Wicked Wild Weekend! Day & Night 2

Early the next morning we left for Henley-on-Thames for the christening of the newest member of the Rees family, baby Jack. The church was packed and we had a lovely reception thing afterwards with champagne in the sunshine. Belle transformed from 'high society' to 'ska-punky' in the bathroom and we made a speedy exit for the Lightyear home-coming gig in Derby.

It took us hours to get away due to ridiculous traffic jams but we finally got up to Derby in time to meet up with Phil & friends for a few bevvies before the gig.


Lightyear's "one-off" UK reunion tour

Sun 30th July 2006 at First Floor Club, Derby

As usual it was a classic, with lots of sweaty nakedness and general mayhem in the usual Lightyear style. And I for one have missed it, awesome. The pic here is of Chas who arrived painted up as Adolf Hitler...

After a dodgy late night chips'n'mayonnaise with the support act we wandered back to Peterborough dazed & confused but beaming :)

Wicked Wild Weekend! Day & Night 1

Wow. What an insane weekend!
Found out last Weds that we won free weekend tickets to NASS (National Adventure Sports Show) through the Extreme Sport Channel so very early Saturday morning we packed our boards into the car and headed over to the NEC, Birmingham to join the fun!
We won VIP tickets which included free entry on both days, VIP camping (although we could only stay for the Saturday), VIP party access and a meet and greet with skate and BMX megastars Tony Hawk and Mat Hoffman.

No shit.

You can tell from our faces that we were perhaps a little over-psyched!! We got Tony to sign our birdhouse Hawk design board and even managed to get it in the picture for authenticity...it means too much to us to sell now but you never know, ebay's pull may be too strong in the future!

The party was insane - hanging out with someof the worlds best skaters and bmxers in a VERY messy state! Unfortunately most of our many group pics are of me next to Fabiola Da Silva - the worlds best female aggressive inliner - who looks like Penelope Cruz & is seriously stunning in every photo. Grr...

Staggered out around 2am for the 2 hour drive home (oops. thank you Toby!) thoroughly drunk, sweaty and knackered but still extremely excited!

Home again

Phew - what a scorcher!
Had an amazing BBQ Friday night with pals and neighbours (Toby set fire to a stool & Belle drank way too much). Enjoyed the incredible storms on Saturday and finally got around to getting back in the surf on Sunday and realised how much I need it.

One more year (or less) then we're off. I will live by the sea, and be home again.

Dunkerque

Harrowing. So many questions, so much soul-searching.

How do you switch off from the horrific truth of the Holocaust?
Who are we to talk about living in 'a climate of fear'?
What would you give to fight for your cause? For your pride, dignity, faith, for justice.
Would you give your life…even under torture?

"Not in my name": I think of the French Revolutionaries who died, head held high, while I walk alongside my friends in an anti-war march for troops to leave Afghanistan and Iraq. How great their cost and how insignificant mine.

I cried at a photograph of a solider at a Polish concentration / forced labour camp in Russia. He stands proud, skeletal fellow prisoners laying at his feet, naked to the waist except for his last remaining piece of uniform - a cloth hat - staring determinedly eye-to-eye at the man on the other side of the fence. That man is Himmler, the head of SS and the man responsible for the horror he was experiencing. I don't understand the notions of pride and dignity, at least not to this extreme. But I was proud of this man. And of the millions who stood up against evil oppression - only to be crushed by its disgusting malevolence. But not for nothing, we now know.

The blessing of hindsight.

Top o'the morning to ya!

Since Phil had to work we cut the weekend short and I decided to head back to the big smoke to be a part of the action! Caught up with Caroline (my big sis) as she and few friends hung out at an Irish Festival on Peckham Rye.

Pure comedy. From laughing at CDs of a fat Irish farmer gazing lovingly at a chicken singing “Everybody Wants My Fanny (The Fanny Song)” to haggling for old postcards of Frinton-on-sea and a Doodlebug...just why?

Very impressed that Nick and Connor continued to drink beer (and the latter Guinness of course, getting back to his Irish roots) in the sunshine through very thick hangovers. Even more impressed when Connor and Toby jumped on to “the death machine” fairground ride designed to make you hurl!

After getting our tokens from the token booth (classic Vent family Tenerife phrase!) we went on the dodgem’s and a few brave ones dared the waltzer, well everyone bar Vicky and myself!

After a few pints at Ca’s local we headed back to Peterborough for 1.30am. After a very hectic weekend it didn’t seem to surprise anyone when I pulled sicky on Monday morning..oops!

Derby daze..sorry days

Ran away after work on Thursday for a few days of good old Flip fun, Derby-style!

Headed straight off to a skate jam and BBQ at the Blue Dog..although I didn't end up eating anything and instead spent the night talking with very cool, very nice strangers before propping up a very drunk Phil on our way round the streets of Derby and then home for a pipe and a pancake. Took some photos on my new camera but left them at Phils so watch this space!

On Friday took Phil on a motorbike lesson in Long Eaton. It was ace! The instructor said I was a "right little speed freak" but that we were both naturals. Can definitely see myself becoming a biker chick - but without the bandana and leathers! belle ;)

The moon on a stick!

Headed down to Lahndahn to catch up with my peeps for a class comedy night out in Bloomsbury. Got a bunch of free tickets to ‘Edinburgh & Beyond 2006’ (hosted by Al Murray The Pub Landlord) filming for the Paramount Comedy Channel but didn’t realise how amazing the line-up was until we got there.

Half way through my night was truly made be the appearance of Stewart Lee, STEWART LEE!! Most chuffed. Also, Russell Howard was amazing (one to watch) so we made plans to see him at the Fringe Fest in Edinburgh when were there August bank holiday weekend.

Got some ace birthday presents including the complete League of Gentlemen CDs and Panic at the disco! album. Apparently more to come on my family celebrations weekend in Essex :)

Pimms '06

Its that time of year again - time to dust off the tent and meet up with friends in a field somewhere for a weekend of drunken sports and whatever else ensues!

This year we were in a little village called Mollington, nr Banbury in Oxfordshire from 24-25 June 2006. The usual crowd were there: me, Toby, Paula, Dom, Sarah, Paul, Jen and this years new comer Rosey.

After the compulsory food and booze run we headed back to the campground for some boule, field cricket, beer and Pimms - naturally!

With the sun going down and people getting pinker it was time to crack out the BBQ's. Discovered a new method of preparing corn on the cob, involving manually lubing it up with butter - thanks Paul (sir)! One meat-feast later and I cracked out my own birthday cake with compulsory oversized 2 and 9 candles (..they were out of 6's!).

We stopped by the local pub in the evening for a pint and to catch the score (World Cup, football, anyone?). We obviously made quite an impression as a group as on leaving they asked us to try not to have sex on the way home...

After a slightly sticky night we woke up to a full English cooked by Paula, Sarah and Paul - this truly was camping in style! Walking off our breakfast we stumbled onto local National Trust land and found a very cool obelisk and summer house (see cheesy pic).

Looking forward to Pimms '07!! belle x