Leslie Nielson,one of my Comedy Heroes, has died aged 84.

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"Surely you can't be serious?". "Yes I am,...... and stop calling me Shirley!". Yes Mr Leslie Nielson, a megastar of the comedy big screen has sadly passed away over the weekend...and I am gutted!.

Police Squad,Naked Gun,Repossessed and of course Airplane1 and 2 (plus others I just can't think of right now through this blur of tears!).

"We need to get this man to a hospital!".Why, what is it? "It's a large building full of patients but that's not important right now!"

"Doing nothing is very hard to do...you never know when you're finished.”

and the unforgettable "Nice Beaver", "Why thank you, I just had it stuffed"!.

I could go on,and on,and on...etc quoting line after line that this wonderful guy spoke in his many side splitting roles, but hey, why don't you just go and dig out/rent or buy one of his many films and then just sit down, raise your glass and make a toast to Mr Leslie Neilson, actor,comedian and all round nice bloke who we have sadly now had to bid farewell too. Thanks for the laughs Leslie, you will be sadly missed.......sorry, i must stop calling you Sally! :-)

To listen to some of Leslies finest quotes, click HERE.

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Pakistan Air crash. Georgian Registered Ilyushin IL-76 (MGC-4412) Cargo Crashes after take off.

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An Ilyushin IL-76 Similar to the one involved.

Yet more bad news in the world as an Ilyushin IL-76 Cargo Plane, bound for the Sudan with 31 tons of humanitarian aid, crashes 2 minutes after take of from Karachi Airport. Witnesses told of a fire in one of the right hand engines shortly before the aircraft hit the ground.

The aircraft was operated by Sun Way Airlines based in Georgia.All 8 members of the crew, thought to be Russian, were lost in the tragedy. No certain numbers for those who lost their lives on the ground have yet been confirmed.

The aeroplane came down in a suburb of Karachi which housed officers serving with the Navy.It is possible that the death toll was limited due to the major part of the aircraft landing upon building that were unpopulated or being constructed.

To read more about this awful accident please click HERE.

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Snow in Sleaford......COOL! :-) (Well it's freezing actually !)

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Yes, overnight snow has arrived in Sleaford (Lincolnshire,UK) and as I speak 2 of the 3 kids are busy getting freezing cold and wet in it....don't you just love snowballs?

Just in time for the towns Annual Christmas market then, assuming that the white stuff hangs around for at least another 24 hours or so. We will have to see...

Anyway, got to get out there now and dig out the sledge again!....seems like I only put it back in the shed a few weeks ago.

Time for a thick coat and a scarf I think...see you later :-)

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A Tribute to Bernard Matthews, Turkey (meat) Lover and Entrepreneur.

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I just heard that Bernard Matthews has recently passed away aged 80. Love him or hate him he was the man that has always been associated with our favorite Christmas bird.

Bernard also helped the Caister lifeboat and had a great interest in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

A self made millionaire, setting up his business after completing his National Service, he certainly made his mark during his time on this earth!

Anyway, as way of a tribute to Bernard,here is a little clip that is one of my favorite "Turkey" themed comedy sketches.....

Bootiful.....just Bootiful !

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All the "cut" bits from those clever "free running" video's !

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Have you ever watched all of those flashy Par cour and Free Running video's and marveled at how amazing the people are that do that stuff?

Well here are a few clips that show what happens when the routines don't quite go as planned!.

A point to note is that apparently ALL of the people featured in these clips appear to be male....perhaps girls have more sense and a little more perception of the possible painful consequences eh? :-)

Enjoy!

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Heavy snow arrives in the UK.

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It's not here yet in Lincolnshire but hopefully it won't be too long coming !. I am just a big kid at heart and always love that point when the first snow arrives and starts to settle.I love to watch it fall at nigh time, ideally standing below a streetlight so that I can watch the flakes falling to earth illuminated by the soft orange glow, and the wonderful eerie silence that you get when the streets are covered in a soft,white, untouched blanket of the stuff.

The only downside (except for the huge heating bill!) is the problems it causes when driving around. Last year I had a but of a bump with the Skoda when the ice on the road caught me out as I turned into a side street. The car decided it wasn't going to go the way I had asked it too, and had a slight "coming together" with the kerb!. Cost me over £200 for a new wishbone and track rod end plus a nasty dent in my alloy!.....Mmmmm, maybe snow is not all good news after all :-)

But it's great though isn't it?

:-)

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Cashback Scam. ALWAYS check your till receipt !

I had this info emailed to me recently.......a very worrying warning!

CHECK YOUR RECEIPTS BEFORE LEAVING THE CHECK-OUT

I bought a bunch of stuff, over £150, & I glanced at my receipt as the cashier was handing me the bags. I saw a cash-back of £40. I told her I didn't request a cash back & to delete it. She said I'd have to take the £40 because she couldn't delete it. I told Her to call a supervisor. Supervisor came & said I'd have to take it.. I said NO! Taking the £40 would be a cash advance against my Credit card & I wasn't paying interest on a cash advance!!!!! If they couldn't delete it then they would have to delete the whole order. So the supervisor had the cashier delete the whole order & re-scan everything! The second time I looked at the electronic pad before I signed & a cash-back of £20 popped up. At that point I told the cashier & she deleted it. The total came out right. The cashier agreed that the Electronic Pad must be defective. Obviously the cashier knew the electronic pad was defective because she NEVER offered me the £40 at the beginning. Can you imagine how many people went through before me & at the end of her shift how much money she pocketed? Just to alert everyone. My co worker went to Milford , Sainsburys last week. She had her items rung up by the cashier. The cashier hurried her along and didn't give her a receipt. She asked the cashier for a receipt and the cashier was annoyed and gave it to her. My co worker didn't look at her receipt until later that night. The receipt showed that she asked for £20 cash back. SHE DID NOT ASK FOR CASH BACK! My co-worker called Sainsburys who investigated but could not see the cashier pocket the money. She then called her niece who works for the bank and her niece told her this. This is a new scam going on. The cashier will key in that you asked for cash back and then hand it to her friend who is the next person in the queue. Please, please, please check your receipts right away when using credit or debit cards! This is NOT limited to Sainsburys; they are one of the largest retailers so they have the most incidents. I am adding to this. My husband and I were in Sainsburys and paying with credit card when my husband went to sign the credit card signer he just happen to notice there was a £20 cash back added. He told the cashier that he did not ask nor want cash back and she said this machine has been messing up and she canceled it. We really didn't think anything of it until we read this email. I wonder how many "seniors" have been, or will be, "stung" by this one????

To make matters worse ...THIS SCAM CAN BE DONE ANYWHERE, AT ANY RETAIL OR WHOLESALE LOCATION!!! BEFORE LEAVING THE CHECK-OUT........CHECK YOUR RECEIPT!!!!!

As we all get caught up in the Christmas rush, please take a few seconds to check your till receipt...it may save you a lot of expense!.

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PDS POSTAL SCAM do NOT call 09066611911 !!

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I'VE JUST BEEN TOLD ABOUT A NEW POSTAL SCAM.

'UNDELIVERED PARCEL' cards are being posted through letterboxes claiming that a company called PDS or PDC (postal delivery Service/company) have been unable to deliver a parcel. There is a number to ring to reschedule delivery. DO NOT ring it as your phone bill will be charged £315 to a company in Belize.

If you get a card through your letterbox call the Royal Mail Fraud 02072396655 to report them.

Car Sorted...just need to put interior back in now!

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At long last it appears that Scarlett's clutch woes have finally been resolved after she spent a weekend away at my local Pitstop Garage in Sleaford.

The problem with a VERY heavy clutch has been plaguing the car for a few months now after a clutch cable snapped in September, but, after a lot of work being carried out including:

New clutch 3 part assembly (Cover,pressure plate and bearing)

New Clutch Cables (x3)

Bulkhead reinforcing plate welded on

New rear Brake shoes

New front Brake pads

New front shock absorbers

New rocker cover gasket

the problem appears to now be sorted out.

Once again, many thanks to the boys at Pitstop garage in Sleaford for a quick and efficient bit of work which has helped to keep the Rocco on the road for a bit longer....well until December when her MOT is due to be renewed!

Today I will be refitting the trays and covers from underneath the dashboard which have been left off for several weeks now so that I could keep an eye on, and fiddle with, the clutch cable as required.

I must say that the car feels so much easier to drive now that I don't have to stand on the clutch to change gear!. I have noticed though that due to the extra force required to press the pedal, my left leg appears much larger than my right! Does that mean I will have to press the accelerator down harder to balance things up?.......Not sure if Mr Plod would accept that excuse if he catches me going a bit quick though! "Sorry officer, I am just trying to build up the muscles in my right leg to match those in my left one, I need the exercise....honest!"

Have a nice day :-)

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Move over Iron Man,Yves Rossy (JetMan) is the real deal !

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On the 5th November 2010 Yves Rossy became the first person to complete a loop the loop whilst wearing a flying wing suit. The device is powered by 4 small micro jet turbines and after launch from a hot air balloon he spent several minutes in the air before returning to earth via parachute.

Cool or what ?

If you would like to visit the Official JetMan Website Click HERE.

WOW!

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Thomas Niedt,amazing charity runner,we salute you!

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Who is Thomas Niedt? Well he is one of many "unsung hero's" that raise money for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, and in this case Tom has raised in excess of £80'000 !.
Sadly, due to ill health, Tom will now be hanging up his running shoes but has vowed to keep supporting LLR in other ways.
Tom became involved in raising money for the charity after the death of his son Dominic due to Leukaemia in 2000.

Tom said: “We did it as a way of working through our grief, and wanted to do something positive in Dominic’s memory, and it has helped enormously to work through it". “At this moment in time I don’t think anyone will be taking it (the running club) over, but we would love it if somebody did.”

To read more about this story click HERE.

Well done Thomas and your fellow runners.It is through the efforts of people like you who "go the extra mile" (no pun intended) that LLR is achieving such great success in it's research these days.

Well Done -)

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We can't go to the A-HA Concert now!

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Sadly, due to the recent disasters involving broken washing machines, leaking baths and elderly cars in need of serious fettling,the descision has been taken that to get these things sorted we need to make some fast cash, and so, sadly, our tickets for the A-HA concert on Sunday will have to be sold (sob!).

I feel really gutted as I had been looking forward to this gig, one of thier last in the UK, for months, but as the old saying goes "needs must" so I have now advertised the pair of area AB tickets for sale.

Oh well, at least with this sacrifice we may still be able to tow old Santa Claus in his sleigh in December !. The things I do for charity eh!...lol

21/11/10 A-HA Concert.tickets,

Oh no.Yet more repairs needed to the Scirocco :-(

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Its been a really bad couple of months now for the Scirocco and the list of repairs seems to just keep growing.

2 months ago the bulkhead had to be welded after it cracked. The clutch cable had to be replaced twice due to the unnoticed bulkhead problem damaging the replacement cable also!. Then the rocker cover gasket failed causing oil to leak onto the exhaust manifold and thus cause rather noxious fumes in the cabin when I was sat in traffic "cough"!.

The rear brake shoes wore out and seized on which required them to be replaced. The front brake pads are getting close to limits and the front shock absorbers are now in dire need of replacement.

Yesterday (after still suffering from a VERY stiff clutch pedal problem) I concluded that it is probably due to the pressure plate or the thrust bearing in the clutch assembly being worn out, this will require a whole new clutch to be fitted.

I also have an MOT which expires on the 7th December and,more worryingly,an appointment to tow Santa Clause in Mansfield on the 4th December......and to make life even more interesting things are not what you would call "flush" in relation to finances :-(.

Estimates for the work (including MOT) are between £500-£600 and of course Christmas is only 46 days away and I have already had provisional "wish lists" from my 3 children.......this is going to be an interesting month for me!

People often say I am mad to drive such an old car 86 miles a day 4 days a week to work and back. They ask why I don't sell the Scirocco and buy a "sensible" car?Why drive a car that,at the best,will only do 39 MPG as apposed to a modern diesel which could get me 60+ MPG? The answer is simple but complex (does that make sense?).

I LOVE driving my Mk2 Scirocco, it is FUN!

In order to buy and insure another car I would have to sell my Scirocco, and that ain't gonna happen!

I don't want to be bored to death and blend in with the countless others driving "clone" cars every day....i like to be different :-)

I guess you could say that in my case the heart definitely rules the head :-)

I guess that running a 23 year old car as a "daily driver" has it's drawbacks. Most cars of this age are tucked up in a garage and only come out to play at special occasions,weekends and bank holidays, still, can't complain about the clutch really, 23 years and 145'000 miles ain't bad is it?

Note to Volkswagen UK. I you talk to me really nicely I MAY consider letting you replace My Mk2 for a modern Mk3 Scirocco, but it MUST be red, it MUST have a tow bar fitted, and I MUST be allowed to keep my current Rocco, even though I am sure you would probably like to stick her in your museum !

Right, now I just need to sit down and figure out how to make £500 in the next 7 days!

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10/11/10.On this day 2 years ago...................

Joel Picker Spence lost his courageous battle with his Leukaemia. I remember getting the text from his mum Ann the next day simply saying "Joel Passed away last night". I remember the feelings of sorrow and disbelief that this happy,amazing 7 year old had finally been defeated by this awful disease. Yet Joel had not been beaten.He had not "lost" his battle with Leukaemia. He had fought like a tiger and laughed in the face of his foe with a passion and determination that we should all take an example from. Joel Picker Spence played his part in ensuring that one day Leukaemia will be wiped from the face of this earth and no one else will have to suffer it's torment and cruel effects, he raised awareness and raised money and his mum Ann is still involved in doing exactly that as we speak.

I wore my poppy with pride today, a day before the "official" Remembrance Day because I was remembering a special little soldier, no, I was remembering many thousands of soldiers who have fought and lost their own personal battle, but who's efforts, bravery and examples will one day surely lead to us winning this war with Leukaemia.

Olly Rofix to sail around Britain in support of the Anthony Nolan Trust.

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Just been reading about a fella named Olly Rofix who will be attempting to sail arounf Britain in his Valiant 18 boat in 2011 to raise money for, and awareness of, the Anthony Nolan Trust.

Olly suffered from a very rare type of Leukaemia, but after a successful bone marrow transplant he is now back on his feet and living life to the max :-)

To see what progress Olly has made click HERE to see a video.

Olly is a Leukaemia Survivor. Please sponsor him by following this LINK.

Good Luck Olly, and may time and tide be on your side :-)

A "Valiant 18" indeed......plus a very valiant 1 at the helm!

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People who buy ipods are lemmings!

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Why do i say this? Well because ,having owned an ipod,i can't for the life of me understand why gazzilions of people fall for all the hype by Apple and buy ipods in preference to much higher spec more able devices which frequently cost a great deal less!.

So...why do people buy ipods?

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Elizabeth Swan is to write a Script for a new Shirley Nolan Film.

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I spoke to a lady called Liz Swan today who is currently researching details in relation to writing a script for a new Shirley Nolan Film titled "Never Give Up".

Liz,who is both a Nurse and a writer has decided that the incredibly moving and emotive story of Shirley's fight to establish a Bone Marrow Donor Register in the UK in the mid 1970's, which ultimately resulted in the establishment of the Anthony Nolan Trust.

Liz, who is based in Burnley, sounds like the sort of lady who may well be able to complete such a worthwhile project as this, and I have offered to help as much as I can with any info that I can pass on from my own interest in this story, which sadly, due to a lack of any sort of direction, i put on hold last year.

If you read this blog and feel you can help Liz in her quest to get Shirley Nolan's story onto the big screen, please get in touch and let us know what you know :-)

I will keep you informed of Liz's progress as the process develops.

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Jill Clayburgh dies of leukaemia after 21 year battle.

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Jill Clayburgh’s career spanned and incredible five decades during which her choices of role led her to become an empowering force for female actors, has died at her Connecticut home after a twenty one year long battle against Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia(CLL).

Jill starred in films such as An Unmarried Woman and It’s My Turn from the 70s and ’80s. Her husband David Rabe, a Tony-award winning playwright told The New York Times that she had died from chronic leukaemia at the age of sixty six.

The couple’s daughter, Broadway actress Lily Rabe, took a short, compassionate leave from Shakespeare’s A Merchant of Venice, in which she stars alongside Al Pacino to be with her mother. The show is set to open this week.

For the full story click HERE.

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