Hi everyone, hope your ok? Am gonna have to make this a short Blog as I haven't been in from work very long and I've got lots to be doing! Number one priority being getting into my big bed and sleeping! I am so tired. This first week back since my hols has been a real killer. Thankfully the weather held out today and I managed to avoid getting wet which was a bonus.

I am back in the routine of going to work. I was on an early shift all week and had my rest day on Tuesday but for some strange reason my car started to develop problems again. I think it might be jinxed. I've never had a car that has spent more time in the garage than out on the road before. I don't think it has ANY old parts they have all been replaced. So another 65 quid later it seems to be running fine again for now.

It's been a funny week in that I've tried to get to seeing everyone who missed me whilst I have been away. I of course saw my Mum and then had to go and see my Grandparents and also my other Grandad. I haven't spoken much about any of my older family really. I think I am quite lucky in that majority of them are still with us. all three of them are now in their 80's and very sweet in a kinda old person way lol....None of them live too far from where I live in Brentwood so it's only a case of walking round to see them. I don't get to see much of my Dad's Dad (Fred) because my Dad takes care of him but I see lots of my Mum's parents (May and Wally) because my Mum lives too far away to be around there all the time.

So I went with my Dad to visit my grandad which was great as we don't spend much time on our own together. My Grandad loves his garden and quite rightly so. It's really beautiful all year round. He has lived in the same flat ever since it was built 40 years ago and even has pictures of him building the garden and putting in the hedges etc....You wouldn't even realise the garden is there. His flat is on a big estate near me and behind his hedge is this little piece of paradise.

As you can see from the pictures it's really lovely. He has won a few prizes too which he is very proud of for best garden.

I also helped my Dad out one day in the week which again was good to spend some time with him doing stuff. He has been re-designing his back garden to make it more low maintenance. He has decided to stone it and make it into a kinda ornamental garden with pots n stones and stuff like that. The problem was that he was having 2 ton of stones delivered and with only him and Maureen to move them into the garden from the roadside. They needed to be layed out on the garden and not left in the road or someone might steal them. To make it worse the delivery lorry didn't turn up until late and it was starting to get dark. Luckily with a bit of hard work and a lot of shovelling we managed to move them all in only 1 hour and a half. I was a bit skeptical at first but it really looks nice now. I think they could do with a nice water feature somewhere to finish it off nicely but take a look for yourselves and tell me what you think?

So that's really my week for you. Apart from falling out with Aaron big time and having an argument (I just don't think he gets me or what I'm trying to say or tell him most of the time) ,it's been a real uneventful one which is good but definitely a week for visiting family and friends and helping other people along the way.

Oh and one last thing. Thanks Todd for leaving a nice long comment I'm glad your all well in the U.S.

Have a great week yourselves and speak next week.
Stu.
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Good afternoon everyone, I guess you've all missed me while I've been gone? If you haven't then shame on you. I bet you all logged on last Monday to expect a long blog and all you got was an out of office message. Well I needed a holiday so had to skip the county. I got home on Friday night which was a bit of a mission. I went for short weeks holiday to the Lake district. I stay at a little place in the Southern Lakes called Keswick. I went there last year for a week and enjoyed it so much that I decided to go back again. I stay in a lovely little wooden log cabin on Lake Bassenthwaite. A little bit of trivia for you is that this is the only lake in the Lake district that is called a 'lake' all the rest are called 'meres' or 'waters'.

It's really beautiful and quiet there as you can see. The cabins are very spread apart and secluded. It's just the sort of holiday I needed away from everything and a change of scenery from the smog of London. I had several treks planned for my hols and I wont bore you with all of the walking I did but will show you some of the best I did. Any of those who don't believe I got my hiking boots on a walked can come and check out my blisters!

The best walk I think I did whilst I was there was the trek through Dodd Wood and up the mountain to the peak overlooking Lake Bassenthwaite and surrounding Keswick. I was very lucky with the weather I had during the week and on particular this day was a real scorcher although once I got to the summit I almost got blown back down again.

The view from the summit was absolutely amazing. It was really worth the extra slog to get to the top. Once you trek through the dense forest for about a mile or so climbing you way up through the sometimes treacherous path it was a beautiful view as you can see from the pictures below.

The Lake you can see on the left hand picture is Ullswater. It was one of the towns I visited during my weeks stay you can just make out the little islands that split up this impressive looking open water space.

The picture below is to the right hand view of the summit. You can see Lake Bassenthwaite. My little lodge was to the right of this picture and hidden away so don't think you can make it out.

It was a real nice day when I went up this summit and a really good experience so if any of you wanna go for a long walk one day then head down to Dodd Wood.

The other good walk I thought I would mention was the trek up Thirlmere. I can't remember what the mountainside was called but the resevoir and surrounding area was called Thirlmere. This was a bit of a tricky climb and I managed to twist my ankle a couple of times so if your going to get up this one, make sure you take some decent shoes and maybe a stick to help you climb. The weather that day was great again which made it really hot and sweaty to climb and it also meant the midges were out in force but it was worth all that to get to the top and take a look at thew views. I think this was probably over 3,000 feet up and on a clear day you can see for miles and miles.

These are just two amazing walks you can do in the Lakes with great views over our wonderful countryside. Why do you need Spain or Florida when you have all this on your doorstep? Another place worth visiting (that's not much of a walk for those of you that don't do walking) is Aira Force. Aira Force is a tumbling waterfall close to Ullswater. It will take you about an hour or so to get to the top but once you get to the 70 ft drop at the top (21.3m) and the giant Oak trees cover you in it's really peaceful and when it's hot you get a lovely spray from the water. If any of you wondered what Aira Force meant it is a Scandinavian word meaning 'gravelly stream'.

I won't go on about all the other things I got upto whilst away. I managed to visit a lot of the towns that I never managed to get too last time I visited like Kendal but I also visited Ullswater, Windemere, Keswick and also had time to relax and finish my third Dan Brown book.

As I said at the beginning of the Blog I traveled home on Friday morning. I was sad to leave but happy to be coming back to see Bobby and my Mum (who had been looking after Bobby whilst I was gone). I got lots of licks from Bobby when I got home, he wouldn't leave me alone I think he had missed me.

On Saturday my Mum and I took him to the beauty parlour to get trimmed he wanted to drive there himself and I was quite surprised what a good doggy driver he was. He he

He doesn't like having his hair cut. I'm not too sure why yet. He seems to have a phobia of electric razors and hair brushes so I have to give him a pill before we go so for the past day or so he's been a bit dopey but he likes having his hair short and he's not so hot and doesn't need to be panting all day long.

Today being Sunday I have been busy tidying up after my hols and just doing a bit of washing although my Mum did most of it for me whilst I was away. It's back to work tomorrow and I definitely DON'T want to go! I've had a lovely week off and to go back to work I know is going to be grief.

Right that's it for this week. Quite a lot there for you all to read I hope it doesn't drag you away from your work for too long? Just one last thing before I go I need to say a special 'hi' to Raks and Eileen and all of Team 4 for reading my Blog. I hope it keep you entertained and takes you away from work for a few minutes a week.

Bye until next week,

Stu.

x

Just a short note to let you know that i'm off on my hols right now so no blog for this week....But you can expect a nice long entry for next week when i'm back. BTW going hiking around the Lake District for those of you that did'nt know.

Laterz,
Stu.
x

Ello everyone. I hope your week has been good and that your all refreshed after a nice weekend of wind, rain and miserable big black clouds? I've had quite a busy week.

The bathroom is really starting to take shape now and I am very pleased although we've gone and had a leak from one of the water pipes but never mind these things happen it is looking really really good and I can't wait to be able to start showering again. I HATE baths!










I went a bit in the week but I was working a late shift all week so didn't do much. I went over to Nas's place in the middle of the week for our weekly watch of Bad Girls...LOL I love that show it's so funny and I don't know if it's supposed to be viewed that way but I can't help but laugh.

Check out the picture below...Do you like my new image? LOL Chav or what? It's looks kinda natural though don't you think. I'm not sure what I was thinking at the time? I look very demonic don't you think? Like I'm gonna go out and rob some old granny of her pension or go kick in a bus stop.

What with all the decorating going on it has been so hard to keep the upstairs of the house tidy. It is driving me a bit mad with all the dogs hair and then all the foot prints and bits of rubble everywhere but as you can see Bobby has been helping me out. He is being a bit shy but I caught him hoovering the stairs the other day. So thanks Bobby x

Thanks to Todd for all his messages he has posted on the blog. I spoke with him earlier tonight and it sounds like he had a wicked birthday. He and Preston went out for a swanky meal and hired a roller. I'm very jealous!

Sunday I had to work. It was the Cycle Britain Bike Race which was quite cool. It was a really long day but thankfully it stayed dry although apparently the heavy wind didn't help the cyclists as it slows them down. My team and I were posted to Hampstead High Street on traffic duty. I was slap bang in the middle of the action it was quite exciting although it gave me a bad headache, no one seemed to know what they were doing so I ended up arranging everything and everyone! As per usual!

It was so busy when the cyclists came past they were traveling at about 60 mph so was pretty damned quick. It all ran to plan which was great and no one embarrassed themselves. It was a bit weird the race always has volunteer marshals and the guy I was posted with was a man called Jim Carter and I got chatting to him and I was sure I recognised him. I asked him and it turned out he was a famous actor. He had been in lots of Hollywood movies and Shakespeare stuff. He was a really interesting guy and his wife was too. She acted too and I recognised her off the telly aswell. They were both really down to earth, go check out his name through Google and see a bit about him.

Well I haven't got much more to tell you for this week. It's been fairly busy one for me. I wasn't too keen on working on my Sunday but to be honest it made a real change to my normal routine which was good. I am on early shift next week so I best get off to go to bed. I have Dentist in the afternoon so come back next week and read all about it he he......

Oh and btw make sure you check out the new series of Deal or No Deal it's back on the box and worth an hour of your time each day! Laterz

Stu

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