Last weekend started off with my mate Stig's wedding to Jane his partner and Mother of his two boys. They've been together for 10 years. It was in Woodbridge in a CHURCH.... They got us into another one... Blinkin heck soon we'll be happy clappers! Anyway soon as the service was over I took 3 quick snaps and we sneaked off like naughty kids to the pub over the road for a quick half. With that down us we headed off to the hotel/golf club/health spa where the reception was being held. I'd been dreading this because one of my work mates and his partner were going. He farts while people are eating, can't eat with his mouth closed, bores everyone stupid with talk about their wedding, picks arguements about anything, drives his boy racer car at the speed of sound, but apart from that I never really liked him... I was expecting Donna to of had enough of him after 15 mins... I was amazed he wasn't any trouble at all. We actually had a bit of a laugh. It was another docker that we all tried to get away from... Who wants to talk about the worlds most boring job anyway? He bloody well did, even after we told him right no more work...
Stig had borrowed my wedding outfit as a surprise for Jane... He came on to do Suspicious minds and a couple of other tracks. He's a really good singer and performer. Oh how we laughed when he fell over wearing Donna's shoes while singing. Somebody get the children off the stage. After Elvis he went on to do a couple of Elton John tracks. Jane's face was a picture, she didn't know he was going to do it.
Sunday morning we woke up and went for a swim. I had a few mins in the steam room to get rid of the slight hangover, I was expecting a big one but the glass of water I had instead of a pint helped during the evening. We had breakfast then off home to meet Jim and Karen at our house for our next trip. Off we went to Gillingham tattoo convention. Now if you're into tattoos/body mods it's a great little convention. Not too big but some great work was carried out. We watched branding of a bum, the lad got 100% beef branded onto his arse... Oh how proud his parents must be... Scarification, and a lad getting implants inserted under the skin on his back. A real eye opener... But back to when we walked into the hall... First thing I saw was 4 Teddy boy Drapes hanging on a stall, I wanted one... Pink, blue red or purple. I was in dressing up heaven! I had to try one on. The purple one fitted a treat. I told "Titch" from "Tartan tribe" I'd have a think about it and come back. I kept looking at it all day. Titch and his band played a set in the afternoon. As we were watching them Isobel Varley came in, She's in the Guinness book of records as the worlds most (senior) tattooed lady. I was itching for a photo but the music was too loud to ask. As the set finished and the 72 year old lady stopped dancing to the punk music I grabbed my chance. What a star she is. And sooooo tiny. I wanted her to take her wig off and show us the tattooed penis's on her head but thought it rude to ask for that!
Anyway off to the bar in the evening (I won't say too much about getting forgotten about when some people went off to the chinese) we chatted with the punks. They were telling us about the Leopard skin drapes that Titch can get in... I was tempted... I think it was about 1 when I went up to bed. A good day was had...
Sunday morning we had breakfast and went out for cash. It was chucking it down and Gillingham is a dump!
When the show opened I'd made my mind up. Now all I need is a good photo of me in my purple drape...


Anybody thinking about what to buy me I'd like a pink leopard skin drape with black cuffs and pocket tops.... Please.

It was a year ago today that I'd been packed for around a month and we were off on what turned out to be one hell of a holiday. I often find myself thinking about things like the CN tower and how I've never ever been so scared as when I stepped out onto the glass floor, and the smile on all of our faces when we arrived in NY. Mexican food in Greenwich village. Finding a good pint in New Jersey. The Beast. Meeting Dale and wandering round Torona (Thats my Toronto accent coming out there!), beer chat and local knowledge, what a laugh we had. The meat feast with Andrea and Gene. Times Square. Juniors cheesecake.




Can I please win the lottery this week (or soon) and take the family back?


Please.

Sorry if I've used this photo before but it is one of my favourites. Hope you've got over the hangover and enjoyed your meal out with the family.

I woke up with loads more grey hairs... Cheers daughter! xxx

... you invite tonnes of people to your BBQ and only a few come? Or is that just us? Possibly - judging by the fact the invites are very rarely returned ....

Well this time I invited about the same number of people I normally do, possibly fewer (so Andy wouldn't have to cook all evening) and guess what - they are all fucking coming!!!! We don't even have enough seats.

We normally have about 6 people round for a bbq, I think we're up to about 35 already now.

I'm heading straight for the beer.

People that don't look after their mobile phones really get on my nerves... They cost a lot of money you know. It's not hard to pick it up after you have a cup of coffee.


Anyway parents consider yourselves told off!!!


I got up at 5am this morning filled my flask and headed off t'lottie. 2+ hours of hard labour and it started getting too hot to dig. I went back later after doing all my chores shopping dropping kids off etc... I womans work is never done!
I've got Peas, parsnips, potatoes, onions, beetroot(3 colours 4 types), carrots, radish and celeriac in so far. If I don't get too many jobs to do tonight I might go and put Courgettes, pumpkin, brussels, leeks, sweet corn and lettuce in. I really do enjoy pottering around down there and my little dog doesn't even need to be on the lead anymore while we're there, she never strays from the plot. Cool little doggie.

We're planning a BBQ next weekend, lets hope the band of rain has buggered off by then. the week after we're back up to Northwich and Southport. I'm hoping to get my Windsor Davies Leek started and Donna will be getting more of the Phoenix coloured in.
The lottie is taking shape after a few months of not doing anything down there with new pipes getting laid and then the plot not drying out. I've sheeted around a third of it off for this year where the pipes went in. I'll tackle that again in the Autumn.
I've made a few hours of tattooing out of flogging bits n bobs that I bought at the auctions then put on ebay. I've high hopes for a few bits that finish in a week... This time next year we're going to be millionares!
It's the May day music festival in Ipswich tomorrow I'm going to miss it. Damned shifts. Hope it stays dry for Donna, won't be much fun sitting on the grass in the rain. Less fun driving round in circles at the dock.
I was invited out for a drink when somebody left the dock the other week. the poor lad that got the short straw and had to try to organise it asked me if I'd go. This person has bored us all stupid for over a year with talk about the wedding of the year, I couldn't face an evening out with them, drinking in wine bars that I hate with people I don't like drinking fizzy beer I detest. I said no! I haven't got enough life left to waste it on people like that. What we have left I'm going to enjoy.
We've loads of things we're looking forward to. Gillingham for a tattoo exhibition, BBQ, Holiday, a bike rally (motorbikes and scooters) trips to Southport, more tattoos, Tattoo jam in LLllllllandudno in August. What busy old lives we lead. What a bloody good time we have.

I'll try to post again within the next month or so....