A gallic adenture

It is Monday – so mike is on the move again this time to (as Lynn calls it) a ‘jolly’ in France

It seems a long way to go an a long time to be away for just 35 minutes speaking

Mike says he will do more than that (but I don’t believe him) He may be very ‘hail fellow well met’ in company but at home when working he is very quiet, unless he is talking to Sheba (the dog that would chew me if I let her).

Sitting in the lounge at Humberside Airport with the television set to BBC News during the pre-budget forecast. It was scary to note the number of faces that dropped when the chancellor announced a tax increase for those earning more than £150,000 a year, Mike was just jealous.

At ICT 2008

Tuesday lunchtime, and at this ICT event. Mike has just presented and is feeling very pleased. He was even happier this morning when he arrived to find that as a speaker he had a dark grey lanyard for his badge. This indicated he is a speaker and is the equivalent of an ‘all areas’ pass at a pop concert. It also meant he had somewhere to charge his computer, and he didn’t have to queue for lunch.

Lunch was interesting, almost biblical in the feeding of 4,000 delgates, and of course being France there was red or white wine available as well. As Mike’s session was on straight after lunch, he decided to speak quite loudly to ensure the audience were awake.

The conference was for IT researchers across Europe, and some of the prototypes in the exhibition showed a lot of ‘imagination’. First there was the robot toddler – I have enough problems with human toddlers and dogs trying to chew me, I don’t like the idea of robots doing it as well.

Then there was the sophisticated media control system for a car which meant that each of the three rows of seats in a big Mercedes could have different music/video etc. However I think the people designing it still have a way to go before they can get the boot shut!

Wednesday – still in Lyon

Mike has nearly run out of business cards and may need to book the ones he has collected as excess luggage – but he is still very dubious about the value of the event, and given that a key message is that ICT will help us all ‘go green’, how is it that the majority of the 4,500 delegates have flown in from the 60-odd countries they reside in? (Mike says that is a rhetorical question – being a bear of small brain – like my friend Pooh – I think the definition of rhetorical could be uncomfortable or even hypocritical – but what do I know?)

The place smells of Lavender – it is like living in a pomander!

Thursday lunchtime

Mike has done his second and final presentation, and collected even more business cards, and an invitation to speak at the University of Bradford. This is the third invitation of the kind he has had in two weeks. Lynn, who used to be a senior lecturer in University, says Mike shouldn’t be flattered, because the Universities concerned are only looking for free input to their courses.

Lunch was even more disappointing for Mike. Being a vegetarian (like me) he avoids meat, so imagine his rumbling tummy when all the prepared salads had either bacon or chicken in them, and even the lumps of cheese and pizza that were available on the last two days appear to be absent.

Lots of bread and coleslaw were consumed, and Mike says the apple juice is good, but the coffee is too strong.

Was the event worth being away from our home, Lynn and the young people? No.

Bye Bye Basel

We left the hotel very early and took the tram to another hotel. The tram was like the ones they have running between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, but it didn't cost anything because anyone staying in a Basel hotel get free public transport in the city and to the airport for the period of their stay (very green and sensible).

Mike was very busy all day at what he called a workshop. I supervised from the podium.

We left in a hurry and just made the plane, after grabbing some quick chocolate presents for Lynn and my other friends at home.

Then we just made the Heathrow Express back to London, had to wait for the Underground train and then ran to just catch an earlier train back to Hull.

That was really good news, because I was in time to go to bed with Imogen. Up early again and late back on Thursday though - I really can't see why Mike does it.

Day trip to Basel (well almost)

Sunday afternoon on our way to Basel. First part of the journey was from Hull to London on Hull Trains. Mike likes Hull trains (he should do ,we travel on them at least once a week to London, but never normally on a Sunday). Imogen says he knows all the staff by name I don't think that is true, but they all know me.
Saw my friend Kelly on her last qualifying trip before she becomes a Train Manager. That is the really nice thing about Hull Trains, all the staff are encouraged to get promoted, and especially the nice ladies, several of whom started working behind the buffet and are now driving the trains.
After crossing London from Kings Cross station to Paddington, where my good friend who likes marmalade was found, we took the Heathrow Express to the airport.

These trains are vey expensive, but quick and they have TV on them!
Heathrow Terminal 5 is huge! actually it is less of a terminal and more of a shopping centre with airplanes attached. Mike and I studiously avoided shopping (he doesn't give me enough pocket money anyway).

On the plane Mike felt very left out. Everyone else on the flight appeared to to be watching movies on their iPhones, whilst he was listening to a download of the BBC Radio 4 News Quiz on his 3rd generation iPod Nano. But he was not to sad, the iPod was given to him as a birthday present by Lynn and the children, and has a laser inscription to prove it.
He was however, I notice looking over the shoulder of the gentleman on the left getting an eyeful of the Bourne Unltimatum whilst listening to Sandi Toksvig in his earphones (sad man!).
We took off late, but had a 'tail wind'. That sounds unpleasant to a small bear and potentially very smelly too. However it meant that we landed on time, and went by taxi to a very nice Radisson SAS hotel, with free WiFi (UK hotels take note!!!!) so I could post this blog. Thanks also to Kai the receptionist who let me have a photo with him.

Going to Europe

Sorry it has been so long since I have written. I have been to many places, just I have just been too lazy to write them up.
So to make amends this entry is before I go to look after Mike on two trips.
This weekend we have to fly to Basel in Switzerland, because his meeting is at 9:00am on Monday morning.
It is not only the going out on a Sunday and ruining a day with my other charges that is a pain, we have to fly from Heathrow, which means train to London, cross London, train to Heathrow - with check-in time, that means approximately 7 hours before we get in the air! Only good news is it is a country I have never been before, so I can add it to my tally.
Any we will be back late the following night, so I will be back in Imogen's bed.

The second trip is a long one (well in time anyway) to the EU ICT 2008 Conference in Lyon, France. We don't go until Monday evening, but we don't et back until late Thursday - not good - but Mike says it is work.
I will try to get photos of each trip and let you know what I think.

Heading for Luxembourg

So its Wednesday and we are on our way to Luxembourg. Means long car drive to the airport (Humberside) but I did get the great view of the river and the north and south banks from the Humber Bridge as we crossed. Many people consider the Humber a ‘dirty’ river carrying as it does the muds from both the Trent and the Ouze. However I have seen seals in it and when there is a low sun particularly in an evening the surface shines and you could believe it was a ribbon of liquid mercury.

Anyway Mike is flying Business Class today. (Doesn’t happen very often, but apparently all the ecomomy seats to Luxembourg had gone. Methinks that with a ‘captive’ market that the airlines don’t have to many economy seats, but what would a small bear know?) This means we get in the business lounge – very comfortable chairs, free newspapers and a TV in the corner showing Jeremy Kyle! I think it was the American Jerry Springer show that was described as ‘human bear-baiting’ the Kyle show is more akin to putting two starving pitbulls terriers in a ring with a single piece of steak in the centre, then giving them each electric shocks as they try to approach it. The sad bit is that these pitbulls volunteer for the ring, each either hoping for Warhol’s ephemeral 15 minutes of fame, or to get public payback on people that have hurt them – throwing christians to the lions was probably on a higher moral level.

Anyway our litte plane has landed 20 minutes late – doesn’t bode well! However we have the best part of two hours wait at Amsterdam airport so should be OK. Despite the fact that there are crisps and biscuits in the lounge, they are not catering for small bears – I will ask Mike to complain. He has already had breakfast and says he doesn’t need anything to ‘nibble’ – but he was straight into a bottle of Buxton mineral water – which of course he shared with me.

The Kyle show is still on the telly and don’t know who I think are more silly, the people putting themselves through public humiliation in front of ?300,000? People on television, those in the audience who appear to be like the women in Paris around the Guillotine during the French revolution, or even worse the ?300,000? who are watching. I will not even describe what is being argued about apart from the points that it involves DNA tests, OMG I am hooked (and silly).

Do you like I, hate the ‘Nokia’ default ring tone. Whilst the mobile manufacturers, like the network operators have reduced the numbers of available ring tones on the phone as it arrives, lots of money is now made from the downloads, otherwise people leave it on that horrible ‘theme’. We had two go off in the short bus ride from the airplane to the terminal at Amsterdam Schipol – most annoying. However Mike perked up when a third phone rang the Banana Splits theme tune (shows his age)

Another day in London

Not the best night’s sleep, living in the country as I normally do, the sound of the jumbo jets coming into land at Heathrow Airport between 4:30 and 6:00 is quite disturbing. Although at home when the combine harvesters are going throughout the night at harvest I sleep through it, as does Mike.

He also slept through the earthquake on Tuesday night, although it woke Lynn and I. Lynn says that it was a similar experience for most of her friends at work.

Mike chaired the roundtable at the Obis Omni event today – he moaned because they only had bacon sandwiches on offer for the breakfast start. The tables were nearly round and it looked like the people were all just having a chat – I had a little sleep.

The event was near Blackfriars Station so we got the First Capital Connect service back to St Pancras International station and walked across to Kings Cross to get the 13:33 Hull Trains (which is also owned by the people who run First Capital Connect – I know which I prefer).

Got home about 5:00 ready for a good cuddle with Imogen and a nice long sleep. Next week Mike is taking me to Luxembourg for a meeting with people from the European Commision. Some of his friends say it is a ‘gravy train’ that means we are not likely to be happy, because whilst we both like trains, being vegetarian, neither of us likes gravy.

A boring afternoon and evening in London

Well yesterday, we arrived at Mike’s office and he left me alone to go into meetings.

Offices are quite smart, but apparently the phones keep going on the blink. Mike doesn’t have a desk as he usually works from home so he sits wherever someone else isn’t. As Tom told me from his trip, no one has an office all to themselves, but even though it is ‘open plan’ it is quite quiet.

Left about 6:00pm so we could go to our hotel. Mike then went and left me again so he could see the film Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter. Mike said it was good and lived up to the critic’s description of ‘lashings of ketchup’. Mike did look a bit green when he came back. I think he shouldn’t have had is Penne Fresco dinner before he saw the film, although given his look he probably wouldn’t have wanted it either.

Today is Wednesday – so we are on a train again

This time we are going to Mike’s office and he is going to stay in London overnight (with me by his side to keep him safe you understand) before he ‘chairs a round table’ tomorrow. What does that mean? Is the chair on the round table? Is the round table actually a chair? In which case why is it called a round table? Actually I can’t be bothered.

Apparently when we get to Mike’s office I will sit in the same chair that my friend Tom sat in a few weeks ago. I like Tom, but he is always picking up the cats and they sometimes sit on me.

We started on a two-car Northern train going from Hull to Doncaster, very tatty and in need of new paint and carpet, but there was a nice lady who during the journey as far as Goole emptied the bins, picked up rubbish and cleaned the toilets. The guard was also very nice and smiled at me. The great thing about being small bear is that everyone smiles at you. It is a very nice feeling.

The National Express train from Doncaster to London was quite empty (well it was lunchtime) so I had a table all to myself. Good thing about National Express though is that there is free wireless internet, so this will be on my site before we get to London.

We're on our way to Wembley

Well Mike was, and I went for the ride.
Another early start on Hull Trains the 06:25 which these days is getting very full, but the staff were nice as usual.

It was EMC's Content Management Day, and like all software companies to ensure good attendance they hold such meetings in 'interesting' venues. In November last year they invited us Monte Carlo which allowed me to go in a helicopter for the first time (and Lynn came to - so loads of extra cuddles - just what a bear needed).


As always Mike was working on the train, and when we got off at Kings Cross, he rushed into the Firist Class lounge to email his work to his office. Then on the underground to Baker Street, and walk to Marylebone Station.

It was the first time I have been through Marylebone, although Mike says his boss uses it go home.The Chiltern trains are all small and cute (just like me) not so big and aggressive as the National Express.

The stadium is huge, and we had first go down three flights of stairs to get signed in, and then back up three escalators to up to the presentation.

Nice people talking (as always) got a bit tired when the term Enterprise Content Services got mixed in with Service Oriented Architecture.

At coffee break we got to see outside the room to look at the pitch and where all the people sit

There were some men kicking a ball around, Mike said it was only a game, but they all seemed very serious about it.

More presentations, very complex, but Mike did smile a couple of times, particularly when someone played a video of a squirrel.

Lunch looked nice, but although Mike complains that these posh places don’t cater for vegetarians very well, he should try being a small bear.

Left as soon as we could and Mike rushed through the underground so we got an earlier train, and be home more than an hour earlier. That will make Lynn happy.

Train back was the same one we came down on, although it had been to Hull and back during the time. Nice lady in the buffet smiled at me, but still didn’t have anything for a small bear.

Anyway been to Wembley, seen the arch, the pitch, and the blue seats where they put royalty, but quite tired, and got to go back to London tomorrow. This time to stay overnight. If I regain some strength I may write about it.