Buster

Buster is Alex’s school’s fluffy toy dog…. He is a project for the kids – in this case he is taken home over the weekend by a different kid each time and the kid has to keep a diary with photo’s.

Alex is the third to have the diary and Buster, so this weekend we went off to do some things that Alex enjoys. Buster came along with Alex’s own plush puppy ‘Puppy’ (which Alex has had since birth – a gift from Granny).

Saturday was a bit of a let down as the weather was on and off wet and dry. Alex, Puppy and Buster spent the day playing with cars and drawing (cars). Sunday though was more up Alex’s street…. it involved Goodwood and cars (oh, tell me you weren’t surprised…).

Alex, Puppy and Buster watch the cars hush past...

Greenpower run a schools event to inspire engineering in young people. It’s an electric car race and the finals were held at Goodwood. Alex has a great love of electric cars, so it was a no brainer that we would go and watch the race. We saw some pretty amazing cars and soon had our favourites.

Sandbach Brian - a crowd favourite

Sandbach Zebedee - The one to watch

Brian and Zebedee from Sandbach High School & 6th Form  College caught our eyes as they were in copies of real race colours – GULF and JPS. The two cars also looked well thought out and the team behind them were very focused. Little surprise to find out that this entry was from a girls school – and in engineering I have always found that the female of the species is often the stronger, as they have to fight harder to be noticed… they have to be better to be regarded as being equal to the men. Admittedly this view is dropping off, but in certain fields it is still sadly true.

Team C.A.U.C (Sandbach) 1st and 4th with a Williams F1 car

Sandbach were  a focused team and well driven – and got a 1st and 4th in the final for their efforts. Stunning cars too – really well thought out – and Alex just had to go back and see Brian after the race! Well done to the team for doing such a top job – you were the most talked about team in the crowds from what I can gather.

A few photo’s were taken of Alex, Puppy and Buster around Goodwood – including some by the Aston Martin V8 Vantage that Alex has been around the track in, and that Granddad uses on the circuit as a work car (jammy bugger!). Granddad then came over and popped Alex and friends up on an ambulance and crash truck for a few more shots. We then went on to watch some more racing and take a few more photo’s.

Alex introduces Puppy and Buster to Granddad

Alex & friends by the V8 Vantage he did laps in.

The prize was Williams F1 related, and as such there was a 2008/9 season Williams on display. This recently retired F1 racer was there to look at but that was it – it’s an expensive car (cost to build – not including development – is estimated in excess of £1.5 million – a wheel alone costs upwards of £25,000), and a fragile piece of equipment, so don’t touch…. unless you happen to be a car mad Alex with a loving Granddad in motor sports…

Alex, Puppy, Buster and £1.5 million worth of F1 car

Even Daddy hasn't sat in one of these... yet!

I wonder what the next outing will have in store for Buster, as he is handed back tomorrow… but I can’t help but feel that the benchmark has been raised a little…

More importantly though, Alex had a wonderful day. He kept saying “I really love Granddad – I will be a racing driver, won’t I?” on the way home… before falling asleep for the remainder of the drive. Job as a Dad done for the day!

MORE PHOTO’S HERE

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King of Shaves going strong

Still baldly going where no razor has gone before….

Looking and feeling good is important. I wouldn’t have said this a year ago – but I hadn’t met Will King back then. After meeting him I started to get into male grooming products. I can safely say that I feel better in myself now for the extra care I take shaving.

Some people just think shaving is something that gets in the way and is just done as quick as possible in whatever way is cheapest or available…. well I used to be that way too until I slowed down and now use my shower/shave time to slow down and clear my head (mentally and physically!!!!).

What has happened since I started using KoS and taking a bit more pride and time over myself? Well…. I got myself a new job… executive level and £7,000 more a year…. Will King’s positivity and drive may have rubbed off on me a bit, but feeling better in myself made me feel a lot more confident. I know it sounds crazy, but the proof is there.

Want to feel better? Just take time out to enjoy your shave rather than just enduring it. Make it a bit of “you time“.

King of Shaves (KMI) is still going strong in our house – infact it is going stronger now than before. KMI have baby products now, and alongside the Azor (the superb Gillette and Wilkinson Sword beating razor) there is now the Azure for ladies.

There is no way I’ll go back to the more expensive brands when the KoS Azor is more cost effective, lasts over 4 times longer and gives a far better shave!

After about 8 months using Azors I can safely say that my initial findings were not fluke. I can shave my face and head more times with the Azor than I could just shave my face with a Gillette! That shows not only does the Azor cost less up front, but once you factor in how long the blades last the Azor is cheaper than a dodgy chemist chuck-away razor! This is what you need in this credit crunch era.

The gels and creams are also amazing quality and cost. The smallest pea size portion of gel does my entire head! Sure, the initial cost may be close to the competition products, but once more it lasts far longer – more savings!

What is the downside though? Well… before the Azure came out the downside was that Chris nicked my Azor – but that’s all fixed now!

It gets better though… I have always had sensitive skin and had to be very careful how I shave. A year ago I would never have shaved my head for fear it would rash up – but the Azor is so darned good I can shave my scalp daily (ooooh and it feels good!). Even better still I have a technique that should really be frowned upon… a technique that would cause me great trouble with anything other than an Azor….

I place the Azor on my scalp and do not lift it up for the whole shave… I just glide it back and forth all over… with the hair growth, against the haor growth… no problem whatsoever! Heck, I can do my entire head in less than two minutes!

Using the Azor after anything else is like using a Mac after using a PC…. a real eye opener of how it should be done.

So… What are you waiting for? Grab an Azor for a shave that is better for you and your pocket.

King of Shaves is the Brawn F1 team of the shave world… McLaren and Ferrari are the Wilkinson Sword and Gillette. WS & G have tried to stay ahead with flashy things but with a poorly judged complacency, whilst all the time KoS gets stronger and bigger with the simple ideals of a good product, good infrastructure and an item that works without the whistles and bells.

Congratulations to Jenson Button and all at Brawn and Virgin for another wonderful race victory.

If you want you can follow Will King and KMI on Twitter at: KingOfShaves

Note: Although I admin on the ShaveForum I am independent to KMI and KoS. If Gillette or Wilkinson Sword made a product that bettered the Azor, then I would use it. So far though they don’t. Not even close.

Brooklands, Hill Climbs and the Banked Track

The F1 room

Alex gets very excited when he see’s cars that he really likes. He breaks into squeals and shouts of joy, but today’s trip out to Brooklands Museum in Weybridge was a real eye opener….

The first building we entered had F1 cars in it… as Alex stepped into the room he just stopped dead… not a sound… he was overwhelmed!!!

He then started naming the cars!

Now I’ve mentioned before about his car knowledge, but today he surpassed himself as we walked around the vintage motors. We walked into one room with some really old cars in, and straight away he was naming them… Vauxhalls, Morgans, MG’s…. and then in the corner we saw a really old car….. and over Alex went and happily told me it was a Bugatti!!!

In yet another room he told me about the red 1930’s Maserati and a very early 1900 and something Peugeot… one of those that look like an old stage coach! He said it was a Peugeot granny car….

In one showroom there was a staged room belonging to a car designer. It was full of small models on the window ledge… which Alex started naming… He’s less than a month from his 3rd Birthday, so hearing him name vintage race cars just seemed so odd! He’s very good at it!

 

Alex scares people by naming vintage race car models...

Besides the cars there are lots of aircraft at the museum – mostly those with some link to Vickers or Brooklands. They have one of the retired Concorde airliners there – an awesome sight – but for me it was overshadowed by the little known TSR2 nose section. Don’t get me started on that one… politics, politics and more politics… Grrrrrrr

A lot of the exhibits were things that my Dad had been heavily involved in – so I felt a warm nostalgia as I recollected the tales people told me of what he had achieved. He used to work alongside famous test pilots and engineers – notable names such as Bill Bedford and Barnes Wallace (Bouncing Bomb fame).

TRS2 fwd fuselage under Concorde nose

Vickers Wellington bomber, Hawker Hurricane, Harriers and Kestrels… Bouncing bombs and Tall Boys… lots of history… All of which Alex really enjoyed…. but this is Brooklands, and the home of a motor racing circuit that is 102 years old… or what is left of it….

 

Alex under the huge nose of the Valiant V-Bomber in the Stratosphere Chamber - out of sight is the 100 ton chamber door!

The circuit saw the fastest cars of the day – record breakers and racers – and a lot of them are on display. The steeply banked track is close to impossible to walk up – and very scary to try and climb down again as it is near vertical at the top!

So happy I thought the corners of his smile would meet up at the back of his head...

I always wondered what it would be like to go around the banked track, and today I had to wonder no more… They had a range of vintage and vintage style cars … and a Corvette … taking passengers up the (crazily steep) Hill Climb and hard right onto a woodland surrounded dirt track that swooped down and joined onto some of the remaining original circuit… tha part with the steep banking….

As we swept down the woodland road onto the race track our driver gunned the engine and took us up the steeply banked track – I say steeply banked track, but I think “wall” is a better description!

Alex loved it so much (squealing and grinning with joy) that we had to go around twice! It really was fantastic! The photo’s don’t do the angles justice!

The Hill Climb - We rocketed up this!

 

Getting ready to climb the bank.... It did not feel natural to be going so fast at such an angle of sideways tilt!

A final mention goes to this old fire engine. I’ve just had my 36th birthday… but I don’t feel so old… until I see an engine that I used to drive as part of my job!!!

I used to be part of the Dan-Air (Lasham) airfield fire crew. We had old RAF and Airport fire vehicles, and this very engine was one that I used to drive! How old does it make you feel to see something you actually used sitting there in a museum!

 

VXN... the old engine I used to drive!

F1 shock – Button is OUT

Bet you feel a little better now you’ve seen the picture…

Joking aside, I am so pleased that Brawn is winning races. Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello are doing a fine job with a fine car – and kudos indeed go to Branson. This is a dream sponsorship deal for him so far!

The controversial start to the F1 2009 saw Hamilton and McLaren disqualified from the Australian GP. Even after the end of the rain hit Malaysian GP there was confusion as to final placing…. once more by Lewis Hamilton.

I’m really enjoying watching the qualifying laps and races – because Alex is well into the cars too, so it is a shared experience! Just this morning he woke up and said “Clean teeth… Formula One” as his first words uttered!

Whilst talking F1, can I ask if anyone else has noticed the following people could be “Separated at birth” …

Mark Weber and Sam the Eagle

Nico Rosberg and Leanardo D’caprio

Lewis Hamilton’s Dad and Don Cheadle (it looked better from a movie clip I can’t find… pah!)

….and finally… triplets

(thanks http://www.brawngpblog.co.uk/ for the Kelsey look-a-like!)

… Rubens Barrichello, Kelsey Grammer and Robin Williams….

That would make Brawn ‘Orson’ and Button… erm…. ‘Mindy!’

“Mork calling Orson… come in Orson…. rain stops race? Oh Shazbut!“