Good things come to those who wait...

I know, I know...I promised to update more often but you know how it goes, life gets in the way.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Years

Okay 2 months to catch up on.

We visited Chester, an old English city. Settled by the Romans and is a wall city...like York.

Known as a great shopping area but was once considered to

be the capital. We did a short trip into Wales as well...it sounds exotic

but its not. Only 15 miles from Chester and less than an hour from home.

I took a visit with my mate John, (both of Ozzy and Black sabbath

fans) to Ozzy's old haunt and the cottage where he lived. If you've read

Ozzy's book you know what I mean, he lived just 10 minutes from our place in Stafford and frequented The Hand and Cleaver pub.

We had a little bit of snow and its caused massive

issues on the road but it made us feel at home.

Julie and I are hard at work, as most know this time of year is always busy for me and it is as well for Julie. Julie is working at a Toyota dealership in Stoke and is very busy. Car dealerships here traditionally are very busy in the new year. Josh is fine but he is 15!!! A raging 15!!! He is suppose to be in school...we get him out in the morning and hope for the best.

Chelsea are on a terrible run and hopefully will pullout of it soon. Tomorrow, I'm off to see round 3 of the FA Cup with Chelsea taking on Ipswich. The way we are playing, we'll be lucky to win.

Not really any more news

Mahalo,

Burger

A day in the life...

Just returned from our trip to the town with 4000 holes, to be fair we were their to watch the Chelsea match not to visit the town. I think The Fernhurst was one of the first away pubs I had ever heard about, I have been told many stories of this place. It is a huge pub just outside the ground and is the only away pub in the town and with 3000+ seats sold for this match it was always going to be busy. I was also chuffed to get a pint of Thwaites, one of the great Northern breweries and tough to get further south. Our mate Chris was our chauffeur for the day and the 2 hour trip just seemed to go by quickly, as we talked about football, life and geography...as you do. It was great to have so many in the away stand and we were vociferous! To be fair Chelsea did not play well but pulled out a win from a great header by Ivanovic, but like the song says "Thats why were Champions" Next week, Liverpool!!!! We have great tickets, 1st row just beside the goal. Watch this space!!

Julie continues to beat the pavement for work and has had a few interviews/meetings with Volkswagen and is likely to be working with them in the near future. Good thing too, we could use the injection of cash into our coffers. Josh continues in his old ways, disappointing...we thought we were making some headway but old habits are hard to break. He has been on his half term this week and back to the grind on Monday. Halloween tonight and is typically a night for teenagers to go wild, fingers crossed Josh has an early night. Work for me is going well, just plugging along. I have finally found a rink that has a pickup game of Ice Hockey!!! It is in Telford, home of the Telford Tigers about a half hour from home. Just need to get my equipment here, not an easy or cheap thing to do.

Mahalo,

Burger

Don't know what you've got 'til its gone

Wow!!!! Seems like months but its only been weeks. We've had no internet access going on 3 weeks at home and I have very little access at work....hence the lack of any entry. I have kept notes of our trips, tours and tribulations but I'll not go into, at least not now.

Julie is actively looking for work but has not found anything. My work is chugging along, it is as if I've never left. Same smells, sounds and sights, just like in Cambridge or Woodstock. Kinda comforting, 3500 miles away and its much of the same. Josh is in school and has met some friends, to be honest he is struggling but it was always going to be difficult....he does nothing the easy way, but we live in hope

Safe to say, we've fit in well and are definitely part of our little community here. We've been embraced by our neighbours, looking out for us, helping and giving aid without us asking. Couldn't ask for more really!!!

oh yeah, Chelsea top of the League and the Scouse going into administration is quite nice. hee hee

Mahalo,

Burger

Moving AGAIN!!!!

We had our last big blast at the Letchford Arms!! We had only stopped for a pint and found a birthday party going on for one of the locals. They had food setup and a DJ. The star of the evening was Paki Elvis, he played for 2 hours and wowed the crowd of 12 or so. Meanwhile, John, Jerry, Jo Jo and Dean sat outside and talked over the racket. A good time again, I hope the Bear and Pheasant is as friendly as this pub.

Saturday is Wigan

We're up early to get the Overground to Euston at 9:44, our train at Euston leaves for Wigan at 11:30. We arrive in Euston around 10:30, Julie and Josh want food and leave for the cafe. I spot straight away Suggs, lead singer of Madness, one of my favorite bands!! Madness was probably the best known of 2Tone (Ska / punk) bands coming out of England in the late 70's, early 80's. Influencing a huge amount of bands, most note worthy being No Doubt. Friends of mine know, “ONE STEP BEYOND”!!!! being a particular favorite and it was many a party where I would go crazy on the dancefloor when that song would come on, it was also the song we played to gee us up before working the door at a club. There most familiar to most would be “Our House”, maybe “It must be love”. Its hard to gauge for me because i know all their songs very well. Four of the Six members are Chelsea supporters as well, Suggs being seen regularly at Stamford Bridge and also wrote and performed “Blue Day” for our FA Cup run as the official song. I stopped at talked with Suggs and Chris and had a brief chat. They were off to Stafford of all places for the V festival (The V festival is of many festivals held in England during the summer months, V standing for Virgin mobile, they typically have 2 different stages in two different locations with the same lineup, a band plays Saturday at one and Sunday at the next, the one Madness were heading to was in Chelmsford just outside Stafford) well we will see them in concert soon enough.

Met Tom who asked about Suggs and we chatted and found out he was Chelsea ( crazy fucker, has been through the wars follow Chelsea for 40 years or so, a little OTT but a good bloke) The train was packed and was going to Glasgow/lots of families etc. We stop at “Swan and Railway” to have a sing and a drink. The pub was full of charity girls and had 0 atmosphere. Cath showed her face through the window and urged us up to the other pub, “The venue”. We cram into a cab to the DW stadium (formerly the JJB) but not very close to our entrance, so we have to walk around. We find the local supporters gaff and have a pint, then into the pitch. The DW is not a bad stadium, I've definitely seen worse. We get situated and I put up the flag, I love away matches and this one doesn't disappoint...we have a great atmosphere in our end!!! There was a new song being sung

"Double Double Double.

John Terry Has Won The Double.

And the Shit From The Lane Have Won Fuck All Again.

John Terry Has Won The Double.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXbO2J84tVU

It amazes me how fast a song is made and then revised.

While a Wigan defender was being attended by medical, we serenaded Frank, JT, Ashley, Petr, Paolo, Nico and even new boy Benayoun...the Dennis Wise song was aired, and so too was the Peter Osgood tribute. After the Frank Lampard chant went on for more than the usual one verse, Frank looked pretty embarrassed and gave a wry smile.

Tom again brought out the Robert Fleck song.

To the tune of “yellow submarine”

“And number 1 is Robert Fleck”

“And number 2 is Robert Fleck”

etc, etc

"We All Live In A Robert Fleck World."

The play was close in first half but we stretched them in the second. Not sure of the Drogba/Anelka celebration though. After the match we walk back to the Venue for a pint, grab some chips for the train and head back to london. The Overground is under construction, so we have to take underground to Edgware and the bus to Harrow Weald..not a bad trip and Josh finally got to ride on a double-decker bus.

Family, Friends and Chelsea...nothing better

Mahalo,

Burger

Ey up Mi Duck?

So Stafford it is, the Midlands, Staffordshire.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stafford

Hopefully, Josh won't pick up the Midlands or at least the Derbyshire accent but for the most part, the people we've met there really sound like their from the home counties. My guess, they are transplants but really most people move around a lot anyway. The house we've rented is a 150 year old cottage, Julie is definitely excited about it. Quaint would be the word for it, 2 beds, is part furnished, with a new kitchen and bathroom, 2 reception rooms ( living rooms ) with fireplaces in each and a nice garden. We are very close to town centre, a nice pub a few doors away doesn't hurt ( The Bear and Pheasant ) and it is a lot cheaper than London.

In regards to work, I ended up haggling a few more grand and I'm waiting now for paperwork and a start date...probably September 6th. Finally got our bank stuff sorted and our money transferred, not the best rate but a whole lot better than what it is typically. Have also got the ball rolling on subletting the flat, hopefully that happens soon. One thing we've learned, things don't move quickly here.

Friday nights alright

I waited too long to get tickets for Chelsea v West Brom but used Viagogo (Viagogo is an online ticket exchange, used by many sports org's, trying to stop ticket touts (scalpers)) got 3 tickets in the Matthew Harding Lower stand (Matthew Harding was a Vice Chairman/Board member at Chelsea and fought against Ken Bates the then Chairman, Matthew was a long time Chelsea supporter and fought for their rights. Matthew died in a helicopter crash coming back from a match in Bolton in 1996. The North stand was named after him after its completion, which was in part to the money he invested in the club. This stand has most the season ticket holders and is the best atmosphere...usually). We met Cathy at Frankies ( a restaurant at Stamford Bridge) for pints and star watching, no stars really but met/talked with Dave Johnson (Sheditor of the CFCUK magazine, amongst other things), Jason Cundy (90's Chelsea defender and presenter now on SKY and Chelsea tv) had a shot of Ameretto and a brief chat. Lots of good conversation, football/work/our move/ We left to get some food at Formosa, chinese on fulham road..not bad. Cheers Cathy for another amazing night out!!!

What else are you gonna do on a Saturday?

Great day out, Julie and Josh's first season opening match and Josh's 1st since 2006. We arrived from a different angle this time, through West Brompton. We currently live just off the Overground and this is easiest/quickest way in. Pouring rain greeted our arrival and we quickly got to The Goose, for a few and to dry off. Met up with the regular gang, Parky, Jon, Alan, Dave, Lovejoy and Chris arriving a little later from his trip to see Chopper Harris ( Chelsea defender from the 60's/70's and is an old school tough man, one of the toughest ever but is a welcoming and friendly guy now). Next stop, The Welly to meet Cathy/Dog/Mo and the crew, rain has stopped by now and the atmosphere is growing Trouble is on late kick offs it is not sustained into the ground. We now move on toward the Bridge to pick up our tickets. On the way we say hi to Dave...always at his stall and stop at SoBar for a quick song and say hi to Simon, Smurf, Darren and the crew but can't stay long. We still need to get our tickets and meet up at our last stop before the match "La reserve" or the Hotel as we call it. Mark is there and we are excited to get in to see the match, so its one-and-done and into the MHL. Okay...maybe 2.

Atmosphere was okay to start, but died down pretty quick. At the half, Ruud Gullit came out for a lap with The Spy (our friend Neil Barnett, an interviewer and tv presenter on Chelsea TV) to Message to Rudy...quality!!! 6-0, can't really complain. Job done.

Met up at the Goose for a drink after and thought food was in order. The Lily, an Indian just around the corner hit the spot. Ran into Dutch Mick (again) at the restaurant, seem to meet up with him everywhere, after a quick chat, we tucked in.

Great day all round!

Mahalo,

Burger

..and you'll never get a job!! You'll never get a job...

oh, yeah!!! I'm not Scouse and can't sign on anyway.

My interview went well and it resulted in a reasonable offer. I was never under the illusion that I would walk into a job at my old position or salary, that isn't what this move was about. Tentatively, I would be working in the Derby area, learning the systems and work culture and then moving on to other sites or possibly helping out of head office. Probably living in or around “The second city” Birmingham, about 100 miles from London, 2.5 hrs by car or 1.25 by train to Euston approx.

So it means we're on the move again!! and quickly!! We need to find our new digs, so to get Josh signed up for school. A major issue for us is that we paid 5 months in advance and a deposit and very little chance to see any of that back. The Midlands are a lot cheaper to live, almost by half and its where the work is for me, at least for the foreseeable future. I know it means visitors (Harse, Tuna, et al) will now have to travel further afield to get back and forth to London if staying with us but its easier to get to away matches.

So for those of you who are keeping track, we've lived in Surrey, Kent, Greater London, Middlesex and soon the Midlands!!! Bully for me

Mahalo,

Burger

Shopping is a whole new experience here, especially for groceries. The superstore in our area is Morrison's and it typically has the cheapest prices on essentials ( bread, butter, milk, eggs etc) The best part of this store for me is the beverage aisle, easily 20 different kinds of ale and more whiskey than any LCBO in Ontario...good living.

Btw, haven't tried the Morrison's VALUE lager or whiskey but 4 cans, 2 litres of Lager for 72p!!!! I'll definitely buy some when my Dad comes for a visit. :-)

Mahalo,

(despite your offence to my sign off , it will continue!!!)

Burger