Friends

Americans seem to have a holiday for everything (indeed recent weeks have seen Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day and Halloween), yet I must say I’ve always been a bit partial to the idea of a day of Thanksgiving.

Continue reading “Reasons to be Thankful”

2006 taught me a valuable life lesson - that aside from making the most of any opportunities that come your way (and I’ve had my fair share of them), you can (and should) create your own opportunities if you are to actually make the most of your time on this Earth.

Right now I almost feel master of my own destiny, and begin 2007 with an incredibly positive attitude (and I think it’s spreading).

Continue reading “Two Thousand and Seven”

Whilst I don’t want to over play my move to California (and I think it can be said that I have been doing so recently - this blog is testament to that), but as soon as my feet touch the ground at SFO it almost feels as if the next era of my life is set to begin. So as the final hours tick away on this one, I just wanted to pay tribute to three people who have become very important to me over the last four or five years.

Continue reading “Tribute”

Unfortunately, and unlike the previous three years, I will not be participating in this years Great North Run. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before I again take on the gruelling challenge that is running from Newcastle to South Shields. Although it is painful, it is always a great deal of fun.

Continue reading “Running Kind”

Back Row: Tim, Me, Martin, Alexei, Diego, Mike, Brian, Nancy and Scott.
Front Row: Athena and Jermaine

Slightly later than I was hoping in writing this post, but before I get too accustomed to life back in damp, dull and dreary England, I wanted to publicly thank the whole team at Ning who made my three month stay in Palo Alto perhaps the most exciting and enjoyable period of my (sheltered) life to date.

Continue reading “Yanked!”

Today I attended the funeral for a wonderfully bright and brave woman I had the pleasure of knowing these last few years. Simone was the office manger at Orange Vision and was always on hand with cups of filth (coffee to you and me) and orders for filth sandwiches (that would be bacon butties) in fact just filth in general! Although I wasn’t that close to Simone, she was definitely a great person to have around the office.

Continue reading “Simone”

If there are two things that I can count on during any given year, they are the non eventful summer that seemingly ends before it starts, and the annual hell that is my birthday. This year, thankfully, it’s all been just a little bit different!

Continue reading “A Summer to Remember”

Yesterday, I received a text message I never thought I would:

Hi Paul, astounding news, I (Lee Nash) have a mobile…

Continue reading “Lee Nash Gets Mobile”

Includes the hit single “Stuck In A Car You Can’t Get Out Of”

As the weeks slowly become normal again, so it is that every other Sunday night, a group of amazingly talented people come together and perform a wide range of material - from covers to their own compositions - during an acoustic night held at the Boundary Hotel in Walsall.

Continue reading “Acoustic Night”

After arriving in Bristol on the Friday night at a Halls of Residence, the first upset of the weekend:

…all the nurses are in the other Halls, it’s just me and Jen in this block…

Ange

Where as I was a little disappointed, it could be said that Kris saw this as a challenge. After a days ‘ard grafting, and a 2 hour drive down the M5, sleep was pretty much the only thing on my mind, and once I had managed to swallow enough of Ange’s unwanted foot scrapings, that was Friday.

Continue reading “Bath/Bristol Mini Reunion”

Bank Holiday weekend was spent in Torbay, and according to these pictures quite eventful… surely not?

Went out in Lichfield Friday night blah, blah, etc, etc,

The last image is confirmation that we found Lee’s shoe at sometime nearing 3am, about half an hour after I threw it out the car window in a fit of spontaneity.

It seemed funny at the time.

Sunday night and three generations of ‘Opps’ managers - me, Kris, and Lee - descended on McDonald’s Bescot on with one sole aim, to get Mandy very wet! Each of us armed with a high capacity water pistol, at 00:35 hours it was mission accomplished…. and a lot of fun too!

Cheers to everyone who came out Friday night (Wednesbury) and Saturday night (Lichfield) to celebrate my 24th birthday. Friday night was a bit crap frankly, considering it was essentially highjacked by Rob. Lichfield was far more enjoyable, especially seeing all those old school photos round Aimeé’s afterwards - if I wasn’t feeling old enough already!

Another night down Lichfield - I guess you could argue to celebrate Kris’ birthday except nobody knew! Thanks to Sarah and Aimeé for visiting the site, notice how I’m deliberately mentioning you so I can’t be accused of writing about people you don’t know!

A really good night - these mid-week meetings in the cathedral city always seem to be. Made even better by being constantly complemented by Aimeé - an experience in itself!

As experiences go, this ‘re-union’ sure was one. Having not seen Stacy, Aimeé and Sarah for 5 years, conversation became very much limited to “How you been?” and “What you doing nowadays?” and not much else. Dan and Jon decided to ease the pain with much alcohol and got totally pissed, so in the end quite a funny old night!

A very interesting evening, making me realise just how much I’ve changed - and how much everyone else has too.

Lee has asked me to be his best man for his wedding next year. So if Lindsay hasn’t had enough of him by that time, I’m thinking naked, in the middle of a field in Normandy.. yes - I mean France! It’ll sure be one hell of a stag night!

Going out for a meal with your old mates from school is surely a thing you do when your old… oh bugger!

It was a great day (once me and Nash finally got to Cannock - thanks to Jon!) and really nice catching up with Ellen and Simon too.

A few days spent down south.

Continue reading “A Small Southern Adventure”

Two days up north.

Continue reading “Lloydy's big northern trip!”

To celebrate Jon’s 21st me, Jon, Dave as well as Rik and Ross (Jon’s housemates from Huddesfield) went go-karting near Lichfield - a first for me but I loved it. Pity it was only for 30 minutes - just as I was getting into the flow it all came to an end.

Results: 1st: Dave, 2nd: Rik, 3rd: Ross. I came 4th and Jon… had a great day out!!!

What a pleasant change, actually doing something for a weekend. Went to some pub in the middle of nowhereYorkshire - a bit of a road-trip with Sarah, Pete, Sarah (Harding) and her bloke Limby (not sure on the spelling). Nice to see the home and mates of someone who you’ve been living with for near on a year, however I didn’t actually do much in the way of partying as I slept through most of the evening!

For a self-directed project as part of my degree, I decided to produce a new music magazine that featured a CD-ROM interview and accompanying video featuring my friend and great up-and-coming music producer, Khuli Mpunzi. During the day he introduced me to Pete Williams (formerly a member of Dexys Midnight Runners) and as such I got to spend a day with two people enthusiastic about music.

Continue reading “Meeting Pete Williams & Khuli Mpunzi”