Lowering UK Fuel Prices

If your fed up with paying extortionate prices for your UK fuel, then you can use and register with either or both of the links below. Petrolprices.com will search for the cheapest fuel prices in your location, and pipeline.org is like a company car fuel card (without the tax implications), where they are negotiating a discounted price for fuel in the UK with a major seller. Once of the ground I hope to be able to cut my car fuel bill by a couple of hundred pounds a year, but then I do travel between 25,000 and 30,000 miles a year, so every penny helps.

TransAmerica

Oh Yeah !

I've just watched a trailer for a new film TransAmerica. This looks like it could a roller coaster emotion ride. Its about a guy who becomes a woman, and meets his/her son and goes on a road-trip with him. Obviously, the son finds out. I cant tell anymore about it, but I think its got to be a 'must see' film when it comes out to the far flung reaches of the UK.

film preview

Jury Service - Coroners Court Update 2

Boy am I glad that's over. Hearing the evidence can have an affect on you as at times it could be quit graphic. We had an exhibit of pictures this morning, fortunately all were of the location so easy to deal with. We all then went off to deliberate the outcome, and that was a very interesting discussion which I cannot reveal to anybody. However, it was good to see people from different walks of life and with different life experiences offer their viewpoints, but at no time was anybody pushy or driving us towards a specific verdict. It was all very civilized.
Anyway. That's an experience I have had now, and to be honest. I would do it again. Coroners court is very different from the Crown court, but still as important that the evidence must viewed and analyzed with the same degree of thoroughness to obtain the verdict. I have yet to be a juror on the Crown court, and to be honest, that does hold a degree of trepidation for me, as I would hate to send an innocent person to jail.

You may have heard that it is expected that 1 in 4 people around you are transvestite / crossdresser. Well in our group, I was obviously 1 crossdresser, and looking at the others, I suspect there may have been 2 more. That made our group exceed the average numbers.

That said. I will speak no more of this civil duty, and this chapter in my life is over until the next time.

Jury Service - Coroners Court Update

Oh boy, oh boy. Day 1, and I realize I've chosen the wrong job. We arrived at court in the afternoon, and we're on our way home just after 4pm. Now that's the timescale I like to work too. Anyway, we had to swear an oath, then we heard some witness statements. As I said previously, I cannot comment on this case, but will only detail my feelings. As this is a coroners court, then obviously somebody has died! that's a given right? So we hear statements from family members, friends, and emergency workers. This must be so hard for them having to re-live the experience again. I felt very sad for all concerned and just wanted to go and give them a big hug, but we couldn't. We have some legal beagles asking questions, and we can even ask questions, but what can you say really ! The case has some interesting details and I think we may be hearing from 'expert' witnesses tomorrow. The only way I am dealing with this is to try and forget it whilst I'm not in the courts. Well that's not too difficult since my memory is shot to pieces, its been overloaded with techno garbage for my job, so I have over 25 years of techno rubbish ingrained, that occasionally something bubbles to the surface that is of no consequence anymore, and leaves me wandering where the hell it came from. Anyway, must dash, its dinner time.

Jury Service - Coroners Court !

Hi folks. I have been especially chosen by her Royal Madgeness to sit on a jury at the coroners court. I have to sign a form to declare that I am a suitable candidate, well, I do watch ALL the CSI episodes going, I loved Rumpole of the Bailey, Crown Court, Monk, Quincy and others, so I think that makes me qualified.

I'm off to court and have no idea what to expect, I have been to crown court twice before, once as a member of the public in the viewing gallery, that was with my mum back in the 1970's, now that was an experience, and the second time, I was in crown court as the plaintiff, and won my case. Now that's a really scary experience.

I am obviously not allowed to discuss the case as both myself and the person I tell would be in contempt of court. So don't expect any details here. I will tell you of my experience though.

The First Picture of Baby Callum

Here is the first picture of baby callum taken minutes after he was born on Monday, on my sons mobile phone. Such good quality.

The Good News And The Bad News !.

Here's the good news - I'm a granddad.

Now here's the bad news - I'm a GRANDDAD.

Well that's it folks, according to my children, I am officially OLD. My son has today 13th March 2006 produced what we believe to be his first child, its a BOY weighing in at nn 8 lbs 4 oz, and is called Callum, and was born at 16:40.

Now I have to find a way of not making this sound as if I'm so old (I'm only 46 for gods sake!), so how about Grandpa, grandpops or has anybody any other cool sounding names that I could adopt for this purpose.

this is the 'old codger' signing off ! na no na no

And as an aside, I just found the Mork and Mindy website where you can even get a yourname@ork.net email address.

Republished as the comments option has dissapeared

Amsterdam - What A Place.

Well folks, we had a fantastic time in Amsterdam. We arrived mid afternoon at Schipol airport, caught the train into Central Station Amsterdam, then managed to find our hotel, just a 5 minute walk from the railway station. This was a tricky walk for anybody who knows the area, you have to dodge the bicycles, cars, buses and trams. What a nightmare. Anyway, we arrived safe and sound, and checked in at the hotel. I had been flustered all morning as my nail polish was ruined almost from the time I put it on, so wasn't best pleased.
We went for a walk later, and the weather was shall we say, winter with a touch of summer. Basically it was freezing cold, but sunny. Sunday, we had snow and slush everywhere. We decided to walk everywhere as it only takes about 20 minutes to go to anywhere. We walked up to Dam square, did lots of window shopping, stopped in the occasional cafe for a hot chocolate and visited the sex museum, then returned to our hotel for a mid afternoon nap. My feet were killing me, I only had my 2inch heels with me, and walking on cobbles all morning was killing me. Vanity, maybe one day I will learn that the look isn't everything. We had tapas in the evening, and then back to the bar for a bear, here I had a woman falling at my feet, I thought 'hello, that's a bit forward', but then I realized she had blacked out, so demanded a medic for her. We managed to bring her round after a few minutes, but it was a little scary. I forgot all my basic first aide, as I hadn't used it for years.
Monday, we strolled around the red light district, and took a river boat trip around the canals, also went to Anne Frank's house and the Jewish Museum.
Most of the houses in the area were built in the 16, 17 and 1800's, yet they appear to be in really good condition.
Monday evening, we decided to indulge in a space cake, and got off our heads for few hours. We both had a very strange but powerful urge almost at the same time, and it just had to be accommodated, which lead to an hours most exhilarating fun.
I spent the whole four days in female attire, and loved it, including make-up. I never took a skirt as it was so damn cold, but my trousers, shoes, tops and coat are all from girly shops. I got many a quizzical look, but just carried on with whatever I was doing.

I will post some pictures when I have time, but am a little busy at the moment catching up with work stuff.
Speak again soon people.
Update - Pictures added to Webshots, so take a look a the bottom of this blog page for all my photos on Webshots.