FAREWELL NINIAN PARK OPEN DAY

CARDIFF CITY held an Open Day for fans to say their goodbyes to Ninian Park before it shuts for good at the end of the month.

After the shambles of the last league game celebrations, the club actually orgainsed things very well this time with all food and drink half price, tours of the stadium, fans allowed to go where they wished, taking penalties at the Grange End, kids games in sealed off areas of the pitch and a stage where singers snag, footballers waved and some legends dropped by as well.

The weather was poor but it didn't stop a big turn out so much so that when I turned up, queues stetched all along Sloper Road. Thankfully, they died down later so I popped in for half hour as the pictures below will show.

Thorpe Park visit

Visited Thorpe Park today under shadows of Heathrow Airport in picturesque Surrey and enjoyed it. It's not as expansive or with as many rides as other theme parks but has more than its fair share or thrill and big rides.

The new ride is saw, very similar externally, to Speed at Oakwood but with some indoor dips and tricks too. One top if you go - do it first as there's no Fattrack available for it as queues were 3 hour long during the day - not worth it for a ride that lasts less than 90 seconds. Fortunately, we had to wait only 40 minutes.

Other rides were great - Stealth with its 0-80mph in 2.3 seconds followed by an outrageous vertical hairpin on the outside of the structure, Rush - an air compressed super fast swing, Collosss with its 10 loop the loops and the wettest water chutes and log flumes on those shores amongst many others.

Ot even had its own man made beach, pool and slides - didn't swim but enjoyed the rest there.

Photos attached:

There's Fireworks and There's FIREWORKS

Check this $20M display opening a new Dubai hotel last night (not quite as good as the £70 our family spent on a show the other week but a noble attempt to match it!!)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/7740887.stm

Today is the final day of The Corkscrew at Alton Towers, the UK and Europe's first flip over rollercoaster.

Was surprised to learn it is 28 years old but I went there this summer and realised how bland it is with the new generation of coasters and thrill rides around today.

My best memory though is the very first time I went to Alton Towers specifically to ride on The Corkscrew. I set off with my brother in my mini long before SatNav, internet and Alton Towers was a well known venue. We stopped at Severn Bridge services at silly o'clock in the morning, looked at an atlas and found Alton on a map.

Got there for breakfast time but there was no sign of a theme park or any signs directing us to the place so we called in the village petrol station for help and discovered we were in Alton near Basingstoke in Hampshire when Alton Towers is near Stoke!

Doh! We made it later that day, they let us in cheap as the park closed an hour later and we got on the Corkscrew. Sh*te myself then, wonder why now. Times move on eh?

A VISIT TO ST. FAGANS

With Summer still on hold, plans for a long day away were curtailed and we visited St. Fagans today. Just as well as the weather did the same trick it has for a few days - promising in the morning but then cloud and light rain.

St Fagans is always worth a visit as it doesn't change much but you tend to find things you hadn't noticed before. The fact it's free means it's good value too - still cost me lucnh for the family though!

There were plenty of activities on site today so it was interesting to see some of the carvings and wooden machines being produced as well as the old houses and with it being a long week, it works up a fair appetite too.

Recommended!

http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/stfagans/

AN ODE TO MY KNACKERED MP3

Isn't it amazing how reliant we all become some of our gagdets and feel/lost or naked without them?

Forget to take my mobile out with me and I'm a wreck. Is there anything worse than relaising you've left your cash machine card at home. The other week, my digi camera was bust and lthough life ticks along without it, I could barely cope.

I got a new dilemma - my MP3 has a small fault and needs to go back to the manufacturer for an under guarantee repair. It has 4,000 songs on it plus a few of my favourite podcasts. I listen to it in the car, at work, when I'm out and even in the garden or at home.

I got loads of other devices to listen to music but it's my MP3 I love. I'm a sad git, I know.

So my depression has inspired this adapted memoriam!

Hither please join me to scatter flowers

This sixth day of May

Upon our fallen heroes' graves

On this Memorial Day

I cherish now no bitter thoughts

Don’t feel sorry for me

No shuffle have I got today
It’s dead … my MP3

The rank and file in North and South

Believe their cause was just

We find upon each battle flag
Since Harris has No Music To Trust

And in this sunny land of South Wales

Where so much that goes on is phoney

The only thing I ask tonight

Is “****ing repair it fast Sony!”

AMEN

CADOXTON IMPS WIN LOCAL TOURNAMENT

Caddy Imps with Joshua and Luke today won their own organised tournament for their age range at Barry Boys School.

A few pics from their final m,atch are here

http://tinyurl.com/3nz8o4

MILO AND SAM at HOME

ONE FOR THE FAMILY - IT'S OUR PET RABBIT AND DOG.

http://aolpictures.aol.co.uk/ap/slideshow.do?albumId=34396.1558.1210007219770.3&shareInfo=&user=

THE KIDS FIRST INDIAN RESTAURANT MEAL

Funny how the thing you take for granted are seen differently by others.

We took the kids for their first ever Indian Restaurant meal tonight, just a cheapie place (Radhuny) on City Road - a place that does a £6.95 for any starter, any meal, any rice, any naan and all drinks 2-for-1. Classy joint indeed.

The kids loved it though. Waiters saying please and thank you as they placed their order. curries brought out in bowls, rice on dishes to serve yourself on a plate, a jug of water and After Eight mints!! They thought they were being treated like royalty. How funny.

MEET MILO

Been cajoled, press-ganged and "hounded" by the family to get a dog since I can't remember so I lost the will to live and given in. He's a cute thing though, a King Charles Spaniel named Milo.

Here's some pics