Inspiration & nostalgia

Well done to my old uni mate Gav, with whom I ran the Scotland Run 10K whilst in New York back in April, for completing the New York marathon last Sunday in a superb time of 4hrs 5 mins.

The wonders of modern technology meant I was able to follow his progress around the route and get updates on his lap times - whilst slumped on the sofa in a hungover fug after the Lambeth fireworks display in ...

Read More »

Autumn's here...

...and the wind is buffeting my spare room curtains, thanks to the thoughtful air vent that a former resident / landlord thought might be a useful feature in a bedroom window. No way of closing it, so if you're thinking of coming and spending a weekend as my house guest, probably best to hold off until spring.

Another month-long gap between posts suggests that life has once again been too busy ...

Read More »

Bestival

Ideally, I'd like to say I'm now fully recovered from the glorious weekend that was Bestival 2011, but given I'm nursing a hangover after meeting my friend Helen for 'a pint' to return her tent, and was wearing my Bestival hoodie during the 3 hours in the pub, I'm blaming the festival for my current state of distress.

Just as well, then, that I don't have to get up at 3am tomorrow to catch a ...

Read More »

Katarzyna Pilarska Photography: Głowa w chmurach, serce na dłoni i Londyn analogow...

We'd the pleasure of welcoming our second guests to the flat (not bad for over a year of living here) last weekend - J's cousin Kasia and her husband.

She's posted her pictures of the trip on her blog - including some taken in Brixton Village and in our neighbourhood. In particular, she has captured our rocking chair (I say 'our'; it's on loan from a friend) in a way I could only dream of seeing, never mind capturing.

Katarzyna Pilarska Photography: Głowa w chmurach, serce na dłoni i Londyn analogow...: Jakże niewiarygodne jest to, że w dzisiejszych czasach człowiek jednego dnia spędza popołudnie w Londyńskim Chinatown, a drugiego dziarsko m...

Trains

Am standing in City Thameslink as I write (the wonders of moderner technology), perusing my preference for overland trains rather than the underground. Had I taken the tube from St Pauls, I'd be relatively hurtling towards Oxford Circus right now, rather than attempting to ignore the couple of pints of IPA that are slowly working their way to their exit point.

But then I'd be squashed in a hot ...

Read More »

Hits on the blog (hits on the blog y'all)

That post title sounds better if you lazily croon it in the style of mid-90s ganja-toking hip hop legends, Cypress Hill. Which is fitting, as I've been experiencing another mini peak in visits to the blog, once again due to a post about music. Or music festivals, in any case.

Last time it was because of Supajam and their free Feis tickets - something I don't really want to be reminded of for the ...

Read More »

Bestival - my Mr Spoon outfit

Bestival - my Mr Spoon outfit, originally uploaded by tattie_chomper.

it didn't quite work out how I planned in 2009 - when the theme was "Space". It became known as "Pritstickgate", as the forgetting of the eponymous white stick, combined with the mother of all hangovers after a 5am finish the night before, sank me into parcel-taping misery - much to the amusement of my fellow festival-ers.

Wouldn't half mind the weather to be the same this year as back then though.

Steppe By Steppe: Mike & the art of Kangoo maintenance

I've finally got round to putting a new post up on Steppe By Steppe - waxing semi-lyrically (and at length) about our crash course in 'not grinding to a halt somewhere outside Antwerp'. Click on the funky red link to be whisked magically across the ether to my other blog.

Steppe By Steppe: Mike & the art of Kangoo maintenance: Apart from enthusiasm, we didn't have too much in the way of qualifications to suggest it was wise to drive a quarter of the way 'round the ...

Further efforts to deal with the endemic dog poo problem

Further efforts to deal with the endemic dog poo problem, originally uploaded by tattie_chomper.

we didn't see any dog poo on the beach whilst we were there - no doubt due entirely to these genius public health signs

A fishing boat returns to port

A fishing boat returns to port, originally uploaded by tattie_chomper.

Watching a local boat return to harbour on our final morning

Trouville restaurants

Trouville restaurants, originally uploaded by tattie_chomper.

The main strip of bistros & brasseries after sundown

Seafood in the market

Seafood in the market, originally uploaded by tattie_chomper.

Some of the vast range of seafood available in the fishmarket in Trouville

Trouville

This blog has been in existence for about 3 months longer than I have been going out with my girlfriend, whom I refer to affectionately (some may say 'lazily') as J. She turned 30 in July, and - unable to whisk her off to a 5 star hotel in Rome as I wanted to - we ended up in the French seaside resort of Trouville, in Normandy. The "Parisian Riviera", no less. Or at least, right next door ...

Read More »

Rock stars, pop stars & divas

As usual, the arse end of summer has crept up on me unawares, and tomorrow sees my final payday before heading off to the Isle of Wight for Bestival, which somewhat unbelievably all kicks off 3 weeks tomorrow.

I am, of course, bereft of ideas for a costume for the fancy dress day on the Saturday, and am currently trawling the internet looking vainly for inspiration, like a desperate boyfriend in ...

Read More »

Taking it back to the old school

The ongoing rioting reminds me of being in Northern Ireland back in the mid-late nineties, when each summer would bring with it the familiar spectre of "Drumcree" and the associated civil disobedience that went with it.

Each year we would be subjected to around a week of riots, with local people rising up against the police in protest at being banned from marching down the Garvaghy ...

Read More »

Riots in London

I was planning on posting something about our trip to France for J's birthday. Instead, I've got BBC News 24 playing in the background as pictures of Lewisham, Peckham, Hackney & Croydon ablaze fill the screen and news of trouble spreading to Birmingham filters through.

Tonight's rioting has even overshadowed what the shitty state of affairs bestowed on my adopted home town of ...

Read More »

Bonne anniversaire, mon petite filous

I'm a crispy husk of a man sat before you, after a drunken night at Mango Landin', south Brixton's finest Caribbean-themed pub, saw us usher in J's 30s in some style. Everyone was incredibly generous and on top form, and we eventually made it to bed around 4am. There was only one thing for it yesterday - a hair of the dog and a burritto to soak up the excesses of the night before. ...

Read More »

Happy birthday J

Tomorrow, my lovely girlfriend Justyna turns 30. I remember when we first met, it seemed so far away - she was a young whipper-snapper of 25 and even I still had a year of my twenties left. Yet here we are, in 2011, still going strong and the big day upon us.

Alas, nearly 5 years of build up has not helped me think of the perfect present for her. 30 is significant; I wanted to make ...

Read More »

If you see slightly ugly looking links to another blog like the ones below...

...never fear, it is not spam (at least not by the standard definition - whether or not you class it as such is your prerogative*).

As I mentioned a few weeks back, I've finally got round to starting to blog about the Mongolia trip in more detail  - subtly ignoring the fact that this year's Charity Rally departed on Saturday, meaning I'm over a year behind schedule.

As and when I post something new to Steppe By Steppe, I'll chuck a link on here in case anyone fancies a gander.



*if for nothing else, at least Bobby Brown should feel proud that he has ensured a generation of pop fans can now spell the word 'prerogative' without need for consultation of spell checker.

Steppe By Steppe: The pre-trip shop

Steppe By Steppe: The pre-trip shop: "We were stupidly, horrendously over-prepared. You don't need this much food. In fact, I'd suggest you don't need any (although I accept a co..."

Steppe By Steppe: Saturday 03 Jul 2010 23:03Duh duh duh duhhhh! Duh ...

Steppe By Steppe: Saturday 03 Jul 2010 23:03Duh duh duh duhhhh! Duh ...: "Saturday 03 Jul 2010 23:03 Duh duh duh duhhhh! Duh duh duh duh... by Tony Edgar of Steppe By Steppe The blog title is a vague referenc..."

The Personal Best Brigade

Gordon, Murray and I post-race

The British 10K

So, the British 10K is done and dusted, and I sit here smugly in possession of a new Personal Best, a mere 5 years after setting the benchmark with my first ever attempt at running a race.

I was seriously starting to become concerned that my steady decline into old age was irreversible, but a few decent training runs had given me a smidgeon of hope that I may be able to potter round in a decent ...

Read More »

Not sure if baked bean loading is known for improving performance

But I'm giving it a go. Big race tomorrow! The nerves are starting. Ordinarily i'd have a wee beer to calm myself, but am settling for lucozade sport instead. Not quite the same.

Rawhide

Wind-down to the British 10K on Sunday is officially on. I did another 10.1km training run on Monday night round Clapham, in a respectable 51 mins, and followed it up with a cheeky wee 5.5-er this evening round 2 laps of the park, breaking the 30 minute barrier for the first time in years in the process.

I'm feeling in pretty good shape, all things considered. Apart from the thigh chafe. ...

Read More »

Congrats to Gav & Imogen

Huge congratulations to one of my best & oldest friends, Gav, who this evening is sitting somewhere in New York City with the weary grin of a boy who has just become a man.

Earlier today, his new son finally decided to make an appearance - only a week and a bit late. News from across the pond is that mum Imogen is somewhat exhausted but otherwise in fine fettle, as is Junior. No name as yet, ...

Read More »

1 week to the British 10K

Rather impressively, I avoided boozing to go straight home on Friday after work, and went for a run. Almost as impressively, I thought I was taking it pretty easy but ended up doing 3 laps of the park / 8.5km in around 46 minutes, which is a fair pace, especially given the massive hill I had to wheeze up 3 times.

I don't feel particularly fit - I've a sharp pain in my chest at times that feels ...

Read More »

perhaps I spoke too soon

Huzzah! Perhaps my endemic pessimism has been misplaced once more?! Having had the weekend off exercise yet again, I decided to go out for a bit of a run tonight on flatter ground than I've been used to, if only so I could cover more distance. It gets a bit boring doing the same route time after time as well, so I decided to run up to Clapham Common via the delights of Kings Avenue & the ...

Read More »

.....ah, forget it, I've no energy to think of a title

I write this with some difficulty, given my arm is stuck to the computer desk. I think it may have melted. After no summer to speak of so far, Mother Nature appears to have accidentally leaned against the thermostat after one too many sherries and south London has turned tropical.

We were promised a thunderstorm to dispel this two-day heatwave, but it has yet to arrive. It's pretty damn ...

Read More »

We've escaped the city for the weekend and I'm writing this in the sunshine outside my sister's house in the Cotswolds. A lamb roast is in the oven, as we await the return of her husband Chris from sheep-shearing duty. In the absence of tractors or landrovers coming up the lane, the scene makes me feel like we've gone back in time to the 18th century - half expecting a horse-drawn hay cart to ...

Read More »

Off my Feis

Right - first things first - the Supajam offer was entirely genuine and we got in to the Feis on Saturday with absolutely no trouble. Fair play to them - considering there were allegedly 500 tickets, the queue we were in had what appeared to be a couple of thousand in it by the time we arrived. But they didn't seem to be arguing - my friend's bar code had apparently 'already been used', but his ...

Read More »

We're in!

Cowering from the rain behind an ice cream van listening, aptly, to the Waterboys. Thanks Supajam! Less than an hour to get in. Now revelling in Irishness with several thousand countrymen

... But we're not exactly at the front either

At least we're not at the back of the queue

At the back of a very long queue

It seems the whole of London was the lucky winner of a Supajam ticket

London Feis

It's raining heavily on and off; the wind is battering the branches of the tree in the back garden off our bedroom window; I'm nursing a gentle hangover - all the ingredients of an Irish June afternoon, and therefore fitting that the London Feis is taking place in Finsbury park this weekend.

Time to test  the Supajam free ticket offer. I received an email from them during the week ...

Read More »

Steppe By Steppe - the blog

A mere 11 months after leaving for Mongolia; only 10 after arriving in Ulaanbaataar, I have finally begun blogging about our adventure.

I was able to post limited messages from the road via SMS to the official charity website whilst we were away; I've always intended to flesh out the story in greater detail so that when I'm old and doddery, I can look back and remind myself that we actually did ...

Read More »

And as suddenly as they began...

...the views of my photos on have Flickr ceased....

Guess I'll never know what was directing people to the two Pepsi sign photos. Bit disappointed they stopped just short of 1,000 views though.

Mum's on a road trip

Yep, as we speak, my mum is in the sleepy Spanish town of Loja, in Granada - halfway through a road trip from Alicante on the west coast of Spain, to the Algarve on Portugal's south coast.

I got a text from her this evening saying that they had stopped at a basic but comfortable hotel because they were knackered from driving all day; the next plan was to get some food in the restaurant and h...

Read More »

Token running post

Finally got back out for a run tonight, and it wasn't as bad as feared, in that my shin didn't splinter into a million pieces as I trudged up a hill.

The time wasn't actually too bad, and I don't appear to be in any more pain afterwards than I was before I started. Maybe I'll be ok for the 10K after all....

Even the dumbass middle aged munter who tried to run me off the path in the park by ...

Read More »

Running update

Was gonna go for a run tonight to test out my wonky shin. Ended up having a couple of pints in the Regent on the way home instead. Best to rest the leg for a bit longer I think. Can't be too careful.

Put my feet where my mouth is

As it were.

I've just been idly clicking on the 'next blog' link (at the top of the screen if you cast your eyes upwards) to see who my neighbours are on Blogger. It appears that in the years that have elapsed since I last tried this, Blogger has somehow worked out a way of categorising the sites, and they have me down as a runner with a passing interest in New York. This is all well and good, ...

Read More »

Supajam part two

I've noticed a lot of traffic coming to the blog trying to establish whether or not Supajam is a scam - as I alluded to in my earlier post, I don't think it is, albeit I'm not 100% convinced that there'll be as many tickets as 'ticket holders' should everyone decide to rock up en masse on the 18th of June.

For what it's worth, and given a further fortnight's reflection, I can't really ...

Read More »

Wonderlust King

Have I posted this before? I make no apologies for sticking it up here again, if so. It seems odd that I wouldn't have already shared it - my favourite band, one of their best songs and part of the official soundtrack to our trip to Ulan Bator last summer - not to mention being an inspiration for getting off my arse and seeing a bit of the world in the first place.

Admittedly the ...

Read More »

900 up

I promised something epic for my 900th post to the blog, but after 5 days spent not writing anything because it seemed inadequate, I looked back through previous significant milestones and discovered that I've pretty much failed to acknowledge 800, 700 or 600 either. Pressure off, then. Maybe I'll time my new-found productivity to coincide post 1000 with the Queen's ...

Read More »

привет!

Ever wondered what our friends in Russia see when they log on to this very site? Of course you have.

The sight of Cyrillic takes me back to last summer, as we bumped and juddered through Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan & Mongolia. In particular, the "Who am I" section in the top left - translated to "Кто я?" - reminds me of the song that sound-tracked our first few minutes in Siberia, ...

Read More »

Wrong again

So, turns out I conformed to stereotype once again last night, jumping to a pessimistic conclusion that I hadn't 'won' any Olympic tickets when there was still a full hour for the money to leave my account.

Admittedly, it wasn't so much negativity as a general inability to grasp basic tenets of timing - something I excelled at in New York, whether dragging everyone out of bed to get to a pub at ...

Read More »

Bringing it back to the general theme of the blog for a moment...

.....which (when it started) was running, in case you hadn't realised - can't think why...

As mentioned in a few previous posts, whilst in New York last month I competed in the Homecoming Scotland 10K with my good friend Gav - it coincided with our trip over to see him and was a good excuse to pull my gutties on in anger again after nearly a year off.

The course is essentially a full lap of ...

Read More »

Quitting smoking is easy. I've done it hundreds of times.

I've always liked the above quote from Mark Twain, it sums up everything non-smokers need to know about the difficulty with which we self-afflicted junkies kick the habit.

Whilst not into the hundreds yet, I'm currently in the throes of what I believe is my 6th attempt in 2 years to quit the demon weed. This time around it's going pretty well - the only time I've done better was my first attempt ...

Read More »

Olym-not-picked

Well, according to the 2012 Olympics, today should have been the day that money should finally have left my account, if I were to prove successful in the ticket ballot. Despite one of my friends securing some U23 football action, and another (slightly concerning) mate off to the Rhythmic Gymnastics, my bank balance remains resolutely no closer to its overdraft limit than it was two weeks ago.

It ...

Read More »

Bit drunk. Leaving do. Lots of Peroni. I wouldn't normally concern you with this triviality but I just downloaded the Blogpress app.

Never again will a lack of computer prevent me from sharing reams of inane wittering. If nothing else, the iPhone's spell checker may make for some amusing typos

bringing sexy back

I love the way that hits on my blog have been steadily decreasing since I started posting again. Nothing gets the creative juices flowing like feedback like that. A complete absence of content is better than anything I choose to share with the world. Cheers Google analytics.

On a more positive note, I drafted some communications blurb at work last Friday afternoon, having left approximately 45 ...

Read More »

Shaved my beard off on Saturday morning, c.6 months after growing it.

No one's noticed.

Supajam

I got sent a link yesterday by a mate, from a company called Supajam. In return for completing a couple of details, I apparently have been given a free day pass to the London Feis - an Irish festival in Finsbury Park next month featuring legends of the celtic world such as The Waterboys, Van Morrison and, umm, Bob Dylan.

All seems a bit too good to be true. Day tickets are pretty expensive (I ...

Read More »

Someone sounds funny

Must say thanks to Jimeoin for a quality Friday night's entertainment in the form of his Something Smells Funny show at the E4 Udderbelly on the South Bank.

Udderbelly have rigged up a most agreeable venue with a couple of bars, food stalls and tables & lanterns in amongst the trees. It's a very nice alternative to the limited areas to have a drink on the south side of the Thames, ...

Read More »