The best election data EVER.

I am a political junkie.

Political junkie I am a.

Junkie political a am I.

A political junkie I am.

You get the idea.

So it will be not a huge surprise to discover that I spent part of the other evening trawling the internet looking for data and maps relating to the recent German Federal election.

I stumbled upon a treasure trove of insane gorgeousness, the finest art I had found since falling in love with 'Bowsprit'.

Check these out!

                          

With absolute respect and delight to the team at Die Zeit, Lisa Rienermann, Anna Lena Schiller and Sylke Gruhnwald.

Customer service

I love decent customer service.

Who doesn't?

I need to tell you about this beautiful customer service moment.

In September I purchased a beautiful pair of Dr Martens boots.

Unfortunately they let me down.

After much 'umming and ahhing' I wrote to Dr Martens and explained the fault.

I was polite and reasonable.

They wrote back.

They offered to repair, replace or return the shoes. I just had to send my broken pair to them.

I sent them back,  within a few days they told me that they would replace my broken boots. I just had to look at their website and choose a new pair. Sadly they no longer had they original pair in stock.  They politely asked, could I find a new pair?  I couldn't find a pair similar to the broken pair so I chose a  pair of shoes.

There was a £15 difference in price.

I wrote to Dr Martens and explained that I was willing to pay the excess and they just needed to let me know how to do this.

They wrote back and said that the new shoes were already on their way and there was no need to pay the difference!

Bravo Dr Martens!

Brilliant customer service!

Sailing

Broads views.
Hickling at sunset.

Heigham Sound.
Crisps.

 Slow boat to Hickling.

 Sunset over Hickling.

 Finding 'The Pleasure Boat' inhospitable, we headed to 'The Greyhound' where we were greeted as liberators and fed like heroes.

A ramblin man.

I'm on the ropes

A long held ambition achieved.
Why the hell had it taken so long?
Saw the Eels live at  the UEA (goddammit, still one of my favourite venues)

I had a head full of other stuff, work things, stress things, work things, work things , work things.

I saw the Eels and it was wonderful glorious.

I would go out tonight...

... I get a phonecall, not a message, a real life phonecall with a human voice on the other end, very 1986.
It's my brother with a spare ticket for Johnny Marr!

A grainy photo which sums up a grainy yet wonderful evening with an absolute legend.

And yes, He played about six of his very own Smiths songs.

Uncle Danny Baseball Eve!

Can it be that time of year again? Dan Raphael's birthday eve? Known to millions of kids around the globe as 'Uncle Danny Baseball Eve'.

My kids are at the perfect age to really enjoy the festivities, there's absolutely no doubt that they believe in the magic of UDB and the magic he spreads. 

Please enjoy some pictures of our family festivities.

Our very own Daniel building a tower of strength. He wanted to be the first kid in town to get his finished!

 Yes, You guessed it, the traditional breakfast of salami, cheese, bread and kiwi fruit.

 Traditions for the evening meal vary, but we stick to the old fashioned approach. Baked potato, cheese, sausages and kiwi fruit.

 The two kiwi fruit slices representing the two passions of Uncle Danny Baseball. Baseball and indie music. Reformists sometimes add more to include TV, family and food but we like it traditonal.

 Hey, it's all about the kids. Michael and Henry rocking out during the evening meal.

 Daniel lapping up his apple pie and custard for desert!

 A traditional scene dating back 39 years.

 Daniel is chuffed! He's the first kid to finish his meal so he gets to hold the kiwi fruit and minifigure!

 Henry is a pretty proud second!

This is what it's all about. The magic, The Huey Lewis TV special, The minifigures and the kiwi fruit!

Happy Uncle Danny Baseball Eve everybody!

Tip top

Ways to lose that tip Mr delivery man.

Get ridiculously lost trying to find my (very central and easy to find) house and in the process make a number of mildly pointless phonecalls during which you persist in telling me "I int got a clue where I am or where you are either".

Use my loo ( Fine if you were working here for a little while but you were in my home for 45 seconds!)

Call me 'mate'. I am not your mate. You came to my home, dropped off some flatpack shelving and left. Call me anything, anything, but not mate.

Make odd comments about the pictures on my walls!

Be scarily reminiscent of Neil from The Inbetweeners.