A slight sadness

And so, August has come to a close.
I feel conflicted.

Part of me is glad that our busiest month at work has been survived and that things will start to calm down a little soon. Part of me is glad that the chances of wilting in temperatures of 30+ Celsius again are dwindling daily. But part of me is already pining for the days of proper Summer and dreading the noticeable changes to the length of daylight. And another part of me is stunned that we've already arrived at Autumn.

I suppose this is a downside of working in the tourism industry. The times when I would like to be out and about enjoying the best of the British weather are the times when I can't do that because I'm looking after people who are doing that themselves. I sacrifice my own Summer to ensure that others can enjoy theirs. I'm a reluctant hero.

So, as the rest of the world prepares for the return to school and the inevitable onset of an associated depression, I finally have some spare hours to be out enjoying the countryside, even though it is changing from its splendid Summer beauty and descending into it's browner, duller palette. I get to do what I wanted to do, but two months after I would have liked to have done it. I arrive at a party just as my favourite drinks have run out. 

(I always feel a bit odd in August. I think it goes back to my school days. I imagine that tomorrow, when I wake up in September, none of this will seem important and I'll just get on with it and be fine.)

RC 31-8-22

Hormone Hell

Philippa has gone a bit spend-crazy. I'm not sure why we need half the things we need when we already have a child and so surely must have already purchased everything we might need for a baby, but she seems determined to buy up the entire stock of product from the local Mothercare warehouse. There seems to be no easier target on Earth for advertisers than pregnant women awash with happy hormones. Give even a hint that an item can provide a tiny iota of comfort to an infant and Mum will be reaching for the credit card quicker than a cat reaches for a strand of wool. Offer a suggestion that a new invention will solve a problem that mothers hadn't realised had ever been an issue (because it wasn't) and your profits will soar like an eagle caught in an updraft. I'd like to hide her purse somewhere and put a stop to her spending, but who am I to spoil her fun?
(I'll just wait until Junior 2 outgrows everything and then sell it all off on eBay.)

RC 30-8-22

A strange plan

Gavin is going to buy a caravan park in Devon. In theory, it should just be theoretical, but Gavin being Gavin, he is ignoring the sensible options and ploughing ahead with an idea that only makes sense in his head.

I think he's still riding the buzz from buying some seaside hotels and is trying to recreate that feeling again. We've all experienced that weird elation when you buy a new car or finally close the deal on your first house - the doubts and fears give way to adrenaline and positivity and suddenly you want to spend another fortune on another big purchase, even though you know you can't afford it. So, having helped himself to some run-down guesthouses in Suffolk that he will now have to spend a tonne of money on to make hospitable, he is planning to borrow another chunk of cash to add a failing holiday centre in Devon to his portfolio. 

Several of the management team here (and by 'here' I mean in our main office) are worried that he is jeopardising the future of our site by using it as collateral for new ventures. I have to say, I agree. There's no doubt he has done great things to turn around the centres he owns here, but there's no guarantee that he'll be able to recreate that formula elsewhere, and if things go wrong somewhere else, it could quickly destabilise everything within his empire. His urge to prove himself nationwide could torpedo his successful local company. 

But what can I do about it? He doesn't listen to anyone when he has a bee in his bonnet. If he suddenly thought he could run a restaurant, and the best chef in Europe told him it was a terrible idea, he would still go ahead and do it, convinced he knows better than even proven experts. So, if nostagically buying the Devon caravan park that he used to visit as a child has become his latest dream, it is almost certainly going to happen.  

Oh well. I can always go back to supermarket shelf filling.

RC 29-8-22

Silver Screen; Golden Moments

I've been watching quite a few films lately, so I thought I'd share my thoughts on them with you:
As a side note - I hardly ever watch a movie in one sitting these days. I tend to fall asleep after an hour and then have to see the second half on another day. Anyway...

 

Licorice Pizza - a charming, if exaggerated, tale of young love in 1970s America, with fantastic performances from debut-making leads Cooper Hoffman and (especially) Alana Haim. Also - Bradley Cooper is hilarious in his cameo and should be a supporting actor in many more films. 

Top Gun: Maverick - A perfect example of 'style over substance'. Impressive film-making, but not an impressive film.

The Two Popes - Anthony Hopkins has been making films for over half-a-century, and this is probably the first time he HASN'T been the best thing in a movie. Jonathan Pryce is fantastic.

All The President's Men - Yes, I watched it again and Yes, it is still brilliant.

Annihilation - Really enjoyable sci-fi, up to a point. Starts out like 'Predator' and ends up like 'The Fountain.'

Roma - FINALLY got to see this Oscar winner. Beautiful, and the shot at the end where the camera follows the maid into the sea is incredible. Storyline doesn't match up to the artistry, but I'd still watch this 100 times before I'd consider 'Top Gun 2' again.
The Power of the Dog - Meh. Some great scenery, but meh.

RC 28-8-22

Old Git

I'll be glad when the school holidays are over, I must confess. It seems to me that the later you get into the Summer break, the worse the behaviours and attitudes you encounter are. Maybe it's just staff members getting tired after a busy period, but I seem to remember this happening last year as well - July families were a delight to deal with; August ones were a pain in the arse. As the days tick by, the annoyance increases. The closer we get to September, the closer I get to punching someone.

RC 27-8-22

A certain uncertainty

Philippa isn't happy with my latest idea for a boy's name. 'Tag Chesworth' sounds really cool to me, but she sneered when I mentioned it and rolled her eyes like a stroke victim, so I can't see it making the shortlist.

RC 19-8-22

Cooler, in many ways

We have finally had a break in the hot weather, and I have to say I'm relieved. Being able to sit in our office with the windows open, rather than with the windows shut, with the curtains and blinds closed, and with every fan we were able to buy running full blast, (and STILL feeling hot), is delightful. People seem to have cheered up a bit as well. We all love Summer and a bit of sun, but that constant, sapping heat was driving people crazy. Now that families are able to get out and about and explore without having to douse their children in suncream and getting them to wear a hat the size of Nottinghamshire, they are smiling and happy and NOT complaining about missing out on activities. I'm not sure what British people are legendary for in other countries, but 'being determined to get their money's worth and moaning like hell when they aren't' must be high up there. We had overweight parents trying to get refunds on their holiday costs because our outside exercise classes were cancelled when it was over 30Celsius, and it took every single ounce of self-control I have not to say, 'Come on, mate, you wouldn't go anywhere near any kind of exercise class even if we promised you a fry-up at the end.'
After quite a long spell of tourists avoiding the baking weather, the park is absolutely buzzing with people today and it's lovely.

RC 17-8-22

Didn't grass used to be green?

I always said I would never complain about hot weather, but this week has been a bit of a trial. It's not the heat itself, it's people and their reactions to it. We had parents letting their children play out at lunchtime yesterday, and then complaining when their kids got sunburnt. We've had people trying to use disposable barbecues ON THE GROUND where everything is as dry as a scorpion's flip-flop and then reacting like we've asked them to drink bleach when we ask them to stop using them. We've closed down some of our outside activities today, and we've had people moaning about that. "You should let us make our own decisions about what's safe for us and what isn't," I was told by a large, bearded Yorkshireman. I explained that, generally speaking, we like that to be true, but when we have strict guidelines to follow from the government, and when we have an installer's recommendation that 'this equipment should NOT be used in temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius' then we have to adhere to that and ask the public to do the same.
Being in management is great when it's logistics and planning; when it comes to dealing with the public it annoys me. The last few days have reminded me of being at the garage during the first lockdowns. So much hassle from people who seemed to find minor changes to the way we operated as a personal insult. So many twats who felt the restrictions shouldn't apply to them, or who couldn't get their heads around simple rules 18 months after they were instigated. I don't want to re-tread that old ground here today, but I've certainly been reminded of it this week.  Certain people are awash with selfishness and ignorance and they seem to be the ones who are the loudest. And we've still got a few days left in this heatwave yet, so things won't be getting better for a while....

RC 12-8-22

Won't be in my Top 10 of the Year...

I watched the Roland Emmerich sci-fi disaster flick "Moonfall" last night.

God, it was stupid.

But it was SO stupid that it was almost admirable.

Some filmmakers have advisors on hand to make sure there is a semblance of reality to the whole thing.

Not these guys.

It's like they threw out any possible hint of scientific accuracy and set out to make the dumbest movie ever.
And they did it.

RC 11-8-22

Wistful, longing, rambling nonsense

Mad to think that we're screaming through the Summer and it's only a few weeks until the little ones will be returning to school.  I hate people who wish the time away when it's sunny, but so much of my work planning at the moment is around people coming in Autumn that it's hard not to think about the days shortening and the nights getting cooler. So far today I've discussed a Hallowe'en apple-bobbing risk assessment, a booking for a large group who are coming for two weeks just before Christmas, and some maintenance work on a swimming pool that I need to fit in somewhere between the end of the school hols and the following half-term. My mind is a scramble of time shifts, calendars and dates. My inbox is full of enquiries about accommodation availability in Winter and I already have permanent residents asking me about their temporary off-site sojourns in early 2023. I feel confused, over-heated and lost. I long for a quiet afternoon where I can just enjoy the warmth of the weather and meditate by something watery; preferably a millpond or a slow moving river. I yearn to feel the sun on my back and a bike beneath my groin as I pedal carefree through the green Suffolk countryside. I want to paddle in a calm sea, enjoy a bottle of chilled wine, and make love in a tent in my own back garden.
But now I have to deal with a complaint from a Scotsman who claims our showers have given him eczema....

RC 10-8-22

Need more iron?

I am finding the ongoing hot spell a bit sapping. I feel like my energy levels are dwindling day by day. That may have a lot to do with the fact that we are in the Summer Holidays and work is as busy as a brothel on New Years Eve. (Don't know if brothels get particularly busy on 31st December, but it seemed funny when I wrote it.)
I'm so tired, in fact, that I don't think I can even write a long blog posting....

RC 9-8-22

Final C'wealth observations

Jason Mohammad and Holly Hamilton were a really bad presenting pair.

The 'experts' in the main studio were all very knowledgeable but had all been through the same BBC 'How To Speak On Camera' training and so all sounded the same. They came across as mildly disinterested and trying not to show emotion or excitement. I much preferred the more relaxed, more expressive approach taken by BBC 3.

 

If I never have to hear the phrase 'incredible scenes' again, I would be a happy man.

 

After disappointment in the netball and cricket on Saturday, thank God the England Women won the hockey....

 

Someone really should have reminded Gabby Logan that the Medals Table is based primarily on how many GOLDS a country has won, not the TOTAL MEDALS they've accumulated. Even as late as Saturday evening, she was describing it incorrectly.

 

What I love about the Commonwealths is that you get people win a major medal who would never stand a chance at the Olympics, or World Championships, or possibly even European events. The standard is a lot lower, so the sheer joy on the faces of some of the people on the podium, who are not used to winning anything, is beautiful to behold.

 

I noticed that quite a few athletes refer to the Games as 'The Commies'. Bearing in mind what's happening with Russia and China at the moment, I'm not sure that's a nickname that should stick. 

 

The super-heavyweight boxing final yesterday was officiated by the smallest referee I've ever seen. It was like watching a Primary School child trying to stop a fight between two teachers.

 

And I shall leave the final word to a witty 14-year-old I met this week - "Commonwealth Games? I can't wait to see the RarePoverty Games."

RC 8-8-22

A quick notice

The final day (sad face) of the Commonwealth Games. I am doing absolutely nothing today apart from sitting on my sweaty butt and watching sport.

RC 7-8-22

Pleasant Appearance

I haven't been cycling half as much as I would like to this Summer (busy work, young son, pregnant wife, poorly knee) but I am still gleefully surprised at the way I look when dressed in just shorts. I caught sight of myself this morning and, for the first time in years, thought I look an ok shape for a man of my age and life habits. Philippa caught me checking myself out in the mirror and said 'Jesus, why don't you get a room with yourself?' but I am pretty sure she is as impressed as I am. How could she not be? 

Sticking with my body for a while longer - my knee is starting to feel almost-but-not-quite back to the way a healthy human knee should feel. I don't know if I ever told you, but it was diagnosed as a damaged MCL. I didn't know what a Medial Collateral Ligament does, but it sounded important, so I looked it up. One of the first things that I read told me that it is a very common injury among elite sportsmen, so I started to call it 'an MCL sprain' so it sounded more sporty. The issue with them is that they don't get much blood flow, so they take quite a while to repair themselves, so it's been lots of elevations, gentle exercises, and a combination of cold packs and hot water bottles, applied in rotation, to aid the healing process. It still feels odd, and if I catch my foot on something and jolt the inside of me knee it makes me yelp like a scalded puppy, but it's better than it was, and I'm getting there.

RC 6-8-22

Random Commonwealth Games thoughts

3x3 Basketball is the best thing ever and should be on television more often.

When did Netball go from being a boring, standing-still sport played by tall girls in playgrounds to a fast-paced, skilful battle played by sculpted athletes? 

 

I'll miss many things about the Games once they end, but watching bowls every morning while eating my breakfast will be what I miss most of all. 

 

Reasons To Dislike BBC Coverage #1 - During an evening of enthralling athletics entertainment, they spent 20 minutes talking about Jessica Ennis winning Olympic Gold in 2012.

 

Reasons To Dislike BBC Coverage #2 - While an England hockey match was on, instead of showing the entire second half live, they showed a 10-minute interview with one of the players, and then the last quarter of the match live. 

 

Reasons To Dislike BBC Coverage #3 - Several times this week they have been showing exactly the same content on two channels at once.

 

I still think swimming gets far too much coverage, while sports like judo and table tennis are reduced to highlights packages or being available online.

I love Ayo Akinwolere's presenting style and infectious enthusiasm. He is more natural and genuine than any of the other presenters and I would like to see him used more often, please.

RC 5-8-22