All Things Maritime

Parts of this week have been lots of fun. Others, not so much… So let’s get those bits out the way up front.

The boiler breaking on the day the weather decides it’s had enough of the unusually mild January temperatures was not ideal. The mercury has plummeted and so has my desire to get out of my warm bed in a morning and into an ice cold shower. I’m bored of winter already and I fear it’s only just starting… Mr Boiler Fitter has been here all day Sunday and now all day Monday and still says he needs another day to get it finished – after Googling ‘time it takes to fit a new boiler’, I think he might be taking the piss a bit.

The Boat Show 2012

Anyway, enough of moaning about the weather and it being cold in winter…

I’ve now finished my second full week in the new placement and it’s still going well and I’m getting a better idea of what this team and area of IM is all about. I’m going to be taking over some responsibilities from a couple of people who are moving on to different departments so next week will be about making sure I know what I’m doing so I can take over seamlessly. I also found out today that one of the guys I'm working with has written a book! And I have downloaded it to my Kindle. And I will plug it for a second time in the PSs below. I think it's brilliant that anyone can now release a song or write a book!!

I also had my end of placement review with my manager from the placement I’ve just finished and a 3-month review with the scheme sponsor (before he leaves and we get a new sponsor on January 20^th) – both went very well.

All aboard!

This weekend has gone so quickly! I headed up to Stratford Westfield on Saturday morning to pick up a few things and meet Mr Brook. We picked up some breakfast-to-go and headed back to the house to drop off his enormous(!) bag. Once we’d breakfasted we set off for the Boat Show 2012, currently on at the ExCeL (just a sort DLR ride from the house). One of James’ Events Management MMU friends works at the ExCeL and said we should poop down. ExCeL is massive, it even has two DLR stops depending on which end of the building you’re looking for. There were loads of activities going on. You could have a go at wake boarding or kayaking or sailing but we gave that a swerve because we just knew we’d be the two plonkers to fall in! Instead, we headed over to the Big Boys (technical term) to have a look around a £1m, ‘sports family day boat’. It was incredible and most likely the only time I’ll be on one so we made the most of it and took lots of photos! It had two double bedrooms, a twin room, full kitchen, sitting area, sun deck, plasma screens...etc etc... amazing!

Old Royal Naval College.

I spent Saturday night hiding from the cold in the house and watching the NFL Playoff game between the New Orleans Saints and the 49ers. Every year, just after the Super Bowl I always think I’ll get into NFL a bit more (starting with the Draft), but this year I’ve finally done it – since September I’ve been checking in with scores and streaming games when I can. I haven’t got a team yet but I inexplicably root for Baltimore (probably because of Michael Oher and The Blind Side), Seattle, New England and New Orleans. The Super Bowl is at the beginning of February so I’m sure I’ll waffle on a bit more about it then.

24hr Clock

I hadn't decided what I was doing on Sunday until the morning of.. and after watching NFL until 2am I would have been more than happy just to stay in bed all day but thought I should make the most of the weekend while it was bright and VERY sunny. I hadn't been back to Greenwich since that fateful house-hunting day back in August when I got completely lost up Maze Hill on the way to a viewing and a man came to pick me up in his van and small children in the back… I’d rather not relive that here… (oh dear, that sounds way worse than it was supposed to!).
Anyway, I jumped on the DLR and headed down the stop at the Cutty Sark (not Greenwich proper) and wandered around a bit until I found the Greenwich Market where I bought some lunch (spicy lamb and chorizo wrap - proper lush) and found a bench in the grounds of Greenwich University to chow down. I walked along the Thames Path for a while, for longer than I meant to, until I realised I didn’t know where I was going anymore but thankfully managed to find my way back through a maze of cobbled streets and cottages to the main road. I headed towards the grounds of the National Maritime Museum but carried on up the hill towards the Observatory.

View from the Observatory - Phone camera doesn't do it justice!

Nelson's Uniform -
Tiny!!

What a cool place! Amazing views across London and the chance to stand on the meridian (although I didn't actually do this - I'm saving it until both Brennan sisters come to visit in Feb) at the home of Greenwich Mean Time – needless to say it was full of excited tourists and I don’t mind admitting I was one of them. After a while I headed back down the hill and into the museum to learn all about Admiral Nelson, the East India Trading Company, the discovery of the Americas and how good the UK was at all things nautical. The museum is great and FREE - Bonus. I'd definitely recommend it.

Eventually I felt my late night catching up with me so headed back to the house in time to catch the 3^rd of the four NFL games this weekend and the grand finalé of Sherlock Holmes – Brilliant! For anyone who follows Sherlock, I think I know how he's done 'it' (don't want to spoil it for anyone that hasn't cought up on iPlayer yet!)... Roll on series 3!! 

This week I’m meeting friends for dinner and drinks and seeing Ed Sheeran in Brixton on Friday with some Manchester friends who are here for a visit!

Until next time,

Bren x

PS, I got a Kindle for Christmas and I’ve never read so much so quickly! Currently reading Before You Go To Sleep – it’s excellent so far, I recommend. I also MASSIVELY recommend you download Mashed-Up Queen of Heaven, a dark comedy with the strap line, 'If you are looking for a happy ending - jog on!' by DJ Bidewell.

PPS, This was a long  and rambly blog and I’m sure I forgot a few things I wanted to mention – damn it.

PPPS, More pics from my weekend: