Stupid ignorant surveys

I'm pissed off.

I have had to fill in some forms tonight. For a place in Ulster. I am seriously pissed off at the pig ignorant questions for the HR side.

These included:
Religion - where they listed a number of god-bothering twats, then had none, and other.
Now, religion is a choice. Therefore the null position is always nothing, but not 'none', anything else is the alternative hypothesis (it's kinda similar to smoking, we're all non-smokers until we start).
so I'm going to guess that the correct response is other and something else - however you define the null hypothesis.

the next question had sexual orientation, which had 'decline to answer' as an option. now surely sexual orientation is genetically determined (or at least influenced), so why does that have decline to answer - and the god *choice* doesn't?

ignorance.

and stupidity.

I may have pointed this out on the survey feedback.

Six months in a crowded isle

It’s been over six months since I arrived in the UK with only a vague idea of where Loughborough was, and most of my gear on a boat. Showing surprising foresight I’d booked a weeks hotel accommodation in what turned out to be the delightful village of Quorn. All of which was a good start, which went downhill when we found Loughborough. Oh dear. Not the nicest of towns, and on our first visit, full of teenage mothers and old people. This hasn’t changed. But I’ll get back to Loughborough later.

Found a very nice flat in a converted mill, we’re on the top floor and thanks to basic thermodynamics, it’s very warm, and with my gear arriving, it began to feel far more like a home. I helped this with my purchase of a mid-range of tv/stereo system - something I’d been promising myself for years but had never got around to getting. The irony being I play LPs through it, and am looking at 8 track units. Oops I’ve digressed. But since I’m on music, I’m thrilled at how cheap music has become here. It’s the same price for an iTunes album as it is for a physical release (cf NZ where it’s much cheaper on itunes), therefore my intention of downsizing the CD collection has taken a knocking. The other great great thing about the UK is that books are cheap, apparently there’s no VAT on them here. What a bloody good idea. And they keep offering 3 for 2 deals, which means I’ve been trying stuff I might not usually give a go.

As I said, we’ve an apartment in Shepshed, which is lovely, very warm and airy. My whisky, CDs, DVDs and vinyls make for a nice lounge area, all set off with the large red leather couch. So yes, very pleased with this place, and although pricy by Loughborough standards, it’s quite reasonable. Shopping in LB isn’t the best, good quality groceries are difficult to find. Fresh maybe best, but it’s not necessarily best for LB. Leicester has decent food stalls, so we’ve popped down there for veges/fruit occasionally. But also look at the trip to London (between 16-20 quid return) and the Borough Market, and it looks tempting. Pop in an art gallery and I’m sold. I think it’s fair to say I don’t like LB, and Shepshed even less. It’s insular, has crap food, is narrow-minded, the LB movie theatre only shows mindless Hollywood crap, and the CD shop is one of the highly generic small HMVs. There’s also no decent clothes shops, thank god for the internet.
Most of the advertising for LB does mention its proximity to other places (Leicester, Nottingham, London etc.), which is certainly a plus. The few times I’ve been to Nottingham, I’ve enjoyed it. Leicester is bit more meh, but the food market is good. And I do like London.

Moving here has been helped by having a bunch of people to impose on. Most of them seem to be based around gigs and booze, which is fine by me. I may not be going to as many gigs as I was in Wellington (well any excuse to hit Bodega and SanFran BH), but since being here I’ve seen: Summer’s End Festival (incl. Steve Hackett, Pallas and Pendragon - crickey), Marillion, Tragically Hip, Pineapple Thief (twice), Oceansize, Doves, The Enid, Mark Lanegan, Anathema and I’ve got The National later in the year. Given that was one reason why I moved, it’s working out very well. I’m also intending to hit some opera soon, as it’s been awhile since I heard any.
The beer is ‘quite good’ too. This is one area where LB does shine, the Swan in the Rushes (our local for Fri lunches at work) is rated number 3 by Camra and has a fantastic number of real ales on tap. Ahhh bliss.
I’m liking the cheese too. The best place is still Neal’s cheese yard in the Borough Market, but LB has a good cheese shop - picked up a lovely St Agur blue there the other day.
Coffee was a major worry, as it's drunk over here, but not made with passion. I wasn't panicking as Monmouth Coffee Company could supply my needs, but since then I've switched allegiance to an Edinburgh roaster. He's a Kiwi who moved over, runs whisky and coffee tastings, and gets my vote. His shop supplies a rather good tea/coffee store, and his roasting company website is here.

The other reason I moved over, Sharla, worked out well. Yeah so I might be going for understatement there.

The job, oh yeah, another reason to move. It’s good, at times I get frustrated by the moribund culture, but I’m learning to work around that, or just plough straight through. As my role was a new position there’s been a certain amount of blindly stumbling to find out what I’m supposed to be doing. Having spent a few years doing that in science already, that just made me feel comfortable. So yes, overall I’m enjoying the job - my minions, which I’m pleased I got to help pick, are absolutely superb. And I’m saying that knowing at least one of them reads this... We’re currently redesigning the labs and moving my lot down to the bottom floor to increase visibility and give the students a better ‘learning space’, which is interesting and has certainly helped me focus where I see my career wandering next.
Speaking of which, I occasionally get asked about the science thing. I cannot get over how relaxed I am now I’m not working in science anymore. I miss aspects of it, and unlike most people, I’m still passionate about my PhD topic. I’d love to be working in it, but it’s not going to happen, there’s no money and I’m sick of begging for money every six months.  So yes, I’m pleased to be out. I’m feeling much better about things - and after the significant break, I’ve worked up enthusiasm to finish some papers. One has been submitted, and the other I’m tidying up a GenBank submission for. That’s probably it for the PhD papers, aside from a review of reptile molecular evolution, although I’m not sure I want to go there.

Although tidying up the papers has emphasised I still like writing. The blog is nice, but it’s not structured and I don’t do much editing on the posts (as I’m sure you’re *well* aware), and so I think I’m in the mood to do some writing and see where it goes. I don’t think I’ve got a novel in me, but we’ll see what happens.

I think a lot of this has come about from the levels of exercise I’m currently doing. I walk to and from work each day (weather permitting), which is an hour each way. And I’m doing a bit more exercise in the evenings, I’m finding if I don’t do this, I’m getting very antsy and grumpy. Odd. Very odd. I’ve started swimming again too, and have just got a bike. Don’t panic, it’s not affecting my love of beer.

The ability to get places quickly, and cheaply, is a major plus. This week I was down in London for a gig and the Sevens, and on Wednesday I’m over in Germany for a few days of beer drinking, and some art galleries (hopefully). I like German beer, although I’d rate the UK andBelgium over it for places I’d go to for beer, but a bierfest seems a good plan to me.
I’m missing decent rugby, the 6 nations was crap, low skill levels and slow recycling of ball. But most games I want to watch are available online (if you know where to look) so I’m coping. Currently I have the England v Mexico game on, well it’s going to kick off soon, and I’ll try to sit through a bit of it. Not hopeful of a full game, but we shall see.

Overall, I like it over here. Obviously we won’t talk about the service industry. But the opportunities for most of my interests are almost limitless here, and for that reason alone I don’t think I’ll be heading back any time soon.

Civic duty

I voted this morning so that I can complain with the best of british about the countries leadership. It's been interesting hearing about the trials of a 'hung' parliament, having lived under proportional representation for long enough I have no clear idea why you'd want FPP anyway. The biggest problem with FPP is that it does lead, naturally, to a two party system. And to be honest, I like the concept of having the Green's sitting around.

But the highlight, for me and the office, has been the BNPs suggestion to remove foreigners and other non-white Brits by kicking them out with a 50,000 pound bonus. Awesome.

The BNP is not known for its intelligence, or looks, and so haven't considered how other countries would feel with a bunch of new immigrants - or how they'd respond to the Brits already working in their countries.

Fun times.

I have no beer at home, which I may fix later, otherwise I'll be sipping a coffee and watching the Brooker/Mitchell/Carr take on the election in lieu of music night.

Having a rather pissy day at work. I haven't hit anyone, but I've considered it. A lot.

Me

Voting for Britain

As I dare say everyone is aware, it's election time in the UK. Thankfully the entire process takes a month, from when Gordy rang Lizzie and popped up for a cuppa (Lizzie was away and had to come back, spoiling her break somewhat).
I'd like to say at that point, all hell broke loose. But in British fashion, it didn't. It's been quite civil and understated, with the big excitement being the leaders debates live on TV. TV coverage, at least on the news, has been the blanket approach. Initially focussing on Labour and the Tories, but with Nick Clegg's good showing in the first leaders debate, it appeared to newspapers that the LibDem's were created roughly two weeks before the election, but are now a contender.
From my perspective, all Nick said was "I'm not them, look I'm different", queue hordes of screaming nickettes. He's been quite vague on policy, or how he's paying for policy he has announced. But as he keeps pointing out, he's not Gordy or Dave.

Actually it's quite interesting sitting here in a FPP system, and watching them grapple with the fact that winning the vote, doesn't lead to winning the most seats in parliament. Normally this isn't a huge issue, but with the resurgence of the LibDem's, the likelihood of a hung parliament has increased. And most polls are picking one. For my money, I'm not so sure. I'm basing this on very little outside of office conversations and web reading, but suspect the LibDem's are not going to get as many votes as the polls indicate. Conservatism tends to come back in on voting day, if following NZ elections is a guide for UK ones. I'd be interested in seeing some proportional representation here.

The highlight has been the comedy shows. HIGNFY, Friday Night comedy (radio 4), etc have been having a field day with the campaign. I see Rory Bremner has a few shows on from Sunday, and Channel 4 will have Jimmy Carr (meh), David Mitchell, and Charlie Brooker hosting an alternative election night special. That sounds good to me.

Living in a BNP stronghold, I've had a number of pamphlets through the door. All credit to them for at least getting the message out, but possibly their money would be better spent on hiring a decent graphic designer. They continue to link Nick Griffin with Winston Churchill, well both were fat. The family on the flyer were, in the words of an officemate, 'mouth breathers', and two of the family were cross eyed. All in all, a decent reflection of the core constituency of the BNP.

Most of the majors have at least dumped crap through the door, so people are out (or subcontracting to mail deliveries) campaigning. Obviously I'm never home during the day so have no idea what door knocking has been done.

Gordon's gaffe was the headline yesterday. Although given the preponderance of people in this country who feel foreigners (usually Europeans) are taking all their jobs and using up resources, and don't stop to consider the number of brits doing the same overseas (for example, we had 5-10 of them in my department in my last role), I suspect I'd have said the same, if not stronger, as Gordon. It seemed to be the first open and honest thing I've heard all election, I liked it.

As in most elections, it's quite hard to actually find out the policies, although it's a bit more substance over style than some elections. There's been a focus from most of the parties to exclude negative campaigning, which in general has worked. Although I found the Tories posters saying 'I made XXX many people unemployed, let me do it again' and a picture of Gordon quite offensive.
There has also been a concerted effort to divide the nation over Europe. The Tories appear keen to fence the UK off, Labour has a 'I hope they play nice with us', and the LibDem's want to run into the EU fully. I'll leave you to work out where the BNP stand. All in all, reminds me of Peter Gabriel's Games Without Frontiers. Personally, I'm in favour of immigration, although with the current financial problems in Europe (Greece and Spain in particular) I do wonder if a stronger financial policy, as suggested by the Germans (by far the strongest economy in Europe) would be required.

The more I think about it, the more I don't think I'd be a very good politician. I used to keep quiet about stuff, but decided a few years ago it wasn't doing me any favours healthwise. Dealing with the half-wits that come out to political rallies would drive me fucking nuts.
Speaking of which, I still don't understand why news organisations feel the need to ask the person in the street for their snap opinion on something. I'd much rather have some indepth analysis rather than some coffin dodger claiming oohhh he shouldn't have said that, or oohhh he seems a nice young man.

So yeah, I'm over it, but it's also refreshing to have only 1 month of campaigning.

After that, here's some PG to cheer everyone up.


Me

Think I'll pass

Email from a well known UK food magazine advertising 'Eat the best of British on St Georges Day'. Accompanying photo of over-cooked chips, battered (and slightly collapsed) fish, and mushy peas.

I will give the magazine their due, there's no false advertising.

Fun times at work today - may blog about that over a well earned beer soon.

b

Ahhh British Summer Time

The UK has just moved to Summer Time (for those of you in NZ, we're now 12 hours behind).

This coincides with a weather forecast for snow.

B

It has, you maybe aware, been snowing

This has caused much distress to the residents of this island. Coming as it did in winter, while it was cold. trains stopped (wrong type of snow apparently), cars stopped, buses took the ice route (bus tobogganing?), schools were closed (H and S), power went out (couldn't be fixed, H and S again).
All of which was amusing for those of us who thought the news reports we'd seen over the years were hyperbole. they weren't. The country really does go to hell at the hint of snow.

It appears my amusement isn't unique, as this link shows - from the principal  lecturer in English at De Montfort Uni. Wonderful stuff.

me

Things wot I have learned

My time here hasn't all been music and work, no sirree bob, I've like learnt stuff.
Here's part 1 of a probably occasional series on the Locals.

Beer teaches me things
While proggin' it down in the forest of dean, the beer at the venue was Freeminer. I just drank it and thought, odd name. Following a visit to the museum all was revealed. Once you'd done a year and a day underground in the Forest of Dean, you'd be granted the right to have a personal plot. I've even found it on wiki, and more importantly the FreeMiner brewery history. The website also explains why there are sheep all over the place roaming free-range, another 'right' of the foresters. Fascinating stuff! Oh and you should check out their range of beers, I might get some for the names alone...

Mi duck
Old people here say stuff and end with 'mi duck', or rather as it sounds 'me duck'. actually with the absence of teeth on many of them, it's hard to say WTF they are saying. I asked around the office and no-one knew why, they just said 'its what they say around here'. According to wiki, it's thought to derive from Anglo Saxon 'Duka' meaning My Duke.

I thought there was something else, but meh, it's gone now.

Love, B

The British Service Industry

This has been coming for some time. I need to rant. I need to rant about the British service industry. Or rather, I need to rant about how the British need a service industry.

I can't say I didn't expect problems, I'd been warned, and over the years I've experienced it. But, the problems keep coming and coming and coming…

Before the problems, there have been some highlights. Curry's delivered the washing machine the next day - and that was a bank holiday. Go them. I've been back and bought other things from them, and am likely to again based on that. HMV and Amazon have always been good, but then in many ways, they are significantly different being international and dependent (largely) on internet based business.

RicherSounds, wehre I got the TV and stereo were also great. Nice service, good equipment, and quick delivery. Result.

Banks: HSBC are cocks. Continually changing the position of the goal posts, we need this, we need that - I provide them, they want more. The concept of a postal address differing from the home address appears an anathema to them. So in the end I said I'd take my salary, told them what it was, and find somewhere that did want it.

Opened to Abbey with 'I'm very pissed off at the moment, having been given the run around at HSBC, are you going to do the same?'. Took 10 minutes to sort out an account.

Phone and Internet. Now this is where the anger is likely to explode. I ring Virgin and say I want cable as their website had spat the dummy at the credit history check. So we go through all of the steps over the phone, eventually finding that this place is too new. That warrants repeating, too new. Apparently Virgin cabled before this place was converted, and Virgin no-longer do cabling.

Now that I could almost accept. So I said fine, hook me up with a phone line (which I didn't want) and internet. So we go through the same stuff. Eventually they decide my credit rating is poor so they can't do it.

End of story.

I questioned this, pointing out quite reasonably that having not being in the country I couldn't really have a credit history, and surely if the bank and a tenancy agency (more about them later), were ok, surely a cheap internet company could cope too. No, there was no way they could do anything at all.

Fine. Next up was Sky. Went through the website, also crashed at the credit check, so I rang them (twice) and ended up with the same result (twice). Sorry can't do anything, at all, as you don't have a credit history.

Now, for those of you playing at home it's worth pointing out that there are only three companies here who can set up the phone (afaik), BT, Sky and Virgin. Although there are innumerable internet providers.

So although I didn't want to deal with BT, I didn't have a lot of options - so went through the internet options, and voila, failed that too. So rang them, got cut off. Rang back, went through questions, no I really don't want your TV package - well it doesn't show rugby, yes I know it shows classic rugby, but I really don't want that - credit check - failed. Sorry.

Oh for fucks sake.

Ring back the next day, get a different guy who, before we get to the credit check section, wants me to be ringing from the flat so they can tell what the phone number is. I point out that the reason I'm ringing is to get a phone line. The irony escapes him.

In an effort to be helpful (bear in mind, this is me - helpful is not an adjective I like), I wander down to our phone people at work, explain my problem - to much hilarity (as I also received in my office), but grabbed a phone from them. So I tried to ring BT, I could dial 8 of the 10 numbers (0800 800 150), but after the '1' it would cut to some annoying bitch saying 'i'm sorry this call cannot be connected, please check your number'. You're sorry? How the fuck do you think I feel !

So I ring them back today, I warned my officemates I'd be ringing BT and if I started going postal, to leave quickly. Bravely they hung around, I'd like to think it was for support, but suspect it was more for amusement.

I got someone else (ahhh call centres), who pushed through the credit check, said, nah seems ok, and set stuff up. Said he could trace the number and see the line was active, so that was ok - and that I should have a phone line by the 17th, and internet by the 22nd. I'm doubtful of both, but hope springs eternal.

The Lesson? Well apparently BT need to be convinced that you really want a phone line, that they aren't providing a service, rather they have something you need, and therefore you should be pathetically grateful if they deign to give it to you. I have no idea how the other companies survive.

Beds: I've already mentioned that one - two feckin' weeks to deliver a mattress? Figure they have a huge supply over easter, forgetting everyone who is anyone, sleeps on hay …

However it was delivered this morning, and it feels nice. Very nice. Certainly a huge improvement over the aired (or optimistically titled futon for grandiose designs, if blatant lies).

At least the bed base people said it would take six weeks, cos they are making it from scratch.

What else? Oh yeah tenancy, the letting agents were nice and friendly, although hardly efficient. Just received the inventory today or fittings and noted damage to the flat, two weeks after moving in. Must check that tomorrow night. They subcontract out their credit check. I filled in the app and specifically noted in the section titled 'special notes', please bear in mind the time difference if you are ringing NZ. They didn't. I've put a complaint in about that, but doubt I'll hear anything back.

Power: letting agents did ring through the initial readings, which I've just found out from the inventory they've finally sent. Had a good chat to a guy over doing readings for someone else - he was swearing about his companies inability to get things done. Funny times.

Having said that, it was reasonably easy to set up over the phone and internet, so we'll see how that goes. It's bound to end badly…

Water: I posted something off to them last week, haven't heard back. Don't care much. Got too many other idiots to deal with.

I did have a lovely dinner (spinach, feta, olive pies) washed down by some Old Speckled Hen, and listening to Queen doing blues, while lying on a nice new mattress.

More later me thinks...

Returning some days later. The phone wasn't connected, although I'd presumed it was, and the internet therefore is not well. Daily phone calls have occurred which have meant I have identified the main phone plug in the house (weirdly in the spare bedroom), and undone the face plate to try the test socket. Still nothing. I appear to have reached resigned, and given up hope that phone or internet will ever reach here. Tomorrow mornings phone call will update BT on my continuing 'fault', and I think I'll try to contact their Service Manager. That could be funny. As I'm well aware I can parrot the same lines he will, and therefore should be able to cut him off in mid-flow. That's likely to cheer me up.

In the end I couldn’t get thru to their SM, I suspect they don’t have one. I got a technician out, who arrived a day early said it was fixed and closed the call. So I went home all excited to find no internet and no phone. Rang back, tech came out again, same result.

Rang BT again and said I want the tech to ring my door bell so I can show him how he hasn’t fixed the problem. He came out said oh it’s a ghost line (which ironically I’d mentioned in my earlier conversations with their answer desk), and fixed it within 20 mins.

So now I have internet. And a phone.

Orange: we seem to have sorted out our respective differences involving internet settings and charging based on free sites. Their network settings on the website are wrong – which they admitted – and I’ve had a refund.

I suspect the next blog will be shorter, and hopefully more positive.

Week 4 : in which papercuts begin

Week 4

More of the same really. Temperature seems to be becoming more sensible, which is good for the walk in and home.

Finished the CVs while coming back from London, gave 25 of them to my boss and some one else to whittle down to 10 for interviews. Spent the rest of the week continuing to organise the first years IT requirements for next week - and it's now reached yikes levels.

To the point where I'll be heading in tomorrow (Sunday) to do some more work and printing out pamphlets. Oh well, I get to listen to Craig's radio show since I have internet at work. *pout* It's looking like internet will arrive here (home) on Tuesday, and I now have a phone. FFS glaciers move faster.

But more on that later.

Their enrolment system is a bit archaic, it used to be cutting edge, however the ravages of time have blunted that, and in a fit of desperation the ServiceDesk manager and I decided that F-it, we will manually print out all the 1st years usernames/passwords and put them in sealed envelopes. Everyone else we'd approached to get this scripted said they were too busy.

So as overpaid envelope stuffers me, the SD manager, the SD and the telephonists dug in and got it done in 3 days. Result!

And I was interviewing all Friday, thankfully there were some great candidates there, so I should have quite a good team of minions next week. Cutting it a bit fine? um yeah, you might be right…

Have vaguely planned training for Monday, my boss is to speak first, I've given him 45 mins, figuring the way he goes on it'll take 90 mins. The rest of the speakers when I mentioned that to them all pissed themselves and said 'didn't take you long to figure that one out'.

And then *they* arrive. From Tuesday my minions are out in the halls handing out network cables, pamphlets and generally looking friendly.

Oh and my other major project, a PC clinic for all students, starts on Wednesday. We haven't actually signed a contract with the (probable) winner tender. But that's due to finance and risk management. And other words that strike fear into the hearts of active go getters.

But I had a chat to the head of the finance people, along with the deputy director of IT (my bosses boss), and we all like the local company we want to award the contract to, so here's hoping.

So yeah, next week is likely to be a bleeding' nightmare. I'm slowly stocking up on whisky, beer and cheese to survive it. Damn I need a stereo…I miss my sounds!!!

Love, B

Week 3 : another witty title

Week 3

I'll be the first to admit that the titles of these updates are lacking a little. I shall endeavour to work on that.

This was the first full week of work. Never a pleasant experience, but all going well. It's interesting and as no-one really knows what my job is, I'm getting to define it. Or have others define what they think it is, and see how that fits with my view. 

The main focus is the start of term in a fortnight, which I have to co-ordinate the IT support into their halls of residence. There's accommodation on campus for about 5000 students, so there's a smidgeon of work to be done there.

I need to co-ordinate network cables, booklets describing the services IT provide, and instructions on how to connect to the HallNet LAN. So I've been proofing those and ordering eco-bags to put them all in.

Yeah eco-bags - here's a place I don't have to fight to get green computing. They have a system which tells you off for having the computer on for more than 12 hours - and a power nazi. Great stuff !!!

Spoke briefly to the gathered hall wardens on Wednesday, which apparently was a first. One of them had mentioned the meeting, so I invited myself to it and said I'd take 5 minutes max, so could I speak first… heh charm offensive, it's not just Oceansize (oohhh music reference there!).

Thurs was spent dealing with proofs, and Friday and some hours over the weekend reading CVs for my minions. I've ended up on the interviewing panel too, which is good. The minions are for my second major project, setting up a student laptop clinic in conjunction with an external contractor. We had a meeting with the leading tender - a local company as the Uni prefers to support local. Yup I'm liking this place. Also got some men to move furniture for me in the room we're setting up for the clinic…so that's all sorted now and PCs appeared in it today. I've got to have a think about what networking I need now. 

So yeah, good productive week. S turned up on Friday and I promptly ran off to London on Saturday :D more on the London trip somewhere else.

Spending the evening (Monday) reading and listening to music after wandering back from the supermarket with groceries, which is a bit of an amble. If it's 45 to uni, it's 60min to the supermarket. My legs are a bit sore.

Currently listening to the most under-rated of the Pet Shop Boys albums, Nightlife.

Love,B

Week 1

One week in the green and pleasant land...

Firstly, apologies for the lack of emails etc over the last week, it's been hectic and internet access has been patchy. So here's a long-ish summary of what we've been up to.

flight over was good, excellent food, comfortable chairs, slept a fair amount, did some shopping (booze, cigars, after shave). Had some nice port and blue cheese...

Arrived last Sat and breezed through customs, apparently 2pm on a Sat is quiet time in Heathrow terminal 1. And it's still horribly scungy and involves lots of walking everywhere. Met S and headed to the tube where I discovered my Oyster had about 10 quid left on it so we rocked down and caught the train into Kings Cross/St Pancras (I'm throwing all the names in, not for any trainspottery reasons, but for those of you playing at home can follow along....), where we caught a train to Loughborough.

I was, by this time, rather fragrant. A quick stop in the trains WC led to a superman like clothing change (well t-shirt anyway), and a deep and meaningful exploration of deoderant and aftershave. Huzzah.

Loughborough is, depending on the train one catches, between 80-110 minutes from London. This was the 80 minute version. Caught a taxi to the hotel in Quorn. A lovely wee village about 4 miles out of Loughborough city. After showering and getting changed, I found a pub. With good beer. And the Ashes on. Great start to the week.

Speaking of the Ashes, OMG how much feckin coverage do you need? anyone would think this was the best English team ever (it's not), and that the Aussies were a superb team (they ain't). It went on for days...

Sunday, not much to report, mooched around, went for a walk, relaxed. Found beer.

Monday, headed into Lougborough. This was an experience, and not necessarily a good one. In retrospect it appears Monday may be benefit day, the bus was full of the aged and infirm. Nearest point of comparison would be League of Gentlemen or Village of the Damned. Not pleasant.

Since Monday I've changed my mind, the city is far more city of the teenage mother. Everywhere. Judging by their appearance, this place has a drink problem.

As I was suffering coffee withdrawl by this point, we wandered around but could only find (insert appropriate bad words here), Costa's. Having been scared at that concept, I should say their double-espresso was ok. Not great, but quite drinkable. Wandered around estate agents and made appointments to see places on Tues and Wednesday.

For those of you who pointed out that Loughborough, size-wise, was similar to Palmerston North and then laughed - yeah it is, even feels like it. I'm consoling myself that L'b has better beer, and is near London. Coffee/brunch-wise, we've found nothing. I have a plunger now, but it's not good. I'll be looking at getting beans sent up from Monmouth I think. Will look into that soonish, next time I'm in london, or on the web. Whichever comes first.

Drank more beer.

Tuesday found us wandering around flats. Yawn. Saw four in the morning. First was a moderately dire flat in the student area. Scratch that one. Second looked like owners grandmother had died there and they'd let it out as is. Very very ugly wallpaper, carpet, decorations. Cut that one. Third was nicer, and a strong possibility. Fourth had a lovely wooden floor but absolutely crap access. Scratch that one.

Afternoon saw us in Shepshed (hopefully I've put in links here), which is above loughborough (Quorn is below it). One of the places was a converted 19th C. mill - into apartments, really nice airy, clean, dry, warm. And the other was a lovely 17th C cottage which had been nicely renovated. Not a lot of room in the lounge for movies, but awesome kitchen. Filled in application for form the mill one - and to pre-empt the story, have moved in. Moved in seems a bit of a misnomer, given all of my stuff is on a boat. But meh.

Beer to celebrate.

Wednesday: wandering around looking for essentials (bed, frypan, saucepan, some crockery...). Drank beer, cos it was there.

Thursday: headed down to Leicester to continue the shopping expeditions, nothing very exciting down there either. But they do at least have a CD shop. L'b seems to be lacking one. Oh well, online ordering for me then.

Got decidedly pissed off with the British service industry. it appears even I may be more service orientated than them. No really. It's shocking. I stormed out of a bed shop when they said it would take 10-12 days to get it, tried another one and got the same story. I mean WTF? It's a feckin' bed, it's hardly going to be a surprise for a country of 61 million that people will need a bed ! FFS.

Then opening a bank account, HSBC wanted types of ID, yeah ok, then a copy of bill with my physical address. They didn't seem to be able to cope with with "but i never used the physical address, all bills which weren't online went to the pobox". got pissy with them too. I ended with "Well I'll take my salary, XXXXX pounds, and find someone else who wants it". Went to the next bank down the road, told them I was in a grumpy mood thanks to HSBC but that I'd like to open an account. Ten minutes later, all done. Admittedly I can't get a credit card for three months. Oh well.

Drank beer to cheer up.

Friday: sorted out a phone number. It may change unless this one can get internet...looking into that soonish. signed various bits of paper, spent money on bed sheets n pillows. Woohoo, party on. Came down with a cold. Choice. Had good food at the Quorndon Fox, and beer. Drank whisky to clear throat.

Saturday: moved into flat. Stinking headcold. Bought frypan, saucepan, coffee plunger and a shedload of stuff for groceries. For those of you playing at home, go forth and convert UKP 180 ... that does include the s'pan and coffee plunger and stuff tho'. Not sure if I drank beer, suspect I did.

Sunday: threw S onto the train, tidied up papers and stuff in the flat and decided to organise emails to people. And a blog. Had a beer over lunch. Am thinking about cooking dinner soon (it's 7pm) but not hungry. There is beer in the fridge too.