Must be more Christian. Must be more Christian. Must be more Christian. Forgiveness, forgiveness, forgiveness. But I can’t help but hate some people. Sorry. Epic fail.
Loooong walk June 19, 2009
We did it. Berkswell to Coventry. And I was exhausted. My legs hurt so much and I’m not sure it was quite worth the effort. It was an adventure nonetheless and I had a good time until the pain set in, but I do feel fairly accomplished.
We began the day by going to the shops in Coventry to stock up on food and drink – sensible see? Then we walked to the train station and got our SINGLE ticket, not return. The train departed at 12:11 and we were off. We arrived at Berkswell station in the knowledge we were going to have to walk to the village. What no one tells you is the village is aaaaaages away from the station and probably shouldn’t be called Berkswell station at all. Anyway. We saw some familiar sights as we made our way to finding the village.
A year ago we walked here
The sign for the fishing that doesn't seem to exist
We continued walking, with no village in sight. We were amused at this seeing as we’d only just started our journey and were lost already. We came to a crossroads, we had a choice. Either carry on walking straight or turning into Park Lane. Daniel decided Park Lane was the way to go. So we walked that way. And walked. And walked. And walked a little bit more. There were no pavements so we faced death by car a few times. Things were looking bleak. Until we got to a much busier road, which then confirmed that we had indeed gone the wrong way. In fact in the opposite direction to the village.
Park Lane and Balsall Common...not where we wanted to be
And so, we walked back the way we had been. Daniel saw a sign saying “public footpath” leading into some wilderness. I protested and said I wanted to get back to the main road, but we went the wilderness way anyway. Daniel walking in front kindly kept letting go of branches in my face. We came to a dirty field and made our way through a trench thing, where something either stung or bit me. Unimpressed a moaned a little. “Oh look here are some bee hives!” Daniel informed me, pointing at boxes with many a flying creature. “Right, I’m leaving.” I replied as I marched off back the way we had been. I hate bees.
So, we came back to Park Lane. And walked all the way back to the original road. Walking and walking and walking some more we finally reached Berkswell village. Legs aching already at this point.
Finally...Berkswell!
We decided to see the church of the village. It was lovely. So pretty. And they had the crypt open, which looked pretty scary looking down.
Pretty
Down to the crypt
Deep in th crypt by the only light source other than the electric lights. It looks like Daniel is dancing.
Once in we found it to be lovely. But Daniel had a surprise in store for me. He wandered off, I took little notice and suddenly all the lights in the crypt went out. I turned around to darkness. It would’ve been more scary had it not been for his cackling.
We then went in search of the village pub, for a nice cool drink and some pudding, crumble in particular. We found The Bear Inn and had crumble and ice cream. It was nice, but I have had nicer. Then the walk began. We started off at quite a good pace onto Spencer Road, which would take us about 2 miles. Thankfully it had pavements and we didn’t have to deal with cars for a long while. We sang an Abba song to keep up our spirits.
We walked…and walked and walked. And then we walked some more. Not stopping. Until we reached Coventry! Thankful were we to see that sign, but little did we realise the journey had only just begun.
The lane that went on for 2 miles
Home but not the end of the journey
We had about 4 miles left to walk, through Coventry before we reached home. Each step became more painful, we stopped more regularly, determined to carry on. By the time we had reached near to home, we were both shattered. My legs felt like collapsing and they very nearly did. But we did it. 4 hours of walking. About 9 miles. Well done to us.
Another chirpy chirpy cheep cheep June 15, 2009
We now have a baby starling in our garden. We have had for a while. He’s always all alone, just sitting, looking very forlorn. He eats alone, drinks alone and sits alone. No parent starlings come for him and other baby starlings pick on him when they arrive. It’s a very sad state of affairs. I feel very attached to this rejected starling. I always feel for the underdog (underbird?). I want to name him, but I think he’ll probably get killed and then I’ll be sad. Nature’s cruel.
For those of you who don't know, this is what a baby starling looks like.
Hope Not Hate June 13, 2009
In addition to the post below:
http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/index.php/content/bnp-wins-seats/
Poser.
BNP – Babbling Nasty People June 12, 2009
I’ve always disliked the BNP, what they stand for just enrages me. However, this quote, although said in 1998, has completely passed me by, until now, and I am furious. How can anyone vote these people??
“I am well aware that the orthodox opinion is that 6 million Jews were gassed and cremated and turned into lampshades. Orthodox opinion also also once held that the Earth was flat… I have reached the conclusion that the “extermination” tale is a mixture of Allied wartime propaganda, extremely profitable lie, and latter witch-hysteria.”
Excuse me? What? Can he really be serious? He referred to it as the “holohoax”.
Maybe his teeny tiny racist pea brain can’t deal with the enormity and horror of the Holocaust and all those who died. Maybe he uses that argument to justify his nazi-esque policies and party.
I have no title. June 11, 2009
I am bored. I could be doing some dissertation work, however after meeting with my dissertation supervisor earlier than need be, I feel like a rest. Although she does seem like a bit of a slave driver. Eeek.
Yesterday and most of the previous evening I spent my time watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the extended edition, totalling 11 hours and 38 minutes. It was the first time I’d seem all of them all of the way through and I enjoyed them immensley. I cried a lot and got quite stressed it has to be said. And felt thoroughly worn out by the end. I did note how similar, in particular the Fellowship of the Ring, was to the Narnia films. And as the LOTR films came first I can only conclude that perhaps Andrew Adamson pinched a few ideas, especially in the battle scene of Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe, which doesn’t really feature in the book. But never mind. After watching LOTR I almost wished elves were real, but they’re not. Shame. They’d be very handy though.
So today, with a lack of anything to watch I have taken to planning a walk my friend and I are going on. It’s only about 7 miles long, from Berkswell to Coventry. But we will have to walk from Berkswell station, to Berkswell village and then over to Coventry. But it’ll be fun. So long as we don’t get lost. I’ve looked at many maps though and I doubt you can get that lost. Even if we did it’d be a tale to tell. And we’ll be walking past some woods that we pass whenever we go to Birmingham on the train, according to my map they are a nature reserve and so we shall take a little look see. Provided that we’re not too exhausted.
From Berkswell to Coventry
It doesn’t look too far really. And I think we’ll be taking a more direct route than shown. Nonetheless there it is. Maybe we should do Land’s End to John O’Groats!
Manners June 5, 2009
You may or may not know that I place a great deal of importance on people’s manners. Having good manners means a lot to me, as does other people having good manners. It’s the age old thing of good manners not costing anything but they really do help the world go round a little more smoothly. On Friday night I had terrible manners. I was invited to the Ye Olde Phoenix, although I had been feeling a little ill for a while (possibly from drinking nearly two pints of flavoured milk earlier in the day) I agreed to go, thinking it would not be a problem. 40 minutes after our arrival, I felt very sick, it was so hot there which didn’t help. So I ran to the Ladies….where there was a huge queue. I had to push in front, my friends kindly helped me. A cubicle became free and all I had time to say to the girl that was waiting was “I’m going to be sick sorry” before running in. I went home after this and the next day when I felt a bit better I felt insanely guilty for pushing in. Especially when the girl informed me she’d been waiting ages. And the guilt just didn’t go away.
- My conscience to the left…me to the right.
On Wednesday I went back out to Ye Olde Phoenix, as Wednesdays are the best nights there. I saw and recognised the girl I pushed in front of…and so I went and apologised for doing so, explaining why I had and how people with no manners annoy me and it was hypocritical of me to have behaved in such a way. The girl was very nice about it all, asking how I was feeling and saying how kind it was of me to have gone and apologised. My guilt was gone.
But then, that very night something else happened to disturb me and make feel quite disgusted with myself. My friend and I saw someone who was in the year below us at school. It was all very well, we said hello, danced a bit, as you do. But as we left Ye Olde Phoenix when it closed, he began to compliment me. “Add me on facebook” he said. Not wanting to, I said “Well you won’t remember me, so there’s no point.” (For he was quite drunk I’m sure.) “Yes I will.” said he. “You’re the girl with the hot hair.” I blushed and thanked him for the compliment, managing to turn the conversation to the fact Pride and Prejudice is my favourite book and I shall settle for nothing less than Mr Darcy. This seemed to wash over his head. “You are really hot.” he repeated. I thanked him again and tried to turn his attentions to my friend who had at that point gone to get a burger. “No, you’re hotter than she is.” Anything I said did not put him off. He held my hand, I pretended my nose was itchy to free it. Before I knew it he had lent in and was kissing me. And before he knew it I’d pulled back exclaiming “Dude! I’ve only just met you, give me a break!” It was quite honestly the worst kiss, perhaps because I was unprepared, or more probably that I was in no way attracted to him at all and didn’t really even know him.
My friend and I entered another bar to get out of the cold, whilst the annoying fellow followed. Well I say followed…he walked in front of me, not holding the door open. This was another negative against him I must say. As I have said before I like it when men are gentlemen. When I met Tam he let me go first, that went in his favour. This annoying boy was evidently not like that. In fact he even insulted me at one point, before attempting to kiss me. We ordered three glasses of water. The barman came out with two (what with only having two hands) before getting the other one. Now, what with the annoying boy being the only male…I was half expecting somecourtesy and to have a least been offered one of the glasses of water first. But no, he just took one. It may sound like a small thing, perhaps my standards are too high but y’know, it bugged me. The final straw as it were. I departed pretty soon after with my friend. The more I think of it all, the more I am disgusted. I hope I didn’t come across as “easy” because I most certainly am not and I really do not appreciate that sort of decorum. But never mind, it is fair to say that should I ever have the misfortune of seeing him out again I shall avoid him and should he follow me I’ll tell him exactly what it was that I didn’t like and hope he finally gets the message. In the most polite way possible, of course 
Ahoy there June 1, 2009
I’m currently feeling guilty. For unwittingly starting something amongst people I don’t even know. I shall explain. Months ago, my friend Daniel and I decided we would attempt to get birthday cards signed by our favourite actors/TV people etc for each other. Which is all very well just two people doing it. And we were both very hapy to receieve our cards (Daniel’s were from Julie Walters and Emma Thompson, mine from Tony Robinson and Stephen Fry). However, I’m starting to think it was a bad idea. Namely because the idea has been used by many many others and now I feel guilty on behalf of the people in the public eye who are being put upon to sign them. Perhaps it wasn’t a good idea after all. Even more so now it’s spread to numerous others. Sigh. Hindsight is a wonderful but awful thing.
Also. I’m having a bit of a “holding my tongue” time…which is fairly difficult for me ‘cos usually when I want to say something it just comes out. And it’s building and building. I hope I don’t explode. I think I might.
I have a summer holiday feeling in me. It’s marvellous. I used to get it at the start of the summer holidays when I was in primary school. I remember the days, I used to watch Xchange and other such things on CBBC before spending the days with friends. I miss those days. The weather is gorgeous today. I hope it stays nice, particularly for the weekend as I am planning on going on a picnic and a walk in the woods. I’m bored with the layout of my blog. I might change it.
