time

I loaned and borrowed a few DVDs last weekend.

So tonight, as reward for fixing the new and surprisingly snazzy £8.95 metallic venetian blind to the window in the loo, I watched the first film and somehow the time just flew by.

It was one of those 'classic' movies which I was sure I'd watched but somehow hadn't.

boat race

I lost the bet today. Oxford beat Cambridge. It's the only thing I bet on, but today I've earned the forfeit. My select syndicate bet with one another by phone and the debt will need to be settled in person very soon.

It was a rather wet day for the race, which also had a late start because of tides or something. Cambridge won the coin toss, picked the best position and did get off to a strong start. However, the big curve in the river was surprisingly difficult and Oxford managed to gain an edge, which served them well for the last part of the race.

The choppy river and the rain didn't help timings; it was about 20 minutes this year, whereas a fast time is more like 16 minutes.

Oh well. Cambridge will win next year.

Non omnia possumus omnes

I admit it, I watch the Apprentice. I watched the very first UK series a few years ago at around two am on a hotel television somewhere, where they showed the episodes back to back. I somehow got hooked after just two shots. My warning is to step away from the television if you havn't already seen it.

So the new series started a few days ago and I've just got around to dialling it up on Sky Plus to watch as the new wannabes seek to impress Sir Alan. And who finer than Nicolas de Lacy-Brown, to be ejected from the first show for incorrectly labeling lobsters at £4.99 a pop? No wonder the stall had an instant queue as some of the finest specimens crawled icily around the display table - and that was just the other already fractious game players.

As this week's ejected player quotes at his online art gallery, we can't all do everything.

Technorati Tags: rashbre, apprentice, alan+sugar, sir+alan, nicolas, de-lacy-brown, lobsters, lobster+prices

buzz

Getting ready to go to bed this evening, I am greeted by the sound of a small light aircraft in the bedroom.

Okay it was just a bumble bee the size of a ping pong ball.

I tried to reason with it for a few minutes before it scuttled under the bed and stopped buzzing. So I waited a few minutes for it to emerge, but I think it must like the comfort of the carpet or something.

I shall sleep in another room because I'm too tired to chase it around now.

french dressing

The French have come to town. But the zoom lenses seemed to be pointing towards newly demure Carla Bruni instead of Nicholas Sarkozy, in the very week when Carla's picture was up for auction at Christie's.

Of course, Mr Sarkozy has been trying to rebuild credibility back in his own country, where, after election, he seemed to go into something of downward slide, surrounded by the glint of overbling.

Visiting his near neighbours may be an interesting move, particularly as the Royals seemed to be able to dial up eleven on their own bling-ometer even to the extent of getting the horsemen in Windsor to wear special gold plated ceremonial suits - I wonder if that's a kind of Regal joke. I forgive Beckham's choice of golden football boots for the game against France, on account of his gaining his 100th cap, but there's some sort of quirky coincidence around all of this.
Interesting also to see that Dior clad la Bruni seemed to be on the platform for the important speeches delivered to Britain's great and good in French by her hubby. Many of the UK politicians seemed content to listen to the speech without translation and to be watching the new French reine des coeurs throughout. For the Sarkozys, the combination of visiting Windsor Castle, parading with horses and carriages through Windsor, plus a visit to Westminster Cathedral (ie the Catholic one rather than the Abbey) and then the Palace of Westminster all in the same day as touchdown is a pretty whirlwind experience.

And Nikki's speech in the gold encrusted Royal Gallery (which features distinctive pictures of two battles - Waterloo and Trafalgar) was all about entente cordiale and mutual support, including energetic references to working closely with the British in places such as Afganistan. Carla, who speaks significantly better English probably advised him not to mention the Guerre de Cent Ans, and will presumably be keeping an eye on things during the dinner occasions.

The next day should be quite interesting for the Browns who get a slot on what is primarily a State visit. After the big evening bash Wednesday night at Windsor Castle, the next day Mrs Brown entertains Carla, whilst Nicholas visits Gordon briefly in Downing Street before heading to a meeting at the Emirates Stadium.

More photo opportunities await.

china pigeon

Ambient activity, taking place in Leicester Square from 7am, will see the area filled with 5,000 Chinese origami pigeons.

Commuters and passersby will be encouraged to pick up one of the recyclable paper birds, which unfold to reveal a piece of modern Chinese artwork alongside information about the China exhibition, a map of how to get there and a money off voucher.

And if you fancy making a pigeon as good as the ones above from Emma, click through here to the video instructions or head over to Em's site which also features television coverage from the event.

feathers flying

2008 London Pillow Fight Leicester Square 1
by parcequemoiaussi

London at play on Saturday. Tomorrow it's the paper pigeons. Thanks, Sandrine for the coverage.

west

Out west today, well Fulham, anyway. A group of us had decided to go to an Italian for lunch and the one we'd originally selected was closed for Easter, so we ventured slightly further afield.

London on a Bank Holiday - not too much traffic, no congestion charge and easy parking in a side street close to the restaurant.

And amongst the topics, a few film reviews, the alternative ending for Harry Potter, which only a couple of us had read, a suggested date for a visit to a venue in the Strand for a gig in what used to be a men's loo, planning for the Wednesday paper pigeon stunt in Leicester Square and some general chit-chat around Easter.

Then a leisurely meander back via Battersea.

fizz

Excitement with multiple phone calls from the Dome to rashbre central. The chink of champagne glasses at the distant venue, where the Eagles were preparing for the fast lane.

And at the Dome, other members of the rashbre clan in fizz laden celebration as an engagement was announced, for a wedding planned in August 2009.

From afar we mused the type of setting which will be possible with a year of preparation. I've already suggested white swans pulling a carriage along a petal strewn path, but we shall see.

Congratulations to J & G.

Henley

Henley this afternoon, principally for a late lunch, but also a quick meander around the town. Set on the River Thames and well known for the Royal Regatta in July, there were only a few rowing today in the rather crisply cold weather.

We dodged sleet and rain to visit our enjoyable venue and surfaced to witness the few minutes of near sunshine, before the wind and rain returned.

Gardening Notes

Regular readers of rashbre central may not have detected the extent of rashbre acres spread today in sunshine glory despite the weather forecasts. The garden is on a kind of self help programme, with an occasional visit from a man with a trailer who somehow keeps it neat with two or three large, noisy machines.

And the garden has its sense of drama. The blackbirds commandeer various bushes for nesting and it all goes along in nice equilibrium until at some point a neighbourly cat appears and starts (a) patrolling and then (b) hiding in the bushes to er - surprise the birds.

So today, that's the scenario being played out, with the very street wise parent blackbird dodging around and making special alarm call sounds to warn the fledgling pilot young ones of the need for care.

eggsperiment

Simulation to test the effect of traders injecting false rumours into the global economic structure using creme eggs and mousetraps. Press the start button to see the findings.