Alan Bell 's Weblog

I really don't like the underhand way in which the current Government is announcing things. Throw away comments in the media, or making random statements whilst visiting a hospital.

The latest involves NHS Direct, and the news that the helpline is being scrapped to save money. Of course, the opposition are up in arms, claiming it's the thin edge of the wedge, and the beginning of the dismantling of the NHS. Although, apparently it was in the Labour manifesto. Hmmm, missed that one I'm afraid.

Lord Prescott (still can't get used to that!), has a few words on the BBC about it. All I can say is, I hope the new 1-1-1 service is just as good. Although I can't see how it can be, and cost less than the current service, without some reduction in quality.

Got a couple of bottles of Greene King, Very Special India Pale Ale from Tesco's last week. Wow!

Always a good sign of a good beer is not realising what strength it is until you stand up to go back to the bar for another - and find you're just a little wobbly So this one definately hits the spot. 7.5%, but tastes and goes down like a 4%. Will be getting a few of those for the fridge, and those cold, damp, Autumn evenings.

The Golf played up on the way home last Friday. First the clutch slipped, the cable coming out of it's guide, and then to compound it, after opening the bonnet to fix it, the bonnet catch spring broke!

The clutch cable has managed to pull itself almost through the metal guide on the gearbox (a sure sign the clutch itself is going). So a new rubber sleeve and all's new again.

The bonnet catch was more problematic, as it appears it's now obsolete. But thankfully the actual spring that broke is common across quite a few catches from what I could work out on Monday. So I managed to salvage one from another car and get it fixed. Just need to sort out riveting it back on the slam panel. That's this weekend's job

News that Airfix are launching a new modelling magazine.

Will have to keep an eye out for that one me thinks!

I like this statement on tea:

Tea - The Daily Grind.

Only because it reinforced my arguement about not putting sugar in tea. I met someone recently who likes sugar in her tea, but not being English, she didn't understand why sugar in tea was such a bad thing. Saying that, I tend to drown mine in milk, so maybe I need to start drinking it without.

And another thing, the templates are messy. On my screen I've got bits all over the place. And at work, for some security reason no doubt (ohhh, Deletetheweb is a dangerous site?!), half the CSS doesn't load properly either, which makes it worse.

So, need to tidy up that sidebar for starters. And get all my links updated, including Twitter and Facebook. Busy weekend then! Shame I'm full of cold

The last time I blogged, properly, was November 2008. I'm now trying to remember what all these draft posts were for. And believe me, nearly 2 years of life has passed since I wrote the title "And on the Friday". Hmmmm, maybe I'll just go through my diary and type in what happened?

Anyhow, time to start blogging once more. After last week's Agoonoree, I said to myself, "Time to make time for Al, and what he enjoys doing"

Geovanni Wins PFA Fans Player Of The Month for October. Along with Phil Brown's Manager of The Month for September, and his Goal of The Month at Arsenal in September on Match of The Day, The Tigers are certainly enjoying their spot in the top league of football.

Just to think, 10 years ago this month, Hull City was at rock bottom, relegation out of the football league a real possibility. And, today, they're gunning for a place in Europe. Long may it continue

Just got back from the trip to Rome, and experienced for the second time now the joys of arriving back at Heathrow and coming through Terminal 5

Don't get me wrong, Terminal 5 is a massive improvement on the way out. The lounges, the terminal, all modern, loaded with facilities, a really relaxing journey as you prepare to leave Heathrow. But coming back? I'd actually say it's worse than the old Terminal 1 and 4. And tonight we had an outside stand, in the rain, followed by a 40 minute wait to cross the taxiway. Which, the bus driver told us, was more the norm now, than the exception.

Worse thing is, if it's like this now, what will it be like when all the flights have been transferred over?

Helping Stuart (Jules' brother) move house today. And yes, you're not seeing things, this was posted at 3am So much for a quiet day pottering around the house

It's really brought home just how much you accumulate over time. I've been clearing out more and more in the house over the last few weekends, having had Saturday's free of work, or using the luxury of working from home. Again, finding little boxes of stuff Jules had packed away in a corner, or paperwork which really didn't need keeping. Makes me more determined to clear away all the junk as soon as possible.

Off to bed, not that I'll have long before it's time to get up again. I wouldn't have minded, but I only popped round to collect your recycling, Stu