Weekend In Hythe

Sunday saw Jim and I headed down to Folkestone, via a pick up in Snodland of my Nan, for some time with my family. Some ongoing family drama meant I didn't see my sister that much but she did make an appearance.

For the evening entertainment, and some Valentine's Day time alone, Jim and I headed into Hythe to find NOTHING WAS OPEN. The Globe, The Red Lion, the Chinese with the scary Chinese lady, and just about any other pub we could find was closed. We eventually found ourselves in The Kings Head, which turned out to be a quiet, but agreeable, Shepherd's Neame pub where we had a few drinks.

On the way back, in honour of the Chinese New Year, we grabbed a Chinese takeaway and headed back home for a lovely meal and then Pan's Labyrinth to finish off the night.

The next day we met my Mum's new partner's daughter, Natasha. She was nice but was somewhat akin to Taz of Tazmania, and terrified and exhausted us to the point we made a fast exit home.

I may be having only a four day week but work is... STRESSFUL. Donations to the "Keep Jae Out Of Work Fund" or clicks on my sidebar ads gratefully appreciated! :p

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A Busy Weekend

Friday night was taken up with the first outing of work's GLBT Action group to the vigil against homophobic violence, which meant I wasn't home until well after 10pm. The next day Jim and I headed down to Mum's new house down in Hythe and whilst we waited for her to get home headed to the nearby pub, the Duke's Head, with George. Trust me, you don't want to go there. 

Mum, Debbie-Debs and Beth turned up and we spent the evening watching telly and eating copious amounts of take away in the new house. Shame Angel Cat and Noodles weren't there, with just the solitary Bella being the only pet to make the move. :( 

Made it home, via Debbie-Debs in Maidstone, ridiculously late but still made last orders at the local. 

Sunday was started with a quick shop around Tesco's before we settled in at the local for the duration. Alcoholic? Me? Never! 

Monday was an "Il Bordello" night. Straight after work, as is the custom on such a night, I met Jim in the Thomas More in Wapping, but found it was now called "Cape". The lager and their mojito's were disgusting and the place was pretty uninspiring. Shame, the Thomas More was an alright pub. Denis, H (birthday boy hence the "Il Bordello" evening) and Nail and headed down to the Captain Kidd, which was still as good as ever. Which is good but shame about the Sam Smith's drinks! 

Karen arrived and our group was now complete, so we made our way to Il Bordello. For those who aren't Dear Constant Readers, this restaurant is probably my favourite in London and was the scene of my first date with Jim. As always the food did not disappoint, with the portions defeating even the hungriest (that was me). Alright I was only defeated on the second dessert but still... ;) Gorgeous place, followed by a DLR trip home and a night cap at the local. 

I'm so tired today....   which means time for a random rugby picture (of James Haskell who is pretty damn hunky!)

This blogger works for nothing but the joy of writing but always appreciates things bought from his wishlist

Folkestone Reconnaissance

Jim and I have spent the day walking around Folkestone (and then Sandgate) in order to give Jim (and sometimes me as well) an idea of the areas he has been looking out for renting properties.

We started off along the Stade (Folkestone Harbour for those not in the know) to look at a few properties there, one of which has the view seen to the left. Then Mum and Beth arrived and we had some fish and chips from Chummy's (could have been better, should have gone to Papas on Sandgate Road!). They left and Jim and I walked around the harbour to where the old Rotunda Amusement park used to be. It is truly awful there, and a total disgrace that not only was the Rotunda removed but the remaining concrete area has not been redeveloped or landscaped. I'm hoping this is all part of Roger De Haan's grand plan. Thankfully this did put Jim of Marine Terrace (hurrah!). 

We then wandered up to the Leas and all the way along and then back through the back streets (Grimston Gardens etc.) Jim and I were both taken with parts of that area, especially the quiet ones. Very nice.

After a brief detour into the Bayle, we got into the car and headed down to Sandgate where much working was done and much "Hmm... not really our scene" was heard. (P.S. my love for Gee's remains undimished by this statement).

Returned home and continuing a very naughty non-Paleo day we have ordered a curry. Mmm...

This blogger works for nothing but the joy of writing but always appreciates things bought from his wishlist

The Little Things

Despite being a highly secretive person, my life is (almost literally!) an open book. My loves, my hates, the time I ran away, all are recorded here for you to read. Well, Dear Constant Reader, you still don't know everything! So I thought I'd give you a helping hand with some tidbits about me, things most people don't know.

1) For all my primary school life I was known as Jason Martindale. Even after the end of my Mum's disastrous first marriage, I continued with that name until I began secondary school whereby I took up my mother's maiden name once more and decided never to change it again.
2) One of my oldest memories is of being at a nursery in New Hythe, near where my Mum worked. I wouldn't have been any older than 3 years old. I can't remember precisely what happened but I do remember that I had somehow persuaded myself it was pool day and that was how I found myself naked in the paddling pool in front of everyone else who obviously knew it was jungle gym day not, not pool day! I don't think the embarrassment has left me yet.
3) Another embarrassing memory from my youth is standing on the hill at Sharnal Lane overlooking Saltings Road estate and scream "My wings are a shield of steel" ala Batfink. A decade later I returned to Snodland and was walking through Saltings Road with Melly when a guy came out of his house and went "Look, it's Batfink!". Fame at last!

4) I gave up my Christianity when, whilst going through a period of typical teenage Jae mental instability, I decided that if the church doors at the next church I went to were locked then God obviously wasn't listening. After following this route I discovered he really wasn't when I came across a locked church in Newington. It was still a few years before I worked out there was no God at all.

5) I used to keep a tally of every time I saw my crush at school in the back of my homework diary. It puzzled some of my friends as to what I was doing leading only to awkward questions. Those were the days!

P.S. Notice my new design. I likes.

This blogger works for nothing but the joy of writing but always appreciates things bought from his wishlist

All Change Please?

Are their big changes ahead in the lives of Jim and Jae? Possibly. Little spoken dreams of moving out of the big smoke and back into the country have slowly come together into something more. Not quite a firm plan, but certainly a firm shared desire on our parts to move to Kent. I want to go to get away from London and return to the warm embrace of familiarity and comfort that is my home town. Jim wants to get away from London, save lots of money and live by the sea.

So what are the benefits:

1) I'm tired of London. A little time away might bring back my rose tinted glasses and return London to my favourite city, like it was in 2005.
2) I'm useless at keeping in contact with my friends in London and outside of it. Being back home should make keeping in contact with my mates there a little easier and having friends in London should mean I come back to visit every so often!
3) more house for our money. One bedroom flat on a busy road in Greenwich versus three bedroom house on the seafront in Folkestone? No contest really is there.
4) Fresh air
5) Wonderful scenery (Kentish men are really, really hot).

And the drawbacks:

1) Public transport is so much better here in London and as a hardcore pedestrian this is has allowed me a level of freedom I simply don't have back home.
2) Employment options are limited, the pay very much reduced and career advancement nearly non existent. Whilst part of me thinks "So what? I DON'T WANT A CAREER!" (and to be perfectly blunt, I don't. Life is too short.), I do want to at least try to pull my weight with money in this relationship.
3) Erm... err... erm...

Yeah I'm sure there are actually lots of drawbacks and perhaps it's a case of the grass is always greener, but one must sometimes take a leap of faith. So whilst Jim plans exactly where he wants to live, I've dusted off my CV and put it up. Dear Kentish Constant Readers keep an eye on the Herald jobs section!!

This blogger works for nothing but the joy of writing but always appreciates things bought from his wishlist

Culling Seagulls Is A Silly Idea!

A lover of seagulls I am not! These birds appear to be filled with a demonic intelligence hellbent on making human life on the coast a misery. Having watched (from a safe, cowardly distance) seagulls attacking grown men who strayed too close to their nests, I can tell you they are not to be trifled with.

Gulls 1 Humans 0

But, of course, that is simply how it appears to us. Seagulls don't WANT to live near us. They just do so because we are so stupid and provide them with no reason not to seek the easy opportunities we give them for food. What would you rather do? Catch food out to sea or simply wait for some idiot to throw out their leftovers?

So when I see a news story like this it gets me a little annoyed. "Cull the seagulls" cry the townsfolk in a similar fashion, I expect, to how the townsfolk of Salem screamed "Kill the witch!" all those years ago.

Seabirds have shops owners in Shepway and Thanet in a flap because of their unusually aggressive behaviour. Some are snatching food out of visitors’ hands and from al-fresco diners’ plates, while others tear open bin bags, leaving streets strewn with litter.

Unusual? Unusual as compared to this former behaviour perhaps but not unusual to anyone who lives in the area. They've been doing this for years!! Crazy idea here: DON'T LEAVE BIN BAGS ON THE STREET!!

Giovanni Ioannou, of Le Cafe Ganmac, in Folkestone’s Sandgate Road, said this week that birds hang around his cafe “like thugs”.

He added: “If you don’t get out and clear the tables quickly, they hop up and eat as much as they can. I don’t like it at all. A gull got inside once, through the back door. It was as if the bird had planned it. They knock plates and cups off our tables and smash them. Too many people are feeding them. You see them getting scraps and they’re becoming tame. Something needs to be done.”

Really? So if you leave dirty tables, seagulls will come and eat at the remains of some messy persons meal?? What a surprise! Don't leave dirty tables and the seagulls will go elsewhere! They wouldn't come into town if people were keeping food safely out of their reach, and then those silly folks who feed them would not get a chance to do so.

The problem is also seen along the coast in Thanet. Gerry O’Donnell runs the Tollgate Kiosk in Ramsgate. He said: “A few days ago I made toast for my wife, set the plate down and turned my back. Seconds later, a bird bombed out of the sky and grabbed the toast. It’s frightening. One customer told me a bird snatched a full ice cream out of her daughter’s hand, leaving her in tears.”

A bird who steals toast and ice cream. Terrifying indeed. I'd be more scared of buzzards myself.

If we change our disgusting habits, of leaving our rubbish out in the street in bin bags (didn't Shepway issue bins for this very reason about 10 years ago??) and leaving food where they can easily grab it, then the seagulls will go elsewhere for food. A cull will not solve the problem unless you wish to eradicate the entire species, for if we don't change they shall simply come back again. A cull would simply mean less competition for the gulls that remained. It's the silliest idea I've heard in a while and I'm ashamed it comes from my home county.

P.S. The gull population is probably too large, thanks to our leftovers, so by removing that food source we would, in effect, cull the seagulls too (so everybody is happy except perhaps the seagulls)

This blogger works for nothing but the joy of writing but always appreciates things bought from his wishlist

Things To Smile About

1) My first birthday present: The War In The Air by H.G. Wells. Thanks to Mark from Kent who randomly bought this for me!! Firstly I'd like to express my deep embarrassment for never having read H.G. Wells before, and secondly express my absolute LOVE of this book. I must immediately buy all H.G. Wells books and he can replace Stephen King as my author of choice.

2) I saw Mega Shark Vs. Giant Octopus the other day!!



This is the first true English language kaiju eiga (that's monster movie for you and I). Forget that awful '90s Godzilla, or that post modern Cloverfield. Mega Shark Vs. Giant Octopus channels the heart and soul of such Japanese epics as Godzilla and Rodan.

Sure the acting goes from very bland, in the case of most of the main actors, to extremely appalling. This movie certainly is a rubbish B movie. But it's my kind of rubbish B movie and the scene when the giant shark takes down a plane (by jumping out of the water TO CLOUD HEIGHT!) is worth every second of terrible extras giving performances that show why their day job is waiting tables.

3) As I write this Rav Wilding is on Celebrity Masterchef.



Mmm.... sexy Kentish men.

4) Hilarity of this girl being stupid. She feel asleep while having her face tattoo'd???

5) I saw James from the Apprentice on the tube yesterday.

6) I've got a four day weekend from Friday :D

This blogger works for nothing but the joy of writing but always appreciates things bought from his wishlist

The Apprentice Does Kent

Yes! Our most beloved reality tv show has gone to my beloved home county of Kent. Not just any part of Kent but Planet Thanet itself! Margate was the destination of choice in this rebranding exercise.

While one team took the family approach (Ben thought to rebrand Margate with the slogan "the epitomy of English beauty", this was despite actually having visited it!), the other decided to rebrand one of the most deprived areas of the country as a "gay destination". Erm... okay... that's a bit random. I think team member Howard might think aiming for the pink pound is always the solution to any business problem.

Anyway, who most successfully rebranded Margate? The town officials who organised this, when did one hear about anything in Thanet quite this much? They need a raise!

This blogger works for nothing but the joy of writing but always appreciates things bought from his wishlist

Drunken Ramblings Of A Kentish Bent

So after a stressful week at work (as per usual!) it was a relief to get out of the city and back down to Kent for Jim's birthday on Saturday. On Saturday, after a McDonalds breakfast, we headed up to the County Members (the local in Lympne) and proceeded to get somewhat intoxicated. In fact we were there for 8 hours during which we consumed more alcohol than I've drunk in a very long time.

It was a good day/night in which Jim, Tony and I put the world to rights, played rubbish music on the jukebox and I even failed miserably at a round of pool.

Afterwards I came home and collapsed into a drunken sleep.

Today we've been looking at properties in Stowting, a pleasant village just down the road from Lympne where my family wants to buy a house and stables for their horses plus a cottage for Jim and I. Oh, it doesn't hurt to dream does it? To escape the big smoke and live out in the country...

This blogger works for nothing but the joy of writing but always appreciates things bought from his wishlist

Pedigree Chum

Darn it. I've caught the genealogy bug again. I'm in Lympne for the weekend and there wasn't much else to do...

But did work out I'm about 80% Kentish. Woohoo!! I like knowing where I came from, and that despite everything I come from the same place as a large part of my modern ancestors. Happy times.

This blogger works for nothing but the joy of writing but always appreciates things bought from his wishlist