New Years Eve

Well, I've done it. 366 photos. One taken every day for the last year. Its not been as easy as I thought, making the effort to find something to capture. Not every picture is perfect (very few of them are if I'm honest) But there is one for every day of 2012. I've learnt a bit more about taking photos, bought a new camera and tried some new techniques and ideas. For the last photo of the project I've chosen my family. My wonderful wife who puts up with me through thick and thin, humours me, hugs me and keeps me sane and my gorgeous daughter who is my world and has provided so many of the views this year.

Christmas Day part four

For some people Christmas Day is just the 25th. For us it seems to stretch out forever. After the full day of celebrating, we have had two further family get togethers. Today was the turn of our old neighbour. Presents and a sunday lunch at a nearby pub and a chance to natter filled the afternoon nicely and Lily pigged out on bangers and mash with peas. A pleasant sight after a sore tongue meant she was off her food for a bit. Just one more day of fun to come and we're all done.

When is a five minute job not a five minute job?

Kim bought me a shiny new steering wheel for the Camper as a Christmas present. As she was out this morning I thought I'd tackle this quick and simple job. Disconnect horn, remove push button, undo 24mm nut, lift old wheel off, reverse the process with the new wheel. I got to the "lift old wheel bit" and thats where I stayed for almost four hours. Four decades of grime and grit and seized the splines together and none of the usual tricks was working. Boiling water hadn't loosened the grip. WD40 hadn't freed it. A hammer and block of wood and just cracked the rim even more. I even purchased a puller tool, which failed miserably. So I broke out the hacksaw and chopped through the boss before bashing the remains off the column. Once cleaned the new wheel looks great. Not a five minute job though!

Duplo

Still in her PJs, Lily was busy constructing things from her new Duplo set. Hopefully this will stop her playing with my LEGO now!

Regal graffiti

Another day, another refreshing walk. In between showers we ventured out to ASDA, some supplies and treats were needed. On route we spotted an underpass, the walls of which are normally daubed in tags and obscenities. This time a Jubilee themed scene greeted us. Painted by a local workshop it brightened up the otherwise dark and dank path.

Boxing Day fun

Having kicked out the last of the family late last night, then crashed on the sofa to unwind, it was almost midnight before we hit the sack for bed. Boxing Day always used to be a day to go out in the car for a long drive then a walk, but we didn't have the energy for that and the weather was rubbish. Finding a dry window in the morning we went for a walk. The three of us all holding hands with Lily swinging between us. Destination, the park. She ran round, swung, jumped and then clambered aboard as my co-pilot for a flight of fantasy.

The big day

I was hoping to put some wonderful arty photo of the festivities up. Bad sadly the camera was only used for a few snaps in the evening. The rest of the day was taken up with shredding wrapping paper, eating, drinking and relaxing with our families. Lily was spoilt rotten and as good as gold all day (well most of it!)

The night before Christmas

Traditionally a time to run madly around getting things sorted and buying last minute presents. This year we appear to have got it all sorted well in advance. There are a couple of bits to wrap (but we won't see the recipients till later in the week) some veg needs preparing (naff TV and a saucepan and peeler on the sofa will take care of that) So today we had nothing to do. Into town to see Kims friend Jason, back from Barcelona for a few days. What started as coffee and a cake turned into to wandering round the shops, lunch and a beer!

Christmas preparations

With a couple of days to go, Kim has been busy getting food and drink in the house. Today she was busy cooking up treats. Lily was on hand as chief stirrer for the Rocky Road.

Home for Christmas

We got the tree up last weekend and during this week the rest of the festivities have been strung up. Today I finished it off by attaching one of Kims funky wreaths to the door. We are now pretty much ready for the 25th.

Clevedon Pier

I was a bit early for my meeting this morning, so went exploring nearby and spotted a sign for a Victorian Pier. Arriving at the seaside as the sun came up the cast iron structure stretches over 300m into the Severn Estuary. Built in the 1860s it was originally used as a jetty for paddle steamers. Despite collapsing during a stress test, it was rebuilt and still stands.

Jurassic Borehamwood

On route to site this morning, I was greeted with by a herd of dinosaurs as I left the motorway. On the way home we stopped by the crazy golf course to see the vicious creatures!

Prepare for take off

Continuing the LEGO gathering ready for my next photo project. I drunkenly bid on a Police helicopter the other day. I won it! Its now built and waiting for 2013 for the fun to begin.

Norfolk sat-nav

I needed directions from a customer to get to their other site. Normally I get a postcode or a street, but this is darkest Norfolk. I got a hand drawn map on a post-it note!

Norwich Cathedral

Another night away from home. This time in Norfolk, our job is situated in the school attached to the Cathedral. Giving a fantastic backdrop to the day with the brilliant blue of a clear winters sky.

Awaiting the fat man

We have managed to bribe Lily a bit. She is aware of Christmas (or Mismas, as she calls it) And following our day decorating the tree and lounge she has got more excited. Kim and her made a little sign to hang on her bedroom door so Santa knows where to go. Daddy put the hook in and Lily hung it up. A real family effort.

Christmas tree collecting

With a week and a bit to go till  Christmas its finally time to start getting the place festive. So we piled in the Camper to go to the garden centre and pick up a tree. With limited space we opted for a small one again. It fitted neatly on the roofrack of the van for an air-cooled trip home.

Bumper advent haul

One of the plus points to staying away all week for work is coming back to find five new doors on the LEGO Star Wars advent calendar to open. AT-ATs, weapons and minifigures galore!

Christmas pudding!

Well, not proper Christmas pudding. But the festive dessert on the menu at the restaurant we're in. Its been teasing us since the last visit and finally I was able to order it. Mmmm.

Brrrr, thats chilly

-6°C. Thats how cold it was when I got to the van this morning. And it didn't get above zero all day!

Sunset over a picker

A brilliant blue sky with the winter sun slowly setting, with only the silhouette of a MEWP hoisted on high to spoil it!

Waiting at the gates

Thumbprint recognition, turnstiles. Is it a prison? some high security establishment? Nope, its a school building site. Another week away in the mud and cold fitting out classrooms. Deep joy.

Santa on a superbike

Its become a family tradition now, each year at the beginning of December we go and watch the local Toy Run. 1700 bikers got dressed up and gathered toys then rode out in convoy to a school in Wokingham to hand the presents over to the children. Its a sight to behold as the miles of bikes stream past for almost an hour.

Christmas singalong

Along with seasonal tat shops, tree sellers on the side of the road and festive lights. the Salvation Army band in town entertaining the crowds is a mainstay of Christmas. Today they were in full voice on Broad St for an hour.

Winter sun

Following days of rain, the sunshine is back. Low in the sky, annoying in your eyes whilst driving or walking winter sun. Perfect for a walk into town along the river.

eBay LEGO

My 2013 photo project plans are advancing nicely. I'm slowly stock piling LEGO. Mostly new kits or minifigures, but today my oldest kit arrived. 6634 - Shell Stock Car. First produced in 1986, it was a favourite of mine and is just as I remember it, right down to the cool open face helmet of the driver!

Black history mural

Over a decade ago, a Reading artist was commissioned to paint a massive mural dedicated to the ethnic community of Reading. At 36m long and 10m high it dominates the IDR that it stands alongside.

Snowman

In the window of John Lewis, they've recreated the snowman from the TV advert. I'm surprised he hasn't melted yet as the shop is roasting!

Busy bees

When I got in from work today, the two ladies in my life were busy on the sofa catching up on emails, facebook and washing cars on a game!

Dear Santa

Lily is beginning to understand Christmas, she's been to see Santa, opened a few days on her advent calendars and knows that something is happening. We're playing the "you better be good" card and it seems to be working. Today, with help from Kim she wrote to Santa and tucked it in her pouch thats hanging on the kitchen door. Hopefully the fat mans helpers will whisk it away and reply

First day of advent

December the first is the start of advent and the day that millions of advent calendar doors get ripped open all over the country. In our house there are four calendars. Lily has a pair of Peppa Pig versions with chocolates in. Kim has a Percy Pig with raspberry sweeties in and I have the massive LEGO Star Wars version. Picked up in the Argos 3for2 sale last month it brought the price down to a nearly bearable £16.67. Today was the first little kit or a submarine from Phantom Menace.

On the beach

Our job today went a bit sour. We did all we could until just after 11am, then got told we couldn't do the final connections until after 1pm (which turned into 2pm) So being near the seaside we headed for the beach. It was just above freezing but the sun was shining brightly.

Heavy rain

The last few days have seen some monster rain, hours and hours of downpours that have left roads flooded and fields swamped. This is the flood plains adjacent to the A33 doing their job.

Full moon

When I got in from work today, the moon was looking spectacular. Huge and bright and dominating the sky. There were some spooky clouds around it too, but by the time I'd got my gear sorted they had cleared. Still its a nice view.

Massive tablet

In a customer reception today they have installed a Microsoft Surface, a table with a funky touch screen PC built into it. Sadly they were only using it displaying a non interactive over head view of a pond.

I'll take both please

The A4 into London became a lot more interesting a few months ago when Landmark Cars opened a new classic car showroom. The stock changes quite often so you get some good spotting whilst sat in the traffic.

I'm so dizzy

Its very nearly December, so I'm not too annoyed that Christmas is being plastered everywhere (it has been since mid August!) Wokingham held its annual Winter Carnival today, closing off the streets and allowing stalls to sell crafts and food as well as a funfair. For the first time, Lily was asking to go on the rides and for treats. I know its going to get worse in the future, but she asked so nicely! A ride on the whirling chairs was treated with slight suspicion and then she spied the teacups ride. All the way to Cafe Nero, along all the stalls, at the cash point and whilst buying a Peppa Pig balloon all she kept asking was "I wanna ride teacups Daddy" So for £2 each, Kim and Lily spun round for a few minutes and loved it.

Do you know where I can get felt?

Its an old gag and answer is the haberdashery department! Or from the crafting table of my wife who knocked up this little felt heart as a practise run for a Guide activity she's planning on doing this week. She's a talented one.

Reaching up

For the last few days the rain has been hammering down, the wind gusting along. At last the sky is blue and the sun is out and its nearly the weekend and time to go home.

Big laptop screen

This has been my life for the last few days. Arrive, unpack kit, bolt to wall, align, test. Repeat until home time. The only amusement we get is putting random songs on the speakers and films on the boards.

Village Peoples newest member

Really scraping the bottom of the barrel here. Theres nothing exciting to see on site! However, some PPE and a bit of signage. All I need is a cowboy, traffic cop....

Machines

Day two on site, this appears to be the middle of a digger graveyard. Machines with flat tyres, caked in mud and site debris. Abandoned in a corner of the carpark.

Zero Harm

Another week, another building site. We're back up to a school in Derby for five days. Five days of pointless H&S rules, five days of mud, five days away from home!

Houston...we have a doughnut

Kim and Lily popped into town this morning to see a friend. They brought me a treat back in the form of more LEGO. I'm amassing quite a stash now from various places (I may have to go and collect all my old stuff from my parents loft soon!) Once built I was driving it round the sofa (as you do) when Kims lunchtime snack blocked my path!

Autumnal fun

For the last few weeks the leaves have been tumbling off the tree in the front garden. Theres little point in raking them up every few days so I've left it until the tree is completely bare and then done all the work in one hit. I had help from Lily, who was happy to gather them up one by one while I hauled dozens at a time in. Once the pile was complete she then made her own game of running and kicking through the middle of the pile.

Old Farm Pond

I use to live in Earley before moving down to Lower Earley over a decade ago. When I was growing up it really was "all fields" then the houses started to be built and the largest housing estate in Europe emerged. Several parts of the old land survive including cottages and the pond that was in the grounds of Old Farm. For safety its now fenced off with coppiced trees and its full of reeds, but if you peek through the gaps you can still see the pond. As children we always thought some boggy beast roamed around under the surface, kind of like Lower Earleys own Nessey!

Polish Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

In the 1980s, the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Reading was scheduled for demolition. The Polish people of Reading took it over and just recently its started to be renovated. Its like a brand new building now as the decades of grime have been removed to reveal the golden stonework beneath.

 

Kennet Walk gasworks

Having no work van to get home in and a bit of time before picking Lily up, I decided to take a few snaps on the way home then catch the bus. The first bus was full, the second never came so I walked the five miles home, the first part along the banks of the canal. Towering over the back of Newtown and the point the canal joins the Thames is one of Readings gasometers. Being late afternoon in autumn is almost empty!

The Blade

Continuing the Reading theme this week. The Blade is the most modern building in the town, built a couple of years ago and stretching almost 130m into the sky. Some pour scorn on it and claim it as an eyesore, I actually quite like it. Its something different and the first part of a huge redevelopment of the town as it fights for city status.

St Marys Church

When I first started this photo a day blog, I wanted to capture some local sights. As I have a week based in Reading I thought it best to use it wisely. On route from the pie shop I passed a building I've never really noticed before. St Marys Church on Castle Street. It looks a bit intimidating  as a place of worship, but thats because its an old gaol. In 1798 the Bishop and some local parishioners fell out and they decided to start up a new chapel nearby in this building. Adapting it from a place of confinement to a place of worship.