I've started.

Xmas shopping that is.

What is it with these organised people that have all their Xmas shopping done and dusted by bonfire night. Where's the fun in that? Part of the traditional fun of Xmas involves that last minute panic buying presents - the aimless 2 or 3 visits to town totally lacking in inspiration and returning empty handed, only to find on that third - and last possible - visit that everything you pick up suddenly seems to fit the bill present wise.


I hate the over-commercialisation of Xmas, to me it comes too early. It should not be mentioned anywhere until December, not for any religious reasons, just that it simply drags on too long. I usually refuse to even think about my shopping this early. But today I broke my own rule ! It's cold wet and windy outside so I was sat, bored, at the computer. One thing led to another. A quick look at someone's list, a few quick visits to 4 major online sites to compare prices and a couple of clicks later the item is on it's way. First present bought and still November.!

No crowds, no hassle, no parking fees, must have taken all of 5 minutes - I think I'll try to get most of it done this way.

But I'll have to leave a few items for "proper shopping" . After all we have to maintain the true spirit of Chritmas don't we ?

We're Getting A Cat

Mrs W wants a kitten.
All the little Wurzels want a kitten.
I don't want a kitten.

I mean, cats are a pointless waste of space. They don't do anything, just sit around licking themselves and staring at you like you're a piece of sh*t. You can't train them, or more to the point I reckon you can but they're just too stubborn and lazy to learn. And the kitten will get all the attention, there'll be none left for me.

Like I said, I don't want one.

So in true tradition of the modern man being master of his own home ................... I've given up arguing and we're getting a kitten.

A black one.

Called Salem.

Named after the cat in Sabrina the Teenage witch (had it been Sabrina or her Aunts coming to live with us instead I'd have no complaints.)


So they've gone out and bought all the stuff. Salem has a cat carry cage thing. And a plastic tray for him to use when nature calls ( at least he better use it if he knows what's good for him). He's got a rather comfortable looking quilted basket to sleep in. There's a strange looking post with rope wrapped round it and a ball dangling from the top, apparently it's for Salem to scratch - why he can't scratch the tree/fence/next doors dog I've no idea. And a double bowl, I guess one part for drinks and one part for food. And even a weird scoopy holey thing on a handle - either it's for cleaning up if he doesn't use the aforementioned tray or Salem will be joining the local lacrosse team, I'm not sure. In the cupboard I've spotted toy mice, bags of cat litter, and tins of cat food .

But we don't have a cat.

You see it's got to be a kitten. It's got to be completely black. It's got to be approximately 5 weeks old. It's got to be a boy. It's got to be reasonably close to home ("Dad where's Eastbourne?/Braintree?/Carlisle?"). And, the only input I've had so far, it's got to be cheap, or preferably free to a good home.

So every day Li'l Wurzel is searching the internet whilst Mrs W pores over the Free-Ads and the Echo classifieds. I know it's only a matter of time before they find one and my home life will never be the same again.

And no doubt, being a big softy at heart, I'll love it just as much as they do.

Edit: 24th November
We've got one. 8 weeks old, born on a farm in the New Forest, just back from collecting him............................................. and yes I admit it, he's cute. Two hours "home" he's wrecked a plant and wandering round like he owns the place. Is this the shape of things to come ?

Chocolate Heaven

For ages the kids - & Mrs Wurzel - have been asking to go to Cadbury World. Finally this weekend I succumbed, telling them they would have to be up and ready to leave by 8am on a Sunday morning . To my surprise, no complaints and everyone was ready on time !

Despite the 140 mile drive we were there in no time - and I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting little more than a factory visit but this place is much more than that. A great mix of education and entertainment and enough free give away chocolate to leave you feeling quite sick. We were told to allow 3 hours for the tour and it took us all of that and a bit more, never once getting bored.

Cadbury's are obviously deservedly proud of their products and some off the statistics reeled out as to how many bars are manufactured every day etc are truly mind boggling.

All in all this a great day out for any age - and if you love chocolate then that's a bonus. The Wurzel recommendation is don't try and eat it all at once, save some for the journey home.

Children In Need

Once again the annual event BBC''s Children In Need comes round. For me it's part of my autumn ritual, Halloween, Bonfire Night, Children in Need. An excuse, as if I need one, to plonk myself down onto the settee for 7 hours of continuous viewing. And, as if to justify it, it's all for a good cause.


Every year (if I can) I watch it, and every year it's the same. A mixture of decent acts promoting themselves under the disguise of helping a charity, and other performers prepared to make fools of themselves to entertain the public - the Newsreaders efforts are always enjoyable especially bearing in mind their performances in relation to their normal "day-job".


I always watch in the hope that some massively entertaining cock-up will happen, yet year on year it seems to get even more professionally produced. In the earleir years it was the amateurishness of the show that gave it's appeal (no pun intended). There's always the thought that being 7 hours of live tv something earth shattering will happen, it never does. Except once, when apparently late on in the programme many years ago Joanna Lumley performed a live sponsored strip - and I missed it.!


And as always it was all held together by the master himself, Sir Terry Wogan. Along with Eurovision, this will simply be no longer worth watching if the master of the self-effacing ad-lib ever decides to call it a day. In years gone by he made a great team with Gabby Roslin, this year I would say he managed to survive it despite the hindrance of Natasha and Fern - if these are BBC's "anchor" females for the future God help us.

As usual I managed to fall asleep before the end but having fast forwarded through the last 2 hours on video I know that the total had exceeded £18m by the end of the programme, a new "on the night" record. And quite rightly it all to goes to UK charities. I am sure that some of this appeals funds used to go abroad, I could be wrong ( I noticed that Terry quickly corrected himself at one stage from "children all around the world" to "of the UK") but in my opinion charity should begin at home. The efforts of the fundraisers and the willingness of the general public to donate year after year never ceases to amaze me.


Three thoughts from last night.
1) What on earth was Fern wearing in the first half ?
2) When they do the regional round-up why does my region - BBC South - always look like a school production in comparison with otherr regions?
3) Could it be the "random" prizewinner of the drawing up of a family tree coming from Norfolk was a fix. Surely that area of the country comes up with the easiest family trees ever. As the song goes,

"Your father is your brother,
your sister is your mother ......"

Welcome to my Blog

Every Blog needs a first post so this is it - Hello & Welcome.


Why have I decided to do a Blog? I could use the excuse that every other overgrown child uses - "because all my friends have got one" - but it's not that. Some have one, many haven't . To be honest, I don't know why. I guess there is an appeal that it somehow makes you part of that huge world wide web, that someone somewhere might just find something you have to say interesting. Some say that they are purely for attention seekers, but that's not true, if they were why would the vast majority of Bloggers use pseudonyms? Maybe that degree of anonymity let's you get away with saying things you might not be prepared to say "yourself". All I know is I've looked at several, some by people I know, others by total strangers, and thought it's time to give it a go.


What's it going to be about? I've started it with no direction in mind, no intended content, I'll simply stick things on here as and when I feel like it and see what happens and where it goes. A bit like real life I suppose.


So once again, Welcome, I hope you'll return for another visit. Don't ask me when there'll be something else posted as I have no idea - maybe I should start a sweepstake as to how long I take.