The Hangover (Not a movie review)

So from the power of Twitter, and the obvious amount of alcohol i write about, the kind folks at DrinkTHC have decided to send over some samples for me to 'test'.

So as i await a package of hangover cures, i sit patiently and remember the worst ever hangover i have had to date.


A couple of weeks ago i went for a few drinks with some friends before they went to see Jimmy Carr at the Hexagon. Not wanting to go home we went through my options of:

Go Home

Drink on my own

Go to the Cinema.

Now leaving was no option, and 9 was on in 5 mins so i was running out of options when this guy i had a brief chat to said i could hang out with him and his mates. So i accepted his offer and stayed with him. Had a few more drinks in Pavlovs Dog and moved to Revs, which i didn't want to. Got to Revs and met with a few other people they knew, had a few shots with them and started drinking Orange WKD (Don't ask, i have no idea why) And had quite a few dances and bumped into my cousin, which was weird.

Went to the turtle afterwards and had a few snakey B's as per usual nights out, and felt rather worse for wear. As i left it started to piss down but i shrugged it off and started walking. Though that was a shit idea. As it was absolutely pissing down. Walked for about 5mins and i had to shelter, then walked 5 more mins and had to shelter again. Honestly it was stupid the amount of times i had to shelter under something to dry and stave off the water, but who was i kidding, it was hammering down.

Woke up and i thought i was dying. I had no thumping headache like usual and text my manager telling him i wasn't coming in. Sat up and ran to the toilet throwing up twice.

The whole day at work, yes i was guilt tripped into going in, i felt like throwing up. That was THE worst hangover i have ever had. Usually its just bleary eyed, thumping headache and dry throat. Maybe, just maybe, the odd loss of balance.

So with the impending trip to Stoke coming up in a few weeks, i will be able to test drive this here Hangover Cure.

Tales of a Drunkard Pt.8: Manchester Horror Outing

So for the 30th October, and my friends Birthday, we were destined to trek the way to Manchester. 195 miles, or 4 hours to put it another way, but more on that later.
Being as organisationally challenged that we are, we decided to pick up costumes on the way via Fun N Frolics in the morning. Now Sci-Fi, you'd think, is a relatively broad subject matter. WRONG. I mean yes, robots and spacemen aside, there's fuck all you can do with the minutes counting down.


Cowboy.... in space. Pirate..... in space. Roman Centurion.... Time traveller of course.

After seeing an eye patch in the pirate aisle, yes there are aisles of costumes, and settling on the idea that we all buy; An Eye patch, 70's wig and hope to get black t-shirt in Manchester, we could all go as Snake Pliskin (Escape from NY/LA). Though on the way out we saw Thunderbirds costumes. Now whats more Sci-Fi than Marionettes that fly space ships? Nothing i tell you. So three costumes purchased we had two Thunderbirds with a blue sash and one yellow sash'd one.

Costumes done and we stopped off at Tesco for breakfast treats for the journey and we made haste to Manchester. Pretty average car ride really, music, talking and the yellow car game. Many punches later we got to the service station around Birmingham somewhere, had a refuel of tea and whatnot then to Manchester.

Got to the Hotel at a reasonable time, got settled in and started drinking. We had a nice big room, flat screen telly which had Sarah Jane Adventures on. We hooked up the Ipod and just chilled.
Lee and Kat had a dodgy door in their room. It was a fire exit that opened onto someone else's room, so they switched. Me and Mark decided drinking was in order while the others got ready, so pissed about with our costumes.
The others thought it would be good to have some food before a heavy night of drinking, though i was already pretty tipsy. We walked down the road and found a little Italian restaurant. Amazing little place that was, had some Calamari and a nice pizza.
So a drink and food down, it was time for a costume change.

All suited and booted, Three Thunderbirds and a Vulcan Starfleet officer, we got the taxi into Manchester to meet the birthday boy. Now i might seem a little harsh here but the man looked like Jeremy Clarkson more than the supposed Malcom Reynolds that he was going for, but at least he made an effort and went through with the plan!

We met up with his mates from Uni and all put as much effort as us we had; Wolverine, Neo, David Bowie from Labyrinth, Faith from Mirrors Edge, Faith from Buffy, Rorschach and a Leia.. Might have missed a couple.

Went to FAB which was apt as we were thunderbirds and its a pretty cool and geeky place, lots of movie and TV memorabilia and a few classic arcade games just by the toilets. Had lots to drink and danced a few hours away before heading towards another club.

This club was pretty good, think it was called Jellys? But had lots of different rooms for different types of music, Ska, Metal, Rock, Drum and bass etc. Cheap drinks too. Quite a few people left after the FAB bar so the numbers where hardly ideal for mass outings, about 5 from Manchester and all from Reading where still there. Which was proof that we are hardcore :D

Stayed at the club for quite some time, and i couldn't dance in the Thunderbirds costume so i took that off (Had clothes on underneath before you ask) and continued the night. Stayed there after the birthday boy left and in the end was just three of us till the closing of the bar nearly. We had a conversation with some metallers out side the club and then walked to the taxi rank where i took one home. Got back at some ungodly hour, rather sober, and had to buzz the door to be let into the hotel. Luckily my roommate for the night left the door unlocked as i didn't have a key. Though between me coming in about 4am and waking up at 9am i lost my costume. I gave it to the guys who were leaving but who knows what happened. Ah well was only £20.

We spent the morning walking around the Trafford Centre, which is massive and really really nice inside. Had a burrito for breakfast. Didn't buy anything though which is good and bad in itself. Had a nice long trek back to Reading along the motorway and went through the toll road too, to speed things up.

Ultimately i had an awesome time. Met some amazing people from Manchester and the surrounding areas that i feel I'll probably never talk to again, or much anyhow. Which is a shame. Though Manchester impressed me through two clubs and a pub, so looking forward to going up again, possibly the new year.

Next stop: Stoke in Dec. Good times.

Hopefully will have my Hangover Cure samples to give it a proper road test :)

Walkabout

So last Monday i walked to work, got a coffee, and let myself into the shop. I was greeted by my manager and fellow supervisor, blankly staring at me. Turns out i had a day off. Whoops.

So i went back to the coffee shop next door and chatted to the owner for about 30mins while deciding what to do. The usual drill will usualy entail going home, watching films all day etc. But i like to do something adventurous when faced with a spat of freedom.

After a few emails to my mates and texts to see who was about to go for an adventure, i realised that no one was free, as they were all at work. So there was nothing to do but do it myself. So i walked back home, grabbed my bag, my ipod and my Diana medium format camera and headed to London.

Got to Oxford Circus and walked around a bit. Went to Newburgh St to see the Lomography shop and just carried on walking. Walked up to Forbidden Planet and Fopp on Shaftsbury Avenue and continued walking. Walked around and came across the Grand Masonic Lodge which was an amazing building, then walked through the LCE campus and also visited a churche behind Regent St i think it was.

I then did the tourist thing and visited Big Ben and Westminster, then to Liverpool St to go to Brick Lane and Rough Trade. Bought a couple of records from there.

Met my friend in Angel and walked to Brick Lane to a short film night held by Short And Sweet. Saw some amazing short films there. Held every week in the Truman Brewery part of brick lane. Recommend it!

Afterwards went for a quick drink just off Liverpool St station and i made my way back home. All in all a really enjoyable 12 hours in the Capital. Next time hopefully i will go on a planned day out.

Pictures will follow eventually.

The World Shall Be Mine

Havent really been doing much over the past few weeks. Well i have, i've just not written about it. Bad me.

One thing that we have been partaking in recently has been an enjoyable game of Risk every now and again, mainly Thursdays. Quite nice really sitting in a pub playing a board game.

A bit of simulated violence goes along way!

Tales of a Drunkard Special: Interpreting the Signs

Forget palms and tea leaves. Look for the signs....

So i was walking home in a drunken stupor and thought it would be funny to to take pictures of road signs. And well interpret them. So here goes....

Take Life:


Just to reiterate:

Because if you don't, you'll just end up going in:

All your decisions will be going like:

Thus any hopes and/or desires will fall upon:

Although hidden, your views on the world will be more liberal:

And at the age of:

You'll feel life is going:

But soon you get the green light:

To go ahead and start on those important things:

You'll be forced to change your views:

But don't fall prey:

But:

Otherwise other people's views will:

And your views will suddenly change on their axis:

Phileas Fogg has nothing on us.

Watch this space.

No pun intended.

Tales of a Drunkard Pt 7

Another weekend, another trip down drunken lane.


This weekend I had a live music journey in good 'ol Reading town. First off was to see my friends Jemma and Nick perform at the Rising Sun Arts Center. It's a small venue that is very good for those intimate gigs, but also has shown its wild side with, what used to be a regular occurrence, Kraked. This was an audio visual feast that threw a barrage of electronic music, chilled and heavy, and mixed it with some amazing visuals, both shapes and colours and some feature presentations, all projected onto walls, ceilings and the odd battered TV at the front of the hall. But I'll leave that trip down nostalgia avenue for another time.

The gig started out well. The cider was flowing and merriment ensued, until two over zealous so-and-so's were enjoying their conversation a little too much. So much that we could hear them above the music, and across the room. Now not being one for confrontation i didn't say anything to begin with, hoping that they would see about a dozen people staring at them with amazement at how ignorant they could be. But enough is enough and i walked over while Jemma was singing, and trying not to be loud and obtrusive told them to "Shut the fuck up, we are all here to listen to music and if you want a sodding conversation then fuck off outside and talk" (Wasn't exactly how i said it, but for dramatization sakes, we shall leave it) Regardless of what i said and how i said it, they shut up straight after. Much to the enjoyment to everyone else listening and to those performing.

Another highlight of the Rising Sun was an amazing band called Tom Williams and the Boat, who after performing one night in Tunbridge Wells had their cover of Bonkers by Dizzee Rascal picked up by the Internet and mainstream media alike (Radio 1). The cover linked was from their gig at the Rising Sun on Saturday.

We left after their great set to go to the South Street Arts Center, where DJ ScotchEgg was performing a free gig before he was going to London for Offset Festival. I'd heard of the name but fuck, it was amazing. One of the most enjoyable gigs i have been to in a long while. I was feeling pretty worse for wear by the time we left South Street, but we wandered off to Global Cafe. We sat down with our Westons Organic Cider, and after the first sip of it i had enough and needed to go home. But as soon as i got up Tom grabbed my arm and said "Where are you going? Follow me".


I magically gained a second wind and danced to some Dubstep in the room, which was pretty good, and got chatting to this girl about things, mostly just talking about work and the odd question about cameras as i work in a camera shop. Was pretty cool chatting to her and her boyfriend, leaving my mates to discuss political things.

We left Global for the walk home and, as anyone who knows me will tell you, the inevitable stop off at the Murco (24hr off license/garage). Always handy for that one or two walking beers.


On the way to the Murco there was some jumping in a bush for some reason, lots of scratches, traffic cones throwing (The steam roller had it coming). Wearing the traffic cone and running about was a bad idea. I smelt like wet dog, dirt and judy plain damp. We also wrestled our mate to the ground, picked him up by his arms and legs and while we held him up from the floor we really didn't know what to do with him, so he bit one of us and then stormed off to the Murco. As we sat down on the wall outside, one guy tripped and fell off the wall which was about 3 feet high, causing a nasty gash on his elbow and, when i saw him the next night, had a limp too.

I got home about 3ish, or half three. I don't really remember. All I do remember is the sodding great hangover i had to endure while at work.

Good music. Good company. Good times.

Till we meet again alcohol. We must break this bond of sobriety that has befallen me.