Its time to head back. WHERE'S MY SUITCASE GONE? AGGGHHHHHHHH!

                                    LOOK WHAT I GOT, YEEEEEHHHAAAAAAAAA!

WOW! Is it time for me to go back? This winter went so quick, well............i was in the medical research for 6 weeks, been stuck in this house for almost the rest of the time due to crap weather and going back 3 weeks early as i have so much to do this season before i open. Its a major overhaul of the bar but i think you my lovely friends and customers deserve it. If it was just for me I'd keep my money in my pocket, tight Welshman you see LOL. As the saying goes "A rolling stone gathers no moss" which in business terms means if you run a business in to the ground without spending out money and just being greedy your going to end up with an empty business. As i have stated before its only the decor that's changing to a higher standard, the concept stays the same. Also i have made another major decision on the bar. I think that at some point in time i need to be in the UK full time. I don't want to be a Brit abroad in my later years scraping a living just to feed myself and pay my bills which i have seen many many times over the years in all the resorts i have worked and the people have never been happy. Its not just about that but all the people i love and hold dear to me are in the UK and every season i miss them more which makes it harder and harder to go back, so it is with heavy heart when i tell you all that i will be keeping Oceanic open for another 3 season until its 10th Anniversary and then that will be my last season, so 2016 will be my last year. I know it may seem a long way away yet but in fact its not and i came to the decision yesterday and needed an end date for focus. I know what some may be saying "ah we'll see" but no that is definitely going to be my last year 2016 and no going back. I may put it up for sale for that year, may keep it on and have someone run it for me or i may just sell everything out of it but i will not be just walking away from it for someone to walk in to, I'd prefer to have a big bonfire than do that, well its my stuff LOL.

So that's bar stuff out the way lets get on with my fun packed weeks and my observations i have made during that time.

1/ Why do people talking in public on speaker phone think other members of the public want to hear their conversation?

2/ Why if your on a path with 2 lanes (one for bikes, one for pedestrians) do bikes still ride in the pedestrian lane when there are lots of white floor paintings along the lanes stating which is which?

3/ Why is it when your in a rush and walking fast behind a person do they then start to move towards your path of walking as you get closer when up until that point they've been walking in a straight line?

4/ Where is my suitcase?

Now we haven't got a huge house so haven't got servants who may have stolen it. I've asked Higginbottom my butler if he's seen it but he hasn't. I've looked in the left and right wing of the house, in the pantry, in the games keepers cabin and the attic but still no suitcase. I had it after coming out of simbec medical centre and then came straight back to the house but its nowhere. BUGGER!

Once a week i always take the local coach to Swansea to visit my mum. This Wednesday it was a glorious day so before i caught the coach i sat outside a little coffee shop and had a latte in the sun. It was so nice but the view ain't exactly Zakynthos town port.

Me having my morning coffee, its the sun, remember what that looks and feels like, I'm amazed.

 After my coffee i made my way to the coach stop. Now this coach is very popular with the more mature and students. What a great combination. It goes from Aberystwyth to Cardiff and comes through where we live along the way. You can book tickets for it and many do but this day i didn't have time so just decided to hop on. Unfortunately all the seats were booked up, so me being the cheeky me asked if the tour rep seat was in those seats that were booked and the driver said no. That was my in, i asked if i could use that seat as i really needed to be in Swansea by 11. The driver agreed, WOOHOO!

Now i was thinking of being the tour guide for the duration of the trip but there was no mic available and i hate Cliff Richards "Summer Holiday" which seems to always get sung on a coach with a tour guide, well, when i used to holiday it did but then again that was years ago. To be honest there isn't much to point out of any interest. sheep to the left of me, sheep to the right, and here i am stuck in the reps seat with you.

My view from the elite tour rep seat.

If you look to your left you can see Sheep.

OH, quickly folks, over there to the right, SHEEP!

After a quick visit to my mum for a cuppa and to make sure she's OK i headed back in to Swansea town centre to have a look around. Its a strange thing being in Swansea town centre, it seems to drive me to drink. So i popped in to a local pub. This is the pub that i took the photo of the cocktail menu in my last update, its definitely not a cocktail style bar. Its sticky carpets, toothless men sat alone, dogs laid at feet of tables, empty pint glasses left on tables for the 45 Min's i was in there and people just gazing in to space. After just reading that back I've described myself in there, i have 4 teeth missing, was sat alone and was gazing out the window people watching. I can see my future but its happening now LOL.
I stood at the bar to order my beer and there were 4 other people at the bar before me, 3 guys all together waiting to order separately and a woman, behind thew bar were 1 staff member and the arrogant manager. The woman was paying for a wine and a pint........ by credit card, the first guy bought a pint and crisps........by credit card, the second guy bought a meal and pint................by credit card. While all this stupid time wasting was going on another 2 guys came to the bar. The manager then finished with the woman and asked "Who's next?" to which the guy who had just approached the bar ordered and he served. WHAT? Hang on, i was next or at least the last guy of the 3. What type of manager has to ask "who's next? He should know who's next, its not as if it was ram packed at the bar, any good barman would know that let alone a manager, it makes me so angry GGGGGGRRRRRRRRRR! And while we're at it, doesn't anyone carry a few pound on them anymore? These people must have known they may need a few quid if going out and are paying for just a pint with a credit card. GOD, watching the woman pay for her 2 drinks was like watching Joey Essex trying to figure out Sir Isaac Newtons Law of Gravitation. She didn't have her glasses so couldn't see the screen, then she had to remember her number and after all that had to be talked through how to use machine, it took forever, GET CASH OUT!

MY toothless, lonely, gazing in to space pint..........but it was good.

After my lovely cool refreshing pint i got back on the pensioner/student trolley and headed back home but before i left Swansea i took a selfie on the bus. Well it seems all the rage these days even though the selfie is in fact years old from when the camera was first invented.

My selfie and proud of it LOL.

I had to go back to Simbec for a follow up to sign some papers so the pharmaceutical company can continue to use my blood samples and i noticed something. As i stood on the platform at Pentre-Bach waiting for my train home i noticed that the platform is one of the longest I've ever seen for just a little village station. The trains that pull up to this station are only ever 2 carriages long and don't need a huge platform. This platform could accommodate the Orient Express its that long. Why the hell did they make it that long and to add to it there isn't even a shop on it. With all that room you could fit a retail park on it.

Is there any real need for such a long platform? I think not

On my walks around Swansea i saw a local pub that was being taken over. The couple had put a sign outside so everyone would know. In fact they were so proud they even displayed what they had achieved. "Chef of the year 91 & 92". So Anton was chef of the year for 2 years. Where? Voted by who? What area, UK, Wales, Glamorgan, Swansea, their living room? I'm chef of the year every year in my kitchen and i don't need anyone to vote either. Also looking at that, this was 22 years ago. I think i would prefer to be in the place where Chef of the year 2013 is cause this means Anton hasn't been any good since 1992 LOL.

Think i would just welcome people and leave the self proclaimed honours off it.

Also there was a world food fair in the city centre and from among the little stalls came a bright golden warm glow..........A Greek Gyros stall. OH MY GOD! I was so excited i thought to myself I'm going to buy the largest Gyros they sell. As i walked towards the stall from under the covers it was raining heavy and i got soaked. I decided against the purchase, it just doesn't seem the same eating a watter logged gyros under grey skies.

Sunday for some unknown crazy reason i woke up wanting ice cream. Strange i know as most people want a Sunday roast. Helen agreed to my cravings and took me to an Italian Restaurant near Swansea on The Mumbles (this is a seaside resort not a stroppy teenager) called Verdi. Jamie Oliver did one of his programmes from here, that fact did put me off a bit. The place was packed at 11am, i mean not one single seat inside so we had to wait for a table. I could have ordered the whole menu of Starters, Mains and desserts but i wanted ice cream. I had Vanilla & Toffee ice cream with toffee shards, hot toffee sauce and whipped cream. Helen ordered a strawberry, cream and kiwi cake. They were so rich, sweet and sticky, loaded with calories, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm nom nom nom.

If your ever around the Swansea area go to The Mumbles, its lovely, even better when the suns out.

Verdi's, packed out on a Sunday at 11am.

Verdi's outdoor seating, Do you think its to cold?

My beautiful ice cream, I LOVE YOU. LOL

Talking of high quality food its been years since I've had a filled vol au vent. When you and all your friends were 18 to 21 you were always going to parties where the buffet always had vol au vents. So you were having them at least once a month but as you get older the parties die off and weddings these days always have to above and beyond what the couple can afford so the bride can have her "Special day". Hello? There is a groom as well you know. I've been to a few weddings and the buffets in the evening have always been over the top fancy pants crap. Wheres the cocktail sausages on sticks? Wheres the mini pork pies and wheres my vol au vents?
I've looked in a few supermarkets to find vol au vent cases and couldn't find any. I asked my good old mum to look for some. Whatever i can't find my mum always does. She's a great shopper LOL.
She found me the Holy Grail, 36 Jus Rol large vol au vent cases. AMAZING!
I got them, took them home and cooked off 16. Got my fillings ready, egg mayo, coronation chicken, barbecue shrimp and coleslaw. I got them all prep'd up and scoffed the lot apart from one which Helen stole, never forgive her for that LOl. I was in 1980's heaven. Soooooooooooo good.

I'm available every winter for catering parties LOL.

Its amazing, thats another 2 1/2 hours just to write this update, maybe i should hire a ghost writer like the great authors David Beckham, Justin Bieber and Katie Price.

Well my dear friends and customers, thats it from the UK but i will now update from Zakynthos as soon as i got my wifi back on. I will give you all the true goings on from the island and a picture update of whats changed in every resort.

So Sunday its up, up and away.

Serve All, Love all, Peace All, Kevlar Out.

Nobody move, there's been a MURRRRDEERRRRR! Well a travisty to music and clubs.

Well before i start this fortnights update i will shake every English persons hand for a great victory over Wales. No, I'm not going to make any excuses like some nations do (England) We were outclassed by a team playing the way we usually play. England played the Welsh game by keeping possession and ball in hand and they did it so well, where as wales played the kicking game and never looked like scoring a try, Why kick to a team who have power and pace to run it straight back at you and gain yards. So my predictions for this 6 nations so far have been correct and i still say its Ireland's tournament to lose.

Now, then, I'm all for keeping fit and getting fit. Why, just yesterday i walked 5 miles with a 5kg bag of stones in a rucksack and then 5 miles back again. But when that exercise isn't really exercise or interferes with my exercise then we have a problem.
What am i talking about i hear you say. MAMIL's, Middle Aged Men In Lycra. They got the helmet, they got the go fast wrap around shades, they got the fingerless gloves, they got the shorts that look like they're wearing a men's over sized pantie liner, they got the proper cycling shoes, so why do they ride on the pavements that pedestrians use, YOUR NOT 6 YEARS OLD! I walk on pavements for pedestrians with my headphones on and if they are cycling at speed up behind me on pavements not for cyclists i can't hear them coming and have been clipped many a time by them but they shouldn't be on the pavement in the first place. I say your of an age where you should be old enough to ride on the road or would you like a little bell to go "ding ding" to keep you safe.
Another aspect of keeping fit is jogging. I had a jogger running next to me for quite a while also yesterday, i was walking. Just cause your were raising your feet a little higher than mine doesn't mean your jogging, it just means you look like John Cleese doing the ministry of silly walks sketch. When jogging you actually need to go faster than walking. The other thing that made me laugh about the jogger was they had wrist bands, headband and a jogging water bottle, yeah you don't want to de-hydrate lifting those feet to high do you LOL.

Remember last update i said about Pharell being shown to be a fashion guru with his hat which in fact was 30 years old, well another so called trend setter Rhianna was photographed this week with a lock and chain around her neck and everybody was like "Wow, isn't she a fashion icon and cool" Nope, No she's not. It was done years ago by the late great Mr. Sid Vicious but the YUFF of today don't know of such people like Sid and Malcolm Mclaren and they think these looks are all new. Take a look back through music history kids, nothing in today's music industry is new at all.

Rhianna 2014, Good place to keep your motorbike lock LOL

Our Sid 1977, i prefer Sid's look.

Last week i met my world watched Nephew Leighton Kyle to go out for our usual winter Friday night out in Cardiff. There were a few new places opened since our last little adventure so we decided to try them out. First off we started at The Crwys pub where i found i couldn't see people unlike the child from Sixth Sense who could see people and dead people, I had forgotten my contacts and my glasses, great start. So my non-world watched Nephew Kyle had to pop them in to me, many thanks that man, i could now see the quiz machines LOL. Onward to The Woody, lost on quiz machine, bugger! Then the Pen & Wig where i had the most disgusting pint ever, tasted bad, smelt bad and in fact put me off drinking that night.
Next stop was a new bar called "Porters". I really liked this place, it had a cinema room showing E.T. and basically the bar had opened almost as it was just an empty shell with a bar area and a few pics on the wall, that's it and basic furniture. The floor was just rough concrete, no ceiling just all the wiring and duct work showing and a few LED strings of light but it worked really well. In the corner was a stage where a rather large gentleman stepped up on to and started singing. Now, i like live music but singing to a backing track isn't live music, it's advanced karaoke. We were amazed at the singer. No not cause he was good it was because he started off by singing "Barcelona" by Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé. Straight away it took me back to Peter Kay's "That Peter Kay Thing - The Club". They had Talent Trek 1999 on it and there was an duo called Coffee & Cream but only the female half had turned up and they were meant to be singing "Don't go breaking my heart " - Elton John & Kiki Dee. So she sang her part but there was silence on his part and she just stood there. Well, that's what Barcelona was like, this guy would sing Freddies part but it was then silent on Montserrats part. I was crying, not just at the ambitious bad singing but seeing this guy stood in silence when you know a female singer should be up there, just classic comedy gold but this was meant to be serious.
I dried my eyes and we headed on.
Next in our bar crawl was where the Hard Rock Cafe used to be which is now called "The Brewhouse" where a proper live band were playing and we met Leightons world unknown friend John. Bit of a strange bar this. The bar was good, the band looked good, all the people were old enough to know good music but i did notice one obvious thing, almost all the women had moustaches. I'm not just saying that for comedy value, they did. Blimey, they made Magnum P.I.'s moustache look like bum fluff lol. Anyway the band started off. First they played The Killers - Mr. Brightside then Kings of Leon - Use Somebody, this is more like it. Of course it didn't last, after 2 songs and only a handfull of people dancing in a packed bar they decided to play "I'll be there for you" from Friends and then even more horror after that The Rednecks - Cotton Eyed Joe, the bar went crazy and everyone was dancing about, they must have been from The Valleys, Shoot me now. Time to go
On to a new club called The Bunker. This sounded promising but also a bit weird as it was pop/indie in one half of the club and in the other pop/rock. When has pop ever gone with indie or rock? It was a club split in to 2 but without any doors between the 2 clubs so it took time for your hearing to adjust to work out what song was on as you walk from one club in to the other. We walked in to the pop/rock side first and we were hit with Slipknot - "Psychosocial", heavy but cool. We got our drinks and walked through the archway in to the pop/indie side only to be met with the song "Scandalous" by Mis Teeq. Wo, wo, wo. Hang on there. Slipknot to Mis Teeq. Is this Punk'd? I quickly turned back in to the rock room. I was quite happy in there having a Mosh (Dance for punk/rock lovers) when Leighton comes and drags me in to the other room to dance with him and John. As i was man handle on to the dancefloor it took time for my ears to adjust to see what song was playing, Kanye West - "Golddigger", REALLY? You drag me away from the rock dance floor where Limp Bizkit was playing to stand on a dance floor listening to Kanye West. Leighton, how dare you involve me with the murder of music. I was dragged your honour, i had nothing to do with it LOL.
I went back to the rock room and started to feel hungry so i bid my farewell as i didn't feel like drinking and was hungry, headed back to my sisters house and on the way picking up a Donner Kebab Pizza. that is the best food after a night out, best of both foods. Pizza base with tomato, cheese and basil topped with strips of Donner Kebab meat, yummy!

When i Arrived in Cardiff on the Friday before our night out i noticed the new library and decided to have a look around, its huge. 5 floors of computers, books, papers, microfilm and reading areas. It is so nice in there i couldn't believe it.

It shows now how many Romanians are in Cardiff, they now have their own book section.

Many years ago in my YUFF i started playing field hockey for my school. Our team won every single tournament we entered. We beat all comers from Wales and England. We were and i have to say this, AMAZING! I was the net minder, well, the goals are very small in field hockey so it was ok. There was none of the padding they use now, all i had was kickers to go over my trainers, wicket keeper pads for legs, wicket keeper gloves and a face mask like out of "Halloween". No blocking pad or chest plate or neck pad, it was very basic in those days but i loved it cause the net minder could just take players out and i never got booked, how cool is that. Violent play but no penalties, bonus!
When we were at our height of success we were added to a book about the history of Cardiff. 3 of us went on to play for Wales and one of those was me. Very proud of that. So being as i was in the library i thought i would have a look for the book and here it is.

Now which one is me? I think the height may give it away LOL

Myself and Helen popped in to Cardiff for St.Davids Day and watched the parade It was pretty good, lots going on, little stalls with hade made goods and a parade with bands and floats, it helped that the sun was out. Cardiff is always great when the sun is out, guess its like anywhere. I've never heard anyone say anywhere in the world "This place looks so much better in the rain".

 The pic here is of 5 welsh icons that were in the parade, can you name them?

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UK cocktails, What a rip off. People think that you get full measures of each ingredient and that they are good value for money. Nope, WRONG! Any cocktail with a number of spirits can not exceed a double measure or they can contain as large a measure as the bar wants to give. Now no bar wants to give profits away so they will give as little as they have to to gain a better profit margin. And when i saw the price of these cocktails compared to mine i was amazed. £5.25 for a cocktail with a double measure in it. Blimey, you can get my strongest cocktail with 7 measures in it for £3.75. Britain is a total rip off when it comes to cocktails but they say your not paying for the drink your paying for the time it takes to make it. If that was the case i should be charging a tenner for a fresh ingredient Mojito. don't panic, i won't be changing my prices ha ha.

You must be crazy if you pay these prices.

Tea shops are very popular it seems these days in Cardiff, in every arcade i walked through there were rows of seats lined up outside tea shops, no one sat in the seats as its to bloody cold but there were loads of them.

This one is in Castle Arcade.

This one is in Royal Arcade. Who's that visiting a tea shop?

Oh my god even Daleks have become sophisticated visiting tea shops.

This did make me laugh. In the same arcade as the last tea shop shown there is a shop that just sells cheese (no Wallace & Gromit weren't in here). It had a great name "Madame Fromage" even a cheese shop in french sounds good. Doesn't sound so good in English, Mrs. Cheese. Sounds like a doctor for foot fungus, Alan Partridge knows her LOL

Many many years ago when i first went to Zakynthos people were asking on the net where they can buy Mythos in the UK. I searched and searched on the net for days and came up with only one place all those years ago and it was in Cardiff. Wally's Deli, you could buy them in shop or they could be delivered. If you look closely at the bottom right you can still see the Mythos bottles there today, hope they're not the same ones.

The UK press make me laugh cause they're a bit of a joke really. We get one day of sun last weekend and the headlines are "Hotter than the Greek Isles". Yes for 3 hours but in total Britain is wetter than a fishes wet bits and colder than a penguins ass. Try telling the people who still can't live in their homes that Britain is better than the Med, i think they may disagree with you there. You can see it now after this weeks sunshine "Hosepipe Ban".

Well, well, well whats this that's been left of my doorstep. Its a Meerpup. Awwwwww! His name is Oleg and he comes from...............hang on, I've seen this pup somewhere before. That's it, he belongs to Aleksandr and Sergei, they've abandoned him. How could they. I thought they were kind Meerkats, wheres the number for meerkat protection line LOL.

You will be pleased to know that i know have everything bought for the refurbishment of Oceanic (Thank God). Its come from all over the place, America, China, Sweden and Chorley. My delivery service are going to love me this season as got so much to send over and that's without the stuff i have to buy when on the island. I haven't even chose what floor tiles I'm having aggghhhhh! I'm sure it will all come together by the 1st of May.

I have to say sorry now to a few people who were expecting a South Wales meet up, I just haven't got my head round it to do it. I've been trying to find work to keep myself occupied as i get bored very easily sat here doing nothing, its not me just sitting around and then my mind has been on the bar and what to do with it so the meet up went completely out the window but i promise it will happen next winter. Anyway i don't think all of us have boats to get here what with all the rain and floods ha ha.

So again another 2 1/2 hours of writing come to an end. Yes it does take that long as i write a stream of consciousness then add the pics then re-read it all and edit. It is a long process for such little writing but its nice for me to do as its like a history of my life since i took on Oceanic, my family can see what i'm doing and i hope it gives my readers a bit of light hearted reading and a giggle. At the moment i get over 2000 blog readers each update which i feel blessed to have, its not many compared to huge websites but for little old me thats more than enough.

So until my last update before i head back to Zakynthos i shall leave you with my usual sign off,

Serve All, Love All, Peace all, Kevlar Out!

"Season time, cocktails and wine, customers singing drunken rhyme" Name That Tune?

Is it that time again for another rip roaring update. This update we will be exploring the world of Selfies, music memorabilia, crap music awards, crap tv, Saints, six nations rugby and Season 2014. If there is any topic you would like my view on then please add to the facebook page. I'm sure I can give you my unusual view about the topic LOL.

Well would you believe, ITS SUNNY! Well one day anyway LOL To mark this rare occasion myself and Helen went along the Welsh South coast to all the exclusive resorts, Costa Del Neath, Paradiso Aberavon and Playe de las Port Talbot. If you love the smell of rotten egg sandwiches you'll love Port Talbot. That's the smell you get from the steel works, lovely, Bluurgh!
And why oh why when the sun comes out at winter time in the UK do people wear shorts, ITS STILL BLOODY FREEZING YOU IDIOTS!

Come to Wales, the air is lovely.

"Selfies" seem to be all the rage these days with every man and his dog and celebrities taking any chance they can to expose themselves to the wide world through the selfie. Now for the younger generation this is a great new craze but to lonely sad singles like i used to be these were your holiday snaps years ago. My first solo jaunt was to Corfu in 1985. During that holiday all my snaps were of views, my feet in various locations and pics of me pulling different faces with all being taken at arms length. That was 29 years ago. Move along people, nothing new here. Maybe i was a pioneer of my generation or maybe not as I'm sure other sad lonely people like myself have also done the same long before the "selfie" become a word in the English dictionary.

I have a very large collection of vinyl, tapes and CD's and have started again to look for valuable music on any format to add to my collection. Just cause someone lists a vinyl as "Rare" doesn't actually mean it is.
I have a Vinyl of Sex Pistols - "Never mind the B*ll**ks" which only 10,000 were printed so its not exactly rare but it is sort after. I've seen albums that have maybe over 500,00 copies been printed being listed on Ebay as rare, this definitely isn't rare and they are asking £50 for it when the proper book value is maybe £20. Are these people for real? I mean, I've got some Val Doonican and Max Bygraves vinyl and they are really rare. They're rare cause everyone threw them in the bin years ago and no one wants them now, I'm the only person on the planet with them and still can't sell them for 99p LOL.
Just out of curiosity on Ebay i checked to see if anyone was stupid enough to list any Jimmy Saville items and guess what, there is, are they mad? Not just that but there was a Jimmy Saville autobiography that was signed by him on Ebay for auction and there must be two even more stupid people on there than the seller as they were bidding on it, what idiots!
I take myself off to charity shops and record shops and can look through them for hours. The one shop i visited in Cardiff i used to visit years ago and it was a well spaced out record store with all its records in alphabetical order and band order in nice neat racks, now it would take me maybe 2 days to look through all the vinyl, its mad. I couldn't even see the guy who owns it over the counter as the counter was stacked with vinyl. In the one hour i spent in there i didn't even scratch the surface of the vinyl he had in there but i did find some first print original copies of Led Zeppelin II and Ramones - Ramones and got them at a snip price of £12 for both and can easily sell on for £30, "back of the net".

D-Vinyl record shop in Cardiff, its a mountain of vinyl and that's a 1/4 of the shop.

Whilst browsing through the vinyl in second hand shops in Carmarthen and Swansea i noticed that at some point Wales must have had a really heavy link to Greek music, loads of Nana Mouskouri and Demis Roussos but also along with those two giants of Greek music i found one album called "Music from the Greek Islands" in three different charity shops in Swansea along with one in Carmarthen and the icing on the cake in the YMCA charity shop i found an album by 4 Greek guys who were the Greek version of The Beatles with such hits as,  "All you need is Ouzo", "The long and winding pot holed gravel track", "Can't buy me Pita" and "Olive groves forever".

Keep your eye out for these vinyls and get a copy. LOL

Bags for life from supermarkets. I'm all for helping the enviroment but when you purchase a bag for life they are so big you can't just fold them up and keep them in your jacket pocket, oh no, you got to walk to the shop with a large empty bag and the image i get of walking down the street with the empty large carrier bag is Roy Cropper from Coronation Street, oh the shame of it all. Thats it, stuff the enviroment, its throw away bags from now on.

The only music awards that count are Q awards and NME. The Grammys give out gongs for "Best fart on a backing track" and the Brits make up awards as they go along. For instance, The Global Success award was introduced in 2013 to make sure One direction got a gong and guess what....they got it again this year also to make sure they received a gong, i wonder if it was funded by Simon Cowell. What about when Coldplay went global? What about Adele? What about Mumford and Sons? There wasn't a list or even a vote it was just handed to One Direction. In all honesty the Brit awards are a joke and didn't even bother watching it this year and where was Val Doonican and Max Bygraves for best British male? oh and well done David Bowie. They used to give out lifetime achievement to music award and where's that gone? They offered it to Depeche Mode last year but told them that they couldn't play after collecting it so they declined the award, good on them.
Also Pharell played the Brits out and the headlines the next day were of his style and the hat he wore and was auctioning off, HELLO? Again its nothing new, that hat is 32 years old, Malcolm Mclaren was wearing it all those years ago with Buffalo Gals. Not new I'm afraid folks.


 2014 - Pharell

1982 - Malcolm Mclaren and the Buffalo Gals

Its Crap TV time and guess whats back? Yep, you guessed it, they've wheeled out all the wannabe's and brainless out of the dark from under the stairs for another series of "TOWIE". I only caught the last 3 Min's as it was finishing and it was a couple with speech problems arguing. The orange coloured guy asked an orange coloured girl "Can i have a word in private" 5 seconds later there is 3 different camera angles and shouting at each other about who F**ked who behind each others backs (their words not mine) and showing each other up to be vile people. Who in their right mind would want to show themselves in that light on TV in front of 56 viewers LOL. Desperate to become famous comes to mind.
Also on the topic of TV as i was walking through Cardiff city centre on Tuesday and guess who walked past and next to me, Fungi from channel 4's "Benefit Street". He is now in Cardiff and was walking down the street with young dark haired lady. I was just about to ask for a pic when i saw my bus pulling in to head back to Carmathen, bugger. I googled him when i got home and he is in Cardiff and the lady he was with is his daughter as she lives in Cardiff, old habits die hard he still had a can of Blackthorn Cider in his hand.
Talking of homeless, on BBC Wales there is a programme that airs every year called "Swansea - Back on the streets". Every year a documentary team film for 6 months and air a 3 part series about the down and outs in Swansea. Well, when i was on that same bus that i got on in Cardiff as i was going through Swansea i saw a few of the drunks that are on that programme. I suppose you could say that my Tuesday day out was a bit like one of those Beverly Hills coach tours where they take you round famous celebrities homes only this was the Welsh version where i saw the cardboard boxes of the famous homeless LOL. Its not a funny subject really and i always give change if i have it or buy dog food for the ones with dogs. I always give the same homeless gent in Swansea £5 every Christmas and a tin of food for his dog, "I do allot for charity mate".

St. Christopher helped travellers, St. Patrick helped the Irish, St. David helped the growing of leeks and now just call me St. Kevlar the helper of fallen ladies over 70.
Last winter in the close where i live a lady of 75 slipped on the ice, damaged her hip and couldn't move. I made her as comfortable as i could with a cushion under her head and put my jacket over her, it happened as i was on my way out. I called the ambulance. She was getting very cold and was in agony so i tried to keep her warm but couldn't move her off the ice and kept talking to her to keep her mind off the pain (first time ever I've had to keep a woman talking, usually they don't shut up, that's a joke ladies LOL). An hour later the ambulance arrived and she recovered fine in hospital. Today while i was waiting for my bus another lady fell over her 3 carrier bags of shopping, she was 78. She thought she had broken her arm. Again i put one of her bags that had clothes in under her head and called the ambulance, this time it was there within 5 Min's, good job really as my bus had arrived and if i didn't get on that one it would have been a 2 hour wait for me. The timing of this fall wasn't great if I'm being honest, i mean, what a dilemma, get on bus and leave her there after i had helped her when she fell or miss my bus and wait another 2 hours, tricky LOL. In the end the ambulance crew got there very quick and said it was OK for me to go, PHEW!

6 nations rugby, what can i say. Well done to Ireland they outclassed us in every aspect of the game, passing, field position, mauls, rucks, scrums and tactics, we were so bad and Ireland were amazing and i still say Ireland for the championship but also a well done Wales against France, the frogs don't like it up 'em LOL. Bring on England, not really liking the look of that game, think England could edge it if Wales don't play to full potential but fingers crossed.

Well the season is slowly creeping up on us and i now have everything for the new decor and the plans are all sorted, just the new sofas and flooring when i arrive and its all systems go. I'm not really as excited as normal about the forth coming season. As I've said before its not really a challenge anymore as I've taken the bar as far as i can and couldn't of wished for a better 7 years and have done everything i could with Oceanic. So this is why its having a full face lift (not me, the bar). I've seen businesses around me in the past in Argassi and Kalamaki just keep with the same old same old, year in year out and not really trying to improve just sticking with the same decor and design watching it get more and more run down until its to late to claw back. In seeing this that's why every year i try to improve the surroundings in some way to make them even more comfortable for my lovely customers and to give me a new boost and pride in my work and the bar. I will never let the standards slip and will always do my best for whoever enters the bar. I hope everyone will enjoy the new decor, its taken me ages to find everything and decide how to set it all up but still NO TVS AND NO ENTERTAINMENT with only BRANDED SPIRITS USED IN ALL DRINKS with the best prices in town, its still the same chill out bar with a slightly different look.

Well my dear friends its time to say goodbye once again, so untill the next update in two weeks times

Serve All, Love All, Peace All, Kevlar Out!

Breaking News: Sheep learn to float!

Hello, hello, hello, and how the devil are we this fine update. I know its 4 days late but one minute I'm bored stuck in the house doing bugger all watching sheep float past my living room window due to the overly active horrible wet winter weather and the next I have a week full of ups and downs.

So I will try to think of everything in order of how it happened, you see my mind isn't what it used to be these days, in fact I'm sure its getting worse from month to month but lets get the old grey matter working.

Well for the first week after my last update it was basically watching rain from inside the warmth of the house, watching rain on the TV and reading about rain on the Internet.
It is awful seeing all these people flooded out and I feel so sorry for them BUT, they go on TV saying "What are the government doing?"
Now the last time I took any notice of the government they weren't God even though Mr. Cameron thinks he is. The weather is mother nature or if your that way inclined "an act of god", we can't control it, we can't stop it, we don't really know when its going to hit badly, its just forecast. So why are these people asking "What is Mr. Cameron going to do about it?" Hmmm, how about nothing. What's he meant to do? He can't control the weather. You see pictures of pumps pumping water from fields being pumped away in to..... you guessed it, other fields or, this is brilliant, pumping the water in to rivers that are already flooding the fields the water is being pumped out of, it will just flood back in to the fields, DOH!
Many people have bought homes by rivers, surely they had the sense to think "What if the river level rises?" Just look at Paul Daniels the magician, he's been flooded so many times his house may as well be a boat but he still hasn't sold up and moved and do you know why? Cause every time we have heavy rain it floods his house and that's the only time he can get on TV LOL.

 So that was week one after my last update, not very eventful i know. Now then week two had much more going on but as i said a week of highs and lows.

It was a sad farewell to a friend i was in school with throughout my high school years and used to meet up with when he could make it in Cardiff whenever i used to visit the boys on a Friday night out. Jeffrey Preston, the chapel at his funeral was absolutely packed and it was a shame that it took such a sad occasion to meet up with old school friends i hadn't seen for well over 15 years, we will raise a pint to you whenever i am in Cardiff with Tim, Daz and Ian, you will be missed by all.

Monday 27th and its road trip time, well, train trip with my world watched actor nephew Leighton Kyle. We were off to see Depeche Mode in the Birmingham NEC. We booked ourselves in to the Travelodge at Birmingham airport and started off with a few pints in the bar. My great friends Chris and Sandra Scales were also going to the concert and staying in the same hotel, oopsie, this could get messy LOL.
After a few jars and a pizza it was off to watch the gig. Good God, could the NEC be in a more isolated place. No burger vans, no bars, no restaurants, no take aways anywhere near the arena, everything was inside but you pay well over the odds. £4 for a flat pint in a plastic cup, JOG ON! (I don't mean go for a run, jog on means No Chance) Anyway inside we go. The foyer area was really good with lots going on and the decor was good. In to the arena. It was OK in there, been to better but the arena doesn't really matter its all about Depeche Mode. Once again they blew me away. I have been to so many concerts and gigs over 27 years, G N R, Micheal Jackson, Rolling Stones, David Bowie, the list goes on and on but these were still the best and the concert was just as good as the one i went to in Athens but without the huge adventure i had getting there LOL.
Back to the hotel where we met up with Chris and Sandra for a night cap or six. We were talking about games and then got on to Top Trumps where i found out that myself and Leighton had come up with the same idea for a set of Top Trumps but didn't know we were both thinking of the same thing. Keep an out for them, in stores for Christmas 2014, a lovely stocking filler for all LOL.
We had a great time having a laugh and chat till 2am then headed off to crash out before our long journey back.
A big thank you to Chris and Sandra once again. We got on the train and made our way back to wet Wales. Leighton studied all the way back for an exam to get him back in to Uni to do his masters which I'm pleased to say he passed, he can now study to be a master of teaching mime and playing dead, ideal for any actor wanting tutoring of how to get a part in Casualty (the TV show not the hospital area).
We parted at Newport train station and i continued on to Carmarthen.
At Cardiff train station a more mature couple got on and sat opposite me at my table. Once the train set off the lady proceeded to pull a bag up from under the table. I'm sure it was Mary Poppins bag. One after another she pulled Tupperware container after Tupperware container out of this bottomless bag. In total there was 7 containers spread out in front of her and a flask, milk bottle and 2 cups. The containers were:- Bread, Butter, Ham, Cheese, Salad, Tea Bags, Sugar. It looked like i was inside a sales pitch by QVC for Tupperware LOL. She went on to make from scratch a ham, cheese, salad sandwich for herself and her henpecked husband, then made she themselves both a cup of tea from scratch. I had to move my newspaper as she didn't have enough room.
After the cooking show was over she put all the containers back in her bag and went to place it under the table. As she did so she spilt the containers on to the floor under the table. Due to them both being of the more mature years they couldn't gather up the carnage under the table so guess who did? Yeah me but at least they did thank me and offered me a biscuit wrapped in cling film, the thank you was enough ha ha. Please, for anybody who is traveling on public transport like a train or coach, make the tea ready in a flask and make your sandwiches before you leave the house, this will stop any irritation to someone like me and its just much easier.
Talking of more mature people and public transport, i was in Swansea waiting for a bus in to town from my mums and when i got to the bus stop i was the first person there. After 10 Min's there were 6 retired folks waiting along with me. The bus arrived and not one of them said to me "go on dear you were here first", they just all piled on like Monty Pythons Hells Grannies, HOW RUDE! If they had waited i would have said to them "Go on, you go first" but no, they just had no consideration. After all. they are retired, they're in no rush are they. Makes me so angry but i will still allow ladies and more mature people on public transport before me and give up my seat, i will not lower myself to their level LOL.

I have been adding some more dishes to Kevlars Cookery Classes and this week i have made Cockles and Smokey Bacon Lardons with Laverbread on Wholegrain toast and a Ham & Chorizo sausage stew. The first dish is a traditional welsh dish where you fry off the bacon, then add the laverbread (seasweed) and finally stir in the cockles while still on the heat, toast a nice thick slice of freshly backed wholegrain bread and put the fried mixture on top mmmmmmmmmmmm, lovely. The stew is simple, boil off a joint of ham, then shred the ham, add the chorizo and whatever veg you want and bring to boil and simmer with 2 veg stock cubes. I must by now be in line for a TV chef programme, blimey, if Jamie can get one cooking his grannies recipes anyone can LOL.

The traditional welsh dish i made.

Its 6 nations time and the first weekend was an absolutely amazing weekend. Wales beat Italy, yes it was a rubbish game but Wales started slowly last year but if I'm being honest i don't think its our year. France beat England, HOORAY! I do have to say England played amazing to come back but you can never write the French off, i think England thought it was in bag and eased off, silly boys. Ireland beat the pants off Scotland but i don't think Ireland played as well as they could have. For me i reckon its Ireland or Frances 6 nations to lose but we will see. As my favourite detective would say "Just one more thing" Why are England the only team to come out for a second half wearing clean jerseys? Bit wimpish isn't it? "Muuuuum, my tops wet and dirty, I'm cold and wet, can i have another one?" LOL

I'm now keeping myself awake at night with ideas for the bar going over and over in my head. Its the only time i think about it, weird i know but it just springs in to my head. The inside design is sorted but i keep on changing the seating design i want and then other things on the island come in to my head about who i have to see when i arrive and what things i have to take care of. It just goes round and round then my head hurts. Doesn't take much with a brain as small as mine ha ha.

TV is as boring and rubbish as ever but there is one programme that has been a must watch for me. It was first filmed in welsh for S4C called "Hinterland". It was then filmed again in English and i think was shown on BBC1 Wales only which i thought was a bit naughty by the BBC as its better than any of the other rubbish they show on the national BBC channel and 36 other countries have bought it to show but the Beeb won't show it to all the UK. If you like dark thriller detective series then you'll love it. Try to find it online and give it a watch. Really good story lines.

My medical study is still on going but only 2 more visits to go and that's it, all done till next winter but in saying that i am looking forward to going back to Toys R Us next winter as i quite missed it this Christmas as i enjoy the work but i will be back next Christmas so look out toys, I'm coming to get yah!

Well that's everything I've done since my last update. I'm sure I've done more but my grey cells seem to have lost the plot and lost my memory, oh well, what was i saying? Ah yes, that's it and its time for me to make my tea, I'm making Ox Liver and onions with a nice Zinfadel rose wine. Doesn't have the same ring about it as "I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti"

So until another fortnights time all that's left to say is

Serve All, Love All, Peace All, Kevlar Out!

Easter time is almost here. NO IT'S NOT, STOP WITH ALL THE EASTER EGGS!

Well hellloooo and howdy doody, hows it all going with my lovely family, friends and customers? Time now seems to be dragging, maybe its because Christmas is over, I'm no longer on drugs and the weather is so rubbish. Even the ducks at the local lake don't want to go out the weather its that bad here.
Not only the rain is non-stop but temperature has also dropped and I'm finding it very difficult with the cold but I have some handy tips on how to keep warm in extreme circumstances:-

When I was growing up in Cardiff the family home didn't have central heating so the mornings in the bedrooms were very cold and i used to hate getting out of bed to get dressed as it would take ages for my body to get warm again.
Handy Tip 1/ If you have a bedside table or a bedside chair lay your clothes on them the night before ready for the morning. On awakening reach over to the chair or table and drag the clothes under the quilt with you. Hit the snooze button on the alarm and stay in bed for another 10 Min's. When alarm goes off the second time get dressed under the quilt as the clothes will then be warm. As you throw back the quilt you will find your warm and dressed ready for work or school.

In my more youthful days I used to drink quite often and allot. After a night of DJ'ing in a club or just a night out I may find myself anywhere within a 10 mile radius of Cardiff City centre without knowing how I got there with no money to get home. If it was winter time it would be freezing and I may just have a shirt on (also trousers and shoes but you know what I mean) having to walk home.
Handy Tip 2/ If you find yourself miles from home, cold and no money to get home you need to keep yourself warm while walking home. Befriend any cat that you can find and pick it up. As you start to walk keep stroking the cat making it comfortable and holding it close to you, this will keep you warm. If the cat doesn't struggle and feels relaxed you can keep it with you until you arrive home then let it go. If it does struggle let it go and find another one.
(Note:- Do not try this with a hedgehog, trust me, it doesn't work)

At this point I must apologies to anyone who's cat I may have used as a hot water bottle. I'm not saying I'm responsible for every missing cat in Cardiff but maybe a few.
A few of my customers I have already told this tip while we chatted in the bar.

I've had a few people ask me about who i do the medical studies with and how do you get on them. Well, the research centre is called Simbec who are excellent. To be on the panel for a study you have to do a medical. You have to be above and below a certain BMI, your blood pressure and heart rate has to be within a certain range, they take smokers and non-smokers, you can't be on medication or be a drug user and your alcohol intake has to be moderate to nothing. That's why I'm ideal for research as my BMI is perfect, my BP & HR are low but not to low, my alcohol intake is minimal and I've never used drugs which they test for apart from the ones at Simbec of course. If you got time on your hands contact Simbec and say that i put you on to them.

I see that the supermarkets are already selling Easter eggs. What will be on the shelves next, Halloween outfits? Do they really have to start promoting events that many months before its time. Now I love Easter, its all about lovely thin chocolate eggs, yum yum, and of course not forgetting that guy called Jebus rolling a stone away from a cave. The Easter egg can represent the shape of the stone that was rolled away from the cave or the emptiness of the egg can be the empty tomb that Jebus left or it can represent birth or re-birth/resurrection in this case of Jebus or it can just be a treat for us all to get fat and sick on. I wonder how many children actually know what Christmas and Easter is really all about, I dread to think.

Talking of Easter it seems many are going to Zakynthos to spend Easter there. Now if I wasn't there already but going over for Easter as a holiday or short break I would stay in Zakynthos town itself. All the celebrations are in town, all the bars, restaurants and shops are open and you wouldn't need transport to get to celebrations and events. There are many hotels in town that are very nice or if your OK with just a room there are a few basic hotels and apartments you can stay in. I don't think I would like to stay in a resort, there will be hardly any restaurants or bars open maybe just one or two, the place will look like a ghost town and there will be rubbish and building work going on everywhere with people getting ready for the season.  The resort will be in near enough complete blackout after 6pm, I know, I've been there. So for me I'd definitely stay in town at maybe the Strada Marina, Diana Hotel, Pheonix Hotel or Plaza Hotel.  Being as I'm out there early this season if it looks like there are a few around the resort I may open from 6-10pm, of course that's if the refurbishment is all finished by then but I'm not going to rush it just to get open for Easter.

I now have a final image of what the bar is going to look like. I just want it to be more comfortable and homely so when your in the bar you really feel like your away from the rat race and technology and can totally relax without a care in the world being able to converse with the company your with or other holiday makers. Still keeping it blue and white as that's its main feature being the first and only business in the resort to use the traditional picture postcard Greek blue and white look.

For those of you who know my part-time Assistant Manager Mr. Philip and his lovely wife Janice we met up with them when we collected Helen's car. They are as fine and dandy as ever and they can't wait to get back to Kalamaki and see all the people they know and have met in Oceanic. Philip, this season i have an Oceanic pinny ready for you for when i have a night off LOL.

I was looking through some old football photos the other day and came across a picture that shows how much the game has changed, and not for the better.
In the 60's and 70's and part of the 80's football used to be a much tougher game with heavy boots, harder balls and played on terrible pitches, the players were harder, there was more pride in playing for your team and when the word "genius" was used it was used very rarely.
Now their boots are like slippers, balls are as light as a balloon and pitches like snooker tables, the players fall over a blade of grass and look like they've been shot, pride is in their pay packet and now if they do a back heal to another player once in a game your world class.
God help the players of today if they played a real mans sport like Rugby or Ice Hockey.
Bring back the no frills, hard knocks football and this picture says why we need them back.

Jackie Charlton smoking a cig during a training session when he played for Leeds, pure class!

Now not many of you know this but I'm a bit of a culture vulture. oh yes, I've been to a few opera's like La Boheme, Madam Butterfly, Carmen and Carmina Burana. I've seen the odd musical like Rock of Ages, Lord of the Rings and David Essex's panto Robinson Crusoe. I'm not all about the rock/punk/indie music you know, oh no, I'm always open minded to listen to all types of music, apart from R n B and modern garage both of which are shall we say "Shite" LOL.
So in my quest for music for the bar I've searched high and low for something different and i have found you some to listen to and watch.

First of all this group of singers are called "Gregorian" who base their music around chanting Gregorain monks. I first heard these when i was in Argentina filming Total Wipeout (by the way if you missed my episode i think its on BBC3 this wed or thurs at 7pm LOL) and they were singing R.E.M.'s Losing My Religion. They do mainly covers of rock songs. Here for your listening delight they're singing Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence". I know some of my blog readers really love this song, so this is just for you.

The next group are called Apocolyptica who are 4 cello players. I first heard these in 2004/05 and thought it was really good. The first song of theirs i heard was Metallicas "Unforgiven". I seem to like the rock music crossed with a classical instrument. When Metallica played with a full Orchestra it sounded even better than when just the band play alone. Here is that song i first heard them play.

Here we have a bit of weird one. I hate the sound of a fiddle or violin as it just sounds like a cat being dragged back and forth over a saw but again this version of AC/DC's "Back In Black" isn't to bad but i think just one song on a fiddle is enough to listen to. This is The Duelling Fiddlers.

And finally to amaze your eyes and ears we have rock music played on harps (the musical instruments not the beer). When i first heard Florence and The Machine using harps it sounded so good and loved it on "You got the love". Now I've found twins Camille & Kennerly covering rock songs by just playing the harp. The sound is quite soothing but the video is very cheese-tastic, I'd prefer to watch them just sat at a harp than trying be all fairly/elf Lord of the Rings like on a Star Trek location shoot with that silly swaying, its a bit annoying when watching it LOL. I give you their version of Metallica's "Nothing else matters".

I hope i have broadened your mind when it comes to music. We may all have one preference in music but we can still try to listen to other styles. Take my good friend Mr. Chris Scales, punk hero tattoos, tall as a cyclops, built like a one man riot machine but one of his favourite songs is Shirley Bassey's "Diamonds are forever" you wouldn't have thought it LOL.

Well its almost time for myself and my world watched actor nephew Leighton Kyle to grace Birmingham with our presence as we go to see Depeche Mode live at the NEC. If anyone can point us in the direction of any good rock bars (don't forget we need to be in staggering distance of the airports hotel) then that would be a great help. If not we'll just get some cans of special brew and sit on the streets, I'm sure we can blend in somewhere ha ha.

So that's it for this fortnights update, again weather has limited what I've got up to this past 2 weeks but i will always try to keep you entertained if i can with a little read.

Serve All, Love All, Peace All, Kevlar Out!

And so Season 2014 begins, well the planning does.

Well that's the thrill and excitement of Christmas over with for another year. And what did Santa bring you? Well I got a Satsuma, some chestnuts, a piece of coal and a ball of string, all useful I think you'll agree.
How?
Well the Satsuma would come in handy for when i'm being chased by mafia and there is a Satsuma tree nearby, I could climb up it and pretend I was a branch with a Satsuma hanging from it.
The chestnuts would be very useful if I was kidnapped and tied up with rope by terrorist for torture to try to get top secret information from me, I could hold the chestnuts in my hand behind my back and coax a friendly squirrel to nibble through the rope as I slowly fed him the chestnuts.
A piece of Coal is essential for when you accidentally fall in to a Panda cage, before they could roar over a rip you to shreds you could black up your eyes and blend in with the crowd.
And lastly the ball of string is a life saver in Africa. Your on safari and fall out of the back of the jeep and no one notices you've disappeared, your laid flat out on your back and lions start to slowly creep towards you, you see them out the corner of your eye so you toss the ball of string up in the air and start flicking it about with your hands and feet. The lions see this and turn away thinking that you are a kitten in a playful mood and not worth the effort chasing.
See, everything you get for Christmas is useful LOL.

Well It was touch and go whether I was going to get out of Simbec medical centre. When I entered Simbec my immune system was at 1.4 which is very good, with this drug it had dropped down to 0.8 throughout the study which was high enough to leave the centre but on the last but one day it had dropped to 0.5. then on the Sunday had gone up to 0.6 so on the Monday my day of leaving I had to be 50% of my original immune system so that would be 0.7. I had my blood taken at 9am on Monday, and waited, and waited and waited for my results to come back. At midday I decided to discharge myself by signing myself out against medical advice, after signing it I gave it another 30 Min's. Then my results came back, I had just hit 0.7 so I could leave without using the discharge form, woohoo!

It had been 6 weeks on the study which wasn't a problem but when you know a date your meant to be getting out you just want to go then no matter what and 6 weeks stuck in a medical centre without seeing my beautiful girl seemed like a lifetime so nothing would stop me from getting out and seeing her, so the form was signed.
The first breath of fresh air was so good. Remember I hadn't had any fresh air for 6 weeks just the air conditioning, to be able to walk for a distance instead of staying in a bed all day and on top of all that it felt wonderful to have a great big hug from the one you love and to feel them close to you, felt like all my birthdays had come at once. I can't imagine how much more better it must feel for our brave soldiers out on duty when they come home, I was just laid up in bed for 6 weeks having tests done on me.
For a week after coming out I couldn't leave the house due to low immune system so even then it was a nightmare being stuck in all day and night but now its all good and got to go back to Simbec every Monday till the 17th Feb for on-going check ups on my immune system.

At this point I have to say a big big thank you to everyone at Simbec, I would like to mention them all personally but there are so many it would take forever. First of all to all the nurses who put up with the manly smell everyday as they entered our ward and for being so nice to us, next to all canteen staff who were so helpful with trying to keep our weekly menu interesting as we were in there for 6 weeks and finally to the morning cleaning staff who were so nice a chatty first thing in the morning it helped to start our day, To all of you I can't thank you enough.

So now I'm home with Helen and its been a crappy weather home coming. Rain, Rain, Storms, Rain and rubbish TV.

I've watched just one thing on TV, Sherlock. Now that's good TV. The first opening scene of the new series where Lestrade was at a coffee kiosk was filmed outside Cardiff Crown Court, and I was there as they filmed it. We had just arrived in Cardiff to meet our friends Jan & Phil and parked next to their actors trailer. Helen was inquisitive as to what was being filmed or as us men would say "nosey", so she went over and asked and was told its filming for Sherlock. So we already knew there was a third series before the second had finished.
TV all over Christmas has been repeat after repeat. I remember not to many years ago I would get the TV guide  circle all the programmes I wanted to watch so I wouldn't forget, this Christmas the TV guide wasn't even worth wiping your bottom with, I was expecting the Olympics to be shown again as they try to keep bringing it back up at every opportunity. If anyone says Christmas TV this year was good you need to get out more LOL.

On New Years Eve we decided to go away, where shall we go, France, Rome, Barcelona, nope Dudley near Birmingham to pick up a car for Helen. Now I'm not a car man, can't drive a car and always had bikes but I'm sure when someone is selling a car in a car showroom its meant to be in working order. We went all the way up there from south west wales, 3 hrs drive, found the car showroom easily without getting lost so all was going well. That is until Helen wanted a test drive, the car wouldn't start. We waited 30 Min's as they connected and disconnected things, still nothing. So they called out a mechanic and told us to go off for a coffee, which we did. We eventually found a café. Very, nice and clean, pleasant staff but there was a few odd things with the café. Firstly, next to the counter was a shelf display, not of cakes and biscuits as you thought you may find in a café but 5 shelves of protein and muscle building products that you would see in a gym. Next were the toilets, you had to be buzzed in to them via an intercom. You buzz the intercom, you say "hello I want a pee" they then buzz you in, but on this occasion I tried to get in to it 5 times without any joy so they told me to come back to the counter to get the key. Why didn't they just give out the key in the first place? Its a good job I wasn't desperate with an upset stomach.
After a cup of coffee and piece of toast we headed back to the car showroom and the car still wasn't firing. Time was getting on so we headed back home leaving a deposit and agreed when they got the car working we would meet half way at the Severn Bridge and exchange cars with cash. We'll have the last laugh though, we arranged the meeting Wales side of the bridge so they have to pay for the privilege of coming in to wales, BACK OF THE NET! (Don't you just love Alan Partridge).

The plans for the bar are in motion. Now its just a matter of what plans I'm going to use as I have so many going around in my head. I do have to say once again, THE BARS CONCEPT WILL STAY THE SAME, THE COLOUR SCHEME IS STAYING THE SAME. Its just the whole décor that's changing. So its the same bar with same music but its all being upgraded to try to make it more comfortable for you my fine friends and customers.

This update is very short I know but been stuck in the house for a week after leaving Simbec due to immune system and then stuck in for another week due to the stupid storms so really not much to share with you.

I hope 2014 is a great year for all of you and hope many are getting back to Zakynthos in the season.

Serve All, Love All, Peace All, Kevlar Out!