Knights and castles...
Spent Saturday in Rochester at the Medieval Merriment day at the castle.
It wasn't too bad, a set of craft stalls with some vague medieval link and a bunch of recreationalists (is that was you call them) re-enacting life in medieval England. The focus being on the famous siege of Rochester in 1215 when the revolting barons took control of the castle from King John in the long dispute that lead to the Magna Carta and all that. Actually that siege has been recently portrayed in the very bloody film Ironclad, questionable historically etc. but based on the truth of the siege
Anyway a good day out in the sun.
Sunday I went to Ikea for the first time in my life. Another debate in the house due to my claiming my kids were dragging me into the middle classes - I will always consider myself working class as to me it about attitude and what you are for or against in the world they think it to do with job, wealth, salary etc. Anyway doesn't really matter. What a place! We went to Lakeside, a quick dawn raid over the Thames into Essex, we tried to be in and out in under a hour in case they rumbled the Medway boyz were in town ;-)
Luckily Son-of-Furtheron had check quantities and the exact location for picking up what we needed and we short cut through missing most of the showroom etc. Maybe one day I will go back and browse but it really is an odd place for someone like me - the fact you go into the warehouse to load up everything yourself is mighty odd. Anyway he has a new desk and desk light to assemble once back in Wales.
The girls (Mrs F and Daughter-of-Furtheron) are back to school tomorrow - so some gnashing of teeth after their 6 week break. I'm into the last couple of weeks at my current job and then off to new one in London. Many people are now leaving where I've been working (for those behind in my story, where I worked for 20 years until being made redundant last year but I've been back the last 6 months as a consultant). It is very sad virtually the whole site is closing soon, the coffee shops and restaurant are massively reducing. You walk about and where there were once 100s or 1000s now there are very few... the car park is already becoming weedy. Still very much time to look forward not backwards - still very sad though - used to be over 6,000 people working there soon only a few hundred and that is only guaranteed for a couple of years to complete some on going work that can't be transferred, unless a new buyer is found there'll be nothing there at all in 3 years.
It wasn't too bad, a set of craft stalls with some vague medieval link and a bunch of recreationalists (is that was you call them) re-enacting life in medieval England. The focus being on the famous siege of Rochester in 1215 when the revolting barons took control of the castle from King John in the long dispute that lead to the Magna Carta and all that. Actually that siege has been recently portrayed in the very bloody film Ironclad, questionable historically etc. but based on the truth of the siege
Anyway a good day out in the sun.
Sunday I went to Ikea for the first time in my life. Another debate in the house due to my claiming my kids were dragging me into the middle classes - I will always consider myself working class as to me it about attitude and what you are for or against in the world they think it to do with job, wealth, salary etc. Anyway doesn't really matter. What a place! We went to Lakeside, a quick dawn raid over the Thames into Essex, we tried to be in and out in under a hour in case they rumbled the Medway boyz were in town ;-)
Luckily Son-of-Furtheron had check quantities and the exact location for picking up what we needed and we short cut through missing most of the showroom etc. Maybe one day I will go back and browse but it really is an odd place for someone like me - the fact you go into the warehouse to load up everything yourself is mighty odd. Anyway he has a new desk and desk light to assemble once back in Wales.
The girls (Mrs F and Daughter-of-Furtheron) are back to school tomorrow - so some gnashing of teeth after their 6 week break. I'm into the last couple of weeks at my current job and then off to new one in London. Many people are now leaving where I've been working (for those behind in my story, where I worked for 20 years until being made redundant last year but I've been back the last 6 months as a consultant). It is very sad virtually the whole site is closing soon, the coffee shops and restaurant are massively reducing. You walk about and where there were once 100s or 1000s now there are very few... the car park is already becoming weedy. Still very much time to look forward not backwards - still very sad though - used to be over 6,000 people working there soon only a few hundred and that is only guaranteed for a couple of years to complete some on going work that can't be transferred, unless a new buyer is found there'll be nothing there at all in 3 years.
I love these Medieval jaunts, especially if the sun comes along, sounds you enjoyed a good day.
ReplyDeleteThe heart does sink as the unemployment seems to just keep rising and rising, so many of my friends are now out of work. I am glad you at least have some consultancy to tide you by.
I've never been to Ikea - it sounds my idea of hell!
Having purchased a few items from Ikea over the years, here's the maddening thing that usually happens to me: you'll get home, take your items out of the box and begin to assemble them. You'll spend hours and a few scraped knuckles to almost complete the project only to find...they left one crucial screw (or some other vital part that is so unique it is only made for Ikea and cannot be found at your local hardware store) out of the package, and your item cannot be fully assembled. So, you either have to drive back to the store (which is never conveniently located in the town you actually live in, and is usually hours away), or, god forbid, order the part shipped from heaven knows where. In the meantime, there's your desk, shelf, etc., sitting in the middle of the room, not completely assembled, and thus, structurally unsound and useless until said part arrives. Good times. (Although, I must admit, I do enjoy the Swedish meatballs in the Ikea cafeteria when I'm unfortunate enough to be trapped there).
ReplyDeleteF & S - Sounds like you could both go on 'I've never seen Star Wars.'
ReplyDelete