Last Friday (June 27th) at 7:50 pm my father Lawrence (Lol) Giles passed away.
Dad had been ill for quite some time spending much of it in hospital but his passing on took place at home where he wanted to be. He went quietly with dignity and the minimum of fuss as was typical of his nature.
He will be immensely missed by his family and the many people who knew him.
In a way he will carry on through this blog as the style and humour I employ here I inheritted from him.
Goodbye 'Big Ug' You will not be forgotten.
Monday 30 June 2008
Friday 20 June 2008
Giz a job, I can do that..
Two of my mates are having interviews today so good luck to Simon who is going for an IT support job and Rob who is going for a Science Technicans job in the same college I work in, are you insane?
Ste and Kel Are going for some sort of MTV links presenters job, more on that when I find out the full details.
So basically it's Good Luck to all and I hope to be out celebrating with Simon and Rob later.
I applied for a job at MANCAT but no feedback as yet. Come on people, get your finger out, I want a new job too.
The exam season is nearly over and even though the students went off on study leave weeks ago they still come in and use the facilities. So for those on their last exams today good luck and I will see you all on results day.
Ste and Kel Are going for some sort of MTV links presenters job, more on that when I find out the full details.
So basically it's Good Luck to all and I hope to be out celebrating with Simon and Rob later.
I applied for a job at MANCAT but no feedback as yet. Come on people, get your finger out, I want a new job too.
The exam season is nearly over and even though the students went off on study leave weeks ago they still come in and use the facilities. So for those on their last exams today good luck and I will see you all on results day.
Tuesday 17 June 2008
All choked up...
I'm not having much luck recently in the health department, having chipped a bone in my elbow the other week, and nearly dying yesterday.
I was on the bus on my way home from work when I felt a little peckish and after a root around in my bag I found a small chocolate bar. After taking a bite from said bar I decided to breathe in and swallow at the same time, not a good move. The piece of chocolate got stuck in my windpipe and I started to choke. Suddenly I am doubled up in pain unable to breathe hoping there was someone on the bus that would recognise my symptons and come to my aid. all I got was a bloke on the next seat turning round and looking at me as if to say "will you stop making those noises".
Panic time, I'm on my own.
Luckily I have St Johns first aid training and looked at my options.
Number 1; five hard slaps to the back. Try doing this to yourself, it's not easy.
Number 2; The Heimlich Manoeuvre. Again impossible on your own.
By this time I had actually stopped breathing.
Last option, punch myself in the chest.
People on the bus are looking at me as if I was some wierdo having a fit and beating myself up. It must have looked like the toilet scene in Liar, Liar.
I had no intetion of dying on a bus and after three or four punches I managed to get the blockage out and I staggered off the bus. I propped myself up against a tree tears pouring down my face and covered in sweat with what felt like a hot coal in my throat but at least I was breathing again.
Today I think I have fractured my chest bone so it still hurts to breathe but that was a close one.
There should be more people out there with First Aid training as I once came across a person in the same state and managed to get the blockage out with a couple of hard slaps to the back.
You don't get rid of me that easy.
I was on the bus on my way home from work when I felt a little peckish and after a root around in my bag I found a small chocolate bar. After taking a bite from said bar I decided to breathe in and swallow at the same time, not a good move. The piece of chocolate got stuck in my windpipe and I started to choke. Suddenly I am doubled up in pain unable to breathe hoping there was someone on the bus that would recognise my symptons and come to my aid. all I got was a bloke on the next seat turning round and looking at me as if to say "will you stop making those noises".
Panic time, I'm on my own.
Luckily I have St Johns first aid training and looked at my options.
Number 1; five hard slaps to the back. Try doing this to yourself, it's not easy.
Number 2; The Heimlich Manoeuvre. Again impossible on your own.
By this time I had actually stopped breathing.
Last option, punch myself in the chest.
People on the bus are looking at me as if I was some wierdo having a fit and beating myself up. It must have looked like the toilet scene in Liar, Liar.
I had no intetion of dying on a bus and after three or four punches I managed to get the blockage out and I staggered off the bus. I propped myself up against a tree tears pouring down my face and covered in sweat with what felt like a hot coal in my throat but at least I was breathing again.
Today I think I have fractured my chest bone so it still hurts to breathe but that was a close one.
There should be more people out there with First Aid training as I once came across a person in the same state and managed to get the blockage out with a couple of hard slaps to the back.
You don't get rid of me that easy.
Monday 16 June 2008
Birthday Shock....
In case I hadn't mentioned it earlier it was my birthday on Saturday. I got three birthday cards, one from a couple I know, one from my mother and one from the Guinness brewery (Thanks for the free pint).
But I also got a really good prezzie......Remote control shocking tanks!!
Imagine a tank fighting game where each time you get a direct hit on your opponents tank they get an electric shock through their handset. Hilarious, especially when you froget to tell new comers about the electric shock bit. Want to get your own back on a pub doorman? get a set of these and put in some practice then challenge him to a contest. It's funny watching those big guys squeal in pain.
As for the rest of the day,,,,, well, it gets a bit blurry towards the end and I was taken home in a taxi. I live less than a third of a mile from the last pub but they reckon it was safer than me trying to walk it.
But I also got a really good prezzie......Remote control shocking tanks!!
Imagine a tank fighting game where each time you get a direct hit on your opponents tank they get an electric shock through their handset. Hilarious, especially when you froget to tell new comers about the electric shock bit. Want to get your own back on a pub doorman? get a set of these and put in some practice then challenge him to a contest. It's funny watching those big guys squeal in pain.
As for the rest of the day,,,,, well, it gets a bit blurry towards the end and I was taken home in a taxi. I live less than a third of a mile from the last pub but they reckon it was safer than me trying to walk it.
Wednesday 11 June 2008
Feeling Congested..
There's been a lot in the papers and on TV regarding the congestion charge being brought to Manchester. This charge (or 'going to work tax' as I prefer to call it) is just one big con. Set rubber inside of the M60 and you will have to pay up to £50 per week. The inside of the M60 covers 100 Square miles, so I am to believe, that's a lot of payments.
So where is all this extra cash going to? Well, the council say it will go towards better public transport so lets look at said public transport.
The tram system had a makeover last year to put in new rails, trams are meant to run 6 mins apart during peak times and 12 mins apart off peak, so why have I had to wait 30 and 45 mins for a tram on my last two visits to Manchester.
How can they improve on this? Well, stop breaking down for one. If the system is to be improved during peak times how will they do this? Putting on extra trams? making it a tram every 3 minutes is asking for trouble and will lead to tram congestion. Putting on extra carraiges won't work either as some of the platforms will not be long enough and there would be problems negotiating Manchester city centre.
Will someone also point out that a monthly Bus/tram ticket should go from date to date and not run for just 4 weeks. If you get paid monthly and pay for it on pay day you suddenly find yourself needing another one just a couple of days before the next payday, fix this now.
Now for the buses. I travel mainly in north Manchester mostly with a company who's name rhymes with 'worstbus'. They have highly skilled drivers, one I saw recently could drive the bus while eating an apple, talking on her hands free kit with a newspaper propped on the stearing wheel.
Why do people not want to travel by bus? Well, my biggest hate and one I have fell foul of is chewing gum on the seat, need I say more.
The next is school kids at full noise level. I don't want to know who's 19 year old brother got his sisters 12 year old friend pregnant, though I am sure there are people in office who would like to know. There is no need for all the swearing and throwing of free newspapers at each other. They should make members of staff from the schools police these routes just to see what goes on.
Next, moble phone MP3 players. They sound rubbish and these people got ripped off when they bought the phone because mine came with headphones.
Next, food on buses. It's not just the smell, well, sometimes it is when the person behind you is eating a burger and chips on a packed bus, its the mess as well. I hate people who drop litter just anywhere and sometime actually at the side of a bin instead of in it. Though some people think a bus is just one big litter bin.
As for the service itself, well it's just rubbish. I have been know to spend over two hours travelling a 12 mile journey on a supposedly high frequency route, most of this time used up waiting at bus stops. Buses get cancelled but the public are not allowed to know this so they can't plan alternative routes. Last year Worstbus brought in the best service ever with the introduction of the X35, a high speed motorway using service into the centre of Manchester. This service was so good they cancelled it after a few short months. I was not going back to 2 hour journeys so we bought a car. thanks for the incentive Worstbus. Let's not forget the record breaking inflation busting ticket price rises every few months.
I believe that in Edinburgh bus ticket prices are capped at £1 per journey. Now that is an incentive to leave to car at home and take the bus, affordable publc transport.
So, what is the £3 billion of tax payers money that is meant to be used on improving the transport system going to be spent on, bus lanes? I can't think of anything else, but if you don't have a bus lane that goes all the way into the city centre instead of just the odd couple of hundred yards this is not going to help.
London introduced the going to work tax a while ago, has anyone got any feedback on how the money from this has improved services and got people to work on time?
What else could the money be spent on? I know. Give me the money and I will travel to far off exotic places for weeks at a time, staying in top hotels all in the name of research to see how other countries cope with this problem.
Or has someone on the council already thought of this. I bet they have.
So where is all this extra cash going to? Well, the council say it will go towards better public transport so lets look at said public transport.
The tram system had a makeover last year to put in new rails, trams are meant to run 6 mins apart during peak times and 12 mins apart off peak, so why have I had to wait 30 and 45 mins for a tram on my last two visits to Manchester.
How can they improve on this? Well, stop breaking down for one. If the system is to be improved during peak times how will they do this? Putting on extra trams? making it a tram every 3 minutes is asking for trouble and will lead to tram congestion. Putting on extra carraiges won't work either as some of the platforms will not be long enough and there would be problems negotiating Manchester city centre.
Will someone also point out that a monthly Bus/tram ticket should go from date to date and not run for just 4 weeks. If you get paid monthly and pay for it on pay day you suddenly find yourself needing another one just a couple of days before the next payday, fix this now.
Now for the buses. I travel mainly in north Manchester mostly with a company who's name rhymes with 'worstbus'. They have highly skilled drivers, one I saw recently could drive the bus while eating an apple, talking on her hands free kit with a newspaper propped on the stearing wheel.
Why do people not want to travel by bus? Well, my biggest hate and one I have fell foul of is chewing gum on the seat, need I say more.
The next is school kids at full noise level. I don't want to know who's 19 year old brother got his sisters 12 year old friend pregnant, though I am sure there are people in office who would like to know. There is no need for all the swearing and throwing of free newspapers at each other. They should make members of staff from the schools police these routes just to see what goes on.
Next, moble phone MP3 players. They sound rubbish and these people got ripped off when they bought the phone because mine came with headphones.
Next, food on buses. It's not just the smell, well, sometimes it is when the person behind you is eating a burger and chips on a packed bus, its the mess as well. I hate people who drop litter just anywhere and sometime actually at the side of a bin instead of in it. Though some people think a bus is just one big litter bin.
As for the service itself, well it's just rubbish. I have been know to spend over two hours travelling a 12 mile journey on a supposedly high frequency route, most of this time used up waiting at bus stops. Buses get cancelled but the public are not allowed to know this so they can't plan alternative routes. Last year Worstbus brought in the best service ever with the introduction of the X35, a high speed motorway using service into the centre of Manchester. This service was so good they cancelled it after a few short months. I was not going back to 2 hour journeys so we bought a car. thanks for the incentive Worstbus. Let's not forget the record breaking inflation busting ticket price rises every few months.
I believe that in Edinburgh bus ticket prices are capped at £1 per journey. Now that is an incentive to leave to car at home and take the bus, affordable publc transport.
So, what is the £3 billion of tax payers money that is meant to be used on improving the transport system going to be spent on, bus lanes? I can't think of anything else, but if you don't have a bus lane that goes all the way into the city centre instead of just the odd couple of hundred yards this is not going to help.
London introduced the going to work tax a while ago, has anyone got any feedback on how the money from this has improved services and got people to work on time?
What else could the money be spent on? I know. Give me the money and I will travel to far off exotic places for weeks at a time, staying in top hotels all in the name of research to see how other countries cope with this problem.
Or has someone on the council already thought of this. I bet they have.
Friday 6 June 2008
Be Afraid....Be Very Afraid..
In my last posting I mentioned that some "friends" had been taking the mick due to my arm being in a sling, well I would like to update this.
Robsey has also damaged his elbow by banging it into a door.
Simon has damaged the tendon is his knee.
Pete has torn a tendon in his thumb turning on a tap! This will need surgery.
Anybody else want to have a giggle at my accident?
I myself am doing fine but that may be because of the pain killers I am taking.
Robsey has also damaged his elbow by banging it into a door.
Simon has damaged the tendon is his knee.
Pete has torn a tendon in his thumb turning on a tap! This will need surgery.
Anybody else want to have a giggle at my accident?
I myself am doing fine but that may be because of the pain killers I am taking.
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