Not the greatest of weeks

Bit of a gap in the blog entries mainly due to a pretty bad week or so.

Firstly, it looks like my contract here in the School of Physics and Astronomy (Cardiff University) is highly unlikely to be renewed. So after 13 years in the School, including 7 years as a staff member, it looks like I'll be leaving.

Secondly, I get a phone call from the Cardiff Police saying that an officer of theirs had collided with my car whilst on patrol. Not too much damage, offside front wing rather dented, but of course I had to give a statement to the traffic police who were investigating the incident. In order to give that statement I had to be cautioned - I wasn't even in the car when the collision happened and yet I had to be cautioned!

And to top it all off, Wales get humiliated in the rugby against Ireland - although this wasn't totally unexpected.

Hmm, a week I'd rather forget.

An improvement in the rugby

Well, Wales gave an improved performance in beating the Scots, albeit against 14 men. We still need to play better if we are going to challenge the remaining teams though, and we are definitely missing our injured players.

Weekend of ups 'n' downs.....

The down being on Saturday when the Welsh rugby team came back down to 6 Nations earth with a very large thump. A disappointing performance but England thoroughly deserved their victory - although the final scoreline did flatter them somewhat.
On Sunday I went to see Katie Melua live at the Cardiff International Arena. An all-seated affair (which makes a change from the usual concerts that I attend). The support act was pretty average but at 8:30 Katie came on stage ...... and she was fantastic! Her voice comes across much more powerfully live than on CD. With a variety of moods from blues to jazz to semi-rock, and some great covers with a different slant (covers such as The Beatles' Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, Bobby Gentry's Fancy, The Cure's Just Like Heaven, and even Babylon Zoo's Spaceman) she had the audience in the palm of her hand. A beautiful performance from a beautiful perfomer.

Long time no write......

Hmm, been a while since last post so thought I'd better update - not that there's much to update really!
Visited a relative I had never met before (through family tree). He seemed a nice chap. He was a given a bit of a shock though when I told him that his grandfather (my great-grandfather) who died in WWI actually died in France and is buried in Belgium. He thought, as did my nan, that he died at sea. He may even plan to visit the grave (which I visited last year).
Some of the rest of the family tree is still annoyingly difficult to trace. Waiting on some replies from people on the Worcester mailing lists.
Other than that it's been pretty much work, work, work.......