I promised this blog entry by noon today but I've just been mesmerised on iTunes trying to select a number of Christmas tracks. Sorry.
Let me give you some context before I explain about my '£500 in 3 minutes' but. err yes, I've just also been distracted by BBC Radio 5 Live's 'Fighting Talk'; so funny. A guy proposed to his girlfriend on the train this week and everyone applauded; the guest on 'Fighting Talk' said with real comic virtiol that it was so annoying because it was the quiet coach. Tears streaming down my cheeks.
Hmm maybe you had to be there.
Anyway, the story began last year when I was lucky enough to take my girls on holiday to Maui (my brother lives in California and has a timeshare option so it's a lot cheaper than you might expect). A colleague of mine (we'll call him Fitz') somewhat irrationally asked me to get him a snow globe which, despite a fairly extensive search around a whole host of shops on the island, I was unable to do. Still, there are still lots of great memories from the LA/Maui holiday ....
His disappointment was somewhat tempered as he knew I was heading to Cuba several months later so he again asked me to try to get him a snow globe. I did see one but as I had only just found out I had to pay to get OUT of the country and I was desperate for a sandwich .... I decided to tell him I couldn't find one.
And that was a serious mistake!!
Every time he has been away since he's brought me a snow globe back and the collection has grown as others have got caught up in the spirit of things and decided to also bring me one back from their holidays. I now have 15 bloody snow globes on my desk at work! Yes yes I'll post a photo of the collection next time.
Anyway, as I started to prompt people for donations to the charity pot for my polar trek, Fitz' joked that he'd seen on-line that you could buy life-size snow globes and he would donate £500 if I got him a photo of me in a life-size snow globe. And so the challenge began.
Google is my friend but although I found what I was looking for within just a few days, it has taken months to organise but this last week was the week I was going to make it happen.
I woke on Friday in London after a good night out with people I work with. Thursday night was excellent but the wind and hail had already made its mark as we left Manchester (yeah I know, rain in Manchester ... WHAT a surprise). A few special mentions if I may: -
- Special mention to Jason who was still in Edinburgh at 2pm when he text to say all flights out of the airport had been cancelled so he was hoping to get down to London to meet us on a train. And he did!
- Andrew, you don't need to say to a Manchester taxi driver "Manchester Piccadilly station please"
- Thanks to Fitz' for the education on pugilistic donkeys. Think we'll leave that topic alone and apologies to Peter Barden for making him nervous in the restaurant.
- The Windmill hotel (Windmill on the Common) remains a great hotel at a reasonable price and we all enjoyed the bar, but only a couple of us enjoyed breakfast.
In contrast to Thursday, Friday started beautifully & I walked through Clapham in the mild morning sunshine watching joggers, cyclists and just 'life' going on ...........
The train ride north was enjoyable and relaxing and when I returned to Manchester .... I got caught in yet another hail shower. A quick trip back to the car and I headed to Bury to find The Rock shopping centre.
Before I go on, my thanks to Pete Barrett for saying yes to helping me with the challenge. Within minutes of parking I found the attraction that is the Snow Ball Experience ...........
Apologies to Phil (in case it wasn't Phil as I'm sometimes rubbish with names); he was managing the attraction and very patiently took numerous photographs and offered all sorts of product in support of my £500 challenge.
The people walking by the attraction must have wondered what the heck a grown man was doing inside the globe alone, throwing fake snow over his head and onto the fan to create a haze so thick it was difficult to see it was actually me in the globe, but whilst the photograph below shows me (vaguely) I can promise you Fitz' has the proof he needs that is was me and I'll be looking forward to the £500 donation.
I text Fitz' several times on Friday afternoon and his final text, once he knew I had the proof, was "A deal is a deal ..." and I am already looking forward to the presentation ceremony. Fitz' will finally get his first ever snow globe from me, of me.
And now it's time for me to email a few companies who have promised to be #ontheflag and need instructions on how to pay, as well as package the Lucas Radebe signed football shirt ready to mail out to the winner of the silent auction (item courtesy of and funds already with the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign).
Wonderful news about the #ontheflag campaign although not quite as much fun as a life-size snow globe and a mini-snow globe to go with Fitz's growing thimble collection.
But that collection is another story. Revenge is sweet though.
Let me give you some context before I explain about my '£500 in 3 minutes' but. err yes, I've just also been distracted by BBC Radio 5 Live's 'Fighting Talk'; so funny. A guy proposed to his girlfriend on the train this week and everyone applauded; the guest on 'Fighting Talk' said with real comic virtiol that it was so annoying because it was the quiet coach. Tears streaming down my cheeks.
Hmm maybe you had to be there.
Anyway, the story began last year when I was lucky enough to take my girls on holiday to Maui (my brother lives in California and has a timeshare option so it's a lot cheaper than you might expect). A colleague of mine (we'll call him Fitz') somewhat irrationally asked me to get him a snow globe which, despite a fairly extensive search around a whole host of shops on the island, I was unable to do. Still, there are still lots of great memories from the LA/Maui holiday ....
 |
| Looking out from Maui to ... err ... to ... erm, another Hawaiian island |
 |
| A view from my balcony, the round the island helicopter trip, my youngests' 16th birthday evening and 'that' sign |
 |
| Sauces at the amazing Momma's Fish House on Maui |
 |
| Driving through Bel Air in the convertible hire car |
 |
| All too much for someone on the flight home |
And that was a serious mistake!!
Every time he has been away since he's brought me a snow globe back and the collection has grown as others have got caught up in the spirit of things and decided to also bring me one back from their holidays. I now have 15 bloody snow globes on my desk at work! Yes yes I'll post a photo of the collection next time.
Anyway, as I started to prompt people for donations to the charity pot for my polar trek, Fitz' joked that he'd seen on-line that you could buy life-size snow globes and he would donate £500 if I got him a photo of me in a life-size snow globe. And so the challenge began.
Google is my friend but although I found what I was looking for within just a few days, it has taken months to organise but this last week was the week I was going to make it happen.
I woke on Friday in London after a good night out with people I work with. Thursday night was excellent but the wind and hail had already made its mark as we left Manchester (yeah I know, rain in Manchester ... WHAT a surprise). A few special mentions if I may: -
- Special mention to Jason who was still in Edinburgh at 2pm when he text to say all flights out of the airport had been cancelled so he was hoping to get down to London to meet us on a train. And he did!
- Andrew, you don't need to say to a Manchester taxi driver "Manchester Piccadilly station please"
- Thanks to Fitz' for the education on pugilistic donkeys. Think we'll leave that topic alone and apologies to Peter Barden for making him nervous in the restaurant.
- The Windmill hotel (Windmill on the Common) remains a great hotel at a reasonable price and we all enjoyed the bar, but only a couple of us enjoyed breakfast.
In contrast to Thursday, Friday started beautifully & I walked through Clapham in the mild morning sunshine watching joggers, cyclists and just 'life' going on ...........
 |
| Who needs a holiday when England is this beautiful |
The train ride north was enjoyable and relaxing and when I returned to Manchester .... I got caught in yet another hail shower. A quick trip back to the car and I headed to Bury to find The Rock shopping centre.
Before I go on, my thanks to Pete Barrett for saying yes to helping me with the challenge. Within minutes of parking I found the attraction that is the Snow Ball Experience ...........
Apologies to Phil (in case it wasn't Phil as I'm sometimes rubbish with names); he was managing the attraction and very patiently took numerous photographs and offered all sorts of product in support of my £500 challenge.
The people walking by the attraction must have wondered what the heck a grown man was doing inside the globe alone, throwing fake snow over his head and onto the fan to create a haze so thick it was difficult to see it was actually me in the globe, but whilst the photograph below shows me (vaguely) I can promise you Fitz' has the proof he needs that is was me and I'll be looking forward to the £500 donation.
I text Fitz' several times on Friday afternoon and his final text, once he knew I had the proof, was "A deal is a deal ..." and I am already looking forward to the presentation ceremony. Fitz' will finally get his first ever snow globe from me, of me.
And now it's time for me to email a few companies who have promised to be #ontheflag and need instructions on how to pay, as well as package the Lucas Radebe signed football shirt ready to mail out to the winner of the silent auction (item courtesy of and funds already with the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign).
Wonderful news about the #ontheflag campaign although not quite as much fun as a life-size snow globe and a mini-snow globe to go with Fitz's growing thimble collection.
But that collection is another story. Revenge is sweet though.
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