Chelsea shirts are on offer. Buy one get 1-3

Chessington is an amazing place, and thanks to my wife, we had two great days there.  We arrived yesterday after spending some time in Lakeside, this being yet another surprise for the children.  We had been there last year so the children knew what to expect when we arrived.  And apart from a bad experience in the first room we were given, things were okay.  It is never nice to get a flea bite in a room, but the staff were understanding and arranged for us to be moved to a different room promptly.  Dinner there was not amazing, but this is not a place known for culinary excellence.  The food was what I would expect for a theme park and while overpriced compared to places not in a theme park, was about the right price for where it was.  And as we ate at a buffet, the kids had more say over what they ate, which for almost all children (I imagine) is a good thing.  But we were able to visit the theme park before and after the meal and my wife did not have to join us, as she hates theme parks.  We got to go on one ride before our meal and then got to go on several of the rides afterwards, the down side being that the offer with the passes was not as good as it was last year, it limiting us to several rides (on a once only basis) and two of these rides were closed!

Come the morning, we left breakfast till it was a bit too late.  Understandably there was queue for breakfast, but the thing that was frustrating was that there were so many empty tablets!  On the plus side, the children got to meet some characters from Madagascar.  But after breakfast, it was a trip into the park and we enjoyed loads of rides.  There was an issue with one of them, but we were given a Fast Track ticket which we used on the Kobra ride to compensate for this.  Over this time, my wife had kept herself occupied away from the park, and while we were disappointed when she came back for us to go back home, she had arrived at the right time as the children were getting tired.

Our journey back involved playing Name That Tune and later, after a stop at Bluewater for supplies, Halloween stories (some of which had been told earlier in the day when waiting for the rides).  Once at home, we all unwound while watching Strictly Come Dancing and then bed.  While I type this, I am waiting for Match of the Day, but as you can see from the title of this post, I know one score!        

Our last weekend

Last weekend was amazing and we did loads.  The kids had a non-pupil day on Monday but did not realise that my wife had taken time off for me on the day.  We travelled down to London, on Sunday picked up my mother and then travelled to Maltby Street.  We have been there many times before and we all love it, though it was the first time for my mother to be there.  And when there we enjoyed the food and drink that is there.  I often eat at Borough Market, which has a much larger choice of food, but as it is more well known, is a lot more crowded and also does not seem as friendly as those in Maltby Street.  The kids had waffles, my wife a toasted sandwich and we drank cocktails, though as I was driving, with no alcohol for me!

After a drive across London to drop off my mother, we went to watch Hotel Transylvania 2, and other than the end, I have to say I loved it.  And when it comes to the end, it is a film for kids, not for adults, so while I would love to be harsh, it is not about that.  Needless to say, the kids loved the film and worked out which film they were to watch when I said it was a horror film.  After that it was a drive back to South London where we drove into a hotel, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London - Docklands Riverside.  The kids were surprised and at a loss as to what I was to do with work on Monday, let alone what to wear, until we revealed the suitcase.  My daughter had noted it before, but had not worked out that we were to go on a weekend away!

Come the morning we had a good breakfast and then we took the ferry from the hotel across the river to Canary Wharf.  The kids had fun walking though it especially as after the rush hour it was not too busy.  They loved the fountain in the fountain in Cabot Square and also got to see a Harrier Hawk that is used to keep the Pigeons away.  But in addition to that, they got to sit at the front of a DLR train, one that went underground as we went to Bank.  They wanted to know what the end of the tunnel looked like, but when we went to travel on the Waterloo and City line, they got to see what the end of one tunnel looked like.  From there it was a walk by the side of the South Bank Centre were we bought the Big Issue.  The vendor told the kids that if they were good, they might get taken out somewhere nice for lunch and little did he, or they, know just right he was!  Walking across Waterloo Bridge was a different experience for them and then we decided to have a break when in Aldwych as we went into The One Aldwych Hotel.  My daughter guessed something was up but had little idea we were to experience the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Tea Party.  And what an experience it was.  The sandwiches were great, the service perfect but I ate too much and this was an issue when it came to the sweets.  The kids loved the Candy floss most, but they had been filled on sandwiches and had to let me help them finish.  

Following this, it was a trip to Covent Garden to see a magician perform a trick where he escaped from chains.  Again, this was an experience for the children, my son soaking it all in, my daughter being grossed out by parts of it.  And then home.  All in all, an enjoyable weekend for all, one that I suspect will not be repeated for some time.

The Alchemist

Yesterday was a day, or rather an evening in London and it was a great one. The Alchemist was an amazing experience. Having an educational background in science, mixing drinks, some of which smoke or foam was a dream come true!  In addition to this, the drinks were great!  We had come for an engagement party and as we had arrived early, we ate there.  We did look at eating nearby, but fortunately, the restaurant we looked at was booked up with a wait, so we went to the bar to find that they had a decent restaurant.  Living in the sticks, we do not get the chance to have cocktails like this, though I have to say, we are lucky with the food available to us.  But here, the food was good.  I had a curry, my wife and steak and fries.  Normally, being a person who prefers chips, I do not like fries, but stealing one from my wife, they were great.  I would certainly come back again, and have recommended it to some friends.

Last of all, chess.  My failures recently have been
Weekender 09/05/2015
The Chess Tournament That Nobody Could Come Up With A Name For
e4 e6
My First tournament

I will see if I can get the chance to post about the kids tomorrow, or at least, later in the week.

NHS finances, an October comment

Dear Any Questions

I write over several issues have been raised by the panel and I would like to try and address them quickly.
I would like to raise a few issues.  The current deficit with NHS hospitals was predicted in January.  This was raised at the time as hospitals were to be paid less forthe work that they were doing, an issue that has been the case since 2010.  
  
The argument used by the government and NHS England is that this money is to be directed to community services.  But I work in North East Essex and the CCG, which purchases community services has been told to make £14 million in savings each year and has been making cuts in services and is discussing others such as restricting the use of hearing aids in some patients with moderate hearing loss.

Next, Grant Shapps has mentioned that the Labour party has been scaring junior doctors.  The BMA, the doctors union has nothing to do with the Labour Party, it is not a member of the TUC and pays no fees to the Labour party.  His implication, though he has not said it, is that the doctors union, the BMA and the Labour Party are working together on this.

Also he has mentioned that thanks to the Conservatives, that people can see a GP in the evening.  This has been the case for years.  If anything, like elsewhere in the NHS, this is getting harder as more and more GP’s are leaving the NHS.

And last of all, the use of agency staff.  With limited pay rises more staff, GP’s included have left the NHS.  Why should a nurse work for less in the NHS for doing the same work then they now can earn more and have more control over hours and work life balance working for an agency.  This applies to doctors and also to GP’s which is why our surgery has lost three doctors, one to early retirement and two to working a locums where they can earn more and work less hours!

If we want a health service to compare to the best in Europe, why do we not fund it as much as they do?

Yours truly

Sometimes too much to drink isn't enough.

Life has been okay since my last post.  The kids have been improving at swimming and I have been ill most of the time, just mild man-flu (most of the time).  But, I did get to watch Arsenal beat the scum on telly at a friends (it was his birthday) and have been to watch Mark Thomas at Colchester Arts Centre, a great night.  The alleged comedian reminded me of my left wing principles, of the importance of protest and the importance of our rights to roam.  It truly was a night full of laughs.

My son has persisted with learning to play football, which considering that he was not that good before (and needs to improve now) shows exceptional character with him, something that makes my heart swell with pride.

Me, I have lost a few chess tournaments since my last post.
Weekender 08/28/2015
Chess Games 21
Lyle Knockout, 24h, no vacation <1500
Top of the Pops 4
1300 Madness XVI
5
I have good company considering the defeat for Arsenal in the European Cup which takes the shine of the weekend game. Anyway, I hope you like the music video and the jokes.


A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon. As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest.

After a moment or two, the vet shook his head and sadly said, "I'm sorry, your duck has passed away."

The distressed woman wailed, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure. Your duck is dead," replied the vet..

"How can you be so sure?" she protested. "I mean you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."

The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room. He returned a few minutes later with a black Labrador Retriever. As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked up at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head.

The vet patted the dog on the head and took it out of the room. A few minutes later he returned with a cat. The cat jumped on the table and also delicately sniffed the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room.

The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead duck."

The vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman..

The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill. "£150!" she cried, "£150 just to tell me my duck is dead!"

The vet shrugged, "I'm sorry. If you had just taken my word for it, the bill would have been £20, but with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan, it's now £150."