the chemist, lets call him Lloyd....it's not a Boots Chemist

Lloyd is better dressed than me, not a great challenge I'm sure you'll agree, but either way he has nice trainers, decent clothes and most importantly, the latest iPhone 

And this brings us to my question, do we have any right to an opinion on how people spend their money.  We've been repeatedly told that Lloyd is a self employed business man, he's not a beggar, so do we have any more of a right to comment than if he were a builder or plasterer 

And the answer is no. He may earn a lot of money doing what he does, enough that he decides he wants super fast processing, an 8mp camera and all the greatest apps, at least he's an Apple man and not Samsung

When i do decide to buy the Big Issue, if I ever do, will I be buying it from him. No. Because he doesn't 'need' my money. The same as I probably wouldn't favour a builder that drives a Ferrari or a plasterer that carries his tools in a Rolls Royce

Am I judging a book by its cover, no, I'm judging a smart phone by its retina screen

More or less connected

A friend and I will soon be starting an experiment, an experiment in technology

Now normally you would expect this to mean we will be trying out some new technology, or some new way of using it, but no

I was 15 when I got my first mobile phone, 15! I didn't even have anyone to call, in fact I think I only had one or two friends that even had a mobile and why did I need to call them

Text messaging didn't even exist, if you wanted to speak to someone you phoned them, or better still you went to their house and knocked on their door

I fully appreciate that I use my phone more than most people, I have a fair amount of spare time, but I wonder how many people could live without it

But it doesn't stop there, or start there in fact. I cannot actually live without any sort of phone, it's just not viable, I don't work in an office and am often 50 miles from home when at work, so I won't be switching off completely.  However, this is not limited to phones either, this is a shut down of the Internet as well

My methods of communication will be in person or actually speaking on the phone. Text messages will be responded to with a phone call or ignored. Emails, other than work related ones, will be ignored. Facebook will stay active but not be used. Twitter, well I don't really use it anyway, but the same as Facebook. 

You may be wondering what the purpose of all of this is, well it's a test to see whether technology brings us closer to our friends and family or actually pushes us further apart. Does it connect us or disconnect us

Will i be more or less aware of current affairs, more informed or more distant from what is really going on in the world

Will this experiment really show who our friends are, as if someone is not prepared to call you, or receive a phone call from you can they really be counted as a true friend or merely an acquaintance.  Does Facebook and the interaction it brings enrich our lives or just feed a desire to snoop on other people's lives in a bid to make ourselves feel better or even to affirm our belief that we really are in the worst position

It's ironic that this blog is typed on a smart phone, published in an app and posted to Facebook and twitter, all from the comfort and warmth of my bath tub. But just think what opportunities I'm missing out on in the bath by being on my phone

I will publish a start date when everything is discussed and arranged, likely to be a couple of weeks or maybe the start of September 

Lets get connected 

P.S - for those saying that it's easy and they do it on holiday. In most cases that's a lie and in others it's very different, I'm talking living everyday life 

Well he might die, but at least I didn't get a ticket

I was sat in Asda car park today, got their 1 minute after 4pm and they wouldn't let me in, grrrrr, but I digress

A young boy walked past with his mother, presumably, and proceeded to get into a car, front seat, no child seat or booster.  This boy was, I would guess, around 5 or 6 years old. When the door was closed, you couldn't see him at all

I believe the law states that you can carry a child in your vehicle in an emergency situation without a booster seat.  I don't believe that Asda shopping would be classed as an emergency situation

The fact that his mother, presumably, was happy to transport him with a seatbelt right around his neck, probably with the airbag still switched on dumbfounded me. Ignoring the law, it's just not safe 

I figured this would be the most reckless child/car seat experience of the day, but no

We were called to check on a couple with a baby that had broken down near Portsmouth. They had recovery towards but were concerned for the baby in the heat, around 30 degrees. 

Upon arrival, the father asked if we would be able to transport his partner and child off of the motorway to get the young lad out of the sun.  Of course we were more than happy to do this. As fathers, and most importantly not idiots, we appreciated the need to help. 

So we cleared our bags from the back seat, the mother got in holding the baby and we waited for the father to get the car seat.  

At this point he closed the car door and said his goodbyes.  ''Errrm, you need to put your child in a car seat sir''

''oh really, ok''

So he went to get the car seat, 'chucked' it on the back seat next to his wife and said ''you'll drive safe wont you lads''

''Sir (or may have been 'mate' by this point) you need to actually strap the car seat into the car and your son into the seat''

''Oh, it's a bit tricky to put in, does it matter, it's not far''

I guess it depends whether you give a toss about your son really.  So he asks us to take him off the motorway to get him out of the sun, but is more than happy to just chuck him in a loose car seat and send him on his way

The law in this situation is irrelevant. Of course the law would dictate that the child needs to be in a safely secured car seat, but you shouldn't need a law to tell you that

How is it that people have so little regard for the safety of their children, and will continue to do so, as long as they don't get 'caught'. 

All I can say is I hope the Police catch up with people like this before an Ambulance or Coroner needs to

They should be ashamed