Full Fetish

Having not done anything on the scene in a while my neighbour Matt invited me to join him on Saturday to the recon event Full Fetish.

So saturday we headed into town to find an outfit at Expectations. Ended up going in Rubber Waistcoat, Rubber Shorts and DMs.

Amazing how many faces you see that you know at these sort of places. It was held at Mass, a converted Church in Brixton. Definitely need to buy some more gear next year.

As final post of 2008, let me wish you all a very Happy New Year and a healthy and prosporous 2009. Much Love. Neil. x

Christmas Day 2008, s

We had been told we should be up by 11:00 by my mother, but it was so cold over night in Essex I was awake far before then. While we dont have the bedroom boiling, I like it to be warm enough that I can leave an arm outside of the covers without freezing. I guess you get used to the luxurys you enjoy at home, like a Duck and Goose Down Harrod's 12 Tog Duvet. Somehow I couldnt get warm enough, even in bed. So was up by 10:00, had a coffee and came downstairs for some Toast.

Mum asked me to drive and collect nan from her house and then we were rushed into the Lounge so that we could open our presents before all of the rest of the family arrived. We then, as always, had to take it in turns opening one present at a time each. I got a Wii Fit which I absolutely love. I have been trying to find one for months so goodness knows how my Mum managed to hunt one down.

Dusan loved the Eurovision CD and DVD I bought him. I swear, I have never known someone enjoy watching the Eurovision song contest so often. He starts to review the video's on You Tube by the new year and even now (the song contest was in April) he watches it at least weekly. You would be surprised when you know the songs how many are used in other peoples hit's or even commercials on television.

Once the gifts were done, I had promised I would make the Roast Potatoes. Something mother decided to tell everyone about. I thought it would be nice to do my potatoes the way I have cultivated for a year. Cooked in preheated goosefat and grated with Lemon Zest, Garlic and a sprinkling of rosemary bunches. Everyone said they were fabulous, so project achieved. Of course, offering to help with the Spuds meant that mum had me do all the veggies, Beans, Peas, Carrots and Parsnips, sprouts and chestnuts. Then I was left to run the food out from the Hostess Trolley to the dinning table and the 22, yes 22 people waiting to dine.

Adam and Verity plus Baby Thomas were there by then as well as all the cousins and their cousins and family from next door.

You can imagine how loud dinner was with Samantha's 3 children and Thomas too. The smoke alarm kept going off from the Candles and then the Christmas Pudding and by the time we had eaten I felt exhausted. Thankfully Dusan was in need of a sleep too so we headed upstairs for an hours kip, setting the alarm for just before six in time to watch Doctor Who.

Once that was over I showed Dad how to use and set up his Ipod and then packed up our stuff, said our goodbyes and loaded the car. All of my cousins and brother and sister in law had gone. It was just the oldies left. We escaped to London and the peace of home by 730PM. Amazing how you just appreciate your own space and the peace and quiet that it brings.

Have a feeling we will escape next Christmas. Who knows how much longer my parents will have the strength to host such a large party. I personally would prefer a smaller, more intimate lunch. Do really nice quality food over cantering for the masses. Still it was nice to see everyone again. But nice to be home and relaxing now.

Christmas Eve

Dusan was off on Christmas Eve but I had to work. I had a meeting first thing and we ended up in the pub in the afternoon for a pre Christmas drink. I then met up with Dusan who was doing some last minute Christmas shopping. We nipped into Waitrose to grab a few bits and had thought that the West End might be a little quieter with everyone already heading home for their Christmas celebrations. How wrong we could be. It was busier than ever. Seemed shppers were all out hoping for a last minute saving. We decided to bail, came home and had to pack up all of the presents that were unwrapped and threw some clothes together before heading into the car and making our way to Mums.

We arrived just in time to go over to my Aunt and Uncles where we had the traditional Indian meal for Christmas Eve. Samanthas kids were running riot as always. But then its what is expected when you have a four and eight year old in the house. Her 1 and a half year old was thankfully already upstairs in bed. But Grace and Alex were demaning enough to wear you out within an hour.

Dinner was lovely but seemed everyone was a lightweight and we were done by 11:00. Mum and Dad came home and went staright to bed and we sat up and watched some TV but were in bed by 1:30, tucked up like good boys, waiting for Santa to visit :-).

The joy of Christmas

Heading home this a evening on my usual journey, train to New Cross then a bus to home. Though one quite often walks rather than wait for the bus. Stopping on the way, as one does quite regularly in the little corner shop. Now I have to point out this is the tiny little newsagents next to the Noodle place and not the shop in the complex.

I popped in and as always said hello to the man behind the counter as I made my way to the back and selected a bottle of Merlot. Handing the man my money he called something in Asian to his colleague and bought over a second bottle and simply said, this is to wish you a Merry Christmas and to thank you for you custom. This has to be one of the tiniest of shops you have ever seen but still they are able to supply me with staples year round and thank me with an extra bottle of wine. Well I shall certainly be going back for that deed secures my custom.

It reminded me a little about the true spririt of Christmas, about spending time with loved ones and the gift of giving. Somehow that deed made me feel more Christmasy than anything I have done over the past week. The unexected. God Bless you all and have a Merry Christmas.

GMC & XXL

Tis the season to be jolly, falalala la la la. Or so the Carol goes and in truth festive fashion I had arranged with my lovely girls, Emily, Lisa & Gill to go to see the annual Gay Mens Chorus Christmas concert, saturday afternoon.

We had bought tickets and arranged to meet at Victoria Station at 1300. Poor Gill had been taken ill the day before and was tied up in her bed and couldnt make it.

So I met with Emily at 1:00 at the Station while Lisa was delayed on her way in to town. We made our way to Cafe Rouge and ordered food for luncheon and a bottle of bubbles to wash it down (Lucky Bitches). It was Emily's treat as I had paid for the tickets. Lisa arrived an hour later and we then jumped into a taxi to Cadogan hall for the show. Good job we took the taxi as we only just made it in time.

Cadogan Hall is hidden just off of Sloane Square. Its an old venue with a grand church hall versus the Morman Tabanacal feel. Our seats were in the Gallery, front row and we settled down just as the choir started to pour on to the stage. 150 men with voices of Angels, performing as only the choir do. Emily and I have been supporting their work for 4 years now. They make lovely musical arrangements that alter the sound of a song as only a choir can do. What I like about it most is thats its no ordinary concert. All of the songs are entertaining and upbeat. The audience is invited to participate and they have guest appearances. The show lasted for around 2 hours and thoroughly put us all into the festive mood.

Emily had to rush off after the show to go to a Strictly Come Dancing Finaly dinner party and so we all said our goodbyes as I made my way home to chill for a few hours and then jump in the shower and spruce up.

Dusan was already out, having gone to meet his friends he used to flat share with. We had arranged to meet later that evening in XXL. With it being the weekend before Christmas you can never be sure as to if it will be busy or not. Sometimes people have left already and gone home for the holidays and other years everyone is there and ready for a festive time. It was packed and we had a good time. I even surprised myself and virtually outlasted Dusan. He had been drinking since he met his friends and was starting to look a little worse for wear around 330, so we came home and crashed out. Was a nice festive start to the Christmas Season.

Merry Christmas everybody! God bless you, everyone. xx

Caution - Long Veichle

We have all seen the sign, on the rear of a Lorry or Bus with the Caution warning you of the extra length involved. The law requiring that they carry the sign as a caution to other road users. I urge the law to be updated to include any person with a wheelie suitcase. It seems nearly every day at one of the London Tube Stations I am nearly hit by someones out of control baggage.

Not only do the owners of these bags show no disregard for other pedestrians, far worse they seem oblivious to the fact that they even have it with them. As they board the escalator rather than pulling the case close to their body they seem to stetch out over 3 or 4 steps then without even a glance behind as they reach the top, they fail to notice the dozens of people rising with the speed of the Escalator as they quite litterally come to a complete stop right at the top of the escalator causing a multi man pile up as they stop to pull their case off at the top.

You can be walking through a packed station and yet person with trailer in tow will try to zig zag directly through your path much like a Bowling Ball aimed at 10 Pins. They will walk with Vigour only to come to a complete stop without warning and all of this without mentioning how much extra space they require on the already packed Tube.

Watch out folks these cases are a danger. A lorry or van would require a siren sound upon reversing to warn others of the inpending danger but case bearers reverse without so much as a glance. Yet they seem to be breading. Take a look as you next take a journey via a mainline station, these wheelies are everywhere, have no liscense and can be extreemly dangerous. You have been warned. :-)

Ian took me Spread Eagle

Yes, he did. Honest. To the pub "Spread Eagle" just around the back from Bond Street.

It was officially the staff non Christmas Party but I didn't get the email for the non official party and found out about it yesterday. With my granite now arrived, but having never seen it, I had thought about heading home, wrapping gifts and decorating the tree. Dusan had, after all, promised he would nip to Wickes and buy a bucket it could reside in.

We had tons to do at work, worked late and ended up going for a drink for Panna's leaving do at the Spread Eagle. Several Guiness later I made my way home but not before 10:00PM. No gifts were wrapped, no tree was decorated and no bucket was awaiting my return home. But the granite does look fabulous. Like I said it would, making a centre piece of the Island and a place we can eat, work or place plants and lots of gorgeous things.

So much for another early night but thankfully its not far from the weekend.

Bon Soir. x

Kitchen Capers

Its been quite a fiasco really, initially we couldn't find a kitchen Island that we liked and the flat seriously lacking both surface space to prepare and storage space it was something that we knew we had to purchase eventually.

In September we found cupboards that matched our existing kitchen in MFI and so ordered and paid for it at last.

The cupboards arrived by October and we hired a joiner to come and put them together, considering the incredible weight of the granite top we had ordered. Finally it was ready and I had to call the granite people directly to arrange for them to come and measure to build a template for the granite. Then on November 27th, over 2 months down the line we hear MFI has gone into liquidation when we receive a call from the Granite Company saying MFI have said they will not fullfill our order but we could deal with them directly.

For over 2 months we have had cupboard with no top, making the whole kicthen look unsitely and partially finished, They are due in 90 minutes to change that and the transformation can be complete before Christmas.

Having seen blips of it over the past few weeks, why are they not showing the Coke Holidays are coming advert? Instead we have the Coke through the years one. Come on Coke, its not Christmas without "Holidays are coming". Merry Christmas everyone.

Countdown to Christmas

The week has literally flown by with the countdown to Christmas well under way. The Christmas party came and went and then Friday was out again with work for a few drinks and dinner with the team. So many late nights in a week meant that I needed to catch up with sleep on Saturday and by the time I got up and dressed and made my way to B&Q they were sold out of Christmas trees and Christmas Tree stands. I tried Sainsbury's too but to no avail.

The next day I drove around Blackheath, Charlton, Greenwich but still not luck when eventually I found a place in New Cross where I could buy a Potted Tree.

Tonight having finally got around to putting it up it turns out the pot is not a lot of good. Its too small for the weight of the tree and we have to find a bigger bucket to put it in and some more weight. I have a fake tree in my parents loft but I thought is it really worth driving all that way and back just to collect an artificial tree. In for a penny, in for a pound eh?

Work has been rather crazy. With the lay off's last week everyone seems kind of tense right now. Scared that they will be the next for the chop. It doesn't seem real that just 6 months ago, the economy was booming, albeit the talk of the credit crunch. Now the crunch is more of a recession, people are tightening their belts, not because people don't have money but they are scared as to where their next pay check will come from.

We sit it out like everyone hoping all will be okay by next week or next month but not really sure. While that happens the Pound has died so any hope of escaping away for a while are gone.

I have had a few comments about my words and comments about the government. I will agree with you reader that Labour helped us with the equality we have today but that doesnt mean that its not time for a change, before its too late and they have landed us in it more than neck deep but actually for decades to come.

In the mean time, I like many others am battoning down the hatches and hoping that things seem brighter in the New Year.

Team Christmas Meal

The last week was all a bit of a whirl, what with being busy with work and trying to catch up on some of the Christmas chores inbetween.

For once we left work at fairly close to our contracted hours, leaving the office around 530 (Officially we work until 5), making our way to London Bridge. Adam, Ray and I and Oliver from Switzerland. The L&D Dept and Ian had some last minute things they needed to do so joined us a little later.

We made our way first to a Pub at London Bridge, near to the London Dungeon. It was what you could refer to as a real pub with Ale's and a large selection of wines and ports. They served the Ale in a metal Tanker. Having a visitor from Switzerland and being served in Tankards was nice. I dont think I have ever seen a pub elsewhere that uses them.

From there we went on to a Malaysian restaurant somewhere under the viaduct towards the back side of London Bridge. We had a set meal pre booked and started off with some canapes and then bread and dips. Ostrich & Venison followed in various flavours of spice and there was, ironically called, Intercourse. A Sorbet that tasted much like Ouzo and was very strong and fabulous.

Dessert was followed by much more wine and the problem always when you are out like that is that staff are always filling your glass. You are not really able to keep track of how much you have drunk.

Made it home by around 1:00AM and struggled when my alarm rang the following morning at not having quite had enough sleep. Still a good time was had by all and I got from secret Santa a Hollyoaks Hunk calandar! :-)

Tinsle Time

Today is our departments Christmas meal. The original party was due to be next week at an undisclosed location, but due to the state of the world and the negative publicity right now, much like many in the Industry,this years staff party was cancelled.

Instead my team has booked a restaurant and at 7PM tonight will head off for a festive frollick. There is talk of going somewhere afterwards, but I am thinking with it being a school day and all I should be heading home soon after. We have a four course meal with a light mid course between starter and main. Only they didnt call it a mid course on the menu, instead it was listed as "intercourse". Who on earth calls a mid course intercourse? Naturally everyone has been asking who's having intercourse. They say I am full of puns and innuendo. How very dare they.

Spinning at the Gym

Clearly our group activity last week of the spinning session was a positive thing as I looked up the time table at my gym and managed to get there in time last night to participate. Right now the gym is under going major refurbishment. They have been bulding a Mezzanine recently and the place is full of dust. In the interim the spinning class is taking place in the upper club lounge balcony and not a studio. Its all rather make shift. A portable sterio and the bikes cramped onto the balcony. No state of the art PA here. The instructor had to shout so as to be heard over the sterio.

It was quite a contrast to the class at Virgin and reminded me of how camp the gym can be as we were given Christmas Party Hats and Hooters to blow on and the entire class was completed to Christmas music. Somehow it wasnt the same as to high energy dance tracks, but it was only a one off Christmas special.

Following the workout, Im glad to say I lasted the entire class, it was the gyms Members Christmas Party. There was free drink and nibbles and I chatted to some of my old Step Class buddys. It reminded me of why I liked it there. Friendly, fun and a little bit different. Good old YMCA.

Barry Manilow @ the 02

All my mother knew she had to do on Saturday was pick up Fanny from her home in Broxbourne and then drive to my appartment in London. Arrive by 4PM I said.

They litterally were here at just before four and we all had a coffee while I showed Mum how the Wii worked and we created an Avitar for her. Fanny had spent the morning wondering what on earth to wear as she rightly said, my mother always looks so glamourous. To that end I was running around the flat deciding what to wear too. Settled on suit slacks, polo short and a cashmere jumper from Banana Republic.

I asked mum if she had any idea what we were doing, but despite the fact I had bought the tickets n the summer, she said No, maybe a West End Show. When I told her we had tickets to see Barry Manilow she was delighted. I was sure she liked him, but turns out she has been to see a few shows of his before.

We drove to the 02 for 5:00 and then found a restaurant for dinner. The pre show, Bobby Davro, started at 8:00, then Barry Followed.

I think I was one of the youngest in the audience but he put on such a great show, dare I say it was as enjoyable as Madonna's sweet and sticky tour. I didnt know all of the songs he sang, but there are so many I did.... I write the songs, Could it be magic, Cant Smile without you. Everyone was singing along then when you could hear the Bongo drumbs kick off Copa Cobana not a single person, mother included was not standing and singing along as his backing singers marched out fully clad in colourful Brazillian outfits.

Had a really lovely evening and Mother said what a great show it was. Fanny and mother were able to nip in the car through the Blackwall Tunnel and I jumped on the tube one stop and then took the DLR home. What a difference from Wembley. I was in the flat less than half an hour after the show finished and had a chance to see one of the greatest song writers of all time. Oh and I nearly forgot, joint on stage for a song in the middle was the one and only Lulu.

Ouch

Okay, I was not quite sure which part of my body was aching the most. Spinning had left my bum raw hide and the body stretch had me aching in places I didnt know I could ache. Laura was our Personal Trainer throughout the whole event and God bless her she really did take us through the paces. Our very own Mr Motivator. It was a fun fun fun team building exercise that actually was good for our bodies too. A huge thank you to Ian & Marcus for organising.

What a lovely team we have. A little bit of work Utopia. Bless. Sweet dreams! X

Team Spin

I wish I knew why it was that I can go to bed, exhausted at 1130PM and wake up bright and alert at 3:00AM. I lay there for 2 hours unable to get back to sleep till 5:00 then am due up at 5:45. Even a glass of milk didnt send me back off. Have the feeling it will be a long day today.

Tonight we have a departmental workout at a gym near the office. Everyone is doing a Spinning Class followed by a body scultp. Not done spinning in forever so not quite sure how well I will do. As for making it to a second class after spinning, I was always more a first class person really. We will see. May be nice to sit in the steam room for a bit while the others finish their second class. Then we are off to a members club in Soho with my director for drinks and canapes. Should be fun so watch this space!

Its all about the airport.

I was always told that you should consider the journey as part of the holiday therefore I chose to fly from London City. Rather than have the havoc of getting to LHR or LGW why not fly LCY? Its on the DLR afterall. Last year we landed and 2.5 hours later we were at London bridge. This year we flew from London City Airport, Fabulous. No queues, no people, no nothing. Really, it was like that. We checked in immediately. No wait and went through security. Bought a glass of wine each and had to think, we normally would be paying money now to access a VIP lounge. At London City, no need. The whole airport is VIP. No queue at check in, none in the lounge and deffinitely none at the gate.

We boarded the plan and had to confess the clientelle were clearly more classy than when we have flown on say an Orange airline.

The Plane, surprisingly, was a Jet propelled. I wasnt sure if it would still have blades. We enterered the lounge area and sat for 1 minute before they started boarding. How first class. We could board our small plane at the front or the rear. Thus speeding boarding. The staff were superb. It has to be said, you can tell the difference.

By the time we were airbourne they were offering us a choice of sandwich (all free by the way) then a free bar service. Marvelous. A glass of red for me please. We landed not 45 minutes from take off and were in the Dam.

Amsterdam was its usual wonderful self. You cant help but love the people, but with the pound so weak we really noticed a price difference. Suddenly a Euro wasnt seen as different from the Pound, Suddenly the Euro was almost as strong as the Pound. Every meal was $50 and thats £45 give or take.

We had a night out at the Cockring on Saturday and spent the rest of the time enjoying the city and its bars.

Flying home today again, its all about the airport. Schipol is big enought that we have a choice of VIP Lounges. We relaxed in the lounge and just had a drink or too. Before we knew it it was time to board so we made our way to the gate. Unlike when we flew orange, we had our own private security screening at the gate. Quite marvelous. As Emily would say , Its What Posh people do! From the lounge to our private gate security. Marvelous, as Helen would say. So from the gate we boarded, all what 18 of us, then it was service on board, we had a fab time.

We landed at 4PM and were in the flat by 5PM. Now thats a connection. You cant beat that. We had to fill out Dusan's landing papers and before you knew it we were last in the line. Not a problem with only 18 or so of us on the plane.

We had a great time albeit that Dusan cut his foot. Always end ups in A&E God Bless.

Home safe and sound. Much love for now. Neil & Dusan xx