my personal homepage
No doubt there are more pressing problems in the world, but the other night some friends and I were grappling with what a hedge-fund manager of mutual acquaintance should call his new yacht, currently on order from Princess.
I suggested various epithets, from the funny to the lame (Bailout, Liquidity, Too Big to Sail, Floating Charge) but the winner was a banking friend, with the inspired Quantative Ease.
Dionne Owen and Catherine Milner – friends from my Year 6 Primary School class (pictured) are arranging a class reunion on the 5th February 2010. It will be about 16 years since this photograph. I am not in the photo – I left year 6 early when my family moved from Essex to Dorset. I wonder who I will recognise, and who will recognise me?
A simian friend of mine has recently started a blog about his quest to find the perfect burger in London. He’s asked if I’ll help on this quest (of course!) I am hoping that it might turn into a London version of Tyler Cowen’s Ethnic Dining Guide, albeit with a more restricted menu. Tyler would be pleased to note that there are at least two BBQ places (and a crabshack) on the itinerary.
Incidentally, I don’t currently link to my blogging friends enough. This I shall remedy.
Helen and I spent the long weekend motorbiking around the Isle of Wight with some good friends who are also bikers. We all had a great time, and the weather held wonderfully. I can wholeheartedly recommend:
I was less keen on The Spyglass, a pub on the front at Ventnor, which had Ringwood beer and huge portions of hearty pub food, but was a bit crowded and dark; the Pond Café in Bonchurch, which had top-class food (and prices) but disinterested service, despite having only five tables; and Red Funnel ferries, which, despite good onboard accommodation and a good outward crossing, made a total hash of loading the ferry out of Cowes on the return leg. I would also advise strongly against riding pillion on the back of a Suzuki GSXR, especially after a wine-tasting. Some photos will appear on Flickr soon.
In the absence of anything hugely insightful to say after a very enjoyable long weekend (partially) in the beautiful Southwold, some assorted trivia:
As you will have noted, there is no theme.
A great joint hen and stag weekend this, with Helen joining Moira’s gang of girls for some hire wire fun, and myself joining Russ and the lads to go shooting near Harlow. Then back to thhe new Chez Bowdrey for gin and tonic and snacks before a meal at Davy’s. I have a few photos on Flickr.
Sister-of-a-friend LK, who maintains an eco-craftie-foodie blog Start from Where You Are, impresses me as much with her Excel art as with her enthusiasm for clothes swapping.
LK's Excel art
A quick but well-deserved round of congratulations to James, who recently managed to get to the top of Everest, raising a bit of cash for a Liberian school in the process. You can find his trip details and donation site here. The most amazing thing on the site is the photo showing Everest’s shadow. Fantastic. Hopefully James will back in London sometime for Bournemouthian drinks, if he’s not climbing something else, or trying to conquer the Polish gym market.
Katie, a friend and ex-colleague, has recently launched a business with her friend Viola. Untitled Books is an independent online bookshop. Its USP is that it focuses only on spectacular books, which it reviews fully and sorts thematically, on a tarot-style wheel (above). It’s much more inspiring and personal than the big web book outlets and prices are comparable. I’ve just put in my first order, which should keep me going for a month or so at least.
