Odd Thomas Odd Blog

2 Days To Go...

2021-07-21T20:54:00.000+01:00

I'm not sure if it's the quarter of watermelon that's messing with my stomach, or the sudden realisation that I am about to do something I have never done before, but with two days to go, it's now doing somersaults.

I can't deny that I am wondering what I have signed up for, but really hoping I can get to the end - though I guess it wouldn't be a challenge if I thought I could sail through it!

Earlier this week, I worked my way through the recommended kit list to make sure I had everything, but there are still things missing that I need to get hold of, so a trip to Cotswold Outdoor tomorrow may be needed to get the final few bits and pieces. Even then, with almost everything you see in the image below (I culled a few clothes), there was no room for food, which is a concern for a muncher like myself :-/

I've been mulling over how I can share my progress, since I am not directly on Facebook any more, and for those that know me personally, I'll be traying to update my Instagram feed (@rcoleman_uk), signal permitting. For everyone else, the LiveTrail tracker is now available, so you can see roughly how I am progressing: use my bib number 2085 in the search to find my profile.

Let's not forget the reason I am doing this. With my nephew being diagnosed with Crohn's earlier this year, I am really keen to raise funds for Crohn's and Colitis UK in the hopes he can eventually benefit from a cure. Please visit my JustGiving page to make a donation and/or share in your social media circles to try and spread the message.

Thank you!!

5...

2021-07-19T00:27:00.001+01:00

The final week in the run up to the South West Coast-to-Coast is here and, in less than a week, I will be starting my first UltraChallenge in order to raise money for Crohn's and Colitis UK.

Since doing the massive 32 mile training walk a month ago, I have been able to get out for shorter walks once or twice a week, which have been steadily getting longer.

On Saturday, I managed 12.37 miles in a decent 3 hours 39 minutes, though with the wrong choice of shoes, which left me with blisters and sore feet. It really made me appreciate how good my boot and sock combo is!

Oh, and underwear. Having walked in normal boxers and suffered the chafed consequences for a day or so, I ended up buying a couple of pair of SAXX Boxer Briefs. I'm generally not one for buying expensive undies and feel that even £22 for 3 pair of boxers is somewhat extortionate. However, if you want to feel like the family jewels are in good hands and you want to be able to shower after without feeling like someone has scraped gravel between your legs, then these are definitely worth the money.

I'm tempted to get a few more pair for regular use...

Now I need to start getting my bag packed and ready. I have pretty much all the clothes and accessories I need, barring a decent, packable waterproof, so now I just need to sort the smaller sundries (sun cream, lip balm, et al). A visit to Grape Tree got me a few bags of nuts and fruit to make up a trail mix, which I plan to store in the cupcake jars I kept from the Candy's Cupcakes gift I received back in May: it saves buying any overpriced snack tubes.

I just need to pick up some decent chocolate to include in it ;-)

Dan's Crohnies

2021-07-08T20:24:00.006+01:00

Back in 2019, my brother-in-law asked if I would be interested in undertaking 2020's South West Coast-to-Coast Ultra Challenge. I had seen both he and my sister go through a number of these challenges and so, with all the naivety of the inexperienced - and despite several of my sister's toenails dropping of - I optimistically thought, "Why, not?!"

Roll on 2020 and, as we all know, the world ungracefully fell apart. As a result, the challenge was cancelled and the team my brother-in-law started, Chafed in Places, was disbanded. Fortunately, we could move our registration to 2021, which I duly did and started to think about training. Occasionally.

Now, with four long-distance training walks under my belt, I am just a fortnight away from destroying my feet in a 102km trek across a beautiful part of the UK.

Starting at Minehead in Somerset on Saturday, 24 July, I will be walking pretty much non-stop to Dawlish in Devon, really only pausing for poo breaks and food. I would like to complete in under 24 hours, but it is fair to say that I am really not prepared for this. My last training walk amounted to half the distance and I came close to dropping on a train, exhausted.

However, I kept going because there is a reason I am doing this. I cannot take on a challenge like this just for the fun of it, I feel the need to do it for a purpose and, once again, family has given me that purpose.

Soon after my nephew's 16th birthday this year, he was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, for which there is currently no cure. Having known another Crohn's sufferer through the years and being aware of how huge an impact it is having on her life, I am obviously not keen to see my nephew go through the same experiences. Therefore, I am doing this particular challenge to raise money for Crohn's and Colitis UK, in the hopes that it can edge researchers closer to finding a cure.

As always. I have set up a JustGiving page which I hope you will visit and make a small donation to: I have already got the ball rolling with £25, but I am keen to raise £1000, if at all possible. If you cannot afford to donate or this is not a charity you want to support, I completely understand. All I would ask is if you could share the page through your social media accounts, it would really help to spread the word about this life-changing disease.

Thank you very much!!!

Prescription for Murder

2019-10-16T15:31:00.000+01:00

Time to find out whodunnit!!

The Centralians are back with their Autumn production, Prescription for Murder, which is running until Friday, 18 October 2019.

Dr. Richard Forth is a busy man in Bere Knighton with a hectic work life, an awkward relationship with an old girlfriend and with a wife, Barbara, who is constantly ill. When a stranger arrives claiming to know Richard's second fiancee - someone he claims not to know - Barbara's health worsens ... and she is not the only one. With bad luck spreading as quickly as bad news, it seems someone is trying to kill Barbara, and anyone else who stands in their way.

Tickets are selling fast, so it is a good idea to book, though there will always be some available on the door if you decide to come along last minute.

And yes, yours truly will be appearing in this as the stranger. The script called for a good looking young man, but we've had to go with what we have instead, so if anyone wants to join us, feel free to speak to a member of the society!!

See you there!!

Space Tempest

2019-06-26T07:57:00.000+01:00

Breakaway Theatre's production of The Tempest was an eye opener for me. After my Aunt took me to see a production of Shakespeare's play back in the late 1990s, I had come away wondering exactly what it was I had just seen; it was loud, overly dramatic and hard to follow. By contrast, Lesley Cowland's interpretation of the well-known classic was fun, entertaining and relatable ... in part, due to the space theme, which had more than a few nods to both Star Wars and Star Trek!

Above all, I actually understood what was happening!

Presented in the grounds of the Inn on the Park, St Albans, this was also my first open-air theatre production, which meant very little set design by necessity, proving - to me, at least - that over-indulgent sets really aren't required if you have a strong performance.

Luckily for you, there are still more performances later this week, so you haven't missed out yet! Even if you are one of those people that "doesn't do Shakespeare", I would suggest maybe giving it a go this one time. Don't trust my view on this? Then how about The Herts Advertiser who reviewed the production at the weekend and said that it was "...a relaxing and entertaining way to spend a summer's evening."

You can book your tickets through TicketSource or via the Breakaway Theatre website and don't forget to leave them a review on their Facebook page!

One little piece of advice if you do decide to go: it may be the middle of Summer, but it would be worth making sure you take some warm clothes and perhaps a blanket - the evenings are still a little chilly!!

Summer Holiday Shenanigans

2019-05-03T08:39:00.001+01:00

With the bank holiday weekend about to start, think about The Centralian Players working hard to build their next set for Peter Gordon's play, Third Week in August, while you sun yourself on the beach, enjoy your BBQ and refuse to let the Great British Rain Off stop you enjoying the break.

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Centralians Double Bill

2019-01-20T21:34:00.001+00:00

With 2019 well and truly under way, The Centralian Players are back with a new production to entertain you, this time a double-bill of two one-act plays.

First up is Shadows, written by Josephine Carter, which explores the life of Erica, an elderly lady living alone in a single room of her home, happy with her memories. When her family comes to visit and move her to a home, the past is ever present, but who is shadow and who is not?
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Over My Dead Body

2018-09-26T23:34:00.000+01:00

It's that time of year again when The Centralian Players are building up to their final production of the year, this time performing Over My Dead Body, by the late playwright and actor, Derek Benfield.

The play centres around Gerald, recently widowed, who plans to spend the rest of his days alone with his memories, not realising his late wife had other plans! With the help of his daughter and son-in-law, Gerald does his best to keep unexpected visitors at bay and maintain his independence, but memories revive events from the past which are both funny and sad.

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What a Backstage Farce!

2018-05-03T23:29:00.000+01:00

For those who enjoyed Steve Barker's debut as a playwright with his production of Awkward!, you will be pleased to hear he has been bashing away in front of his computer for the past year and is about to release his second play on an unsuspecting public.

Backstage / Farce is a two-act play about a local drama group, the Bluebell End Players, who are preparing for - and performing - the opening night of their production, A Bit of Slap and Tickle. As you may expect from a farce, things do not go according to plan as the group battle their way through frayed tempers, bad nerves, and missing cast members!

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Sex Please, We're Sixty!

2018-01-24T21:33:00.000+00:00

Now 2018 is solidly under way, the time has come for The Centralian Players to entertain you with their next production; no prizes for guessing the theme of their latest show!!

An American Farce, Sex Please, We're Sixty! covers the comings and goings of guests and neighbours to the prim Mrs Stancliffe's Rose Cottage B&B, proving that a little bedroom fun can be enjoyed at any age ;-)

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Countdown to Opening Night

2017-10-11T14:29:00.000+01:00

Okay, I need you to go get your diary - or open your calendar if you are technically inclined. Go on, I can wait...

...

Got it? Good.

Now find 19, 20 & 21 October - I'm assuming it's a 2017 calendar you are looking at! Anything pencilled in for those dates? No? Excellent! Pick one of them and write the following entry:

The Winslow Boy, Henderson Hall, Abbots Langley @ 19:15

Now you have an entertaining evening lined up with The Centralian Players' production of Terence Rattigan's play about a Naval Cadet accused of theft and his Father's fight to clear his name. To make sure you have a seat, you can book tickets with the Box Office on: (01923) 227392

Last Sunday saw the first set build get underway and by the end of the day, a large amount of the set had been built and decorated ready for the first rehearsal on stage since auditions back in July.

The state of the set when I first arrived

The state of the set towards the end of the day

First rehearsal on stage for the actors

For those of you who are familiar with the venue and who haven't been there in a while, you will notice a huge transformation has taken place. Gone are the bar and hidden kitchen, replaced with a local cafe called Elvira's, completed with a modernised decor.

If you panicked at the words "Gone are the bar...", you can calm down again - alcoholic drinks are still available, though you are looking at bottled beverages.

Elvira's cafe from the main doorway

Elvira's cafe from the counter

A whole new coffee gadget to play with!

Along with the cafe, you will now find that the main door to Henderson Hall is actually at the front of the building instead of round the side, so a bit more direct. Note that there have been changes to the facilities ... all I will say is, I hope you are a friendly bunch!

The Centralians look forward to welcoming you at one of the productions and would be happy to discuss membership with anyone who is interested. Remember, you don't have to act if you don't want to, as there are plenty of roles backstage that need filling!!

See you there!!

The Winslow Boy

2017-09-18T10:21:00.000+01:00

In four weeks time, The Centralian Players will once again be performing at Henderson Hall, Abbots Langley, with their production of The Winslow Boy, written by Terence Rattigan and performed under license from Samuel French.

With 11 cast members, this production is larger than normal and sees the debut of the group's youngest member, Daniel Remmington, playing the role of The Winslow Boy, a young naval cadet accused of stealing and his Father's fight to clear his name.

If you are interested in booking tickets, please contact the booking office using the details on the poster above; there is no need to pay now as payment will be required when you collect the tickets from the box office. If you cannot make the booking for any reason, all they ask is that you let them know so they can make the tickets available to others.

As the production is still a few weeks away, why not like their Facebook Page or Twitter account so you can be alerted of updates. Better still, why not put a reminder in your calendar now :-)

We hope to see you there!

Starbucks Name Chain Fun

2017-09-15T12:53:00.000+01:00

Who's up for a game? I'm going to call it the Starbucks Name Chain (hopefully, nobody else has come up with this yet!).

The rules are really simple:

Go to Starbucks and buy a drink of your choice, as you normally would
Give them your name when asked
If the name on the cup does not match yours - and experience suggests this is highly likely - adopt this as your new name!
Change your name on social media (completely optional, especially if the platform complains!)
Next time you go to Starbucks, use your new name!

How long does it take for you to get back to your real name?

Currently, I am living as Roger...

[UPDATE] I thought it would be a fun idea to change my name on Facebook to reflect the Starbucks name change. I thought wrong. Apparently, Facebook will lock you in to your name change for 60 days before you can make any further changes. This puts a dampener on any fun and means, regardless of any further name changes by Starbucks, I am now locked in to being Roger until at least the middle of November. Thanks for that.

Alexa, ask Super Me...

2017-08-08T13:20:00.000+01:00

When Amazon introduced the Echo in the UK, it was the first time in a very long time I had been eager to try out some new technology; I had been waiting for the Google Home, but Amazon got there first so ended up with my money.

My own personal feeling is that consumer technology seems to have stagnated over the past 5 years, with only incremental instead of revolutionary advances, so nothing really piqued my interest until affordable home control came into being, something that was finally within my budget. Being able to combine it with the Philips Hue system was great; though trying to find answers to questions proved ... interesting.

Then, back in June, I decided to try and build my first Alexa skill. Nothing major, just a feed from this blog as a daily flash briefing. It worked, but I decided not to publish it as I would hardly consider the content of this blog to be frequent or interesting enough to warrant it joining the likes of CNN, BBC, Sky, and the rest!

So I decided to go a bit deeper and, in July, attended an Alexa skills workshop in Brighton, where all attendees were baited with an Echo Dot for free if we published a skill in July. Whilst the presenter was talking through the afternoon, I started thinking about something that would be quick and easy to implement and ended up working on a super hero name generator. Straightforward and pointless, it should be enough to get a feel for the basics.

After working on it here and there through July, when I wasn't studying for new jobs or working on contracts, I finally completed the skill and submitted it on 30 July...

Rejected!

I had misunderstood one of the submission criteria so the example utterances didn't follow the right format. Two days ago I had the chance to fix the issues and re-submit and I was surprised and excited this morning to get an email saying that the skill is now live and available on the Alexa Skills Store!!

Essentially, this skill takes the approach of trying to give you either a boost and/or a chuckle every day by giving you a new super hero name and super power. It boils down to just being a random name generator, but tries to keep consistent so that for any particular day, you will only be one particular super hero.

The trouble with random name generators is that they are a one-hit fun-bit; 5 minutes having a play around then never coming back to it. The idea with the approach I have taken here is to constrain the fun, so people have to wait for their next name and, hopefully, weave that into their daily routine.

In reality, this is unlikely to happen as the skill is, essentially, pointless fun. Which is fine, because I am running the backend on AWS Lambda, so every time someone requests a name, it gets added to my bill ... perhaps not the best considered option while I am job hunting.

Anyway, please feel free to try it out and give any constructive feedback, either in the app reviews or in the comments below. It was meant to be a simple educational project, but if you can see ways of improving it and directions it could go in, I am open to ideas.

New Look ... Again

2017-06-27T22:36:00.000+01:00

Taking a page out of Facebook's ... um ... book, you will notice this blog has had yet another change to it's template!

It seems like only a few posts ago that I changed the template to something a bit cleaner - which is probably true - but with the length of time between posts being something of an epoch, I figured those of you who do pop by from time to time could probably do with a change. I know I did when I logged back on.

Up to now, I have been bemoaning the fact that Blogger is not as flexible as Wordpress and considering moving everything over to something a bit more popular. However, after wasting time configuring this latest template, I have discovered that ThemeForest have a range of Blogger templates!!

Who knew?!?!

If there are Blogger themes on ThemeForest, then there must be other options elsewhere. So, you can look forward to an all new look in the coming weeks, just as soon as I have worked out how to do it.

Nothing like having a bit of variety :-)

Walking in Memory

2017-06-22T13:18:00.000+01:00

On the weekend of 1/2 July 2017, my brother-in-law is walking 100km in an effort to raise money through his JustGiving page for Sands, the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity. What follows below is a very personal story of loss from a Dad's perspective...
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Narcissism Alert!

2017-06-04T23:24:00.003+01:00

As if it wasn't narcissistic enough that I have a blog about the random stuff in my life - of which there is PLENTY I have yet to tell you all - my desire to learn something new has lead to the creation of an Alexa skill that should read my latest posts to you as part of your flash briefing!

The motivation behind this is a bit more mundane.

As a tech developer who is always looking for new things to get to grips with, I thought it would be a simple introduction into the world of Alexa skills development; certainly the creation of content skills seems to be the easiest route to get started, with this blog providing an RSS feed managed by Feedburner. As skills go, it isn't exactly going to be the most popular and would probably be a good candidate for some kind of 'worst app' award, but as it is really just a test and an introduction to the tech, I'm not overly worried about it. Yet.

However, it is still in test as I am learning the Alexa developer interface and how to build the skills, so there is a good chance it will never actually be released, so hunting for it in the Skills section is going to be fruitless at this stage. That said, if you would like to be a tester and provide (constructive) feedback, please feel free to let me know in the comments and I shall get you added!

Opening Night!

2017-05-18T16:51:00.000+01:00

Well, after around 10 to 12 weeks of rehearsing, opening night is finally here ... and I am in NO WAY READY!!!

It doesn't matter how often I go through my lines and feel that even if I don't know the exact words I can work with it, as soon as I set foot at the venue - if not before - the adrenalin kicks in, my stomach ties itself into knots and my brain goes completely blank. Not the best of fight or flight responses if I can't even think of what to do - I doubt I would survive in the wild!!!

This has been a tough one to rehearse for a great many reasons, but we have had all the practice available and it is now time for cast and crew to assemble and put on a good show. So, if you fancy seeing an amateur dramatics company performing a thriller over the next three evenings, why not pop along as there are still tickets available.

Deliver Us From Evil

J.D Robins

Venue:

Henderson Hall, Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire, WD5 0AR (Map)

Production Dates:
18, 19, 20 May 2017

Doors / Bar / Play Opens at:
19:00 / 19:15 / 19:45

Ticket Prices:

£8 / £6 (concessions)

You can find out more about the production, how to book tickets and about past performances at The Centralian Players website. If you do come along, please feel free to visit our Facebook page and leave a comment, send us a message on Twitter or add a comment below.

We hope you enjoy the show!!!

Back to the Boards

2017-01-17T01:33:00.000+00:00

Last year was a tough one, in so many ways, and I have yet to be convinced that this year will be better, but we will see. However, in an effort to find something other than work to fill my time and get some of my previous enjoyment of life back, I have returned to the Centralian Players - admittedly after some encouragement from various quarters.

In 9 days - Thursday, 26 January 2017, to be more specific - I will once again be appearing on stage at Henderson Hall in Abbots Langley, in a never-before-seen production, titled 'Awkward!'. The script has been penned by our very own Steve Barker and everyone is hoping that it will eventually be published for other groups to perform.

To summarise the plot, think of that moment when your tongue rattled something off before your brain could hold it in check. Or that situation where you have to converse with someone you have nothing in common with. Or that moment a piece of clothing let your modesty down. We've all had them.

Awkward, isn't it.

Now imagine an evening full of them. It sounds painful, but rehearsals have been the funniest so far and we know how you like a laugh. We do, no matter how awkward the moment!

Around half the tickets have already been sold for the three nights we are performing (26 - 28 January), so if you want to see an original production at the very reasonable price of £8 (£6 for concessions), and get a warm, fuzzy feeling knowing that profits are being donated to the Lynda Jackson MacMillan Centre at Mount Vernon Hospital, then please contact Mrs J Thorpe, stating the evening you wish to attend, the number of tickets needed and the name to hold the tickets under. No payment is required until your arrival at the box office, so if you are unable to attend, please Cancel your booking so we can reuse them.

Amateur Dramatics is very much a community affair, with people of all skills and abilities taking part, so why not become a member? Your first reaction is probably the same as everyone else I try to encourage to join: "I could never go on stage in front of people!"

Well, here's a good piece of news for you .... you don't have to!!

There is so much going on behind the scenes, from stage management to make up, set building to lighting effects, front of house to hospitality, so we always welcome new members. I remember when I first joined the group at the end of 2002, I was so nervous at a play reading I couldn't even keep the script still, so I went in as stage manager. It was an excellent introduction to the group and learning how these things work, so I will always recommend joining up and helping out to build your confidence.

So, if after watching the production you feel compelled to become a member, feel free to talk to any of the existing members - don't be shy, we're all friendly and approachable!

Not So Habit Forming

2016-03-13T23:51:00.000+00:00

Getting out of seriously in-grained habits is something quite tough to achieve, so when the 7 Weeks app (free version) appeared in a list of 'Similar' apps during a system re-installation, I thought I would give it a shot; the justification for which was if I can start some good habits, I could work up sensibly to taking part in Be Gung Ho later this year.

Things didn't start well...

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Open Letter From my Niece to Cadbury

2015-01-24T19:37:00.000+00:00

So, the furore of the Cadbury Creme Egg recipe change has taken something of a personal turn, with my 14-year-old niece feeling incensed enough to do that stalwart British thing ... write a letter!

Enjoy!

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Memories

2014-09-27T10:02:00.001+01:00

How many of us remember the youngest years of our lives? I have some vague memories of being a baby sitting on parquet flooring in my parent's home, banging the floor with my hands and then being picked up. Is it a real memory that hasn't been invaded by more recent memories, or is it just a fiction cooked up by my, likely unstable, wetware? Who knows.
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The Case is ... Empty

2014-02-02T20:49:00.000+00:00

Since starting uni, everything from my sanity to my social life has taken something of a battering, so with a new semester just starting I figured I would take up my friend, Mr F, on the offer of a night out.

The original intention was to head into London, but with the weather on the brink of turning the capital into one giant paddling pool, we decided to head to a pub in Harrow for a bite to eat. Okay, technically still London but sufficiently far from the Thames as to downgrade the wetness status to verruca pool.

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Who Cares About Personal Data?

2013-10-15T16:21:00.000+01:00

How often do you get frustrated with someone only to then feel that perhaps, maybe, you are over-reacting?

Since starting back at Uni for my final year, there is one tutor with which I have been having this dilemma, from the point where he posted a group discussion entry asking all students to break the ice by introducing themselves in the forum ... and to include links to their Facebook and LinkedIn profiles, as well as uploading a copy of their CV.

To a publicly accessible forum.

The Journey Continues...

2013-10-04T11:11:00.000+01:00

So, here I am, back at Uni for my final year.

It feels oddly comforting to be back, like seeing an old friend who wraps their arms around you and gives you a massive hug...then says, sorry, gotta go, things are a bit chaotic right now!

I've been here properly for a week now and can confirm that things are at least as chaotic as before, with building works going on, unstable timetables and equipment needed for practical sessions not working properly. This is one of those places where you come to expect things not being up to scratch, so rather than just get angry, you roll your eyes and try to find another way.

That said, there is one thing that immediately fixed my Victor Meldrew head firmly into place.

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