Author: jane

Us Brits are pretty well famed for liking toilet humour. We visited Rachel and Steve the other weekend, and my Godson, Thomas, who is now 4, is obsessed with the words “pooh” and “wee” and the funniest thing he can think of is to call someone “poohy wee-wee head”. He’ll shout that out and then disolve into laughter for ages. Strange isn’t it! The question is tho, is this something that only British children find funny? And if that is the case, what do other Nation’s children find really, really funny at 4 years old?

I’ve been a bit coldy and coughy all this week, and so have been tucked up at home for most of it. Some of the time working, some of the time sleeping and taking it easy. One thing I have been doing though, is watching Celebrity Big Brother. It’s been good fun at times (apart from watching them sewing that damn patchwork quilt which was just *so* dull) but yesterday our fav left – Sue Perkins. Admittedly, she was our favourite before she went in, but that didn’t change during the week or so that she was in the house for. During the “post eviction” interview last night on Channel 4 Davina showed a clip from a breakfast tv show when they’d been doing a vote about Melinda – was she more like Darth Vader (as Goldie had said) or Vulcan (as Sue had said)? The vote said she was more Sith. The thought of some breakfast tv show doing this poll just really made me giggle.

We went to see Moby last night at the Brighton Centre. He was supported by Lamb (who were a bit lame really – a strange blend between Echobelly and Bjork but not as good as either – but they kept telling us that we were a “wicked audience”. Which was nice!).

Moby was a surprise. It was a lot punkier and louder than I’d expected, and there were more real musical instruments – for some reason I’d expected a lot of sampled sounds rather than real, live, instruments. He is a pretty manic stage presence, running around the stage and it’s no wonder that, as Jeremy put it, “He’s a skinny thing”. It was a really good concert, even if it did take quite a while for my ears to recover… surely a sign that I’m getting old!?!

I was emailed a job spec today from a company who used to have me on their books after I was made redundant last year – among many other, very detailed, requirements they want “fluently trilingual”. But they don’t mention what languages! The job is in Brussels so I assume it’s English, French and Flemish but…. Could I apply with English, Yorkshire and Hull as my three languages that I can fluently converse in?

So, another dose of Celebrity Big Brother is being run on Channel 4. Another celebrity reality tv show. Actually, I find Big Brother a little less forced than the likes of “I’m a Celebrity, Get me out of here“. Maybe it’s just because it was the original reality tv show over here.

Fortunately, yesterday’s journey back from Chesterfield to Brighton was much smoother than last weeks and I got home only 10 minutes late. A miracle!

Yesterday I used my time wisely – I listened to a talk by Tim O’Reilly (him of the O’Reilly books) on “The shape of things to come“, I read some more of my current work-related book “Love is the killer App” by Tim Sanders (another good read, this time about the power of networking with other people and helping people out – being a “lovecat”). I also then decided it was time to work through my address book in my Handera, and so started emailing people I hadn’t heard from in a while. Some of them have dissapeared off the face of the earth, but I’ve had some lovely responses from others. A good use of those 4 hours travelling time.

Oh yes, I was also sneezing and sniffing a fair bit as I seem to have become a bit of a snot monster again. I’m taking today off and am sitting at home trying to rest up and recover.

During my journey yesterday I finished reading The Secrets of Consulting: A Guide to Giving and Getting Advice Successfully which is a really well written book. I’m normally not very good at reading these serious, work related books, but I found this to be pretty good. Lots of good advice, and lots of humour.

Yesterday was the worst Chesterfield to Brighton journey to date. I took the train again, and decided (very sensibly as it turned out) to get the 3.40pm train from Chesterfield – due to get me in (via a change in London) at around 7.30pm. However, there were problems between Bedford and Luton, so as soon as I got on the train they told us that we wouldn’t be going to London, we’d be terminating at Bedford. So, off the train goes, we get as far as Derby and then we sit and wait because “We’re sorry but the driver for this train is on a late running earlier train and will be with us shortly”. After about half an hour we get moving again. It turns out that the power lines were down between Bedford and Flitwick which is why we couldn’t go beyond Bedford. At Bedford we all pile off the train and queue up for a connecting bus. After a 10 – 15 minute wait, I get on a bus and we make our way to Flitwick (25 mins away). At Flitwick they tell us that they haven’t seen any trains for 45 minutes and so they’ll ferry us on to Luton (35 mins away). We get to Luton, and get on a Thameslink train which is going to Moorgate (via Kings Cross). The screens at Luton say that there is a shuttle service to Brighton running from Blackfriars. Hmmm…. Eventually we get to Kings Cross, and I decide that going to Victoria is the best option, and in fact as I get off the train that is what they are announcing. So.. a quick trip on the underground and finally a train from Victoria to Brighton getting me into Brighton at 10.10pm. Finally… so, a 7 hours 20 minute journey from leaving the Chesterfield Office and arriving back in Brighton. *Shudder*. No wonder I’m knackered today is there!

We went to the Lewes Bonfire again last night. It really is quite an experience, watching while the different Bonfire Societies parade down the middle of the road. The firecrackers that they throw on the street really make a racket when they go off, oh, and if they catch you on the nose, cheek or leg when they don’t half smart! I haven’t “processed” this years photos yet, but This is Brighton have some here.

One guy died on his way back from the fireworks last night. He was killed when train surfing (climbing through a window and climbing on the roof of the train) when he hit a bridge. Read more here. Darwin awards anyone?