Eight years ago (last Monday), I disembarked from a train and met the lady who changed my life. Seven years ago (last Sunday), we moved in together. We changed our lives to be together.

We lived half a country apart, I’m six years older and I made a huge lifestyle change (for the better, my liver must be thankful). Meeting her was the best thing that ever and will ever happen to me. Stepping onto that train was the best decision I will ever make.

She has an incredible personality and a lady with natural beauty. She has brought calm to the storm that was me. I’m a better person for being her partner.

Our journey is a journey of love and commitment. Every day I get to spend time with an incredible lady. At times life has not been easy and we’ve worked hard together, a true partnership. Oh and I don’t believe we have ever shouted at each other in anger.

I love my girlfriend more than I can properly express in written form, my english just doesn’t do it justice.

One of the countless things I like about our partnership is the ability to do things our way, together. Too many people take note of ‘how things are supposed to be done’. Too many couples respond to pressure from those around them. A strong partnership of a loving and committed couple can achieve so much more together, we have and will continue to do so.

Eight years on and our journey is only at the beginning.

On Sunday my family and I visited Wisley Gardens. My second visit and it was just as enjoyable as the previous. These gardens are varied and have something for everyone.

The couple reading in a small walled garden. The children gazing at the huge carp swimming in a stream. The elderly strolling through the rows of roses. The friends eating lunch at an old table in a quiet spot. The bees hovering over the lavender and much more. To take the whole experience in, requires more than one visit.

This is a visit to stroll, explore, stop, chat, sit and enjoy. Every visit discovering something new. No rushing to view, packed lunch optional, a camera a must.

Afterwards we visited a nearby pub for dinner. Sitting outside, near a lock, with good company, good food, a beer and watching the canal boats go by. Afterwards we watched the sun begin to set from a boat, as we travelled back across to our home on the island.

I’ve stopped using flickr and again uploaded a new gallery to the blog.

A day at the Farnborough airshow?  Breathtaking is how you could sum up my Saturday. From world war one planes to the airbus A380, the range, capabilities and varied displays meant the day ‘flew by’, and the entrance money was well spent.

You don’t need to be enthusiastic about aircraft to appreciate a stunning display by the blades or red arrows. The grace of a first world war plane or the skill of the Chinook pilots manoeuvring the helicopter. Plus the memories stirred seeing the planes one of my grandfathers flew. Not forgetting seeing the last Vulcan flying at the end of the show. Stunning.

It wasn’t just the aircraft though that made an impression, but the Red Devils parachutists also. I’ve seen them a couple of times before elsewhere, but they are still a delight to watch. Especially the first to land hitting the target cross. Stunning skill and ability.

Click here to visit my youtube profile, where I’ve uploaded a ton of video clips. Below is a small gallery of photos.

When I was a child the electronic toys were limited and basic. I’m talking of the days of the original transformers, a-team and star wars toys. When something called ‘Mask’ was all the rage, when corgi cars were a must have and action man was deluxe. My most expensive toy around the age of five or six was the BigTrak.

The reality though was that any toy was cherished. Plastic soldiers, McDonalds frisbees, lego blocks etc. Mix them all up, go on adventures in the garden. Build my own environments out of lego etc. Bed covers converted to lunar landscapes. Flowerbeds turned into battlefields. Create my own environments and scenary, rather than a computer game defining one for me. My imagination going wild and hours lost in my own worlds.

I was extremely fortunate as a child for the amount of toys I had. I’ve taken a small collection of photos to share. Do you remember these? What were your own favourite toys?