1609.08 HAPPY 50th ANNIVERSARY STAR TREK

If you didn't know already I'm a big Star Trek fan (even my blog posts are proceeded with a stardate). On this day fifty years ago the Original Series episode "Man Trap" was first broadcast in America, the first episode ever broadcast.

Star Trek is one of those shows that has always been in my life. The show was not shown in the UK until 1969 and ran through my birth to the end of 1971. It was subsequently rerun throughout the 70s and 80s. Throughout all of my life there has never been a time that Star Trek hasn't been on.

As a child I played with a toy Starship Enterprise and dreamed that I was Captain Kirk. I read the books and comics, magazines and fan fiction. My nickname at school was Captain Kirt - something I would keep for my online presence.

Then when I was 16 The Next Generation came on and new episodes just kept on coming. Deep Space 9, Voyager, Enterprise plus the movies. When I was 21 my parents had a Star Trek ring custom made. I still wear it today, it's commented on by strangers regularly. When I got to 30 I had my 'moment of madness'  and had the symbol of the Klingon Empire tattooed to my arm (I'm immensely proud if it).

How I wear my fan devotion 

I've been privileged to meet many of the cast over the years (and collect their autographs) including William Shatner and the late Leonard Nimoy.

My encounters with some of the actors of Star Trek 

Today there is barely a week that passes where I don't watch some iteration. My ringtone is the theme to 'The Motion Picture' and my dressing gown is a Captain Kirk one.

What I'm trying to say is that Star Trek has always been part of my life and whilst it doesn't define me, it's very important to me. Since its Star Trek's 50th birthday I'd like to say a massive thank you to all those who fed a little boy's imagination and continued to entertain him into middle age. 

Live long and prosper.

1609.05 A GOOD DAY

I can safely say that Sunday was a good day.

I've been disappointed by my cycling this year so I was kind of apprehensive about going on a hilly club ride. I almost went on the novice ride because of my lack of confidence in my ability. I might have done that if I didn't have a particularly hilly sportif coming up in a couple of weeks and I needed the training. I'm glad I went along, I was a bit slow on the climbs but there wasn't anything I couldn't manage. In fact I loved it, I've missed this type of ride.

Me with the lads up on Green Moor

I got back home just after lunch time and suggested that we go out for food. Morticia and Rags were up for the idea so we drove out (after I'd showered and changed) to Bakewell and enjoyed a pub meal in the Red Lion. Afterwards we were treated to an aerobatic display by the Red Arrows (who were actually performing for the nearby Chatsworth Country Fair).

Red Arrows in formation 

After feeding the ducks and the fish in the river we left Bakewell. On the way home we dropped into the Strines Inn, a 16th century establishment (the building actually dates back to the 13th century) where Morticia used to work many years ago. It's also haunted.

Image: http://thestrinesinn.webs.com

Morticia got chatting to the barman and mentioned the ghostly goings on when she used to work there. He was very interested in her take on the building and they shared stories as I just listened in. Rags was taking in all the curios and pictures on the walls. By this time (it wasn't particularly late but it had gone dark) the pub was empty except for us and the barman offered a tour of the upstairs rooms (it is after all an inn in every sense). I declined and let them go off. It was then I realised I was alone in the bar of a haunted building!

Inside the Strines Inn

We came away having had a great afternoon out, for me the whole day was great.

1609.03 NOT MY CUP OF TEA

I've had this post on a back burner since March, it was initially about my dislike of coffee but then I read a post from Mili Wifey about all the things she hates that everyone else seems to love (see the original post here) and it got me thinking...

Here goes...

Since the post was originally about coffee then let's start there.

Coffee

I HATE coffee. The smell, the taste and the rise of the 'coffee shop'. I'm a tea person, I like nothing better than a cuppa. I blame the rise of the coffee shop for the drop in tea quality and rise in price of the humble brew. All of which links into my next item...

Posh/Flavoured Tea

I love a cuppa. No fuss, no frills, a mug of tea with milk and a sweetener (instead of sugar) - not too weak, in fact a cup of builders is perfect. I don't like green, camomile, peppermint or any other version of the popular infusion.

Lager

 There are a couple of the continental beers I can put up with but I just can't fathom the obsession with flavourless brews (Budweiser and Carling I'm looking at you).

Shots

What is it with these mini drinks that generally make the drinker recoil and shudder after drinking. No thanks.

Harry Potter

I've never read the books or seen any of the movies (although I have been on the studio tour). Not really interested if I'm honest. Same goes with...

Lord of the Rings / Hobbit

Everyone says that since I like science fiction I must therefore like these. Really? This isn't the same at all.

Game of Thrones

Just never have...

Football

For the international reader of course I mean Association Football. I just don't like it. It's a general assumption that all males know about football and can converse about it. I can't. I don't know anything about it, it's just not my thing.

And here's the big revelation. The one that gets me more funny looks and odd comments than any other...

Cheese

Ok, ok, I just don't like it. Please don't hate me it's just not something I've ever liked. Of course this means I don't like pizza either. It means I usually have to ask for a special order for a burger.

So there you have it. Of course this list isn't exhaustive and I may follow up one day with more stuff that's not my cup of tea.

1609.01 DOCTOR WHAT?

As I mentioned in my holiday post I managed to get myself an ear infection whilst swimming in the sea during my stay in Wales this year. The discomfort soon went away after a few days but I'd been left with a reduction in my hearing in my right ear.

It was starting to clear up but it got to a point it just wasn't getting any better. I thought I'd better go and see my doctor. Getting an appointment can be difficult, you have to ring at 8:30am and try and get through to the receptionist before she hands out all the appointments to the local hypochondriacs. I managed to get through and got an appointment that was before I had to go to work.

I don't visit the doctor often, something Dr Patel mentioned as he scanned my notes on his computer. He had a look in my ears with the thingy for looking down people's ear holes. Nothing to worry about, the infection had cleared up and left a load of wax behind so I'd need to get an appointment with the ear clinic to get them syringed.

While I was seeing the doctor he noted that because I was over 40 I should had had an 'over 40s check up'. I reluctantly agreed to this.

So I get my ears syringed in 12 days (earliest appointment they had) and I get my full health check just 2 days before I'm supposed to be cycling up Holme Moss. Until then I'll just have to put up with not being able to hear properly, at least it's only temporary. 

1608.29 THE LAST DAY

Today is Summer Bank Holiday and is also my last day off after my 2 weeks off. Tomorrow afternoon I go back to work.

It's been a great couple of weeks with the first one spent in my favourite place on the planet and the second one spent relaxing with my family at home. I've pretty much eaten and drank what I wanted but all that ends today.

Yesterday I got back on the bike (at least I got on the turbo trainer) and began my lifestyle of watching my food intake and exercise stats. Still found time for a beer or two in the evening though.

I've started hearing the rumblings of Christmas spoken on social media already. I'll save my thoughts on that for another day.

1608.26 ARE WE GOING TO SCARBOROUGH FAIR...?

We did, yesterday...

Scarborough is approximately 2 hours drive away so an early start was called for. Having a teenage daughter means that early starts aren't always achieved. Not a problem getting her out of bed (like her older sister), it was a getting the right outfit and makeup right. We were 45 minutes late setting off.

Before we set off we checked the weather with this guy... 

He said it was going to be overcast and warm in the afternoon (with some showers in the morning). This is Owain Wyn Evans, the camp Welshman who presents Yorkshire weather on the BBC.

The drive northeast was uneventful and we arrived at Scarborough Fair without incident. 

Scarborough Fair is a collection of vintage (mostly steam driven) fairground rides and Victorian attractions and well as a number of vintage vehicles. They are all housed in 2 large hanger style buildings located between Scarborough and Filey.

The price is a little expensive but we had a discount coupon (£3 off) and the proceeds go towards preserving the collection, the staff there are all volunteers. The great thing about the collection is that a number of the rides are available to ride on (for the price of a £1 token). We rode the Merry-go-round, Caterpillar, a Ghost Train and I had 2 goes on the Dodgems (they let you bump unlike the 'health and safety' obsessed Dodgems I've experienced recently).

We were there a few hours before heading into Scarborough. We walked along the front when the heavens opened. Hoping for a passing shower we ducked into an amusement arcade to wait it out.

It didn't stop. Well done Mr Evans, you were way off on this one. 

We decided to get some tea at one of the fish and chip restaurants that we (Morticia and me) visited last year.

The rain continued and as the visitors started to leave the shops began to close early. We waited for the traffic to subside before heading home ourselves.

1608.24 A VOICE FROM THE FUTURE

Last post about my holiday I promise (maybe not but I'll try).

We've been visiting New Quay (Cei Newydd) in Wales now for 12 years. This year we reminisced about something that happened on our first visit. We were only staying for a long weekend (it was some sort of special offer from a newspaper) and I remember how excited Morticia was at the prospect of seeing dolphins in the wild, it's something Cardigan Bay is famous for. We had a great weekend but by the last day (and after a boat trip) we still hadn't seen any dolphins.

Morticia still tells the story of how she was alone on the pier (I think I was in the cafe with the kids) looking whilst forlorn looking out to sea. At that point she was approached by an elderly couple who consoled her saying that they had been coming to New Quay every year for over 40 years and had never failed to see dolphins.

Sure enough just a short time later the dolphins appeared just off the pier. I've surmised that this elderly couple could very well have been us travelled back in time to advise the young Morticia.

So I might be needing a time machine in about 20-30 years. Any ideas where I might get one?

An impression of what might have actually happened

1608.22 GOLDRUSH - THE OLYMPICS

I'm not really a massive sports fan, especially if the sport involves a ball. I love the cycling (as most know) but that's about it. So what is it about the Olympics that gets me watching sports I wouldn't entertain normally?

Back in 2012 when London hosted I was lucky enough to be working when the Olympic torch came through Sheffield. I managed the crowds at 2 separate hand overs (over 2 days). For my trouble I was awarded this medal (as we're many thousands of others that worked over those games). I'm immensely proud of this medal and it counts as one of my more prized possessions.

My Olympic Medal

I've watched the Rio coverage every chance I've gotten. Even whilst being on holiday I've caught up with the action. I've been amazed at how well Team GB have done.

Highlights? Hard to say since there were so many. The cycling was amazing and we were world beating. The Mens Kerin final with 2 false starts before Jason Kenny took the gold was nail biting stuff. Laura Trott became the most successful UK female Olympian. Mo Farah's double gold in the 10000 & 5000 metres was great to watch as was Usain Bolt's triple success. Really there was so many highlights, the hockey, the tennis, the cartwheels on a mat. There were few sports I didn't watch (I didn't bother with the football or the horsey stuff).

Images copyright © Getty, Sky, BBC, Mirror, CNN, ABC

Then there's Team GB's success. 2nd on the medal table is insane! Look at us, we're a few rocks off mainland Europe with a population of approx 64 million. Compare that to the 319 million in the USA and 1357 million in China. I'm so proud of our athletes.

©BBC

In the cycling we beat the world.

©BBC 

I'm going to miss not having the Olympics to watch now, I have to say that the BBC coverage was amazing with 8 extra pop up channels dedicated to the summer of sport. And of course, being our public service broadcaster we got uninterrupted coverage without commercials. Thank you to them for bringing the whole event to my home.

©BBC

This was our most successful games and hopefully is inspiring the next generation. Reports of sports clubs filing with new members, children inspired to achieve are being reported across the country. 

Can't wait now for Tokyo 2020!

1608.21 Mae fy nghalon yw yno, nid yma

We certainly had the weather last week, it's been glorious (although if I holiday-ed for the weather Wales probably wouldn't be the ideal location) with sun all week.

The place was a lot quieter than in previous years with the Penwig Hotel (located next door to our cottage) closed by 23:00 just about every night. We're not night owls so it's not a massive deal.

There were also a few less places to eat this year but we found the Penrhiwllan Inn (we had visited back in 2012) was under new management and did excellent food.

Holiday montage. #newquaywales #CeiNewydd #Ceredigion #Wales #holiday #boats #family #mydream #bestplaceonearth

A photo posted by CaptainKirt™ (@captainkirt) on Aug 20, 2016 at 4:57pm PDT

The cottage we rent (same one as last year) was the perfect base, it probably wouldn't be to everyone's taste but it was comfortable, spacious and full of character. We penciled in a booking for next year whilst we were there.

I'm not a big drinker but I do like to try out local ales when I visit anywhere, this year I sampled these beers:

• Orme (Gt Orme Brewery) 
• Rev James (Original) 
• Rev James (Golden) 
• Brains Bitter
• Cwrw (Evan Evans) 
• Welsh Pale Ale (Evan Evans) 
• Moho (Mantle) 
• Welsh Gold (Gt Orme Brewery)
• Double Dragon (Felinfoel) 
• Ramnesia (Penlon)

One of the least wanted souvenirs I picked up this year was an ear infection that's meant I've had a little pain and a loss of hearing. Still, I haven't let it get me down.

We saw friends that we've made over the years, that was special. I realise that to us this is not a holiday, it's sampling a lifestyle that is our dream.

The journey home was long and the weather seemed to match our feelings.

What I fear the most is times like these will end one day. We almost lost them back in the mixed up years of 2013-14 but with hard work we got them back. I love this place with all my heart.

My goal, my dream is to live in this place (or near this place). Dreams do sometimes come true don't they?

1608.16 POSTCARD FROM CEI NEWYDD

Dear all, 

We arrived safely to beautiful bright sunshine. The cottage is just as we remembered it. It's great that people know us here and are so nice to us all. We had our Sunday dinner in the Wellington Inn as usual which was lovely. We've had great weather so far with Monday and Tuesday on the beach.

On Tuesday morning we went on a boat trip. The owner remembered us from our previous visits.

Today we're going to visit some friends who live nearby. Safe to say we are all having a wonderful time and as usual we never want to come home.

See you all soon.

Love CaptainKirt™ xx