Bradwan's Blog

I have two small ponds in my garden made from large, plastic plant tubs. One of them has water weed (I forget the kind) and has been emptying really quickly, even when it has been raining. I was sure it was not a leak, so thought it might be cats and dogs drinking, but they would be flipping thirsty.

My garden has always been marginal for birds, but I now have a blackbird pair foraging in it; the male with large white patches. Today I saw it having a bloody good bath while sitting on the pond weed. I then remembered seeing a magpie sitting on the edge a little while ago. The blackbird was spraying enough water to lower the level, if magpies are doing it as well I no dog drinkers to explain the loss.

Finding a web host is proving a hell of a job. The comparision sites all seem to be paid for by host companies. It is the only reason I can see for some being top of satisfaction ratings, but proving to be hated by all the previous users once you do a name+review search. That is even before you look at what they offer and the price.

I have had an invite to do Hat Throwing in Leeds this summer. I am waiting to hear more.

Eeeeee. Ahhhhh. Ouuuuuu.

I did a fair amount of physical work over the weekend, including the first cut of Bev’s dandelion lawn. I then got stressed about a friend of an age; so had a near flu experience; but having a good woman who can manage with my sounding and moaning makes a big difference. I got out of bed this morning and went to work!

Today I went with the office staff of Disability Support to research possible venues in Kirklees, with particular reference to disabled access.

None of the licenced venues we visited had any issues with general access, but on the other hand none of them had function rooms, or none that could be easily accessed; but they all sold good beer, so the day was not completely wasted.

The list was The Head of Steam (Huddersfield), the Railway and Riverhead (Marsden); then the Grove, and a return to the Head for a supper. Spring is busting out. We got the train to Huddersfield, then another to Marsden. Then back by bus and train. There were a lot of trees with a gorgeous show of light green, like pussy willow but green.

I did a fair amount of physical work over the weekend, including the first cut of Bev’s dandelion lawn. I then got stressed about a friend of an age; so had a near flu experience; but having a good woman who can manage with my sounding and moaning makes a big difference. I got out of bed this morning and went to work!

I have had a breakthrough in my drain, literally. I will check in daylight before reconnecting.

Walked down the hill to Saltaire yesterday so the new dentist could have a go at the three plus year infection. The previous, bad, dentist had taken the nerve out so there has not been much pain, but I have been having regular gumboils.

The new guy drilled everything out, drilled some more, filled the hole with antibiotic paste, and put a temporary filling in. As far as I can judge a very good job. The worst pain was when the anesthetic wore off and I discovered I had bitten the inside of my lip. I did get one of my biggest ever gumboils last night, but I am hoping that was the infection dead draining.

Talking of draining, that is what I will be doing when I finish this.

Yesterday morning, while waiting for the bus, I watched a ladybird fly straight into Balidon market cross stump. It lay on the paving not moving. I picked it up to put it on a flower bedd and it moved, but not fast.

This morning I saw a peacock butterfly, again in Baildon. The town is very high up but catcjes the sun very early, compared to the valley below.

I am slowly, oh so slowly, investigating new homes for the bradwan sites.

As a note to myself about last week: BLOODY DRAINS.
I spent 6 or more hours in my cellar unblocking the drain. I have replaced all my own plumbing, apart from the the main into the house, and the last parts of the drains out; and the one that takes the kitchen water through the cellar wall is the bastard. I can’t replace it without major stone shifting and digging.

I overheard a lass telling her bloke off for drawing a heart on the sittingroom window. He got a laugh when he told her he’d done it before Christmas. She replied that cleaning the window was yard work, and thus his job. He won by telling her he had done it on the inside, back to front, so she could read it has she was starting up her Honda 125 to go down the hill to work in Shipley.

We spent a good day in Leeds yesterday. I needed to pick up train tickets from that station (I cannot get them from any Bradford station), but also wanted to see Mellium Square, with a view to doing a Hat Throwing. We had brief looks at Leeds Gallery and the new City Museum, and had the the biggest scones we could remember in the cafe. The square could host a competitions, but it would need good council support to be big. Ilkley Moor on the other hand has no minimum size to work.

We discovered two nw, to me, pubs down alleys. The Angle and the Ship. We ended up getting another £10 tray of meat from the market. A bargain, but not as good as the last lot we got froim the stame shop.

The lesser celandine has started flowering in my garden, which is, to me, the sign of spring really starting.

I have found a placement, so escape the bearpit of the course for 4 ddays a week. There seems to be fall-out from what happened last week, but I would rather not have to be part of the resulting atmosphere.

I am in an office with people I mostly know. In my first full day I gave advice about setting up as self-employed, with particular reference to doing so while claiming benefits (you can do it, but you have to be aware that system copes badly with self-employment; that there are lots of supposed rules’ and they will almost certainly stop payment at random, but that there are only a few things that you have to keep at the front of the mind, and that proper accounts are important).

I also set up a hotmail account and gave coaching for someone who had never sent an e-mail.

I even managed to apply for jobs, something next to impossible foir me on the course.

I met Martin of Bradford Eye in town a few days ago. He said he was missing the bradwan site, which was nice. I have let finding a new home slip. The truth is that this wordpress blog seems to be enough, but if I am not doing a show or promoting specifics I need more, but for most things a single page would be enough. Bringing the whole bradwan site back to life will cost a lot of time, and some money. Replacing it with a single page noticeboard would be easier and much cheaper.

Yesterday me and Bev celebrated the first anniversary of our first date by going to by doing the same trip to Keighley, with a visit to the Boltmakers. This time, however, I did not make her pay for her own fish and chips, because we did not have any. Instead we went to Morrisons and I showed her the memorial stone by the River Worth, to Richard Turner, who died in his sleep there, on 5.8.01, at the age of 17. I would post a picture, but cannot find the lead.

I collected some ransom, or wild garlic, leaves and Bev cooked with them. Not as strong a taste as normal garlic bulbs (though with strong after effects) but I thought more tasty,

The ‘course’ is getting grim. I am doing far less to find work than I do when I spend my days at home. No help and no advice, at least none that is of use to me. Two computers with slow and restricted internet connection, and two telephones. This in a room with between 8 and 14 people, four of whom very nearly came to blows today while I was trying to write a new CV. It was like Lord of the Flies.

The sun is shining, physically, I will leave to others here to speak about methaphorically.

The course split us up after a whole group ‘ice breaker’, which translates as ‘keep em quiet while I fill out the lists of people who may never see each other again’. I was not the only person offering the names of sweets, but maybe the first loud one.

I think I am in the quiet group made up so the tutor who works too hard does not blow up; unfortunately he was forced to take a holiday today, snuck in, but left again before the new ticks arrived; so we all sat quiet for 80 minutes, and then got told to go to lunch.

I managed to get let off the afternoon so I could talk to the right people about working the next election. It was genuine, and if the right person was not in the office I would have to have come back one or two hors later, but as it was I was done in minutes.

I then bobbed in the Jacobs Well, where I listened to middle class folk drinking without alcohol and eating (whilst getting sroppy about what they ordered) talking about their children. However there was nobody there I could talk to about a possible show.

I then got a v=bus to Wibsey, and talked to a lass, who said the daffs and crocuses in her garden in Wibsey have come up early, I think at least two weeks from what I remember of what she said. I was thinking it were a late spring, but I am a man who forgets stuff.

All the possible venues were shut, but I did pop into the brown Cow, and talked to the posh drunk, and listened to some taking the piss, but others happily joined in.

Then to Nettos for cheap fruit, and it is early yet!

Been back awhile. Spent the longest part of the journey up talking to 10 month old Alex and his mum. I enjoyed it, and he appreciated playing with the small CAMRA magazine, especially licking the ink off the suduko I had just done. I was impressed he recognized it as being different from the print.

The hope grinding dole course has begun. I have work in the next few months, but it is single days paid and probably a few weeks self employed, which I intend signing off to do. It would be complicated enough if I was just signing on; but this course makes it a potential nightmare.

I may be performing on St. George’s Day.