argos | Reading

I have spent a couple of days back at my home in Pudsey and it has been good. Alas, I am leaving for Pawsome shortly and so it's only been a short visit. This has only highlighted how much I miss the place. Also, after the pony play weekend, I have been incredibly horny, which is just as well considering the conventiont that's coming up.

I have managed to do a few little odd jobs around the house. The weeds have grown resplendent since we were last here, so I've pruned those back, as I have done with the trees obscuring the steps into our garden. I've also done some vacuuming on account of the place being spider central - I have had to remove three big buggers and there are loads of smaller ones kicking about.

Pudsey itself was fine, although the flag shaggers have been here too. Fortunately, it's the Yorkshire flag that has been flying in the high street so I don't have the uncomfortable vibes that the English and British flags have been giving me this week. I suspect they were conveniently left up after Yorkshire Day, but I am not so sure.

I got fish and chips at the Wetherby Whaler, which were every bit as good as I remember them, while I also got my hair cut. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, I headed into Leeds to meet up with the former director of one of the companies where I used to work. I only ate two mini pork pies ahead of this, which proved to be a mistake as we ended up having four pints across various bars in the city. We got to try the old White Cloth House for the first time - which is where Pizza Express and little Brewdog used to be - and the vibe was good. There was a nice lady serving us who was on her first shift. She was great to talk to. It was also great catching up with my former boss, even if she does put the drinks away. I can no longer do four pints and on the way home had a drunken Philly Steak Cheeseburger in McDonald's at the Owlcoates ASDA. I was pretty much the last person in there and it was a depressing specatcle.

I had another rejection from an anthology and it has been quite dispiriting. I haven't had much luck recently, despite writing what I think is my best stuff, and I can only hope this changes. I'll keep trying - my passion to write has certainly come back over the last week or so - but it is becoming harder and harder to stay motivated.

I haven't had much chance to do anything else, what with work and other commitments, but I'll be back for a week in November and I'm very much looking forward to it. I do think our long-term future is probably back in the UK, but I am still undecided. I guess we'll need to make a decision pretty soon.

lupestripe

Today, 27 September, is the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. Having been born in Stockton and realising I'd be here for Pawsome next weekend, it made sense to catch some of the commemorations, not least because my mother still lives reasonably close. I arrived after a lengthy train journey from Scotland at 9:45pm and was driven back to Barnard Castle. On the way, we passed a village that had been overtaken by flag shaggers, who had draped the British flag all over the lampposts. This was to be replicated in West Auckland, Shildon and Darlington itself over the subsequent days and it made me feeling quite uneasy. I am aware I'm not the target of these flags, but they have clearly been set up to divide rather than unite and I don't like the direction this country is taking. The governing Labour Party's introduction of digital ID cards on Friday is another thing that makes me feel incredibly on edge.

On Thursday, we headed down to Locomotion in Shildon as I had booked tickets for the Innovation train. I had seen this on a Geoff Marshall video back in the summer and realising it was at Shildon for a while, I thought it was a good opportunity to see it. Surprisingly, my mother and step-father also got on board, so we headed down there for our 3:15pm appointment. We were a tad early so we walked around the main museum taking in the original Locomotion #1 while we were privileged to see the replica being tested ahead of this weekend's major celebrations. It is due to recreate that opening journey from Shildon down to Darlington and beyond with three trucks and Experiment, the first ever passenger coach. I tried to get tickets for the main run on Friday, but they said that we would have to get public transport there, which is difficult from Barnard Castle. However, we did have the immense privilege of seeing it shuttle back and forth at Shildon on its tests, which was far less crowded and thus more accessable than it would otherwise have been.

Innovation was very good too, although it was cut down from its original four carraiges to three to fit in the station. The carriages that remained dealt with the history of the railways as well as some of the jobs on the railways (which my mother is desperately trying to get me involved with). There was also loads of things to play with, and with only about 10 people being on board and no children, this was a fantastic opportunity. The highlight was the sandpit upon which a digital image was projected of a train and tracks. With it being on sand, you could alter the topography and see what would happen to the railways when you formed mountains and lakes. I also enjoyed the Tetra Tower which was like Tetris albeit in real-life and 3D, while there were games to play regarding signal priority and a load of other cool stuff.

It was after Innovation that we got chance to see Locomotion in action, hanging around the make-shift platform to see it chuff into view. As we did, we got chatting to some railway people, while we also got to see Rocket belching fumes into the air. In the main engine shed itself we got to look at wide array of locos, while a portly gentleman came up to us and detailed how one particular steam engine worked. The staff at Locomotion were all incredibly passionate and friendly and my mother and step-father seemed very impressed. I also managed to sneak into a light rail engine of the future upon leaving, which looked like a fantastic alternative to heavy rail rolling stock. This was in the innovations of the future exhibit, which was at another shed, and although I didn't get long here, it was good to see some of these engines of the future.

The future was a strong aspect of the railways and this was demonstrated too at Hopetown in Darlington. We visited here on Friday and it is quite a bit different since its recent renovation, with a whole dedicated area to the museum. Sir Nigel Gresley and Tornado, two of the most famous locomotives Britain has ever produced, were here for footplate tours but we decided instead to focus on the museum pieces itself. There was the usual section of railway paraphenalia, which was interesting enough but much of it was out of context, while I quite liked the Exhbition Hall. Here there were displays detailing the future of the railways focusing on environmental sustainability on things like electric trains, batteries, maglev, and even things like reducing concrete in sleepers and ergonomic bridge design that reduces metal consumption. All of this was very heartening, particularly in a political climate that is delivering bad news story after bad news story, while the main display of smoke rings being wafted towards an LED picture of countryside to highlight the effect of CO2 on the climate was powerful too.

The main hall of the museum was much the same as it was before, and we learnt about the history of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, particularly in relation to the Quaker involvement. In the main engine sheds, we saw Derwent, which was built there in 1845 and is the oldest locomotive still extant that was built there. Looking at the development of such engines from Locomotion #1 in just 20 years was incredible. We also got to see the interactive exhibition Experiment, which was lottery funded. This seemed a little naff originally when we were in the booking hall hearing the safety rules, but once we got to the 3D interactive ride itself that was on a small carriage into which only nine of us could sit, it got exciting. Detailing the history of the railways from 1825 through to both world wars, the present day, and the future, it was a fascinating 10-minute immersive video while the movement of the carriage and the special effects made it feel like a rollercoaster ride. I was a little apprehensive and skepitcal as we boarded, but it was definitely worth the £5.

On the way out, we spied the old toilets which were largely redone faithfully with their 19th century pyramidial urinals. We also bumped into a local lass who spoke a lot about the importance of local museums and on our way out, we noticed an increase in police and people taking photographs in an area we had visited earlier that day. There was a man there I recognised but couldn't place, and in the end, I realised it was Prince Edward. It was interesting that he came unannounced, but we left him to it, noting the mayor entering the main museum complex as we were just leaving. There was also a pleasant brass band too. I must admit, I didn't know this was Prince Edward until later in the day, but it was good to see him. As we departed the museum, the queues were building and I was glad to have gotten my souvenir program as we entered.

We left and looked at Skerne Bridge, the oldest surviving railway bridge that has been continuously in use. Interestingly, it was built in two sections, with fears about shaking from the locomotive destroying the original structutre. I also didn't realise that Middlesbrough once hosted the world's first suspension railway bridge. We went home for lunch - garlic sausage buns and vegetable soup - before walking the spaniels around Raby Castle. I had come here in May and the experience was much the same as before, but we did get to see rutting stags, whose antlers resonated around the valley with their echoing sound. Another stag stared at us while I also got to see the place where my grandfather's ashes are scattered.

This evening, we went to The Spotted Dog in High Coniscliffe. It was quite busy, what with it being a Friday evening, and a wedding party just left. It was lively without being too loud and we settled down to have a minced lamb pie, swapping out the mashed potato for chunky chips. I still ended up getting some mash though, which was arguably preferable as I didn't really enjoy the oil in which the fries were cooked. The carrot with English mustard was divine though. After this, we went home where I drank a load of wine and watched the first episode of Michael Palin's recent Venezeula series, which was eye-opening.

My stay with my mother has been a little fraught. They do enjoy watching the news and I'd like to digest that in my own terms. The local news has made little about the 200th anniversary of the railways, which I have found surprising, while national and international news has been a hellscape. There is also a fair bit of negativity from my step-father in particular, but I fear some of my more forthright opinions may not be helping. It certainly seems more relaxing with my father, but it's just different I guess.

lupestripe

Four days into my UK trip and I have been feeling apprehensive throughout. I think how busy I have been has caught up with me and I'm struggling to turn off. At least, after tomorrow, I have a few days off when I will hopefully try and relax.

The time with my father was good. He picked me up at Edinburgh Airport around an hour later than planned as I was caught up in the cyber hacking that happened across European airports. At Berlin, we had to check in manually, which delayed things somewhat, while once we landed, I was unsure whether my bag had made it. Fortunately it had, and after a quick cheese and onion sandwich, I went to meet my father and Edward in the long stay car park. By the time we got back, it was around midnight, so there was little to really do aside from go to bed.

Sunday was a day off and we went to Loch Earn. It was a bitingly cold day with a bitter north wind, meaning it felt like late autumn rather than late summer. When the sun was out, the area was very beautiful, but with the cloud, the brown mountains looked very imposing. We had a walk up one of the hills, despite expressly telling my father I didn't want to do any climbing, then we stared out over the lake where lots of watersports were taking place. We were perched on a park bench chatting and it was at this moment I discovered that the UK was recognising Palestinian statehood. I agree with the principle, but it highlighted that when you have a mobile phone, you don't tend to get away from anything.

We hung around St Fillans for most of our time at Loch Earn, spying Stil or the Mirror Man. This is a life-sized monument stood in the lake, with silver shards appended to him. On the front it looks neat, but at the back it's more fragmented and it's meant to symbolise the relationship between man and nature. It was a popular fishing and photography spot, with loads of people scrambling over the rocks to take pictures. There was also a neat little bovine chair here as well, part of a serious of sculptures dotted around the lake. After this, we headed over to Rob Roy's grave in the picturesque remote town of Belquiddher. This, along with the graves of two of his family, is in a tiny cemetery next to a church nestled in the valley. The goat-strewn rolling hills in this valley were gorgeous, with the sun and showers painting an adyllic scene, but it must be pretty grim in the winter.

The rest of my time at my father's was largely spent working, although we did have the evenings together. On Monday, we went to local restaurant Craobh, in the centre of the town. Meaning branch in Gaelic, the food here was scrumptuous. We toyed with getting a starter, but I didn't want to spoil my main, which was the double angus steak burger with haggis and cheddar cheese. I got it for the haggis of course and the rich flavour cut through the meat well, with the fatty cheese and tomato salsa adding a fattiness and sharpness that was the perfect balance. It was a big burger and the bun struggled to contain it, but it was nice (even if most of the haggis and cheese dropped onto the plate as I was eating it). We had the Eton mess cheesecake for dessert, which was more cheesecake with bits of merangue on it than Eton mess itself. Still, all the elements were there, even if it didn't quite work. I would have liked some cream too, while it did leave me feeling a tad bloated.

On Tuesday, we headed to a local pub where we got to try a few local ales. This was in contrast to Craobh, which disappointingly just had cans of Brewdog at quite high prices. The pub was very much one for local people, but we got chatting to a few of the patrons which was fun. One guy lived in Scarborough while another asked us when decimal currency was introduced, what happened to the other 140 pence in the pound and I wasn't sure whether he was serious.

The rest of the time was taken up with walking Edward and speaking to my dad. We watched both episodes of Michael Portillo's recent documentary on the 200th anniversary of the railways - replete with garish trousers - and it was good to see the Stockton and Darlington heavily featured. Speaking of Darlington, I travelled there on Wednesday evening to meet my mother. The train journey was fine, except for the plethora of announcements after every goddamn stop, while I fear I may have picked up a cold due to the amount of coughing and sneezing going on. The journey itself was smooth as both trains I caught started where I caught them, giving me ample room to put my suitcase down and find a seat. They still haven't finished the extension to Darlington station though, which is what I thought they would have done ahead of the 200th anniversary of the railways celebrations this weekend. On the way back to my parents, I noticed the flag shaggers had been active in one of the local villages and noted this was something I did not see when I was in Scotland. Hopefully, this will be very localised in England, but seeing it within half an hour was disheartening.

lupestripe

A quick update before I travel back to the UK later on Saturday to visit my family and then attend Pawsome. It's been a very busy week at work, with my main client being quite demanding, my second client not being precisely sure what they want, and having started work for my third client, which happens to be Fenris Publishing. It's been great getting more involved with furry editing and I'd love to develop this going forward. In many ways it's my ideal job and I'd like to steer myself more towards fiction and creative editing in future.

As a result of this, I haven't done much, although I did book tickets for System of a Down on Thursday and Suede on Friday. Both bands are playing Berlin next year. At €154, the tickets for SOAD were a mite spendy, but they were far cheaper than the VIP tickets we could have done for (which were €300-490 depending on where you sat). Suede, meanwhile, are playing here for €62 and I assume that's because they aren't as big here as they are in the UK. I certainly have never seen them before and I have wanted to for a while, so at that price, it was worth taking the opportunity. Both gigs promise to be good and I'm very much looking forward to them. A few of our neighbours seem to be going to the SOAD gig, so that promises to be quite the event. Indeed, it's been quite a year for music as Ash, Pulp and Suede have all released albums while the likes of Deftones, Serj Tankian and When Snakes Sing are also putting out top tunes too. I can't recall as exciting a year for music in so long. Even the Adam Buxton LP, with its wry look on modern life, is good stuff.

The only other thing that's happened this week was earlier on Friday, when we went to Fuerst Wiacek to pick up some beers and meet up with Al Song. He seems to be settling into Berlin life quite well, having had a full week of teaching and been to the Fureigners meet Brewdog on Thursday night (which I couldn't attend due to being busy). Wolfie got to meet him for the first time, while I got chatting to the guy behind the bar who is from Middlesbrough again. He does like to talk, so I ended up being nearly half an hour late for my monthly writing group, but it was a fun evening nonetheless. It was great trying their beers as well as introducing Al to a new part of the city.

I am largely packed ahead of my 7:45pm flight on Saturday. Wolfie is coming back for Pawsome so we'll be apart for a week and a half, but I'll largely be visiting my folks. It'll be great to see him in Gloucester at the start of next month though and hopefully things will pick up once I get back.