Lovebox 2005

My first real UK rave and a pack of ravers have been taking up my time this week...

On Tuesday in the Commons saw the railway dream moved one step closer to becoming a reality with the second reading debate lasting a number of hours (no less that 18 MPs spoke). I was glad to hear some of the words penned by one's own hand coming out of the mouths of Liberal Democrats and the odd Tory (which they tend to be), alas the government had the numbers and the Bill was agreed and referred Select Committee for further dream therapy!

In the carriage of the debate it become clear very quickly that the government had not been fully briefed on the dream or on the sleep process for that matter. I have never seen such reliance on the advisor's box in all my time in the parliamentary game (well about 11 years), there was more movement than a Rave... those railway bureaucrat's really took a hammering... Stupidity? ignorance? or just plane incompetence? who can tell...

The experience has really changed my opinion of the box... with 6 advisors going nuts! It's a love box of its own!

Which brings me to the Rave... Lovebox required a cab to get me from the Park and off to Victoria Park (not as good as St James's) where we met fellow travelers at an old boxing pub for a few beers before the big game... it became clear that the locals had not been informed or at the very least understood that 20,000 or so people would be looking for a beer on a Saturday morning/afternoon before they went to the park down the road... you must understand that this pub is your typical old man's pub with that patented old man and beer soaked carpet smell about it... needless to say the service was a little slow with all the regular bar flies (who just happened to be there at 11:30 AM on a Saturday morning) roped in to pull beers... they ran out of Carlsberg very quickly... there entire weeks supply of two kegs... gone!

The more observant amongst the group would have noticed to look of disappointment on the inner city types face when the cocktail menu was not available and there was no sight of pimms jugs... there was however a boxing theme and enough room out the back for a few summer ales before the afternoon took over...

GROOVE ARMADA were great as were Mylo... thanks to our neighbor's for organisational matters and the sholder rubs!

Nostalgia abounds…

this week at the park has seen at allot of sun and BBQ work as we try to fit in as much outdoor activity as we can before its all lost...

On the indoor front... found myself in a 1950's surf hut in the middle of the city, complete with surfer music (the instrumental from Hawaii five-O was a big hit), cocktails with umbrellas and the traditional beach soccer table... a real blast...

In other more formal matters it appears that the powers that be have reverted to bygone defences in protection of the Park (as you can see from the snap I took from the bridge)... I was almost pained to point out that most of the current troubles have been in the subterranean sphere of battle... but you can't knock their gusto!

I had course to wounder where all the male thirty-something are, because they are not hanging out with the female thiry-somethings nor are they hanging out with the other male thriy-somethings. It was suggested that they are perhaps more interested in themselves and as such spent a lot of time working on that, I don't really know the answer, but if your a lonely thirty-something male and happen to be around StJames's Park let me know and I'll introduce you to a number of beautiful women who might like to walk around the lake with you...

the final straw that brought back memories of childhood and that most Summer of past times, water play! Walking back from the Park on a very warm evening dressed in my finest corporate uniform the scourge of sky took flight and caught me full frontal with one of the most accurately aimed water bombs I've ever had the pleasure of being struck by... after a few words in the general direction of the Youth Water Bombardier Regiment I made my retreat... this act induced a "flood" of water based memories, that of hose fights, slip and slide afternoons and totem tennis... Ahh, see there were some good things about childhood... at least you could water bomb passers by with out fear of any repercussions... but here I think they have ASBO's to deal with Youth Water Bombardier Regiments now days... O' for the glory days' to return!

In the wake of recent events....

Today is an unusual day...

I'm in a lock in here at St James's Park along with the few work mates who managed to get in before the tube was shut down...

Still busy working on Railway dreams...

All local family and friends are present and accounted for... which is nice... although looks like a sleep over at ours tonight as the transport system doesn't look like rebooting this afternoon...

there is more evil in the world than I care to think about... and for those who simply took the tube to work and found themselves immersed in that evil or victims of it... what can you say?

To quote Roxette - "View from a hill... can't see any more..."

View from the bed...

Home is where you keep most of your stuff... so after getting up late today we put together some pictures so that others could goork at out little place and imagine how it all fits together... we like it...

Yesterday was Live8 and we managed to avoid the masses and head out into SOHO for a few beers and a wonder round... not realising that yesterday was also the day for gay pride... there were some great promotions on the go and the tourists were suitablity distracted... although we ended up at the local with the obvious Kabab with chilly... so much for a healthy meal...

Today also involved talking to Matt in Darwin... which was an unexpected joy... keep up the good work Matt... having had a short discussion on responsibility and the consumption of 1.5 litre bottles of red wine... well it is the dry season!