Alan Williams's Blog, page 48

Quick Links 9th January 2017

Each week I’ll try and post quick links to things that I’ve seen, read, inspired me or just sparked my interest in the previous week, with a little background and my thoughts and other things that I’ve been up to in the previous week. Mostly gardening, cooking and environmental stuff but not always.

Life In General

A quiet week of frosty mornings, amazing sunrises and a slow start to the return to work for me. I didn’t really take a solid break over the Christmas & New Year holiday, doing...

Allotment Update 7th January 2017

Here’s the allotment video update that was filmed yesterday before receiving the news about my Grandma. Anyway here it is.

Some More Sad News

I had planned to post an allotment update video today, however I had a phone call this morning to let me know that my Grandma passed away. She was 94.

I’ll post the video tomorrow or another time.

A Stab In The Dark Podcast

I’ve been listening to “A Stab In The Dark” podcast over the last few days. Featuring all things associated with crime books, and tv, here’s a link to the webpage, although you can download via iTunes or whichever podcast player you use.

So far it’s had some good interviews with authors such as Val McDermid, Lee Child, Anne Cleeves & Michael Connelly; it’s also given me a few good pointers to some new books that I might check out in the future.

Worth a listen if you’re interested in either cr...

Rogue One

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I wrote last month about wanting to go and see the new Star Wars film, Rogue One. Yesterday afternoon, I walked up to my local cinema and watched it.

I don’t want to say anything about the plot, in case you haven’t seen it yourself yet, although as it’s common knowledge the film is set right before the original 1977 film. It has a strong cast, and Felicity Jones as the lead character does an amazing job. If you liked the original three films you’ll enjoy this film and I’d recommend going to...

Spring Cleaning

[image error]I know it’s a couple of months until Spring is officially with us but I spent a few moments yesterday afternoon checking on on our bird boxes and feeders in the garden.

A bit of dusting here and there, a replacement screw or two and we’re back in business, although I will have to replace the niger seed feeder as the sun has made the plastic brittle, and it won’t last much longer.

We’ve had birds nesting in our garden every year we’ve lived in this house and they normally raise several broods....

New Years Eve Traditions

Each year we celebrate New Years Eve by watching the same two films. We keep the dogs company, so that the fireworks don’t freak them out too much, this year was no exception.

[image error][image error]Interestingly they are both films of Alistair MacLean books.

The first, Where Eagles Dare.

The second, The Guns of Navarone.

They’re two of my favourite films and they have both aged very well in my opinion.

If you’ve not watched them or read the books, I’d recommend doing both. The films are fairly good adaptations of...

Quick Links 2nd January 2017

Each week I’ll try and post quick links to things that I’ve seen, read, inspired me or just sparked my interest in the previous week, with a little background and my thoughts and other things that I’ve been up to in the previous week. Mostly gardening, cooking and environmental stuff but not always.

Life

Another year ends, and another year begins. Personally 2016 was not a great time for me, and whilst I have to carry some of that into 2017, I’m hoping that the New Year is a better one than...

Happy New Year 2017

So 2016 is over. The general consensus seems to be it’s been a bad year. For personal reasons I’d have to say that I agree, and looking at the reasons that other people are giving – Brexit, Trump, celebrity deaths – I’d have to say I probably also agree.

On the basis of two of those reasons – Brexit & Trump – I have to say I don’t think that we’ve seen the worst of it yet. So I’m a little pessimistic going into 2017.

I don’t as a rule make New Year’s Resolutions, I don’t see the point, but I...

Fourth Quarter Review 2016

Each year for the past few years I’ve been doing a year end review; books I’ve read, films/tv programmes I’ve watched and other things related to work and the allotment. You can read the end of 2015 here, if you’re interested.

This year I’m trying something a little different, and am splitting my year into quarters and trying to do a review at the end of the quarter. It helps me remember stuff more easily, and is more up to the minute than waiting to until December and trying to do the whole...