We ended up buying only cheese from the markets yesterday. Some from The Dutch Cheese Man (including a pesto flavoured bright green cheese!), some french goat's cheese and some Mrs Kirkhams (including some garlic and parsley cheese). We are having friends round on Monday night and are plannng a monster cheese board!

There were plenty of people around but it was not so packed that you couldn't move. A large number of stalls were repeats of the ones there last year, so it wasn't quite as exciting this time (and we didn't spend as much!). But the atmosphere was lovely and we had some hot gluwein (german mulled wine) as it had been a really cold crisp day.

We decided to try a new spanish restuarant La Vina. We love the spanish place we usually go to that we haven't tried this one before. We shared a paella which was superb. The tapas that other people were ordering looked good too. Will defnitely return.

Running for the bus is never a good thing for an overweight middle aged lady like me. Running for the bus with a belly full of paella and red wine is even less so. However, due to the traffic lights being on red and there being a good few people needing to get on at the next bus stop we made it! So we were home for 7.30pm and a relaxing evening.

Dense freezing fog today means that the cat had to be almost forced to step outside this morning. It took 30 seconds for her to meow loudly and head back to the door to be let back in again. Not daft, our Fluffs.

Today was rugby league grand final day at Old Trafford. We go to this every year irrespective of who gets through to the final. This year I wanted Leeds to beat St Helens, but seriously doubted that they would. Consequently I couldn't get much enthusiasm up for the day.

This year we decided to treat ourselves to a good meal in town before we saw the match. We really have to thank tanuja's brother for one of the best meals we've had in Manchester for ages (if not ever). About two and a half years ago we met up with tanuja and tigerbeard in Birmingham for a weekend before the emigrated. T's brother recommended a place called San Carlo in Brum that he had used. We went and it was wonderful. It has taken us this long to get our act together and go to the one in Manchester (well we have been a couple of times on the off chance of a table but it's always been full). This time I booked and even at 2pm it was packed with people waiting. FANTASTIC. I would highly recommend it to anyone. (It's down the road at the side of Kendals, behind what used to be Daisy & Tom's).

After the meal we decided to head off for a tram as it usually takes a while to find a tram that can fit any passengers onto it heading towards Old Trafford. Even before 4pm (with KO at 6pm) the trams were full so Hubby said he'd pay for a taxi to get us to the ground instead. It was only a couple of quid more than the tram would have been and we got dropped a lot closer. Plus it started to rain just after we arrived and we'd have got piss wet through if we'd still been in a tram queue.

Leeds won and it was a superb match. My throat is hoarse from singing Rhinos chants. It is the first year we've been (after probably 10 years) when it has rained, so I was glad I'd booked seats a little further from the touchline than I did last year. We actually thought last year that we'd have got wet had the weather been different. This time we were far enough back for a little 'spray' to get blown at us now and then, but on the whole we were far enough under the canopy of the stand.

Oh - and 2 pictures of Eorl in the programme. Admittedly one of these was on a "sack the stylist" section (re: his hair do) but hey - he was still there to be oggled (if not playing!)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/7652604.stm

NOTE FOR TANUJA & TIGERBEARD. The Russell Crowe pic was outside this one too, along with mainly soccer folk. Ray Winstone looked down on us as we ate (sadly in picture form only).

Plus I found a switch on my headphones that was turned to 'microphone off' which would probably account for you not being able to hear me the other night. We'll have to try again! (Technically challenged = me!)

Today has simply zoomed by. I put a load of washing in and sat at the computer about 2.30pm this afty and the next I knew it was nearly 6pm!!! I'd not stopped for a cuppa or anything. And what worthwhile project was I working on? Sorting out my muslce men info for adventures_in!!! Which is indeed worthwhile, and I do take my role as comm moderator seriously - but 3.5 hours? I did some serious filing of photos on my hard drive (which has needed doing for ages). I found loads of pics I could have used for a theme over at men_daily a couple of weeks ago and had just forgotten about *head desk*. It's hard generating interest over there and getting people to post - so I feel bad I could have contributed more and didn't. Never mind.

Hubby is in Sheffield at a ministox meeting. He rang to update after the 2nd race and J had done well enough to get into the final race of the meet. I have no idea what time he'll be home. It is half term holiday - hence the evening meet with kids involved.

Saturday was a glorious sunny autumn day. A friend came to help re-felt the summerhouse roof. We have managed to patch it for the last couple of years, but it had started to leak in. All done for winter now.

I watched the Everton v Liverpool game on tv. We woz robbed! We had two clear penalties disallowed. Should have at least got a draw. Criminal. Hubby did a load of hedge trimming while I did the footy watching(!) Then we chopped several branches about 9ft high off the flowering cherry tree. It looks much better now.

Went for a curry - which was great. Relatively quiet in the restaurant as Man Utd match was on. Got home in time to watch the England v South Africa final of the rugby world cup. This is the only game we have watched of the tournament (which shows our overall interest in current national rugby union). It was so boring it was untrue. Painful to watch. Give me rugby league any day - it is simply not possible for a game to be played like this in league. So SA were worthy winners on the night. I think England's reward was being in the final in the first place.

Sunday we headed off to Bakewell See here which is one of our favourite 'day out' places. Had a great lunch. Again it was a clear sunny day, so the journey over thee was great too. Called at the Chatsworth Farm Shop See here on the way home and stocked up on goodies - meat mainly. Anyone who is near enough to visit but hasn't been - we thoroughly recommend it. The restuarant is good too - can have to wait a while at peak times but they do everything from scones and jam to a roast dinner. And the views are lovely. We went in for tea and a cake. The view from our table was rolling hills - a lovely church spire in the valley - aberdeen angus cattle in the nearest field and many pheasants. Just glorious.

Hubby is now coughing - despite having gone through his cold much earlier than I did. I think the cough is maybe a separate bug. I have my energy back now, so am catching up with jobs. Oh, and I seem to be getting LJ notifications again - but have never had the ones I 'missed'.

Regular readers will know my abject hatred lack of interest in the capital ciy of my country, so it was with mixed feelings that I set off on the 9.50am train from Stockport to London. All went well until Birmingham International when the train halted. Announcement was made that someone was threatening to jump onto the line south of Coventry, so all trains in the area had been halted. Ho Hum. About 10 mins later the guard came on again to say that the person had jumped and was now a fatality, so we would be stopped for at least an hour while the police viewed the scene etc. We backed up to the platform of Brum Int'l so people could get out and have a cig etc.

The train had very few football fans heading down to Wembley - but there were some. Once we got going again I have to say Virgin were very good. The train was too long to stop at Wembley station so they made an unplanned stop at Watford Junction and asked for the connecting train to Wembley be held for supporters to get on and hopefully get to the stadium in time for the start of the match.

We go to our (very plush) hotel- overlooked the BBC - and met up with the others of the party. Eventually our room was ready and we had a quick nap/watched boring 2nd half of cup final. Got fed at L'Escargot which was swish but not too imposing. If I had known exactl what I was getting with both courses I chose I probably would not have had them. Not to say they weren't good, just not what I had thought. I chose an asparagus something with poached egg which turned out to be a soup with egg n it. This was excellent ut I hadn't understood the french menu and expected asparagus spears. I chose calf's liver for my main but it was cooked in a large piece - not slivers as is usual. Again it was wonderful but not as I expected. Didn't manage to finish it but Mr MSB obliged...

Headed off to Spamalot. I worried that I would not be sufficient of a Monty Python fan to enjoy this. However I thought it was funny and knew enough of the references to enjoy it. However one woman in the party did not know Monty Python at all and just thought it was stupid. I thought King Arthur and the Lady of the Lake were especially good. I really didn't know the story line for Lancealot (should that middle 'e' be there?) so Mr MSB could not accuse me of forcing him to see yet another gay-friendly show!

Back to hotel for alcohol consumption (except one lady who was being induced to birth on Monday so had an early night with her bump). Woke up remarkably sober and jolly this am.

It was announced that the train would be 45 mins late leaving Euston as track works had not been completed (at noon). However, we were only about 20 mins delayed and made up the time during the journey. Arrived back in Manchester 10 mins early. Decided to head down to the portugese restaurant (where we were the only ones in!). Mushrooms with goats cheese starter (and lots of pesto-y spicy stuff) and a chicken bit with black olives, sweet potato, bacon sauce. Managed a pud too - fig and chocolate tart (neither of us got to pud last night).

Excellent weekend. (Never wore a coat - even last night coming out of the theatre).

Feel very drunk now. Am looking forward to picking up Fluffy in the morning. We have both missed her far more than either of us expected.

I am here now because my Husband is in bed watching the end of the Augusta Masters on tv. Usually he has work the day after but sits up to the small hours watching to see who wins (unless it is Tiger Woods by a lot, when he comes to bed in protest). Tonight I have been the one downstairs watching Lost and looking after the cat (Oh yes, haldoor some yummy Sawyer shots this ep too. Plus not only potential femslash [in a non-con sort of way] but female mud wrestling too...). And as there is no-one I particularly like contending for the title I thought I'd much rather come and chat to you folks.

So - Easter in the UK. Well Easter is the longest public holiday of the year. We get Good Friday and Easter Monday off and all main shops shut on Easter Sunday (small convenience stores will still tend to open, but possibly reduced hours). At Christmas officially Christmas Day and 26th are public holidays, but more and more of the large shops open on 26th to start sales etc. And yes - a large proportion of the working population tend to have a week off at Xmas (saving three days yearly holiday to allow work places to shut for a week). But technically that is still only two days, whereas Easter feels like four.
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Sunday was our 14th wedding anniversary.

I had read in the local Friday paper that there was a showing of some Mitchell & Kenyon films at The Cornerhouse on Sunday, so we trundled along.

If you follow the link you'll find that Mitchell and Kenyon were very early film makers based in Blackburn Lancashire who worked around 1900. They set up a camera outside factory gates, at sports events, at civic occasions etc and then people would go and pay to see themselves at the local cinema a couple of days later. What a good idea! The films were discovered n the mid-90's when the building that had been M&Ks was being cleared for redevelopment. Fortunately the builders who were clearing it looking inside some barrels they found and saw old film reels. They decided they should let someone know about them before putting them in the skip and thus the Nation now has access to these wonderful films. They are an excellent record of everyday things as nothing is staged, cameras are just allowed to roll and record what is going on in a street (or where ever).

There was a tv series about the films a while ago, which we watched. This particular show was clips of Manchester and Salford specifically. Another bonus was that the leading silent film acommpanist (know sure if that is a word) was playing piano and a quintet of musicians from the Royal Northern College of Music were playing accompanying music also. All the music had been composed specially by other members of the RNCM. So this was the first time either of us had been to a silent movie with live musical accompaniment.

It was fascinating. The universal truths to come out of watching the clips are the following (as true today as in 1900):

1) Whatever the occasion being filmed, there is always at least one small boy who will stand centre spot and not move. Huge numbers of people may flood past him and push him around, but he will always remain rooted to the spot and stare at the camera.

2) There will always be someone who removes the hat being worn by the bloke standing next to him in order to draw attention to themselves.

3) Someone will take their hat and put it on the end of a stick/umbrella in order to highlight where they are standing in a crowd.

4) Policemen will take advantage of their standing in society to get a good place to stand in the camera shot.

In the sporting section there was a clip of Old Trafford Cricket ground. There were steam trains going along the line at the back of the ground. The first time I went to Old Trafford to watch the cricket I went on the train - now it is the tram line.

There were highlights of the 1901 Salford v Batley rugby league match - or Northern Union rugby as it was known then. The split between league and union was still new and rules were ever changing. The league side played 15 a side (not 13 as it is now) and there was a scrum after every tackle. And of course the crowd was fascinating too.

It felt a real priviledge to be able to sit and watch these films of over a century ago in the area where they had been originally filmed. To see them on a big screen - as originally intended - and to have live musical accompaniment was just fantastic. A real treat.

The showing finished in time for us to go and meet up with a couple of friends for a meal. They didn't know we were celebrating our wed anniv and seemed amazed that we should want to spend it with them! We went to the good portugese place again and the food was superb.

Saturday we went and got Hubby new glasses (not to the shop where I embarrassed myself!). He just said out of the blue he wanted to go to Boots. [For non-UK readers: this is a huge chain of chemists that also do photography and optician stuff]. It turned out to be a good choice as they can do digital photos of the back of the eye as part of the eye test. For Hubby this showed up something that is not a problem now but needs to be monitored - so he has to go back every 12 months, not every 24 for eye checks. He only needs glasses for reading.

The coffee shop we went to for lunch was full, so we actually sat outside! In January! It hs gone milder again now, so it was no problem.

I am sad to report that Music Zone has now closed it's doors. It continued trading in the hope of some other company wanting to take them over - but no. So my Big Spend on DVDs on Monday was my last visit there *sobs*. So I will have to make do with HMV now - not bad, but it annoys me that the prices it has on HMV website (with free postage) is not always the same as the shops. How can this be? And how can they do cheap prices and then also free postage?

We are getting the hall, stairs and landing redecorated. This means old paper being stripped off, new paper hung, then emulsion over the paper. Plus paint on all the doors, door frames etc. This type of paper is called anaglypta - which I know most of you hadn't heard of. It has an embossed pattern - that is textured. It is used a lot in UK - when you want a change you can just change the colour of the paint over it. So yesterday we cleared pictures off walls and moved what little furniture there was ready for the decorator coming tomorrow.

Went for a meal at the italian restuarant round the corner. Franco the really over the top camp waiter is back - he left a good while ago, and I missed him! I got a big kiss off him and a hug - aaahhhh!

On the film watching we did "Inside Man" and "Black Hawk Down" this weekend. I enjoyed Inside Man but a bit of a swiz for Clive fans as he was covered up almost the whole time. And was he supposed to be doing a US accent? In the first bit he was, but it never really surfaced again during the film. As for BHD I said we should watch it because Hubby likes war films of all kinds and that there were lots of good actors in it. Those reasons aside I wanted to watch it mostly so I could start reading heartofslash's fictions relating to it - but Hubby does not need to know this! Thought this was an excellent movie.

Have just made a big pot of pasta sauce that will do us for a couple of days. The house smells wonderful from fried onions, celery, carrot etc etc. Will have to go and get myself lunch!