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 ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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