When you can combine three or more of the things that you enjoy that has to be an excellent night out

During that horrible time of lockdown I did a blog about an amazing DJ that was playing music and providing entertainment for all the local people in this part of the world for free and tonight he very kindly donated his time and provided the same amazing cheesy music in the style that only he can for the skating group that we set up recently.

It’s a bit of a strange one really because the skating group is kind of small and perfectly set up and it’s not too official and it’s just a lot of fun and we don’t want it to end up with hundreds of people coming along to it but because we got such a good response to disco stu who is the DJ that works in this part of the world we thought we shouts about it

Just a few decent lights and some great tunes and great people

Rox skaters…. The way to find them is to have a look on Facebook and drop them a message

There isn’t a regular time that they always skate so you’ll have to drop a message to see when the next meeting is but it’s set up on the basis that skating should be fun and they shouldn’t be too many rules other than you skating your own risk and you should be kind to other people and skaters

If your fortunate enough to have been to one of our skates and enjoyed yourself and taking any pictures then please send them across to us #roxskaters.

I know that I’m very lucky and people see this blog all over the world and I’m sorry that this one is kind of local but you would need to be pretty much in the UK and in West Sussex to make this viable but it just goes to show you if you get in with the right people and you set up the right sort of thing you can have a great time at very little expense

Nice to find somewhere with a refreshing approach

I have to confess at the start of this post that I am something to do with the setting up and organizing of this group however when we started it last year we had no idea it would be as nice and pleasant as it is.

A small group of like-minded roller skaters who are looking for what we all described as a nice place to skate without too many rules and things getting in the way. Took a little while to find the life venue we tried all sorts of halls we try to sports courts.

Eventually we found a place that we now consider our skating home 🏡

The group is Rox skaters. A small and very dedicated group of friendly people who skate because we enjoy it not because we’re trying to make a lot of money or any other reason that we enjoy it.

The pictures about just some of the events that we’ve already had and some of the art to come and if you do want to come along and see what it’s all about then you’re need to find as on Facebook and drop us a message and unfortunately at this stage you will need your own skates

Golden blades….. And pretty amazing service once again

Update April 2024. I’ve been back to this place and I can absolutely confirm that the edge that this place had when it first opened has not diminished it was still great service it was great grooming and barbering if that’s even a word and I think it could become a well visited place

Original blog as below

it’s nice when you find a new business that has opened up and you give it a go and it does exactly what it says on the tin so to speak in fact when you walk out of this particular Turkish barbers you will end up feeling in my opinion like a king

I used the chair up the end

All the usual services that a Turkish barber can offer including a shave a haircut a shampoo having your nose waxed on the inside having your ears set on fire and all the other potions lotions and things to make you smell great and feel great

This amazing barbers has a Facebook page as to all local businesses and they can be found at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554750707726

Very easy to find on the main road

So if you fancy a bit of a pampering session and you’ve got about an hour and a half which is what these guys gave me then it’s well worth a visit and no I was not sponsored for this post

Golden blade barber in felpham way,No appointments Just walk in

Opening times

Monday—Saturday 9am -6:30pm
Sunday 10am-4:30pm

Address :
101 felpham way
Bognor Regis
PO22 8QB

A clear plate is normally the sign of a good studying meal……Fino felpham

So I have to say we went back to fino ( A local restaurant based in felpham) having tried it a long time ago

The pizza I had was ok, my son asked for extra chillies and suffered accordingly and my wife said her chicken was very nice.

So why comment when it seemed ok…. Because of inconsistent service from the kitchen….gorgeous huge prawns on my pizza. First one was” without shell” so I presumed the others would be. A bit of a shock to be chewing shell. And not a nice surprise

More disappointingly, the solution when I asked was more prawns for me, and that would only take 10 minutes, this would mean I would not be eating with the family…..poor show on the prawns, and poor show on the service

If you are looking for a family restaurant in this part or the world…. Head into felpham there’s a choice

England’s green and pleasant land…..a trip for free

Autumnal colours in the trees, and summer a distant memory. But there is still so much to see, and thanks to an offer from the national trust. You can have a family trip for free

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/escape-into-autumn?fbclid=PAAaaT-zJU01sdVW0ZIBAU0gKxo46cmy9Pi7gxYLjLJif5v7j7CJoemMBJhg4_aem_AQGv9IPhISiuhNpry6O-e0W1yTnLjgqOFLzRJFgS9Y2q9tpx3VT5p4TSpskpffLj4WY

As usual there will be terms and conditions to the offer as shown on the web, but what a nice opportunity to get your wellies on, Don your hiking boots. Get the family in the car and have a great day out.

Nice way to spend a day….

Bognorphenia – what Sunday afternoons were made for.

Sometimes it’s good to look back and remember. Well this weekend it was a case for me looking back to the days before old man Leslie was alive and to the times when I was told of my dad caught my mum on his Vespa and apparently wearing one of the coolest Parker jackets at the time that you could ever imagine. I have often thought about my dad as a mod and kind of had a smile about it.

So with all the busy things that we all have to do each weed and all the commitments that we have for our children and the various clubs and churches that we all have to go to this year it was nice to be able to make time to go to what is an annual event in bognor Regis.

Very loosely based around the film quadrophenia this is basically an annual celebration of all things mod

Just a few of the many scooters that were there

As with all these sorts of events that were stalls selling memorabilia they were stalls selling food drink there was even a stall selling freshly made pizzas but unfortunately they must have been so good because the queue was just so long when I saw it I couldn’t wait that long. I got a card this year maybe next time I’ll get a pizza

But most of all there were mods there and they were happy to talk to you about scooters and music and all kinds of things and as this was a free to enter event I would say it was great value and I will definitely get it into my calendar for next year

It’s normally a two-day event with the Saturday being more focused on things for young children and families to do but the Sunday is just a case of performing bands and music and bikes and all things mod

My personal favourite on the day as this is what I was told my dad’s scooter used to look like

For the food auctions we found nice coffee and we found something that we see it more and more events and unfortunately although it’s not good for my waistline I absolutely adore these

So if you are in this part of the world in sunny West Sussex and you do want to have a look at this event for next year follow their webpage here which will give you all the links to their social media. http://www.bognorphenia.org.uk/

These are the details for this year’s event

Not so much a specific product but always worth a look

This one is a nice easy to find page online you may already know about h ukd however this is the little subdivision or subpage where they post all their freebies most of what they do is obviously download based but it’s a really nice resource to see and you can get some really really nice books up there especially if you are using a Kindle

Recipe books, novels, maps and all sorts of other resources

http://www.hotukdeals.com/tag/freebies

I just thought this was one that was worth sharing because everybody likes something for free and obviously for each download or free item there are terms and conditions which will be published on the particular offer

The good the bad the ugly and the amazing team that somehow managed to save it 😁

So I promise that this will be my last write-up about my stay at parkdean resorts in warmwell in Dorset and I’m going to try and do this as honestly and as openly as I can there’s gonna be a lot of pictures that will show things like moisture and mold and paintwork in need of order and there will be pictures that show access that was not easy to do with for some of our party… But it’s not all bad because although it took a lot of sorting out on our part when we actually spoke to the right person at warmwell things got sorted and things got done and surprisingly this was after a meeting with the general manager who was keen to tell me what the team at the site could not do…

Cut electrical cable in the bathroom… This got sorted

Damp/ mould in bedroom 2. This got sorted out. (Apparently the cleaners missed it)

Another damp room

Panels of the walls coming away. This was fixed and sorted

Mould and damp in the bathroom

Bath seal didn’t seal

Very steep loose access

Flaking paint

So some of the things were just a little bit inconvenient things like the flaking paint and some of the mold in areas that couldn’t really easily be seen however when it came to a health and safety issue with one of our party being asthmatic and a sufferer of long covid we just could not endure living in a damp lodge for two weeks so we reported it.

I go by the name of old man Leslie but on this trip was also my mummy and she’s a lady of significant years who walks with a stick and just could not get out of the lodge without somebody holding her arm for support trying to walk up and down steep access. So rather than my mum being stuck in the accommodation and unable to go out on her own and walk her dog we mentioned this as well.

We reported all these things to reception and in fairness they were quite keen and quite quick to sort out some of the issues however when it came to the big issue of access and health and safety that had to go to the general manager and he basically told me that all he could actually do as there was no way he could put in an access was to give us a discount off the cost of our holiday and that was pretty much it.

This is where I think it’s only fair to mention the amazing team of ladies on the reception desk at this site and also the maintenance team because it was then who managed to have a rail installed for my mum so she could get out of the property it was then who replaced the furniture which was damaged in the property and it was them who did a really really deep search to try and find us alternative accommodation on the site until they knew that they could fix the problems.

It just goes to show that when you end up talking to the right people not necessarily the people at the top of the tree things can get done and although there were a few teething issues the way in which this was handled was amazing and we felt only right at the end of our trip to leave a small gift for the team for their support and their help as they had managed to turn what could have been a potentially horrible and unsafe vacation into an enjoyable stay.

As is my policy I will not name the individuals but they do know who they are and I’d have told them that I will be publishing this blog and I will send a copy to them

The amazing handrail that they built for my mum

Just so mum could walk her dog and actually get out of the lodge

Obviously this is not a sponsored post and we acknowledge that we did receive a discount against the money we had already paid. Which we are anticipating receipt shortly

This post is simply to show that even when you turn up somewhere and you think things might not be good and might not be as you’re expected it’s definitely worth looking to talk to the right person not to get angry with them not to scream and shout at them but to talk something through and things do get done

Thank you to the reception team of parkdean warm well site for your help support and understanding

Skiing on a summer day, who needs Snow?

So here is the other half of the blog about things that you can do when you are at the Park Dean resort which is known as Warmwell. The main reason that we chose this site for our main break this year was the fact that connected to it or within it, whichever you prefer is an independently run ski slope for dry skiing and this just looked like something that would be a lot of fun for the two boys to learn and to hone their skills ahead of some winter holidays that they have coming up early next year.

All I can say about the ski school at the resort is it is absolutely excellent the staff there are keen to take absolute beginners and get them on either skis or on snowboards and they work with them and they help them and they are supportive yet they are also fun and they make it exciting for children and young adults to learn

One of my sons had already skied previously so he was at an advantage that he could actually put on a set of skies and demonstrate to the staff that he was at the right level of safety so he was allowed to go off on the slope pretty much under his own steam.

Our second son had never strapped skis on before and had never strapped A snowboard onto his feet before either but within four days he was able to come down the slope from the top and have a good safe fun time on both

Just in case you’re asking no I didn’t put skis on and I certainly didn’t put a snowboard on but my boys made sure that I came down in what they call a Ringo

Which is a large donut and was basically about as close to anything faster than wanted to get but if you’re going to go to a site make sure that you give the girls and boys at the ski slope and knock because as I said their prices are amazing their support is excellent and whoever you’re going to send down that slope will pretty much have a good time.

And as always this was not a sponsored blog in any way and we received no reward for it apart from the fact that all three of us had a great time when we were at the slope and you can assess the risks for yourself but it was an amazing way to spend what turned out to be about 8 hours

When we got home we found that it turns out it’s not just us that enjoyed it but TripAdvisor rates this place as one of the top five things to do in the area http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g190817-d4354119-Reviews-Warmwell_Holiday_Park_Ski_Slope-Weymouth_Dorset_England.html

Not what you expect to see demonstrated as management in front of customers and especially children – Parkdean Resort – Warmwell

There will be several blogs about our recent trip to the #parkdean resort #warmwell site as it really was a break of many different levels of Service.
It was a proper family UK summer holiday (3 generations) and one of the things that appealed to us about Park Dean having used their sites before was the activities that you could do whilst you were on site.
So off me and my two sons went to try and have a little go at archery, and I have to say the lady who was there who was showing us what to do was excellent she was keen to show us, and she was very helpful she was young but that didn’t stop her being supportive of us. I won’t name the lady because I don’t think it’s fair to do that and I understand that she is soon to leave the site anyway

As anyone that reads my blog header will know I’m a 50-something dad and I think that good old-fashioned values are important that’s why when I was waiting to shoot(if that’s the right word) some of my arrows I was very surprised when an alleged manager or supervisor came over and in front of me my two children and two other children that were there and gave this young lady a dressing down the like of which I have not seen anybody do in public for about 30 years

The supervisor concerned was actually quite aggressive and didn’t seem to want to say anything to the lady that was constructive, didn’t want to really let her speak, and also didn’t seem to worry that unfortunately, he made her cry which I didn’t think was very nice.

So you can imagine my surprise when I said to him as a slightly larger than average gentleman that I wanted to have a word with him and ask him why he thought what he had done was right and proper in front of children and maybe ask him to even apologize all I got from him was” whatever” as he walked away from me

So I took the only action available to me I asked the young girl if she was OK and she said she was, she was just wiping her eyes and her face and I asked her for the gentleman’s name and I went and saw the manager and told them what I thought of the service and way that people talk to each other at park Dean obviously that what I had seen as everyone goes through the same training regime would have been typical management.
But as I said there will be other blogs about our trip to this place because this was an isolated incident and I hope that by raising it with the team at Park Dean something was done about it

Credit to park Dean for the image which has been taken from their site and obviously to confirm that this is not in any way a sponsored blog simply my opinion my reaction to a situation that wasn’t very nice

A great way to spend an hour..weymouthbayribcharters.co.uk

#staycation #passportexpiredincovid and many other things that we could put the blame on for not having an overseas holiday

Back in the days Pre covid we have had some pretty big holidays in some exotic places. this year we stayed home and took 3 generations ” west ” to Dorset. I’m not blogging here about the accommodation, there are separate posts for that . this is just to say a big thank you for a great trip out to the cove today https://weymouthbayribcharters.co.uk/

This was the nice calm shot , leaving the Quay , I couldnt have got many more shots once we were out there on the open sea ( and this was the Durdle trip ) we had chosen billed as the more sedate trip as opposed to the “Bay blast”

The ” durdle Trip ” promised….. We are blessed to be right in the heart of the Jurassic coastline. You will have the opportunity of visiting Durdle door on a 1hr 15min long tour. You will cover up to 20miles during this trip, visiting stunning landmarks and caves throughout this incredible tour. You never know, you may even get to see our resident dolphins along this trip.
This trip is suitable for nearly all the family.

So if you find yourself with an hour or two to spend and you’re in Weymouth in Dorset head down with the key and get yourself across to the big yellow boat hire place in front of the chip shop , that is just down from the bridge

Just to say that we paid for our tickets, this was not sponsored , but as always if I find something that’s good for families I will share it

Thank you to “Phoebe ” and her team . we had a great trip

Parkdean holidays….saved by a subcontractor that actually helped

Update 15/8/2023….found out today that this fault was reported 2/3 holidays ago and that parkdean were aware of it..as it was checked on 14/8/2023 for electrical safety it’s seems that parkdean didn’t mind people staying in it in the mean time…we certainly were not advised of it as unchecked and due for inspection.

So pleased that the subcontractors were able to fix it

Park dean holidays warn well….happy to have guests in a lodge with bare electrical wires in a bathroom. Didn’t seem quite right to us so we thought it best to report from a safety perspective. Did this on the day of arrival and were told by the maintenance manager that there was a new appliance(radiator) on order and it would be fitted Monday. Well that didn’t happen. No sign of the maintenance manager from park Dean.

Fortunately we had a subcontractor turn up to say he was there to check the item was electrically safe. He knew nothing about fitting a new unit. But when he saw the situation and spoke to our “grandma” he took it on to go and find a heater and came back to fit it .

In so pleased that the contractor was human about this…. Such refreshing service. Well over and beyond the centre staff….. Thank you

Just to be clear, the service from the engineer from duffett was excellent…… Just a shame it took a dangerous situation and a park Dean site that just didn’t want to know, to sort it

Just trying to pass it along the line

On a dismal West Sussex day when there’s not really a great deal to do. there are no trains running into Brighton so we can’t go to pride and it’s really just a little bit ….”sort of not a nice day” So the only thing for it was to go out and try and get a few little bits that we needed to purchase for home and as we were going up to Chichester we decided that we would pop into the garden restaurant which is the little place inside the brickkilnl garden centre and have a bit of breakfast

Only one thing for it…. The big old breakfast , to set me up for a morning of retail browsing all the things we wish we could buy.

This isn’t a blog about the breakfast. That was ok. Nothing wrong with it and reasonably priced.

I blog about service as you’ll see, and what surprised me was then when I asked to take advantage of the offer for”kids eat for £1″ and all I wanted to do was put a lunch “down the line “for some one that needed it….. I got 3 reasons why I couldn’t do that. Not any one who wanted to work out what COULD be done.

Poor show #brickkilnursery. I’ll stick my pound in a charity pot somewhere it begins. Because that isn’t at the restaurant in your center

I think it’s only fair to the business that I add to this that when I came out of the nursery at the tills I was asked if I had a good day and I said actually …no,that I haven’t I explained what had happened and the site manager came and explained to me that if I looked at the terms and conditions on the offer then I was too early and also that the child I was getting the meal for had to be with me at the time. ( I know I don’t look old but my two are both adults) Now I fully understand the reasoning behind this but surely if somebody wants to actually put some money in a box or use it to buy somebody a little less fortunate some food then that’s more about the spirit of the offer .brick kill nursery of Chichester West Sussex would rather not work in the spirit of the offer but live by factual terms.

I did suggest to the nursery that what they could do would be to put a box near the checkout and if anybody wanted to buy a little token or a ticket to put in that box that would give somebody that needed it a small free meal then that would help a lot of people potentially and it would also bring people into the nursery that may not already have come in.

This is in no way to detract from the garden centre as a garden centre which is one of the nicer and better ones in the area but the restaurants side of things I think they’re approach to actually helping people is terrible

And just to finally add to this I did pay for my food my drink for me and my wife and this is in no way a sponsored posy

An absolute freebie but very limited quantities and very specific times….

So who doesn’t like the idea of free pizza. This blog is going to be very focused on the local area that’s Chichester in West Sussex and a very specific time which is from 5 pm on the date shown but yes there is free pizza available

The full terms and conditions can be seen here https://threejoes.co.uk/news/500-free-pizzas-at-three-joes-chichesterhttps://threejoes.co.uk/news/500-free-pizzas-at-three-joes-chichester. 

Giving away 500 pizzas but you will have to be incredibly quick and very lucky

From the wwww…….To celebrate the opening of our brand new Chichester restaurant, we will be giving away 500 FREE PIZZAS on Wednesday 28th June from 5pm – but you’ll need to form an orderly queue!

With the pick of the menu, pizza lovers can choose from: Slow-roasted barbecue pork; Serrano ham and rocket; and Whole ball buffalo.

There are no reservations and it’s eat in only, so pizza afficionados are invited to get down early to the restaurant to guarantee themselves one of the free pizzas. When they’re gone, they’re gone.

This post is simply advertising the giveaway and it is not possible to book a table via this post please see the link directly to the restaurants booking system but if you do get there in time and manage to get a free pizza enjoy it

So you have found my blog…. It’s one without any pictures and I would love to hear your comments once you’ve read it

What’s your favorite thing about yourself?

A bit of a new style for me but I’m gonna give this a go and see if I get any responses it’s a simple question and I’m just curious if you can answer below in the comments

what is your favourite thing about you

I don’t need to know what other people think of you and I don’t even need to know what you think of each other it would just be nice to have somewhere positive where people can say for example that they are friendly, they are honest they are whatever positive value they think they are….

I’m going to put this across all the categories and all the tags of my blog, the good ones and the bad ones and I’m curious to see what comes back.

Another freebie that I have found that might be useful for you

I just wanted to share about a little freebie offer that I have found online on the hukd site. It’s only a download but it follows on for my earlier post

https://oldmanlesliesblog.wordpress.com/2023/01/14/air-fryer-it-seems-like-the-think-to-have-at-the-moment/ about air fryers and it takes into account recipes for anybody who is diabetic

http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/diabetic-air-fryer-cookbook-the-complete-guide-to-making-low-fat-low-sugar-and-low-carb-free-at-amazon-4152920

The link above should take you directly to the download point and if it helps you and gives you any recipes that you didn’t already know about the make you feel a little bit better than I guess that’s a good thing

Just in case the link above isn’t working it’s here as well.

www.hotukdeals.com/deals/diabetic-air-fryer-cookbook-the-complete-guide-to-making-low-fat-low-sugar-and-low-carb-free-at-amazon-4152920

When you are in Felpham in West Sussex and you’re looking for breakfast there is only really one choice

On a Sunday morning when it’s nice and sunny and it’s an easy morning of not doing very much there is a great choice in felpam in West Sussex of places that you can go for breakfast and over the many years of living in this part of the world I’ve probably been to most of them and I would say in my opinion deligo is probably the best

They offer a decent selection of breakfasts, they do the full English breakfast they have vegan options they have vegetarian options they have lighter options they do a great selection also of coffees teas and with regards to sandwiches and cheer batteries their choice is amazing

You can see their menu and they’re opening hours and get their contact details if you want them from this webpage https://linktr.ee/deligoeatery

On my last two visits I have gone for the lighter breakfast option of salmon and scrambled eggs which has been nice and on each time I think I’ve had a cappuccino coffee with it

The prices as you would expect food is really really nice the venue is not huge but it has seating outside and I would say if you’re in this little village on a Sunday it’s well worth the visit in fact if you’re in this little village any day of the week it’s well worth a visit

Just too add that these opinions are my own and I have not been paid or had any sponsorship for this blog

How a seaside town comes alive on carnival Day

When I was younger I really enjoyed watching a film that I really thought at the time I shouldn’t be watching.that film was nine to five. If you’ve seen it you will know that it’s a feel good film and it starts Dolly Parton amongst others.

So what does that have to do with a carnival in Bognor Regis?

The connection is quite simple and it’s that thanks to the organizers of the carnival there is a procession all the way through our town today .there is a live music event in our town today and there should be a lot of smiling faces and thousands of pictures taken of all things that are happening in our little town today

There is a link below if you do want to have a look and if you are close enough to come to town and by all means come on down. Be aware that there will be parking restrictions as the procession is a long one around the town

The organisers have put so much time and effort into this event and I’m not sure if they will be able to answer any questions on social media but the event page if you do want to have a look its here http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077556777955

and just to really add a nice little touch to the whole weekend we’ve got the good people that bring the ice rink to bognor Regis each year hosting a traditional fun fair on the seafront. there will be rides which you’ll have to pay for amd all the usual things there.

there are also going to be some fireworks from the pier

So this , with hard work from the organisers and the good sponsors behind the events isis how a small carnival in a small town on the south coast of the UK can be a big event with international acts and a lot of people trying to make another lot of people smilemake.Have a great day if you’re coming to the carnival

When you find a service that really is that good….

This one is a little bit unusual as it’s not a specific product and it’s not a specific place that I am recommending but for those that are of a certain age like myself you will realise that sometimes you have to buy services in to do things and perform tasks that you used to do easily yourself

Recently I have determined that I cannot, as well as we used to decorate or do as much heavy work in the garden as I have done previously.

what started out as a conversation with a friend about helping with a small job has turned into me finding one of the most versatile general tradespeople that I know and although they are a friend of mine I feel that I should let you guys and girls out there in West Sussex know about them

Definitely worth making contact

www.freshcolours.co.uk is thier presence online and the man that you need to talk to as his number online and his name is Mark

There are also all usual links to Facebook and other sites available from the webpage

Decorating carpentry plumbing and construction work I’ve used this company for all of them and have no reason to complain at all the work has been excellent there are lots of photos of their work on their web page and I would say if you need them then give Mark a call

He’s a little bit of an update for you that in April because we were so pleased with what fresh colours have done before we had them back into doing other job for us and again service was excellent the price was amazing and the job well you can have a look on their website for the pictures the minds the blue and white kitchen

A candidate for the Best lyrics in a song Ever ( I believe I have to add #IMO )

The clue to this really is that the author is called “old man Leslie”. A generally optimistic soul that remembers halcyon days playing with my friends in the streets where we lived .I remember when the ice cream man used to come round and people told you that the music was only playing to let you know he has run out. even though it only cost about 10p

You never ever would think about anything like a mortgage or paying the rent or household bills or energy crisis or anything like that the only thing you have to worry about with making sure that your homework was done before you went back to school on Monday morning , or feeding it to the dog

And then of course along came the internet and all the changes that has brought and the reason I’m talking about this today is the YouTube threw up today and amazing tune I haven’t heard for such a long time and I just remembered in it that there is possibly the best ever lyric used in a song

So without any further delay here is the link to the song and it’s the line about fishing and then there’s another line about a 99 if you know the song and it makes you smile you’re probably about the same age as this blogger so have a good day

And be safe in the knowledge that there are a lot of young people out there who will be listening to songs now that they will think in 30 years time are amazing and they will be but they will never be as good as this one

Trying out “the buttery” in Chichester…..impressed.

As  anybody that follows this blog will know I don’t generally go much out of my hometown but today I’m in Chichester in West Sussex . As I am told that a change is as good as a rest but obviously on a cold spring wintery morning there is a need for some warm

The last time I was here which was probably in the last millennium this place was called the crypt but now it seems to be under new ownership which isn’t surprising really

The obligatory cappuccino coffee and nice hot drink for my amazing wife, for some reason it is the time of day to have a scone and I have breakfast coming. And for those that follow me you will know I’m currently going carb free so yes I have a carb reduced breakfast.

As I’m not yet brave enough to blog live I suppose I should just say that I’ve had a lovely breakfast I’ve got a nice cup of coffee to finish, service was excellent and I will come back probably next time I’m in town. Thank you very much to the young lady who served us, I did know her name but I won’t publish it

The only very cold fly in the ointment would not be an issue in the summer…. But in a cold crypt. I guess the keeping coats on is ok… Even though we were next to a radiator that wasn’t on it was a bit chilly…must be to make the drinks feel warmer ..

Thank you www.thebuttery.org

Just to confirm, these opinions are mine and this blog was not sponsored

When you go back to a place, hoping it’s improved……

As me and Mrs Oldman Leslie were out doing a bit of shopping to get the parts to finish off the amazing decorating at home after we had www.freshcolours.co.uk in to do some painting. We made the pilgrimage to the hard water store. Arranged the parts we needed to get.

Typical winter afternoon🥶 in West Sussex so we thought about popping Into Costa coffee on the shripney road in bignor Regis

Nothing wrong with the coffee. But the service is a different matter

All we wanted was 2 drinks, and for one of the team to drop it over to us when ready. as im a little wobbly when carrying trays

I was just a little surprised that whilst I was sat waiting for our drinks to come over .to see the drinks go to another table and having waited 10-minutes when I went up to the counter to see where they were the staff just looked very blankly at me and made no apology at all

I then asked another one of the staff if I could have a paper copy feedback form to complete so that I can get a response from Costa and unfortunately at time of writing this hasn’t been given to me either

So as I mentioned there is no problem with the way the product tastes but basically has anyone who is followed by Brian eno it’s all about the service and this place that doesn’t seem to matter

Foot note … When we left, I asked again form the feedback form and I was told quite abruptly that any feedback I had I should leave online

So here is my feedback if you want nice coffee and great atmosphere and people who actually want your business in bognor Regis then head to the high Street to the London road coffee shop which is amazing and if you just want to sit and have something served at you which might be drinkable then Costa coffee is where to go.

Air fryer..it seems like the thing to Have at the moment ..

for those that have gone down the route of getting an air fryer, weather its for health, cost, or other reasons. here’s one to share with you ( subject to availability ) a free recipe book that you might like

www.hotukdeals.com/deals/the-uk-air-fryer-cookbook-for-beginners-2023-banish-oil-forever-and-embrace-healthy-eating-kindle-edition-free-at-amazon-4069051

Ive just downloaded one for us, and whilst i cant say how easy the recipes are , the chicken on the cover looks lovely

Happy ” fryer-ing ” if that’s even a word

Very easy to raise money for such a great and worthy cause

I want to start this with a very big thank you to everybody who has so far sponsored me…. I decided about 2 years ago that it was time to do something for other people to benefit those that needed it and after a particularly bad experience for our family losing one of our relations I decided that that little princesses would be a great organisation to support

All I had to do do was let my hair grow and be prepared to have it all chopped off and sent to the charity to make wigs with.

www.justgiving.com/page/chris-leslie-1667236627876 Still collecting, if you’ve got any spare after Christmas

So on a cold December evening off I went to get a friend who has worked for this charity before to give me a haircut and and make me look what some people have said is human again.

So here is the link that you might want to have a look at …. .

The amazing salon that did the cut for free. Thanks for dropping by. And all my best to you, yours and those important to you for the coming months

A definite tale of 2 halves Cheddar Woods Resort & Spa

Everyone looks forward to their summer break, and the news is full of people having #staycations. Not sure possibly about getting on a plane just yet. Or maybe looking as if we were for a short break somewhere nice, Just to unwind and relax.

So a group of 05 of us picked a day to get together and thrash out what we wanted for a break / all of an age where there were no children or babies to consider and we had someone to look after the pets

We decided that for the accommodation description and the facilities on site the cheddar-woods-resort-and-spa- looked like one of the best and were pleased that we could get a lodge.

The best way I can think to review this 4-night break is to be factual and at this stage NOT Name Specific people as I think some of the negatives we experienced were down to training

• Accommodation – very Clean & Tidy. Nothing was broken or worn out I will admit to writing the date in the dust on top of the extractor fan though. so, if I had to find 01 thing inside, that would be it

• Fixtures – Excellent, No wobbly fences or balconies. Posts were all solid and sturdy
• Setting – Excellent, Nice that although there was a short walk to the car, there was no car noise at the lodge
• Beds – this one is a bit subjective, only that the mattress we had (double) was soft and I like a firmer mattress. So, all Ok I guess as only for 04 nights

• Facilities – Pool and sports complex – Clean, tidy and well managed however last session was 6PM during peak summer hols. so, no sessions for grownups to swim. We couldn’t see either an early morning session

• Site generally – neatly kept and clean however it needs some investment in the access system that is meant to allow you onto the site via #ANPR on your car. This only worked once for us and involved a trip to reception each time. Once we had spoken to the manager, suddenly for the last day it was all fixed

• Bar – just like many others from a price perspective. and not a massive selection. But OK I guess as most nights were either off-site or at the lodge

• Restaurant – The Achilles heel of the place. Looked good, so we went on the first night and booked in advance for the 3rd night as well.

o The staff told us of an hour+ wait for a table which was Ok. We had to chase them up at the allotted time
o The table had not been cleaned properly, so we asked for that to be redone. we were served quickly with drinks, and our order was taken
o When we asked about how long to wait, we were told 10 Minutes which became 25+
o No one seemed to want to explain why or tell us any update.Or ask us if our meal was OK
o The food was Basic and didn’t look like it had been prepared on the spot , simply reheated
o When I raised these points at the end of the night and the restaurant told me they would offer a refund, I did accept it. I hadn’t asked for it .I Moved the other booking and hoped that would be an end to it ….

Later in the break, I had the misfortune to deal with the restaurant again for a service that was advertised for delivery of food to the lodge. To be told that this service wasn’t running anymore and that any adverts for it would be taken out of the lodges. I asked to speak to a manager about this and I got a meeting the following Morning. I explained that the “staff “had told me that I could possibly have been told what I was told about the delivery service and that they couldnt even give a guide to how long we would have to wait for food if we ordered takeaway ( as the restaurant was busy )
Suffice to say when i met with the management. they listened to us, acted up on our points raised and made us an offer to Placate us.
In Summary. For a short break, I think it’s unreasonable to have to spend in total about ½ a day sorting out a company’s problems, I’m not sure whether this was due to training from the https://darwinescapes.co.uk/ team, or compliance to the standards of the www.hoseasons.co.uk/ brand. I would just add that for the short break in somerset when you are looking for a relaxing break, I would give this site a Miss as there are better around

www.cheddargorge.co.uk/ and the caves are well worth a look www.cheddargorge.co.uk/explorer and make sure you leave enough in ” the tank ” for the Jacobs ladder

That part of the country is full of places to visit, and we had good days in the “gorge”.

https://www.cheddaronline.co.uk/

For the Wallace and Gromit fans

We had an excellent #seasideday at #westonsupermare
Just give this site a swerve or be prepared that you might have to raise points to get the smoothest experience for you and your friends

We Only went 3 Miles – we were glad it was with……

2 days – what a short time to use a company and for them to prove to be so good. Well over and above what I personally would expect. This crowd certainly deserve a shout. We thought we had a booking with a rival firm to move an elderly relative. I won’t name them because at the 11th hour they “got a better offer ” and dropped us. That gave us chance to look for another service. removals aren’t something that you use every day so we took to the www and friends and https://good-moves.co.uk/ were recommended. Decent price for the job ( not the cheapest, but as you know, sometimes you get what you pay for in this world ). Very Hardworking ( on a hot day ) movers

Highly recommended

The gents turned up as promised and very carefully packed all the items, they even took notes of where things were so that they could describe exactly which box to look in when it came to unpacking

They took account of the “4 legged house member “that inadvertently gave them and us a problem to sort out (a small medical issue ) and this just helped to show just what a professional bunch they were in a crisis

No Immediate plans to move again for a while, but if I do, or anyone asks me then ill know where to send them https://good-moves.co.uk/contact-good-moves-removals-and-storage-littlehampton/

we weren’t paid for this blog, the opinions are ours and we feel that for us this business was excellent so we share it with other people that may find this usefull

Disco Stu is in the mix

#Lockdown really has brought out the best in people, sure, most of us have directly, or know some one who has suffered loss of a friend or loved one. Our lives on a daily basis have changed , in some cases beyond anything that we could have expected . Figures for all the bad things that are happening all over the world ( Cases, Tests , positives, negatives and alike are all fluctuating)

Then after so many months in the UK we get the good news that there might be light at the end of the tunnel with the #vaccine that has been developed. Time will tell if this has the massively postive effect that we all hope it will.

Thats not the purpose of this blog, what I wanted to draw attaention to is a very Specific Individual. Not a massive corporate , or a multinational . But in my small home town of BognorRegis in West Sussex in the UK is a gent .

He goes by the name of ” Disco Stu ” and all through lock down he has been playing a Disco set for any one that wants to tune in ( if thats the right expression ) . recently using the Mixcloud Platform

His mixes for the last few months can be found here and if you like Music from the 1960’s to 2021, if you have a couple of hours to fill, have a look and a listen , you might like it

Why is this unusual , Well disco Stu is doing all this for free, no charges to listen. No complex subscription , no monthly charge , Just a gent ” spinning tunes ” .

A very local Blog, A very Kind Guy . That we can all share all over the world via the gift of the internet

We all hope that the effects of #covid will ease soon, however if we have to cope with Tier 1,2,3 or what ever comes around the corner next . Then it will just be that little bit easier knowing we can go to the virtual ” disco ” on a saturday night , e@Chat with new people , listen to some cool tunes ( he does requests)

Make sure you drop in , Genarally 08.00PM saturday night at the link here https://www.mixcloud.com/live/AfterDarkDisco/

Some times Cheesy,Some times Trendy, sometimes so retro . But always with a sense of fun….

Just to be clear , we werent paid to promote this , its just that when something or some one goes that little bit extra to please people & cheer them up , it would be wrong not to share.

I have to say thank you to a friend of mine for malking me aware of Disco Stu.

Back when we thought he might end up doing three or four weeks ( who knew )

” Disco Stu is in the mix ” is the shout you will hear…

And Just for future reference , Y’all can book him after the restrictions are lifted

Update 03/04/2021 Disco Stu is has moved on from lockdown , watch this space for the new links

What a brrr….illiant day out for a tier 2 lockdown- Planet Ice Gosport – Hampshire ( UK )

When I was a very much younger ” oldmanleslie ” I used to hear of people describing Halcyon Saturday Mornings at the Pictures with their friends. Well when I am recounting, my Saturday mornings will be ” the ones we used to spend at the Rink “…We were even able to go there during the 2020 pandemic.

So why Blog this, well it’s nice to find somewhere that I can say feels like it has just the right Balance of Social distancing in place to keep a venue safe.

Yet isn’t in any way oppressive, during the #pandemic as a #skater. I have been looking for places to #Skate that are safe, within the recommendations and most importantly …. #Fun

I have had to temporarily Hang up my Quad Skates that I usually “Roll” with at either of the local Clubs in this part of the world. As they have had to suspend skating during the pandemic. And that “outdoor “concrete stuff hurts if you land on it or slip on a leaf. As you can see, I’m not a hardcore skater…

The focus at #Planetice in Gosport is on Family skating at the weekends ( daytimes ) however the rink has all the markings for the Hockey Skaters and the figure skaters so its a proper versatile Venue.

The usual disco lights and a cracking sound system for parties and the like . Check out the venue site for full details and location , opening timess etc

One of my fellow south coast skaters knows where most of the good Skates are . He suggested that during the summer we try “PIGosport ” for new venue bit of a strange name. It turns out it is what used to be known as Gosport ice rink and has been doing what it does very well for 20+ years

We booked the tickets, got ourselves down there ( socially distanced ) of course and in we went. We have now been back about half a dozen times, and it’s just a pleasant vibe, and people are friendly. Number 01 son ( my eldest ) bought some skate accessories from the tremendous onsite shop.

It turns out we know the Skaters that run this place through the Amazing South Roll…
but that s a whole different blog

I don’t think we will be back there this side of Christmas, but that is just because there is a lot on, its Christmas after all…..

#PlanetIce Gosport – Thanks for making us welcome, Y’all do what you do very well .

I’m pretty sure we will be back and we will bring our friends when we can

Just for the record, we paid for our tickets and transport, the blog is not #sponsored, its just a great day out that you may be looking for . Could be just what you need in tier 2

“So I’m at home today, won’t be going out and I’m still wearing perfume! Why? Because I can!”

One of the problems of lockdown is that you just don’t go out, or at least some of us aren’t supposed to.

The disadvantage to that is that you kind of forget how nice people generally look, their eyes, their smiles ( behind a mask ) sometimes and how nice people smell. Some lucky people can do this without Cosmetics. a multi billion dollar industry globally . I manage to avoid ( not because I’m beautiful either ).

Some people think they Need a little assistance to enhance what they were Put on the planet with. They turn to bottles, Jars, lotions and Creams for  that help

As you know ” Products ” …

That’s not what this little blog is about.

Its all about service that is Impressive

This time found almost by Fluke a lady who is selling perfumes and a range of Beauty & Beyond Products.

“We sell designer inspired men’s, women’s and unisex fragrances, home fragrances, cosmetics and makeup.
All products are cruelty free.”

Now I’m No way brave enough to say that Beauty & Beyond is the best or Cheapest place for cosmetics. I’m a little long in to the tooth to think that a small amount of make up can make me look adorable .

However when I heard about the lady behind Beauty & Beyond I wasn’t very suprised to see how well it set up . All the usual social media channels for information and products and ” Nice service ” that’s the important part , when there are many places you can buy a product online.

When you can’t venture out into the real world.It has to be the service you get that Matters . Or at least it does to me , that’s why I wanted to tell you about Beauty & Beyond . Especially if its good service that has helped to build that global Brand

So in answer to my initial thoughts when I received the Small gift from Beauty & Beyond , Knowing more about the person than the product “Should I blog about beauty products…. its not something I Know a lot about”. Became very easy to answer

“I think I don’t need to know a lot about the products as there is a whole world of information out there .

I just need to know who to ask..My Buddy Francesca .
It was her that came up with the Amazing Quote.Drop her a line, Say Hi , fire questions at her.

Just a bit of an update for lockdown really….

So just because we cant all go to the restaurants that we want to during Lock down and experience just how good they are. And we cant see or meet up with our friends. Focus on what we can all do . We went to this place before lockdown for sunday dinner , and its fair to say it definetly didnt disapoint then.

Today at lunch time , a knock on the door from one of my relations with a free Lunch . Well we all know there is no such thing as a free lunch. But today for me , there was …..

A Decent selection, I went for the Southern fried Chicken Baguette, My visitor had the prawn One. Mine was lovely, I will adnit to ” #PrawnEnvy ” and I have no idea how that many prawns stayed in the Baguette . But they did.

All the details are above, so if you are local to the village, give them a call

I’m pretty sure we will be back there before #lockdown2 ends

“A family recipe, handed down over the generations”…Mince Pies that are just a little bit Special

“A family recipe, handed down over the generations”..Now that is a statement that can make you think you are getting something that is going to be amazing….That Is going to have the sort of quality, or in this case taste, that is magnificent.Well,on the basis that I only blog about things that are really really good or terrible I think it’s fair to say that these particular products were or indeed are are lovely.

Not something that will save the planet, not something that will stop wars.And i hope its not too early to mention the ” C ” Word, maybe i’ll just say it quietly “Christmas”….

Put simply, and just in time for Christmas. A young lady making #mincepies to her grannies recipe.

Just for the record I paid for these cakes I’m very pleased that I did and if you want to buy some from the young lady that’s making them the details are here. ( Not the young ladies details ). You can work out prices with the ladies

And to add to that , 05/11/20 I went back and bought 2 more boxes as there are Gorgeous Apple pies available as well. I’m sure we will be having more before Christmas…

“The Elmer” oddly enough, in Elmer…. Well worth a visit for Sunday lunch

If you are on holiday in West Sussex even if you are just passing through near Littlehampton or Bognor Regis for a day and you’re looking for a nice traditional English pub to go and have #Sunday dinner then look up the Elmer hotel

If you are local you will already know of this Place and how good it is

I haven’t recently been a blogger who has taken photographs of their foods or their drinks however in this instance I wish I had…

The food was gorgeous the vegetables were nice there was lots of meat lots of gravy ,gorgeous apple sauce and the crackling, the crackling was just that

With all of the restrictions in place around #covid-19 we had to book apparently four days in advance. so this might not be the best pub to just turn up but if you can get a table it’s well worth it

And where is this amazing place …

The Elmer

PO22 6HD

I cant comment on the hotels side of things as i’m ” local ” but if they are as clean and tidy as the food is nice and plentiful then they should be good

Come to think of it , I have been here many times over the years and i dont think I have ever had a Bad experience , Not many places you can say that of at the moment

We paid for our meals, we werent given anything for writing this blog, its just when a place is this good you want to tell people about it

Park Dean resort’s – Nodes point – Isle of Wight. Be sure of what you are getting before you arrive

We Have used Park Dean resort’s before for a holiday, when we had to book a UK holiday due to the covid restrictions preventing us from taking our overseas trip. We thought that this would be a good break for us.

We selected the accommodation that we wanted online. And paid accordingly, we made a couple of covid calls to make sure everything was fine for the booking. We even confirmed (or so we thought) the location of the accommodation we had.

This is where it all went wrong, we were either misled, or lied to about the location we had. We asked for somewhere Central, near the entertainment and facilities. We were stuck in a field about a quarter mile down a steep hill.  When we raised this on arrival, the staff were very keen to get the general manager involved. Emails were allegedly sent, updates were promised. We were told that the recorded calls would be listened to

However, and here is the thing, for a site that deals with 3 and 4 and in our case 6 day holidays.I was informed that they have a 7 day window to respond to issues raised. We won’t be holding our breath for any sort of update

We made the best of the holiday, and as a venue, the island didn’t disappoint plenty of dog walks, beach trips and stuff to do.

However, and this is only my opinion based on the pictures I have added. This site needs a big overhaul and Money spending on modernisation and cleaning

Thick cobwebs in our kitchen

The Safari tent sleeps 6 so there was plenty of space for us 3 and the dog

But only cereal bowls and crockery for 3

No tin opener, no plug on the sink, no bowl to wash up in so we used the pan. No WiFi even though the mast was 20 feet away. It took 4 days to investigate this and no actual fix.

Confusingly, the kitchen tap, shows hot and cold, only does cold water

Oh look, they repaired the loo roll holder that was hanging off the night before

The shower block, shower wall coming away, you can’t see the grime in the photo (sorry)

The shower that won’t give you hot water after about 10 am, as per the staff I asked

My overall thought is that Park Dean are basically all about the money & have no interest in customer service or responding to questions raised of them

I do acknowledge that because we spent 2 hours + on the phone to customer service prior to arriving waiting for someone to answer they did give us a small discount off the cost of our holiday

This was primarily because one of their staff had phoned us and did not have all the information to hand that she needed therefore we thought that it was a #phishing scam

As with some large organisations I think that the people who are dealing with customers at face-to-face level need to have the ability, the authority and the power to actually resolve issues for them locally ,efficiently and in a timely manner . As opposed to hiding behind terms and conditions

this would have given us a whole different experience of parkdean. More like the one we had had previously

as it stands at the moment me and my family will not be using park Dean again and would discourage others

Update 01-09-20 despite being promised a call on the Saturday (7) days. We had to phone in to chase it up. No calls were being listened to, and as per parkdean, they would not have told us what accommodation location we had.

If you are thinking of a UK holiday. My suggestion if you are looking at parkdean. Be absolutely sure you know what you expect. If possible, look to any of the other suppliers of camp holidays. The service couldn’t be any worse.

Who knew, finding such a cool place on a rainy day could cheer up the day. In a town I’ve never been to before….

In a town I’ve never been to before,on a rainy summer’s day in Ventnor.

We found a place, it looked quaint so we went straight in, off the street…

That’s brave for me.

What a find, and right on the prom

This one had a gorgeous suprise in it. A hunk of lemon meringue ice cream in the middle of a HUGE coffee

A huge slice of Victoria sponge for me, the age-old debate of “scone or scone” with my son a quiche and two hot chocolates for my wife and the family and I think the bill was about £13 pounds (UK) and the place is #dogfriendly. It’s just a shame that #Ventnor beach is not #doggyfriendly during the summer season

But, back to the coffee shop and wow what a coffee shop.what’s not to like.

Attentive staff, decent pricing. Just wish I’d found it sooner.

It’s on the prom in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight….

And it’s called,well I don’t actually know what it was called

Update from a cold winters night in west sussex 10/12/2020 Finally found the name of this amazing Place…

The Chocolatier

Metropole, Esplanade, Ventnor

Look them up on face Book to check they are open, and if you are passing , its well worth a visit

We were so impressed as we were walking through ventnor on my way back to the car I recommended them to another couple

This wasn’t under the #eoho scheme. We paid full price, I just thought you might like to give it a try if y’all are in Ventnor.

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When service is good, Tell People …especially if its a traditional trade.”The New Forge”

Lots of products are billed as ” the Ultimate ” in their design, Promise all sorts of things about how long they will last. About 17 years ago I bought one such product, a nice simple charcoal BBQ. Nothing too exciting there, I won’t reference the company as although the unit has worked well for many years when I contacted them for a new part, It was very much a case of we don’t do that Unit any longer and cant help you. ” would you like to buy a new one “….. such a shame that the after sales was poor Shame, as the BBQ is still good and very useable. and even I can cook an OK BBQ on it

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So I applied some thought to it and came up with a solution involving an Oil drum that would hopefully get me back up and burning for another 10 Years. Lots of cutting, welding, brazing and Forging ( is that the right word ) and what I thought would be a big bill would be required. I tried to do the cutting with a Grinder, Not a pretty job at all, so who could rescue my ” Bodge “.

To make it work, I had to find a ” forge “.Not exactly the most IoT trade you might think. But the one I found and was recommended to me by a friend as its always good to recommend, but still to use someone who has an internet presence

Based in West Sussex they can take on all sorts of real work, not just the little domestic Jobs.

I’m pleased with what they have done for me. the price was good, the quality is excellent and the job was done exactly when ” Les ” ( that’s who you need to speak to or email ) said it would be.

Thanks to the New forge for a Great Job, I’m happy to pay your bill , and let the Blog world know this was not a sponsored post

So what to do on a spring Friday evening, & then again on a Saturday with different people.. that is just as much fun as it was the night before

I discovered, now  I really am the original oldmanLeslie… I’ve turned 50, and suddenly my memory comes back to me and I remember I have a blog…

What prompted me to blog again, was a regular session at the roller skate venue I’ve been going to for a little while… I’ve been going for a while as they are that good.

 Of the Two ,the first , and only because its on a Friday is in Lancing in West Sussex.

It’s called Starlight roller skating… And like all these places it has the usual Facebook, Instagram etc so you can find them…

What impressed me is the welcome I got when I first went, and still get  I’m not by any means the best skater, I try not to fall over … But I found out that I was skating with GB grade international quality skaters. Amazing ” Brighton skaters ” and generally friendly Peeps.

I have to say even some of the children ( most of the children ) were better than me. I can live with That ….

I’ll drop back with some pictures sometime soon. But as I mentioned, West Sussex, Friday night … Lancing is the place, and just to save y’all looking

www.starlightroller.com

And for the record, I wasn’t paid for this entry, I just think if a place is good to tell people about it…

This is a cool way to spend a Friday evening, or if you prefer a Saturday evening Family skate, Where you can enjoy yourself. Listen to classic skating Tunes, and that ” modern stuff ” as well. and you are a little further West. Head for Arun Leisure centre  

Even ” oldmanleslie”, as old as the hill hasn’t been at this one since the start, they began in 1977 and I guess they must be doing something right to still be running ( closed for the covid 19 lockdown)

A regular Saturday night Skate with a good crowd. sometimes just what you need, And as per the Pictures ( historic events) themed disco nights for Halloween , Skate and find a valentine if you are brave enough , Christmas is cool if you can avoid santa

When you get one of those days you wish you didn’t have to have ….. but it turns out more than OK

When I first joined Celebration Samba I had no idea of the wonderful things that it would involve me doing and fortunately I have enjoyed most of them I have met some amazing people I’ve met some very colorful people and I’ve met some very exciting and stimulating people this blog is about one of those people.

Closely associated to Samba is Samba dance and as a member of Celebration Samba I’m pleased to be sometimes involved with Samba dancers from Brighton which is our local city these dances are the Marta Scott Dance Company and they are one of the best in the country.

We have drummed for them as a band on many many occasions and this time I wasn’t required to drum I was just asked if I wanted to go and help to raise some funds for one of their members who has  a terminal illness.

So off I went with my long-suffering wife and picked up a couple of the Dancers en route went to the big city of Brighton and watched what was a very good performance.We collected some money for the lady that is ill (I won’t name her here obviously) and we also had some pictures taken with the Dancers and with the people that were there who seem to be having a great time

Then after all this has happened about a dozen of the Dancers decided to go on the Brighton zip wire in full samba costume so as you can imagine this raised quite a stir. lots of people looking at the Dancers, a few screams , and a few technical hitches. But overall a great day out with the crowds there for the day for a lovely sunny day in Brighton.

I would much prefer not to have to do anything to do with charity that involves raising money for illnesses whether it’s Ms or  cancer whether its some other horrible disease but taking all this into consideration I think this morning was a great way to spend some time and also to have a lot of fun and I would say again to anybody that thinks about it if you want to have fun raising money for people to help them out then go for it every single time

So if you want to find out a little more information about celebration samba or Marta and her dancers . By all means drop me an email and I’ll put you in contact

Thank you very much for looking once again at my blog

 

Thanks to the good people at MS-UK for featuring me …… and why would I blog this, well if you think of doing something good for others, my advice is to do it. However daft it may feel….

via New year’s dip anyone? Read Chris’ story today!

Little old Me, and an internationally covered event – who would have thought it

Where to start these blogs, is often the problem. I could ” star wars reference ” and use the “along time ago………….. ”  but it wasn’t that long ago.however, the experience really was this year out of this world.

So who wants a blog about another fire works display, and boring pictures.

 Well, this one is a little bit special, I cant say its free to attend, as it’s not.  But it gathers international media coverage each year as the organisers continue a tradition of burning Effagees for the crowd, always Guy Fawkes. Each year they also add a selected media person. This year it was Harvey Weinstein.

 The organisers that plan this amazing firework display is the Edenbridge Bonfire society. The Fireworks get so much focus, the effigy always does. What people don’t always report is the hard work of the committee and organisers that also put together a torch-lit parade through the town before the fireworks to involve the community, the schools, the nurseries and the children & families. It was  the 3rd in 4 years that I had been here, as a helper, a performer  and  this time as a marshal  so I got to actually see the amazing procession

If you are anywhere able to get to this event for future years, Or feel like helping out. contact the organisers Its got to be one of the best Fireworks displays  that “oldmanleslie ” has  ever seen “

So, if you use a place and its good, you remember,if you use it again and its good. tell people …Ace printing – Torquay

Just back from a short  family break in Devon, nothing to  dynamic  in that you may think. we stayed in a typical  chalet site. which was Ok , we knew this as we had used it before. Days out  whilst down there for 3  generations of “oldmanleslie”  and plenty  to do .

Obviously  a day out in Torquay  was on  the list, I was pleased ‘cos this  gave me the chance to go back to  ” ACE “ A company  I had used before and I was hoping were still under the same ownership  and hadn’t been a victim of the recession.   They haven’t, in fact they seem to be doing well. All I can think  is that  it must be the friendly staff, great range & choice,keen prices and the ability to print 1 offs at low cost that have kept them going .In addition to looking after their larger  customers

Any way, to Josh and the team that helped me , Thank you & see you  sometime soon I hope

If you want to give them a call or pop in if you are in sunny Devon . details are here .. 

Just for the record, I paid for the items I left with , I wasn’t given anything for this blog, its just that  when a place does show  proper customer service and makes you feel like you want to spend money with them, Its a good thing

So why is it that things have to change.? its not a serious issue, but …….

After  composing  this blog, I have this thought…”My grumpy old man training ”  seems to be ramping up…

Here goes

It appears that as you get older especially in the case of “Old man Leslie” there are things that you believed would always be around that aren’t…This might be people that pass on which we have seen too much of recently, this might be the friends that you either move away from or fall out with.
This might be businesses that close. today in my case it was one of the things I’ve done for many many years. Since the early days in the last millennium when I first met what became “Mrs Oldmanleslie”, there have been places we have been to, and things we have bought as we haven’t had a lot of funds. we were being careful with our money, way before MSE and the Web made it easy to find the bargains

Today in my case it was one of the things I’ve done for many many years. Since the early days in the last millennium when I first met what became “Mrs Oldmanleslie”, before there were Junior “Oldman Leslie’s” to think about. there have been places we have been to, and things we have bought as we haven’t had a lot of funds. we were being careful with our money, way before MSE and the Web made it easy to find the bargains

There have been places we have been to, and things we have bought as we haven’t had a lot of funds. we were being careful with our money, way before MSE and the Web made it easy to find the bargains

Anyway, I have referenced before the great service that we used to get from what we knew as the” meat man at ford ” we have used him for Many Years,  and always had good product and service. The

The company is here, and I understand why they have to have a Fb, Instagram, and all the other new channels, as they are a great business, and they have offices all over the place in this part of the world. My only thought is that it’s not just a place to go to visit to get the meat for Christmas, or for the Monster sized BBQ packs in the summer. It was the old emotional connection of standing there in December, on not exactly the warmest of days, waiting for that special deal that I always thought  I was getting. Sad to see them not at Ford any longer, worse still to see some other crowd selling meat.

I guess that as a business they have to look at where the money comes from, and if people like me only go to a market once in a blue moon, it will, of course, dwindle to nothing.  So am I, and those like me to blame for this, I think not in this instance as ” Ford market ” has evolved from the heady days of  ”  £2.99. any bag any holdall ”  and the massive £0.20 p per person admission to the ” club ” .. and buying mysterious unknown things in black bags ….Through the eBay generation and to the time when there are smartphones in every pocket. From the 2 long lines of market traders on both sides selling all sorts.

It has now become  what appears today to be a Massive ” boot fair “ but still a great place to loose a couple of hours  on the occasional  Sunday morning if you are  in west Sussex  and anywhere near Arundel and fancy buying that unfound antique

 

I just wish Malpass were still there and that things didn’t have to change, That we could still buy the “same old stuff”.  I guess this is one of the things that is innevitable as I get older

And just for the record, I received no payment, No slabs of gorgeous beef, none of  their sticky  ribs , fillet steak or otherwise for this blog, it’s just the thoughts of ” me ” and my reminiscences of halcyon days gone by…and not just  buying meat.

One that I would avoid, as there are surely better places – The royal Saracens, Beaconsfield

Firstly,I will start with what I would describe as the good aspects of this place. The staff that are obviously instructed to be attentive, they are after your drink order pretty much as soon as your bum is on the seat. The lady we had, and I won’t name her was polite, help full and all good. She knew the range and was keen to help.

Then our food order was taken. And that was when it went wrong. Things that were in the dishes ( in my case onions, that I can’t eat) we were told we could have something else instead. But when the bill came, it was as well as, not instead of…

A long wait for food ( 20 mins) and when it arrived, very small portions on what I would consider large plates.

Food tastes ok, but I don’t think at £16.95 for a burger it’s any sort of value for money… Also the usual”is your food ok” was just a passing question from a chap who looked like a customer…
Last time we were in the Saracens was a long time ago so I don’t know if it’s changed hands.

The pictures on their www and face book are not representative of the food that is served

I would just say there must be other places in Beaconsfield that are better

Oddly enough, when I filled in the feed back card and tried to hand it in at the point of paying the bill, no one wanted to take it, can’t think why

Maybe we just had a bad time, but we did have “not the best time”

The saving grace was the staff who served us, and the meals that the people we were vising had, were all good

So I blog so much about the band I’m in…

Most of the freebie events I blog, many of the fun things I get involved in with the other Leslie’s are based around this band….

 So what is this thing that draws people in..Check out the site on line. And if you visit tell me what you think. www.celebrationsamba.co.uk/ and if you are based in this part of the world then maybe one day we may see you for a drum. This video is when our friends the dancers came over to a rehearsal…. As always, details on the web

So when you get stuck in a bit of a rut, and then the rut changes for the better…..

Anyone who knows me and the rest of my clan knows that Saturday nights are generally skating nights. We are fortunate enough to go to a really cool, old-school club that’s been around for 40 years…. Nearly as old as old man Leslie…

They play a mix of the same old tunes, they hire out proper 4 wheel quad skates. And they are so family friendly in their normal sessions.

Well, they recently decided to do the first( in a long time) adults only extra hour… What a brilliant idea…. Not too many people, music was just that little bit different and good. Same old familiar faces, all enjoying themselves.

So why blog this, well as it’s a holiday town we live in, and people could be down here in sunny Bognor for all sorts of reasons. If you are here on a Saturday night. Check out our local sports centre and ask about the Arun skate club, or find them on Facebook.

As I  mentioned, a great way to spend a couple of hours on a Saturday night, and if you land at the right time. Then a great child free hour for mums and dads

To the organisers. A big thank you

Pet corrector spray -helped our little dog to get two New Pussycat friends…”Happy dogs”, we thank you

 

We have taken our little dog to dog/ puppy classes. And although our dog is only a Months weeks old she seems to be learning quite a lot and she also enjoys mixing with other dogs…

One of the things that we didn’t want to do this to harm or hurt  the dog or have it doing as we asked because it was afraid of us. Having had dogs when I grew up that were well behaved and we’ll trained. We knew we would hopefully get a good result from  being Nice to the animal ….

So far, it looks like we were right…

At the class  we were advised to try this aerosol spray  for times when the puppy enthusiasm was just too much.It can be bought here  and it is described ” officially as “and is available in many sizes 

We thought why not give it a go…..

Little did we expect that this spray would help us to get the dog in the same room as the cats. Without either the dog chasing the cats, or the cats hissing at the dog

So thanks to “pet corrector” as your product does what it says on the tin

But most importantly, and if you are based any where near Bognor Regis, and need to find one….. For a dog trainer. I would recommend “happy dogs” training club. We are new to this, however it seems to do the dog the world of good…The link above will show you their contact details . They meet at various times  for different groups

 

Thanks for reading my Blog

As always, just to confirm , we received no fee or gift for this blog, its just when a service is this good, its worth telling people about it

 

Ovoball – a great toy for a dog…. Time and a small puppy will tell

This is one that I think I’m going to have to keep updated because having just recently got a new puppy dog for the Oldman Leslie family we are trying to find Indestructible toys for it to play with

Our dog is only a small cocker spaniel however as it’s a puppy it’s got so much energy
So when we were recommended Ovo balls we thought we’d give them a try they are very bright and colourful and they squeak. are very soft and they squeak … Did I mention, they squeak…so I’m sure that for a dog or puppy this is absolute bliss

There are four Ovo balls this in a pack

I’m not sure where you can buy them on the high street but I know my wife bought them online  for  £11.00 and they come in an egg box

First impressions are the hours of fun as  the hound absolutely loves them but we will see how durable are

watch this space and thanks for reading my blog

 

As we have now had the Ovo ” eggs ”  for a few weeks, I think I’m happy to say these are Puppy proof, I can’t blame the loss of one of the four on quality. Our puppy loves them  and  I hope she gets may more hours of play from them.. and  yes, 2 of the remaining 3   still squeak

 

Just to add that we did buy these we were not sent them for free they were not a trial and our opinions will be honest

Saw it on Facebook tried it and loved it

When I realised a few weeks ago that there was no Drumming with Celebration Samba this weekend. I thought it would be good to take Mrs Leslie out for lunch, just me and her as sometimes its nice to  just be  adults ( without children) As anybody who follows my blog will know that I have a lot of nice independent places to have lunch or dinner around this part of the world so I wasn’t really sure where to go

I can’t even remember what it was that I was looking for but I scrolled past a facebook page for the loft in Arundel which is a place we’ve been to before and I saw they had a special on for Halloween it looks quite nice we thought we’d give it a try.

Arundel is quite an eclectic town so there is always plenty to have a look at and shops to have a stroll around before you go in for something to eat however if you happen to go to Sparks yard which is where the loft actually is located on the top floor there are probably enough things there to keep you busy and looking and I’m used for at least half an hour so the time before meal was easy to sort out

Addition to the blog

6th February 2017

According to their Facebook page,once again the loft is  ” award winning ”

They have  won Sussex Life’s Best Family Dining Award for the second year in a row

#sussexlifeawards2017 #bestfamilydining #theloftarundel

Do like I did, see it on Facebook, try it, and enjoy supporting the independent business’s

 

I knew there was a reason to support the independent coffee shops…. And then, I met Simon

Generally I try and avoid the large chain coffee shops. I practice what I preach and try to use the independents.

now i remember why that is. We Popped out for a trip to”Whiteley’s” a local shopping village to us. Great shops, all the main brands and a few Halloween things for the little oldmanleslie to do

Also a Costa coffee. So in I went. 6 minute wait for a coffee, people holding tables still waiting for drinks, so no where to sit. Dirty trays. And in my opinion, not nice coffee. This could be down to me because I said I would try the new blend. But when I mentioned this to the guy here. He could not sort it out quickly enough.

So Costa, although your venue was dirty. And you need more tables. You need to ensure that”Simon” at this store gets a mention for service as he is polite, smart and managed to get a normal blend latte to me in half the time of the original

Top service from a face in a multi national. Well impressed as this was week outside the norm for Costa

Deli express -Bognor Regis

10/12/16 Update on the blog, Unfortunately  this wonderful deli is No More , Such a shame, however there is always  ” the tank” for great coffee in town.

 

 

 

So those that know my Blog will know that I have many times sung the praises of a business that for all the right reasons is no more….but for once,it’s a success story…

The team behind the sandwich factory have moved into the high street into bigger cafe / restaurant premises…still offering the great selection of baguettes and cakes. Great coffee aswell helps.

And of course my BBC baguette which was just a nice and tasty as always

I know my picture doesn’t do it justice.this is cos the half I ate already was gorgeous.

Not too pricey and with all the usual face book and email so you can order for local free delivery
I am sure it’s going to do well, so if you are here for  Holidays,butlins,a day out,shopping. it’s a great place to stop for lunch or a snack
Good luck deli Express

What a success story

And just for the record this is NOT a sponsored post

May 2016 update
Such a shame there was not enough support .this business is no more.it has closed

 

Just a shame i cant use them anymore been using them for years & never had a bad one

10/12/16 Update on the blog, Unfortunately  this amazing local Business is  No More , Such a shame, however there is always  ” the tank” for great coffee in town

This had been in Bognor for many years

If not the Best, then certainly One of the best Places in the town of Bognor Regis  to get a Sandwich , Before it was the sandwich Factory, it was Kays. Before that who knows.  All i can tell you is that i have used them many times over the years, NEVER had a bad one from them, Always good service as well.

If you are  down this way, possibly on hols at Butlins

, the shoreline, the wave . or any where else , you will find  these boys in the town near the post  office . Its weird as i have never asked the guys name, but he always says  Hi when i go in

My PERSONAL  choice is a HOT Baggutte with Bacon Brie  & Cranberry sauce…..you can now see why i cant go too often

http://the-sandwichfactory.com/  will give you their address  & NO , i wasn’t paid  for this Blog, i think the service is THAT  good  and the food speaks for itself

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