Is it home time yet? I need a holiday!

Well its Update time again. Hooray! I hear you cry.

So just over 3 weeks to go and back to good old wet and windy blighty, quite looking forward to it to be honest but lets update you with whats going on out here shall we, are you all sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin.

The weather now is starting to look unpredictable, still hot in day and warm at night which is strange for this time of season as usually got my outdoor heaters out for the night time by now but i think once we have one more bad day of weather the temps will then drop. Getting a few clouds creeping in to the daytime but still good enough to get by the pool or beach.
As for the resort its quiet, as for the bar its still very busy but it is busy earlier now and closing earlier which means plenty of time to watch Columbo LOL. In saying that i still get nights where I'm closing 3-4am but it seems to be every other night now instead of every night like a week ago.
Its seems from what I've been hearing that a few places may be closing next season and some people are moving back to the UK but i always take this kind of gossip with a pinch of salt and it goes in one ear and out the other. Unless I'm told it by the people involved i just don't take much notice of it.

Next month i start my quest around every resort getting every business owner to sign a petition to stop the issuing of AI licenses then hand it in to the Mayor and licensing office. Its a huge task ahead of me but someone has to get the ball rolling and i don't see much of anyone else doing anything except online groups and tourists petitions but these are great for the support but won't really make a difference to the cause. So i better find a comfy pair of trainers, got a lot of walking to do, oh my poor feet.

While in town the other day i came across the famous cycle race "Tour De Zakynthos" i must say it was going at a hell of a pace, if your a snail that is. It reminded me of the slow bicycle race my school used to have on the annual sports day along with the gold medal classics such as egg & spoon race, hula hoop race and the Olympian age old tradition The Sack Race. Not sure if they had a gold jersey for the leader as i missed the front runners but it was very exciting! I'm sure i just saw Eddy Merckx.

The annual Tour De Zakynthos, wish I'd brought my tandem.



No news on Winter Wipeout as yet. Sent my UK doctors note to them yesterday giving me a full bill of health and they replied saying they will be in touch so its a sit and wait by the phone job, better make sure its fully charged at all times, don't want to miss the call do i? Every night i go to bed dreaming of Big Red Balls. Stop sniggering, some of you have your brains in the gutters LOL.

I've become an addict, i know, I'm very sorry but i just can't stop, its so difficult. Ebay is so bad for you, its like gambling. I'm looking to bid on anything just to see if i win it. So far bought a new phone that was out 8 years ago, a 4gb memory card for that phone, my motorbike, a video media player without the charger ( it looks new in packet, i got the charger for it) and saddle bags for my motorbike. I spend hours looking at peoples tat. Now i'm looking at gold discs for the bar, laser lights, and a bed with a tv in the foot of it. Is there a clinic for people with Ebay addiction LOL.

Well my good good people its time to clean my apartment and hang my clothes up, should have gone to the pool today but it will be there tomorrow and its my birthday so got to do something tomorrow just to forget I'm 43. I know, would you believe it, I've made it to 43 with all my boyish handsome looks still in tact. I have an amazing plastic surgeon you know haha.

Its raining, WOOHOO!

Well i'm sat in my living room 11.40am and watching it absolutely poor down with thunder and lightning and boy does it look and sound good. Been out for a ride on my bike in it and it feels good also. In saying that it is a real storm out there with very very high strong winds and its a little bit scarey listening to it outside, fingers crossed there won't be any damage around the resort. Saw something today that many people do but it made me laugh hard, why is that when you can see its raining and hear its raining people put their hand out of a window or door to actually check that its raining LOL. Its as though they can't belive it is raining, "I can see it and hear it but perhaps its not really raining, i'll just check......yep its raining".

So, yes i know my update is late but I've hanging it out waiting on any news from Winter Wipeout and I've had it. I'm now on the shortlist for the show and all that's pending now is my doctors medical notes in the UK to say that i am physically fit to be able to do the show and then have vaccinations to travel to Argentina. My Greek doctor passed me for my present physical medical now just waiting on UK for past medical records but being as i haven't been to the doctors in over 8 years i can't see there being a problem so i would say I'm 99.5% on the show but until they definately tell me "your on your way to Argentina" there is still that 0.5% chance.

Me with the T-shirt i wore to the audition and looking a little bit worse for wear at Gatwick airport 2am traveling back to Zakynthos. Thanks Joe for the pic.


I was pretty worried that closing for 3 days would effect the bar but not in the slightest still full at some point every night but now my body is in need of a rest and the end of season can't come soon enough. Don't get me wrong I've enjoyed every minute of this season but never been as busy as i have this season and I'm not getting any younger you know LOL. The resort itself has gone quiet very quickly this season so i have to be very grateful for being as busy as i am.

Well its almost time to head off back to the UK but i needed transport for when i arrive home as i can't drive a car but i am going to learn this winter so i got myself another bike till then and what a bargain i got, 2007 reg and only 2000 miles on clock and she is a beauty, not as beautiful as Helen of course but the best looking bike I've had so far and here she is Aquila.

Nice and shinny LOL

Now I've never had a camera on a plane before but i turned my mobile on to flight mode for the first time ever and decided to take a few pics. When i flew home with Helen for my audition for Winter Wipeout i was talking to her about looking out to spot other planes. She said she had never seen any before but i told her sometimes you can see other planes passing you and just to prove to Helen that they do pass each other sometimes i took these pics. It did get rather close or at least looked like it was as it passed above me on the way back to Zakynthos.


And here are few ground pics, it looks so calm and beautiful from way up high.


So i'm now watching Columbo again for about the 100th time and deciding what to do next. Do i have some chilli and crackers just like Columbo as i've made a big bowl of it? Do i put a bathroom cupboard together thats been sat in its box for 5 days? Do i go and check on bar or just leave it till i open? or do i go out for some nice little snack food and just relax for a change? These difficult decisions i have to make, how do i cope haha.

Ok my lovely blog readers until next week, i bid you Bon Vouyage my petite pois.

I'm so freaking tired!

Ok i'm at Gatwick, 1.58am, very tired as not slept since 8am Sat morning after a grueling day of auditions yesterday and won't get to sleep till 4am Monday morning as opening bar tonight but as promised here we go folks my update, but maybe just a short one as its on a pay computer LOL.

First of all flew back to Cardiff Thursday with Helen, saw my mum for a quick cup of tea and to see Petra the Dog, she is so cute. Then on to to see our new home and i've got to say if i had been in the UK when it was time to move in the house wouldn't have looked anywhere near as good as it does and its all down to Helen, its stunning in ever way possible and attention to fine detail is beautiful. I love it. Helen asked me if i was going to put pictures on here of it but i think a home is a personal thing and isn't something to be splashed all over a simple blog like mine, maybe on Grand Designs website as it is lovely.

So here goes, what you've all been waiting for WINTER WIPEOUT UPDATE, So to start off i missed my connecting train but still got to audition 30mins before time. Then i forgot my shorts as left them in Greece and also forgot to buy new ones that morning from town. Off i went to find a clothes shop near the audition venue, Nothing! I found a charity shop and bought a second hand pair of cargo shorts and they looked great but hadn't tried them on. Went to a second charity shop to find a sports pair but the pair i tried on looked like the pair Eric Morcambe used to wear with the wire rims around the bottom they were that baggy on me, looked like a 7 year old with a pair of mans shorts on, you know the ones, they were always the last pair left in the spare PE kit box if you forgot your shorts.

Got to venue for audition and cargo shorts fitted perfect and looked fine.

There were 3 stages to audition and you had to pass each to go on to the next, there were 300 attending the Cardiff audition.

Stage 1. 1 minute presentation of yourself to show your personality. I went in there and just gave them myself like i do to the customers in the Oceanic, smiling, upbeat and not over the top. My thought was "just be yourself kev". There were people there in fancy dress, acting outrageous and some just in their every day clothes. I passed! Woohoo! Only 80 were chosen out of 300.

Stage 2. The Assault Course and fitness. This was a short physical warm up with a little assault course nothing a child couldn't complete but again it was all about using your personality. First you had an interview to camera as they filmed everyone as if it was like the show, then your shout out at the top of the course, then you did the course. Guess what, i passed Yeehaa! Only 40 i think went through to next stage from 80 but not sure maybe more maybe less.

Stage 3. Private interview. Then you were taken to a private room and interviewed individually in front of a camera, this was alot more relaxed and more of a speak freely session so they could learn more about you. Well, talking is big part of my business so no problem there then, you can't shut me up once i've started LOL I think it went very well indeed, i didn't need any prompt questions they just interuppted me with questions when they wanted to know more about something i had said.

So now your wondering, Did he get on the show? Well me too. They will go through all audition tapes once all the venues have auditioned then choose the final contestants taken everything in to account so its just a sit and wait time now, nothing more i can do.

So from this point on if i get on the show i can tell you that, also i guess i can tell you about when i'm going and when it will be aired but once its been filmed you will have to watch the show to see how i got on if i get on the show as usually you can't tell anyone the result of the show before its aired which will be this winter as its a special Winter Wipeout.

So thats it for now but i'm in Gatwick all alone, well i thought i was till i heard this voice calling "Kev". It was only good old Irish Joe Redding one of my customers who is heading out to Crete for 2 weeks then 4 days after that holiday he's out to Zante for more of my Dessert Cocktails. Its a small world.

I may have missed loads out but got 4 mins left and brain is fried. Next update from the island when i'm more awake. Kalanita Folks!

Total Wipeout, I'm coming to get yah!

Well after long discussions and mental torture i got to do it, i'm going to the Total Wipeout audition on Friday. Its all booked and i'm ready for it. I fly back to Cardiff Thursday with Helen and see our new home which i'm so excited about. Then Friday i have the audition for Total Wipeout in Cardiff, Saturday i travel up to London. Then on to Gatwick for my early morning flight on Sunday to be back on the island to open Sunday evening 7pm as usual. What a jet setter life i lead LOL. I'm not nervous about it at all but i will say this it will be nice to have a break even just for 3 days as its been none stop since first week of June and no let up even now. So all i can do is apologies so so so much for those coming out around those 3 days and me not being open but its a once in a lifetime chance and you got to take your chances while they're there but i will definately be back open Sunday 11th at 7pm so please pop in to see me then and i will give you all the run down on how i got on and i will update my blog Sunday afternoon.

So we're on the home straight now for the season and the finishing post is in sight. August, well what can i say i would never have thought that it would have been my busiest and best month ever. August is usual a pretty average month, hitting targets but nothing to over the top but this August KA-BOOM, absolutely nuts, where did all the people come from. Then regular customers of mine Brian and Penny brought in a page from an Easyjet in flight magazine and guess which bar was featured for Zakynthos, yeah you got it, little old Oceanic Chill Out Bar. I couldn't believe it when i saw it, how cool is that. All though the description is a little off whoever researched it as i'm not open in the day. Still, eh, my bar being featured in an in flight magazine on every Easyjet flight around Europe, perhaps thats why August was so mad haha.

Page from magazine, bit small after scan but i'm sure you can figure out how to zoom in to read it, maybe click on it and it will show larger. It says my cocktails are becoming legendary, well i'm not sure about that, i just do my job.


Now then who tried the foil on the mobile phone for better wifi connection, come on hands up, i was kidding, it doesn't help at all but what you actually need to do is hold a banana to the top of the phone and that will definately work, go on try it now out on the street or in the coffee shop where you are LOL.

So i have a few questions to put to you. As you know i'm a great thinker and always searching for answers for crap questions so here we go:-

1/ Why do so many tourists when walking around a resort look so miserable?

2/When a toilet roll comes to the end and there is a spare roll there why doesn't anyone change it over instead of reaching far behind to on top of the cistern?

3/Why do Greeks ride scooters with 1 leg hanging out to the side when at the speed they're going they ain't going to be able to stand up and run if they come off their bike?

4/On Karaoke when someone sings "I'm to sexy" why do they feel the need to take their top off even when they're not a body beautiful?

5/When people order a small or large beer why do they feel the need to mime the size even though they know i can speak English?

Just a few of the many rubbish questions floating around in the void of my head where a brain should be LOL.

Went to one of my favourite bars last night with Helen as it was a bit of a quiet night and got out early (3am), Island Bar, set on the hill side on the very edge of Argassi as you head to Vassilikos. Love it there, even though its loud banging european crap dance music blasting out i still feel chilled out there due to the surroundings and people, no loud drunks, everyone dressed to impress, everyone just kicking back having a good time in conversation with a view that stretches from Argassi all the way across to the far end of Zakynthos town. When i'm there i forget i have a business here, it just seems like i'm one of locals enjoying a drink. At 8 euro for a single vodka and sprite i make sure i enjoy my drink haha.

Not much more to say as its been all work and no play what with it being so busy but i will now update you when i get back from my audition in the UK.

Singing "Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye, Cheerio, here i go, on my way."