Boxing Day in Herne Bay and we spent the afternoon at Parkes' parents. Lovely food and plenty of chat. This pic shows Ella being Santa and dishing out the presents.

Sam and Albert making gestures on Boxing Day.

Parkes inspects Keith's fantastic Christmas Day dinner. We spent a lovely Christmas Day at the Silk residence where we ate, drank and sang karaoke until very late (courtesy of Kirsty who bought us the PS2 game SingStar). Everybody but the neighbours had a smashing time.

Jed Silk demolishing his Christmas Day desert.

Foggy days in Ramsgate. This week has been dry but gloomy - this picture was taken just after midday on Wednesday overlooking the port and ferry.

How To Cook Light & Fluffy Rice

I have been holed-up at home this week fighting a strong dose of man-flu and it hasn't been fun. However my illness hasn't stopped me learning a skill. I cooked a chilli con carne dish last night with wonderful fluffy white rice. Here is how I managed it;

1. Measure a cup of long-grain rice. Wash the rice through in a sieve until the water is no longer cloudy.

2. Add the rice to an empty saucepan. Add a cup full and a half of water to the saucepan.

3. Bring the rice to a boil, uncovered, on a medium heat.

4. When the rice is boiling, turn the heat down to medium low. Place the lid on the saucepan, tilting it to allow steam to escape.

5. After the rice has been cooking for a few minutes check for holes or "craters". When you can see the holes or craters, put the lid on tight. Turn the heat down to low. Simmer the covered rice for another 15 minutes.

6. Fluff it up with a fork and serve hot.

Now I have discovered how to cook rice properly I am going to investigate how to cook fried rice and proper Caribbean rice dishes. Watch me go!

Weekend

Both gigs were excellent. Everyone seemed to enjoy them and there were lots of chuckles. That's the end of live entertainment for 2006 - first up on the radar for 2007 is Kings of Leon in February.

On the way back from Folkestone after the Dirty Pretty Things gig. The back seat of the car was alive with conversation starring Kirsty, Steve and Keith.

Pre D: a rock and roll scowl.

Pre D: Strings and Christian getting ready to rock.

Pre D: Keith and Christian supping Guinness.

Tenacious D rewrite the book of rock.

Post D: Christian attempts to banish Keith from the hotel.

Post D: Keith gets new styling.

Mr & Mr Smith

It is going to be a busy old weekend. Tonight Parkes, Steve K, Kirsty, Keith and myself will be meeting in Folkestone to see Dirty Pretty Things play at the Leas Cliff Hall. I am thoroughly looking forward to it even though I am still feeling a little tender from last nights excess.

On Sunday Keith and myself are off to Brighton for the night to enjoy the rocking delights of Tenacious D with our mate Christian. We are staying in a hotel with "crisp white sheets", free WiFi and a range of over one hundred beers from around the world in the bar. How tremendously exciting!

Another rip-roaring Thursday night in The Derby Arms. We met a lovely Nigerian lady by the name of Agnes and discussed topics such as race, religion and Nigerian cooking. The pictures shows Sir Elton Silk playing one of his favourites whilst Agnes looks on.

Festive Balls To One And All

We are now into the middle of December and the festive season is approaching with gusto but I am not feeling "festive" in the slightest. It is the same as previous years - on Christmas Eve I get a little Christmas buzz on about my third pint of ale and then the buzz quickly turns into general drunkeness and that is that! I think the last time I actually got into the spirit of things was when I was about eighteen years old. It seems a shame but there you go.

I am spending quite alot of time at home at the moment as there isn't any rollout work going on at Barclays. My contract has been extended through to the middle of January which is handy and the job market will start picking up then after the New Year hangover.

Music and Fitness

This weekend will be spent in the new gym up the road. When we aren't pumping I will be around Keith's finishing off the new Real Beards tunes and Parkes will be socialising in Canterbury with Lou and Liz. Real Beards debut EP available in the New Year (possibly this coming New Year).

Crawley And Gym

Well Crawley was a little dull (sorry Crawley fans!) however on the upside there were TWO Greggs bakers shops. I bought Parkes and I a very nice crusty farmhouse loaf to have with our sardines.

Our local gym - the JJB in Broadstairs - finally opened on Monday after weeks of delays. I will be joining Keith and Parkes there later today to finally start working-off this muffin top I have managed to accumulate. My last gym visit was in May so I will ache like hell tomorrow.

Crawley

This weekend's work takes me to Crawley in East Sussex. Oooh I am very excited. Back in the day the area now known as Crawley was populated by stone-age, bronze-age and iron-age settlers - all at the same time. They had a great time together and still send each other Christmas cards. However now there is no trace of them and all that is left is a 'New Town' erected in the 1940's. Pah!

Real Beards performing at the White Album Revisited night in Gillingham on Saturday night. These pictures were taken by Parkes on her camera-phone. We played Back In The USSR and it went down well. As it was the opening tune of the night we were able to relax for the rest of the evening with the groupies.

Rock out.

Yorkshire

I spent a lovely couple of days with my father and Liz last week. It was a very relaxing stay with the most energetic elements being a walk along the river at Bolton Abbey and walking uphill back from the pub. I sampled my father's home-brewed grog which was tasty and deceptively strong. Fortunately no-one drank too much of it.

The river hurtles downstream towards Bolton Abbey.

Antipasto with a Yorkshire twist. It tasted beautiful.

Real Beards.

Derbyshire

Parkes and I spent last weekend with my mother in Buxton, Derbyshire. The food was good as always and the town itself and surrounding landscapes were pretty. The pictures below are taken from our walk on Saturday morning.

Mother and son stand before the Buxton Opera House.

The Cat & Fiddle pub on the moors above Buxton. A popular place for bikers like myself to meet, greet and get all oily.

On the other side of the road to the pub - the weather closing in.

Dark and handsome; my mechanical steed shimmers after a good wash and scrub.

Middle-Age Spread

I was undressing last night readying myself for bed when I noticed that my bottom felt very flabby. I looked at it in the mirror and not only was it flabby but there was also a distinctive doggy grin which I have not noticed before. Is this a sign of middle-age spread or just maybe lack of exercise? Maybe I should start wearing hot pants.

Warrington

I like Warrington. It is a very big town and has an honest working-class vibe about it. The people are very kind and there is also a Greggs bakery. Whilst I was busy upgrading laptops in the Barclays branch a young busker with a guitar played in the street below. He had a fantastic voice and played loads of tunes by The Smiths including the one about a ten tonne duck. He made a stack of cash then wandered off into the sunset.

Warrington town centre near the Cockhedge shopping mall. 

Dinner at my mother's. I spent Sunday night in Buxton with my mum and she created this wonderful work of art. The brussel sprout season has started in the UK - get 'em while they're hot! 

At work in London on Saturday with David, Ian and Ashvin. Too many laptops, too little time. 

Deano cracks the jokes with Parkes last Friday night in Jackson's Wharf. 

Telekinesis And UFOs.

Parkes and I enjoyed a very tasty Thai meal in a restaurant in Ramsgate last night. Whilst we were chatting away I decided to mention to her that I think I posses psychokinetic (also known as telekinetic) powers. Parkes found this amusing and it made for a good conversational topic as I (valiantly but hopelessly) tried to move objects on the table from one side to another. Despite my failed attempts I still believe that my brain has many undiscovered powers - all I need to do is find a way of learning how to harness them. If anyone reading this posting knows of any good online literature on this or related subjects please send it to me. Also if anyone spots any paranormal activity in Thanet please report it.

On a similar vein whilst Parkes and I were having a pre-meal pint in the pub last night we saw a report on BBC News 24 relating to UFOs. Apparently the Pope has said that Great Britain is the most likely landing site for an alien craft. Now this report comes as no particular surprise to me and I think they will most probably choose to land in Thanet. We have an airport with the longest runway in Britain to cater for their spacecraft, Westwood Cross shopping center for their shopping needs and of course a selection of unspoiled and pretty beaches for them to kick back on. Watch this space for further updates and remember - the truth is out there...

By the way this weekend I will be working in Warrington, Cheshire. I have never been there before so I am looking forward to my visit.

Newcastle-upon-Tyne on a bright, sunny and mild Monday morning. I enjoyed a couple of beers on Sunday night in a great pub on the quayside followed by two slices of pizza and chips with curry sauce (greedy!). This picture taken outside my hotel overlooking the Tyne. 

This Weekend's Journey...

...takes me to the Byker area of Newcastle. Parkes tells me it was the setting for TV's Byker Grove. Should be interesting.

Real Beards' Live Debut

Real Beards will finally be making their live performance debut at the White Album Revisited night at The Barge in Gillingham on Saturday 25th November. The night is dedicated to songs from The Beatles' White Album and many musicians will be contributing - not just Bill and Berwick.

Keith trying to find some Real Beards tunes on the jukebox in The Derby Arms last night. 

Halloween

...has been and gone. Parkes and I went to the pub in the evening to escape the 'trick or treat' people. I did hear a knock at the door at around 6pm (before we went out) however I was hiding in the kitchen so they gave up and went away. What a sourpuss!

Parkes spotted this Red Admiral butterfly in our back garden in the sunshine on Sunday morning. It will be soon finding a place to hibernate for the winter. 

Fading light in Ramsgate on Sunday afternoon - putting the clocks back sucks. 

Parkes in the amusement arcades riding hard. 

Hug-a-mate night in Harveys on Ramsgate seafront. 

Stringer's Super Weekend Accumulator

I have put a tenner on this bet using SkyBet - could win two hundred and fifty odd if they all come in! Here it is;

Sheff. Utd. v Chelsea
Arsenal v Everton
Liverpool v Aston Villa
Watford v Tottenham
West Ham v Blackburn
Barcelona v Rec. de Huelva
Gimnastic v Real Madrid

Team selected in BOLD.

Weekend

Tonight Parkes and I will be sampling French cuisine at Bon Apetite - a restaurant overlooking the harbour in Ramsgate. I am working on Saturday in preparation for Monday's deployment which this time is in Kings Hill, near West Malling in Kent. Saturday night will be a local boooooze in Ramsgate (pictures will be taken if appropriate). I have recently upgraded my phone to the Nokia N73 which incorporates a decent camera so I can now take piccies any time and in any place. Scary.

Strings with the fine ladies of the Derby Arms darts team. Keith and I enjoyed an few jars in our local whilst the ladies played. We couldn't tell you which team won but they certainly laid on a good spread at the end. 

Feasting at the Silk's on Saturday night. We enjoyed many different bottles of wine and champagne and discussed many topics of the day. 

Holidays in Cadiz

Parkes and I spent the last week in the Spanish province of Cadiz. We travelled around various towns sampling some super foods and beers (naturally) and mingling with the locals. Pictures are posted below. The holiday was spoilt somewhat by my ability to book hotels on the correct dates, Ryanair, Spanish baggage handlers, Jerez's torrential rains, hostel rooms without windows, bus drivers who forget to drop you off at your hotel and leave you 10 miles away in the middle of an unfamiliar town and finally, once again, Ryanair. However we enjoyed the bits in between.

Toast and Spanish coffee. The ideal way to begin your day!

Life on the río Guadalquivir in Salúcar de la Barrameda. This is the river estuary - it passes through central Seville and ends here where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. It is deep enough for large container ships to travel a long way upstream.