Microfiction Monday #39

Susan at Stony River hosts this fun theme each Monday, so do pop over and read the others who have signed Mr. Linky. The rules are thus:


Every Monday Susan will post a picture for the subject of your story. Microfiction means the shortest of short stories. Think Aesop's fables, comic strips, or even jokes: complete stories that can be told in under a minute. For this game, the limit is a tweetable 140 characters or fewer, including spaces and punctuation.


Here's today's picture and my contribution.

Sam’s effort to cheer the Captain didn’t work.

His comment of

 

“We may have lost the boat but we’ve still got the soap Cap’n!”

 

Just didn’t help.



Friday 55 Flash Fiction #149 Nuisance...

He flitted about the room, pausing every now and then to ingest some food.

He knew it irritated people, his constant to-ing and fro-ing but that was how he was.

Eventually, he knew, they would get pissed off with him and he would have to go.

Dispatched, swatted with a rolled up newspaper - dratted fly!

Friday 55 Flash Fiction is brought to you by G-man (Mr Knowitall). The idea is you write a story in exactly 55 words. If you want to take part pop over and let G-man know when you've posted your 55.

Weekend Break, Day Two....

After a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast we boarded the coach for our first visit of day two to the Museum at RAF Hendon.

We were greeted on our arrival with a short talk by a curator of the museum whilst enjoying a coffee and some biscuits in Wings Restaurant before entering the museum itself.

RAF Museum London has a world-class collection and display of aircraft in several interactive exhibitions.  The film and sound collection has some seven millioin feet of film dating from the pioneering days of aviation to the present day and the photograph collection contains about 250,000 images.  The fine art collection is arguably the best collection of military aviation artwork in the UK and represents the people, aircraft, equipment and 'Service Life' of the RAF.  The medal collection encompasses all orders, decorations and medals and compliments the uniform collection, which is particularly strong on the First and Second World Wars.

We started our tour of the Museum in the Grahame-White Factory, which houses the oldest aircraft in the collection.  Claude Grahame White was born in Bursledon, Hampwhite in 1879.  In 1909 he learned to fly in France, and became one of the first Englishmen to qualify as a pilot. In 1911 he established a teaching school at Hendon, which quickly became Hendon Aerodrome. The Aerodrome was lent to the Admiralty (1916), and eventually taken over by the RAF in 1919. Grahame White's aerodrome was purchased by the RAF in 1925.  Our tour took us through the Milestones of Flight, Bomber Hall and Battle of Britain Hall hangars.  It was wonderful to see how far we have come in just 100 years from the early aircraft

to the present day Eurofighter.

There was lots to see and we took plenty of photographs, which I have put together in the slide show below.

After another complimentary coffee and biscuits we were back on the road to our next stop Alexandra Palace, or Ally Pally as it is fondly known, where we spent the afternoon as guests of Tourism South East at their Excusions 2011 Exhibition, after receiving a goody bag and refreshments of tea/coffee and biscuits.

This exhibition is held annually in support of the group travel industry and offers visitors the opportunity to gather information to plan future days out, short breaks and stays. The exhibition allows face to face communication with over 200 exhibitors including attractions, destinations and accommodation providers from across the UK, Ireland and Europe. Our tour operator, Ellen Smith Ltd, wanted our views on what was on offer to enable them to put together tours and visits to places that interest their customers, so our quest was to collect information/leaflets on places that interested us to pass on to the tour manager. It was all very interesting and we collected a whole bag full of leaflets for Lesley, the tour manager, before grabbing a sandwich for lunch and as there was a bar we had a pint too!


Our next stop was our hotel for the night which was the Ramada Guilford at Leatherhead and it was so lovely we took a photo the following morning before we left.

We enjoyed a scrumptious evening meal with a glass of wine and then a leisurely stroll down to the pub about 20 yards away for couple of drinks before retiring for the night.

We passed a very interesting gatehouse on the way to the pub, which we found out is the entrance to Horsely Towers, a grand Victorian mansion built in 1828 with an ornate classical chapel, wonderful four-poster beds and Great Hall.   Horsley Towers is available for hire for conferences and wedding receptions etc.

I hope you'll join me for the final leg of our journey. 

Microfiction Monday #38

Susan at Stony River hosts this fun theme each Monday, so do pop over and read the others who have signed Mr. Linky. The rules are thus:


Every Monday Susan will post a picture for the subject of your story. Microfiction means the shortest of short stories. Think Aesop's fables, comic strips, or even jokes: complete stories that can be told in under a minute. For this game, the limit is a tweetable 140 characters or fewer, including spaces and punctuation.


Here's today's picture and my contribution.

 

Waiting patiently, on a dark and dismal day, determined to make the most of the visit to the area by experiencing everything on offer.

 

The ferry was out there somewhere.

140 characters including spaces and punctuation

Friday 55 Flash Fiction #148 The Recipe

Gathering the necessary ingredients together

she was apprehensive about the mixing process.

She had the instructions but this was her first time.

She weighed out the necessary quantities, carefully following the recipe.

If it went wrong she wouldn't try again.

She wouldn't be able,

she'd be dead if the bomb exploded while she mixed it!

Friday 55 Flash Fiction is brought to you by G-man (Mr Knowitall). The idea is you write a story in exactly 55 words. If you want to take part pop over and let G-man know when you've posted your 55.

Weekend Break, Day One .......

As you know we were away last weekend and what a busy weekend it was!

We were picked up from home at 7.15 a.m. on Friday morning and transported to the nearest Motorway service area to join our coach for the journey Oxfordshire and to our first stop, which was Hook Norton Brewery.   Hook Norton Brewery sits on the North side of the Cotswold Hills, where a natural spring provides the ideal site for a bewery.  The brewery remains one of only 32 independent family-run breweries.

Approach the village of Hook Norton from any direction and the first thing you see is the Church tower. The second is the flag waving proudly over the brewery. The Hook Norton Brewery was started over 150 years ago by farmer and maltster John Harris. Today it is run by his great great grandson James Clarke. John Harris' brewery has now achieved a reputation he could have never imagined and the beer it produces today is enjoyed not only in the UK but in many other countries.


Our tour of the brewery started on the ground floor where there is a fine 25 horsepower pump which was installed in 1899 to supply through a series of belts, cogs and shafts the motive power to draw water from a natural spring 250 feet below ground and supply power the brewery needed to produce it's beer. It is no longer in daily use for its original purpose, but it is still a fully functioning steam engine and will occasionally provide power for the brewing process.

We climbed stairs, taking us up the five stories to where all the brewing processes take place, inhaling the aroma of hops, malted barley and yeast - a heady concoction!    Below is a slide show of the various equipment used in the brewing process.

After the fascinating tour we were able to sample the finished products in the small bar and of course there was the inevitable 'gift' shop where we purchased a momento of our most enjoyable visit.

Mmmmm, which shall I try first?

A little souvenir

Boarding the coach we headed for Frilford in Oxfordshire to Millets Farm Centre with its extensive range of facilicilites including a farm, shop, garden centre, cafe, craft gallery and restaurant.   The farm shop offers fresh local food straight from their own fields at Millets Farm  or sourced from local suppliers, which I would have readily bought had we been heading home rather than just starting our weekend away, you could quite easily spend a full day there.   A tasty lunch of  a variety of sandwiches, cakes, tea/coffee was included and very enjoyable it was.   After lunch we were able to spend some time perusing what was on offer at Millets before setting off on the next leg of our journey which took us to Dorchester Abbey.



More usually known as Dorchester Abbey, the Abbey Church of St Peter and St Paul in the parish church of Dorchester-on-Thames, a small Oxfordshire village with just over 1000 inhabitants, located 8 miles south-east of Oxford (map). It has a lively and active congregation, with 116 persons on the electoral roll.

The Christian heritage of the site of the present abbey can be traced back almost 1400 years to the Saxon period, if you are interested in the history you can read about it here.    It is a truly beautiful and fascinating place and we took lots of photos to share with you, though they probably don't do real justice to the place, I have put them together in a slide show for you.

It was dark by the time we had finished our tour of the Abbey, as you can see from this last photograph we took.

We boarded the coach to take us to our hotel for the night where we enjoyed a lovely three course meal before we retired for the night in readiness for our scheduled visits the following day.

Join me for Weekend Break, Day Two.

Microfiction Monday #37

Susan at Stony River hosts this fun theme each Monday, so do pop over and read the others who have signed Mr. Linky. The rules are thus:



Every Monday Susan will post a picture for the subject of your story. Microfiction means the shortest of short stories. Think Aesop's fables, comic strips, or even jokes: complete stories that can be told in under a minute. For this game, the limit is a tweetable 140 characters or fewer, including punctuation.


Here's today's picture and my contribution.

The artist was proud of his sketch for the next edition of Samurai Heroes.

He was deflated when the editor complained that a parasol wasn’t a proper weapon for a Samurai.


140 characters including spaces and punctuation

Update and news......

Just an update on my resolution.     I went to the gym five days last week and I've lost 4lbs.  However, that is 4lbs of the 6lbs I put on over Christmas and New Year, so I'm not counting any weight loss until I have lost the 6lbs I put on - does that make sense?   Still I'm happy the healthy eating and exercise is working.  I'm going to an Aquaerobics class today, which I really enjoy and back to the gym tomorrow.  I have also been doing 40 minutes of Pilates and Yoga at home every morning.   Aren't I good?  LOL

I won't be posting a Flash Fiction on Friday because we're going on a jaunt for the weekend.     We're heading for Buckinghamshire on a coach.  We have a packed itinerary, including a visit to a brewery and winery which includes tasting, that won't do the diet any good will it?    Anyway just so you know I won't be arround at the weekend.   Hope you have a good one, I intend to.

Microfiction Monday #36

Susan at Stony River hosts this fun theme each Monday, so do pop over and read the others who have signed Mr. Linky. The rules are thus:



Every Monday Susan will post a picture for the subject of your story. Microfiction means the shortest of short stories. Think Aesop's fables, comic strips, or even jokes: complete stories that can be told in under a minute. For this game, the limit is a tweetable 140 characters or fewer, including punctuation.


Here's today's picture and my contribution.

 

Iron man you have to let me go.

They’re coming for you, you won’t stand a chance!

Go now, I’ll find you when it’s safe.

Hey did I tell you I can see right up your nose from here?


140 characters including punctuation and spaces

Friday 55 Flash Fiction #147 Bedlam......

He dreaded this moment.

He knew what would happen.

The surge, as they found the entrance unblocked.

It was dangerous.

He wished there was another way to do it,

but there wasn't.

He had to unlock the doors

and watch as the hoard rushed in.

It was always Bedlam on first day of the sales.

Friday 55 Flash Fiction is brought to you by G-man (Mr Knowitall). The idea is you write a story in exactly 55 words. If you want to take part pop over and let G-man know when you've posted your 55.

Resolute.........

Thirteen years ago on January 1st I made a resolution to give up smoking and I did.

Two years ago on January 1st I made a resolution to lose weight, I lost 14lbs by December.

Last January 1st I made a resolution to lose more weight, I lost another 14lbs by December.

January 1st 2011 I made a resolution to lose more weight and go to the gym.  I'm eating healthily again and I went back to the gym yesterday.  I'll keep you posted on the weight loss.

You get the picture?    I make a resolution I stick with it.

Microfiction Monday #35

Susan at Stony River hosts this fun theme each Monday, so do pop over and read the others who have signed Mr. Linky. The rules are thus:

Every Monday Susan will post a picture for the subject of your story. Microfiction means the shortest of short stories. Think Aesop's fables, comic strips, or even jokes: complete stories that can be told in under a minute. For this game, the limit is a tweetable 140 characters or fewer, including punctuation.


Here's today's picture and my contribution.

Sandy’s parents hated the fact that they’d been right all along,

when they said Danny Zuko wouldn’t amount to much more than a grease monkey!



140 characters including punctuation and spaces