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Camped up at the 3rd lake on my road trip in France.

Made a Cottage Pie tonight. A hearty beef filling with carrots, peas and pink onions (I didn't have celery). Loads of mixed herbs, tomato puree, garlic, flour, Worcestershire sauce and stock. Came out really nice. The topping may look an odd colour but I used up some sweet potatoes together with baby potatoes. Plenty of peeling, but lovely mashed with milk, butter, salt, black pepper and cheese. I was only able to get through a 1/4 portion of the pie with a side of Tenderstem broccoli. Enough for me.

I just did something that I've never done before & bought a brand new car..... & it's not even in my name. Toyota Yaris Cross Premium Luxury self charging hybrid. Very nice & a good drive.

Recovering after a gruelling hike in a place called Monknash South Wales with a Cardiff hiking group. Beautiful place isolated and with a great old pub selling good ale.

Funny story about Secrets shirts we got some secret service shirts printed and there was a very minor error in the shirt not in the printing just in the shirt itself I can't even remember what it was but it was very small. I didn't think anything of it you couldn't even tell but Tam decided that we weren't going to use them and we had ordered 100 of them. So they sat in the store room I was on my way to the Philippines a few days later and Danny told me to take all I wanted and give them away I took about 40 or 50 of them and gave them to all kinds of girls all over AC girls I saw on the street girls working in the bars just everyone. Fast forward about a month guy comes in to secrets and says to me where exactly is your bar in Angeles City I was there but I couldn't find it. I told him we don't have a bar in Angeles City he said every night I saw all kinds of girls in Secrets shirts I figured you must have 😋😋

Not long back home after working on this wooden staircase and a few other jobs. Machine sanded it back to bare timber then 3 coats of Sadolin wood stain Working all weekend too and really looking forward to my December Thailand trip now

Bought a pair of trainers online ... they arrived with the security tag still attached.... I contacted them , via one of their stupid AI chats ... waste of time .. it eventually said to return them and a replacement would be sent in around three weeks time ... so I tried another route ...

This isn't something I normally do so bear with me as I think its of interest Air China London Gatwick to Bangkok via Beijing.... Been plenty of chat this last year over the Chinese Carriers.....I have actually been on another airline namely China Eastern 3 times all one way tickets (twice inbound to Bangkok once back to London) For the money they really were excellent. I had heard good stories about China Southern as well but Air China came up with a one way fare I couldn't ignore....I'm absolutely no cheap charlie but I reckon the 10,000 baht saved over a one way fare on Eva and Thai represents a good couple of piss ups down Soi Bongkot ! Because of where I live in UK and because of take off time 12.25pm I had to get the overnight coach from Cornwall on NE and switch to Flix at Heathrow over to Gatwick It meant I was early for check in albeit literally opened as I walked to the counter....I was second in line. I mentioned previously on forum about Chinese carriers not being able to check in online if you have an agency ticket. Mentioned that to ground handling out of interest and she said "wouldnt have made any difference Sir if you had bought direct from airline because it never works 90% of the time"...lol Duly checked in and on to departure lounge. Why do GTW not have any electrical plug in points in regular departure area or mobile charging points. I suppose they cater for mainly Easyjet riff raff and think its not required lol Anyway on to Flight London Beijing A350-900 series. Hard product pretty good. Website indicates seat pitch on a configuration 3-3-3 is at 31/32".......flight I'd say was 98% full....again I strike lucky (or maybe not) I always opt for aisle seat on centre section widebodies right at the back....I was 2nd last row.......empty centre seat beside me and in all 4 rows in front the same. Its no coincidence I cant be lucky all the time......invariably it doesnt always work but if there are odd seats left invariably thats where they are centre section middle seats at the back I'd say it was 32" pitch in my seat 61H. I'm tall and had no complaints though why some airlines have those footrests God knows It does goes downhill somewhat at this point lol Entertainment...non existent was no point even turning it on. Plenty Chinese films even music had nothing. One set of Country and Western and that was it...no earphones handed out. You had to ask the crew I left moving map on entire flight. Was scheduled for 10 hours 10 minutes...actually took 9 hours 19.....fine if you're dropping anchor in Beijing but not much benefit if you have to wait longer for connection anyway Food was I can only say abysmal...I will eat anything but it was not good and less said the better No booze at all on this sector (hold that thought) Flight attendants very pretty but "harsh" in their communication. Again I dont go on flights to see pretty attendants but it doesnt give good impression Onto connection 737 Max Single aisle...I bagged an aisle right at front on this one hoping to get off plane first which I did as it turned out heading to immigration Now a first for me (knowingly) they had Sky Marshals on the plane and told via intercom they were there . 2 of them in black set opposite row to me 4 hours 55 Food again lacklustre. However this time they had beer and wine so had a few Flight about 80% full Again flight attendants pretty but disinterested overall No tv screens at all Arrived early into Suvarnabhumi. In fact I was through immigration etc and down in arrival hall before the actual scheduled landing time...immigration packed with Indians albeit sailed through fairly quickly Pick up taxi literally turned up holding my name in front of me purely by chance....all good down to the madhouse thereafter Price......£241 one way. Returns were only £380 ish as was talking to couple girls on first sector If you want to get from A to B then hard to beat price wise ! Both flights took off on time to the minute and both landed early....cant fault that Overall I'd say 5/10 and yes probably would use again albeit China Eastern was far superior and had widebodies on both flights Not bad at all.....

Just been to our "biggest book sale" in aid of guide dogs

Spent the afternoon processing firewood – from the pile to the splitter inside the tent, and then through the wood hatch and into my basement until it was full – now I’ll do a couple more rows inside the tent:

Feeling gratefull,just woke up in a travellodge hotel outside Perth,looked at clock 6.10am ! Best uninterupted sleep ive had for weeks,2 weeks night shift on the boat has a lot to answer for. Hiking around 18klm on rough terrain probably had sonething to do with it aswell,here are sone photos from yesterday's munro in glencoe, stob na broige 956metres. Wind speed wasn't over 10mph so got the drone up. Just need to drive back home today,pack for flight to Thailand tomorrow yeeha. Looking across to another mountain View vack to the road View back to the road Going up to the bealach Drone shot hiking up Going up through the waterfall area,pretty sketchy On the ridge Start of hike On the ridge Summit

A lovely hot day lakeside in France.

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Just finishing the first job of the week, fairly easy lounge repaint

Chicken tikka with spuds and peas for dinner last night lakeside in France.

Pork for dinner lakeside in France.

Haru Japanese buffet here in Pattaya stepson his girlfriend and another friend went for lunch it's fantastic if you enjoy Japanese. At a thousand baht a head 2 hours all you can eat and we didn't get cheated.

I have been a barfly all my life and don’t see any big change coming but I find that at my age I can’t stand high levels of noise in the bars anymore – it’s bad enough if I am alone but if I am with company and wish to have a conversation, I find it very difficult to filter the background noise from the talk that I wish to hear. I seldom go into bars with live music anymore unless I am half-drunk and wish to focus on the music alone and eschew any kind of conversation other than ordering drinks. I’d rather pay a little more for my beer and enjoy a little peace than sit in a crowded, noisy venue that makes me uncomfortable, no matter how cheap the beer.

Just had a 6.9% beer, I just know that tonight I am going to be eating something incredibly unhealthy!

Upton on Severn sunrise

Been a hot day lakeside in France.

Won a lamb tray in the pub raffle so cooking it on the BBQ with some eggs.

Pork chop with roast pots & mixed veg this evening.

Few more Pattaya Klang and Soi Buakhao north end...

Battered whiting fillets and chips. Fish caught by my mate and cooked by my wife.

I am currently attending a Physiotherapist clinic a couple of times a week.I have a torn rotary cuff muscle in my shoulder which I think I got stepping of one of the new electric baht buses.I was holding on to the vertical steel bar as I am stepping off and the drop is significantly further than the older buses,nearly pulled my arm out of its socket. After about a month of hoping it would heal I took myself of to a Physio on Threpassit rd and after 6 visits now it is improving. If you ever needing a physio I would reccommend Tara Physio which is on the other side of Threpassit from the Designer Outlet. They charge 1000 bht for an hours treatment. https://www.taraphysicaltherapy.com/index.php

Maybe we should send them to Hua Hin where they can possibly find some expert advice on how to have more fun…

All good responses gentlemen, like alot of you, mornings at the gym is a must for me. 9am start as a general rule. At the ripe age of 70, I am on a 3/2 schedule these days. One week, 3 days at the gym, 2 days of cardio at the house here on the treadmill. Following week, 2 days at the gym, 3 days of cardio.... I DO NOT do any heavy lifting at all...all very controlled, take my time, talk to people, very relaxed and never hurry. The ever ending quest for good health. Wifey works out with weights here at the house, she does cardio 6 days per week..she likes running after dinner for an hour....in her world, by doing this, it helps keep her weight at a reasonable level.

Jacket potato with cheese and homemade chilli con carne.

Ah, the joys of autumn – leaves, leaves and more f**king leaves – I spent about four hours yesterday blowing them out of my rain gutters, raking them into piles and bagging them up for disposal: I filled up the 7’ box of my little Ford Ranger and took them to the tip, only five minutes away from my house, and surprisingly they didn’t even charge me – everything gets weighed there now, you drive over one scale arriving and another leaving so maybe I was under their limit for charging – dunno, don’t get there often anymore and they seem to always be changing things but I am not complaining: So all of the leaves have fallen behind my house, but they have barely started around my shed area – the only reason I can think why is that the trees behind the house have taken the brunt of the prevailing south wind so far and hopefully the shed trees will drop their loads soon so I can finish the job:

From a fellow barfly I agree. I can no longer tolerate loud music so avoid bars that have it. Also I have no issues paying a higher price for my beer than sitting in a shithole feeling uncomfortable with the surroundings.

Drove across France to meet up with my mate from Wales. We have a little lake to ourselves and a 3 bedroom house for the week.

Really well thanks. Had 4 very big fish. 44lb, 44lb 8oz, and a 54lb mirror. 47lb common.

The view from the street a block from my house...

Beef kebabs, spuds and peas lakeside in France.

Reminds me of my taxi ride from soi 6 to my 3rd road hotel. First slowly along beach road, then up soi 8 to 2nd road. Tried to get up New plaza but it was fenced off. Then down Klang and on beach road and up soi 12 (i think), half way up the soi driver chose to reverse, water too deep. Back on beach road then up soi 13- 4. Up to 2nd road and up soi 15 to Buahkhao. Then along buakhao to the cloths market amd up some sois there to 3rd road. Taxi did scrape the bottom against something unknown along 3rd road. Walking pace in car. It took nearly 30 minutes and cost me 400 baht, but at least we were dry when we arrived to the hotel. So no complaint from me. Twas an adventure. (Screenshots from a 25 min video i recorded out the side window)

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Never happens in my regular bars as they know me and I spend a lot there. Its mainly bars where you are a new customer they do these scams. They dont think about whether you are likely to be a repeat customer and take us for mugs Then expect a tip as well. Fortunately its not as wide spread as it used to be. They customers are maybe a bit pissed and buying girls drinks, having fun and think they won't notice or care about the final bill. That said I was in a Bongkot GC the other night and was doing just that. After buying drinks for two ladies for an hour and taking them upstairs I virtually emptied my wallet. as well as my sack. But that was my choice.

Just finished a few hours clay pigeon shooting on The Mendips - just missed the rain

I've had a spot / cyst on my back for the last few weeks .. but last couple of days it's started to hurt and get even larger , this morning it felt about 10cm across and was really tender... so rang the doctor at 08:00 this morning, appointment for 08:40 .... he actually called me in at 08:30 , gave me some anesthetic injections then made two incisions to drain the pus .... even with the painkillers it hurt a lot ..took him a while to squeeze it all out , then dress the wound He was going to give me a couple of extra dressings incase this one came off , but I said I live alone , so gave me his WhatsApp and if I need the dressing replaced he'll fit me in 👍 Was finished at 09:00 and collected some antibiotics

Just been to the local market for a couple of beers with the missus and the toilets are 5 baht. We both needed to go so squeezed through the turnstile together.5 baht saved.

Crispy beef and bok choy and rice now I'm not traveling I can get back to cooking

I love a good pie, but have never cooked one at home. Whilst doing some shopping today, an elderly gentleman stopped me to ask if I could reach the Pucka pies on the top shelf for him. I duly obliged. He then went on to say how lovely they are cooked in his airfryer. Having recently purchased one, I could'nt resist buying a couple to try. 25 minutes at 180 gave me the perfect pie. I was shocked how good this steak one tasted.

Beef with chilli, ginger, garlic and soy sauce

In the Spoon in Neath. It is Equality Day at all Spoons. 7.5% off everything. Today only. Freedom brekky with extra black pudding and a pint of Ilkley Ruby Jane. Even took my 50 pence Camra voucher.

Last night having just arrived unpacked bags had quick shower and walked over Henrys Bar opposite start of Bongkot 8 Still had the happy hour all day 65 Baht up to 6pm for beers or certainly San Mig same as I remembered before Chang Leo may well be slightly cheaper Anyway only had 4 and was on way to 7/11 and got cat called from place called "Juney" Bar literally 20m from Henrys Thought sod it have a couple. Really was pokey place but wasnt looking for action..... 7 Girls there one other farang...friendly no question had Youtube music so whacked a few favourites on that I know all girls like and good vibe despite very small place Didnt look at tab on first drink and didnt look when had a 2nd and I asked girl if she wanted one.....she had Chang This time I did look at the tab more out of interest knowing it would still be small overall 100 Baht for San Mig (absolute piss take for the style of bar it was) 180 Baht I kid you not for the basic Lady Drink She asked for a 2nd and I politely declined Now I simply wont ever go in there again. Zero business sense some of these owners Now if It had been 80 Baht for mine and fairly standard 150 for hers I would have popped in frequently. Now they've lost the custom completely

Witherspoons large breakfast. £6.89 plus £1.89 for unlimited tea and coffee. Great value and decent too.