TravelBlog - Nottingham

White Water Rafting was the order of the weekend.
Arranged through a friend, a large group of us trekked down to the National Watersports Centre to their excellent man-made white water course.

Because we were a large group, we got a good deal one the photographs supplied by Focused On Adventure. These guys have a great setup of two or three photographers with Nikon and Epson digital SLR cameras following the rafts down the course. At the end of the session they supplied a CD with over 100 images on it. This one shows me (with a red helmet) at the front getting completely submerged. Everyone got wet - without exception - but that was the name of the game, so a great time was had by all.

Travelblog - York

Took my favourite mother-in-law to York for a day trip. The place is really great, although the weather wasn't the best, it went from grey to damp to wet to thunder, lightning and soaking.

Fortunately for me, I had just purchased a Tilley hat, and I'm pleased to say that the nice people at Cotswold Outdoors in Harrogate could accommodate my fat head size!

The hat worked wonders, I walked round the place in my hat, tee shirt and shorts, staying quite dry under the brim, frequently passed by dampened druken groups of stags who all thought it was hilarious to say "G'day" to me. Well, laugh now they might, but he who laughs last.... you see, I know what's in store for them - years of marriage!!!!

Only kidding, I'm very happily married to my lovely wife, I just don't think that either of us realised that we got each others in-laws as part of the bargain!! Les Dawson eat your heart out!

TravelBlog - Harry Ramsdens Guiseley

What's so special about going for fish and chips? I hear you ask.

Well, as a Yorkshireman, I'm proud to tell you that I can remember going to "Harry's" in Guiseley long before it was the Corporate super-giant it is now.

In my day it was just a posh chippy up the road!

Interestingly enough, and not very well known or signposted, around the back of main Harry Ramsdens restaurant stands the original Harry's hut. Though I'm not old enough to have queued up at Harry's hut - unlike my parents!

Harry's fish and chips has a secret recipe for their batter, which does taste really good. Although friends in the food industry have told me what they think it is, I still have have some allegence to Harry's even though they are a Corporate Super Giant - so I will not share the secret with anyone!

TravelBlog - Tebay Services

I can see why Tebay service station has won awards, it is by far the best, highest quality service station I have ever attended - even the local graffiti artists are highly educated with graphic design degrees.

I'm not normally one for snapping photos in the gents (for obvious reasons) but fortunately, there was nobody about when I noticed this, so I was able to take a photo of this budding marketeer pointing out the crop marks on this sign.

For those of you not in the know - these marks show where you should cut the poster out of - anything outside the crop marks isn't meant to be shown.

I do wonder who goes into the toilets with a red (or any other colour for that matter) marker pen. In all my loo visits in my life, I can honestly say that I've never knowingly had a marker pen on my person when being in there. Maybe I could get ahead in the marketing business if I started taking a marker pen in with me on future visitations!