It's always a much more smilier place Bournemouth when the sun is out.

Here is the huge deck chair that Pimms UK put onto Bournemouth beach as some PR stunt.

Have been putting off a big trip to the other side of the world for about three years now but that time is coming soon.

Am off to Hong Kong and then Vietnam. Lots of family things going on, a visit to my mum's island of Ap Chau, big gathering of the Shek clan, a visit to Angela's birthplace.

No doubt there will be lots of seafood photos, pho noodles and cold beers forthcoming!

Oooo, someone got a face-palm at Weymouth Court the other day and left with their tail between the legs. Even Counsel commented on how bitter they were. Shame.

There is no more delaying tactics, no more playing the system for this individual. It's all due now. Official.

Who says nice guys never win?

If this person's employers see regular payments of £250 being taken on the company card, then they need to start asking some serious questions.

We all live and learn, and move forward. Adios.

I thought i would start off a new web site for news and info on the local area. A bit of word play on Southbourne Grove and there you have the web site name.

Will start off asking a  few friends and neighbours to populate the site and we will see where it goes from there.

Website: Southbourne Groove

As if things were not hard enough in this economic climate where people are busting a gut just to get by, do the right thing and also care about their work, without others being officious in a vile and offensive way. Not everyone is asking for triple time on bank holidays, private or public sector. People are working long hours just to ensure their service is just as good even when the squeeze is on.

Hence it comes with the utmost disappointment and a bit of anger that elements within Bournemouth Hospital can’t see the lengths others have gone to, far far beyond the call of duty or for the health and wellbeing of its senior staff whose ultimate responsibility is that of its patients, and not that of the paperwork.

Frankly, the number of 10pm dinners I have had to endure over the past year whilst waiting for someone who puts patient safety first and while supporting the strength of their team, tells me exactly who has been putting in the hours and for whose benefit.

Now I get to see the actions of some overbearing bullies staking their domain.

Back-pedal all you like with your - oh sorry didn’t mean to send that just before Xmas – and oh we will know listen to your side of things, days after your non-stop ranting. Don’t think people didn’t see you smirk, as if you were patting yourselves on the back like you believed you were doing a good job. A hatchet-job of self-destruction more like. Don’t think there isn’t a groundswell brewing that could wash you away.

The government has the right idea about getting shot of poor teachers as quickly as possible. Let’s hope they start looking at the NHS.

I've no need to worry about this. Karma works its process. It has done previously and it will do so now.

The constant stream of successful court cases against #projectsnake has just refreshed my memory of all the years of karate training, attack is the best form of defence.

Every now and then you see something on YouTube that just grabs your attention.

This was it the other night.

Google Plus is a bit of a pain when trying to have a friendly web address. Hopefully they will have a feature to set a nice URL in future.

Anyway, Ken Hassell wanted me to help and get his contact details online. I have only done a basic profile for the moment but will update it with more information in future as I get it.

Ken Hassell - Shotokan Karate Instructor

I truly am a miserable bugger when it comes to the Christmas period. I don't send cards and hardly buy any gifts unless it is as a Secret Santa for work, which this year meant the presents were bought with the knowledge of donating them to Poole hospital children's ward.

Anyway, the money I didn't fork out for silly Christmas card and postage (although Angela still sends them!?!), I have donated this year to Shelter, NSPCC and Age UK.

Forgive my little self-indulgence in making the post, but it was mainly to get the web links there for others to consider.

Southbourne Grove is finally coming to life. Has been a sleeping giant for a long time but I think the Ludo Lounge lit the flame and now we have a new deli, Costa, fishmongers and more on the way.

We just need a restaurant or two.

Earlier this year signified 15 years of living in Bournemouth. This is the longest I have lived anywhere and since making the long trip down from the North East it has been a brilliant time.

At first people wondered why I'd be moving to what was perceived as a resting place for the purple-rinse brigade. I took to his place straight away and that first summer in 96 was a fantastic sunny spell, that started around April if I recall. To be honest, we kept it as our little secret.

Funny how once our friends started to visit that they couldn't get enough of the place and our flat and then house became Hotel Fong. Some liked the place so much that they then bought a place of their own. A mini-influx of Northerners, and who could blame them.

The picture above was taken in October on what was still a warm and sunny day. Plenty of people out and about enjoying the beach and plenty of surfers bobbing in the water. I think it nicely captures one side of Bournemouth.

I was clearing out old items from Outlook application on my Mac and I stumbled across some old pricing quotes from BT for Internet leased lines.

I thought I would put them on here so people can have a laugh, and I can delete it from my machine.

BT Gold Flex
Come in on 30Mb bearer
£6,500 connection
£51,600 for 2Mb per year
£288,824 for 30Mb per year


WebStream (more throughput going out than in)
30Mb out
£6500 connection

512kbps in, £168,000 per year
1Mbps in, £174,000

It was 25 years ago around this time that I was dropped off by my dad, up in Griffin Close, Northfield and sat in my pokey room waiting for a first glimpse of a fellow student flatmate. Then there were 5: me, John, John, Duncan and Bong.

Quite timely that I was back at Birmingham University this week and was pitching a product from my company. How weird and actually quite fulfilling was that.

For old times sake I popped into the Chamon for a curry. That was my first ever sit down "Indian" curry. Young and fresh-faced, I am pretty sure my group said go for the Balti and naan.

I even emailed the waiter, Andy, the day before I left Bournemouth to drive up. I got a reply, but on the day I left saying he was going to pop in on the night. Maybe I should have given him more than a day's notice.

Here's to the Chamon Curry Restaurant in Selly Oak, Birmingham! Bless you and bless that fact that you are serving beefburgers and Chinese crisp duck and pancakes on your menu.

Great memories and those memories grow fonder as time passes by.