LITTLE BADGES - BADGE 'o' THE MONTH DECEMBER. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND THANK YOU

www.thebiglittlebadgeco.com

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

Well....The month has pretty much passed us by. We have been frantically shipping stocking filler badges out this month and last, and well, I did not realise it was almost Christmas day and we had not hero worshipped our December badge.

I for one apologise. (welling up)

So yep, At the BEGINNING of December we put up one of our favourite Christmas badge.
"Who ate all the mince pies". We love it because it's true. I for one cannot get enough of the little fellows.

Since I was a young boy, My neighbour a lady called Mrs Wilkinson, and her daughter would always make us the most incredible home made mincemeat and mince pies! Delicious. Every year without fail, they would bring around a tin (a big tin) of layers of Mince pies.... and our little faces would light up.

Sadly I had to grow up and move away from home, which meant, no more of these delicious Mince pies......

And then as if by magic that first Christmas away from home, I realised that.... I could make the mince pies myself. I knew a recipe or two, I have very good pastry making hands. Why not. How hard can it be.

Well, trying to garner years and years of mince pie making prowess into my first year, I can admit that I did not manage to make mince pies as well as Mrs Wilkinson.....but, they were not bad. And now with many more years experience under my belt and a few thousand mince pies under that same belt, I can make a pretty decent mince pie.

Mr Oliver recipe for the shortcrust pastry, and Mrs Delia for the homemade mincemeat. and of course a dusting of snow and a little magic brings them all together.

And that is why "Who ate all the mince pies" deserves the accolade of Badge 'o' The Month.

So to all of our fantastic and amazing customers, pile into the shop for a virtual Mince pie, and a virtual mulled wine or traditional cuppa splosh!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank every single customer we have had the pleasure of serving this year. To all those that got in touch, emailed, commented, purchased, browsed etc etc... A very big heartfelt HAPPY CHRISTMAS to you all. Without you we are nothing, together we are invincible...

Rock on Badge buddies, feel free to keep our idle fingers working over Christmas, as you know, you are always welcome, and we will meet up again soon in the new year.

Merry Christmas.
Paul xx

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LITTLE BADGES - BADGE 'O' THE MONTH NOVEMBER EQUALS MOVEMBER

www.thebiglittlebadgeco.com

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

It's that time again. Badge 'o' the month time. Wow how the months are whizzing past.Before we know it, Halloween will be over, bonfire night will have burnt itself out and Christmas will be knocking on the door shouting...."let me in...let me in...It's blooming freezing out here".

Strewth (don't know where that Australianism came from) Halloween has passed, Bonfire night is literally hours away....and it is definitely getting colder.

So, November is already here. It's upon us, we had a fab night for Halloween, some ghouls and boys popped by to relieve us of sweets, and I have dusted off the sparklers to use for Bonfire night.

But I no longer think of November as the exciting Bonfire Night month, with Jacket potatoes laden with hot baked beans and grated cheese atop...The feeling of throbbing cold fingers as you come in out of the back garden where you have stood getting a free view of other peoples fireworks displays....the smell of burnt sparklers heavy in your nose and the pangs of excitement at finding a damp spent firework cardboard shell the next day in your garden.

The magic for me of Fireworks left many years ago. It must be an age thing, but I do not relish standing out in the cold for hours going..."ooooh"...."ahhhhh"

And the whole Guy Fawkes thing! Guido Fawkes was a Fall guy for the rest. And they never actually blew up parliament....mores the pity.

For me now, November has been successfully renamed Movember. It is the month when men (and women I suppose!) grow a moustache for men's health. The idea is to get people to sponsor your moustache growing abilities, and have competitions to grow the biggest or longest moustache in Movember. Proceeds of this heroic action go to Prostate Cancer, and at the end of it....you have a fine moustache like Tom selleck! the god of Moustache wearers.

And lets face it....As far as November morphing into Movember.... well who else apart from Guido Fawkes sported such a fine tash!

http://uk.movember.com

And that is why this month we have lofted 'Gringo Moustache' to the lofty heights of Badge 'o' the month.



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LITTLE BADGES - FIGHTING THEIR WAY THROUGH THE POSTAL STRIKES

www.thebiglittlebadgeco.com

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

We have introduced a new stamp onto each and every bubble wrap envelope we send out, to try and give our badges that extra, added protection in these dark days of Postal strikes.

The Stamp (in Bright red) reads FRAGILE - Little badges travelling to their new home!

We hope this gives them that added piece of protection as they are man handled through the postal system, slung into mail bags, hurled into delivery wagons, and eventually plummet onto your doormat from the height of your letterbox.

Inside the badges should be happily nestled in a bubble wrap duvet, hopefully travelling with other badges for company (nothing more despairing than sending a lone badge), free from the worries of World domination, terror attacks, global recessions, swine flu and personal hygiene.

As you can clearly see, the journey of a badge or badges can be a traumatic affair, so we highly recommend , bringing them up to room temperature in clear sight of a cup of tea and in smelling distance of a Custard cream biscuit. This helps them to re acclimatise to there new surroundings.



Whatever you do....do not feed them after midnight!! Oh no sorry, that's Gremlins isn't it!!

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LITTLE BADGES - GOING TO THE DOGS

Photo: (left to right) Greyhound (no.3) Hope Susannah, Lene Somer and Henrietta Koch

www.thebiglittlebadgeco.com

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

The thing I love about our business....is our customers. I cannot stress highly enough, without them, we would be nothing. Literally.

It is for that reason we take an interest in every customer we serve....and also, well... I'm a little bit nosey! There I've said it.

It is due to my Noseyness that I can tell you about a lovely customer we recently had the pleasure of helping. We sell a set of Greyhound badges, 1 through 8, based on the designs of the coats worn by the racing greyhounds. Nothing odd about that...I hear you cry (•coughs). Well no, there is not. We sometimes sell individual ones as birthday badges...we sell complete sets of them, we have had requests to personalise them for certain racetracks...., but this order was different.

The lovely Lady buying them bought all the same number, and what seemed an odd amount. So I had to follow up contact once the badges were let out the traps and posted to her, just to find out a bit more.

Well it turns out, that she wanted the badges for an excursion that she was making to Portsmouth Greyhound stadium. Nothing odd or interesting there you may think...but no. Dig a little deeper and a lovely little story emerges.

Jayne Bought the Number 3 Greyhound button badges for herself her Husband and two current World Cup holders for the 470 sailing class called Henrietta Koch, and Lene Somer, oh and she owns two of her own Greyhounds.

Jaynes Husband is a sailing coach for the Danish Olympic Sailing team!! I know....that's what I thought. Fantastic. He is currently training the girls for the 2012 London Olympics, so I expect a lot of you to be shouting for them when the Olympics come around. Remember those names, Henrietta Koch, and Lene Somer because we could well be seeing them picking up medals.

The girls had never heard of Greyhound racing before they met Jaynes husband, and Minnie their retired greyhound, and Demonforts Lady (also affectionately known as 'Mavis', their racing greyhound. The girls wanted to go to a greyhound race and see Demontforts Lady race.

And which trap does Demontforts Lady race in.....Yep, you got it, Trap number 3! We are very proud to say that the team of them all wore trap number 3 button badges to support Demontforts Lady.

Unfortunately....Demontforts lady did not win her race that night (ahhh) but she did win the previous Saturday though. (hurrah) Here is how Jayne her owner describes her.

"She's a fantastic little dog. She'll never amount to much but she's the most gutsy little dog you could imagine. Her whole attitude is 'GET OUT OF MY BLOODY WAY' when she's on the track. Absolutely nothing daunts her. Her trainer thinks that when she retires she'll probably qualify for a bravery award! "


Photo: (left to right) Lene Somer ,Henrietta Koch and Greyhound (no.3) Demontforts lady

The Winning dog in the photo at the top of this page with the two girls, is Hope Susannah, so as you can see Lucky trap 3 worked, and hopefully the power of the support that the girls showed, doubled with the lucky trap 3 badges... helped to secure a win for 'Hope Susannah'.

Jayne says:

"The winning dog on the podium is Hope Susannah who's a fantastic dog and wins most of the time. Both Susie and Mavis are trained in the same kennel. My other dog Flying Arkwright (pet name - Stanley) would have been racing that night but there was a hold up with his paperwork and everything has to be right before they can race. He races in trap 6 though. "

which brings me onto the third bit of this interesting story, We have the Danish sailing girls, Jayne's husband the danish sailing team coach, the racing greyhounds.... and of course Jayne who bought the badges in the meantime.

Not only does she love her dogs, and the greyhound racers but she also volunteers her time to her local branch of the 'Retired greyhound trust' and running their website. This is where retired greyhounds who have given their time to the track get a chance to retire, and re-home with a loving family for the rest of their retired lives. This is their time of life, to bring joy to a family and receive the love back that they deserve, and Jayne and her team make this a possibility and a reality.

Liz is a Kennel owner, who also trains Jayne's greyhounds and the owner of the winner in the picture 'Hope Susannah.

Liz's mother Molly was one of the founders of 'GREYHOUND RESCUE' and Liz has taken up the challenge after her mothers death, to continue the great work her mother started.

Jayne says:

"Thanks to her kicking it all off, the future for retired greyhounds is much brighter now and most of them live out their lives happy and loved. Liz sponsored the dog race for the Danish girls as a thank you for me running the website and going up twice a week to do voluntary work for her. The girls thought it was fantastic. "

"last month completely bucked the current trend and more dogs were adopted from Portsmouth than in any other month."

So I urge you all to take the time and visit this website and support Jayne and Liz in their efforts,

http://www.portsmouthretiredgreyhounds.org

where I am quite sure you will fall in love with these adorable animals and do what ever you can to support this very worth while cause.

and here for the central website for Retired Greyhound trust:

http://www.retiredgreyhounds.co.uk

Thank you to Jayne for purchasing the badges in the first place and letting me into the story of why she bought them.

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

Milk and sugar?

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LITTLE BADGES - BADGES OF THE MONTHS, SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

Well I have to admit. I've been a bit lax. A whole month went by last month, and I forgot to tell you about our Badge ' o ' the month for September. I have many excuses, not least being away, sorting out a remortgage, cleaning my teeth etc etc. But I know you guys have come to depend on these blogs!

Every month, we get the opportunity to go through our collection and choose a Badge ' o ' the month. A badge that we feel, should rise to the surface and take it's podium in the spotlight of life. And what with it getting that little bit chillier, and the smell of burning tyres in the air as the nights draw in and the ferral youths decide, the best action in life is to set light to things...Sitting with the curtains closed at 6:30pm wondering if it is time to start making Toad in the whole and stews...we decided to go for one of our lovely Halloween badges to get you in the mood for the coming October. Yes yes...we now we were a bit early but quite frankly if Tescos can have Halloween stuff out in July then I feel we are justified.

So......Our first Badge ' o ' the month for September was a sinister pumpkin face.

Funnily enough this is the same style face I carve into pumpkins each year. We have one in the fireplace, one on the doorstep to encourage the Trick or Treaters to venture down our path (if they dare!!) And one which we balance on the bannisters so that it looks like a floating head in the Hallway. And quite frankly....what says Halloween more than a Pumpkin...apart from a witch. But apart from a pumpkin and a witch, and of course a black cat.....what says Halloween more! And of course a vampire. I mean that goes without saying a Vampire.

Which Happily brings us onto Octobers Badge ' o ' the month.

How on earth do you follow a Pumpkin....Without introducing you to Christmas badges in October. Well we had to ponder long and hard about this. We are putting together special Badge ' o ' the month sets so we needed to be similar...but not too similar. Halloween is traditionally all over October like a bad moss, so we could not turn our backs on it totally. We needed something that could say Halloween one week, stylish iconic and trendy badge...the next.

So after downing half a bottle of Ardbeg Whisky, a bowl of salted cashews....much arguing and bickering.... we decided on a 'Poison' Badge.

We love this little badge as it falls into two camps. Halloween for the kiddies and statement for your teenagers. No need for a teenager to speak with this badge on...It conveys all their emotions in one foul swoop.

So there you go folks....long time coming, but still the dedicated deliberation over each Badge ' o ' the month.

Have a very Happy and Haunted Halloween. We will be in, ready to pounce on any unsuspecting Trick or Treaters while eating the treats and watching Most Haunted live. Be good.....and if you can't be good... be very very bad.


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LITTLE BADGES - FLY ME TO THE MOON OR NOT....

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

I'm not a suspicious bloke (I just don't believe anything anyone tells me), but did the 1969 moon landing actually happen?

When you look back at the footage and the timing and everything, it just seems a bit convenient that America who wanted to be the main superpower over Russia.... Just happened to develop a working spacecraft before the Russians. And they landed on the moon!

Added to that we have not been back since 1972 - Which again was American.

So it does beg the question did America Land on the Moon or dupe an entire Generation and generations to come into believing that they landed on the moon. I cannot pop up there and verify a flag on the moons surface, and I am sure that when someone else eventually gets to the moon and discovers no flag.....We will be told that after 40+ years it would have naturally disappeared.

I'll be honest with you.... I just don't see it. More was to be gained by pretending than actually doing it. And let's face it, it is not the first conspiracy to come out of America. They just keep popping them in and hoping people will not notice.

But if you are on the same page as me and think they did not land on the moon in 1969.... Then it begs the question how did they do it.

I would imagine NASA had control of Visual feed, so that could be pre recorded and beamed at the appropriate time, I imagine 3 men in spacesuits is not hard to convince the general public watching at Cape Canaveral that they were watching Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and the other one entering a space rocket, with Apollo 11 written on it.

What does impress me is that Neil Armstrong And Buzz Aldrin after all these years have not broken down and said..... Yep you got me, it was a con. Unless of course if like all great illusions they were also conned. I suppose it would be easy for NASA to hold them in a chamber before take-off, and release them along a tunnel, etc into a spacecraft which they truly believe to be the spacecraft that is to take them to the moon. This becomes a sealed room scenario whereby, anything they see and hear can be controlled by NASA. Projections or television screens on the windows, feeding images that would have previously been filmed on unmanned missions.

How hard would it be for these people to simulate a rocket firing up, and the feeling and shaking and rattling to occur inside a cockpit, all controlled in an out of site hanger. Just hold them there for the mission time, and release them out into a special Hollywood studio environment to make them believe they have stood on the moon. Collect some stuff etc, get back in and pretend it has taken off again.

Samples were never analysed by Neil or Buzz, so to them they believe they have picked up stuff from the moon.

I know these are the ramblings of a mad man.... but it is just so obvious as to be invisible. The saying goes if you want to hide something big, hide it in the most obvious place, and that would be in front of the general public that you intend to deceive.

I am reminded of a Johnny Vaughn Show called Space Cadets. Much lower budget..... but did decieve the people into believing that they were in space. http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/S/spacecadets/

Just from a 1969 budget point of view..... How much cheaper would it be to pretend to send someone to the moon instead of actually sending someone to the moon.

Would love to hear all theories on this subject. Let your imaginations run wild.


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LITTLE BADGES - TWEET TWEET TWITTER TWITTER

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

We are now twittering on twitter.....

Tweet

tweet

tweet.

follow us at http://twitter.com/biglittlebadge

or simply access it by the twitter button we have added down the left hand side.

Off to do some more tweeting!

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

Milk and sugar?

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LITTLE BADGES - BADGE 'O' THE MONTH AUGUST

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

Wow! What happened to July. One day it stood there looking me square in the eyes and then, pzzaz..... It's gone.

Which gave us the added headache of working out over a couple of bottles of wine and an Ardbeg whiskey, what should be the Badge 'o' the month this month.

In the end due to watching the news, while deciding, we had to go for the 'little dark raincloud'.

Last months, Ice cream badge was a mere pipe dream as it became clear that we had been lied to again by the weather forecasters.

But I should have realised that this was just a conspiracy. We all know that hot weather makes us reach for our wallets and purses and buy stuff that we don't want and will use once in a blue moon..... for example, barbecues! In England, I ask you. Where on earth do we think we all live, Australia.

When I was growing up, we had a Ball B Que Bar B Que, and many a Sunday would see my dad huddled in the garage cooking burgers, in a plume of smoke, while it hissed it down outside!
Then we would be forced to stand outside in the great outdoors to enjoy the delights of outdoor eating. Where do all those insects suddenly come from, when there is a whiff of Tomato relish in the air.

So the Government obviously had a hand in the met offices decision to promise yet again such a lovely summer. I know we did have some hot days, as I was insulating the roof on the hottest day of the year. Who needs saunas when you have a loft.

So here is a big cheer for the Little dark raincloud badge, may it have the reverse effect just like the ice cream badge!

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

Milk and sugar?

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LITTLE BADGES - IT"S MY BIRTHDAY AND I WILL CRY IF I WANT TO

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

Well it was me 'ole' mums birthday the other day. Happy Birthday Mum for Wednesday.

If it does not make her feel old, then it definitely makes me feel old. As we have all moved away from home it is very difficult now to meet up on birthdays, but thankfully technology has moved on now from a couple of cans and a piece of string, so we had a chat, and I sang her a screeching version of 'Happy Birthday' which has become a tradition.

It's hard to imagine how, technology has zoomed ahead in her lifetime. Televisions, to the first colour television, mobiles, MP3 players. Mind you when, i think of record players as old technology, when I am older, I will be reminiscing about MP3 players. The scary thing is my parents and my wife's parents are more up to date with technology than we are. They both have computers, they both have bigger televisions than us etc etc.

When We were last back home, unfortunately for a family funeral, we sat and looked through some old family photo's. As we were looking through the photo's and listening to the stories, and how my parents met, and all there friends, you start to realise that, your parents were young once as well. They had teenage angst, they had crushes, they had the cheeky underage drink in a pub and got caught by their parents, they had their first holidays together pre children. Funnily enough, my dad was a rocker, and my wife's dad was more a MOD, yet they get on like a house on fire when they meet up.

So here is to all those Birthday people out there, another year older, but with another years worth of memories and the knowledge that they have had a great life even with children.

Happy birthday

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

Milk and sugar?

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LITTLE BADGES - BADGE 'O' THE MONTH JULY

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

Well it has rolled around oh so quickly.....but yes folks, it is Badge 'o' the month time again.
We've had Wot no credit in March, George:0 Dragon:1 in April, strawberries and cream in May, Corruptus maximus MP's in June and of course what with the weather at the moment, it can only mean one thing.......

.......ICE CREAM.

So there you have it, after much careful thought, a couple of glasses of Ardbeg whisky, a shortlist of ten whittled down to one, the winner for this month is, the Ice cream.

Not just any ice cream either, we chose the one on the green background. Discussions went on late into the night, both parties almost walked out without coming to an agreement, but here we are.

Well as the SUN would put it, 'It's been a scorcher' and for once instead of being annoyed by the constant chime of the ice cream wagons, cruising up and down the roads, mainly on dark and damp days, I have kept some change in my pockets, my shoes near the door, and a keen ear open for those incredibly haunting tones of 'Popeye the sailor man' calling to me from two streets down.

And what is the best ice cream to have on a scorcher. Well I have to go traditional and go for a 99er with flake. It would be rude not to. Mind you for many years I always asked for a Screwball as they had a bubble gum in the bottom.

But I've grown up now...... well a little anyway

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

Milk and sugar?

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LITTLE BADGES - A CAMPING WE SHALL GO

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

A friend of ours mentioned to us the other day they were off camping for the weekend. Heading off to Epping forest, to camp beneath the stars and listen to all the other happy campers snoring.

We first started camping when we left college. A bunch of college friends would all go camping each year for quite some time before we all drifted apart and settled down more.

I can honestly say these were some of the funniest camping holidays I have been on, and we all still mention them when we meet up. Of course what with people getting married, buying flats and houses, having kids, and holidays being so much more precious now, we do not camp together anymore......or in fact camp.

As the years go by, the fun of sleeping on a tiny lilo inflatable bed, feeling a twig digging in your back, rolling off the lilo in the dead of night, being cocooned in a sleeping bag, and waking to hear something or someone right outside your tent are long gone.

People with cars tend to bring more and more home comforts. A full size inflatable bed that can be blown up by connecting it to the battery of the car, gas barbecues, washing machines..... well maybe not washing machines, but you know what I mean.

Instead we now jet off to some overpriced, overpopulated (by tourists) holiday resort, just so you can say you've been abroad this year.

But I must say, when our friend mentioned they were going, I suddenly had a pang for camping again. I know exactly where the tents are in the loft, and the rucksacks are already packed ready to go.

Apart from the amazing laughs we had, we also had some amazing moments from nature. We all got caught out in a torrential downpour, in the sun, where the rain was hot, and a series of rainbows appeared all around us. We opened our tent one morning to see loads of deer just on the border of the forest, eating and looking back at us. And of course if you have been camping in the New Forest you will have had the odd New Forest pony tripping over your tent lines, and almost bringing the whole thing down.

But above all else, the best thing I love about the camping, provided you wake to a lovely clear crisp morning, and not torrential rain, is the fried breakfast.

I am not allowed fried breakfasts at home, so this makes them all the more special. Sausages, eggs, bacon, mushrooms, beans, and fried tomatoes. Some toast or if you are lucky fried bread and a mug of tea. Absolute heaven!

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

Milk and sugar?

Join us in our little shop for a virtual cuppa www.thebiglittlebadgeco.com

LITTLE BADGES - BADGE 'O' THE MONTH JUNE 2009

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

Well after much deliberation (a full bottle of wine, and watching the goings on on the news) we felt that really there should be only one badge from our collection that takes the top mantle of Badge 'o' the month this month and of course that is Corruptus Maximus MP.

Nuff said really.

When, oh when will they learn, and at the same time.... When, oh when will we learn.

What with all the goings on and the intense media pressure to oust Gordon Brown, there was little sign of my local MP's of any Persuasion turning up on my doorstep. I kept hearing on the news, how sorry they were about everything, and how they had listened to their voters on the doorstep....... Not one. Not one single one of them turned up to explain themselves and their parties actions. I had about 5 leaflets hastily stashed through my letter box, but that was it.

So in the end I showed them the respect they had shown me...... and did not turn out for them.

I am afraid, people claiming for their moats to be cleared is a disgrace, when we have a local moat here in our borough due to the local council (conservative by the way) not getting off their arses and clearing the blocked drains for the past 3yrs and saying it is the previous councils fault!!!

I would urge everyone to at some point go to their local councils meetings and sit in the public (paupers) gallery and watch the school like behavior of your elected councilors. Every question goes unanswered, and each blames the other, without achieving anything. And at the end of it we are paying them and seeing no improvements, and increased litter. The councilors fiddle while our community burns!

So to all MP's and you are all tarred with the same brush for years and years of lies and deceit to us commoners. This badge is for you, and you should all wear it with pride. I wear mine, so you can see how much we distrust you.

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

Milk and sugar?

Join us in our little shop for a virtual cuppa www.thebiglittlebadgeco.com

LITTLE BADGES - THOSE FOXY LITTLE FOXES....WHY I OUGHTA!

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

Originally we were very excited to discover we had fox cubs in the garden. Small little bundles of joy and fun. First, one fox cub ventured into our garden, following a butterfly. It was like something out of the Jungle book. Then before we new it, two little fox cubs..... then a third, and now a fourth foxy cub.

Now there will be those of you out there that are thinking, they are so lucky...... and yes we are, it is fantastic to watch them playing, and fighting, and mock hunting, but then....

....you also get the other end of the stick. Little thank you messages all over the decking (I think they like to poop on the decking as it is a nice warm surface for their behinds), the tunelling, then there is the fun of biting through the netting of the vegetable patch, the uprooting of small plants, and their most enjoyable pass time, the daily attack on our most prized new garden plants Aliums!

We planted ten of them. We watched all ten start to grow. First the spidery bottom leaves and then finally, the central stalk which holds the beautiful top section of the Alium flower, with it's amazing star like flowers on little stalks. We nurtured and watered them daily, to the point where they were just about to flower, and then the foxy cubs found them. Systematically over a series of a week, they jumped on them, bit the heads off them, rolled over them again and again, and then started digging at the roots.

From our original ten Aliums we now have just four left. These are now heavily protected, but with the foxes bounding around and getting bigger and more boisterous by the day, we fear the Aliums days are numbered.

Oh well, I suppose it is our fault for not protecting them earlier.

The other thing the foxy cubs have done, is to chew through the cable wire to the little garden video camera we have set up to watch the little foxes. They obviously felt that their privacy was being invaded and just chewed through the cables! Mind you they are plugged into the mains so they must have got a little jolt.

But to be honest, even though they are causing a nuisance and really starting to annoy my wife, I still love to see them playing in the garden. Those cute little foxes can really cheer up your day.

Maybe I should get around to fixing the fence where they are getting through (wink)

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

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LITTLE BADGES - NAUGHTY NAUGHTY MPS, SHAME ON YOU

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

Well..... It's been an interesting few weeks, with the Telegraph, releasing lot's of juicy details about the government, the pretending government, and the have runs of the political world.

And who said politics was not interesting. My ears are on stalks at the moment, loving the squirming, the self delusion, and back stabbing chit chat. It's like a stuffier version of 'Heat' magazine.

They know they have been caught with their hands in the cookie jar, and they all knew about what they were doing, and were often briefed on how they could milk the system for all it's worth, and yet they try and make a political point and stand there with mock regret as they happily say....' Well yes, our MP was caught out and claimed for this but, look at so and so on the other political team, he was caught claiming for more, so that makes it all right.

Honorable men and women my backside. The moment they get any power, does not matter at what level, local or national, they get corrupted. One bad apple in the apple barrel and it infects them all.

Let's not forget the timing of the release either. The Telegraph are as corrupt as the rest of them, as they are after a certain result in the European elections which will benefit them. Everyone does something for their own means, so the people at the telegraph cannot start trying on their pure white coats yet.

Mind you, it has been done with such dignity coming from a broadsheet. Imagine the fun we would have had if it was the SUN or MIRROR releasing the information, and the way that they got the lurid information.

It's a difficult one, as you need someone in power. Who else would we have to moan about when conversation ebbs away, if not for our corrupt government. My teachers (politics teachers mainly) always instilled in me that we have the right to vote, and should use that vote wisely. All the time they were grooming us with this information they were taking potshots at the tories, hoping that their political views would help their political favorites get in. But If I have the right to vote I also have the right not to vote.

We are always told if you waste your vote on one of the lesser parties, then someone terrible will get into power. The thing is, someone terrible has been getting into power for all these years and we never learn. 'New' this and 'fresh' that, and 'eco' here and 'right on' there, and yet nothing really changes apart from how much money we each make out of each pound earned. I claimed on expenses once for 14 taxi journeys..... I felt really guilty, and have this feeling that one day someone will say.. ' Hey you...those taxis you claimed for!'

I found it very funny that one side was, bath plugs, porn, mortgages etc and the other was moats, chandeliers, horses, gardeners etc. I'm afraid as long as we let it happen, they will just keep rebadging themselves and telling us what they are going to do to please us until they are in power and then forget all about those promises. "Taxes....yes we will lower them the minute we are in power, if you vote for us" (crocodile smiles all around).

It's time to question all in power, be local government or national.

To all MPs and those who will one day become MPs.... Shame on you

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LITTLE BADGES - WEDDINGS.....I DO

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

Well I awoke to the news (is it really news) that Peter and Jordan are supposed to be splitting up. 3 Yrs after getting married, 2 kids together later and little Harvey , and the end is nigh apparently. I am a little surprised given that Peter Andre is about to release his brand new album after years away. What a terrible time to be going through a break up..... Surely he could do without this kind of media attention at a time like this. Maybe as a form of therapy, they could film their divorce.

It reminded me of the day I got married to my beautiful wife. I had managed to escape the pressures of getting married for quite some time, always in my mind to get married to my beautiful now wife. In the words of Take that..... ' Today this could be....the greatest day of my life '. And as sickening as it sounds, It was so far the greatest day of my life, apart from my own birth I suppose. Everything else pails into insignificance. And as I stood there in front of my wife and declared my vows to her, I heartfelt, meant every word of it.

Sometimes I think people can get so immersed in the show of the whole day and forget what is actually important. Your commitment to each other. That moment when you exchange rings, clears your mind of the wine bill, venue hire, stress of what the parents want from the day.

We planned everything to the last detail and enjoyed every single moment except from a few hairy moments at the start of the process when we had to forcefully remind outside parties whose, actual day it was.

We thrived on the organisation, the wall chart plans, the details, the wishes and desires of each other, the feel we wanted for our day, and all the little little details that leave the day memorable for yourself and of course your very important guests that have given up their time to help you celebrate. We loved the fact that our parents helped making our own confetti, we loved filling the little favours boxes with fun little sweets, we were over the moon that some of our guests were hyper on a mixture of sugar and alcohol from the retro flying saucers provided at the bar, but above all we loved making the whole day very personal to ourselves and to our guests.

Recently we had an order from someone wanting to add that personal touch to their wedding, and we provided each guest with their own badge to commemorate the day. Another wedding, a civil partnership between two lovely ladies resulted in us providing badges for the guests to give to the couple which was simply a badge with MRS & MRS on it.

We have so many lovely stories from customers who have used us to help celebrate their wedding days and we feel very priveledged to be asked to supply for them.

Thank you to all our married customers and to our future married customers. Enjoy your big day.

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

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LITTLE BADGES - Anyone for tennis?

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

Another great weekend of sunshine, has reminded me that Wimbledon is just around the corner.

For me, and I imagine everyone, we grow up with a specific player at the top of their game, and try and emulate them. With me, It was Boris Becker and Ivan Llendl.

To me that is the era that defines tennis, as it is when I was playing regularly and in the school team.

Before these two titans of tennis had come along, It was always McEnroe and Connor's.
And if you ever get the chance to see a challenge match now with McEnroe, don't dismiss him as being out of the game, he still plays some incredible tennis with sparks of genius, not unlike Henman and Murray.

When Boris Becker came onto the scene, he was a real breathe of fresh air to the game, In the same way that Andre Agassi was, when he turned up in full whites at the Wimbledon tournament.

Just 17 and 7 months when he Won his Wimbledon title, He was not that much older than us, that we could all imagine ourselves playing at Wimbledon. The Girls adored him, with his longish hair, and the boys admired him for his gung ho spirit of chasing down every ball. And when we all saw him dive and roll for shots that others would have left, well the school tennis courts where a scene of carnage, with blood stains everywhere on the tarmac surface, And grazes that would make your mothers nearly faint. Plus Tennis became sexy.....which meant we became more sexy, and would get crowds watching us play and practice before, during and after school.

Then I changed from a Becker fan to a Llendl fan. I had such empathy for him, winning every tournament, but not being able to win his most coveted goal which was a Wimbledon Title. Plus he had cool long sweat bands!!!! Tennis just seems to improve and improve, with one hero being replaced by another, Edberg, Aggassi, Pat Cash.

I never really got on with Pete Sampras. I know he was and is a great tennis player, but his attitude and demeanour rubbed the wrong way with me. I always cheered his opponents.

Having sporting heroes, does really really improve your game, and I encourage everyone who loves tennis to go out and play the game for yourself. One day you may be the next Tim Henman or Andrew Murray. Take up thy Tennis rackets and play, I only wish I still played!

Roll on Wimbledon Fortnight.

Why not buy a badge set 'SETW0001 £4.50 + £0.70p&p' in our Badge sets section. Or check out all our Tennis badges in the occasions section.

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Little Badges - BADGE 'O' THE MONTH MAY 2009

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

Well it's that time of the month again. A new little badge get's lofted to the heady heights of....'Badge 'o' the Month'.

Last months 'Badge 'o' the Month' was a worthy contender,
George: 1 Dragon: 0, celebrating St George's day, which garnered accolades from Adelaide to Arbroath.

So this months 'Badge 'o' the Month has a lot to live up to. But the little fella is keen and with it's bright red plumage does not fail to dazzle.

We have chosen a Strawberries and cream graphic this month in the recognition of the great Wimbledon Tennis tournament. (Lived in London for 10 years and never been yet). Nothing really sums up an English summer than punnets and punnets of Strawberries and cream.

During the Wimbledon fortnight over 2,000 kilos (8,000 punnets) of strawberries are consumed daily during the Fortnight and that's topped off by 7,000 litres of fresh cream!!!
Unfortunately for me, Strawberries tighten up my throat, but I still love the taste of Strawberries and cream. Mind you it is a shame that Fish & Chips are not the main dish at Wimbledon, I would be more than happy with that.

The other thing that Wimbledon Tennis can guarantee is 2 weeks of dodgy weather! Bring 'all season weather' clothing if attending. Like the lyrics of a Crowded House song, we do get 4 seasons in one day. But this year for the first time, we have a automatic roof for Centre court, so there should be less disruption to the championship this year.

Mind you, I am more old school when it comes to Wimbledon. I remember the rallies and battles of the great Jimmy Connor's and John McEnroe. The amazing matches of Boris Becker, a breath of fresh air into the game, and the uphill struggle of Ivan Llendl to claim a grass court win at Wimbledon.

So this year, Enjoy your strawberries and cream and show your support to our brave little badge by wearing this little badge to the Wimbledon Tennis tournament. Maybe just maybe it will be spotted on television.


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LITTLE BADGES - RUN.....NEVER STOP RUNNING..RUN MORE

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

Good luck to all those running the London Marathon this weekend. You mad fools.
Hopefully the weather will work out fine for you all. Not too hot, not too cold and hopefully no rain.

We have been to support the London Marathon a few times. We have a friend who has nothing better to do with his life, so he runs marathons, and has run the London Marathon a few times. The last time we went to support him, we stood near the tower of London heading towards Canary Wharf as he told us we would see him running both ways. It was raining all day, but we stood there with umbrellas waving and cheering everyone on. 5 hrs we stood in the rain and did not see him once. We did see an old College friend run passed but not our mate. He told us that he was running in a bright pink top, which his charity had supplied. It was not until we caught up with him for a meal afterward that we found out he was running in a fluorescent yellow top!!

Still it was a day out. He is running it again this year but I'm afraid apathy has crept in, and although it was exciting the first year we will think about him running from our nice warm bed this weekend.

However I am quite excited about it, as my hairdresser is running for the first time in the London Marathon. She was lucky enough to get a place and she has been telling me about her training. On my last visit to the hairdressers I think the realization of what she would be doing was sinking in. But she has put so much training into it, I am sure she will do well. Looking forward to seeing her medal next time I go in.

I myself do not do jogging. To be honest, I don't see the point in it. People that jog are obviously running away from something. It does freak me out when you are walking along a pavement in the morning, alone, and you can hear heavy footfalls coming from behind and a rhythmic snorting sound.

I am sure there will be the usual nutters out wearing full suits of armour, or very bad fancy dress decision outfits running this year, good luck to them, but please don't do yourself any injuries.

And of course, those so called 'Celebrities' will be out in force using another event to hog the limelight and shout look at me...look at me...oh I'm so caring... (who are we running for)..I'm not at all over exposed, it's just Heat magazine did not want to do a feature on my bathroom habits this week. Run as much as you like celebrities but the Tax man will catch you and take your un-hard earned cash in the form of 50p per pound! Well done Darling.

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

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LITTLE BADGES - We never knowingly put a healthy badge down

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

we never like to put an otherwise healthy badge down, and so save them from the big little waste paper basket in the sky. It has got to the point where we have hundreds of little badges recuperating in a drawer, their only crime in life.......Not being perfect!

As an imperfect human being myself, I cannot bring myself to just dump them, make them someone else's problem, when all they want to do in life is cheer up someone's old coat or bag.

Let's just get this straight, they have done nothing wrong, and in these Credit Crunch™ times (oh how I hate that trademark slogan) the most important thing is....they eat absolutely nothing. Nada, zilch. No need to set an extra place at the dining table as they are good to go. They survive on your love alone, and the cheeky chance they will catch the eye of another, or even meet another little badge out there with similar interests and a passion for fashion.

All that is wrong with these little badges is the following, and as we are very picky, it is normally very minor things that stop them going to their new homes:

A surface scratch on the mylar (plastic coating)
A tiny bit of fluff (or other dust particle) under the surface of the mylar
a raised bump
or...... and this is the most tragic..... being slightly off-centre! (well who isn't these days).

So I call on you good people to dig deep, deep deep within yourselves, and give these little badges the chance they deserve in life, a chance to shine on an otherwise un-sunny day. Free them from their lives inside a warm drawer unit and unleash them onto the capital, no... the world.

For today you could make a little badge stand that little bit taller.

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Little badges - Spring has sprung and somethings been spotted

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

Spring has well and truly sprung in our garden, and all those dead looking plants in our garden have decided to give it one more go this year and have burst into life.

They have been moved around so much, I'm surprised they know what time of year it is, or which way up they are meant to be growing, but they have done us proud.

So far the only fatality is our Bottle brush, which decided one day to commit suicide, for no apparent reason apart from maybe the world economic thingy. One day healthy as anything, the next shriveled up and brown, with no vital signs showing. To my wife's annoyance, I have left it in the ground this year with a haircut and a hope that it will just buck it's darn ideas up.

The other fab thing, and I know that some think this is sad, but we have some new birds nesting in our garden. Not over the border, or next door, not in that nice thick tree over my neighbors back garden, not even in the alleyway. We have some very welcome guests who have decided that our eucalyptus tree is the perfect place to bring up young. Maybe it's due to the location, panoramic views across South London, maybe due to the jet stream (blimey it's a windy spot they have picked), which will help with fledging , as they can just hop from the nest and be blown to Crystal palace. Maybe it's due to the vast amount of birdfood that I put out, in the selfish hope of attracting birds into our little garden (buy in bulk.....repent at leisure)

Whatever reason it is we are over the moon at our new visitors. We have had Blackbirds nesting before, Sparrows nesting, and Blue tits and Great tits, but never before have we had our new additions.

Yes we have a beautiful pair of Gold finches taking up residence and yet paying no rent or food bills. They are fantastic little birds which, look like they should for no reason belong in this country as they are so showy and friendly. They have a lovely bubbly call, with a chatty kind of nature to them, and they flit and bob about the garden, but luckily keep coming back to their new nest, which they have handily built within perfect view of our top back bedroom.

Mind you, I think the woman over the back of us is becoming alarmed at the amount of times we are at the back window with a pair of binoculars. Maybe we can use this blog as evidence if we get accused of peeping.

We are hopeful they will have a full nest of youngsters and will do our best to keep them all well fed and watered. Which reminds me....... when does Spring watch start!

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Little badges - One sheep, two sheep, three sheep, wow that's a hell of a flock

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

I've just been reminiscing about a lovely little short break we took earlier in the year. The reason for this is I've just discovered the questionnaire that I was meant to fill in and send back.

We have a penchant for castles and decided we needed a break. We have stayed in Castles in, Scotland, and England, and got married in a castle, so our next adventure had to be in Wales.

We booked at the beginning of the season, and arrived in torrential rain. Even the taxi driver, from Wales said he had not seen rain like this for years! We pulled into this fantastic Gothic inspired castle in south wales near the Brecon Beacons and soon found out on our arrival, that one, major work was being carried out, as they had gone to remove some of the ceiling in one of the three bars and discovered that the entire ceiling joists were rotten! and two we were the only guests staying that week in the whole place.

Well because of this we got upgraded to a lovely room, overlooking the courtyard, and away from the building work. We settled ourselves in and then went to explore the place. Spooky and eerie and cold, it was a fabulous building. We soon found the bar that was open, being heated by the only fire going as we were the only guests and hey whats the point in warming rooms unnecessarily. We settled into the old chesterfield sofas in front of the fire gazing out the windows over the valley and watched the fire and the weather pass by. We stayed there till dinner.

Anyway to cut a long story short although we were the only guests the hotel staff could not have been better and looked after us well, even though we felt a little guilty.

The break did us the world of good, and the scenery and the walks around the castle were breath taking.....

But we could not help coming away with a stereotype view of wales that it is wet...... and full of sheep! You could not look at a view without a sheep popping up. Even as we watched clouds pass down the valley, a sheep would suddenly pop out from behind a bush at the top of the mountain..... followed by another.... then another.... oh yes and another.

Because of this constant sheep counting, we slept very well..... even in a haunted castle!

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

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Little badges - My, haven't you grown

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

So, yes.... a couple of days ago it was my birthday. The usual bunch of friends sent me cards, and the usual bunch of friends did not send me a card, even though we always send them cards! But I'm not bitter, I'm just glad to be another year older.

I won't embarrass you by revealing my age but let's just say, that coal is no longer considered one of your five a day vegetables hehe :)

I love birthdays, I start getting excited about a month before. And then as the days tick down I get even more excited. When people ask me what I want, I always suggest, cars, money etc.... but alas no one has been forth coming with the car.

People always tend to ask me if I have achieved what I wanted to in my years and my reply in my mind is always the same, I have achieved very little but I am happy.

I miss family based birthdays now, as we have all dispersed to different corners of England, and If I had my way would have dispersed further to Hawaii. When you were little you would meet up at Nan and Paps house to be spoiled rotten by them and then, as if by magic other members of the family would turn up, aunties, uncles, cousins etc, and make even more fuss over you.

And each one would come out with the classic line, "ooh haven't you grown"!

Well I think I have done all the growing I am going to do now, apart from growing outwards.

So thank you to all that celebrated my birthday, and roll on next year!

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

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LITTLE BADGES - Connecting with our Friends (customers)

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

One of the joys of making badges, is of course the response we get from our customers.

When we send a badge out or a selection of badges we always wonder, who they might be for, why did they connect with that badge, is it for themselves or is it a present for somebody else.

So when we get feedback and dialogue from our customers it always helps to understand the badge choice.

Recently somebody bought 10 x JFK assassination badges from us, I needed to email them anyway as they had not chosen 2 FREE badges on checkout. When they replied they asked very politely if there was any chance they could have 2 FREE Titanic based badges for their Free ones.

This threw me a little as we don't actually have any Titanic badges on our website, or should I say didn't. When I explained that we did not have any of those but could produce some in the next couple of days, the gentleman replied and explained why.

He is a history teacher, and two of the sections he is teaching his students is the assassination of JFK and The Titanic. As an incentive for great work he gives something relating to these two major events.

Well who were we to stand in the way of this. We offered a 'Bourbon' biscuit to the first designer who could create a new Titanic badge and get them up on our website for the gentleman to see.
Now anyone that knows designers knows that the offer of biscuits and cake is one of the best incentives and within a day we had 3 new designs up.

The History teacher picked one of those designs and now hopefully within a few days one of the history students will have a new badge to wear. An absolutely lovely customer and a great use of badges.

Into the bargain I got a history lesson about the JFK assassination with some very eye opening information about the scale of the JFK assassination, which I never knew and is absolutely fascinating.

Another time we sold 7 x 'Save the DODO now' badges. Well I was intrigued. If they had bought 6 I would not have given it a second thought, but 7, well that's just madness!

I could not resist emailing the buyer, who said he loved the badges, and told me what they where for. Apparently for as long as he knew, his kids and grand kids always called his wife by a nickname, 'Dodo'. So he had bought a badge for each of his children, his wife and his grandchildren.

He also then sent me a couple of great slogans to use on future badges.

Like I said we love making that human connection with our little badges so, if you want to tell us your story feel free.

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

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Little badges - CHICK CHICK CHICK

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

I'm getting ready for the big hunt..... Not wild cats or Zebra, The big Easter egg hunt.

I love Easter, not least because spring is sprung and more wildlife and plants and colour are about, no, mainly because of the chocolate eggs. It's Just far enough away from Christmas to get excited about.

I know when I was a kid, I could not wait for Easter. As soon as Christmas was out the way I had it in my mind that about two weeks later it was going to be Easter time. I kept nagging my parents about Easter eggs and chocolate, and they kept saying, it's not yet, it's in 4 months time.

I knew they were wrong or just pulling my leg, and started to get really worked up about Easter, thinking it would be the following week or the week after that.

As I have realised with a lot of stuff my parents told me....they were in fact right. There was nothing else for it, I would have to go back to playing with my Christmas presents until Easter arrived.

I soon learn't that once the RE teacher started changing the curriculum and putting up more god posters and stuff about Easter, it could only be around the corner.

I am not a religious man in any shape or form, I cannot even pretend to believe in anything great and all seeing apart from the government, and they are not great. For me Christmas is a time for presents and family, and Easter is a time for Chocolate eggs and hot cross buns. Simple as that, it makes life a lot simpler.

What still confuses me about the time in between Christmas and Easter is the fact that a week after Christmas all these lovely easter egg boxes appear on the top shelves at supermarkets (chocolate porn) that you can look at and salivate over until much nearer the time when they suddenly decide to make them all half price. Well I suppose they have been gathering dust and mouse droppings since Christmas so they should be cheaper.

Last year I bought a dozen Creme eggs and hid them throughout the house. I told my wife they were somewhere and it took her till after Easter to find all 12. I had also hid two very large Easter eggs, but she found them without much trouble (the packaging is so big it's hard to hide them). The joy for me was seeing her sheer enjoyment at finding them. She tried to break me a few times with Chinese burns but I held out, and she found them all herself without any help or clues.

This year I am upping the anti, more big boxes (I have already scoped out some brilliant and cunning hiding places) and because it bought me pleasure as well I am going for two dozen small creme eggs.

Happy hunting!

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Little Badges - FOR ENGLAND AND ST GEORGE

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

For England and ST. GEORGE. Ah.... Makes me proud!

A couple of weeks ago...everything went a little green. People with questionable Irish links and those with none what-so-ever suddenly started giving it all the blarney and drinking Guinness.
Ah to be sure. Some people I know (who have never been to Ireland) got on planes and flew to America to join in with the St. Patrick Day celebrations!

Everywhere I looked while coming home through London, seemed to have some link to Ireland and St. Patrick's day. Even China town!! Every single bar had a quickly made up banner to hail the fact that they had Guinness on tap, but not just Guinness, mainly the ice cold Guinness (wow that makes your hands cold). Restaurants as well were putting up signs, or chalk boards outside proclaiming to have St. Patrick Day food inside. Dim sums, Noodles, Pancakes and sandwiches.... all very authentic stuff.

And then there are the silly hats. Buy 5 pints and get a silly hat. WHY? What are you going to do with that apart from use it to Barf in on the Tube home. By 11pm the whole tube had a whiff of Guinness about it.

My wife's place of work even had a St. Patrick's lunch menu that included sticky toffee Guinness pudding! or something like that. I then asked her will they be doing a St. George's Day lunch menu, and she said no!

Now roll on April 23rd and we have a day that Britain, England, etc can be very proud of. A day to puff out your chest a little and try and find some dragons to kill. There will be pubs that mark, the occasion, but maybe not so many restaurants and I will be suprised if China town even realises this date (mind you they would do a good trade on dragons).

It's a strange one. I worked for many years on ad campaigns for St Georges day and Beer brands, and at every meeting someone would be clenching their bum cheeks and highlighting the association with the BNP. How the St George cross can be seen as racist! And every time I would tell them to go jump.

Political correctness is so engrained in people that at every turn we are so conscious of offending someone somewhere. Oh dear what if we offend foreigners. Well we should not worry in the slightest as St. George may be the Patron St. of England but at the same time he Freelanced for loads of other countries and is also their Patron St. But what about it being racist! Everything can have a racist tinge if you look for it. If you make something racist by attaching something to it, that was not there in the first place, it can be seen as racist. Heck half of us that live in England as English people are Celts or from Viking blood and St. George was a Roman soldier (but I think he was born in Palestine!)

So I wear my St. George's Day badges with pride and I do feel a sense of English pride on St George's Day. As I sip at my English ale, and think of England....Cry God for England and St.George it brings a tear to my eye.

So please celebrate St. George's Day this year with no worry or fear of offending, raise a glass to the legend that is St. George and Enjoy yourself without the guilt.

And if you happen to see any dragons run them through with your sword and you too may one day be heralded as the New St. of England.

Dragons like Bourbon biscuits you know!

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

Milk and sugar?

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Little Badges - LITTER LITTER EVERYWHERE

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

It's one of my bug bears I'm afraid. I can't stand it, it makes my hackles go up when I see it.
Litter Litter everywhere. I am like Victor Meldrew, picking up litter in my front garden and taking note of what crisp packet or fast food takeaway packaging it is.

Yet it has got so bad under our council, we have fly tipping as well. So instead of the usual stuff, I have recently been getting babies nappies complete with content turning up in my garden.

I don't know what it is about litter that gets my back up, but I look down what should be a lovely avenue, and your eye keeps catching site of a newspaper flapping in the wind, a plastic bag in a tree, or the silver glint of a Hula Hoop packet in someones hedge.

I am not of that mind set that says, someone else will pick it up, that's what street cleaners are for, it's up to the council to sort it. I was always taught to put rubbish in my pockets or hold onto something until I see a bin. Now by bin, I do not mean a hedge, on top of a wall, by a doorway, in a tree, behind a green BT box, over someones wall, down an alleyway entrance etc. I mean a proper bin. Yes there are fewer of them these days, taken out during the IRA bombings and never replaced because of the cost, and the fact that it would take away money from the councils Knees up. But they are around.

I have often told people to pick up rubbish if I have seen them drop it. Yes One day I will be stabbed if the News is anything to go by, but it is a principle. I would not dream of walking down someones road and throwing something on the floor. It's not in my make up. Because I was taught it, because I was in fear of being shouted at by a local Bobby on the beat if I did, or a park warden (where are parkies anymore), mainly because I can't stand to see this detritus on the streets!

I followed a family of Romanian people in full traditional clothing walking down our street the other day. Two kids, two women, and as they walked down the road they proceeded to drop detritus behind them. The kids had been bought some toy cars from the local Tesco's, wham bang, into the packaging toy out, and packaging dropped on the floor. The Mother or grand mother then dropped a receipt, and started unwrapping 4 Ice lollies for them all. 1-4 Ice lolly wrappers dropped over their shoulders. One even looked over their shoulder before doing it.

Well I was just furious, so I picked the stuff up and tried to hand it back to them. I said " There are wheeled bins all down this street just put them in there" but I was greeted by a shrug, a laugh between them and they carried on, with me stood there holding their litter. I ended up putting it in my bin, and then was angry for the rest of the day.

And before you think to yourselves, oh he's one of these on about rosier times, and blaming the kids of today.... It's not just the kids. Litter louts spans so many ages.

You have your litter droppers. Drunks getting rid of their cheap lager cans on the floor, kids and workmen throwing down their kebab wrappers and fast food containers where they finish them, Mums with kids, giving some sweets to their child and then just dropping the packet, smokers just dropping their fags, and people finishing a newspaper and putting it on the nearest flat wall.

Then you have the refuse tippers. Those who can't be bothered to wheel out their wheely bins, and just put their black bags on the street. Some on collection day, but most just when the bins filled up in their house. These are a sneeky bunch. You normally see these people about 6am in the morning or after dark at night. Piling bags up one by one, looking both ways, trying to act nonchalantly. By morning these bags are ripped open by Rats and foxes alike and the contents strewn along the road. But once it's out of their site, it's as if it was never theirs in the first place. Once the foxes and rats have opened it up, it has nothing what so ever to do with them.

To top it all, my council are rubbish. They talk a good talk but are so useless it is unbelievable that any of them have jobs. Councillors after councillors have made empty promises, head honcho's of the Street cleaning team have assured me they are doing everything within their power as long as it is between 10am and 4:30pm to combat this problem. Unfortunately I can't name names or mention my Council on here, but looking at the different London Boroughs I would say the same is true of all of them.

I recently came back from Wales. Staying near the Brecon beacons, the views were stunning, and I thought this is fantastic, this is what the country even inner and greater London should look like (not the mountains of course). Then I was hit in the face by a hula hoops packet!! Walking further up the mountains it just became apparant that litter seems to get everywhere, as I noticed water bottles, childrens dummies, bread bags etc on my walk.

Oh well I am sure I am not the only one that feels this way so feel free to comment.

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

Milk and sugar?

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Little badges - So you wanted milk and one

Hi

The virtual kettle's on..... So while I let it boil I just have this to say

I have a terrible memory. Well okay not terrible, but in areas very very bad.

If someone tells me their name, especially if it is a work thing, I will instantly forget. I apologise now to anyone I have met in the past. I don't know what it is, but someone will introduce themselves to me, I will shake them by the hand and say hi, even repeat their name as I shake their hand, and then, 2 mins later, that's it. All knowledge of the name is gone. Or worse in my head I have a totally different name for someone.

Faces though, I am brilliant at. I can see someone in the street and know that I have met them before, but woo, ask me their name and I have no chance.

I have to do that thing , where I stop them and say, "how the devil are you, It's been ages, It's me Paul" and hope that they feel a little embarrassed and give up their name in conversation.

I have tried memory techniques whereby I give the person a character based on their appearance or habits, like someone that waddles becomes Pocahontis to me. But the trouble is that I am so tempted to call them Pocahontis when I meet them it gets me into more trouble. Or I am talking to a friend and I am saying " you know thingy from college.....Pocahontis" and of course they have not got the foggiest what I am on about.

My other real area of memory disability is in doing the Tea and coffe runs at work. It does not matter how long I have worked with someone, I am unable to remember how they want their tea, or in fact if they like tea or prefer coffee. I end up making more Teas and coffees than I need and putting them on a table, and saying, I've got one here with milk and one sugar, or a coffee without, and then just offer them to anyone who takes an interest.

I have to write down notes like a waiter or waitress on a scrap of paper, an initial with T + M + S for Tea with milk and sugar. That's why I designed these badges for tea, Coffee ones will follow, but Tea is the main drink at our place. I am eventually learning what people want by visualizing the person wearing the badge.

It's not infallible but I am getting there.

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

Milk and sugar?

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Little Badges - I'm a pinball wizard, I wish!

Hi

The virtual kettles on..... So while I let it boil i just have this to say

I have craved a Pinball table for as long as I can remember. I think it was because they had one in the eatery on 'Happy Days'. The particular one I fell in love with is the 1970's Evel Knievel Pinball machine. There is just something about it, that grabs me, and of course I grew up in the era of Evel Knievel and had the stunt bike toy etc.

I have whittled about getting one for so many years now, and every time I run it by my wife, something new comes up to block me owning it. Originally when we were both out of college and living together in a one bedroom flat, three storey's up, It was to do with the space.

So I wore her down, and she agreed that if we bought our own flat, and it was bigger than a one bedroom flat and on the ground floor, I could buy it. So we stopped renting our little flat and bought our first flat together. Ticked all the boxes. Ground floor, two bedrooms and even a garden which was a treat for us. Firstly the place was a run down shell, which needed a lot of work doing to it to get it up to standard, hence why we could afford to buy it. For the first 3 years we spent every penny on decorating, replastering etc etc. By the 4th Year we had done all the major stuff and the money was going towards cushions and curtains and things. And then we finally finished it all, we were able to sit back and relax and enjoy the place.

I remembered the conversation about if we bought a flat, with two bedrooms, on the ground floor etc, that I would be able to buy the Pinball table of my dreams. I found the one I was after, the prices had shot up from 4 years ago as they are getting more rare, but I found one that could be shipped from America to our front door. Well I broached the subject of the pinball table again, and found out that the goalposts had been moved without me realizing.

Apparently the second bedroom now was only big enough to be used as a second bedroom and was to be kept clear for guests...... Where had that come from!

So we ended up selling the flat and moved into a Large 3 Bedroom house. Not only did it have an extra dining room, but it had a very large third bedroom and loft space.

I have recently broached the subject again of the pinball table...... But alas it seems we need all 3 bedrooms, 2 for guests and the dining room is for Dining in, not to be filled with a large pinball table.

I am now beginning to realize that I may never own my beloved Evel Knievel Pinball table, and the closest I will get to seeing it is on the internet as the prices rise and rise.

But you never know. In the meantime the closest I have to Pinball table stuff is a lovely picture book and the pinball bumper badges above.

Well a man can dream!

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

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Little badges - I've got a brand new combine harvester!

Hi

The virtual kettles on..... So while I let it boil i just have this to say

Ah, the smell of a tractor, the wind in your hair, the thrashing blades of a combine harvester by your side!

I was very lucky when I was growing up, as our parents best friends were farmers. They were not always farmers but when Uncle Nev's dad died he inherited his dad's farm. Oh yes, and he was not actually my uncle, but for some reason we always called them uncle Nev and auntie Eileen.

We lived on the edge of town. Walk one way and you went to town, walk the other way and you were out in the countryside. I preferred the countryside to the town. We seemed to be over the farm helping a lot. Especially during the summer months and Lambing time.

For us a kids it was great because they had kids our age and slightly older. And while the parents worked and helped out we would be playing around the farm and the yard. Chasing rats in the grain barn, staying clear of the temperamental but gorgeous sheep dog (the dog was nev's dad's and went a little funny when his owner died).

As well as being beautiful and idylic a bit like Darling buds of may, It could be a dangerous.....very dangerous place. I managed to fall in the sheep dip, luckily while no sheep were in it, I almost got trampled by the cows (wow, they are very big when you get up close to them), I almost sank into the grain in the grain hut without any trace, I was cornered by the biggest rat I have ever seen in my life, and I fell off a haystack. Happy times!

Whereas kids at school would have there favourite cars, Lambourghinis, ferraris etc, I was a big fan of the old John deer green tractor, and the brand new combine harvester, which dwarfed their old combine harvester.

We often helped or hindered with the Combining, stacking the bails of hay, sheep dipping. I remeber onec I was riding in the cab of the new combine with Uncle Nev and my dad. He jumped up out of the seat and asked me to hold the wheel for him, he took one look at my dad and they both darted out of the cab leaving me driving the monster. Nev just kept smiling at me and shouting point it towards the gate!!!! I have never been so scared and thrilled in my life except for the Hulk ride in florida.

The best experience for me was lambing. We got a call at 3am one morning, and dad whipped us up into our clothes and we drove over. The lambing was just starting and we got to watch as 3 or 4 sheep were lambing. They were so matter of fact about everything, and I learn't loads, but the scariest was when they had a difficult birth, and had to winch the lamb out by the legs. Thankfully all survived and within minutes were up and about.

If you ever get the chance to witness it, I urge you to do it.

Living in the city now, I really miss those days, and although they are viewed through rose tinted glasses I hope the memories never fade.

Thanks to my parents for being brave enough to let us explore and to Nev and Eileen for giving us a great childhood.

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

Milk and sugar?

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Little Badges - I ain't afraid of no ghost

Hi

The virtual kettles on..... So while I let it boil i just have this to say

"We came...We saw...We kicked it's ass" shout's Dr. Peter Venkman. Ghosts everywhere, coming out of the sewers, in closets, on buses. Great film and like everyone else at the time I went a bit Ghostbusters mad.

But that was then and this is now, So why on earth do I still believe in ghosts. I could not put a time frame on when I started believing in other things and other worlds which can crossover but I am sure that Ghostbusters helped seal my belief.

I remember somebody bought me a fantastic colour book about the paranormal and the unexplained one Christmas. Apart from the usual stuff, Nessie, the Yeti, curses on Egyptian tombs and a particularly gruesome picture of the remains of a burnt leg which was the result of self combustion, there was a section on Ghosts, and Poltergeists.

They had some amazing photographs, that I am pretty sure have been debunked now, of a white ghost coming down a staircase. But that did not matter to me, it was the text really that opened up the possibility of what if? From there on I sort of Searched out local history ghosts from where I used to live, and when you start looking there is an awful lot of stuff about the subject.

One story that grabbed me was about a female ghost or male ghost depending on your sex that would appear to people at an old unused cemetary where I used to live. The story goes that if you see the image of a woman (you being a male) and she attracts you over and kisses you, you have 48hrs to live. Likewise if you see a man (you being female) and he does the same you will only have 48hrs to live. It was something to do with being a spurned lover and their body was buried at this old disused cemetary.

So after reading that the first thing I did, was get my gang of mates to saddle up on our BMX's (they had BMX's, I had a cheap heavy copy by Raleigh in Copper and black) and head out to the cemetary. Mind you it was the middle of the summer holidays and blazing sunshine, but we camped ourselves outside the cemetary for hours just waiting. One of us would suddenly say something like, "there, something moved" and our heartrates would jump a little higher. Nothing, not a sausage. But what on earth would we have done if we had seen and been enticed by this lady ghost. Panicked!

But I still hold out for something to this day. I watch all the normal rubbish on TV to do with it. Sit there for hours upon hours watching Most haunted live for nothing to happen apart from a load of screaming for no apparant reason, and camera work just like the Blair witch project. And as usual at the end of the night they sit around and discuss just what did not actually happen, but could have. I am getting to the point where I want Carl and Yvette Fielding to be attacked in front of a locked off camera!

And of course there was the great Derek Acorah who would go into a trancelike state and start hurling obsenities into the face of Yvette, which looking back was probably more to do with his contract and the fact that they no longer got on, than any paranormal occurance.

But much later in my life I had my one and only ghostly experiences. I was working in a pub while I was at college. It was the Old Queens head in Penn. The place used to be an old Tithe barn with a coaching Inn attached. It had just gone under extensive refurbishments when I joined.

First of all I worked as the Kitchen Porter, washing up into the wee small hours on a Saturday night and Sunday night. I always felt when I was left alone at the end of shift to finish cleaning and shutting down that there was something behind me, but nothing ever happened. Later I moved to being a barman, and would finish bottling up around 3am, and sit down with the others and grab a drink. The first experience happened regularly enough around 3am on a Saturday morning. The church opposite had a security light and this would go on, and then a couple of moments later the door to the pub which had a gate latch, would click up and open fully and close with a latch as we all sat there. Not that remarkable some might say, but the door was a heavy wooden door and had a fire hinge at the top which was hard to push at the best of times. This happened so regularly, the same pattern, that we named this thing George. And would raise our glasses and say "Morning George".

The next strange occurance was much more personal. The Tithe barn area, the oldest part of the pub, had just gone under major refurbishments to house an new set of toilets. Well I was in there not long after they had finished and was....Well doing my business having a pee. There was only me and two other staff there and I could hear them down stairs. There was nobody behind me, nobody else in the toilet and the squeaky door would have alerted me if someone had dashed out. All of a sudden I felt a focused hard push on my left shoulder, which spun me around a bit. Nothing no one there. I had not finished peeing so had to finish up quick smart but then again another harder more violent push to my left shoulder. That was it for me, and I can only apologise for not washing my hands that night, but I was gone, Out of the loo and very quickly out of the pub. Oh yes and I had had a few pints that night but even so, it jolted me out of any slightly merry feeling I was having.

It wasn't that long after that I quit my job there.

So until I find out otherwise I am AFRAID I am going to carry on believing. I could have told you about the night where flying cutlery and knives went by my head but that was just the chef. He was a nutter!!

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

Milk and sugar?

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Litlle Badges - OOH look at the pointy spears

Hi

The virtual kettles on..... So while I let it boil i just have this to say

Apparently....3D is coming back. Woo Hoo I hear you cry. But the question is, did it ever leave us. In it's time, 3D was brilliant. I must admit, I was a late starter to 3D films but, wow how excited was I when they played the first one on TV and you got a FREE pair of 3D glasses with your copy of Radio Times or TV Times.

We all sat around the telly, a little closer than normal, all sat there in Our 3D glasses which were very uncomfortable, looking all modern and space age (amazing what a bit of red and blue celluloid can do). If I remember rightly, the film was about Cowboys and Indians. I would not say it had a memorable plot in any form, basic cowboy and Indian stuff, but it did have an awful lot of people jabbing stuff straight at the screen. Knives, guns, and lots of flaming arrows!!

But to give it it's due, I was young in the 80's and I got quite a thrill out of it. My dad was convinced that one of the arrows would actually come out the screen and kept trying to pull us out of the way. He does get excitable.

And then in the 80's the floodgates seemed to open for a while and everything was going 3D. Even Jaws! I thought then we were on the cusp of greatness, and did not even realize that this format had lived and died before in the 50's!

And yes, naïve as I was, we all thought that those special cheap little glasses contained a magic that could make the modern real world even more 3D. We would push sticks at kids faces wearing the glasses, and they would scream "oh it's all so real and 3D...It looks like it is really coming at me"!

When I was over in Vegas a couple of years back, stuck in the smokey casinos, not gambling just watching other people gamble (I am a cheap date), Me and my wife would slip away to the IMAX theatre in the Luxor and watch some 3D movies. No longer the two tone glasses, these just seemed to be grey, we would happily spend 30mins watching these movies, and the technology had definately moved on. We really enjoyed them.

So I can only hope that the 30 plus films being produced at this very moment in Hollywood will actually be good. Maybe less randomly pointing pointy things at the camera, and a much better plot line, and it might just work and take off this time.

Talking movies were ridiculed to begin with, but hey, they seem to be doing all right these days, even the real stinkers.

I personally cant wait to be wowed by the movies again, but I am easily pleased..... and maybe after 3D there will be 4D! Pass the popcorn, wow you nearly had my eye out!

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

Milk and sugar?

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Little badges - Me please sir...Me ...me

Hi

The virtual kettles on..... So while I let it boil i just have this to say

It was a coveted position. All wanted it, but only one could have it, and yet this wondrous honour fell upon me at my lower school.

Yep, that's what I'm asking as well. Why me. Did I look like Milk Monitor material. Did I have an angelic face, where my hands the right size at that age to hold the bottles. Did I scream with responsibility.

I cannot answer any of those questions...... but I was proud to be the Milk Monitor.

I had a little badge that said milk monitor. Oh how the other children coveted that badge. I won't lie to you, I used to shine it up with my little grey jumper sleeve. When you are Milk Monitor you have to have standards you know.

But for the life Of me I cannot remember why I got the job. Was I the nearest to the door, did they do a ballot and I won. Was it down to the fact that I was bought up to hold doors open for teachers. (It was manners....I was not a crawler) or was it something more in the realms of destiny.

A chance conversation with my dad the other week revealed to me that he too had been Milk Monitor at his school. Was this my destiny. Is there some inter school code of honour that means that the offspring of the coveted Milk Monitor get preferential treatment, and are then too welcomed into the halls of Milk Monitor land.

What it gave me was respect from teachers. I don't know why? There is something about being a head boy or head girl that automatically gives you a little edge of power and possibly the chance of seeing into the hallowed 'TEACHERS STAFF ROOM' But I had started out on the lower rungs of Milk Monitor, and bye jove I was going to Milk it for all it was worth ( I can only apologise for that pun).

Before morning break I was allowed to leave our classroom and walk down to the delivery bay. Where each classroom had their crates of milk. My responsibilities covered 4 class rooms, where I would go and deliver these crates one by one. Then finally delivering our classroom crate, the specially hand picked crate that had not been in the direct sunlight all morning, to my class mates.

Then It was my job to hand out the milk bottles, they were only tiny bottles, and a straw to each classmate. Of course I would pick my bottle out first, and I always had two straws. I made sure I did not have the milk bottle with the dried bird muck on the lid. Then I would hand out the bottles, carefully weighing up my audience and giving out premium bottles to my favourites.

Oh the power. But I often thought it was a little unfair that other kids could not do it. Especially when it was raining. I often wondered on those cold wet days, maybe I should deputize somebody for the day to let them enjoy the thrill of being milk monitor. But alas with power comes gret responsibility and I was not allowed.

So for all of you out there who did not manage and craved so much to be the milk monitor.....Now you can.

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

Milk and sugar?

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Little Badges - Ladies and gentlemen..... Let's...Play....Darts

Hi

The virtual kettles on..... So while I let it boil i just have this to say

Firstly, I know it's not one of those trendy sports, and I know it has a low brow reaction from my friends......but I just love darts!

I have worked in loads of Advertising agencies..... and not once has an account handler suggested wining and dining clients at a darts match. Football, all the time. Most agencies I know have use of a corporate box. Rugby again, seen as an upper class sport. Formula 1 again is a popular one to take the clients to. But alas Darts less so.

But why? It has the skill of any other sport. It has the tension of any other sport, it has the speed of any other sport, and it has the unpredictability of any other sport. But why so low brow.

I was hooked as a young lad by the Eric Bristow, John lowe, keith deller era. The arenas where sponsored by cigarette companies, and the air was thick with smoke, and the smells of stale beer and cheap lager. And yet the cream always rose to the top. In any sport you have to have the outsiders, the just there to make up the numbers, and the favourites. It got to the point where the two greats Eric Bristow and John Lowe where the titans, and the final was already set before the end of the tournament. Basically you had to decide out of those two, who you were going to pick. The crafty cockney.... Skill personified, a natural swinging talent, with that cheeky glint in his eye, a quip and a friendly chip on his shoulder. A darts master. Sometimes the villain sometimes the hero. Then you had John Lowe. A serious looking man, a steely determination and skill blistering out of the ends of his fingertips. John Lowe stood tall like a Clint Eastwood character and stared down the dartboard until it relinqued to his skill. Both top players, both bubbling with skill and talent.

I always wanted to see John Lowe win. I don't Know why, maybe because that's who my dad supported. When the darts was on in our household, we would follow each match and each set of darts to it's conclusion. Mesmerised by it. The hypnotic thud thud thud of the darts hitting the board. The sing song way the caller shouts out the darts scores, and the shear joy for the player when they drop in a 180. Have you ever tried to hit a 180. For years I could never do it. The blokes on TV did it regularly. Once a match had finished I would go out into the cold garage and try and replicate it. Most times I could barely get a 20 or a single treble twenty. Just recently I have started hitting 180's more regularly but maybe over a year of playing only 24. Whereas you watch the Phil taylors, The count, the Mervyn Kings of the modern darts and they are hitting over that in one tournament.

But still over all these years I am more of a closet darts fan. I try not to be, but if you start a new job it's always Which football team do you support! My reply is none, as I find it one of the most boring over ego's sports going. The next question is what sport do you like then. I always reply honestly with Formula 1 being my top sport, but I do always add followed by darts.
Some peoples reaction shear horror, then a nervous laugh.... and then non conversation from that point on. But every so often you get someone that follows it, and you see a little light bulb go on behind their eyes as they are allowed to connect with someone else about this great sport.

And it is a great sport. Take a set of darts and try and hit 180. Then once you've achieved that memorise the out shots on the doubles and try and hit the coverted 170 out. Treble twenty, Treble twenty and Bullseye!!!!! It's difficult. To this day my highest out score is 126! I'm still a long way off.

So ladies and gentlemen..... I urge you...... Let's Play Dart's!

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

Milk and sugar?

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Little badges - Money Money Money

Hi

The virtual kettles on..... So while I let it boil i just have this to say

Well you can't turn on the telly, or read a newspaper these days without some ill informed reporter shouting in a slightly panic ridden voice about the end of the world, being just around the corner (that bloke on oxford street could have been right then!) or how the pound has plummeted to a 15 year low, since records began 15 yrs ago.

Each day the channels and the news reporters try and out do the other with doom. One will quote, stock market loses 15 million in one day, and the paper just next to it on the paper stand reads 18 million lost in the city in one day. Wow there is a 3 Million pound difference there! That's a lot.

I have to stop myself screaming at the telly these days, when someone says this is the worst data to have come out since records began! They don't tell you that records of the specific event have only been recorded in the last 15 years. That's only back to 1994.

The other thing that really riles me, is that the footsie 100 can rise for five days straight without any coverage..... Yet if it drops for one day, it's in the news..... If it drops for two days, It's a catastrophe.... if it drops for 3 days, we may as well shoot ourselves, the aliens are coming to invade the world, were all doomed!

E sales are up massively year on year, but high street retail is suffering. Why is this..... One if you live in Britain the prices are too expensive, Two if you shop on the high street the prices are too expensive, Three shops in Britain have basically become the 3D version of the Argos catalogue . You go in, browse the items, touch it, feel it, abuse it to see if it scratches easily and then you go home and do an internet search for the cheapest version of it.


Oh yes and experts! Wow, there seems to be an expert for everything. 1 yr old fossil found, we will now ask Dr peter spligdolski who is an expert on 1 yr old fossils his opinion.

Expert should be reclassified as average Joe with an opinion and guess work. Just because someone is referred to as an expert does not mean they are right. Most cases they are towing a company line or they are just widely guessing and getting paid to give their opinions. Because lets remember, nobody, anywhere does anything for FREE.

So with that all in mind, I still and always "will work for money"


Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

Milk and sugar?

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Little Badges - Why drink water when you can drink tea

Hi

The virtual kettles on..... So while I let it boil i just have this to say

I can't get enough of it! I had not realized I had an addiction, but wow. I am like a chain smoker with mugs instead of ciggies. I just finish one delicious hot cuppa, and my brain is already saying to me..... Oooh I fancy a nice brew.

My poor old kettle must be getting a thumb indentation on it's 'on' switch. Now don't get me wrong on this. I am not one of those tea snobs. You will find no Lapsang doo dah in my cupboards, or this trendy Roobush malarky, ( I worked in an office once which was full of women, and they used to pontificate and try and get me to drink Roobush, OOh you must try it, it is divine)! Let me just stop them there. It is not divine. It is a teabag in hot water without milk. Not in my book TEA!

No I am a simple man (much said) and I have simple tastes. I do not care if it is a teabag with the sweepings up off the floor from a tea house in an economy range, a builders tea, in a round bag, pyramid bag etc. I Just want TEA.

People get a bit funny about tea as well, not me. People come to my house, and I offer them a tea, and some of them say have you got this brand, or do you have this speciality tea etc. To which I gleefully reply no. I have tea or I have not got tea. You either drink it or you dont. Some people, parents in particular having been on the planet for a number of years and proffess to you that, oh they don't mind what they get, will then take a sip and say something like, that's a bit strong or that's a bit weak, or do you put the milk in first.

I am afraid I was bought up with manners, and would not dream of saying to someone that has made the effort of making me a lovely cuppa, ooh that's too strong, or too weak. I am happy to have tea as it comes, as long as it has milk and tea.

I am afraid that the idea of a Tea break has long gone, and we will grab a couple of mouthful swigs when we can, on a platform, in a cafe, or mainly at our desks staring into the infinity of a computer monitor. But I can hand on heart say that every mouthful of tea I do get, it sends a happy message to my brain. There would be rioting if tea was taken away.

And of course I know that tea has it's other detractors, the well rounded aromatic sexy sounding coffee with it's silly rituals and even more ridiculous names, and yes I have gone to the dark side, mainly when I am tired or watching an F1 Grand Prix in the middle of the night while sensible people sleep, but I always come back to tea, because unlike coffee it is not a snake oil salesman.

An honest cuppa for an honest man (okay I did once eat some sweets out of the Pick and Mix at Woolworths without paying, but I have lived with that guilt so they were not free), none of this Hippy coffee empire rubbish with it's stereotype clients. Just a good cuppa...or two....make that three, oh go on then just another, oh yes and the parents are coming round so I will have another then, and then their are the ad breaks.....and....oh yes and...ooh and I could.

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling (finally) so

Milk and sugar?

Join us in our little shop for a virtual cuppa www.thebiglittlebadgeco.com

Little badges - Bad news always gets buried

Hi

The virtual kettles on..... So while I let it boil i just have this to say

There's a lot of bad news out there... I appreciate that, but of course some news is more bad (wow terrible English).

Some of you may have heard about (as the newspapers and media channels like to put it) Chaos, crisis, catastrophe, plunging stocks, since records began news that the finances of the nations might not be as healthy as we thought in 2007-2008. But amazingly and to prove a point that really bad news is buried, I have only just found out from a mate down the pub that.........


....... Bill Oddie the great Bird watcher and gruff grumpy and dangerous wildlife Tv presenter has walked away from the next series of Spring Watch!!!

I know.....That's what I said! I used more 4 letter words than that, well I had had a few glasses of Exmoor gold, but yes, the sentiment was the same.

Bill Oddie is Spring Watch! I can't get enough of the Live Spring Watch and Autumn Watch episodes when they are on. Bill is often off hand, grumpy, impassioned, and does not suffer fools gladly. You never know what he is going to do or say and for that matter even though they do rehearsals neither do the directors!!

Tv gold happens nightly as Bill often has to correct the other woman ..... what's her name... no can't remember, as she chattily gives over a fact that she has been given as if it's her own (Kate Humble i think) and Bill rolls his eyes and corrects her like a school master would.

After I had cleaned up after spilling my pint at the news, and realising that it had been well and truly hidden in the news, I decided to wear an arm band in memory of the great man.

Come back Bill! All is forgiven, even your dirty sex talk about the ducks in the studio, not quite Manuelgate but very close given the audience.

We have a very popular badge that says 'I'm an Oddie Watcher' see website: http://thebiglittlebadgeco.com under Film and Tv, but of course I am going to have to change that to 'Where's Oddie' now!



Oddie we love you and salute you.

Oh well that's me done for the day..... the virtual kettle has boiled now

Milk or sugar?

Well that's me

Join us in our little shop for a virtual cuppa www.thebiglittlebadgeco.com

Thank you to all our lovely customers

Hello

Well the virtual kettles on, so while I just let that boil away in the background we would just like to say a big thank you.

Thank you to all our customers over the last year. We have met some interesting people, we have heard some interesting reasons for why you chose certain badges, and all in all we have enjoyed serving each and everyone of you.

As you all know by now.....each of our little 25mm badges is very special to us. They are created based on what's happening in the world, how we are feeling and on what you are looking for. We shed a little tear as we send off each of our badges to it's new home. But we know from feedback that our little badges are very well looked after. During the snow the other week, we sent out orders on the Monday. We warned customers that although we managed to get to the postbox, the postman might not. The feedback was of understanding. One customer let us know that...."the badges did arrive...they were a little cold, but they warmed them by the fire.....and they soon perked up". Knowing we have such loyal and understanding customers is a real joy.

Now for some other news. You can now buy direct straight from our website. We have set up each badge with an add to cart button. When you have chosen the ones you would like just simply pay via PayPal, either with a credit or debit card or with a PayPal account. You don't even need to have a PayPal account to buy from us.

Well little badge lovers, the kettle has boiled.

Milk and sugar?

Join us in our little shop for a virtual cuppa www.thebiglittlebadgeco.com