Diet part 2

The January diet, postponed to February, now starts today - March 1st.

It didn't exactly work in January. Or in February. Or rather, I did not work on the diet. So here I am at the start of March exactly the same weight that I was at the start of January. Not good.

But now I have joined the local Hartham Leisure Centre, the weather is more conducive to outdoor activities and, above all, I am determined to eat less food and drink less alcohol. So here goes.

I hope to lose some weight, but that is not the only requirement. I particularly need to get fitter and into better shape. I weighed myself this morning - 13st 5 lbs. What target do I set myself? Nothing too difficult, I think. I need to be realistic. So let's say that I need to get below 13 st by the time I go to Torquay in mid-May and then to 12st 9lbs by the time we go to Malaga in mid-June.

The fact that I still have a sore ankle, some 7 months after I strained it, does not help. But this evening I will go to the gym and perhaps tomorrow evening I will go to the pool. I need to get started and into a regular pattern. And I need to do it now.

I am reluctant to share these thoughts, in case I do not succeed. But I know I am more likely to succeed if I do share these thoughts. So watch this space.

Bit of a balls-up really

I am in agreement with Mary Dejevsky in today's Independent. I also appear to have found myself in a minority in that I supported the coalition, respected Cameron and Clegg for their bravery in going for a coalition, agree that tuition fees were inevitable, generally support the need for huge public sector cuts, am in favour of the change to the voting system, like the positive effect the Lib Dems are having on social policies and will still vote Lib Dem in the May local elections.

But this week both Cameron and Clegg seem to have got things horribly wrong. Clegg's comment that he had forgotten that he was in charge in Cameron's absence was a crassly stupid comment. And Cameron's absence, particular helping to promote arms sales in the Middle East, which a crisis was developing in that very region, was a huge misjudgement. And William Hague once more seems out of his depth.

For me all of this is reminiscent of my evacuation from Iran in 1979 when again the British Embassy and British Government reacted very slowly to the developing crisis hence putting me in some danger. I remember the day we were supposed to be evacuated when we were told to get to the British Embassy at 6am and 'keep a low profile'. When we got to the embassy compound, the gates were shut because the Embassy staff had not finished breakfast. So 200 expats were stuck in the streets of revolutionary Teheran trying to 'keep a low profile'!

So let's hope Cameron and Clegg get their act together real soon and sort out the Brits still stuck in Libya.

Off to see the Wizard

Andrew and I were given tickets by Visit London to see one of the preview showings of The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium. Of course this is the Andrew Lloyd Weber production starring Michael Crawford and Danielle Hope, who won the BBC 'Dorothy' series of programmes.

We went last night and we had a good evening.

Firstly we had a meal at Silk, a restaurant just along from the Palladium located in the actual courtroom where Oscar Wilde was tried. Not a bad meal but not a great one either.

The show was enjoyable, the performances were fine, the staging was amazing. But in the end there was a lack of emotion. Somehow, the expensive (£6m) staging overwhelmed the story and the performances. So whilst there was nothing wrong with the whole production, somehow it didn't quite grab me in any deep way. It remained rather superficial. Worth seeing, but not likely to remain embedded in my memory.

Nothing much to report

So why say anything?

I guess I just feel that if I have a blog, I ought not to leave too much time between blogs. But the past weeks have gone past without major incident and with no great highs and no deep lows.

Partly this is because I have been really busy at work. January is always my busy month because we have a December year-end and, being the finance guy among other things, I have to get the year-end figures out. Also this week I had a lot of other issues to deal with as well as chair a UKGEOforum meeting and then introduce the annual UKGEOforum lecture as part of the RICS geomatics series. Not something I enjoy doing. But it went okay and we had a good dinner afterwards.

On Sunday I played 3 sets of tennis and on Friday I played 18 holes of golf. Both were great for clearing my head and giving me some much-needed exercise - albeit in freezing temperatures.

And on Tuesday evening we were invited to the Oakham Gallery in Mayfair to attend the opening night of their 11th annual exhibition of Scottish Art. I enjoyed the evening. Loads of free champagne and some interesting paintings to see, so what's not to like? My b/f liked it so much that he bought a painting. An oil paining of Coul Bay in Islay painted by Chris Bushe, a well-respected contemporary painter who studied at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen. We will have the picture shipped out to Spain and hang it in our flat in Malaga. There is a blank wall there, waiting for something to give it a focal point.

And now I have to do my tax return. I have left it until the last minute as ever. I put some money into my pension fund this year, so I need to so a tax return in order to get the tax benefit from that. So that is most of the rest of Saturday taken care of.

As I said - nothing much to report. But it fills a blog post.

New Year in Malaga

And here, again belatedly, are some photos taken during our New Year break in Malaga.

Christmas in Scotland

Beleatedly, here are a few pictures I took over Christmas in Keith in the north of Scotland.

It started so well

During last week I had porridge for breakfast, veggie soup for lunch and steamed fish for dinner on most days. By Friday I had already lost 3 lbs.

Then came the weekend. A glass of wine, then another, then another. Chocolate biscuits mid-morning. A large dinner. And the weight has gone back on again. It's just that I tend to feel hungry at weekends and also I want to relax after the stresses of the week.

Back to square one. More willpower needed.

Resolutionary Fervour

My sedentary lifestyle plus an excess of food and drink have taken their toll. This was exacerbated in June last year when I sprained my foot. I had to stop playing tennis and golf for many months. I did less exercise that usual. But I continued to eat and drink at my usual rather excessive rate. Recent visits to South Africa, Scotland and Spain have not helped.

I think I eat relatively healthily. But I recognise that I eat too much. I don't often get really drunk. But I recognise that I drink too regularly. Most days I have a glass or two (or more) of wine when I got home from work. I often eat a chunk of cheese, possibly washed down by a final glass of red wine, just before I go to bed.

Enough is enough. Indeed too much is too much. Time to change.

So on Tuesday morning I weighed myself. 13 stone 5 lbs. Ouch. Some of that weight has to go. Not through a crash diet, but through more sensible eating and drinking coupled with more exercise.

My goal? Difficult to decide. OK, here goes. To get down to 12 st 0lbs by my birthday 20 May. By my reckoning, that is approximately 1lb each week.

It won't be easy. I need to put on some muscle, and muscle weighs more than fat. The main weight loss area needs to be around my tum. At my age, getting rid of weight in that area will be tough. I don't ever expect to see a six pack. I just want to look and feel better. And hopefully have more energy.

So yesterday and today I have had some bran flakes, tea and brown bread for breakfast, an apple mid-morning, vegetable soup for lunch and fish for dinner. And no alcohol. My weight is now 13st 3 lbs.

But I suspect that losing the first few pounds will be relatively easy. Then weight loss will become progressively harder. I have got to start some sort of exercise, even if it is just walking. My foot is still too sore to start running.

Will I succeed? I honestly do not know. Watch this space.

2011 - looking forward

In many years past, I have drawn up a long list of New Year´s resolutions. It is arguable whether they were kept or not. Just one aim for the start of this year - to improve my appearance. Not necessarily in a narcissistic way. I just need to lose weight and gain a better shape. So more exercise, less food, less alcohol and a better diet. It will be a gradual process. And maybe some clothes shopping!

2011 is the first year of the rest of my life. Yes I know that I could have said that about any year. But this one feels a bit more like a watershed. I need to make better use of my time, find time for friends, sort out my finances etc etc. And use the fact that I now live in a new flat to explore the area, join the local tennis club, go to the local swimming pool, get out the bicycle etc. Not exactly New Year´s resolutions. Just a desire to have more energy and more quality time, for myself and for others. I want to live each day in a unique way, not live one day 10,000 times.

2010 - looking back

Whenever I do a retrospective of a year just gone, the tone of the retrospective tends to be influenced not by the qualities of the year in question, but rather by my mood at the time of writing.

So here I am looking back at 2010 from an internet cafe in Malga having had a relaxing Christmas and New Year. It is consequently easy to forget the trials and tribulations of the year just gone. It was not a great year, to be honest. I made many trips to Scotland to visit my ailing father, I went to funerals of friends who were my age, work was often a real hassle, I injured my foot and had to stop playing golf and tennis, I put on weight (not unrelated to the previous comment) and generally the year passed quickly and without many positive triumphs.

I did move home though. That was achieved, not without stress, but without undue delay. And that gives me a new base from which to approach the new year. Andrew was supportive as ever. We did some memorable travel, especially to South Africa. And I hope I was nice to people and helpful when needed.

So goodbye 2010. Another year of experience on the hopeful path of life.

Scotland and Spain

We made it to Scotland for Christmas. Three trains and a bus - we were only an hour late in arriving in Keith despite the heavy snow. I enjoyed Christmas, even if looking after my father was challenging. We had a good Christmas lunch in the Royal Hotel in Keith, and on Boxing Day we dug out the car and drove to Spey Bay and then back via Buckie and Cullen.

Then on Monday we took the train to Dunkeld to see Andrew´s uncle and aunt before heading onwards to Glasgow for an overnight stay prior to our flight to Malaga. And now we have been in Malaga for three days. Yesterday we drove to La Herradura for lunch at a beach bar. Today we went to my favourite part of this area - the lakes at El Chorro. We had a fantastic lunch at the Oasis restaurant. It was also good to be able to visit Reg and Gloria in Fuengirola on our way back.

And now it is New Year´s Eve. We have our Cava and our 12 grapes and will proobably head for the Plaza de Constitution in Malaga for midnight.

Happy New Year to all. Retrospective of 2010 and thoughts for 2011 to follow in a day or two.

Heading for Scotland (maybe)

On Thursday, Andrew and I are booked to go from Hitchin to Keith by train. But with all of the snow and travel disruption, that now needs to be seen as speculative rather than certain.

This morning, I could not even get from Hertford East to Liverpool Street. The 0739 train did not depart until about 0800. So I was cold before it started. The heating was not functioning. I got colder. Then after a slow journey to Brimsdown, we stopped there for 30 minutes. I got colder. The driver then announced that there was a defective door and the train was being taken out of service. (Why can they not just empty that carriage and then continue the journey?). 500 people pitched out onto Brimsdown station. I got colder. The next announcement was that no trains were currently going in towards Liverpool Street. I stood for 30 minutes on Brimsdown Station. I got colder. Then I saw a bus going to Broxbourne. I took it. And at Broxburne there was a train going back to Hertford East. I took that. I was still cold.So I got home to my flat just over 4 hours after I left having been unable to get to work.

I was in Hitchin on Saturday and went for a walk in Herford on Sunday. Which is where I took these photos. I like snow as long as I do not have to rely on the UK transport system to get around. So I am looking forward to getting to N. Scotland on Thursday. But am not exactly confident that I will.

South Africa - Cape Town

After our time at Londolozi, we took a small plane to Mpumalanga and then on to Cape Town where we spent 6 days. Some of the time was organised (superbly) by Rhino Africa and some of the time was free time.

On the organised days, we did a wine tour of Stellenbosh and Franchhoek and also a trip to Cape Point - both really interesting days (thanks, Graham). On our free days, we took a train to visit a friend in Simon'sTown. visited the District 6 museum, spend some time on Clifton No 3 beach and went by cablecar to the top of Table Mountain.

We also were invited to a couple of parties and visited a number of hotels to check them out for AMRO Worldwide. Memorably we had dinner at the 12 Apostles watching the sun set over the sea.

I would love to write a travelogue detailing our trip at some length, but I simply do not have time. Suffice to say that we were hosted by Rhino Africa who were fantastic. Thanks to Billy, David and all of the Rhino Africa team. I hope we can bring business your way. I enjoyed this visit to South Africa much more than my first visit a few years ago. Maybe that was because the weather was better, the accommodation was out of this world, the people we met were so friendly and the scenery is breathtaking. Yes of course one cannot go to South Africa without realising the difficulties ahead for that country and the huge task still facing the government in balancing the needs and aspirations of all its people. But certainly we will be back. And I would urge others to visit as well. These are just a few of the photos I took during our visit.

South Africa - Londolozi

At the start of our trip to South Africa, we spent three nights at the Tree Camp, Lonzolozi in the Sabi Sands - on the edge of the Kruger. It was amazing.

Firstly Londolozi was luxurious - our accommodation was larger than my flat in London. I loved the outdoor shower and outdoor plunge pool. It was weird but exciting to be soaking naked in the plunge pool overlooking the African bush with, in one case, a herd of elephants only 100 yards away. The food was also amazing and the wines were on the top order.

But of course we were there for the game drives. We did 5 drives and they were exciting, humbling and just wonderful. We saw lions, leopards, elephants, rhino, buffalo, giraffe, zebra etc etc etc. Byron, our guide, and Judas, our tracker, were tremendous. Their spotting was unbelievable and Byron was so helpful in his commentary.. All in all it was a great experience.

These are just a few of the photos I took.

Rhino Africa

We have now returned from an amazing visit to South Africa. I will get round to posting a blog about this. In the meantime, our hosts at Rhino Africa have got in first. Here is their blog. Thanks guys.

In South Africa

We have been to Londolozi game park are are now in Cape Town. We are having a wonderful time. Sadly I don't have time to report in detail- rushing off to dinner now. Back in London on Monday and I hope to report then.

We have sent back some photos for Amro Bear's facebook page.

More soon.

Heading for South Africa

In the summer, Andrew and I went to the IGLTA annual convention in Antwerp.

Whist there we met the guys who run 'out2africa' a luxury travel company in South Africa aimed at the gay and lesbian market. They mentioned that they might be able to put together a travel-professionals educational package for later in the year. Well it has happened and both Andrew and I are going.

I am slightly apprehensive because I feel that having two people from the same travel business does not really add value for the out2africa guys, but I guess that since we stay in the same rooms having two of us will not add too much to their costs. We will certainly do our best to sell their holidays upon our return and will put together information for the Amro Worldwide website.

We leave on Thursday 2 Dec and spend 3 nights at Londolozi game lodge in the Kruger Game Reserve followed by 6 days in Cape Town at the MannaBay boutique hotel. It all looks wonderful and I am looking forward to it immensely. Further reports here in due course.

Autumn (2)

Here are a three more photos taken within a few hundred yards of my new flat in Hertford.


This first one is a view from my balcony looking towards the weir and the leisure centre beyond.


















The second one is the River Lee just along from the flat heading towards Ware.
















And the final one is looking back towards my flat from the Meadows.

Autumn

On Sunday, I went for a short stroll in the area close to my new flat. Which is a good excuse for posting a couple of photos I took, both taken within a few hundred yards for my flat. I loved being able to do this walk stright from the flat without having to either take the car or walk along any pavements. I was back in the flat 30 minutes after I started.

The first day ....

...of the rest of my life.

Yes I know this can be said of every day. And I have already had over 20,000 of these in my life. But then, as someone once said - have you lived 10,000 days or lived one day 10,000 times? Sadly, I think it has often been the latter.

But today feels a bit different. I have been in my new flat for nearly 6 weeks now. But during that time I have been unpacking, have helped run a conference in Stratford-upon-Avon, have been in Spain for 10 days, been up to Scotland and generally been a bit distracted.

Now, though, I have a whole month ahead of me in the new place without any trips away and I want to start to feel that this is a turning point in my life. I will investigate the local area, go for walks, join the local gym and pool, manage my time better and generally look forward to many years living in Hertford and hopefully a new focus on the enjoyment of life. I will not, though, stop watching 'Coach Trip'!

I will also drink less alcohol, especially midweek, and eat more healthily.

I guess it is a bit like having a New Year's resolution but two months early.

So here I go. The first day of the rest of my life.