Unusual Bank Holiday Weekend

Unusual for us in clan Aginoth as we don't have a reenactment event to partake of this weekend...SHOCK HORROR.

So instead we have just had to go visit one insted, we took a trip up to Kenilworth Castle to see the medieval village they have set up in part of the celebration of the 900th anniversay of the founding of the castle.

(not a pic I took <<<) Here's a couple of pics I took today.

Oh and if you are wondering what happened to the Italy reenactment pics.... I have set up a slideshow here for your enjoyment....

CLICK HERE FOR SLIDESHOW FROM ITALY REENACTMENT

And there is more on the Italian trip at Mrs.Aginoth's Blog Here and here

Translating Job Adverts

Translating Job Adverts

"JOIN OUR FAST-PACED COMPANY": (translation) We have no time to train you & you'll have to introduce yourself to your colleagues.

"COMPETITIVE SALARY": (translation) We remain competitive by paying less than our competitors.

"SEEKING ENTHUSIASTIC, HARD WORKING, PEOPLE": (translation) Who still live with their parents and won't mind our student -level salaries.

"CASUAL WORK ATMOSPHERE": (translation) We don't pay enough to expect that you'll dress up well. A couple of the really daring blokes wear earrings.

"JOIN OUR DYNAMIC TEAM": (translation) We all listen to loony motivational tapes.

"MUST BE DEADLINE ORIENTED": (translation) You'll be six months behind schedule on your first day.

"SOME OVERTIME REQUIRED": (translation) Some time each night & some time each weekend.

"DUTIES WILL VARY": (translation) Anyone in the office can boss you around.

"MUST HAVE AN EYE FOR DETAIL": (translation) We have no quality control.

"NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE": (translation) We've filled the job; our call for CV’s is just a legal formality.

"PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS A MUST": (translation) You're walking into a company in perpetual chaos.

"REQUIRES TEAM LEADERSHIP SKILLS": (translation) You'll have the responsibilities of a manager, without the pay or respect.

"GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS": (translation) Management communicates, you listen, figure out what the hell they want, and do it.

Were Back Again

Absolutely knackered.

I'll do a full post later, and sort through the 300 odd photos I took.

Away again

we're off on our travels again, We'll be away until Tuesday.

Where this time...

More exotic...

Off to Italy...Morimondo, South West of Milan.

Why? For a Multinational re-enactment...should be really good fun

Photos on our return... Cya

Nice weather for ducks...

Ths is where we stayed on Sunday night...an 18th Century Farmhouse called Ribden Fam about 2 miles from Alton Towers...



View from our room... which was hard to get as the window was at floor level being as were in the converted attic room :o)



Nice Weather for Ducks indeed, it was a tad wet at Alton towers on Monday, here are the other visitors we met at the Theme Park...



Very wet was an under statement but at least it kept the crowds down so we go to go on all the rides we wanted too.



This is Oblivion, a very fun ride with a very sheer drop into a dark pit...



and some video of it too...


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This is Ripsaw....as if Mrs.A wasn't already wet enough she then went on this...


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And this is Mrs.A after going on Ripsaw...just a tad soggy :o)



And just to show it's not all scary rides at Alton towers here's a nioce shot of teh gardens...




We had a great day out both despite of and partly because of the weather. Nemesis was our favourite ride I think for both of us.

Dirty Weekend

Off for a couple of days for a weekend of no Kids :o) Back Monday Night.

Snap Happy

I've been out to Chew Valley Lake in Somerset to try out the Camera properly now....Here's some of the better ones of the wildlife there.

As usual Click to Enlarge... Hope you like them



This one was not at the lake, it's in my Mum's Garden

DiY 2 : Me 1

The Plan: remove the old toliet from the downstairs bathroom cos teh old plastic Cistern has warped and it leaks constantly...then rerplace with nice new shiny modern water saving push button toliet

The Reality: removed the old cistern no problems at all, then tried to undo the bolts holding the pan to the floor, snap snap snap went 3 of them (40 years soaking in bodily fluids does that to steel bolts) 4th one refuses to buge so I have to break the base of the pan to remove it. pull up the waste pipe...boy does that smell, plugged it with some plastic bags. OK. hmmm thinks I as I see teh state of teh concrete floor, it is so completely sodden that I am not going to be able to fit the new Toilet until it dries out (about a week I think) and we'll need to completely reflorr the room as well. So work halts for the week

Luckily we do have 2 other toilets in the house.

Next job then is to fit new Windscreen wipers to the car...more problematic than it sounds, because my car is a foreign import no-one actually lists what spare blades it should use, but I have acquired them and they fitted in a matter of seconds, so at least one job worked today.


Test drive for the new toy today. My new Camera...just one shot for now in dodgy light, crap weather, not bad at all. Oh and it's the street where we live btw :o)

Click to enlarge

Fantastic Friday

7.44mbps Internet connection now active....muhahahahahaha feel the speed

and I have got confirmation of my Disability Living Allowance (State Benefit) award today...Middle rate Care component of £41.65 a week.Whichhh also more than triples our Child and working Tax credits a year !!! wooo hooo..In effect I now don't actually pay any income tax as we will be returned over £800 more in tax relief than I pay out in tax :oD

All this means Mrs.A can afford to go to University again this year to get her PGCE (Post Graduate teaching degree)

And I got me a new camera A Fuji Finepix F10 ;o)

A good day


We also had pediatriciancian appointment for Agi.Junior today as well, he displayed all the social problem pointers admirably during the 45 minute consultation, including a full blown tantrum and hiding under the examination bedthe teh doctors office. So she is going to refer him to speecheach and learning specialists to assess what is going on communications wise. Another rung up the ladder towards diagnosis.

We've arranged to start the process of having Agi.junior change schools as well, we're not particularly happy with several aspects of his current schoespeciallyiall the fact the school became totally Church funded without consultation with the parents shortly after he started there. Plus we feel that his reception class teacher tarred him wthe teh label of "unruly and naughty" and it has stuck even though it is down to a medical problem, despite our best efforts mostthe teh teachers are finding it impossible to change there view of him. So a fresh start in a new school we feelthe teh best option.

We're off to inspect the potential new school, next Thursday, and have informed the headteacher of his current school of our intention to move him. In the meantime am resigning as a school governor for several reasons as well as this...I'll go into them at a later date when all this is sorted out.

Now off to load the car to deliver or kit and equipment to the collection pint ready to be transported to Italy next week ....

Then just a couple of days till we go to Alton Towers without the kids :o)

Glorious Weather

What a fantastic day of sunshine we've had her. Good thing too because we spent this morning selling unwanted items at a Car Boot Sale in Cheddar. Didn't do to badly we made £135 before going off to spend some of it on some jugs for re-enactment, and a silver tankard also for re-enactment. After costs and spending we still ended up with £100 (think that's about $185 or €146)

Sold a lot of baby stuff we no longer need and a few computer games amongst other things.

The plan is that it will cover our expenses for our couple of days away from the children for our 7th Wedding Anniversary next Sunday/Monday. First time we have been away together without children in 6 years or so !!! Nanny A is coming to stay to look after the brood; while we get to stay in a nice little B&B near Uttoxeter and get to go to Alton Towers without a Pushchair in sight !!! WOO HOO!!!

Would probably have been easier if we hadn't stayed up to watch the first to episodes of Season 2 of Lost last night, and got to bed before 00:30....maybe an early night would have made getting up at 05:15 more bearable

And sitting out in the sun next to the lake at the sale I finished off LMB's Re-enactment Shoes....So as promised here's piccies, not to bad for my first attempt at making Turn Shoes :o)

As always click to show enlaged picture...






Pretty chuffed with the results, the fit and LMB says they are comfortable too :o) Yay Me !

What I need... According to Google.

What I need... According to Google. I know I did this before about 6 months ago but that was on the old blog that I was forced to delete and so I thought I'd do it agin :o)

This is funny: go to the Google search engine and type in your name and "needs" after it, e.g. "John needs". Write down the description of the first (or your favouite!) 10 websites that appear.

Then do it with Wants as well....

Aginoth needs to be identified as the author of this work
Aginoth needs a Martini
Aginoth needs to get a diagnosis Aginoth needs a f**k**g village
Aginoth needs to change a diaper
Aginoth Needs to let them know that my love for them is still as deep as it has always been
Aginoth needs to set up gigantic tents
Aginoth's need for attention is paramount
Aginoth needs an ambulance
Aginoth needs to keep a few secrets

Aginoth Wants to run away
Aginoth Wants to make a point
Aginoth Wants people not to touch his shit
Aginoth wants people to clean up after him
Aginoth Wants to wing one over the ether
Aginoth Wants to share
Aginoth Wants to reduce the breadcrumb, eyes and goolies
Aginoth Wants to Dance maniacally
Aginoth Wants to get some exercise
Aginoth Wants to know how it feels

Have a go yourself, Leave a comment for me and put a link back to yours here....

Tonight I have mostly been...

...sewing.

Not Cloth...Leather...again.

Shoes for LMB this time, 14th Century Turn shoes to be exact...Pattern Here. Upper of Calf Leather, Sole of Cow Leather, Lining Thread and very sore fingers :o)

No Photo's yet, cos I have only finished the Left one so far, will sort out the right one tomorrow evening, and hopefully get a piccie up for you all to see my handiwork.

Our car has decided it needs attention, the grinding noise from the frot nearside wheel was an obvious cry for help..it needs new brakes, so i'll be on the train to work tomorrow while it goes in for a little TLC at the Garage accross the road. Looking at about £150 for New Brake pads all round.

And I've made a purchase on Ebay this evening...a new Longbow for Agi.Junior to replace teh one that broke just after we bought it last autumn. So when we go to Italy I can spend the weekend teaching him how to shoot poor defenceless targets :o)

Did you Kill Anyone This Weekend?

Caerphilly Castle again this weekend gone, weather wa better than expected, if a little gray, but it was iffy enough to keep the crowds small, which was a pity. It absolutely heaved it down on Sunday Night, Thunder included, but we awoke on Monday toa Cold but Bright Start which didn't last and threatened rain all day that never came.

My Soapmaking has improved the latest batch of Honey and Oatmeal Castille Soap has turned out really well, and may at last be of Sale-able quality. Should be able to get £2.50 for a 4 oz block, and 20 blocks from 1 batch that costs about £10 to make; a nice profit if I can sell it :o)

This is a quick bit of footage I threw together this morning from May Day. It is the edited highlights.
Apologies for the resolution but my still camera is somewhat limited in it's video capabilities

The Music is played by The Company of Chivalry's Minstrels and is called Kalenda



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Hope you enjoyed that. It is also viewable here ((LINK))

Now as Promised some photos of the Family in 1370... as usual click on them to enlarge :o)


Mrs.A and The Girls (and the Company Doctor who'll you'll recognise as the person that walked in front of me as I was filming the Fight in the Video clip above :o) )


Mrs.A giving a talk on the food of the period

LMB taking her sword very seriously

Me Me Me !

Agi.Junior trying to pull My War bow