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This month, I have mostly been visiting Scotland
Went to see Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on Tuesday, at the Apollo in Manchester, with Adam and Bex. Good fun, although the support band weren't really up to much in my book. The main set was very similar to the Birmingham gig in May.
I had a shitty drive back from Manchester, and hit the sack around 1am.
On Wednesday, it was confirmed that me and Dan were going to a two-day meeting in Edinburgh on Thursday and Friday, so we got properly stiffed booking the flights one day in advance. £275 return each is a little steep!
Wednesday evening was the last night of the Fish tour in Buxton. Since I had arranged to take a number of other people, it was 8.30pm by the time we got there, and the gig had started. Sue and I watched the gig for about 45 minutes, but couldn't really be arsed with the rest of it. I've aired my thoughts about this tour on this blog plenty of times, so I won't repeat myself. Fish's chatter was only funny when he wasn't repeating the same old stories as on the rest of the tour. We went off to get some food during Zoe 25 - I got some cold snacks from the Co Op, and Sue went to KFC. Then we went up to the pub next to the venue to await the droves emerging at the end. We gassed for about 45 minutes with lots of friends and a pint of Bombardier, and then drove back to Nottingham. Gary kindly offered to drive Tosh back to Newark, as I was due to get up at 4.45am to pick Dan up and drive to the airport for the Edinburgh flight. This meant that I got to bed at 1.20am instead of 2.20am.
Up early on Thursday for the flight to Scotland, and we were eating breakfast at Edinburgh airport at 8.15am, before getting a cab to Heriot Watt University Research Park.
We get on very well with the guys in Edinburgh, and the first day of the meeting was very productive, and we were treated to a smashing lunch in a boozer in Ratho by some of the R&D team there. I had the steak and ale pie, washed down with a pint of Dark Island, which I enjoyed.
After the afternoon leg of the meeting, Dan and I went to our city centre hotel, and chilled out for a bit, before walking through the cold rain and wind into town. We ate at Bar Roma, a smashing Italian place. I had the house speciality pizza, spicy sausage, tomatoes and green peppers. Very nice, and very filling. I squeezed in a creme brulee for pudding, which was also very pleasant. Washed down with two pints of Peroni (needs must as the devil drives) at £5.20 a pop. Then, we walked down Princes Street to the North Bridge, and had a pint of Deuchars at the Advocate, a pub I've been to several times before. Then, back to the hotel and a pint of Guinness at the hotel bar.
Friday's meetings rounded the visit off nicely, and another lovely steak and ale pie (this time washed down with Timothy Taylor's Landlord), this time at the Steading, on the Biggar road not far from the campus.
On our return to East Midlands airport, I picked up the car, had a frustrating one-hour drive back to Nottingham, and dropped Dan off near his city-centre flat. Then I drove home, got the bus into town and met up for the drinks part of Kev's birthday night out, after a bratwurst at the German market. I missed the buffet meal part, but I've been to that restaurant before, and I wouldn't rave about it. Plus, my brother told me that they hadn't got any Guinness left, and that's the only beer they do that's worth drinking.
I had a shitty drive back from Manchester, and hit the sack around 1am.
On Wednesday, it was confirmed that me and Dan were going to a two-day meeting in Edinburgh on Thursday and Friday, so we got properly stiffed booking the flights one day in advance. £275 return each is a little steep!
Wednesday evening was the last night of the Fish tour in Buxton. Since I had arranged to take a number of other people, it was 8.30pm by the time we got there, and the gig had started. Sue and I watched the gig for about 45 minutes, but couldn't really be arsed with the rest of it. I've aired my thoughts about this tour on this blog plenty of times, so I won't repeat myself. Fish's chatter was only funny when he wasn't repeating the same old stories as on the rest of the tour. We went off to get some food during Zoe 25 - I got some cold snacks from the Co Op, and Sue went to KFC. Then we went up to the pub next to the venue to await the droves emerging at the end. We gassed for about 45 minutes with lots of friends and a pint of Bombardier, and then drove back to Nottingham. Gary kindly offered to drive Tosh back to Newark, as I was due to get up at 4.45am to pick Dan up and drive to the airport for the Edinburgh flight. This meant that I got to bed at 1.20am instead of 2.20am.
Up early on Thursday for the flight to Scotland, and we were eating breakfast at Edinburgh airport at 8.15am, before getting a cab to Heriot Watt University Research Park.
We get on very well with the guys in Edinburgh, and the first day of the meeting was very productive, and we were treated to a smashing lunch in a boozer in Ratho by some of the R&D team there. I had the steak and ale pie, washed down with a pint of Dark Island, which I enjoyed.
After the afternoon leg of the meeting, Dan and I went to our city centre hotel, and chilled out for a bit, before walking through the cold rain and wind into town. We ate at Bar Roma, a smashing Italian place. I had the house speciality pizza, spicy sausage, tomatoes and green peppers. Very nice, and very filling. I squeezed in a creme brulee for pudding, which was also very pleasant. Washed down with two pints of Peroni (needs must as the devil drives) at £5.20 a pop. Then, we walked down Princes Street to the North Bridge, and had a pint of Deuchars at the Advocate, a pub I've been to several times before. Then, back to the hotel and a pint of Guinness at the hotel bar.
Friday's meetings rounded the visit off nicely, and another lovely steak and ale pie (this time washed down with Timothy Taylor's Landlord), this time at the Steading, on the Biggar road not far from the campus.
On our return to East Midlands airport, I picked up the car, had a frustrating one-hour drive back to Nottingham, and dropped Dan off near his city-centre flat. Then I drove home, got the bus into town and met up for the drinks part of Kev's birthday night out, after a bratwurst at the German market. I missed the buffet meal part, but I've been to that restaurant before, and I wouldn't rave about it. Plus, my brother told me that they hadn't got any Guinness left, and that's the only beer they do that's worth drinking.
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