Cock fighting on The Apprentice

It was Alpha Male night on The Apprentice.
The show’s two prize cocks squared up to each other as project managers on last night’s task, the aim of which was to get the best possible price for a motley collection of goods.
Philip and Ben went toe to toe, no quarter given or asked, in a brutal contest [...]

The 6.30am crowd

The lighter, brighter mornings are bringing out more people at 6.30am.
There are quite a few regulars, along with the usual collection of comedy ducks and skittish rabbits, who I see at various points around the routes of my early morning training rides.
When it is darker and colder, 6.30am in Lichfield looks a lot like this.

(by [...]

Thanks for your time

It has only been 24 hours but I’ve already been overwhelmed (in a good way) by the response to my question about whether people would be willing to spare 10 minutes of their time rather than donate £10 when I take the C2C Challenge.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has commented here, on Twitter, [...]

Snappy, Cackle and Plop goes The Apprentice

“I feel like a monkey with a new tool!”
That line has very little to do with this week’s write up of The Apprentice, but it is without doubt the quote of the series so far and one of the stand out pieces of nonsense of all time.
It ranks alongside “I am your boss” and “…as [...]

Can you spare 10 minutes rather than £10?

So, it is on.
My registration for the C2C Challenge on July 11 and 12 has been confirmed.
Just as well that I’ve upped my training this week then, isn’t it?
I am getting excited about tackling this challenge from Whitehaven to Sunderland – 140-miles in two days.
Apart from anything else it is great fun to be out [...]

Brum’s rush, roaring at Lions and you as a work of art

You wait ages for a positive national newspaper article about Birmingham’s ever-changing cityscape and then this comes along.
It is quite fitting that it is in “arts and entertainment” as the writer has clearly swallowed a hyperbole machine with often hilarious results.
Perhaps some of the journalist’s wild enthusiasm rubbed off on Clive Dutton, redoubtable boss of [...]

Monday morning smile

It is not always easy being a rugby fan from Wales.
And being a Cardiff supporter has heaped plenty more misery on top in recent years.
But on Saturday something happened to put a smile on my face that is still here on Monday and might well last all week.
It was this try from Leigh Halfpenny, the [...]

Causing a stink on The Apprentice

In week two of this series of The Apprentice blabbermouth waste of space James McQuillan revealed – a little too gleefully if you ask me – that he had done a nervous little wee in his pants when sitting in the boardroom facing the chop.
Now in week four and he’s been responsible for doing a big smell as well.
Can this man not [...]

High anxiety, blog power, sporting recession and forgotten art

We are living in strange times – an economic recession that no-one can seemingly predict with too much certainty and which understandably is impacting on just about every aspect of our lives.
Indeed, one mental health charity in the UK claims a survey of 2,000 adults reveals that 77% find the world more frightening than in 1999.
The Mental Health Foundation describes [...]

Train to gain

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my Easter.
Time has been spent chilling with Rachel, enjoying a couple of short trips out, eating some tasty chocolate and drinking some very agreeable wine.
We also had some very good news when a couple of good friends rang to announce their engagement.
The four-day long weekend also brought something else – about 100 [...]