How times have changed.

Charlie Brown was a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot with the 379th Bomber Group at Kimbolton, England. His B-17 was called 'Ye Old Pub' and was in a terrible state, having been hit by flak and fighters. The compass was damaged and they were flying deeper over enemy territory instead of heading home to Kimbolton. After flying the B-17 over an enemy airfield, a German pilot named Franz Steigler was ordered to take off and shoot down the B-17. When he got near the B-17, he could not believe his eyes. In his words, he 'had never seen a plane in such a bad state'. The tail and rear section was severely damaged, and the tail gunner wounded. The top gunner was all over the top of the fuselage. The nose was smashed and there were holes everywhere. Despite having ammunition, Franz flew to the side of the B-17 and looked at Charlie Brown, the pilot. Brown was scared and struggling to control his damaged and blood-stained plane. BF-109 pilot Franz Stigler B-17 pilot Charlie Brown. Aware that they had no idea where they were going, Franz waved at Charlie to turn 180 degrees. Franz escorted and guided the stricken plane to, and slightly over, the North Sea towards England. He then saluted Charlie Brown and turned away, back to Europe. When Franz landed he told the CO that the plane had been shot down over the sea, and never told the truth to anybody. Charlie Brown and the remains of his crew told all at their briefing, but were ordered never to talk about it. More than 40 years later, Charlie Brown wanted to find the Luftwaffe pilot who saved the crew. After years of research, Franz was found. He had never talked about the incident, not even at post-war reunions. They met in the USA at a 379th Bomber Group reunion, together with 25 people who are alive now - all because Franz never fired his guns that day. (L-R) German Ace Franz Stigler, artist Ernie Boyett, and B-17 pilot Charlie Brown. When asked why he didn't shoot them down, Stigler later said, "I didn't have the heart to finish those brave men. I flew beside them for a long time. They were trying desperately to get home and I was going to let them do that. I could not have shot at them. It would have been the same as shooting at a man in a parachute." Both men died in 2008. This is a true story http://www.snopes.com/military/charliebrown.asp THIS WAS BACK IN THE DAYS WHEN THERE WAS HONOR IN BEING A WARRIOR...THEY PROUDLY WORE UNIFORMS, AND THEY DIDN'T HIDE IN AMBUSH INSIDE A MOSQUE, OR BEHIND WOMEN AND CHILDREN, NOR DID THEY USE MENTALLY RETARDED WOMEN AS SUICIDE BOMBERS TO TARGET AND KILL INNOCENT CIVILIANS...HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED...... A wonderful story

New toys and vandalism

I arrived at my allotment this afternoon to find some friggin toerag has nicked my marrows and some beans the to add insult to injury they smashed a few panes of glass in my greenhouse! You have to ask yourself why? What sort of person would spend the time harvesting my crops then decided that some wanton vandalism was on the cards? The police have given the usual shrug off and in all fairness I suppose they couldnt catch the kids that did this if they wanted to but it did wind me up a bit.

I believe that we should save and work hard to get what we want. I learned the valuble lesson years ago that credit doesnt get you anywhere but into a worse mess so just save your pennies until you have enough for what material possesions your heart desires. So when some local lowlife comes along and thinks I want that and takes it does not sit well with me. If I cath the buggers there will be payback and a few late night visits to the plot are in the pipeline as I was not the only plot holder hit with this theft and destruction.

There was something that took the sting out of this though and that was the fact that I bought a new toy this morning...

Its a Ninja 600cc and goes like the clappers!! Ive wanted one of these for years and like most people could not buy one new so have waited patiently for the prices to come down and here we are! Ok its nine years old but it rides very well and im over the moon!! Best be watching out as I dont want to collect anymore stamps on the old licence :)

This evening my youngest daughter and I spent some time going through old photo albums one of which was my wedding album which she has never seen before! She was amazed at how young everyone looked and I have to admit being suprised myself! Its amazing at how much your kids change in seven years :) The older albums were from my late teens and early twenties and it can really open up old memories and remind you of who you are and how you got here! I have to admit that I have just been feeling like "Dad" lately and this evening has put my mind in a much better place feeling like me as an individual again.

Lets see what tomorrow brings...

Wedding food & Birthday presents

I have been having a recuring dream. Its not every night but at least once a month and the detail is unbelievable. I can do what I want in this dream and mingle freely with the people in it, I do not know most of them but its a freindly town and the people seem very relaxed.
This hamlet, as ive just realised as town is far too grand a word for it, seems to be in Northwest Spain. How do I know well its down to gut feeling and the fact the area is so green.

I have a house and that is very spanish being very higgly piggly in its set up with the toilet being down a long set of stairs and being more a less outside with a basic roof covering covering the courtyard to get to it giving just a little protection from the elements. Its set on to a small mountainside and is very rural with adjoining land , I think this is mine, growing many fruits and vegtables. I seem to always walk or catch a bus as near to it as I can from the Hamlet/town and the scenery is nothing short of breathtaking with its lush trees and grasses, rolling mountains (big hills) and lots of adjoing streams to one large river rolling through them all.

Guests appear on a regular basis in my small home and they are always most welcome visitors. Last night it was my brother and we sat and chatted for hours then had a wander around the land inspecting the crops. I love this dream and this is the first time I have remebered it in such detail once I have woken up but strangely I always reconise it when it comes around again in my sleep.

Back to reality then... Wedding food.

What about it I here you ask? One of my Brothers, the one in the dream, runs his own catering business and he had a very large wedding to cater for last weekend. I had been booked to give him a hand from the day he got the job so it was early on Friday morning I set off on the 25 mile drive to his house to begin the long weekend of work.
Our first job of the day was to go and collect a large chiller van from Melton and this was to be somewhat of a problem. We arrived to find a suprised looking chap behind the counter who obviously was not expecting anyone that day. We were then told that we hadnt booked a van! Pillocks were obviously wrong as we had the paperwork to prove it but we were then told that the van we wanted was in Loughborough!! This was another 25 miles away!! Enough was enough so I stepped in at this point as my brother was looking like he was going to explode! I pointed out somewhat forceably that we needed the van now, that we had paid for it and there was no way we could both lose another 2 hours buggering about to sort their mistake. With this they backed down and found someone to take me over to the van whilst my brother went off to carry on with the day.
Well when I got to Loughborough it was the wrong type of van!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was supposed to have a stand alone chiller that was deisel run but this one had to be plugged in to a 16 amp electric supply. The proverbial hit the fan in a big way!!!!!!!!!! The biggest problem was THERE WAS NO OTHER VAN ANYWHERE so I had to take this one and deal with it when I got back!

I went straight to the site of the wedding and what a wedding site it was!! A huge Marqui shaped with two turrets but most importantly for me there was a sodding great big generator being set up so off I went to see the sparky who lined us up with the power we would need for the wedding the next day! I then saw the sound man who had a converter I could borrow so we could plug the van in at home whilst preparing the food so by the time I got back to my brothers house I had the whole fridge thing sorted so one less worry for him!

We then spent the rest of the day, evening and until 2am that night preparing the food. Up at 6am on the Saturday to do a bit more food prep and off to site to set up. We pulled 38 hours out of 48 feeding 148 people on the first meal and then around 400 on the evening buffet. It turned out the wedding was for a brother of one of my brothers old friends so the day was spent seeing the faces of boys and girls in the men and women in front of me!

This group are very laid back and I have to say I havnt seen a better wedding. It was very relaxed with 2 live bands and a disco follwed by people jammong with all manner of instruments outside around fires. Around 100 chinese lanterns were sent up in the dark and what a spectacle that was to see! Lots of bright lights that could bee seen floating away for many miles.

So lots of hard work yes but well worth it. It made me realise how much I miss working full time and with other people so I have decided that it is time to find full time employment and kiss my failing business goodbye.

As I write it is my wifes birthday and she is having a well deserved lie in. I think she will be pleasently surprised when she awakes as we dont normally go too mad for birthdays with a single present but this year I have spoilt her with 2 new perfumes, diffuser hairdryer thingy she wanted, a large boquet of flowers and five new books. I have also arranged with friends to go out for a meal this evening because she deserves it. She has been working so hard of late and does not moan once. Without her hard work we would have really struggled this year as my business has been so quiet so time for a bit of repayment I think.

Ok then its about time to take wifey a cup of tea up and start the day. The suns shining so I intend to take advatage of it :)

Broken Bones.

Of course it is obvious that I have already broken my promise of writing more regulary....But i do have a good excuse and a note from my Mum honest! :)

I got a call last Saturday telling me that one of my sisters (the one with a learning disabilty) was going to go and stay in Crete with my Auntie for a month. Now she was eally excited about this as she loves to travel and loves company of any sort so off my parents & sister went to Nottingham to stay with my Auntie overnight before their flights. My sister got up bright and early the following morning and as she starts to come down the stairs she slips then slides catching her right leg beneath her about half way down and promptly snaps it not so cleanly at the ankle....I know thats making you squirm and thing a bit more than ouch!

So off she goes to the QMC in Nottingham where she is told that not only is it broken but it needs a plate putting in and the tendons repairing and untangling from the bone. So instead of a month in the sun 8 days in a Nottingham hospital begins.

Now my wife is from Nottingham and I have spent a few years living there myself when we first started dating so I know my way around. The in laws are still there and I have seen more of them and the city in the past week or so than I have in the last two years LOL. Being so far away my sister was not expecting many visitors so I have been up 3 times, the last with one of my daughters with who I had a lovely day out visiting the tourist areas of Nottingham that, as always the way when you live somewhere, i hadn't seen before. We went to the caves, Wollaton Hall, and enjoyed the city center which has been converted into the largest man made inland beach for the summer! What a cracking idea eh! Kids that wont be seeing the coast this summer get a taste of it complete with beach shops and food stalls...excellent!

Anyway I digress, my sister had her operation which went well and finally made it home on Sunday. We then had to source a wheelchair for her and build ramps to get in and out of the house but luckily I had planty of wood stored at my allotment for this so it cost nothing more than some time.

It was with a heavy heart I have had to sell my mini. This is due to the serious lack of work around and bills to pay. Still I am sure I will find another project when i least expect it at a good price...well thats what I am convincing myself anyway.

In a bid to save some money we set off for a cheaper way to use our mobiles today and got a great deal on a contract each supplied with new phones. As our phones are now about as ancient as the dinasours and giving up the ghost we managed to kill two birds with one stone. They are very fancy with touch screens and more applications than I will ever use so I cannot wait until the kids get back off of their holiday with their Auntie and Gran so they can show me how to use it!!!!!!!!! LOL

As you can see its been busy busy busy again but not with work! Still im a big believer that you should always be there for family so I cant complain at all.

Walking on Ladybirds

I do not remember the last time I have felt so relaxed for so long. I have just had a fantastic 8 days away with wifey and the kids at Trimmingham.

We left early on Friday morning for the 3 hour drive to the coast and the start of our family holiday this year. A stop at the platic food palace (Mcdonalds) on route so the kids could get their fill of crap lunch, and we call this a treat eh!, and we were at the seaside by 1pm :) greeted by a carpet of of red ladybirds. This was a joy to behold, "look dad they are sooo cute" cried my youngest but it looked like a plague to me. Still it was quite pretty.

Now my wife is obessesed with getting everything in its place whenever we get to somewhere new. So we had a happy hour putting our clothes into draws and then off to the supermarket to shuffle around with the hoardes piling in groceries and holiday treats.

After we were all stocked up and settled in the holiday could begin in ernest.

Now to say it was an interesting week would be an understatement and the best way to tell all is in sections of the places we visited.

Amazon Zoo:-

This is just outside of Cromer and the leaflets boast it to be an amazing collection od animals from the Amazon. Now whilst the idea was sound the reality was less so. There were many cats, birds and reptiles to see but unfortunely the tanks were filthy so much so you couldnt see the fish or reptiles. The birds were not wanting to come out of there boxes and the monkeys were hiding as well. The ponds were so full of weeds the ducks could not swim properly and the whole place was a sorry state if im honest. Oh and there lots of ladybirds.

Muckleborough Tank Museum:-

Now this was a place worth visiting :) Its an old training camp on the east coast just outside of Sheringham that has been converted into a war museum. There is everything from tanks to planes to trucks to jeeps. A massive collection of paperwork from all eras of the world Wars from call up papers to standard issue kits. Its well set out and you could loose a whole day there if you dont have a bored teenager and a 9 yr old in tow. Still they found it interesting enough but I would have been happy with at least another 2 hours there to read through all of the paperwork but after the best part of four hours the kids attention had not just waned but walked out and was playing on the nearest beach so off we toddled into Sheringham which is quite a lovely town. It did seem to have a growing number of lady birds under foot though.

Shire Farm Horse Santuary:-

Now this is really a girlie day out if im honest and held no interest for me what so ever but being a family holiday and the fact that my daughters are animal mad off we went.
Now the set up is for animal rescue and this is a good cause but they did tend to try and get as much money out of you as possible as often as the oppotunity arrised. This opportunity apparently arises more often than I saw fit but what the hell do I know eh?
The kids loved the Horses and all the other farmstock ad it was very hands on which is great when so many places cage up animals due to Health & Safety nonsense.
There was also a great collection of old horse carts and machinery in museum type barns which again gave some interesting reading.
There were what seemed like Ladybird carpeting and wallpaper on everything.

Holt Windmill:-

This is a fantastic restoration of a windmill. Now you may think thats a bit dull and do you wear a Kagool chap but I think we have lost so much of our history that its great when people have a bit of spare cash so they throw it at keeping something alive as was the case here. Good for them.
You can go on all four levels and the ladders are very steep, all in keeping with what it was in its day.
Strange thing was though that it had a red & black lawn. Seemed to be moving as well.

Of course Crabbing off of Cromer pier:-

The competition was set. Boys verses girls. The girls team was Wifey, the teeneager and mates wifey who was staying with us. The boys team was myself, 9 year old daughter (I know not a boy but Tomboy counts) and my mate who was staying with us.

On the first innings the boys won with 5 crabs to the girls 1. Of course we rubbed it in a bit and made them buy the ice creams.

The second innings on the last day we were there resulted in an incredible total of 24 crabs caught!!!!!!!!!!!! Not one of them big enough to eat but the sport was great fun :) The scores were Girls 17 Boys 7. Now seeing as we were so gracious when we won the girls told everyone they met they had wiped the floor with us and made us buy really big ice creams :) Strangley on the pier no red to be seen?

The swarm then took flight. My god ive seen many types of bugs but nothing prepared me for this onset that was to last a few days. You couldnt walk through the bloody ladybugs. They were in everything...and I do mean everything. You ate them, picked them out of your ears and couldn't get them out of your car because everytime you opened a window or door to put them out 5 times as many wuld get in. It was like red snow it was that thick and quite freaky! No wonder we hadnt been bothered by any seagulls there was far too much to eat in the air!

They crawled into the caravan through any hole possible and they just kept coming!! Loading the car was hilarious and we brought more than a few bugs back home with us but hey im sure they will be happy with the lack of competition for food here.

I have taken up fishing. Ive never been interested in fishing before but what a relaxing way to pass a few hours. Just relaxing on the beach with a rod up and line out trying to catch your tea:)
Of course I didnt catch a bloody thing but hey who cares I was probably doing it wrong LOL

So a great week spent in superb company with a few beers thrown in for good measure. Now back to reality with washing to be done and the van sorting for Mondays work.