This is going to be the strangest post that I have ever written, but nevertheless one of the most important...lol!

Many many years ago, when I was but knee high to a grasshopper I was sat in my parents lounge with my sisters watching TV. I remember the afternoon vividly as it was just before Christmas, dark outside and the snow had begun to fall. The reason I remember this evening so distinctly is that we were watching the most magical film ever written.

The film was based in a department store, and followed the adventures of a pile of broken toys that had been thrown in the basement awaiting incineration. Their adventures took them out of the basement and up into the unknown in search of Father Christmas.

The reason that this film has always stayed in my mind, is that we had to switch off the TV before the film had finished and head to London to stay with our Grandparents. You could only begin to imagine the heartache and distress that my sisters and I have had to endure over the past 30 years as we have wondered what happened to the toys at the bottom of the basement in that department store... What was the name of the film? Did the toys make it up to Father Christmas? Did their journey come to a sudden end en route? Did the robot or the witch capture them? Did Tommy Steel ever sing again?

Each year since, we have grappled with the Christmas TV film listings as soon as they are released, in hope that this would be the year that they would reshow the film. But alas, it has never been shown since... sob...sob!

Well, now all our questions can be answered as, while randomly wandering through YouTube tonight (as one does), I stumble upon the film... YES!!!! My life is now complete!!! (Well, almost..lol!) And judging by the comments left by others on YouTube, it appears that we were not the only children of the 70's that were wondering what happened with the film.

There is only one thing left for me to do, and that is to open a bottle of red wine, turn out the lights and sit back to enjoy the film. Of course I can't end this post here. It would be completely remiss of me not to invite you along. So get your popcorn ready, pull up a cushion and enjoy the film... oh, and as you will very soon discover, the film is very old and this copy on YouTube kinda reflects that fact. I am thinking of petitioning to get the film remade...lol!




















Cheerio for now and happy viewing,

Graham x

I am now sat in my Travelodge room with a bottle of red wine. Mmmmmmm! The perfect medicine after a long day walking around the wonderful city of Edinburgh. I spent most of the day walking up and down the Royal Mile, enjoying the sights and sounds of the Edinburgh Fringe commotion. Then as the day came to an end, I wandered up to Edinburgh Castle. Here is a small selection of the photographs that I took, to give you a little flavour. More photos and video clips are to follow soon......

















That's it for now! I'm off to bed, and am looking forward to another adventure tomorrow :)

Cheerio!!

Graham :o)

Well, I am finally on vacation again... this time staying within Great Britain. My destination is the amazing location of Ayrshire in Scotland. I'll write more about it later, but thought I'd let you see a small handful of the photos that I took on my first walk yesterday, whilst I sit here finishing my morning cup of tea in my hotel room :)

My first walk was Glen Trool, and the famous landmark of Bruce's stone (see photo above). The inscription on the stone reads:

"In loyal remembrance of

ROBERT the BRUCE

King of Scots

whose victory in this

glen over an English

force in March 1307

opened the campaign of

independence which he

brought to a decisive

close at Bannockburn

on 24th June 1314."

I'll add more photographs and write more, over the next few days.

Cheerio for now,

Graham