photos - motoGP official website

Silverstone weekend ...

We had an amazing time at the weekend at round five of the 2010 Moto GP World Championship, with the Air Asia British Grand Prix returning to Silverstone.

The weekend was a big-5o birthday treat for JC, and for me!

I restricted taking photos, as I wanted to enjoy and lap up every minute.

Anyway, with my camera there really is no point in trying, when the bikes are doing speeds of over 200 mph!



Our team is Ducati Marlboro, and on race day Nicky Hayden and Casey Stoner finished fourth and fifth respectively.

No podium!


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We had designated seats in Woodcote A, on the end of a row.

From here, there's a fantastic view of windy sections of track, the back end of Pits Straight, and the finish.

The rest of the time we were able to rove, so we watched practice and qualifying from other areas of the track.

The weather was mixed, Friday and Saturday was brass monkeys!

For the middle of June it was freezing, with a north-easterly ripping through the grandstand seats. I can't believe how sensible we were in taking spare warm clothes and a fleece!

Fortunately on Sunday it was warm with sunshine, and we could peel off for race day!



There were a few thrills and spills in practice and qualifying.

On race day, Melandri came off into the kitty litter pretty much in front of us. We blinked and missed it, but did get him walking back to the pits.

Marco!



Valentino Rossi crashed out in the last round at a home race in Mugello, and is out with a shattered leg for who knows how long?

It was great to see so many get well wishes for him on this display board from his adoring fans.

Not me!



The Blades were doing a display on Saturday albeit in a different colour. They are now blue, sponsored by Barclays Bank.

I took the photo above last year at our local Shoreham airshow close to our home, when they were sporting a more striking Ducati Red colour!

It was a shame to miss the parachute display by the Red Devils on Friday, but we did get to see the eardrum-bursting display by the Typhoon Eurofighter on Sunday, which I have to say was as jaw-dropping as ever.

Love it!



Late afternoon we watched live music by groups in the Arena eZone, who were very good.

On Friday evening World Cup was being shown on the big screen. We stood bedraggled in the cold and rain to watch the whole 90 minutes of that very bad match England vs Algeria!

It really isn't worth doing a rewind on the football, but if you want to catch up with highlights from a day at Moto GP click here.

Rule Britannia, and Ducati!

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how to be happy ...

When you're busy in life doing all those things you really don't want to be doing, we sometimes forget to -

take a reality check - cherish friends and family - show affection - be kind often - have a laugh - look after yourself - be grateful - spend time in nature - slow down and learn to relax - forgive.

Words by Maggie Richards - an interesting article if you want to read it.

Photo by me - the light and dark side of a perennial Geranium.

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curious calves and English idioms ...

These snapshots were taken whilst up on the South Downs, over the Bank Holiday weekend. There's more in the following post.

Don't you think these calves look pretty cute together?



When I'm blogging, I invariably find myself going off on a tangent.

In this post I deviated somewhat by looking up meanings of idioms and phrases. I find myself using them all the time.

Here's some cow related ones!



Awkward as a cow on a crutch - very clumsy or off balance.

Work your tail off - you work extremely hard.

All hat, no cattle - when someone talks big, but cannot back it up.



Chew the cud - you think carefully about something.

Until the cows come home - for a very long time.

Calf lick - a weird parting in your fringe where your hair grows in a different direction, usually to one side.

I've got one of those!

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chasing one's tail ...

Of which I have been doing rather a lot of lately, being busy and not very productive.

We decided to make time on Bank Holiday Monday to get out on the bikes, finding ourselves parking up in the village of Southease, near Lewes in East Sussex, which meets up with the South Downs Way.



Somewhat sultry, and what with a steep incline and a blustery wind, I found the going a bit tough, to say the least!

J ended up cycling on ahead, as he needs to build up his fitness for the charity cycle ride he's doing at the end of July.

J's received £197 sponsorship so far for the British Heart Foundation, and J's employers have pledged to double the final total. How fantastic is that!



Talking of tails, it was a treat to be able to get up so close to the animals.



This lamb wasn't lost. Its mum was close by.



Aaah, or should I say Baa!



Back into the fold, with a huge expanse in which to roam, to run free without care or purpose.

Sounds like a good plan to me!

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it was an ...

itsy, bitsy, teenie, weenie, yellow polka dot bikini ...

Wasn't I so the cutting edge of fashion, wearing blue polka dot bottoms!

I could do with them today, not forgetting the top half!

It's a scorcher!

This is me and my 'big bro' down on the coast, back in the late sixties/early seventies?

Click on the photo above, to hear a crackly old recording of this classic tune on You Tube.

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hidden treasures ...

I found this treasure of a purple violet today, hiding in dappled shade underneath a low hedge in the garden.

More treasures recently unearthed, packed away in a box in the loft, is my collection of Devon and Torquay Ware Violets perfume bottles.

Collected back in the early 1990s, for what you would say peanuts!



Some have decorative metal stoppers.



Some don't!

You can find these bottles, at relatively low prices on ebay.

I must say to being just a tincy wincy bit tempted at times, to further my collection!



I love this A Bunch of Violets Dubarry Talcum bottle, bought around the same time.

It's the epitome of the Art Deco period with its Sunburst design and cloudy glass.

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today's catch ...

We love Mackerel - full of calcium, selenium, vitamin E, and omega-3 essential fatty acids.

Not only does it maintain cardiovascular health, balances hormones and strengthens the immune system, it tastes good too!

It's a good time for Mackerel right now, so get some when you can.

We bought ours from Fish at Aldrington Basin, Portslade.

Just serve with a wedge of lemon, iceberg lettuce on the side, and crusty doorsteps of buttered bread.

Simples!

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sun, sea and sculpture ...

Thank goodness the local council has finally seen sense, and re-opened the stretch of cycle path which runs between the Pavilion Theatre and George V Avenue.

We've both had time off work this week. Today we spent a couple of hours out and about on the bikes.


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The Eco-Garden Beach.
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Click on link above for more Today's Flowers


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Primula auricula, a real show-stopper of a plant!







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The Orchard ...

Holds an Apple Day every year in October.




There's beautiful blossom to be seen on the trees right now.

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Attractive wooden plaques identify the variety, Egremont Russet, a classic apple from the Victorian era.

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The blossom of an old English Cooking Apple.

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Newton Wonder!

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This orchard is only small, but if you want to take a quick peek, or have a hearty breakfast in The Orchard restaurant, both are along the A272, parallel to the old West Grinstead Railway Station.

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You may even get to hear, or better still see this dear little fella too!

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n'er cast a clout 'til May is out ...

Keep your coat on, until the May blossom's out!

The weather over the last couple of days has been cold and wet, but not a total washout.

Not put off with the forecast of yet more rain, we set off in the search of our native English Bluebell (seen above mixing in quite happily with the beautiful white almost heart-shape petals of Greater Stitchwort), knowing of an area a bit off the beaten track, where it would hopefully be just us and the wildlife.

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It wasn't long before we were cycling past spectacular glades of English Bluebells.

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More Bluebells, and batches of native Primroses here and there too.

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Much of the bridlepath was above ankle-deep in clay mud, and pretty much impassable on a bike.

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We were surprised at how boggy it was, considering the long continuous spell of dry and sunny weather we've been having over the past month.

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On the path above we were now able to hop back on our bikes.

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I was astounded to see the large areas of Euphorbia, never having seen the plant in such an excessive quantity before.

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On the return part of the ride, this time along quiet lanes, we pass the tiny Parish Cemetery at Shermanbury.

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It's curiosity draws us in.

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A pretty mass of Primrose vulgaris, surrounds the headstones.

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Calm and unmoving, with only a male Pheasant for company.

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Cuckoo Pint? Otherwise known as Lords and Ladies!

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At this stage we were both very soggy, muddy and cold!

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This area is alongside the layby where we park up.

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Up until recently you could only see the top of this picnic bench, the area having been left overgrown with long grasses and allsorts of weeds.

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It's a huge improvement for us, but a loss of the veritable wildlife habitat it had once become.

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