Cammy's Wedding

A good friend of mine from Uni (well the Jobbyhill football team) got married recently and Katie and I resumed our role as professional wedding guests and reviewers. Cammy and Kate got married up in St. Andrews in a fantastic old converted stable - a stunning venue.

The wedding itself was great but it was also a chance to catch up with a lot of ex-Jordanhillers. A real reunion of sorts.

A rare sighting of the shy and reclusive Bryan Nicol.

Andy Robson with Katie.

The stable dancefloor.

The wedding band were led by another ex-Jordanhiller - Ross Lothian.

Slovenian Dave from the Tartan Army - he's not really Slovenian.

Hard to believe, but gone are the days of dancing around the Garage to Brimful of Asha and pouring cheap bottles of beer over each others heads. Well, we all grow up don't we?  Do we?

Anyway, there were a number of highlights but the following stick in my mind:

1) Our outrageously overpriced and undersized hotel room in St. Andrew's. (shame that this is number 1 - but these are in chronological order).
2) Cammy's Dad and Kate's grandfather doing the service.
3) Kate is a primary teacher and had prepared little goody bags for all the kids at the wedding with colouring in books and toys - all the kids also sat at a kind of top table. A great idea.
4) Sean and Chas from the football team doing the best man speech together and Chas trying to play and sing a song about Cammy to the tune of Britney Spear's chart topper "Hit me baby one more time".
5) Me having to carve the roast at the table in a big chef's hat.

6) The next day barbecue at the cottages - a nice way to round off the weekend.
7) A wander on the Old Course in St. Andrew's.

The bridge on the 18th - the photo everyone was taking.

Katie liked the ball scoop...I don't know why.

Krav Maga

This blog isn't going to become a place for my photography work but this one is quite interesting - I was photographing a Krav Maga session last night. Krav is a defence system developed by the Israeli military and involves hitting people fast and hard. They especially like to practice defence against weapons so use fake guns. Last nights session included how to defend against a grenade (honest), get out of a hostage situation and a bank robbery. All useful stuff. ;o)

Here are some pics.....

A bunch of really nice folk who I would actually like to follow me around all the time in case the need ever arose for their skills.

A year back in Glasgow

The 2nd of August marked one full year back in Glasgow - we find it hard to believe it's been a year. Katie and I have been reliving some of our travels from 2010 and arriving at the airport and seeing family when we got home is definitely still a highlight.

We both feel that another exciting new chapter is about to start and with me looking for a new job there will be some more changes over the next 12 months. We'll keep the blog going to keep you updated and we hope you continue to enjoy it even though it's not as exotic as it used to be!

Wimbledon 2011

Anyone for Tennis? Katie and I had planned (and were looking forward to) an exciting weekend down in Londinium to watch some Tennis at Wimbledon. It's been a busy year and with all the applying for jobs and stuff it was a good way to finish the school term. Our friend Clare had tickets for Katie and herself and I was just going to wing it when I got down there.

Flights were booked and we had made plans to catch up with friends, but unfortunately about two days before we planned to travel I got a call telling me I had a job interview that was smack in the middle of our travel plans so I had to pull out. As it turns out I would have been better just going to watch the tennis as the interview was a bit of a waste of time.

Anyway, I'll leave Katie to add to this post at some point and tell you how great it all was but for now I will just put up some photos from Katie's trip. The photos of my interview preparation and subsequent disappointment aren't exciting enough to make it onto the blog.

In the meantime please try and play "Spot Big Joe" - in photograph 2 Katie snapped Joe in the crowd, now it's your turn to spot him. Joe teaches at the school I was at last year and was on a school trip - he doesn't really need describing, you should be able to see him if you look. Good luck!

Big G

Just a quick one - we were out last week with some of Katie's work colleagues and bumped into Big G in the bar Oran Mor.

Us with Brad Garret who plays Robert in the hit Tv Show Everybody Loves Raymond

Big G in Oran Mor

Big G works for Rangers in the ticket office, and we know him from Jordanhill. A tremendously tall and nice fella who reminds me a wee bit of Ray's brother Robert in Everbody loves Raymond (in size and shape not personality)

Taketh That

 The Pet Shop was open for business

Double fisted drinkers

I never thought I would ever willingly go to a Take That concert - I envisaged the whole B.A. Baracus conversation, "I ain't going to no Take That concert fool", before my milk would be drugged and then I would be transported there there against my will.

However, and I should be very careful as to what I admit to here, I, Stephen Brown,  being of sound mental health, went to the Take That concert at Hampden Park on Thursday night of my own free will and I actually enjoyed the show. But i drew the line at wearing a pink hat and dancing.

Our friends Ewen and Andrea had bought 4 tickets when they went on sale and asked if we wanted to go with them. We said yeah and then kind of forgot all about it with everything else we had going on and it kind of snuck up on us.

The Pet Shop Boys opened the show and even though I don't like them much it was certainly a trip down memory lane hearing some of their jaunty pop.

 I feign excitement a bit too convincingly

 Robbie goes fishing for women.

Take That try to drown their dancers.

We had a great night and I will admit to the following things/make the following observations:

1) Gary Barlow is actually a very talented singer songwriter.
2) The quiet ones from the group - Jason and Howard - are actually good dancers
3) Robbie is now officially a waste of space.
4) Some Take that songs are quite catchy.
5) Some aren't.
6) They do put on a good show.
7) They are worshipped to a level that i feel quite unsettled by - they are just singers for goodness sake.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the photos.

Our birthdays and Derby Day

It was our birthdays at the end of May (as usual) and this year we decided to give Perth volleyball a miss and hide under a bush instead. We did however go out for dinner and a few shandies on the Saturday night with a bunch of good friends and had a great old night. Thanks to those who attended ;o)

I had a job interview to prepare for so we didn't really feel 100% in the birthday spirit. The job interview preparation went well - unfortunately I didn't get the job though. Well, I say unfortunately but actually, if I am being honest, the only disappointing thing about not getting that job is that I am unemployed at the end of term and have to start job hunting again - I was kind of looking forward to some predictability and drudgery. ;o)

But hey ho, it's back on for high octane excitement again. If Katie didn't have such a great job we would seriously be thinking about moving again - there are a million tax free teaching jobs in seriously hot countries which would be very tempting for a couple of years. Besides, it would make for a much more exciting blog....

Anyway, after the highs and lows of interviewing we had Derby Day to look forward to. Our great friends Noan and David who live down in Romsey (picture the movie Hot Fuzz and you'll know what Romsey looks like) had won at a charity auction a table for 10 in a posh marquee at the Epsom Derby. They invited us down for a cracking weekend which we both thoroughly enjoyed after all the recent pressures.

We flew down to Southampton on the Friday afternoon and we had a lovely afternoon out on the lawn playing quoits and drinking champagne - it really is a different world. Noan and David's neighbours Chris and Lyndsey joined us and we all had a good laugh before venturing out for a Thai meal.

On the Saturday it was an early rise to get the chauffeur driven Mercedes mini bus to Epsom. On the way we picked up the Saturday racing papers in an effort to be well informed about the possible winners. I would have been better not bothering, we won pretty much b*gger all!

By the time we got to the races it was Pimm's O'Clock - well, they were serving lots of it along with champagne if that makes more sense.

 Inside the marquee

Liz, Chris, Andrew, Noan, Lyndsey, some big old guy we didn't know.

It was a lovely day and we had a great track side view from our tent at Tattenham corner. We were well served with food and drink all day - needless to say this was made full use of.

 Some horses running round the corner.

Noan and David

 Katie and David

 The girls

Noan and Katie

A great day was had by all and after the races we still managed to get the chauffeur to stop by a pub for a quick pint on the way home, we then stopped off in Romsey for one and picked up an Indian meal for a midnight snack.

The next day we sat around an watched the final of the French Open on the telly before flying back to Glasgow. 

Good company and many drinks - thanks to Noan and David for exactly the kind of weekend we were in need of.

Aunt Margaret's 90th birthday surprise.

Last weekend we made a whistlestop visit to Carradale to spring a surprise on Aunt Margaret for her 90th birthday.

Margaret had no idea we were coming and Katie had put a lot of planning into making sure things went perfectly. Katie's sister Gill came up from London to join us which added to the surprise for Margaret (and Katie's mum) as the girls aren't home together very often. A cake, a barrel load of food and some helium balloons joined us in the car for the trip to Carradale.

We left at 5pm on the Saturday night and arrived back in Glasgow at 8pm the following night. A flying visit but one that was really worthwhile.

A funny moment happened when I was trying to keep the conversation flowing and said to Margaret, "when was the last time you had this many people in the house?". She thought for a second and said completely deadpan, "my mother's funeral...".

I am available for all types of functions if you need someone to keep the conversation flowing - just give me a call. ;o)

Margaret is a remarkable woman and thoroughly deserved all the fuss made of her.  She's even made it onto the online Carradale news site.

http://www.the-carradale-goat.co.uk/

Happy Birthday Aunt Margaret, here's to many more.

you've been framed......

"If it sounds too good to be true then it usually is."

If you are ever tempted by using you-frame.....don't. Katie and i are finally getting round to getting some photos up in the house and a "group on" offer sounded like it was worth a try but I have waited 6 weeks for the delivery despite them promising 10 days. And after many complaints my canvas wrap finally arrived today. 

Imagine my surprise when I discovered I would have to self assemble it (although the clue is in the name to be fair)......the hilarity continued when i took the canvas out of the packet it was someone else's photo (and not a very good one either).

I have contacted the makers of "One foot in the grave" about using this plot in the christmas special - Meldrew simply won't believe it.

You-frame have now been cursed and will be spontaneously combusting sometime next Thursday afternoon, after lunch.