Well, it has been official for a bit over 24 hours now. From May the Fourth I will be Senior Public Transport Officer - Network Design (Central) or some such glorified title. Chris and Ian pulled me to one side at half past one to confirm the good news. And I was in my first relevant meeting at two. Fastest piece of action anyone has seen round here for years! Obviously I'm still nervous about my abilities but really looking forward to the change. I will have to move desks and don't get a choice as I have been paired with Sue from the Community Transport Team so have to sit next to her. That means my view will be even more restricted, being straight on to the grey cabinets on the end wall, but at least I won't have my back to them and be bothered by all and sundry making use of them.

Just waiting for the official letter now. And news of how much money it will all be worth to me.

Which means I now have to start telling people and planning for my successor. So I've written one procedure today and told everyone at the ATCO publicity meetings they will need to find a new scribe.

Meanwhile, Charles has been told off for bad-mouthing the new building. Apparently Mitchell has had three complaints about him complaining to all and sundry. Great. While Barry was chosen to go and meet the press to say how nice the place ie. What's that saying about pleasing some of the people all of the time again?

Yesterday's entertainment came from Catch Me If You Can which was, frankly, brilliant. A really good film, and based on a
true story too. Looking forward to taking a peek at the extras on disc 2 now. Have also finished the maps book. Really fascinating stuff and it has inspired me to dig out some of my books on old maps to do a bit of scanning come the weekend.

Am now on to Sunrunner's Fire, third of the Melanie Rawn books.

Oh yes, and today is Richard's birthday so we will be popping along there tonight.

Blurgh, I feel reet grotty today. Hay fever I am assuming rather than a cold after spending pretty much all day out in the garden yesterday. All stuffed up and not breathing properly. Which meant I didn't sleep particularly well. And of course the anticipation and wondering if anyone is going to come over and give me some good news doesn't help either. And at gone 4pm I don't think it is actually going to happen today. Which could just mean Mitchell thinks Chris (or possibly personnel perhaps) ought to tell me or could mean he doesn't want me for the job. I just want to know one way or the other then I can start planning properly. Hey ho.

So, what was the rest of the weekend like? Sunday was nice, fairly sunny and tolerably warm for the time of year. We went for a walk along the beach in the morning, sat on the cliff tops with an ice cream, that sort of thing. Generally a lazy day (even to the point that Richard came along and we had some three player games of Bust-A-Move and Monkey Bowling). Then we went to Bingo in the evening. Yes, that's right. WE! Joan and Helen had been planning to go and they decided Bhupen and I ought to go along as well. We only played 2 books at a time rather than the 6 they handled (I think I could easily upgrade to 3 or 4 with no problems straight away - 6 after a month or so of practice!) and nobody won anything but it was an interesting experience. Lots of gaps between the main games where you can play extra ones at a pound a time (anyone playing the lot while we were there would have shelled out well over £100) and odd concentrated bursts of concentration. I expect I'll go again some time, but not every time Joan wants to go.

Yesterday, as mentioned, we spent most of the day in the garden doing the annual shed clearout, pruning, grass cutting, car washing etc. We also had our first lunch outside of the year and got a teensy bit sunburned into the process. In the evening we watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding which was just as good as we had been lead to believe.

Oh yes, and I bought a Gameboy Advance SP for half price on Saturday. Just borrowing games from Richard for now rather than spending loads of money on them myself. There are a few I would like, but we shall see how the job and money situation goes first.

Back here today and nothing much going on that thrills. Popped into town at lunchtime to buy Richard's birthday presents and otherwise just updating reports, writing letters and so forth. And now time to head home I think...

So, the hordes are at the gates screaming at the top of their lungs... "How did the interview go then?" Frankly I wasn't sure when I came out. I knew I had given pretty good answers (and some of them were even my own rather than from Chris's assistance) and they made loads of notes (in fact I've never seen anyone in an interview write as much as Chris did) but can never tell how well I have come across. I guess I felt more confident than last time (the interview where I competed with Gary for our own jobs) but not really had enough interviews to tell how I did. However, I did get to learn what Matt thought of the other chap they called in and then had to escort him out of the building myself (!) and decided I probably had a better chance than he did.

I wasn't expecting to hear anything until after the final interview on the 20th but later in the afternoon Chris pulled me to one side and said that providing Mitchell agrees when Ian speaks to him on Tuesday I've got the job. It seems he is a bit dubious after my performance before, but Chris thought I did really well and Ian said it was like interviewing a different person. Which is nice. So, fingers are definitely crossed for a positive outcome from the big boss and then I shall have to see if I can actually do the job.

There will of course be all the transitional stuff where I have to learn the new and leave the old in a state convenient to pass it over. Chris wants Matt to get my job after covering it in the interim and he will need a fair bit of training up, but I think he should manage it. Of course I'm still nervous as hell over what I'll have to do, but just keep thinking that I need a change and the extra money will be very nice. So I'm very keen to get the personnel side of the matter cleared up straight away and start seeing the benefits. And while I'll miss Park & Ride I am totaly fed up with farting around with timetables and trying to get them printed in time. It will be interesting to see it from the other side.

We are seemingly going to take on a third of the county each, and I have got the middle/southern chunk. Glad to avoid Haverhill and Brandon and will no doubt get to know some of our prettier villages rather well.

There you have it. A couple more days of nail-biting and then hopefully I can crack on with lots of new challenges.

Not much else to add really. The rest of Thursday was mostly a blur and despite it being Good Friday Joan was at work yesterday. So I just pottered around and tidied and stuff. So far today the tumble dryer has finally been fixed and I've ironed until running out of the poncy water stuff we put in it for steaming. OK, so I could pop over to Spar and pick up another bottle but I've already been out twice today (three times if you count taking Joan to work) and am off into town again later.

Time for a few games of Pengo now (I've become hooked over the last couple of days, hurrah for MAME).

Interview rapidly approaching (10 tomorrow) and the nerves are really starting to kick in now. Working at home today as we had an appointment with the bank to see if we would be able to reduce some payments should Joan have to cut back on her work and while I am getting shedloads of work done with no distractions, the peace is also letting my mind wander and get paranoid again. Am I doing the right thing in applying, do I have what it takes, will I actually get the job, can I do it, why am I doing it and all that sort of stuff. I think it helped that I spent a good 2½ to 3 hours talking over bits of the interview and testing process with Chris yesterday afternoon. Certainly gave me a few things to think about over how I present myself and what I need to be saying. Had to do a 200+ "psychometric" multiple choice test as part of the procedure and he says the results told him what he already knows about me, so that proces either the test is very well designed and perceptive or that I have done similar things before and no the right answers to give!

I won't deny I'm very apprehensive about the whole thing, but then I do need a change as I am getting a bit stuck in a rut with publicity. I wish I could drop that side of the job and keep Park & Ride but that will never happen. And now Martlesham is open there is no further development planned for the forseeable future so I really could be in danger of stagnating. I think this whole situation has given me the impetus to look elsewhere if I don't get this one though (perhaps even if I do if I don't get on with it!). Shall just have to see what happens.

I just wish all three interviews were tomorrow as I don't really want to have to wait for the third chap to be seen on the 20th before finding out how it went. OK, I'm sure Chris will give me some indication but he won't be able to tell me I've got one of the two posts before they have seen everyone.

Aaargh, the tension!

Oh and while I'm on... Finished Dragon book 2. Again, enjoyable to re-live the experiences and had forgotten enough to be flicking ahead to make sure things would come out alright for some characters (I hate the way authors sometimes put people I really care about in grotty situations when I just want them to be the happy background and others I don't care for can have the nasty stuff happen to them).

Am now reading The Island Of Lost Maps by Miles Harvey which relates the tale of a modern day map thief along with giving details on the history of maps and mapping, a bit of exploration, a bit of library design and so forth. Thus nicely linking a lot of the other stuff I've read in the last year or so into one neat package. Interesting stuff so far.

Well, much as I would love to be writing today about how well Joan's interview went and that we are now preparing for her to start in Ipswich I can't. In the end she didn't actually go for it. I got to work, logged in, did about 5 minutes worth of data entry and got a message saying she was stressed to hell and not feeling good. So I came home and took her to see the doctor. Not her usual one, but a nice fellow all the same. After what he said she decided that the stress of the journey every day would not be good (she is not a good car passenger anyway so doing the A14 twice a day was never an appealling prospect) and she doesn't want to leave Felixstowe. Leave Argos, yes, but not the town. So she has decided to bide her time at Argos here, put up with Marion and look for something in town that pays enough and won't be as stressful.

Part of me wishes that wasn't the case as I do think the Ipswich job would have been good for her, but mostly I am in agreement. There is no point her travelling if she won't enjoy it and there are ways she can put up with the situation for now without going mad. We shall just have to hope mine goes OK on Thursday.

Not a lot else to say now. Listened to Acid Motherhood this morning and while I don't think it will become my favourite Gong album it is pretty good. Recorded in collaboration with the Japanese Acid Mother's Temple who I am now tempted to check out to see what they are like without Mr Allen along.

Have also watched the qualifying for the first Bahrain grand prix. Nice looking track (and all the desert views are much appreciated while I'm reading the Melanie Rawn books as they are largely set in sandy parts) and it could be a good race. Schumacher on pole of course, so no surprises there, but I will give them a chance tomorrow.

Joan at work so I will have to get on with some more ironing now.

Day four, natives restless but providing superb cuisine. Strange wingless bird seen in sky and mighty thunder-lizard spotted across the wasteland. Water plentiful and morale good despite defections.

Or in tranlsation, we are still enjoying the settling in process, except for Charles who seems to have found something new to complain about every hour on the hour since he got here on Monday morning. The catering facilities are up and running very nicely, with an exquisite range of sausage baguettes that we thought we ought to try this morning. 25p more expensive than Alberts, but about £2.50 better tasting. I finally got something slightly more exciting than the side of the football stadium to look at this morning when an army helicopter flew in, landed on the pitch and then departed. Ans we didn't hear a thing which proves the double glazing to be eefective at any rate. Then at lunch time a large percentage of the office (but not me) wandered over to the station to see the first train in the new "One" livery arrive. As of today our rail services come under a new operating franchise, but it seems they have chosen a truly dreadful colour scheme to go with the daft name.

Yesterday was Mike's last official day working for us (he was back at his desk this morning, but in his new guise as a temporary contract/consultant type person). We all went up to PJ McGinty's Irish bar in town for a Thai meal (in their cunningly named McGinThai restaurant) to wish him on his way. And very tasty it was too. Although I only opted for the stir-fry in Oyster sauce which tasted just like it had come from the Magic Wok at the end of our street rather than the spicier choices at least I didn't go for the burger and chips option followed by several of the party. It was a good meal in good company and naturally the talk turned to all the other people who have been through the team in the last 14+ years he had worked here. Scary how many people have been and gone just in the last 6 since I started. We then dragged him back here for his formal presentation and gift giving (we gave him a load of plants, he gave all the management team something suitable including a can of shit for Peter the marketing manager and a spinning top for Mitchell, king of the corporate spin). He also then declaimed a bit about the move here being a bad one and the structure changes taking us all downhill. Not the best way to leave you remembered favourably it has to be said.

Otherwise it has been the usual round of fiddling with timetables, spending money on adverts and repairs and generally getting to know this place. I also now know who I am up against for my interview (1 external, 1 from education transport - but his interview is not until the 20th rather than next week). I guess with two vacancies and only three candidates I have a pretty good chance! And it could be interesting either way with the education guy as they will be sharing this end of the office with us by then so he will then spend the next couple of years either resenting us or being resented by them for deserting. Still not 100% sure I want to do the job, or that I have enough skills to get me it in the first place (especially now we apparently have to be competency based in everything we do) but I feel it is time for a change and the extra money would be nice.

After turning down the interview offer with the dentist because the pay was far too low, Joan has her interview for the job at Ipswich tomorrow. I have the afternoon off to take her as they have decided to hold them in Sudbury of all places. Still, the meeting I was supposed to be at in the morning has been cancelled so I will at least be able to leave this week with many loose ends tied rather than flapping.

So here we are in our lovely new home. Obviously I use the word lovely with caution. Certainly it is going to take a bit of getting used to - for instance nearly all the internal doors are protected and need a button pressing or id card swipe to open. and there is a lot of noise floating across from down the way. Although not as much as previously feared (but then Education Transport don't move in for another couple of weeks yet and they will be our other close neighbours). There is a definite sense of feeling a bit hemmed in and crowded once sat in position as everyone is so close, and it will be ages before we can find anything despite trying to be fairly methodical when unpacking.

It took me an hour or so to get logged in to the system for PC and phone this morning, but it all appears to be going pretty smoothly now. Got both printers up and running from Windows, but not yet from DOS, and generally settling in. Charles and Gary were annoyed by the limited lunch availability but that should be up to full speed soon as well. I think I have even managed to come to a desk layout I like already. So now all I need to do is find the time for a wander about to take a few more pictures...

Going back in time, on the whole we had a pretty damn good weekend. Went round to Ma & Pa's for dinner Friday night as Grandma was up (having paid a flying visit on Thursday night to deliver her Birthday card) and departed seriously stuffed with tasty nosh. Then Saturday it was down to London for a spot of shopping along Oxford Street (finally got hold of the new Gong album Acid Motherhood but not listened to it yet so can't pass comment as yet), another tasty Garfunkels lunch and the theatre for We Will Rock You. Which was absolutley superb. Now I've been a Queen fan for as long as I can remember but hearing the songs performed live, even by someone else was rather special. I don't mind admitting that there were more than a few tears being shed. All the singers were excellent, and as themselves rather than trying to replicate the originals. Plus the story was pretty good and the scripting by Ben Elton absolutley brilliant with just the right mix of comedy and drama. It was also most impressive in the scenery and use of screens and computer graphics to set the scene too. Top stuff. The only real problem was that Joan and I were placed either side of an aisle by the ticketing arrangements. Not best pleased by that but nothing we could do about it as the place was full.

Otherwise highly recommended as a total audio-visual experience.

Plus Joan had a good reunion with Briony who used to work with her at Argos and was along for the trip with her Mum who works
here. Lots of gossip and things to catch up on.

Yesterday was fairly relaxed - shopping, ironing, rounding up the dog to deliver back to Helen & Bhupen and catching up on a few bits with them. I think they are still in shock over the whole affair but that will pass in time I guess. And I was right about the design book not lasting all that long. By bedtime Friday I was in to Star Scroll, second of the Melanie Rawn series.

Right time to get on with some work then...

Well, all around is chaos and crates as the packing progresses. Everything I want to take with me is now safely stowed and it is only just after 11. All I have left to do is to disconnect the Zip Drive from my PC as I'm moving that myself. OK, so I have overflowed from my permitted three crates into one of Matt's but there you go, such is life. And he only needed one anyway. Nothing else to do now except sit and wait it out.

Finished Dragon Prince last night and was suprised by how much of what I can remember from the series as a whole actually
happened in the first book. But I have resisted temptation to dive straight in to book 2. Instead I have picked up British Modern -
Graphic Design Between The Wars by Steven Heller and Louise Fili which won't take all that long to read as it is mostly
reproductions of posters and products but very interesting all the same. And if I ever get round to it likely to be liberally scanned for
wallpaper use...

Yoiks, another week and a bit passed with no spare time to say a few words. So here are the edited highlihghts (complete with
slow-motion action replays and learned commentary from the pundits back in the studio).

Monday and Thursday last week I did a bit of surreptitious bus surveying. We have been getting rumours that one of the bus companies who works for us under contract is "on the fiddle" so to speak and I was dispatched in pursuit of evidence. Which meant getting the bus from Felixstowe as far as Martlesham then walking on to the Park & Ride site to finish the trip in to the office. Arriving a bit later than usual but being able to claim the travelling time as worked hours for a change. Two trips each way (plus another two on Monday when Joan and I took the same service to Woodbridge for lunch) and nothing suspicious noted. One slight potential for fraud with a "regular" customer having her ticket issued as soon as the driver saw her at the stop rather than when she boarded (and confusion when she wanted a single rather than return on one of the days and thus the pre-issued ticket had to be cancelled and a new one sold) but nothing I could book them for. Although I have booked one of the drivers for using a handheld mobile phone, which is illegal these days never mind against our contract conditions. On the whole, not much learned. If I get the job as applied for I may well end up doing a bit more surveying, but that would be on an announced basis rather than making furtive notes.

I did quite enjoy the extra bus trips (damn, I'm NOT going to get an anorak) and it was nice to try the option as another alternative for getting to work if everything else went pear-shaped one day, but I'm still glad we can afford a car.

Tuesday saw my induction tour of Endeavour House. Even less impressed with the personal space available now I've seen it in the flesh but we don't really have a choice. Also not impressed with the design of desk - they have separate side table/return things which are nicely shaped to be reversible and thus fit at either end of a desk. But that has left them with a nice notch you can trap fingers in.

Most of the rest of the building we looked at seemed OK, but there was a hell of a lot still to do considering people started to move in yesterday. I am prepared to be pleasantly surprised next week, but am not expecting to be. Yes, the place is nice and airy (at the moment with no people moving around) but the cabinets are all grey steel and look really drab and it all seems a bit "wrong" somehow. Plus none of the furniture in the breakout areas or meeting rooms was in place yet so we still don't know what that will be like (And they reckon the only source of cold water will be the taps, rather than water coolers which I am not best pleased with). And having sat at my desk all I can see if I look out of the window (without turning round and making it rather obvious) is the black corrugated steel of the Ipswich Town west stand. Absolutely marvellous. In theory if I get this job I might have to move desk, but neither of the two spots allocated to the vacancies are any better in terms of view. I shall just have to start memorising nice images and close my eyes for a rest from the screen instead. We also managed to have an argument with the project manager about putting in the bus stop for the shuttle bus and Park & Ride that started yesterday. I think they managed to get it sorted in time but he was dead set against it for a while.

Wednesday I was off for the day with Joan. Went to see Kirstie to get my teeth scraped then spent the afternoon sorting out the floor in the bathroom. The floorboards had been showing through and marking/ridging up the carpet so I stuck down hardboard on top (but under the carpet) to smooth it all out. Feels much better under foot now.

Friday started horribly early when Helen phoned at 2.15 ish to tell us Bhupen's Mum had died. Not sure why that couldn't wait for a more realistic time but there you go, that's Sisters for you. Neither of us really slept for the rest of the night which left me feeling a bit zombie-like when I arrived here. And that was not too helpful as we had a full day of project management training. Yes, more of it. With the same trainer who did the two (or was it three?) day course last year and the MS Project course I've been on as well. So at least she had a rough idea of what we already knew, or ought to know. Again it was more useful information on a highly complex topic that left us all feeling dazed. In fact when I got home the first thing Joan said was that I looked exhausted. But we still found the energy to go along to see Bhupen so I could offer my condolences (Joan had been down there with them most of the day). Not a good situation really, and further complicated by the dog who - frankly - is on his last legs.

So Saturday after they left for Northampton and Sunday until a friend came to take the dog for the rest of the week we basically spent at Helen's, dog sitting. Took him out for a few walks (between the rain showers) but otherwise just lazed around their house feeling vaguely uncomfortable about being there without them. I popped home at regular intervals to feed Tawny but otherwise we were pretty inactive. Having finished and thoroughly enjoyed The Piranha Club I decided I would watch the race again (especially as we had little else to do) and I also watched the qualifying on Saturday. They've tinkered with the rules again and I'm not sure if the latest qualifying system makes it any fairer. I will have to go look at some dedicated F1 websites to get a fuller understanding of the intricacies I think. Needless to say Schumacher started first and stayed there to the end other than during the pit stop business but I did at least stay awake the whole time.

All told it was quiet a relief when the friend did turn up at 4.30 (she'd been away for the weekend) and we could go home to collapse. Except of course we had to go out again to see Mum as it was Mother's Day.

So I was quiet glad to be off again on Monday to catch up on a bit more of the rest we hadn't had over the weekend. We had a nice ride up to Woodbridge and a very tasty lunch as well as doing a bit of shopping, getting very cold having been fooled by the sun in Felixstowe but avoiding the pretty heavy downpours that still keep coming.

And now back at work catching up, tidying up and almost ready to start packing up for the move. The new Park & Ride leaflets finally turned up today, three days after the route changed but pretty good considering the time they were given to turn them around. Looking at the building closely on the way in has not made me any keener to get down there next week - and also I notice they still have loads of work to do. So it looks like we will be working on a building site for a good couple of weeks at least. As soon as my phone rings I will be heading up to Martlesham P&R to have another go at sorting out the stop announcement timings. Fun galore.

Have followed the F1 book with a re-read of Melanie Rawn's Dragon Prince. First of a series of 6 which I initially encountered during my first year at College and have re-read once (I think) in the interim. During the revision phase for the end of
year one exams I got through a huge number of books as I was keeping my brain going by alternating between text books, lecture notes and fiction. It must have worked as I passed, but I seemed to be heading in to town every couple of days to buy something else to read. And this one was being pushed in one of the two independent bookshops I used to visit (one called Clulows, the other I can't recall the name of any more) so I thought I'd give it a go. More in-depth on the charachters than some Fantasy I've read in the past (I'm sure I've seen the series described as mixing fantasy with soap-opera) and I'm enjoying re-discovering it all. Books 2 and 3 followed at the right time to be used as revision aids for the second and third years at College, and number 4 was also published in annual sequence. Then something odd happened over here and 5 and 6 were delayed. And delayed. And I ended up buying them on American import from Red Lion books in Colchester after not being able to wait any longer. Similarly book 3 of her latest series has also been delayed for a few years now, but this is because she hasn't written it yet - according to her website she was in a car accident and doesn't feel like finishing the story yet. So I have books 1 & 2 sat on the shelf unread waiting for the final chapter to arrive before I make a start on them...

What a week (well, OK 5 days) this has been. Saddened but not at all surprised by the trains being blown up in Madrid. I was wondering if something like this was due to come along soon, and looks like I was right. I know I shouldn't be relieved that it happened in Spain rather than over here, but can't help feeling it. Of course the natural result was for people to start demanding airport-style luggage checks on all rail passengers. Like that will ever happen, we have maybe 15 to 20 international airports in the UK, and over 2,000 railway stations. Many of which are unstaffed and with no building more substantial than a shelter on a platform. So even if the will was found the money would never be available to resolve the issue. Such a mixed up and depressing world we live in some days.

I've been just as busy as ever at work, meeting sales reps, sorting out timetables and the usual. Sonic back on Thursday after another week off. Turns out the baby has some gland or other not functioning properly, but they know how to manage the situation now. Good news, even if it does mean she'll be on one tablet or another for life.

Charles had a meeting at the new place and took a camera with him. So now we have all had a better look at Endeavour House the feelings of dread and foreboding are closing in more and more. It really does look cramped and industrially drab (lots of grey steel cabinets all over the place), and there are several flaws in the layout as well. Still, the decision has been made and we are moving whether we like it or not. I am down there on Tuesday morning for a proper induction so will take my own camera as well as trying to get a proper feel for the place.

Finished Science of Discworld II today. Enjoyed it thoroughly and think I grasped all the science bits. Will probably need to be read again to make proper sense of it though. Have now started The Piranha Club by Timothy Collings which is all about the power struggles at the top in Formula One over the last few years (but also looking back to the '60s). Looking good so far. Oh, and we watched Finding Nemo today which was brilliant, although the disc is faulty so that will have to go back tomorrow.

And Joan is now off at the bingo so I will have another few minutes on the exercise bike she just bought...

So we have had cloud, bright sunshine, rain (at near horizontal angles) and even a few flakes of snow so far today. And it is absolutely perishingly cold outside to add further insult to injury. Typical Suffolk spring really. I don't know why I still get surprised by things like that after all these years.

Joan having to put up with Marion today for the first time in ages, and it seems she is in a bad mood already. Great. I wish I could sort the situation out for her.

Things are fairly quiet in here today. I think the reality of the upcoming move has finally reached everybody and those who are not keen have at least now become resigned to the change, rather than complaining about it all the time. For my part I am still mostly looking forward to it, even if I have the same concerns as most over lack of space (personal and for storage) and just the general change situation. We had another big stack of information come round yesterday telling us all about various aspects of life in the new building and it will definitely be a culture change for most of us. I'm not sure how well the new rules will be enforced though, or indeed how long it will take for people to start demanding changes. I think the biggest change for us will be the mixing up of how we sit at the moment and the further integration around us of the education transport team. Who are currently in a different building. But it turns out they are moving in a few weeks after us so we will have time to ease in to the first change before the second. Of course there is still the possibility that I will be changing jobs at the same time anyway. If I ever get round to looking at the information properly and making my mind up about applying.

At the end of the day, so long as I still have a job I'm not too fussed right now over what it is. Over in the rest of the transportation part of the division/directorate/whatever we are called this week they are going through a re-organisation and some of them are (once again) having to re-apply for their own jobs. Another fun County Council hobby that one.

In more interesting news, I finished the inventions book last night. Fascinating stuff some of it. And because they were presented in strict chronological order I spent a fair amount of time thinking "oooh, did that only get invented then?" and "I thought they were older than that" and so forth. Plus despite never having thought of myself as being particularly patriotic, I did feel quite good at times realising which bits were British ideas writ large. Or indeed Suffolk ones, if you want to go to that level of detail.

Have now started The Science of Discworld II: The Globe by Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart & Jack Cohen. Like the first one it mixes a Discworld short story with explanations of how the real world works. Fun and informative all at once. Of course it will probably leave me wanting to read up more on the topics covered, but then that's no bad thing really.

While out this lunch time I managed to convince myself to buy the second Legends fantasy anothology as edited by Robert Silverberg for only a fiver in hardback. I was going to wait for the paperback as with the first one, although slightly concerned that they might not do it as well the second time around. Mainly because of the tales collected I only wanted to read some (which fit in with series I've read in the past or want to try) and not the whole lot. Last time they split the paperback edition over two books, and luckily all the bits I wanted ended up in the same one. Here there is more I want so decided not to take the risk. That's my excuseand I'm sticking with it. So, new bits from Otherland, Pern and stuff for me to enjoy sometime later in the year (might only be next week, might be several months. I have far too many books still sitting on the shelves begging to be read). Of course having just had hardbacks for the last few books I've read I'm enjoying the lightness of a paperback just now!

And finally, I have also finally got round to sticking the collected works of The Police in the car, having meant to since reading Sting's book. It has served to remind me just what a damn fine band they were. Also the first band I can remember actively wanting an album by. Not exactly sure when I first got my own music playing equipment in the bedroom. I remember an old valve radio which was fixed underneath the bench I had under the windows, and this was superseeded by some form of amplifier (can't recall what though) plus cassette deck and a Garrard turntable some time in the mid to late '70s (and let's face it, probably late as I was still only 8 come 1979). Although certainly I was well versed in the art of keeping records clean before moving up to secondary school in September 1982- we used to be played in to assembly at primary school by two "lucky" pupils drawn from the oldest class manning a creaky old record player with a very carefully chosen selection of vinyl. And sometimes younger kids were allowed to do the honours as a treat, which I was at least once in pre final year days so that will have been in 1980/81 time. During which shift I was so appalled by the state of the records available I obtained a spare "EMItex" cleaning cloth from home to sort the mess out.

Anyway, the kit was probably classed as a birthday present - I know the three albums that accompanied it were as I can recall unwrapping them. A K-Tel compilation called Music Explosion (two tracks on which I can recall were Seasons In The Sun from Terry Jacks and Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas), David Essex - Rock On and a classical compilation Rock Gently With Beethoven, Bach & Brahms. Must have made a big impression given that I can stil recall them despite no longer having them (although I have a sneaky feeling they are all round at Ma & Pa's somewhere). So from that point on I started building up my music collection. Slowly. And mainly with unofficial soundtrack albums as re-worked by king of the disco remake Geoff Love. But "real" music intruded as well and I have a vivid recollection of first seeing the sleeve of third Police album Zenyatta Mondatta and knowing I wanted it on a trip to London. We were at a street market somewhere (possibly Camden, but I'm not sure) and it was hanging up on a record stall. The bright orange with blue triangle on screamed at me from across a couple of intervening stalls and the image has kept in my head ever since. I don't know if I had the other two albums by then or if they entered my life later. I knew the singles from them as we always listened to the charts on a Sunday afternoon and there were a couple of documentaries about them shown on the telly that I would kill to see again, but...

Suffice it to say that The Police were the first proper band I listened to properly and knew stuff about. And still in my top ten.

I think that's all for today.

Just when I thought Suffolk was a nice sleepy place to live where nothing ever happened, this occurred (from the BBC news):

Armed robbers hit late night bus

A bus driver has been robbed at gunpoint near Ipswich.

Two men wearing balaclavas stopped the First Eastern Counties bus at a bus stop in The Street, Martlesham, just before 2300 GMT on Sunday. They threatened the driver with a gun before stealing a quantity of cash and other items.

Suffolk Police are appealing for witnesses who may have seen the men escape in a dark-coloured estate vehicle which headed towards Ipswich. The male bus driver was uninjured, but shaken by the incident.

In a blinding twist of stupidity though, they managed to hold up the only bus route in Suffolk where all the vehicles are fitted with cctv cameras recording, assault screens for the drivers and other security measures. Plus they chose Sunday night when they are half-empty and have hardly any cash on board. Just can't help some people can you!

So, I hear thousands screaming, how was the weekend? The answer is - pretty quiet. Joan working both Saturday and Sunday so I was pretty much left to my own devices and the ironing. Did spend Saturday afternoon round at Richard's for a change, but mostly installing, trying, rejecting and uninstalling games on his new PC so not actually all that much in the way of fun.

Yesterday I thought I would give Formula One another try with the start of the new season. I really wanted to be gripped and enthralled by it all like I used to be, but sadly it was not to be. The latest set of rule changes has left some of the cars looking pretty wild compared to when I last looked at them, but I was still asleep by the end of the tenth lap. And I really do mean asleep, not just bored. Whatever happened to proper racing? All that seems to happen now is a fight for position at the start then trawling round the laps in order with the only real position changes coming from pit stops. Not what I want to see. Plus they are still not showing the action in widescreen yet. Dull, dull, dull and tedious.

Been to a meeting with Anglia Railways this morning concerning bus movements during the forthcoming Ipswich rail tunnel closure. Time sure has moved on quickly since I first got involved last year. I think we are now sorted on what will be running when from where and by whom. (Could I have got another W in that last sentence?) Nothing particularly exciting from that other than having been in another building in Ipswich for the first time. Thrills galore.

Called in at Argos on the way back to pick up some Stotties and pease pudding - Jacqui has been up home to the North East for the weekend and brought them back for us. Joan will be overjoyed. Mind you, she has Weight Watchers tonight so better not scoff the lot as soon as we get home...

Still feeling annoyed by the marketing team. And not actually helped by the Manager coming along trying to butter me up for another project. And now my PC has been playing up again and refusing to print without 27 re-starts and so forth. Grrrrrr. Oh well, I'm sure I'll be happier tomorrow (and no, a big dose of chocolate didn't improve my mood either).

Joan has been to the dentist, again, and still has infection problems with her tooth. He has drilled up and released a load of nastiness then packed the hole with antiseptic stuff. Lovely. Will have to remember not to breathe when kissing her tonight.

Finished Holy Fire on the bus home last night. Good stuff. Not sure if I understood it all, but I definitely enjoyed it. Mind you
I'm not sure I want to have understood some of the medical stuff. A bit gruesome in places. Have now started Inventing the 20th Century - 100 Inventions that shaped the modern world by Stephen van Dulken which does exactly what it says on the
tin...

Funny how it only takes one small thing to get one's back up. Today started off fine, Joan off and I managed to get out of the house early enough to make using Martlesham Park & Ride practical (in fact got my earliest arrival time at the office so far this week out of it), no complaining emails to find on arrival and all well in the world. Then Ian comes along and asks if I can add the new shuttle bus stops to my P&R leaflets (we are funding a town centre shuttle thingy as part of the move to Endeavour House as councillors don't think people can walk the 200 metres or so to the current nearest bus routes). He then shows me the draft shuttle map. Which is blatantly derived from my P&R publicity. It would have been nice to be asked if they could use it, or at least to be told that they were using it. I'm not normally a bitter person, but this has just wound me up.

Today's word from the forgotten English calendar is "Niggle" which I use all the time. But of course these days it means small, irritation or suchlike whereas the 1895 definition quoted is "Small, fine or cramped handwriting; a scribble, a scrawl" so I guess I can see how the meaning has mutated over the last 100 years.

Today's odd thing - we have just had a new member of staff turn up. Didn't even know we were looking for one. I think he is actually from a consultant here to help with database wrangling, rather than a direct employee, but we shall see.

This is bizarre. Or totally expected. I have sneakily installed the BBC radio player software to the work PC and am typing this listening to a repeat of last Sunday's "Freak Zone" from BBC Radio 6. One of the stations only available through digital radio/satellite/the web. I would listen to it at home through the dish if I ever remembered to. We are not in a digital coverage zone yet in Felixstowe so not worth buying a proper digital radio (ideally I'd like a pocket one that could travel around with me, and indeed use at work as the quality via the web is pretty appalling). Anyway, the show in question is usually hosted by Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden but as he is off on tour at the moment Paul Morley of Words And Music fame. And he is talking just like the book was written. Which is, as stated, either bizarre or expected. However, I am prepared to put up with that and the low quality as he played some of the stuff mentioned in the book I'd not encountered before. Which is great.

So we are both back at work. Not too bad for me. Yesterday mainly spent catching up on loads of emails and sorting out staff discount and new stops for Park & Ride linked to the office move. Not so good for Joan but she is plodding on and only has to get to the end of next week before she is off again anyway. She did speak to someone high up in personnel about the whole situation which hopefully will help in the long term, but left her feeling sick when having to do it.

Oh, and we watched the film version of Chicago on Sunday night. Very glossy and fun.

I think if we ever get to the stage of winning big on the lottery (yeah, like that's ever going to happen) and can give up work we will have to change a few things about how we spend all the free time compared to a holiday from work spent at home. Like giving me some time to get on here to start with. I'll be honest, I didn't want this blog to be just the simple record of what we've been up to it seems to have become. I was hoping to get a bit more in depth on some topics, writing about books and music and films in much the way I do about the computer experience over at Way Of The Rodent, trying my hand at bits of short fiction and stuff, then sticking them up here for all to see. As it stands I never seem to have the time, and when you think there ought to be a chance - on holiday - there is even less to play around with. So, should we ever get to the state of "permanent holiday" I think we'll have to be more regimented in doing a bit of everything.

So, what did I do with a week then?

Monday was of course the Charter Mark seminar. Got there in time despite the train's brakes being stuck on for a while just into London. I think we stand a pretty good chance of keeping the award if I am given the time and backing to do the work that will be required. I know the previous director was dead keen on all the gongs and plaques on the wall etc, we shall have to see where our priorities lie under the new system. They have combined a lot of the old criteria into fewer sections now, but added a new one about impacting on the wider community. Like I say, I think we should be OK but we shall have to wait and see.

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent in a big spring clean of the house. OK, it needed doing and the place looks lovely again (although the dustmen were probably less than happy with the amount of junk we threw out) but I could have used a few minutes of fun in there...

Thursday Joan had to go to the dentist in the morning for a filling. Not fun. Especially as a bit of x-ray investigation turned up an infection up in her jaw as well. So she is now on anti-biotics for that to add to the excitement. We then had lunch with Mum & Dad round at the White Horse and finished off by taking Tawny to the vet for her annual booster injection. She enjoyed that about as much as Joan had liked the morning. And they have decided her teeth are in a state so we have to take her back in a couple of weeks to be knocked out and cleaned up. Which will no doubt cost an absolute fortune. She is worth it, but we could use not having the expense.

Friday we went into Ipswich, did a bit of shopping (even finding some top notch Old Navy gear in one of the cheap shops, which was a welcome surprise) and met Jacqui from Ipswich Argos for lunch. A good day really. Then yesterday we spent food shopping, doing final tidying and cooking for Mum, Dad and Richard coming along for dinner. That went very well too (and another 15 out of 10 to Joan for her culinary wizardry).

The only film we have managed to watch all week is the second Tomb Raider - The Cradle Of Life. As with the first, not much of a plot more a stringing together of action sequences in exotic locations, but fun all the same. I treat them more as extensions of the games rather than "proper" films and just enjoy the ride. Never have been one who needed deep plots and motivations from every piece of entertainment.

Have now finished Words And Music and enjoyed it in the main. Still not sure what he was banging on about half the time, and yes it is a tad pretentious in places, but I am more fired up to go listening to lots of music after reading it than I ave been for a while. Am now in to Holy Fire by Bruce Sterling. Set about 100 years from now when politics has turned largely in to a way of keeping old people alive longer and full of lots of medical details. Enjoying it so far.

So now Joan has gone back to work today (but only for 2 weeks, then she is off for another 2) and I have to go back tomorrow. Not particularly looking forward to it - I always hate not knowing what might have occurred while I've been off. All I know is that Sonic probably won't be around much - their baby has finally come along but is not in the best of health. They know what isn't wrong with her yet, but not what is and how long it will take to sort out, so he is expecting the first of many trips down to Great Ormond Street childrens hospital sometime in the week.

Mind you, we only have four weeks now to the move to Endeavour House, so I expect more clearing out and packing to start soon...

OK, time has done the flying thing again. Tuesday was good and bad together. For me it was pretty good as mr dentist fella was happy with my teeth and just wants to see me again this time next year. Woo. OK, so I will still have to keep seeing Kirstie every three months or so at £20 a shot but that's still better than losing the damn things. For Joan it was not so good - she went in to the Doctor raring to go back to work and he said no. So she won't be back until after our holidays now. The way Marion took the news (i.e. a total lack of concern and being a bit rude about it all) didn't help matters either and that made Joan feel worse again. Things have eased over the last couple of days, but she is still fretting over it. One day things will go well in one attempt.

So, what else has happened for me? The timetable books did indeed turn up on Wednesday (early in the day for a change, and with a ramp and pallet truck to help with the unloading) and I did spend Thursday and Friday out in the van with Matt delivering them. We made really good time and managed to do some of run 2 on Thursday. Which made for an early finish on Friday to start my holiday. Nice.

And then yesterday I turned 33. Don't feel any different, to borrow an old cliche. Everyone spent far too much on me, but there you go. We also did some shopping, watched a film (American Pie 3 - The Wedding which was just as funny as the first two despite lacking some of the original cast) and went to Mum & Dad's for dinner. Another good evening including playing games of the wooden block stacking thing (a generic Jenga) they bought me for a laugh. And we did indeed laugh.

Today we have visited the market and now Joan is off to Bingo. Hopefully with the success she had last time. Tomorrow I have a hideously early start for a Charter Mark seminar in Hammersmith before a jaunt around London then real hols for the rest of the week...

Well, Joan is appearing a lot better from the outside and claims to be feeling that way too. Unless the Doctor has other ideas tomorrow she is planning to go back to work for the rest of the week. Certainly she has got rid of the headache that made her go to see him in the first place and is much better rested again.

I've been busy as always at work with the usual stuff, but also pondering over a quandry as to what to do career-wise. Basically Sonic has mentioned that there is just no way he will be able to get my post upgraded to Senior status and suggested I go for one of the network planning vacancies instead. Still not sure if I want to do that job per se, but I do want the seniorness and the money would be nice. If nothing else it would relieve some of the pressure on Joan to stay with Argos just because we need her salary as well as mine to keep the house and stuff. I shall see what it entails and at the very least throw my hat into the arena.

So, what else have we been up to? Lots of relaxing and reading and watching films. Films first - The Recruit which I'd not heard of before (well, I had, but not for the usual reasons). Turned out to be a really rather good CIA spy thriller starring Al Pacino, Colin Farrel and very visible as extras Sheila, Stuart, Caroline and Chris. We heard all about their day of filming in Niagara on the Lake when it happened and it sounded like the usual hanging around in the cold and boredom you read about in the magazines punctuated with a few minutes of work. And the sequence they appear in gets repeated a couple of times in the accompanying documentaries as well. Which was nice. Helen & Bhupen brought the dvd back when they were over there last summer and this is the first chance we've had to watch it.

We also watched XXX (or is it xXx?) which was rather an over the top spy thriller. Anything Bond can do they can do bigger, louder and faster. But just the sort of switch-off entertainment we needed. And one of those films where they look like they had fun making it too.

Books have also eaten up some of the time. Finished Big Chief ELizabeth and really enjoyed it. Was good to have some of the mysteries that had been bugging me over the Pocahontas issue cleared up in a concise form too. Then did the entirity of another of the Eric Thompson Magic Roundabout books - The Adventures of Dylan which was just as nostalgically silly as the other two (and still one more to go).

Now I am in the middle of the latest Q magazine special edition - they are doing a multi part series on the history of rock so I'm in the '60s at the moment. Haven't bought Q on a regular basis for years, but they have started doing these specials recently which have been worth buying and keeping.

But as I am only reading that one at home (I tend to only read magazines at home because they get too big to browse on the bus without getting in the way of whoever you end up sat next to) I also have another book on the go. Words And Music by Paul Morley. It purports to be a history of pop music but is proving to be a bit pretentious to say the least. Interesting so far certainly but I can't decide if it is brilliant or simply so far up it's own arse that it has come out the other end again. It is making me want to go and listen to lots of new and familiar stuff in equal measure so that has to be a plus point. Maybe more on that as I get further in.

Tomorrow is the last (oh please let it be the last) trip to Colchester to see if the tooth stuff all worked then in to the office late. Today I was at a meeting about possible things that might happen if we get the money in Sudbury (so a bit vague!) and then went up to Martlesham and for a look at a village that needs a bus service with Sonic instead of my usual 1 to 1 fare. Tomorrow as soon as I get to work I have a meeting about cross-operator ticketing followed by one on marketing for P&R. Then Wednesday the books will finally arrive and I get to spend the rest of the week out in the van before holiday time and birthday...

Well bloody hell, Joan went to the Doctor yesterday and he signed her off again. Only for a week this time, but that's not really the point. I wonder when someone at Argos will get the message and sort the situation out? I had the fun job of letting her area manager know but once again got no answer so left a message. Wonder if he will actually call back. I wish I could wave a magic wand of some sort to solve all her problems I really do. Its the same old reasons - Marion just doesn't do stuff leaving it all to Joan and Matt follows Marion's lead. Not a good situation to be stuck in.

Drives me up the wall but I don't know what else I can do.

Anyway, been a busy few days. Sunday we had a good expedition up to ASDA to shop for a change. I wonder what that says about us that we can spend all day wandering round DIY, Electrical and Food shops and enjoy it. Must be getting old finally. It was worth the extra driving over a normal supermarket trip though as we got stacks of bargains!

Monday I was in London for an ATCO meeting. Much better turn-out than the last one in Norwich. Not quite as interesting though as it was more presentations than discussion. Now all I have to do is get the minutes written up without my notebook wandering off. Worst part of the day was definitely the train travel (which is annoying as I usually enjoy letting someone else do the driving). On the way in we were sat with Barry the rail officer who filled the trip with his usual inane banter and "fascinating" facts about the world we were passing. Not too bad, but irritating. On the way home the heating wasn't working and I felt quite ill by the time we reached Ipswich. So much that I was a dead loss for the rest of the night, not really tahwing out until we went to bed.

Yesterday was another day in the office with nothing to commend it, but today did at least start off differently. Coca Cola are launching a new brand of water and were doing some promotional give-aways up at London Road Park & Ride. They had led me to expect a reasonable amount of action, branded vans, girls in short skirts etc but all we got was a chap and a lass in fleeces giving bottles away. Oh well, it was something unusual if not spectacular.

Bookwise have now started Big Chief Elizabeth by Giles Milton which relates the very early colonial attempts at America. Fascinating stuff and very well written again.