Friday 23 March 2007

Busy Times

I've not been around computers much the last few days. Not for my own purposes, anyway, plenty of time using them at work!

Yesterday I had to go to Worcester (for those whose geography is as lamentable as mine, Worcester is just south of Birmingham). This entails a two and a half hour train journey (each way). The actual meeting is just over an hour, and a 20 minute site visit. On a cold wet day (like yesterday) it is all quite annoying! Didn't get home until about half past seven... and then had to go to Asda! I was starving and resorted to Chinese take-away for dinner... had to have lunch at half eleven in the morning as the train arrives at Worcester just after mid-day. Still, silver lining, at least the meeting is only monthly! So, no computers at all on Thurdsay!

This morning I had to go to Gillingham. This shouldn't have been too bad... as it's only a short drive down the A2. I had forgotten, of course, that there are two separate sets of roadworks, one at Darenth and one at Gravesend. As if this wasn't enough there was some undetermined nonsense going on around the M25 on the way back and we got stuck in traffic for about an hour! This meant that by the time I got to work, lunch was nearly over and I was more than slightly behind on the things I need to get done this week!

Lunchtimes and after-work are my best blogging times... and I just haven't been able the last few days. Hope the online world didn't miss me too much!

Tuesday 20 March 2007

Winter is back!

It would appear that winter has returned... just as the weather-men predicted it would. Gosh, it really has turned cold!

Such lovely weather for the weekend (well, mostly). We had a real garden emergency at the weekend. I wandered out into the garden on Saturday morning - only to find that the bottom of the pond had turned a really toxic shade of green! We hot-footed it off to the pet store (for the 2nd time in about 12 hours) and bought a preparation that guaranteed to rid us of our problem. We applied the the liquid to the pond, and went back inside (as it was threatening to rain). When we went back out a couple of hours later the chemicals were already working... and the surface of the pond was covered with the remains of algae ready for us to 'scoop' off. This of course required the removal of the netting so carefully applied the previous weekend. The frog-spawn so enthusiastically laid the previous weekend was already mostly dead... but once the floating remains of the algae was removed it all looked much better. Better, that is until I went back outside on Sunday morning, to find the bottom of the pond was once again green! Hopefully this cold snap will help with the problem!

All in all a topsy-turvy weekend. Sunday football meant that the weekend was all back to front. Just managed to fit in the tape of the Australian grand-prix... not the most exciting race ever... although I found the moment went David Couthard's Red Bull 'flew' over the top of Alexander Wurz's car very amusing... especially when upon one of the replays the commentator drily observed the Red Bull really had given the car wings.

Much as I object to Sunday football games, and indeed lunch time kick-offs it turned out to be worth it this weekend. Charlton continued their excellent run of form and managed to beat Newcastle 2-0. It wasn't a high quality football match... but the result is what matters!

Sunday evening was devoted to all things Stargate. Having missed the last two episodes (ever) of SG-1 and the end of the season for Atlantis due to VM and the Sky debacle (no... I won't get annoyed again!) we were saved by the kindness of Rich's brother taping it for us! It was a sad moment to see SG-1 walk through the gate for the last time... but it was a really high quality episode... especially the final line... when Cameron says "Just another everyday mission to save the world sir" and the whole team respond "Indeed" a la T'ealc! Atlantis managed their usual terrible catastrophe end of season cliff hanger... I feel quite confident, however, that Rodney will come up with something!

I counting down now, only a couple of weeks until the baseball season starts again - I love the spring!

Thursday 15 March 2007

The Persistence of Memory

What is the stuff of memory? Mostly I think it is smell. Of all the five senses I find a random scent evokes the most memories.
The deodorant I'm using at the moments (knock down price of 50p a can in Boots on Sunday) is one I've not used, literally, for years. The last time I used Natrel (in the green tin) was back when I was at Uni. I was working a summer job as a cleaner - starting about 6:30 and finishing at 11. The last two hours required me to provide tea and coffee to the building and sit reading in between. I remember very clearly the smell of the deoderant and sitting in the attic kitchen, oddly reading the books I'm re-reading right now!
The smell of the cleaning fluid they use in my old office is the same as the ones invariably used at the holiday cottages my parents rented when I was a child. Thus, oddly, at the end of the day, as the cleaner did his rounds, I'd get a feeling of holidays!
The smell of some particular laundry detergents always reminds me of the communal laundry in the Halls I lived in at college; and, for just a moment I am back in the basement with the noisy machines and my overdue assignments.
Floor polish and chalk dust take me back to school. Mowed grass and wood smoke back to the Summer of '95 and my trip to Glastonbury.
I read, once, that a woman should have a signature scent; a perfume that she wears always; making others associate it with her. I couldn't possibly do that I have about 5 perfumes open at any one time. I like to match my perfume to my mood¦ and the scent of certain perfume will always remind me of a significant occasion on which I wore it.
Sadly - at the moment, it is the time of year for getting colds - and my stuffy nose means that I cannot smell much of anything at all!

Friday lunchtime - nearly there!

Hurrah - Friday lunchtime. It's all downhill from here until the end of the week. Good things about Friday are we finish work at half past four (well, supposedly - never usually works out that way) however it will work out that way today as my bosses are both out of the office, therefore there is nobody to ask "could you just"!

I'm moaning about TfL again. Jubilee Line managed to have ANOTHER signal failure this morning. It was OK on Wednesday because I found out before I got a bus - so I avoided the Jubilee Line altogether. Today, however, I didn't find out until I was on the platform... too late!!! A train came in at platform 2 and terminated... then it said it was going back to West Ham. Fine, I thought I'd go back that way and get a new train... then that one took itself out of service! Bah. I really do think that signal failures should be exceptions rather than the rule!

Saw an interesting report on the news this morning about how the government (or whoever) want to only collect rubbish every other week. Apparently it is for 'environmental' reasons. More likely for 'saving money' reasons! Already does happen in a lot of places, where my parents live, for example - but that is rural-urban and I'm not so sure it would work in town centres with multi-occupancy buildings etc.

I've recently seen several taxis with adverts by Flora (the margarine people) advising people to walk instead... a little incongruous on a vehicle that makes it's money out of people not walking!!!

Wednesday 14 March 2007

Back to normality (almost)

The evil (and huge) tender document which has been dominating our lives for the last couple of weeks finally left the office yesterday. This means that life can return to normal for the forseeable future (until the next crisis, anyway)!

I had to get the bus to work this morning, as TfL's text alert service warned me that there were severe delays on the Jubilee Line. I was impressed to see the urban-fox which shot through the traffic on St. George's Road (which is the equivalent of about four lanes of traffic) which immense finesse. Obviously not the first time he/she had taken that route!

Early morning amusement was provided by one of the extremely noisey children on the bus who fell feet over head (literally) into the luggage rack. All that was visible were his feet. Further amusement was provided by the fac that this happened at the stop where a gentleman who appeared to be one of the school's teachers got on the bus. He looked at the feet, wished the boy a 'good morning' and expressed the wish that he had his camera phone handy! I'd like to say that I'm sure that as a school child commuting daily on the bus I was better behaved than the children I encountered today... but I'm afraid I probably wasn't. My friends and I would colonize the back of the bus (which on those old busses had to benches facing with one along the back) and make all sorts of racket. Fortunately I think that particular bus was almost exclusively school kids! Each route was supposed to have a 'travel prefect' responsible for the behaviour of pupils from the school... I'm not sure that this ever happened though... it certainly didn't when I reached that elevated status!

Rich and I are embarking on the quest for a new bed. It has begun and ended at Ikea... we've found one we really like, but the problem with Ikea is that you have to GO there to put the thing on a trolley (two person task) and take it to home delivery. Wondering if we can hold out until the on-line shopping starts for London - but the bedframe is making very alarming creaking noises... I'm worried that it may be at the end of its useful life!

I finally remembered the movies watched at the weekend... the much awaited Children of Men and Thank You For Smoking.

MOVIE REVIEWS
Children of Men
Starring: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine
The world is a pretty depressing place - mankind is about to become extinct as the world has become infertile. It was all a abit dissapointing as I'd really been looking forward to it... the acting was first class, but the story line - well, there wasn't much of one, a lot wasn't really explained properly - and although I knew that they shot in Woolwich I never spoted any bits I recongnized. Was left with that vague - what's the point feeling at the end. Only 3/10 for this one.

Thank You For Smoking
Starring: Aaron Eckhart
Basically the story is about a spin doctor with the uphill job of putting a positive slant on tobacco. The film was reasonably amusing... certainly not one I'd go out and buy (obviously the ultimate accolade) but a pleasant enough diversion. I give it 7/10.

This weekend's movies are Little Miss Sunshine and The Presige. Greatly looking forward to both!

Monday 12 March 2007

Lovely weekend

That was a lovely, relaxing weekend... didn't really seem long enough though! Went out on Saturday morning to go to the bank (big waste of time on a Saturday without an appointment) and to go and pick my engagement ring up from the jewellers (hurrah, it is fixed!). Did a bit of other shopping too, whilst we were out (just a few 'spring' tops for work). Don't know what happened to the rest of Saturday, next thing I know it is Saturday night, and of course, we're watching movies. I vaguely remember enjoying the movies, but I cannot for the life of me think what on earth I was watching!!!

Sunday morning I got up and watched "The Devil Wears Prada" which was an hour and a half of fun... then I went shopping, again!

Spent the afternoon out in the garden, the heron has been coming back, and so the pond needed 'netting up' to dissaude the heron from thinking we are providing an all you can eat buffet. The first order of business was to clear out the leaves and debris that had collected over the winter, and pull the netting that was there taught again. Slight problem arose at this point... the frogs of the pond were in the process of repopulating the pond, and had decided that the netting made the ideal tadpole nursery. In the end we had to cut the netting around the frogspawn and leave the rest there! All the fish came out at this point... a real shoal of them - lots of wee brown ones, with only a handful of actual 'gold' fish. Was pleased also to see Jaws again... worry every winter that the herons or foxes will have made a meal of him. Jaws is a huge carp. He is pretty much king of the pond. There used to be Jaws II as well, but Jaws II was found last summer on the path in an apparent suicide. Very sad. We managed to get netting over the whole pond, and left the frogs to their repopulation project.

Was utterly exhausted by all this exercise, it must be said, but the garden is totally looking ready for Spring now.


Two Frogs


The Shameless Pidgeon


Another Frog

Friday 9 March 2007

Long week

Disappointingly I dreamt that it was Friday last night. When I woke up this morning, for a few moments, I thought that it was Saturday. Very sad to find in fact I had to go through the 'real' Friday!

One of my colleagues is leaving today. We're supposed to be going for drinks tonight... but the way this week's project is shaping up, I think we'll all be still here working come eight o'clock!

Managed to notice very little going on in the world today... stinking cold is making me feel very apathetic, which includes reading newspapers and watching the morning news!

Saw the homeless man who seems to live outside (or inside) Green Park again this morning with his small dog. I wonder if he drugs the small dog to keep it quiet in the manner that illegal immigrant beggars are rumoured to drug their children? It is very well behaved for an ankle biter, that is for sure.

Planning a fantastic weekend of doing nothing. Have to go to the bank to get a joint account tommorow and go to pick up my now repaired engagement ring from the jewellers - but apart from that I can indulge in some R&R. Much deserved after this week, I feel!

Thursday 8 March 2007

Stinking cold and pot-holes!

So, last night I decided to take a quick wander up to Hamley's after work for a spot of Beanie hunting. Easy stroll up Bond Street and along Conduit Street. Crossing the end of Saville Row, however, I fell down a pot-hole! Not looking for pot-holes, obviously, watching the traffic! Ouch. Big, big bruise on my knee - which is very sore, and of course the same leg as which hurt my ankle when I fell down the stairs last month!

The Beanie hunt was reasonably successful. Could have got more, but it's a long time between pay days in March! Was interested to see the new 'Girlz' range in a display case. Staff inform me they will be available on March 24th. Maybe a big launch?!

On my way back to Charring Cross I passed through Trafalgar Square. It looks quite good there ever since they pedestrianised it. I can't understand why that ugly sculpture is still on the "4th plinth". I thought that they were supposed to rotate. It is really out of character with the rest of the square. I only noticed it because they were jet washing it last night. Why don't they get up there with brushes on the days when it tips down with rain and save the water?! Things are afoot over at St. Martin's (not sure what) but there is scaffold and protection all over the front. The best bit is there is some bright light coming from the National Portrait Gallery (or somewhere over there) and it projects shadows onto the scaffold protection. Like a shadow puppet theatre!

My poorly knee is nicely augmented by my stinking cold. Started with a sore throat over the weekend, but has expanded into my nose/head/chest. Have used nearly half a box of tissues today, and have a terrible headache from all the sneezing. I hate colds.

Today is the start of Crufts. Saw an article on Breakfast this morning... apparently (and this interested me as a nearly dog owner) there are 6.1 million dogs in Britain. Ownders spend £6bn pounds on their dogs every year, £696m of which is on food. Every dogs costs about £1,000 p.a. Wow. My parents have three dogs (well, Jack is technically mine, but he lives with them). I like watching Crufts... interesting to see the pedigrees and also all the clever things dogs can learn to do. Not mine, he's not very bright, but some can!

Wednesday 7 March 2007

Wednesday already!

I saw an excellent story in the paper this morning about a woman with a dog walking business in North London who transports the canines to Hampstead Heath in her own black cab! There was a lovely picture of several dogs sitting in the back of the taxi! That is innovation, apparently she was fed up of the mess of transporting half a dozen dogs in the back of her car!

London Busses continued to confound this morning. For some reason the 486 route has now dropped of the electronic indicator which shows busses arriving in the next 15 minutes. Very annoying. For some reason the last few days it has been particularly unreliable as well! Ended up going to Charlton Station, where I intended to catch a train (only to find them all cancelled) and getting a bus there.

Had the world's longest meeting today - nearly 4 hours. Actually, I've had longer, it is just disproportionate due to the immensely SMALL size of the project. At least we got sandwiches, even if they were pretty indifferent ones from Pret. (Pret who don't butter their bread when they are making sandwiches!)

Has anyone noticed the London Eye. I'm sure it isn't news to most people, but I noticed the other day that a) the lights have gone red and b) one if the capsules has also gone red. I'm going to take a wild guess that it is for Red Nose Day (which must be really soon, as they've been advertising for MONTHS!)

The saga of VM continues. Having got an aerial that will get the Freeview box a picture we have decided to now cancel the second box. Easier said than done. After giving the man on their customer no-service line my details several times over and going through all the security checks he then told me that he was transferring me to another department who might want to do more security checks. So, he had to verify my identity in order to press the transfer button on his phone. Whatever. After several minutes of recorded messages, and being warned that waiting times might be in excess of 20 minutes the stupid recorded message didn't bother to let me queue any more, and hung up on me. Grr!

Tuesday 6 March 2007

Is it only Tuesday?

There were no Bexleyheath busses again this morning, so I had to get the train to work (again). Very pleasant in the rain. Soggy umbrellas, steamed up glasses, nice! Even worse, it wasn't even a Victoria train (which I managed yesterday) so I had to hope for the Number 9 at Charring Cross to take me along Piccadilly. No way I was walking in that rain. Well, let's face it... I am extremely lazy, and probably wouldn't have walked anyway!

I couldn't read the Metro this morning as my copy got turned to papier-mache by the weather. However, I'd found time to tune into BBC1 before I left home to find out what was going on in the world. Not a lot, according to the BBC. They appeared to be having a 'slow news day'. The two 'articles' I saw... one was about how lots of theatre goers in the West End were dissapointed because the lead in the 'Sound of Music' was ill and her understudy was taking the role. Wow. Amazing scoop. The other story was the beginning of a piece about some reality TV nonsense, presumably being made by the BBC and therefore free advertising for themselves. I cared so little about either I didn't even get annoyed enough to shout at the TV!

As I got off the Number 9 in Piccadilly I noticed that Itsu has now got it's third hoarding in about as many months. Poor Itsu. Itsu is a sushi-type place... and was embroiled in the scandal of Litvinenko and the poisoning! First of all they had a bright pink hoarding guarded by two police officers (who looked very incongruous in front of the pink); then they had a hoarding with a sort of James Bond view-finder design and a little text about how an "international espoinage incident" was responsible for their closure. Apparently they are now working to re-open in a few weeks... according to the latest hoarding, anyway!

Mayfair is a great place to work (sometimes) even without Itsu there are absolutely heaps of places to eat and drink. Within spitting distance of my office there are: 4 branches of Starbucks, a Cafe Nero, 3 Pret a Mangers, M&S Simply Food, Eat and loads of independent sandwich bars. Spoilt for choice. Oh yes, and the new Blast juice bars. Yummy!

Excellent Monday night TV last night. Thanks to VM and our lack of Sky it meant that there was no back-log from Sunday, so I was free to enjoy Numb3rs (reasonably good episode), Prison Break (excellent episode as usual) and Heroes (absolutely top class). Who says I watch too much TV?!

Monday 5 March 2007

Monday again already

Another weekend has been and gone. I spent Saturday out and about. After giving Rich a lift to the station as he went off to Watford I took myself off shopping. I deliberately parked in Asda's car park, hoping that the car-washers would descend upon me vulture like. Which they did. "Your car needs washing?" said the nearest, not so much as a question but more as an accusation. Yes, I agreed, my car did need washing - so we agreed it would take about half an hour and off I went. First port of call WHSmith - who had a sign on the door telling me that they would be opening on the 21st July to be selling the new Harry Potter. Hurrah! That is what they did two years ago, and I'd hoped they would do it again! Amusingly two years ago it was midnight into the 17th July (my birthday) and this year it is midnight into the 21st July (Rich's birthday). I duly paid my money to pre-order my copy... getting a free book and a £5 off voucher in the process. Result! Next stop HMV to see if I could get my hands on the new game Final Fantasy XII. £29.95 (which Rich confirmed to me was a good deal). Result! Next stop Argos. The recent debacle with VM has led to our purchase of a set-top box. Which of course now needs an aerial in order to function correctly. I'd picked one out in the catalogue which aparently can pick up even digital radio. £5 off marked price. Result!

Happily fulfilled with my shopping I returned to my car to find it sparkling. I then went off to get petrol... wondering if there would be forecourt chaos in the wake of the 'silicon in petrol' disaster. Either it was too early in the morning or everyone is boycotting supermarket pumps just in case, as there was nobody queueing at Sainsbury's. Ready to go down to visit with Mum and Dad.

I arrived at my parents' about an hour later... and managed to sneak in without alerting the dogs. Cue much canine embarassment for being caught napping! I had pleasant lunch with the folks (including Granny who was just finishing her visit). Before she headed off Mum decided to give Granny's car a quick sluice as it had been rather muddied by a passing truck on some journey or other. Gosh, I said, if I'd have known free car washes were on offer I wouldn't have paid to get mine done this morning!

Following lunch with the Ps the next stop was tea with my friend who lives a couple of villages over. My friend, her three year old son, her cat and her adorable (but mad) labrador-dalmation cross! We had a nice catch up whilst her husband hung blinds and her son showed me just about every toy he owns. I love other people's kids - you get to play with them and then give them back!

The journey home was dogged by bad traffic. I ended up getting back after Rich, who came all the way from Watford! I went straight off for a wee nap to recover from the stresses of the day - and be ready for an excellent Saturday night of movies and TV.

MOVIE REVIEW
The Sentinel - starring Kiefer Sutherland, Michael Douglas, Kim Basinger, Eva Longoria etc.
OK - there were a lot of bad reviews for this one. But hey, you have to take the good with the bad in order to get Blockbuster to send stuff!
I don't think it was as bad as the reviews - nor as good as it could have been. Kiefer Sutherland, predictably yet dissapointingly, is playing a Jack Bauer clone. The basic plot (trying to not give anything away) is that somebody inside the FBI detail protecting the President is working with some terrorists to try and kill the President. Weak points include the fact that we never find out why the person in the FBI is helping, who the terrorists are and why they want to kill the President. Additionaly the President is played by David Rasche, last seen as Sledge Hammer, which apart from making me want to shout at the screen 'Trust Me, I know what I'm doing" makes it hard for me to find him believable as the President. Unfair, but true. If you've never seen Sledge Hammer you should. 80s TV show - very funny.

That was it for Movies... as it was quite late and I wanted to watch Stargate. Luckily VM haven't managed to take it from us as Rich's brother will be delivering the end of that (and Atlantis) the weekend after they finish!

Sunday morning is for webpages. Mine was horribly out of date, so I spent some quality time catching that up. Followed by making lunch (which really disagreed with me) - and finally getting to play FFXII. Oh yes, it's good. The much hyped new battle machine is absolutely superb. Gone is the tedious turn based battling, replaced by much much more sophisticated fighting. The whole feel of the game is pretty much with the last I played (FFX) but the story (so far) appears much stronger. All in all shaping up to be enormous fun. Can't wait for more time to play!

Ah well, tea break now over. Back to work!

Friday 2 March 2007

Thank Crunchie it's Friday!

This has been an exceptionally long week. A lot has been going on at work, which has necessitated several 12 hour days... I've barely seen my house apart from my bed! Still haven't managed to spend enough quality time with the new sofa.

It is quite unbelievable how long the new sofa took to come. We ordered it on pretty much the last working day in December... five to seven weeks they said. We were hoping that they were being cautious and it would come in four. They weren't, and it didn't. Finally they rang to say they were delivering (in about two days from the phonecall) which just happened to be a day I had to go to Worcester on business. So, my nearly-mother-in-law was pressed into service to stand around and look helpless, and make the delivery guys want to get the old sofa out. It worked. Good think to. When the old sofa was delivered they got it stuck in the door! The old sofa is now in the front drive waiting for the council to come and collect it. I'm quite surprised that some entriprising folk haven't had away with it. Usually when we want to get rid of something we leave it on the front drive and folk take it off for us. The stuff that people will take. The best one was a stereo, missing it's remote, which had been outside overnight in the rain!

I'm going to have a great weekend. I've got it all planned. Tomorrow Rich is off to Watford to watch the football . I'm generally against going too far to watch rubbish football... and Charlton have been pretty rubbish of late (with the exception of the mighty 4-0 against West Ham last weekend). I'm also generally against going to Watford, after a Worthless Cup Tie there a few years ago, which was all set to finish with us losing, until John Robertson scored and took it to extra time. We missed the train home and had a very convulted journey... I was working in Epsom at the time, and used to get up about 4am to drive round the M25... I was VERY tired that day. So... no footie for me, I'm off to have lunch with my folks and then tea with some friends who I haven't seen in aeons. I should get back in time for a quick cat-nap before spending the evening with some quality films from Blockbuster (I hope) and the sofa (Rich will be there too, of course!).

Sunday I plan to be playing Final Fantasy XII. Having heard nothing but good things about it I'm hoping to purchase it Saturday morning. Long time fan of Final Fantasy... OK, well, Final Fantasy VII then - although I did quite enjoy Crystal Chronicles... I didn't think much of X and never even bought XI... so it's been a while. I could do with some good gaming... I've been a bit lost ever since I finished playing Tomb Raider Legend. Fortunately much easier than the last one I played. Actually got to the end of Legend... with only a small amount of cheating! I'm not much of one for paitence with games, I have a whole trail of abandoned games behind me, which for one reason or another remain unfinished... which reminds me, must get back to 24 sometime!

Sometime in amongst this I'm going to do some website updates, and of course, my weekly pile of ironing!

Messing about on the river...


My journey to work this morning did not look set to be a good one. I got to North Greenwich station and the crowd on the Westbound Platform was about 8 deep! There was a train there with it's doors shut, which eventually hiccoughed out of the station. No thanks, I thought!

So, back upstairs I went - and almost immediately found a 129 - a bus I had until recently thought most pointless, which took me back to Greenwich and deposited me just by the University.

I was contemplating whether to walk to Cutty Sark DLR or Greenwich main line when a sign for the Greenwich Pier caught my eye. A friend of mine had recently been extolling the virtues of river travel, and so, I thought - Why not?

I only had to wait five minutes until a boat came - and off we went. I sat out the back on the deck (which given the weather today was a bit cold) and had what is possibly the nicest commute to work I have ever had. The fresh air was great, and the boat wasn't at all crowded. OK, a single fare cost £3.05 (which included a Travelcard holder discount) but I may just investigate the cost of season tickets, come the summer it could be THE way to travel!


Thursday 1 March 2007

Grr. Computers!

Bah. After I recommend it to everybody, Gmail spends the entire afternoon being sulky and refusing to let me check my mail. Error 767 it tells me. I've tried all the usual things (shutting the browser, clearing the cache) but still it remains, error 767.

I made my phone call to Virgin Media (VM-tosspots) for all the good it did me. I just got the 'official line' parroted at me several times. As soon as Gmail is working again I'll be sending them an email!!! It doesn't make any difference doing all this - but it makes me happy!

They really went and did it!

Somewhere deep inside me, I never actually believed that Virgin would go through with dumping Sky. I always thought a miracle would happen and a deal would occur at the eleventh hour. It didn't.

Sky One has been replaced by Virgin Central 2 (same rubbish as Virgin Central) take note! And Sky News has amusingly been replaced by "Sky Snooze" with another page of Virgin propoganda.

Which of the two warring parties took an add in today's Metro. Clue, it wasn't Virgin Media. At now point have they told us the channels were going, or apologised. They just took them. Surely that can't be right!

As soon as I've finished eating my lunch I shall be calling them to give them a piece of my mind!