Aviation Museum and SBS

Was chatting to my friend Mark the other day and the subject of my blog came up. I said to him that I didn’t know he read my blog. He said that he would if I updated it a bit more often, or words to that effect. So here we are. Grabbing some time on the train heading to work as I type this. At Southampton passed another friends Paul Gottle’s train heading the other way. Paul you must tell me where you sit on the train. I’m in the front carriage of mine. Maybe we could wave to each other every morning. Wouldn’t that be fun. Might get a few strange looks though.

So what have I been up to? Well quite a lot. Working on the new website for the Bournemouth Aviation Museum, which I hope to put live in the next week. Been fun, the museum is an exciting project and it’s great to be able to contribute to it.

As you may have read on Sue’s blog, we had a day out to the Spinnaker Tower, which I highly recommend to everyone. Pick a nice clear day and the view is fantastic. Then off to see Chicago with Jimmy Osmond and Emma Burton (her from Eastenders) WOW both were outstandingly good, as was the rest of the cast. Great show.

Bought myself two new toys recently. On Sunday a new (to me) drum kit. My current one has served me well. It wasn’t that expensive and with it I’ve learnt the basics, admittedly I should be more advanced than I am at the moment, so hopefully the new kit will help. For a start it’s full sized and I’ve now got what I consider the minimum needed to drum, gaining a ride cymbal and now having two rack toms, The kit is also good enough to gig with, not that we ever do,

My second new toy is an SBS box. Basically this picks up signals from aircraft fitted with certain equipment that broadcast their flight number, location and a unique hexadecimal code (yes I knew all the binary and base 16 rubbish we did at school would come in useful one day). This box picks these signals up and displays them on a PC screen, With those broadcasting their location appearing on a radar type display. So I can sit in the back garden looking at the aircraft flying over and know what they are and via the Hex code, which is unique to the aircraft, know which aircraft I’m looking at. Has made spotting easier. But is it too easy? Currently on an average evening I’m making at least 10 new aircraft. Lots of Easyjet and Ryanair, and I’m sure that one day I will get close to fleeting them (ie seeing them all). Which is what I bought the box for - to see planes as it always frustrated me see an airliner trail across the sky and not know what it is. But am I on a level playing field with other spotters. Those with SBS boxes yes. But those without? Ok it is not a competition. We are not trying to out do each other all the time. We all have slightly different rules as to what we count and what we don’t. I would count a lot more that my aforementioned friend Mark. But it is up to us what we count, it’s our hobby and we do it only for ourselves, I guess that it’s no different to those that live close to a main airport and those that don’t. The former will see a lot more than the latter. Anyway, I love my SBS box. Just wish it wasn’t so cloudy so much of the time and more frustration is when I sit at work looking out over blue skies all day and then for it to cloud over in the evening..

Still approaching Bournemouth now, where I get off. Blog entry done, Hope this makes Mark happy, he should be he got three mentions in it!

YouTube

YouTube. Well in this case it is MeTube... my first video on the web...

Easter and a few days away

Gosh it has been a long time since I blogged hasn’t it dear readers. But I’m back. Good Friday I went off to Barnet to see the mighty AFC Bournemouth play. Though they weren’t so mighty and lost 1-0. Still got some spotting in and it’s a new ground for me. So far I’ve watched matches at 18 football grounds.

Had most of last week off as it was Sue’s birthday. Went and stayed in a Travelodge near Eastbourne. On route we stopped off at a Nature Reserve to see if we could see a rare bird that had been spotted there. Only info I had was that it was sighted near the car park. However and 10-15 bird watchers had set up their scopes/cameras near by and were all looking in one direction. This did make it easy for me. However it was 45 mins until the White Throated Sparrow made an appearance. Nice one. One to add to my life list and in some ways more importantly, it added to my Hampshire list. Whilst waiting for the sparrow also made a blackcap and a marsh tit. Nice one.

Stopped off at Midhurst on route to Eastbourne area and a look at someone’s garden that they had opened as part of the National Garden Scheme. Always nice to look at good looking gardens. Poke around their potting sheds and compost heaps. See how other people do it and I always leave with ideas.

Next day (Thursday) did a little driving tour of Sussex villages. Stopped off to look at five historic churches, one of which was locked (boo), saw the Long Man of Wilmington and the Litlington White Horse.. Both hillside chalk figures. Then the evening spend near a reservoir, just sat taking in the evening sun, watching the birds and the fisherman out on the water. Lovely.

Next day it was a bit rainy, so at Sue’s insistence (well she suggested it) we went to the Bluebell railway. Managed to get on the footplate of two steam locos, whilst they were in steam. A first for me. Really nice of them to allow people up on the footplate. Lovely railway. Would recommend a visit if you are ever down that way.

Back home on the Saturday via Shoreham airport. Which seems to have improved its viewing facilities. Which some airports would take note. Then home. Spend the rest of the weekend in the garden. Really bust at this time of year. I feel that we’ve had the last of the frosts, I hope, so was planting out in Ernest. Spuds, lettuce, onions, spring onions, cabbage, parsnips, runner beans, peas etc. More stuff in the green house. By Sunday evening I was pooped. But really glad that the growing season is finally here. We’ve even started to harvest some of the items as Sue made a lovely omelette with chives from the garden. Nice.

Monday morning now, and back on the train to work. Most of the regulars on board but I notice that one or two are missing. Wonder if any of them notice when I’m not around..

Not my normal blog!

Break from my normal blog - Just knocked up a quick table showing how many councils have twitter feeds of their news stories and the number of people that are following those feeds. This is th enew version which updates

Bournemouth Aviation Museum

Oh what a good weekend. Sue and I spent most of Saturday afternoon in the Garden. Got some good work done. Clearing out the borders. Weeding. Trying to get my holly bush to have baby holly bushes. I’ve got some cuttings in pots from a branch that I accidentally snipped off and I’ve got another branch, part of which I’ve buried , which I’m hoping will root like one of my other bushes have. The other bush has produced four others, the smallest one I have potted up and hope to grow on.

Sown my first seeds of the season. Might be a bit early but Carol Klein told me to do it (via an article in the Guardian) Fifteen broad bean seeds are now in compost filled toilet rolls in the greenhouse. If they grow they grow, if they don’t well I’ve always got some spare seeds.

Now some of you will know that I used to be on the committee of the Bournemouth Passenger Transport Association, aka the Bournemouth bus museum and was involved in organising their annual rally. Well Sunday I relived those days by helping out my mate Steve and the Bournemouth Aviation Museum. They held their First annual Vintage Transport Day and what a good day it was. I was in two minds as to whether I should help out with the event, doing odd jobs and trying to help the event run smoothly and sort out any problems or to take my stall down there and help out the museum by donating some cash to them from any money I might make. It was really a tough call and I was debating about it right up to when I left home. But I chose to help out with odd jobs and there was quite a few to do in the morning. All skillfully organised by Steve. Yeah it was fun. The museum project is one I would really like to get more involved in. They have a wonderful museum there, which really looks like its heading in the right direction, all they need is a half-decent website. Anyway, the museum itself is all down to the hard work of a handful of volunteers. Well done lads, Roll on the next project?

DC-9 with winglets

Gosh I did leave you all on tender hooks last time, didn’t I? I know that you are all dying to know about my six month review thingy with my boss Charlie. Well it went OK. See I told you he was a nice boss. And I’m sure he’s going to be an excellent dad. His wife giving birth to their first child, a son James, last week. Congrats to them both.

So what have I been up to? Last Thursday I went off with a couple of good mates to have a tour of RAF Shawbury and RAF Cosford. A good time was had by all. I would tell you about the hilarious incident coming back at Birmingham when I tried to convince the other lads that the SAS that had just landed looked like a DC-9 with winglets. But I doubt that most of you would get the joke. It turned out to be a Regional Jet on its first visit to Brum. The lads were grateful in the end that I pointed put the aircraft to them.

Friday, I went to Doncaster again for the train. I lived up to its hype. So much so that I stayed all day at the station, leaving briefly to get a KFC for my tea.

Saturday, I went down to the new Bournemouth Aviation Museum site at Bournemouth Airport. They have a bus on site now for use by the spotters. You see, the airport authorities are building a bank of earth all along the perimeter of the airport. There has been some quite bad traffic accidents along that stretch caused by people being distracted by the aircraft. Hence the bank to block their view. So the museum has bought a double decker bus and so we are able to sit upstairs and look over the bank. They have done a lot of work at the museum and it starting to look really good. But, hey why not see for yourself, they are holding a Vintage Transport day next Sunday (1st March). Normal admission rates apply. Lots of old buses, vintage military vehicles, old cars. Going to be a good day out for all the family. Hope to see you there.

birds, snow and nice bosses (creep creep)

OK, quick catch up blog here.

Last Friday – Went to Doncaster to do a bit of train spotting. Nice day out, used a free weekend ticket that I get with South West Trains to go up to London. Across on the underground to Kings Cross and then to sample National Expresses service to Doncaster. They have just celebrated their first 'birthday' i.e. they have operated the route for a year. They had some single tickets on offer for just a fiver and I took advantage of this to have a day in Doncaster for just £10 return plus underground fares. Now for the underground I acted like a proper Londoner and used an oyster card. Normally when I go to London I get a travel card but it wasn’t worth it for just two trips across town. So I got an Oyster card. It's cheaper than paying by cash.

Doncaster was good but very cold. Added a couple of churches to my list. St Peterswhich was close to the station and Doncaster Minster which is also just a short walk away. There are a coupled of more churches a bit further away that you can see. I might do these on my next visit to here in a couple of weeks.

Saturday and Sunday – Did a bit in the garden. As much as the cold would let me. Clearing of the border is going well. I also moved the rose buses from the front of garden to the back and made a little display of them.

Monday – Tried to get to work in the snow, but failed. Walked down town and waited for an hour at the train station for a train. When the station announcer said that they were operating a very limited service and that we should listen to local radio for updates I thought that was it. If he doesn’t know when the trains are what hope do they rest of us. I walked home. Visiting Tesco on the way. Buying amongst other things doughnuts. They thought of spending a quiet day at home eating doughnuts seemed too good an opportunity to miss. Just settling down when the door went. Sue couldn’t get to work either. Oh well I guess it would be bad if I ate all the doughnuts anyway. Not that I would have done. Would have saved a couple for Sue. It was nice to have her safe at home rather than trying to drive through all the snow. Doughnuts are for sharing anyway, but was hugely disappointed in the amount of jam in them… You hardly noticed in some of them that they were supposed to be jam doughnuts. Shame on you Tesco.

Monday evening received an e-mail from my boss, telling me not to struggle trying to get into work on Tuesday. Sue had mixed emotions. Pleased that I didn’t have to try to get to work and get into trouble. Not quite sure that I should be given carte-blanch to have a another day at home but realising that Charlie is such a lovely boss to think of me like this… He is a good boss… One could not wish for a better boss…. Top leadership, Wish all the bosses there could be more like him. Yeap – he reads my blog and that I have my 6 month review tomorrow!

Whilst spending time working from home I sat in the conservatory looking out at the bird life, whilst still working hard. Put out plenty of food for them and this seemed to encourage the birds in. Them being unable to get any due to the snow. We had two wagtails in the garden, a species I have seen before in the garden but only on a rare occasion. Two new birds seen in the garden were a Chiff-chaff (a life tick for me) and a Green Woodpecker (a year tick for me) But most importantly they added to the garden birds list as well. It’s great to have birds in the garden. Sit and watch them for hours and I don’t have to travel to see them.

Wednesday was off on compassionate leave to attend the funeral of Sue’s Aunt Marion,. A lovely lady Sue is blogging about that right now on our laptop.

Thursday – back to work – boo hiss..’

What a match!

AFC Bournemouth - a team on the brink over being relegated to the football league. A new manager comes in. Well he's an ex-player who was on the coaching staff anyway. He becomes the leagues youngest manager. He makes a signing. Big Steve Fletcher. A player we released a couple of seasons ago, even though he was our longest serving player. He's been playing at Crawly Town in some non-league that will soon include AFC Bournemouth if they don't do something and soon. Could this guy be the spark to re-ignite our season. Well if yesterday's match was something to go by. Yes he can!! I entered the ground about 15 mins after kick off, after selling my half time draw tickets. We were already one-nil down, to top of the table Wycombe Wanderers. You could hear a pin drop in the Bournemouth end. We all knew that if the fact of a new manager and star player returning wasn't going to do anything then that would be it. We might as well give up. Even goading from the Wycombe supporters didn't bring the Bournemouth end to life.

Luckily the players didn't give up. Are these the same players that have been playing so badly of late? They seemed, well interested in playing football again. They wanted to win and a superb free kick, made even better by the booking of a Wycombe player when he was lining up the wall, made it one all.

Goal mouth action again, and joy of joys were two-one up. Now it was our turn to sing. Wycombe just seem to fall apart. Then it was half-time.

Comeon lads we've got to win the second half. Wycombe soon made a double substitution. Sending a message from the bench. Quite what that message was I'm not really sure. But it made no difference. From my angle it was a superb lob that made it 3-1 to Bournemouth, later BBC Sport gave it as a deflected cross that happened to beat the keeper. That was it. Wycombe huffed and they puffed by they could not break down the Bournemouth defence. Who were for once, playing a full 90 minutes of football, rather than the normal 80. Well be played a 4 minutes of 'injury time', don't know how as the trainers weren't on the pitch once during the second half. But final whistle came. We shouted. We clapped. We were happy. Oh it felt good. You know those who don't go to football regulary won't get it. Yes we have had some rubbish games of late. But when you eat nothing but spam all the time. You really appreciate when you have steak one in a while.

My entry for Stu's Weekly photo Challange

Good Weekend

Gosh, its been such a long time since I last blogged. Sorry about that folks.

Having a good weekend, yesterday was spend mostly in the garden. Got my plan sorted out for the veg plots for the summer. I'll have to blog about that later. Anyway yesterday was spend most clearing areas of the garden. Gave the fir tree a bit of a chop to let more light into the bed below it and visited homebase for spinach seed and another pair of secetours. I've no idea where my original pair have got to.

Today been up to Blashford Lakes to do some bird watching. Highlight must have been the Iceland Gull. First one ever for Blashford apparently. Also saw the Black Necked Grebes together with my favourite grebe, the Little Grebe.