2026

Holiday 2

Lands End for the sign. It was my idea and everyone said do we just drive there have a photo at the sign and drive back?

To be honest I had no idea because I have never been there its just something everyone does and we are so close it would be mad not to go there and see.

Lands End is a tourist trap. The famous sign is the least of your worries if you’re visiting with kids. Once you’re there, you’re surrounded by amusement arcades, gift shops, and plenty of expensive attractions designed to tempt families into spending more.

After paying £10 for parking, if you want the classic personalised photo at the sign, that’s another £10.99 if you escape for less than £21.00 I salute you!

I have to say though the views and scenery are…actually very similar to the rest of the cornish coastline….

Having driven there and back I was itching to go for a walk so suggested to Jamie to walk down to the sea and follow it around the bay which would take about an hour.

My favourite thing to do is spend time  with Jamie and I can’t think of anything better than a beach walk it’s just special to me, I bloody loved it

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Holiday 1

Waking up to seagulls squawking means we are either very close to landfill or the coast thankfully we are in Hayle just across the bay from St Ives. Our first full day of our South Coast holiday in an apartment looking over the sea and the sun is blazing, maybe not so much as it has for the past two or three weeks but enough to walk down the coast after bacon butties to see what high tide looks like.

We walked the headland because the sea was lapping the rocks that last night when we arrived at low tide were 500 meters away from the sea. The the tide was now going out so once we’d got as far as we could go there was a bit of sand showing almost all the way back so we were able to walk back along the beach.

We took our time and managed to get back completely on the sand, for me a perfect start to the day. We packed up our beach stuff once we got back Jamie made sandwiches and we went back to the beach for the rest of the day.

I ventured into the sea which was very tough at first but once in they couldn’t get me out the waves were pretty big but the actual depth even 35 metres out I was still able to stand up. I enjoyed diving through the breakers but preferred floating on me back over the rest, eventually though after nearly an hour I got a bit cold and made me way back to the chairs.

With the kids now back at the digs mom and me sat and soaked up the sun while we dried off and warmed back up.

Its still only 6pm as I sit writing this still baking in the sun with a beer,  the day is far from over but so far its been perfect.

Lincoln is lay on the couch looking at his phone, mom’s cooking spagbol for tea before we go out and Reagan’s asleep, so as family holidays go so far this is a great one and its only day one!

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World Cup Final 2026

Last night England beat France in a 10 goal thriller to “win” 3rd place I didn’t watch it nor am I watching the final which is being played as I write this blog.

They say a photo tells a 1000 words, well behind me is what I’ll be watching instead of football sat with Jamie who took it.

Definitely what I’d rather be doing…!

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On my feet for 4 hours

Reagan applied for a job at the Fox and Hounds in Sproston and they called her this week to come and do a trial shift so tonight while mom and Lincoln were at his last show of 13 I dropped her off to do her first shift.

It was very surreal watching her confidence as she walked to the door not looking back for reassurance just disappearing in to the pub.

I went to pick her up 4 hours later and sat on the carpark waiting only to see her finishing her shift clearing and cleaning tables in the garden area.

From being handed this tiny baby 16 years ago to watching her start her first job has been a roller coaster of emotions but tonight was a proud feeling.

As she walked towards the car I could tell it had gone well from the huge beaming smile on her face not normal for the girl who tries not to show emotion.

How did it go, was my only question

REALLY WELL, DAD!

I shadowed a girl called Emma, who said I did really good and recommended me to the Becky the manager for aanother shift.

They asked me to clear tables and clean them but realised I was good at it so eventually I was taking plates to the tables then taking orders and taking payments. The weirdest thing was going behind the bar for a drink, I needed it I’ve been on my feet for 4 hours! LoL

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Night two

Superb, brilliant, very proud!

Dropped Lincoln off at The Kings School and went back to meet Nannie, Reagan and Jamie at the Bridge Inn Prestbury for some food before night two.

I have to say the production was first class and all the performers were excellent, Lincoln obviously stole the show in my eyes but there were a lot of stand-out performances.

I could see that he was loving performing for us and the feeling was reciprocated, I know a lot of his friends and fellow drama buddies are going to the performances tomorrow which he will enjoy too.

10 out of 10 buddy you were ace!

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Opening night

How did it go Linc? Stopping everything to focus my attention on the star of the show as he got home I got:

Apart from forgetting a line in my solo it was good yeh!

Did you handle it how did you manage the mistake?

…….?

Nothing, on his phone not even listening so fuck it I am not here to be ignored I showed genuine interest wishing him luck before he left and being 100% present when he got home but I consider my time to be too important to waste so switched my podcast back on.

His pointed out how rude he was but I didn’t have his attention so he is no longer  getting mine.

I get it he’s a teenager blah blah

I guess I’ll be able to critique the show first hand tomorrow but tonight it was “good”

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England v Argentina

I started to believe…why? I had no interest in the world cup, it had passed me by, but its ingrained in me its that tiny part of me that thinks…that believes that maybe?

Reagan and me sat there glued to the TV watching the three lions, well 11 but you know what I mean. Reagan began to hate (well dislike strongly) the fucking Argies which pleased me because she is in no way scarred she just disliked them of her own accord lol.

We went 1 nil up early in the second half after a very angry stoppage ridden 1st half where I believed we were the better side, just. The second half began and somewhat against the run of play a great  move down the right opened up the Argentine defense and Anthony Gordon on 55 minutes, was there to poke it home. Unfortunately that was really where the problems started, we went into our shells dropping deeper and inviting them on to us for the rest of the game eventually pinned inside the last third of the field and you just can’t do that for 35 minutes once Lionel Messi started dictating play.

The manager made 2 defencive substitutions hoping to hang on but when they scored it meant we were not set up to attack again and the inevitable happen the scored again. Two goals in the 85th and 92nd minutes meant we were on our way home, beaten by annoyingly the better side on the night.

Five minutes from a world cup final but it may have been fifty we thought one goal was enough we went defensive and in my opinion when I saw it live and on reflection attack would have been the better form of defense.

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Redesign

Not having a great deal of time to actually do anything today other than work and ferry Lincoln to rehearsals at the venue for the actual performance. The Kings School Macclesfield looked huge and a bit intimidating but he strode in and I drove off.

On the way home I decided to start redesigning the garden shed on wheels which I made last year but got stuck, as I always do when something doesn’t quite go as I wanted it to. I am glad in this case because putting the doors on the short side just makes so much more sense so I spent the hour or so waiting to travel back to Macc taking the lathes off the (now) front of the shed.

This is a project I intend to complete during my time off but wanted to see what i was up against before buying the wood.

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Phantasmagoria

For all their punk respectabity I found the Damned as goth not punk, wanting the subtler vibe, something I struggled with trying to fit in with the “punk” crowd I hooked up with around that time.

This album was my gateway into punk  and the music of 1985 that stood out to me at the time. I wanted an identity something I owned that everyone knew whether they had met me or not and I reckon I achieved that being the one who dressed in black and had a white streak in his black hair.

Phantasmagoria Just spoke to me and allowed me to be different not just from anyone else but also my mates too. They were punks and skins and I fitted into neither really but was accepted and allowed to be different in a different crowd.

The Damned were my favourite band and the first I went to see live in 1986 with a mate from school Tim Oakes on a coach from Crewe to Hanley Victoria Hall. Great concert and very exciting to actually see the band I’d listened to on record playing in front of me.

My taste in music changed around this time because all we were listening to was punk but this album was a main stay on my record player at home even if me mates didn’t like it.

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England v Norway

I am writing this sat at church the day after because the match didn’t start until 10pm and it went to extra time so it was gone 1am before I got bed.

The result was 2 – 1 to England which is what we were all hoping for but as is England’s way we were put through the wringer. In command for 23 minutes then after the first hydration break the went 1 nil down and could have been even worse before they sorted the problem out and Jude Bellingham again scored a vital goal at a very important time to make it 1 -1 at halftime and the momentum wrestled back.

Second half was energy sapping for both sides but both sides had chances to go ahead but extra-time was needed and a nerve settling early goal made it easier tactically because we could dictate the pace of the game in 30? plus high humidity. 

Reagan had joined me just after halftime so was also feeling the stress as Norway threw everything at us. I did relieve some of her stress as a young Norwegian fan was shown jumping up and down on TV I shouted at the telly “SIT DOWN YOU LITTLE RUNT!” which sent her into hysterics and then every time she thought about it for the rest of the match!

Defensive substitutions proved beneficial late in the game, protecting the lead but it was still a relief when the referee finally blew for time!

So, it’s the Argies next on Wednesday and a chance of redemption for 1986 and 1998 bot cuts that still bleed…

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