The latest meeting of the MSA British Touring Car Championship at Thruxton, Hampshire didn’t go to plan for Martyn Bell. Contact with a rival driver saw him retire from round 8 with damage to his suspension.
Martyn was hoping for a better meeting at Thruxton – the fastest circuit in the BTCC calendar, after he was caught up in someone else accident in round 4 at Rockingham two weeks previously. This time he was shunted from behind by Eoin Murray causing heavy damage to the rear of the car and the suspension.
With the seemingly better summer weather here in the UK year after year, more of us are taking short breaks and even the family annual holiday here in good old blighty. In fact over 35 million of us take a holiday in the UK each year. So I thought I had better give it a whirl!
Last year my wife finally persuaded me that we needed to make the 3 hour drive to Wales to visit her welsh family. I agreed as long as we could find a suitable hotel that had a swimming pool so that we could entertain our 18 month old son when we weren’t out visiting relatives.
As reported by Chris, it’s baby central here at HW HQ at the moment. There is the news that Techie and Lorna are expecting #2 and of course I am delighted report the early arrival of our second child.
Baby Ella Claire Elisabeth made her entrance at 3.54am on last Tuesday morning after Claire’s waters broke rather unexpectedly late the evening before. Unfortunatly, when Claire started calling to me that her waters had gone, I had just taken 2 Night Nurse and some Nurofen Plus to ease my man flu and help me sleep. I think it was these pills that actually kept me very calm and relaxed during the labour and birth. When I eventually got home the next morning, the tablets finally took hold and I slept solid for 4 hours, despite neighbours and friends calling at the house and ringing the phone to try and wake me up.
As Ella is just over 3 weeks early she weighed in at a wee 5lb 10. Due to the ‘Doll’ like size I have had to attack Mothercare in search of Early Baby clothes that fit. What a nightmare. I think there is a website in premature baby colthes.
Our son Jack is nearly 2 now and I have say, it’s not until we arrived home with Ella, did we realise how BIG Jack has gotten. He now seems huge in comparision. We are trying to teach him what ‘Gently’ means as he enjoys giving his new baby sister ‘Big Cubbles’.
After a positive first season in 2006, HW is once again sponsoring Martyn Bell in the British Touring Car Championships. Yesterday, Sunday 1st April, saw Martyn compete in the first three rounds of the competition at Brands Hatch. After a winter of testing, a new engine and the sorting of last seasons troublesome suspension, things are looking good.
Despite overall finishes of 13th, 13th & 11th. Martyn took 10th, 9th & 7th in the independents. With over 25 cars on the grid, these are great results –the disqualification of Turner in race 3, saw Martyn rise a place from 12th/8th to 11th/7th.
…to me! Had a great day. Woke up with Man Flu, which has been great while trying to look after my 21 month old son who also has a flu type virus. The wife looks a bit shadey too and has gone back to bed.
Ah well, just me, the little ‘un and his projectile vomit to enjoy then. Marvellous. Pass me the bucket again someone…
I was going to write this yesterday, alas I forgot.
Yesterday evening we had nearly an inch of snow overnight and as it was unexpected it made for slippery conditions. Well it did for all those people who leave the house to go to work :)
Shortly after 9am I get an IM on gtalk from Jon telling me that due to that fact he was snowed in, he couldn’t make it too work. Had it not been for the fact that he actually works from home, I might just have believed him! I give him points for trying (it on) though.
January 22, 2007 at 8:30 am
· Filed under General Travel
I wrote last week about with an update regarding APD (Air Passenger Duty) and how it affects those already booked on flights traveling after the 1st Feb.
I have just read that Thomsonfly, Thomson Holidays low cost flight airline, is to offset the hike in APD against it’s accommodation bookings by offering the equivalent amount as a discount off holiday accommodation booked on it’s website. The arrangement applies to travelers with pre-booked flights on or after February 1 who will be required to pay the additional £5 APD before they travel.
January 22, 2007 at 8:20 am
· Filed under General Travel
Looks like another fun filled few days are coming next week as BA Cabin Crew plan a three day walk out over sickness pay and staffing issues.
In addition to the three days planned on the 29th, 30th & 31st Jan, two further three day strikes are also threatened. These being the 5th, 6th & 7th of Feb and the 12th, 13th & 14th Feb. Joy.
January 16, 2007 at 8:49 pm
· Filed under General Travel
I have just been watching the BBC Watchdog program and they had a feature about Oxford based MAS Travel. The company was taking money for flight reservations that it was making with the airlines and not passing the payments on to the airlines concerned, thus invalidating the tickets issued. Many customers did not know they had been scammed until they arrived at the airport. With airlines turning passengers and their ‘invalid’ tickets away unless the paid up more cash to cover the cost of the flights.
