Saturday 3 July 2010

The View from the Hill on Saturday 3rd July

A lunchtime blog following our drive home from Peterborough - we stayed overnight in a Premier Inn (no sign of Lenny Henry) and to use Mrs B's own words - the room was adequate.

We came back via the scenic route of the A15 and A17 rather than A1 and A52. We hadn't driven that route for some time and although it is a bit of a trek the Lincolnshire countryside can be quite charming in a sort of flat and run down sort of way.

We had declined breakfast at the Premier Inn as it would have been an extra £15 and Mrs B didn't think she could eat £7.50's worth of croissant. So we stopped at Christy's Farm Shop cafe in Hockerton where Mrs B devoured more than £7.50's worth of sausage cob whilst I was a good boy and ate the vegetarian breakfast. Scrambled eggs, baked beans, grilled tomato, mushrooms,sauté potato and fried bread with toast on the side. Now before you get all upset about the fried bread and the toast - I didn't eat both. Mrs B had the fried bread in her sausage cob. The star turn of the breakfast was my view of the windmill - a beautiful white modern structure sticking out of the Nottinghamshire farmland - very space age.

So we arrived back in Mansfield, and we have just returned from Tesco - and you know how I love going to Tesco!

I think I might watch a bit of the football to see which of England's sworn enemies can overcome the over - the best result would be that the referee sends them all off and nobody progresses to the next round.

I managed to be quite un-grumpy at the party by the way - there again I did have competition!

OK, now Mrs B wants to go shopping again so this star trek from Peterborough is not yet complete...4 - the voyage home will continue.

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Humans make illogical decisions.

Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home

Friday 2 July 2010

The View from the Hill on Friday 2nd July

It's my nephews birthday today and we are heading south, for the first time in a long time we are going to a family function. For the last few years we have not gone to many mainly because we couldn't take the dogs and we had no one to let them out so we were limited on the time we could be away - but now we have no reason not to go, we are going.

Now I'm going to be honest - I dislike big gatherings, family or not, it is usually too loud for me and I can't hear what is being said plus I'm not very good at the politics of the thing and I manage to put my foot in it some how. Not that I don't love my family, and it will be lovely to see the nieces and nephews again, but I guess I'm just old and miserable and grumpy and given half a chance I would be out playing on the trampoline with the children.

I suppose over the course of our marriage I have often been the cause of Mrs B losing touch with people, because of my recalcitrant and stubborn nature, because I would rather it just be me and her - and it has become a standing joke that we will walk into a house visiting friends and the first thing they will say to me is "I know - you're not stopping long!"

People reading this will be shocked I know, that the man so often full of jokes and smiles is such an unsociable grump, but I am. If I were not married to Mrs B, I would probably die a very lonely miserable person - but luckily she is there and this means I will just die a miserable person.

Anyway, we will go to Peterborough and I will do my best not to be too dismal or depressing, hope it's not raining though and the trampoline is up!

Sam, Max,Tyler, Connie and Lily-Rose  -  5 - reasons to be cheerful

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A bit of grin and bear it, a bit of come and share it
You're welcome, we can spare it - yellow socks

Ian Dury

Tuesday 29 June 2010

The View from the Hill on Tuesday 29th June

Sorry to break the news to you this way but...dear burglars, you are too late now, having a new alarm fitted today.

That's probably tempting fate but as I don't believe in fate I'm not sure how tempting it will find my comments.

As I move towards the terminal stop on this year long writing project, I have been reviewing how my blogs have changed over that period, from some serious posts via absolute drivel. I suppose it records many things including my mood during the past twelve months. I think it's clear to see that I am a combination of a comedy genius and a miserable old bastard.

There have been days (like today) when knowing what to write about has been difficult, and there have been other days when the words have flowed out of me like brown steaming poo out of a cow.  I have peddled my rubbish around the globe with readers in the USA, France, India, Australia, China, Iran and places in the UK as different as the Houses of Parliament and Skegness.

For all time, my ramblings will be accessible via the internet, it will become an historical document and who knows if in some future time, aliens might find it and start a whole new society based around the teachings of Drew - fascinating.


Have you tried googling yourself - I bet you have, but if not you should have a go because you will be shocked at what might pop up. For example, I apparently run a second hand car dealership in Enniskillen. The whole Google results page is devoted to the Irish Drew Baxter, with just one entry about a life without faith right in the middle and then two pictures of me at the bottom of the page - I am now famous enough to make the first page on Google!

Better go and make the house a little more tidy for the alarm man - although when he walks in and sees who he is working for - he will be alarmed, and what stories to tell his grandchildren. "I fitted the alarm for Drew Baxter - no not the one from Enniskillen"!

Do you know what they use to make French bread - 8 - when the wind comes right behind the rain...

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To be occasionally quoted is the only fame I care for

Alexander Smith