End of an era? Immerse transfers in water before application.

Devastating news today. Airfix, the company that damaged more boys' bedroom ceilings than any other has gone into liquidation.

Airfix model aeroplanes (do not use cement in an enclosed space, use a nail file to smooth moulded parts) were a massive part of my childhood.

I would get an Airfix kit, usually a Messerschmidt 109, also the glue and the paints, pinch one of mums nailfiles and sit down on the dining room table with a page of the Daily Mail as protection. Given an orgy of oil based paints and glue that has fumes that give a similar sensation to that of crack cocaine, I would sit down and while away many an afternoon.

Basically, I'd paint the pilot meticulously, put him aside to dry whilst preparing to paint the wings. After about ten minutes of this, I'd just think 'sod it' and put the whole thing together unpainted and with too much glue. The result, when 'dry' was about as airworthy as a walrus.
Nevertheless, they would be automatically cellotaped to the ceiling in some attempt at recreating the Battle of Britain. If the German Luftwafe had me as an aircraft designer, WWII would have been over in December 1939.

I have good memories of Airfix though, and it seems to be sad that one more part of my youth has vanished into the ether, along with the Clangers and sherbert UFOs.

Brian had cheese sandwiches tonight, which will be followed by a maelstrom of biscuits and crisps as the night wears on.

Half eight, I'm knackered. Just about to get in the bath. Today has been uneventful. However, in one astonishing turn of events, Brian had four sausages this evening, instead of three. CNN will be ringing for verification and official statements any second. And getting me out of the bath for them no doubt.

Brian and I have decided to enrol in a Spanish for beginners course, which will start on September 19th. This is part of planning for our intended move to the Islas Canarias. Adult education classes are fantastic. Myself excepted, (naturally) the students tend to be people straight out of Alan Bennett's imagination, and the 'people watching'/'behaviour observing' can be more absorbing than the actual lessons. I have previously taken evening courses in badminton, in advanced level English and in advanced level German. One of my best friends from the five years spent learning German was sentenced to five years in prison for corporate fraud. Such excitement. If our Spanish tutor is anything less than Charles Manson with a paella fetish, I shall be most disappointed.

Lesbians to be given 'controversial' IVF treatment...

Why should this be controversial? I don't know why anybody would have a problem with this at all, unless of course they're busybodies with nothing better to do. I can see nothing but good coming from it, not least the marked improvement in sales of dungarees and Doctor Martens boots.

Hello and Welcome!

So, this is it. My first 'blog'. As far as I can make out, it's an online diary for anyone to read. So will there be anything nefarious and racey on here?

Unlikely. Possible. No, I'll stick with unlikely.

There WILL however, be my thoughts, musings and nonsense on pretty much anything, so give it a chance, and if you think I've anything interesting to say, please read on, but if you don't, may I recommend youtube.com, or google.com?

So here goes.... I'm still basking in Everton's first away win at Spurs for 21 years, but I'm slightly concerned as I've had no reply to any of several drunken (not so abusive) texts I sent to one of my best friends, Ian. He is, I should point out, a Spurs fan. So he'll either be sulking or will have had some form of family disaster at the weekend, rendering my text messages tactless and trite.
I hope he's sulking.

I like plants. They, seem not to like me. When we moved in to our current flat, I bought a fern (named Duncan) for £80. It turned out to be a suicidal fern, and I swear from day one it was TRYING to die. It was watered and fed regularly too. £80 is a lot to pay for a large white plastic pot and some peat.I have since replaced Duncan, with Sanjeev. A much more successful, but somewhat less ambitious cactus, which seems grateful for its mere existence in my office at home. It is growing though, which encourages me.

WORK today was uneventful. We missed the Bramley Challenger Man, which was a shame. We have a regular delivery of a local magazine publication, called the Bramley Challenger. The man delivering it, is shall we say, aesthetically pleasing, so it is usually a fight between myself and my colleague Nancy as to who can politely thank him for the magazines and smile the most treacly smile. He must think we're both barking mad. Anyway, between us we missed him, and he has only left us one copy of this edition. Unless of course, my patients have also taken a liking to him, and each taken a copy for themselves. The magazine is nothing to write home about I might add, but there is always a quiz which whiles aways a good 90 seconds or so.

Brian had fishcakes for dinner. This is unsurprising.

More tomorrow no doubt.