Back in Harrogate

Just spent the last three days have a wonderful time with my family in Harrogate. Thought it was only good and proper to see them before Christmas, exchange presents, have a few drinks and catch up over our wedding plans. Had some e-mail pictures sent over to me but I can't put them on the blog becauase they're too big and I don't know how to shrink them. Anyway, it was great seeing them all and I'm looking forward to heading down next Wednesday as well, this time with Jen who wasn't able to take the time off.

Congratulatiosn to Simon and Pamela who have set a date for their wedding next year. Good luck to you both for the wedding plans, we're picking ours up after the new year as we still havn't finalised a guest list or, more importantly, a wedding present list.

"SCROOGED" QUOTE OF THE DAY...

"Cross: A thing they nail people to"

Christmas Party...

It's been a busy week, taken over completely by our UTV Christmas Party. What a night! Free beer and wine all night, preceeded by a ride in a pink limmo! The boss treated us to the ride after a hard year's graft, we were in it for 2 and a half hours along with a bottle of Cava EACH. The beer and wine flowed all night and me, Naz, Becky, Sophie and Nathalie (the last two work at Tower FM in Bolton) were the last ones to leave at about 4.30am. The morning after was alittle bit tough, we rode back to Peak in the pink limmo in a very subdued state, poor old David Ross still had a two hour show to do. We found him slumped over the studio desk 10 minutes before he was due to start. We took loads of pictures but I've not downloaded them yet, they will follow later!

We then had our Christmas Curry last night with Matt, Louise, Seb, Neil and Emma joining me and Jen at The Ashoka in Sheffield

They do the best currys money can buy, if you visit it you must try the Lamb Madrasi. After that it was on to The Devonshire Cat for more festive beers, back to ours for a bit of Father Ted.

Incidentally, Seb introduced me to the most addictive website I've ever encountered it's called http://www.qwyzzle.tk and is some kind of puzzle solving exercise, but not crosswords or anything like that (and even though the opening page looks like a porn site, just click on the link at the top of the page). Check it out and you'll be on it for hours!

"SCROOGED" QUOTE OF THE DAY...

"Terrorists lay siege to Santa's workshop.....and only Lee Majors can stop them!"

All a bit of a blur

After booking the honeymoon we felt it was our duty to mark the momentous occasion with an almighty piss up! The above photos were taken at The Museum, my first visit to what is a great pub and one I'll be visiting again. I was surprised at the number of pubs in Sheffield that now serve very good Real Ale, including the superb Devonshire Cat that's fast becoming the best pub on the planet. We went to one very unusual pub, I forget the name, but it cost just £2.88 for two pints and seemed to be stuck in the 80's. Got talking to an old man, very much a regular who waxed lyrical about how they don't make pubs like that any more and he was right. No music, just people talking, and the atmosphere was all the better for it. I think it'll be a while before I go there again but the bloke was genuinely friendly and even offered to buy us a pint, despite the fact he was obviously spending his pension. However, we had to move on as I had a very special drink waiting for me at home...

Hoegaarden!!! Is there a better beer in the world?

It was when we were sampling the delights of The Museum that we heard about the London Tornado. Am I the only one who thought it was a big fuss about not very much? Considering it happened on the same day it was confirmed that police were treating the death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko as murder, for me the fact that it was a bit windy in our capital was a little trivial. The news reports delighted in telling us that the hospitals were inundated with literally ONE serious injury and that as many as SEVERAL cars had been badly damaged! Clearly a much more serious matter than the murder of a former Russian national on our soil, more than likely by the Soviet Government that could well start another cold war. Southern wussies.

"SCROOGED" QUOTE OF THE DAY...

"All my life I've been listening to excuses about why people can't work. My back hurts, my legs ache....I'm only 4."

Just booked our honeymoon!!!

Wow!!! We've really pushed out on this one as we wanted total relaxation so have gone for a 5 star, all inclusive resort on the Riviera Maya in Mexico...We've booked a Casita, which is like a self contained hut rather than a room,with ocean view Jacuzzi, balcony with table for two and hammock. It even has an outside and private pool with swim up bar!!! We leave on Monday May the 21st, three days after the wedding and return 14 days later, hopefully with a nice tan and totally relaxed. Can't wait...

"SCROOGED" QUOTE OF THE DAY...

"Knowing your father he'll be out chasing beaver"

New single alert!!!

An excellent band from Chesterfield called 'Reminiscence' are releasing their first single tomorrow called "When I'm Dead", check out the poster here... http://www.reminiscence-music.com/CD%20Poster.pdf . I've got a bit of interest in them myself having done a little bit of PR work for them when they competed in the Derbyshire Times Band of the Year.

They've already got some pedigree, having performed with Bon Jovi, despite still being at school. The single can also be downloaded I'm told so get out there, tell all your friends about them and support the fellas, they've worked very hard and sound amazing, exciting times ahead!!! Good luck guys...

"Scrooged" quote of the day...

"That was just an innocent window and you saw what I did to that. You should know who you're dealing with here"

Christmas Shopping

Went to Meadow-hell today to get the rest of my christmas shopping done, god I hate it in there. As soon as you get inside you want to leave, especially at this time of year 'cos it's too hot and too full. Anyway, got most of what I wanted and only have a few more things to get which I can cover off on Friday (definitely NOT at Meadow-hell)

Run by the devil!

Very little else to say! I'm off work all week, Jen's off Thursday and Friday and we're planning on booking our honeymoon one of the two days. We fancy Mexico, an all inclusive relaxation-fest, and narrowed it down to 14. We've been reigioulsy checking each one on tripadvisor to narrow it down further to 4, we're checking the final two tonight. We want somewhere that's got plenty to do, with a decent (doesn't have to earth shattering because we'll be outside most of the tiem) room, pleny of scenery, lots of pools, a nice beach with good food and drink...not too much to ask is it?

"Scrooged" quote of the day...

"I'm sorry, I thought you were Richard Prior."

It's started

Time to check those bulbs and unpack the decorations, it's December already and the month where normally sane and rational people turn into complete lunatics

Nutters!

I have to admit to indulging in a sizeable dose of the christmas spirit, I used to spend hours decorating my bedroom with the contents of the Everything for a Pound shop in Harrogate. These dies, having mellowed and gained a slightly more cultured approach to christmas decorations from Jen, my main indulgance is christmas movies...I LOVE THEM!!! "Scrooged" is downstairs right now, ready after 11 months in hybernation to live again. "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation", "Santa Claus the Movie", "The Santa Clause", "Miracle on 34th Street", "It's A Wonderful Life", I even like "Jingle All the Way" (a bit)

Crap for 364 days of the year

Even better than that, I'm off for a whole week (I need it after Chesterfield's 4-4 draw against Chester in the JP Trophy quarter finals, it was quite an evening) so I will be able to immerse myself in all those movies I've planned to watch but not got round to. I Taped "Class of 1984" off the horror channel and "Nightwatch" off Film 4, they're first on the list.

SEASONAL "SCROOGED" QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Have you tried staples?"