Show Notes:
You know…finding a quiet time to record is harder than I thought. But I have been thinking about it which is half the battle I guess.
Oh wow I just made a sorta haiku:
Mother always said:
Just a few lines to say hello.
Say Hello Mother.
A few notes so that I don’t ramble too much when I do get to record:
Three Pubs:
The Boot:
Berwick St. James. Small pub, excellent website. Staff seemed a bit drowsy but we were the first in the door on a rainy saturday. That didn’t bother me much and my food was good. They carry Symonds cider which is one of my favorites. I am not sure where they have a buffet but you could do a lot worse. I fancied a burger but this far off the beaten path you don’t get ‘tourist food.’ I had a nice tart and rocket for a starter and some sausage and mash for my main. Cappuccino for a followup and I was well pleased. The toilets are in a separate building and the farm/stable origins of the pub give this location a unique look.
http://www.bootatberwick.co.uk
The Crown Inn
Alvediston is off the beaten path and looks every part the country pub. See website links. Portions were good and staff attentive and didn’t hover. They have a pub dog which didn’t beg. Mostly ran in and out or had a lie down in the shady part of the room. It has low ceilings but plenty of room beyond the main area and garden seating. A long way from the noise of a city pub and well worth seeking out. They have rooms too if you want to stay longer.
http://www.thecrown-inn-alvediston.co.uk
The Horse and Groom:I walk past three pubs on my way home each evening but I’ve only stopped in one. The Horse and Groom which I keep getting confused in my head with the Coach and Horses. Also in Salisbury but not the same place.
The Horse and Groom looks a tiny bit more inviting than the other two I walk past but was just a touch dark and grim on the inside. They had Thatcher’s Gold as their cider which went a long way toward easing my doubts. The owner was there and asked how my chips were and I asked about the carvery on Sunday. He said it was all you could eat and I should bring a shovel. Once you get past the dark bench seats and look around its kinda nice. A surprise for being so close to a busy city road. There is seating further back for larger groups and parking by the door for disable stickers. A bit of a rarity around here. I do want to go back though I am not fond of the two tired old pub dogs that begged for food. I know its tradition but …
.http://www.horseandgroomsalisbury.co.uk
Three tech things:
New keyboard:
My daughter sent me a case with built-in keyboard for my iPhone on Father’s Day.
My iPhone’s motion sensor went insane and later it had amnesia.
Plus: I hear voices on the mac.
More Train stuff:
Oddly you don’t see many people with sunglasses on the train as you’d think. Mostly tourists. The same goes for umbrellas. I see people in suits carry a brolly but the expectation is that the train would be full of umbrellas and bowler hats… But Not so much.
I had a train delay of over an hour on friday. It wasn’t the worst trip I’ve had on SW trains but I’ll save that little gem for another episode.
Three podcasts:
TBTL:
I enjoy the casual nature and openness of this podcast. Luke Burbank is a name you might know from listening to NPR or seattle radio. He gets around. He has a loyal following of literally ‘tens of listeners’ just to show you they don’t get up in airs on this podcast. I started listening when his producer was in Indiana and used the nickname ‘Flash’. She was an interesting dynamic on the podcast and her guest spots are interesting in contrast. Luke’s current cohost is Andrew Walsh but I’m not sure if he’s still producing since he has his own gig in radio now. Together the two guys talk about trying to make a bit of sense out of this crazy old world. I hope my podcast would be like this one some day.
TMS:
I’ve been listening to Scott Johnson for years. He has become a podcasting giant. It’s what he does full-time and from the early success of his Warcraft podcast he’s built up more than a dozen other podcasts about gaming, films, tech and even cooking. Plus a very good personal podcast just about his life. Other podcasters with their own mad skills have wisely joined the Frogpants Network to create a very positive energy throughout. Everyone knows each other, call outs and references to each person’s projects are common. Scott speaks frankly about his family and isn’t ashamed to admit when he doesn’t know something or mispronounces names and places. There is a very popular live streaming audience and a lively face book forum. If I have anything negative to say about Scott is that its impossible to keep up! I missed a few episodes over Christmas and I’m still behind! They even have their own convention called Nerdtactular which is held in Utah. If you can’t find a podcast you like from Scott Johnson you’re so niche you’re meta. Hey can I get that on a t-shirt Scott??
NLCast:
I heard about Nobody’s listening while listening to ELR from Scott and I was saddened when James took a hiatus to deal with some personal issues. But he’s back now and while his podcasts have a ‘clean’ label they are not un-interesting. He has talent and the gift of gab and it shows. His cohosts are always close friends or family and I think he made Axe Cop the phenom it is today.. I am glad to sponsor anything he does. He reminds me of me if podcasting had existed when my kids were little.
They always have someone exhibiting in the forecourt of Waterloo. Last week there was a virtual football pitch (*soccer goal) and before that virtual archery. I’ve even seen a small forest pop up there. Marching bands aren’t unusual either. I wonder what today will bring.
Bonus Content:
I’m including a bit with Nick bout Indiana Bill.
Might just close my eyes for the last bit of this journey.