This has got me through many tough times

Ripponden Reservoir

Driving back from an afternoon teaching "PE" in reception and nursery i followed the say nav directions, unsure as the journey to school had been quite hairy.  To be completely honest every journey around here that involves even a tiny incline I find daunting.  As I left the town of Ripponden I travelled through fields perched on the sides of hills.   It a wonder the sheep don't have wonky legs I thought to myself.  

I slowed down to let traffic that wanted to go faster pass me.  It was then I saw something in the distance.  It looked like a waterfall, it wasn't a water fall.  I say and stared, I'd look this up later I decided.  Then as I drove on I noticed a carpark near to the "waterfall", I pulled in a went to investigate.

It turned out to be a reservoir, I had a wander around.  I decided to bring GO back to have a good look around.

The Godmother Part Me

As we made our way down the M6 my tummy was full of butterflies, I was off to see a wonderful friend and my gorgeous god daughter.  I was very excited, I was also anxious about the coming week. I had four interviews for long term teaching placements.

As I hadn't worked a full week of work in nearly six weeks the funds were low and the debts were getting ever higher.  It was a long journey and every penny had to be accounted for, I hadn't really saved anything for fuel.  I had a devious plan, or so I thought. 

We had been given John Lewis vouchers for Christmas and I knew there were Waitrose fuel stations dotted all around the country.  We'd just use the vouchers to pay for fuel.  The only snag was the closest one on our journey was in Wolverhampton an extra twenty miles added on to the journey.  It would be worth it for freeing fuel. Turns out they don't accept the vouchers and we had to use cold hard cash.  

We carried on and soon found ourselves at the Oxford junction, it felt strange not to stop.  We just carried on up the A34.  Shortly after midday we arrived.

It was great to see everyone and have a good old catch up.  It was amazing to see my little BFF taking steps unaided, she was a bit wobbly but you could tell that she was going to be a fast little thing.  Such a clever little girl, such a proud god mother.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

I had a meeting with a local supply agency whose office was in Preston.  Once my meeting had finished I persuaded GO to take a tour of houses I used to live in.

I've always had fond memories of living in Preston and do love taking a trip down memory lane.

Bonny Blackpool

I have fond memories of Blackpool (doesn't everyone?) when we lived in Preston we would regularly head over.  Mamilein and Papichen for their car boot sales me and my big little brother for the amusement arcades, in particular the penny push games.

Our first weekend living with the outlaws came and as we were both out of work and penniless our plans had to include lots and lots of free stuff.  GO had the idea to take a trip to. Blackpool and promenade along the seafront.

It was a fantastic idea,bee bundled up well and big camera in hand (obviously I was going to take an award winning phot), off we went.  We have gone maybe 20 metres when they reality of the seaside in the middle of winter hit us literally smack in the face.  It.  Was.  Freezing.  My face felt that cold I could have sworn it was being burnt off.

Wrapping up even tighter we set off to enjoy the delights of a British seaside resort in the middle of an Arctic cold front.

It was dead, to say the least.  There was the typical faded grandeur of the old hotels and show rooms.  The amusement arcades were all flashing lights and plinky plonky music, somehow managing to keep going and stay viable in such a cash strapped time.  The Tower stood proudly above the newly regenerates seafront, what look like six giant metal leaves swinging in the wind.

Then there it was the North Pier, quiet and closed, not a soul to be seen.  I decided to take a photo, it was a moody shot.  With the grey sky and lack of light the photo without any enhancements looked like a black and white photo, I loved it and with a few tweaks it has become one of my favourites.  I am planning on enlarging it and framing it, in my opinion it is a showstopper.

Just for Dirk - Ewood Lane

First weekend in Tod.  What to do?  Then I got a what's app message from Mamilein. "Don't forget to go to Blackburn and get things for Dirk.

I didn't have a job, GO didn't have a job. What could we buy him anyway?

I decided the thing to do was visit Ewood Park and send him the photos.

"Are you here for the cricket?"  Asked the driver of the only other car in the carpark.  "No" I giggled, "my brother is a fan, we're just here to take photos to make him jealous."

"Follow me," he led us to the End Stand "you get a photo of that and he'll be jealous." 

Like dutiful little sheep we took the ubiquitous selfie, and my darling brother's response?  "Are you going to Preston?"

The Flying Scotsman

Confession time.  I don't know anything about the Flying Scotsman.

I do, however, know that it is a famous train, seeing it in the flesh is a great opportunity and the whole world and his wife was going to be in Rawtenstall watching it arrive.

I did a bit of research and found out where and when it would arrive and arranged to take my very own Ginger Trainspotter to view it.

He was like a little kid so giddy and excited.  As it arrived I lost him on the platform.  Every now and then I would see a golden orange flash dart passed me.

He had the biggest smile on his face.  We rushed up and down trying to find the best spot amongst the hundreds of fans who had paid for the privilege to stand on the platform and watch.

My favourite part was as the train started

chuffing out of the station, a rather pompous looking man was wandering around chatting to people.  My guess is that he was a journalist.  He then looked up startled that the train was leaving, he started chasing it calling out "I'm supposed to be on the train!!!" The crowd  started laughing.  It made my day. 

May the Force be with you - finally!

We are trying to make the most of being off together we spent each and everyday job hunting.

We do try and treat ourselves, but without spending too much or any money.

We have gone on loads of walks but occasionally you need to be part of the crowd.  We used two of the cinema tickets we got through our Gourmet Society membership, to watch the new Stats Wars film.  It was amazing, so much better than I had been expecting.  I could watch it time and time again.

Brontë Country - Haworth

"I'm going to take you over the tops!"  Well there's something I've never heard before.

GO decided to take me to Bronte country, a little village called Haworth.  To get there we had to drive over some of the hills between here and there.

I find all of the tiny, twisty, turns roads very scary.  The views are amazing but I don't think they justify the white knuckle

ride.

We arrived in Haworth to discover that everything was closed for Christmas.  The little gift shops close with the Bronte Parsonage Museum.

We walked down to the tourist information, gabbling away about Bronte stories that I could remember.   Shockingly not as many as I thought.

It was then I was greeted with a view I had seen hundreds of times.  It was the hill from the Hovis advert.  GO eased off down the hill towards his end goal, a train station.

All I could think as I followed behind snapping pictures, was "we have to walk back up this hill."  As it turned out the walk down was trickier as there was a bit of ice. My treat for getting back up without "whinging" was....

A cup of tea and a chip butty, absolute heaven on a plate.

Job Hunting in Manny

I've joined a teaching agency, all I need now is my DBS check and references, so the wait continues.

GO hasn't heard back from the agency his friend in Oxford recommended, we decided to seize the day and head into Manchester 

Well that was rude!

At the end of November I sent an email to some local schools.

One school has kept me on file, one forwarded my CV to a local supply agency, and then I got a call.  The school nearest the In-Ls had a vacancy and wanted me to come in.  I wasn't keen (this isn't me deciding on hindsight, I didn't want the job), it was full time in year six.  I wanted to supply, to get to know the area first.  

I told the head I hadn't ever taught year six, his response was "it's just like year four!"  No amount of pleading would convince him that I didn't want the job.  He asked my to come and teach a lesson, if it was ok then I could start in Feb.  I wasn't too bothered.

GO mentioned it to his family and it came out that the whole family were known to the school, and that the school were extremely impressed with my CV (no surprises there then ;-)).  No pressure there then.

I went along to the school and taught the lesson.  It wasn't bad, wasn't the best, but as I had mentioned, I had never taught year six.  "I didn't realise you had never, ever, taught year six!"  Said the head.  I thanked them and headed back with a "we'll get in touch later" ringing in my ears. I didn't have high hopes.  I sat by the phone waiting anyway. I missed the call (the phone network is patchy in the house) the voicemail said they'd call back.  That was four days ago.  I am still waiting, I can guess I didn't get the job.  I am fuming about the way I've been treated by a head who is so well respected in the area.  

First Day

First job for me this week was to register with the supply agency.  I had an appointment before Christmas but the consultant had to cancel, which has pushed EVERYTHING back.

It wasn't holding out much hope, having been informed that Halifax was "a bit run down".

However on arrival the complex that the agency was in The Dean Clough Mills turned out to be amazing.

The buildings were used as mills in a previous life but are now being used by many companies.  There were hotels, design companies and even an art gallery.

The Loom Lounge, a newly opened cafe was amazing.  The food was extremely tasty and ridiculously cheap.

The art gallery had a scale model of the mills made out of LEGO which was amazing.  My only comment was that it should have included a "you are here!" market.

The Angel of the North

After the worst ferry journey ever (IMHO), the room was grubby and too warm, the sea was so rough we kept pitching and rolling and the food left a lot to be desired, although that could have been to do with my queasiness.

We disembarked and waited to leave, we were officially the very last car through the security gate.  I asked GO if he wanted to go and have a look at the Angel of the North, "While we're here!"

It was huge, the last time I'd seen it I was a little hungover, let's leave it at that.

GO did all the usual poses, I couldn't  quite get the right shot, so I said I'd just walk down the slope a bit. 

Well obviously I didn't make it.  I felt my foot start slipping.  I couldn't get a grip and before I knew it, I was flat on my back.

"Oop a la!"  I heard some Polish guys exclaim.  I just lay in the mud and laughed. As I have said before and I'm sure I will say again; it's always me!

Mini Cruising like a Sleb - Part 2

Usually our journey back to the UK takes about 6 hours at most.

As we were travelling to Newcastle it would take us 18 hours. We decided to treat it like a mini cruise.

We treated ourselves to a massage (albeit on a massage chair) and took a stroll around the different restaurants.

For the first couple of hours it was all fun and exciting....

Then realisation hit, we had no entertainment, no access to wifi (so we couldn't download a film) and the room had one temperature, hot!

Slowly it dawned on me we had another SIXTEEN hours left.

By half five we had "dinner", sandwiches and crisps and then with nothing else to do we went to bed.

GO can sleep anywhere and was soon stacking up the z's.  I find it more difficult to sleep in a new bed so I struggled.

Forty five minutes laters feeling hot and bothered I went for a walk, it may have been hot in the cabin but in the deck was

Freezing.

On my return to the cabin, I tried to give it another go.  This time I lay as still as possible when the sea is rough as heck.

I lay on my back and within seconds I was on my side facing the wall.  I somehow managed to let the rhythm lull me to sleep.  I was finally getting to sleep when the people in the neighbouring cabin began chatting very loudly in Dutch!

I couldn't take it anymore, I got up read my book, had a snack and just fidgeted.

I was about to take another solo stroll when GO woke up.

I manage to convince him to join me on my wander, we hit the deck.

After a bracing wander outside we headed back inside.  

We heard music, we followed it and it led to a bar.  There was a guy on a guitar playing classic Neil Diamond, cheese ball!  I was about to leave when a waiter ran across the floor and began the most awesome tap dance routine I have ever seen.  We were mesmerised and found a seat, we enjoyed the show.  An hour later we headed back to the cabin all tuckered out and finally ready for bed.