Helen and Carol Galashan - National Lottery Sat 19-Jun-10

Four years ago the twins were both competing in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne as individual gymnasts [1], [2], [3]. Shortly after that they gave up gymnastics and switched to synchronised diving [4], [5]. This time they are hoping to make it all the way to the London Olympics in 2012.

We learned belatedly that they had appeared on the Lotto prize draw on prime time TV last Saturday. However thanks to the BBC iPlayer and the wonders of the interweb we were able to catch it later and here it is :-)



Previous posts:
[1] Galashan twins at the Commonwealth Games
[2] Carol Galashan placed 10th in Individual All Around
[3] Helen Galashan placed 7th in the Beam

[4] Galashan twins win 10m British diving title
[5] Helen Galashan get a gold medal

Or click on the label galashan to read all.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh Chair

Our sitting room has a CRM theme so when we saw this chair at the local auction house we decided to have a punt and put in a low bid. Guide price was £100 - £140 but we got it for £90 - FTW!


Charles Rennie Mackintosh style chair

Mary picked it up this afternoon and very elegant it looks indeed :-)

iPhone currency exchange rates

The iPhone stocks seemed like the most useless of the default apps supplied until a colleague showed how you can get exchange rates as well as share prices.

Add a new "stock" by tapping the "i" (bottom right) then "+" (top left) and then search for a stock code made up of the two three-letter currency codes followed by =X. For example UK Sterling to US Dollar is GBPUSD=X, then exit gracefully back to the main screen.


iPhone stocks currency rates

What I only discovered by accident was that turning the iPhone sideways gives you the full screen version of the chart:


iPhone stocks currency rates graph

For a list of the currency codes see http://www.xe.com/iso4217.php

Limitations of iPhone maps

The iPhone resolutely refused to believe that I can walk on water. I was actually on a Thames Clipper en route from London Bridge to Embankment so in the middle of the river.

The normally accurate map claimed not to know my true location as indicated by the wide uncertainty radius of the blue halo. Instead it skulked along the riverbank tracking me as we sailed and refusing to get its feet wet.



Is this a bug or a feature?

Art @ Work 2010

Guildford Arts - an umbrella for the arts in and around Guildford - organise, amongst other things, Art @ Work exhibitions. These run for a couple of months in the offices of two local firms and members of the public can view also by appointment.

Dad Exhibited there a couple of years ago and again this year. For more visit: http://www.michaelmclellan.com/


Italian Scene


Annunciation


Twin Babel Towers


Chanctonbury Rings


Trip to Cythera


Downs

These images © Michael McLellan

Mary does projects around the house

Got home to discover that Mary has *not* been imitatating a Jane Austen heroine. No counted cross-stitch for her, oh no! She spent the afternoon sanding the wooden kitchen worktop and is now applying Ronseal work top oil.


Mary sands and oils the wooden worktop

Next it was the turn of the bedroom. Having seen a picture in a magazine Mary decided that one bold blue wall and the rest white was the scheme. Eight match pots later the verdict was in - Farrow and Ball Drawing Room Blue and Wimbourne White. We are a team: Mary does the "slap it on with a roller", I do the ceiling, the careful cutting in along all edges and the gloss paint.


Mary paints the bedroom

Does that woman not understand the virtues of sloth and idolence?

CSC Alumni: Drinks: Tue 29-Jun-10 18:00 The George, 77 Borough High St, SE1 1NH

There is a Yahoo group for UK based CSC alumni: Past employees of CSC (primarily in the UK) who wish to keep in touch, exchange news, provide mutual support and share information on possible job opportunities. http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/cscalumni/

We meet occasionally for socialising and networking.

The last couple of sessions there have been requests for somewhere that sells beer, not on a Thursday, not on a Wednesday and not while Bob Carlsen is on holiday so here we have it :-)

Date: Tuesday 29 June 2010
Time: from 18:00
Where: The George, 77 Borough High St, London, SE1 1NH
Web: http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/43/434/George/London_Bridge

It is down an alley on the left as you head south from London Bridge.

Hope to see some new ex-colleagues there :-)

Weekend with the "girls"

This weekend three of Mary's friends from college came down to London for one of their occasional get-togethers. The girls were all at the University of Strathclyde and have kept in touch ever since. Indeed Geraldine was Matron of Honour at our wedding.

Geraldine and Alisdair drove down from Glasgow Friday night arriving at 2am the next morning, Christine flew down Saturday morning and Liz and Peter drove Saturday afternoon.


Mary, Geraldine, Christine, Liz

We assembled late afternoon for a glass of champagne, Billecart-Salmon 1996, before going off to Steam Bar for a meal. Liz and Peter had to go back that night; the others stayed and caught up on more news till the wee small hours.



The next day we went for a stroll round the local area including the River Wandle and the local auction house. This was followed by a beer at The Waterfront then a late BBQ lunch.

Geraldine and Alisdair went back that evening and Christine the next morning leaving us to recover and potter about the house.