Norfolk Place Names
Posted: Sat 24 January, 2009 Filed under: Domestic, Travel, Weirdness 2 Comments »One of the things that’s pretty much guaranteed to drive you crackers when moving to Norfolk (and I’m sure the same is true of many other counties – it’s just that with being here, I notice the Norfolk ones more) is the sheer randomness of the pronunciation of some of the town names.
For example, how would you pronounce Wymondham ? I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be Windham. (win-dom)
Other examples I’ve recently fallen foul of include :
- Happisburgh – hays-bur
- Tacolneston – tackle-ston
- Stiffkey – stookey
- Garboldisham – garble-sham
There’s plenty of others too, and locals invariably look at you like you’re some kind of weirdo when you pronounce the places like they’re spelt.
Booking Breaks
Posted: Wed 31 December, 2008 Filed under: Driving, Getting Organised, Travel 4 Comments »In view of trying to be more organised (and the fact that the current job gives me holiday pay) we’ve been trying to be more prepared when it comes to holidays etc. for 2009.
So this week we’ve booked the first break – a week up in Castle Douglas, in Dumfries & Galloway at the end of March.
It’s an area I’ve never been to, but it should be fun. I’m already looking forward to it, even with a seven hour drive to get there…
The Drive Home
Posted: Tue 16 December, 2008 Filed under: Driving, Travel Leave a comment »Oh yeah, and the drive home following the concert last night was dead easy too – we got back on the dot of 1am, as predicted some hours earlier.
In fact, it took two hours dead from leaving the (effing extortionate) car park in Hammersmith to entering the drive at home.
As usual, the sat-nav was useful for getting out of London (it had been OK for getting in, but the route was based more on my memory – of which another post later – than on accuracy of satellite information/routing) but after that it was just a case of auto-pilot, and not hanging about.
Tracy Chapman
Posted: Mon 15 December, 2008 Filed under: Music, Travel Leave a comment »Oh yeah, and tonight we’re down in That There Lunnun, seeing Tracy Chapman at the Hammersmith Apollo.
I just hope the people aren’t as annoying as last time round.
Whatever, I doubt we’ll be back in Norfolk much before 1am…
Fraudulent
Posted: Sun 7 December, 2008 Filed under: Customer Services, Cynicism, Domestic, Driving, Travel 1 Comment »It’s going to be one of those months, obviously.
On coming out of the hotel we stayed in on Friday, one of my car tyres was nearly flat. (7psi , to be exact) I’d only checked and inflated the tyres on Thursday – the same one had been a bit flatter than the others, but not so significantly – so we knew it was a slow puncture.
Reinflated the tyre at the conveniently nearby garage, and went to get a replacement.
In the end, both rear tyres needed replacing – yes, it could be a dodgy upselling trick by the tyre place, but I simply don’t know enough about tyres and wear to make an educated judgement, although I did know they were due for replacing in spring anyway, according to the normal servicing garage.
So I went to pay by credit card. And ended up going through to manual authorisation where the people were asked if I was present, and for loads of details which made it obvious that both a) I was there and b) the card was there. Then they got put on hold, and the twat on the other end never came back.
I’ve just tried calling them about it, and apparently the fraud department shuts at 5pm on a Saturday, and won’t be open again ’til Monday. Now yes, I could have called earlier, but I didn’t – we’ve had other things to do, for one thing. But why can’t they be bothered to call and say “we think this card’s being used fraudulently” ? They did last time something like this happened.
I’ll write more when I know what the fuck is going on with the card. That should be another fun task for Monday…
Away for the weekend
Posted: Fri 5 December, 2008 Filed under: Animals, Domestic, Travel Leave a comment »And again, we’re away this weekend.
This time it’s to go to the wedding of one of Herself’s friends, over in Oxfordshire. So we’re going away early on Friday for other reasons, seeing my family on Friday night (two separate occasions within a week, that hasn’t happened in years) and then staying Saturday night at the hotel where the reception is.
Hound’s staying in the kennels she used to use regularly over near Wokingham, so there’s a fair amount of mileage being covered along the way, but it’s all for the best.
And on Sunday we’ll collect Hound and then come home.
Busy busy busy.