Easter Hols: Duke of Edinburgh Gold

For those of you who don't know about the Duke of Edinburgh Award and want to know more, or those who want to read about my experiences with that award, see my Web-page here on my experiences during the Gold section.

This morning dawned at 7:30am, half an hour to late according to my Dad later on. I got showered, and dressed up into my suit, complete with red tie and my Gold DofE Pin. Then, my Dad and I set off to the train station. We caught the 8:57 to London Bridge, and then got to Charing Cross by 9:50am.

After a delightful breakfast of a ham and cheese croissant, which we were happy to have had afterwards, we headed for St James's Palace at a relaxed place, walking down the road "The Mall" (said The Mal, as in Malware, not maul, is in what a bear does, as I found out!)

On arrival at the Palace we were sorted into groups and gradually let into the palace, showing our identification to the police on hand. We then took our seats and, with minor interruptions here and there, sat there waiting for an hour. Trust me, the wait was worth it!

Around 12:00, we were told to marshal into the groups we were put in, and then His Royal Highness (HRH) The Duke of Edinburgh (ie Prince Phillip) himself walked through the door. He asked a couple of us questions, congratulated all of us and made the occasional joke as he walked through the room. It was a real honour to have met him.

After that the official presentation took place, with a special guest, the Chief Councillor of West Sussex, giving out the certificates. We assembled in our groups and were called up one by one to receive our certificate. A couple of speeches later, and it was all over.

We then walked through the remainder of the rooms of the palace, and I will do my best to describe them. All the rooms were covered in a rich, royal red carpet, that really spoke the word "regal" out of the colour. The wall in the presentation room was also the same colour red, and had large paintings on the walls.

The next room we walked into had red, gold and white walls, and similarly large pictures hanging on the walls. It had a high ceiling, also white and gold rimmed. The lights on the walls were gold-coloured electric candle lights, and they really brought an antique feel to the room. It was truly spectacular.

Which made the next room even more so. The red carpet was removed for a more grey carpet, and was the only room to have this in it. The walls were covered with paintings. And I mean that in a wallpaper sense, the entire wall was a painting! It was almost one continuous painting around the entire room, with some weird events going on in the paintings! It was quite interesting compared to the previous room's regal feel.

The next and final room returned to it's red carpet and red walls. But hanging on the walls was the largest stash of weapons I have ever seen hanging on a wall!! They swords, and guns, and more swords, and more guns! On every face of every wall in that room were weapons. There was even two rows of guns arranged in a nice circle and all pointing inwards towards a hat. It was quite spectacular!

We left the palace, and then went to the pub, followed by a walk around London (which was very interesting as I got to see the more touristy parts of London!), finally followed by a trip to a restaurant called Maxwell. After a final half-hour trip to Waterstones (where I bought 3 books, one of them being 3 books in 1) we took a train home.

And now I have an evening ahead of me which looks to be quite relaxing. So, I'll end my blog here. Feel free to comment!

Easter Hols: Introduction

The Weekend was spent relaxing around not doing much. We had a couple of barbecues and a day of computer gaming.

Monday was a little more constructive. I got some work done (including sorting out my dry-cleaning of my suits) and sorted out the shed completely, clearing what was a most chaotic shed!! The difference is amazing, and we can now walk in the shed!!

Today was also quite good. It was my Mum's birthday, and I had bought her a Dell Computer to go into her house. I also collected the dry cleaning that I put in on Monday, and then went down to New Cross Gate for a Loom of Tales meeting. That was very interesting and I got some proper feedback which I can work on.

Anyway, I'm gonna play on the Sims 2 now, so until tomorrow...

I would like to welcome... my ONE MONTH EASTER HOLS!!

The past ten days have been busy. I have handed in my Computing and the Internet (CIS110) Assignment 3, and that has taken up most of my time. I've also been working hard on my Java project. And finally, I had a Maths test today.

But that's the past, let's look to the future!! A month-long Easter holiday!! Although it will be filled with lots of revision, throughout all four-weeks, it will also be filled with relaxation, and a trip to Valencia over the Easter weekend.

So it's really looking up. Well, that's the end of this post, but expect to see more of these over the Easter holiday.

One Test Out, One Test Back

The weekend was kinda relaxing. Saturday was spent around the house, doing work (well, Java Programming mostly, all day), eating from the BBQ (first day of sun), and then just played games and the like in the evening.

Sunday was much more structured. Did some real work (Business revision and CIS110 assignment), and also went bowling with Ella and my younger brothers...

Monday was our usual business day, complete with a Test in the afternoon lecture. That went pretty well. Spent the evening at Zarrain's house chilling, and eating the interesting meal he cooked, with a meeting with a Goldsmiths professor in the middle of that.

Today was the usual learning day of Maths, except for the fact that it really was quite lousy in general. I set off ten minutes early in a rush to catch the train (because I thought I was late) only to reach the station and realise that actually I wasn't late. Then I realised I hadn't packed my Maths book. On my way back it was just as bad, I missed both the possible trains I could have got, spent ten minutes at London Bridge, another twenty at East Croydon, and it took me an extra hour to get home because I chose the wrong trains (although it would have taken me an extra half-hour with the right trains, that's the price you usually pay for missing the train)...

Still, I got my maths test back today that I did last Friday. Got 20/30 on it, and that was what I consider to be the hardest Maths test so far. Luckily this next one looks much easier.

Oh well, at least I've got the admittance tickets for St James Palace on 28th March, to pick up Duke of Edinburgh Award. Now that is gonna be fun!!

Week Beginning: Mon 5th March 2007

Hmm, I have really got to post more often in order to remember what happened. Let's see...

Monday was a usual day of Business (CIS108) until Zarrain Shah showed up, which was a huge surprise because I hadn't seen him for WEEKS! He had been away sorting out Goldsmiths, whom he is having serious problems with.

Tuesday was a usual day of Maths, with a quick trip to Zarrain's dorm. It has an external metal staircase up to his flat, and his room is at the top with quite a nice view.

Wednesday was a lazy day spent Java Programming and MSN'ing, got really far!

Thursday I had a Java tutorial (CIS109) where I showed my personal tutor my program, and then I went round Zarrain's again for a couple of hours to really catch up on those missed weeks! Finally, my Mum and younger brothers came round for dinner and we had Chinese.

Friday was a Computing and the Internet lecture (CIS110) in the morning for two hours, a maths test after that (on matrices, yuck!) and then after an hours break, a short one hour Java lecture on Exceptions. Then home for the evening to drive around on petrol trips and the like, a meeting with my Aunt Shirley (who I only barely remember) and Pizza.

Thank goodness it's the weekend!

Week Beginning: Mon 26th Feb 2007

Oh my! I've not updated my blog since last week!! Now that is what I call Lazy Blog Update-itus! OK, well let me catch up on this week. This is going to be a long blog, so I'm going to rush through the normal days of Monday (which had Thursdays Java Programming stapled in a 4-6pm slot), Tuesday (Maths), Thursday (in which I travelled down to London especially for a 1hr Lab), Friday (CIS110 and CIS109 Lectures), and Saturday (a relaxed day at home playing Age of Empires II: The Conquerors and doing Java Programming).

So what of Wednesday? Oh what a day! It's was a laugh!! OK, are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin... (Note all links below utilise Google Earth .kmz files - requiring Google Earth 4).

It all began Tuesday evening. I began planning my trip to ATCAD, an Art exhibition I was going to on Wednesday, for which I might be a Java Programmer for a section of the exhibition that needed one. First, I checked where I have to go to: Frogmare Mill in Apsley. Then, I check what time I have to get there: 12pm. So I begin planning a train route. I entered Aspley on the train website and saw that the train station, Aspley Guise, was near Milton Keynes. OK then, my Dad says, get a train direct to Milton Keynes and a cab from there to Aspley Guise, just don't forget to take the directions to the Mill.

Wednesday arrives, and I get up early. I set out to the train station to realise once I've got there that I had carefully left the directions to the Mill in my room. In my carefully planned day, I didn't have time to go back and get them. It was to be my utmost downfall. A train ride to London Victoria, tube to London Euston, and I soon find myself on a nice trip up to Milton Keynes eating Cheese on Toast and drinking fresh Apple Juice. On arrival to Milton Keynes, I hail a cab and we set course to Aspley Guise.

We get to Aspley Guise and the taxi guy doesn't know where Frogmare Mill is. Neither does he know where the train station is. Weird, I think, so I ask him to drop me outside the local Post Office, give him the £20 due and after a short consultation with the Post Office, who also don't know of Frogmare Mill, set off to the train station. It can't be that far, right? Ten minutes walking later, I am a bit worried, so I knock on a door of a house and ask. Right, only another five minutes to go. Five minutes later I arrive at Aspley Guise train station. Oh my goodness, I think, this is the smallest train station ever! It's comprised of two small wooden platforms, one either side of a level crossing, and a small wooden cover. Nothing else. The time is 11:45am, and I'm supposed to be at Frogmare Mill by 12.

Now at a complete loss, I ring up 118 118 and manage to get the telephone number of Frogmare Mill. After a short talk, they state that actually there aren't in Aspley Guise, nor are they in any place called Aspley. As I stated at the beginning of this blog, and as was written on the directions sheet, they are in Apsley! Well! That makes all the difference!

I call up 118 118 again and get a local taxi firm. A walk back to the Post Office and fifteen minutes later, I'm in another cab back to Milton Keynes. I pay the taxi guy £20 and get on a Virgin train back to London Euston. OK, time out...

I have to tell you about Virgin trains!! They are unique from any other train I have ever been on. The first thing I noticed was the doors. Instead of having two double doors down the middle, as most of the trains I have been on before, Virgin trains have a single door at either end of the carriage. This leads into a small area with doors to the next carriage, and to the inner part of the carriage you are in.

I got on the train, only to realise that I was in an entire carriage of first class seats!! So I had to walk right through the carriage and into the next before sitting down in a seat and getting ready to leave. As we begin to pull out of the station, the driver's voice comes through the speakers. "Hello, my name's (can't remember what he said his name was) and I'm your driver. Welcome to all the new customers who have joined us at the last station on our trip to London Euston. I would like to remind customers to please ensure all your mobile phones and electronic devices are switched off for the duration of this trip.", or something like that, but you get the jist of it. Astounded, I completely ignored the bit about the mobile phones. Who heard of not being able to use electronic devices on a train! I half expected to see two stewardess's walking down the aisle handing out refreshments or something!

And that's when I did see two stewardess's walking down the aisle pulling/pushing a trolley and calling out "Refreshments? Anybody want refreshments?" I stared in amazement. I'm on an Airplane! I looked out the window expecting to see clouds, but saw train tracks and fields instead. Guess not.

We soon arrive at London Euston and I get the right train to Apsley this time. On arrival to Apsley, I get out and try and make my way to Frogmare Mill using my memory of the directions I have. Fifteen minutes later, and standing outside Sainsburys, I call up Frogmare Mill and ask where they are. They say I'm going in the wrong direction, so I turn around and follow their directions. When their directions don't add up, and I end up outside a pub called 'The Paper Mill', I call up again and they say I have to walk further past Sainsburys in the opposite direction, ie the direction I was going in the first place! So I walk all the way back to Sainsbury's, pass by and go into Apsley town. I get lost in the town, ask at a shop, and navigate further into the industrial side of town. I find Frogmare Mill!

Delighted, I am about to go in when I realise it can't be the right place. This is a paper mill! A real paper mill, not some building where normal people can meet up and have an exhibition or something! Knowing I'm close, I begin exploring the surrounding area...

After a further twenty minutes, I am completely lost and am almost giving up hope. I have walked back and forth, and decide to try one last corner before calling up and admitting defeat - again. I turn the corner, and almost jump with joy! On the door of the building opposite is written the words "ATCAD". I had arrived!! Only two hours and fourty minutes late. Not too bad!

The rest of the day was filled with going through the Art Exhibition, which was all about electronically generated art of some kind or the other, helping them pack up the exhibition, and then a nice pub trip with dinner later on! After that, a successful train journey home and straight to bed.

Moral of the story: remember to take your directions with you - they are vital!