From Stag Do to Sutton Hoo

Saturday 27^th July sees 11 of us celebrating Paul’s imminent nuptials the laggards of us meeting at Little Venice to catch our chartered barge taking us on a very pleasant journey past the mansions of Regents Park to the hecticness of Camden Lock and on through the longest canal tunnel in the UK to the Narrowboat Inn at Angel for more drinks and a well needed meal. After that we taxi to the Cock Tavern at Highbury and Islington to see a couple of bands. First up we see English Flaws the main guy being tall and geeky with trousers way too short and with a sort of late punk anti fashion style if that’s not an oxymoron. The music is a little odd and maybe after drinking for nigh on 10 hours I’m not in the mood for gratuitous weirdness. Next up are the great Burning Condors who delight us with a energetic set of american old school rock & roll. They are very entertaining and with a charismatic singer a chatty guitarist and a slippy drumkit that keeps on sliding stage front until they find the house breeze block. After such a long day I sort of sneak off from the main gang jumping on one of the last southbound trains with the bride’s brothers.

Sunday sees me and Debbie having a gently relaxing afternoon at the South Bank browsing Deptford artists exhibitions, eating mexican street food and generally taking in happenings of a summer Sunday by the river then wandering through Westminster’s back streets to Victoria for the train home.

Debs rushing toward Big Ben 

After a uneventful week at work Debs and I are out again together for a few drinks and meal with Colin and Clint taking in the madness of a Friday night on Old Compton Street.

Saturday sees me taking it easy as I’m working at the Olympic Park early Sunday. I’m on my way at 1.30am Sunday morning cycling through central London and out east past the late night punters spilling out of pubs and queuing for clubs. I see the 20,000 100 mile cyclists set off from 6am to 8am then the professional racers at lunchtime. And no problems workwise at all.

Good luck baby

Rest of the week is fairly normal and the excitement of a 20/20 match at the Oval between my local team Surrey and boyhood team Somerset. Surrey win and must admit by the end of the game I’m disappointed that the west country lads are losing having seen them a fair few times at the Rec in Bath.

20/20 vision

Wednesday’s regular 5-a-side game is 2 hours as the lads who follow us don’t turn up. An epic scoreline of 50-28 probably says a lot about the way we play. Even then the young uns insisted on a 1st to 3 contest to finish us off. Which it did me.

As the week’s a quiet one tying up loose ends both at work and home and the blog promises cycling here’s my daily commute with a couple of photos. For Garmin users see here: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/356004007

Morning commute

Big Bikes

Saturday sees Jack and I packing the car with the crazy amount of camping equipment just about fitting it all in with the duvet taking up the last available space in the boot. We’re off on our summer holiday and for those interested see here...http://jdwhols.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/devon-dorset-summer-2013.html, After a week's camping and a week in a Dorset cottage we arrive back Friday evening and the Saturday morning we're off again this time north east rather than south west to a wedding in Ipswich. Paul and Daisy's big day is pretty grim weatherwise and Debs, Lily-Rose and I drive through tropical rainstorm conditions on the M25 en route to Suffolk. We arrive at Daisy's welcoming parents pile in drizzle so while the girls get changed I put up the tent. The house is a big place in big grounds and close to Sutton Hoo just outside Ipswich. We then follow others into Ipswich where the ceremony's taking place and very pleasant it is too. Then I get lost in the rain driving back to Daisy's place. By the time we get back people are milling about drinking champagne and congratulating the happy couple and little Ernie (as Eric would say) for yesterday's christening. I catch up with the stag boys mentioned at the beginning of this blog. After that it's a sit down meal with some great speeches including best man Rainford and a JCC style poem by Daisy and by the time all that's over the rain has petered out. Setting up a great evenings entertainment by a band I think called Spanky Pain at least that was scrawled on the drum kit. They do rock and soul disco covers and for a covers wedding band are pretty damn tight as musicians with 2 great singers one low one high complimenting each other brilliantly. Maybe they're here cos Paul knows the bassist and the groom gives us a few guitar licks for the first 2 numbers before the band go into their set proper. After a long night drinking and dancing most guests wander off but it starts lashing it down outside the marquee so Rainford and I stay put instead of braving our little tents and by the time it slows to a drizzle and we wake Debs to go to bed it's 3.30am. Next day or rather this one is sunny and hot which isn't helping my head but recover after a tea coffee then lunch for 30 laid on by the neverstopping parents of the bride. After getting the kids out of the swimming pool we say our goodbyes to everyone and take Rainford and son Josh back to London with a much better drive than the one out. The end of a lovely weekend. For any pics of the gorgeous couple and tiddly guests see Daisy or Paul's Facebook pages.