tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46383433429953196522024-02-20T18:54:56.804+00:00Next Time in Swindon - my Fforde Ffiesta blogKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-46965852257664573422014-04-13T21:11:00.002+01:002014-04-13T21:11:28.464+01:00Fforganisers assembleWell, last week we had our ffirst Fforganiser meeting in a while. I'm sure you'll all be pleased to know that I got my cheese and marmite panini without incident. It was the last one, but I didn't have to rugby tackle anybody to get it or anything. <br />
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It was good to see that the toast and battenburg are still by the till in Starbucks, though I'm not sure that the staff know what they are doing there - one of them gave me a very weak smile when I said "Ooooh, look, the battenburg is still there!"<br />
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Anyway those of us present (neither Elizabeth nor Derek could make it) went through the proposed timetable. From reading the feedback I think that there may be some relief to hear that I will be simplifying the codes and ciphers part of the event. They will still be there, but more of an optional extra. We will also still be doing the scavenger hunt, but the clues won't be encoded. The ffete will be back, bigger and better than ever, so you'll still have the opportunity to gorge yourselves on cake and win a greased pig (or something) and we may be morris dancing again.<br />
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We have, however decided to retire some of the more longstanding events...maybe not forever but they won't be making an appearance next time, so farewell lobster space invaders and name that fruit, goodbye bus tour....<br />
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Well, although I say goodbye bus tour we will be having a VIRTUAL bus tour, all the fun and none of the motion sickness. The wonders of Swindon without having to leave the hotel... and Derek will still be selling ice creams.<br />
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We also have several new ideas so watch this space...Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-6670909333401205662014-04-06T09:35:00.000+01:002014-04-06T09:35:33.296+01:00Ooooh, look, a Zombie blog!Dead for ages and now come back to life! BRAINS! BRAIIIIINS!<br />
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I bet you all thought I'd forgotten this blog, or at least given up on it, didn't you?<br />
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Well, if I'm honest I don't suppose any of you had given it a moment's thought since it last popped up, but I like to think that there was somebody out there waiting for the next post and sighing extravagantly when it failed to appear yet again.<br />
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Anyway, the reason I have revived it is because my life as a Fforganiser is about to spring forth renewed! Or to put it less dramatically today we are having our first Fforganiser's meeting for the (ffanffare please) grand tenth anniversary Ffiesta to be held in May 2015. I'm really looking forward to it- the Ffiesta that is, not the meeting, though I expect that will be ffun too and it will be nice to see everybody again, and indulge in a cheese and marmite panini with my ffellows. Anyway we will try to make it extra specially extra special, crammed with the return of old ffavourites plus some new things.<br />
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One of the best things about the Ffiesta (one of the best things?! It's all best things) is the way people come back year after year and have made some real ffriendships. There is a hardy core of us who have attended every one and I think that deserves a medal....<br />
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I will report back after my trip to Swindon....<br />
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On a related note TJ and I were very excited at the Farmers Market yesterday to spot some lobsters. We even won a prize (though sadly not for the lobster spotting)Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-68292136496518639422013-04-11T06:49:00.004+01:002013-04-11T06:49:25.931+01:00Ffilming..<br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We had a Fforganisers meeting on Saturday. We did all the usual stuff.....planned the events, decided on what merchandise we were going to have, off-loaded all the hard work on anybody who didn't turn up, took the mick out of Ted, sat around and ate cheese and marmite paninis... The main thing we did though was make a short and entertaining film to advertise the Ffiesta... soon to be appearing at a You-Tube near you!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It was a lot of fun to make, even though it got a bit nippy out in the cold. We drew not a few bemused stares and had to field a few puzzled questions... but it's all good publicity. We had to make a few last minute changes due to Phil's absence (a potato related injury!) but as nobody except Laura really knew what we were doing anyway that wasn't a major issue. As you might expect from something Ffiesta related there are lobsters, Danvers and a Pagerunner ( don't get excited, it's not a Minotaur or anything, just Ted with a label saying 'Pagerunner') water balloons and Spike. I'm sure when it's been edited it will all look very professional!</span><br />
Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-10451226989681160052013-04-05T22:45:00.000+01:002013-04-05T22:45:06.065+01:00Philately will get you everywhere...Normally at this time of year I would probably be starting to panic at all the things I need to do for the Ffiesta and haven't even started. This year I'm just feeling a bit smug because the Ffiesta is <i>ages</i> away and I've already got quite a lot of things underway. Mind you I did have a nightmare the other day that we were at there, in Swindon, all ready to start proceedings and I realised I hadn't prepared anything. I got into a bit of a panic and some of you regular attendees began to turn into zombies. I think it's the book I've been reading. Or memories of Hamlet, Prince of Zombies. Vicky Vagg was there, dressed as as a big baby, a big zombie baby, but not as cute as the original!<br />
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Anyway I have been designing stamps for each Kingdom. Sadly my artistic skills are neither artistic nor skilful, so they look rather amateurish, but they are a labour of love nonetheless so I don't care. I have designs for the Workers Republic of South Wales, the Duchy of Portland Bill, and the Kingdom of Kent all planned and those for the Isles of Man and Wight are complete so that just leaves Mercia and Anglia to sort out. Better get cracking!<br />
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More news soon....Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-89565839755158303162013-03-10T12:02:00.000+00:002013-03-10T12:02:23.417+00:00When lives collide....Blimey, how long has it been since I posted anything in this blog? Don't think it's because I've forgotten you all, or haven't done anything Ffiesta related. No it's because, contrary to popular belief, I do have a life that is non-Fforde related. <br />
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But not always - every now and then somebody who doesn't know me from the Ffiesta or the Fforum will turn out to be on the periphery of the weirdness that is the Ffiesta, for example; I was on a march (pro NHS) up in London, wearing one of my Fforganiser T shirts (Waiting for the Great Leap Backwards) (which I thought was quite apt) when the person next to me said that she loved the Jasper Fforde quote. Of course she knows that I am a fan and she likes the books too, so that wasn't too much of a stretch, but a couple of weeks later another friend of mine sent me a text to say that she was on a course with a woman who said she knows me. It turned out to be a regular attendee at the Ffiesta, and the connection had come out because in the introductions that they had had to make the books of Jasper Fforde and the Ffiesta had been mentioned. Then there was the occasion when I was at a works related event and the dinner in the evening was 'Wild West' themed. The chap I was sitting next to was wearing rather an elaborate outfit and so in the course of our conversation I asked him if he often wore fancy dress. He told me that he was a big Pratchett fan and would dress up at various Discworld event, usually as Rincewind. We got to talking about books and it turned out he is a big Jasper ffan and is considering coming to the next Ffiesta. I told him I was sure he will fit right in, as anybody who happily wears an inflatable horse to dinner is sure to find a kindred spirit there! I also had quite a long conversation with the man on the other side of me about 'Shades of Grey' and I'm sure I don't need to qualify that to you lot by saying 'NOT Fifty Shades of Grey'<br />
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Anyway I have been working quite hard on the Ffiesta - do any of you fancy phphilately? This year there will be a stamp collecting element to the Getting to Know You team game. At least there will if I get my arse in gear and get designs for all of the Kingdoms<br />
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-62958732216798470772012-09-18T22:43:00.000+01:002012-09-18T22:43:22.445+01:00Less than a year to go ......to the next Ffiesta! Several months since the last one and no blog posts from me. Have you missed them?<br />
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I'm not entirely sure what effect immersion in the world of the Ffiesta has done for my grandchildren or if Tyke just takes after his Grandma (lucky child). I do know that whenever he gets in the car he asks for 'a bit o'Billy' so his musical taste is coming along nicely. He's also looking forward to a visit to Sealife when we go on holiday next month - so he can see the lobsters.<br />
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I was quite taken aback though the other day when, whilst eating a gingerbread man, he started hitting himself around the head with it and saying 'Look Grandma! Psychobiscuit! He's beating me up!' <br />
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I really don't know where he gets his ideas from.<br />
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-62265736127472037662012-06-01T07:46:00.002+01:002012-06-01T07:46:45.324+01:00Drizzle all weekend?Well, today's the day we set off for Swindon - quiz tonight and Ffiesta proper starts tomorrow. So far today I have drizzled a cake and most of my kitchen. I now need to ice the chocolate almond one, pack, take the dog to my mum and dad's, do some last minute printing, pick up Marissa and the kids and then set off. If there's anything else I need to do then I've forgotten it and it probably won't get done. Oh, I do also need to wash and dress which, you will no doubt be relieved to hear, I will do.<br />
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This year we are taking two cars as I have added Ted to my insurance for the week. He's taking our car, packed to the gunwales with Ffiesta stuff and I'm taking Rissa, Tyke and Lacey-Mae plus our suitcases and anything Ted couldn't cram in. I don't know how we would have managed in just one vehicle, unless it was a pantechnicon, I just didn't realise how much there was to take. Trying to fit it all in the car was like trying to do some wierd three dimensional puzzle. Heaven help us if he gets a puncture and we need to empty the car at the side of the motorway to get the spare out!<br />
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Anyway I have just looked at the weather forecast for the weekend, and it is not promising. I just hope it stays dry for Saturday as we don't need the cakes any more drizzled on than they already are.<br />
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-65134737678319373722012-05-24T00:22:00.001+01:002012-05-24T00:22:13.852+01:00A Clockwork LobsterIn this household you are likely to come across lobsters in the most unlikely places and I'm not convinced that some of them aren't making a dash for freedom at times. They're all supposed to be neatly packed away but I'm forever finding them about the house. Of course some of that may be down to Tyke, who seems to have quite an affinity for them. He found the squirty one when he came to stay the other night and had to have it in his bath, and if I would let him he would adopt Mungo. In fact I nearly entitled this post 'Five hours of Pingu and a singing lobster', because that was my Sunday! TJ and Lacey-Mae stayed overnight and I was woken at 6 a.m. by the pair of them pogoing to Mungo and the only way I could distract them was with toast and a Pingu marathon. <br />
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Anyway I dragged the box of lobsters out from under the bed so that I could start labelling them and I'm sure some have gone walkabout. I know I had a clockwork lobster somewhere because I was quite excited when I bought it (how sad am I?) but do you think I can find him? No, I can't! Still he could turn up somewhere... he may be with the teatowels, or just holidaying in another dimension. Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-54703211465487426602012-05-19T08:08:00.001+01:002012-05-19T08:08:55.934+01:00Fforward planningOff to Swindon today for our last Fforganiser meeting beffore the Ffiesta. It's going to be a ffamily outing because we are rehearsing the Murder Mystery as well as deciding who is going to do what. I have managed to leave Tyke and the dog behind but we are taking some practice cakes with us - Rissa has been baking. Of course this means that we might not all make it back again - there may be a Murder Mystery, or at least an accidental poisoning mystery, for real. (Only joking, her cakes are delicious and she manages to make them look pretty too, which is more than I can do)<br />
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I'm sure we're all on top of things, (she says, slightly panicking) and in any case I have the week before the FFiesta off work and I'll be able to get a lot done then - honest!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-54082574481199806152012-05-17T00:26:00.000+01:002012-05-17T00:29:50.489+01:00Progress...is being made with my preparations for the Ffiesta. The last of the Fforganiser t-shirts arrived today so that's one thing I no longer have to worry about. I have noticed a spelling error on one of them, but I find it amusing so I'm not planning to do anything about it. Except maybe add a 'spot the mistaek' bit to the meet the fforganiser quiz. I'm going to Swindon for our last pre-meeting on Saturday so I'll see if any of the others are unduly worried by it but I can't imagine they'll have either the time or the energy to fret over what is essentially a typo.<br />
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In other news I have been working hard at the getting to know you thing for this year, which is, as I believe that I have previously mentioned, a combined code cracker scavenger hunt event. I wouldn't say that I am now an expert on codes and ciphers, but I wouldn't be surprised to be headhunted by GCHQ. So if I'm not at the Ffiesta it's not because I'm quietly gibbering in a corner, but because I have been sent to carry out undercover investigations on behalf of Her Majesty's Secret Service. Oo-er!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-1407155266987394552012-05-10T23:54:00.002+01:002012-05-10T23:54:49.823+01:00Spot the FforganiserThe Fforganiser T shirts arrived today whilst I was at work. Fortuitously Marissa was here, having popped in to scrounge something. I sometimes think that she sees my house as a kind of shop where you don't have to use money (only joking, she's a good girl really). Anyway, it was lucky she was here, otherwise it would've meant a trip to the wilds of the industrial estate only to be told to come back tomorrow with three forms of ID and a note from my mum.<br />
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I've had a quick check to make sure that they are all present and correct (not quite, there are still a couple to come as the suppliers were out of XXL size, but I was pre-warned about this and I have been promised that they will be here in plenty of time)<br />
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We have orange for the regular fforganiser shirts and green for the murder mystery and they are <u>very</u> bright. You won't have any problem in tracking one of us down, I promise you - they may even glow in the dark! We had fun picking the quotes again and I think they are very suitable.<br />
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Ooh, I'm getting all excited now!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-16800272910956892012012-05-07T00:21:00.003+01:002012-05-07T00:21:55.679+01:00ShoppingI've been buying quite a few things for the Ffiesta lately. Most of these are fairly normal when bought in moderation, but I do wonder what the lady in the Pound Shop thought when I arrived at the checkout with six dozen false moustaches. And if you are also wondering what I want with all that fake facial hair you'll just have to wait and see.<br />
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I've also bought a lot of laminating pouches and numerous boxes of matches there. Then there's the blank jigsaw puzzles and quite a few lobsters of various descriptions (those haven't been from the Pound Shop - most of the lobsters have been ones I've come across by accident and have seized with cries of glee!)<br />
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I've also sent away for biscuit cutters - a moose, a lobster, a dragon and an egg, and I'm awaiting delivery of all the fforganiser t shirts. It'll be quite exciting getting all these parcels but it does mean that yet again I'll have quite a bizarre carload when I set off for Swindon... and that's just Ted! Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-8225655364953094862012-05-04T00:28:00.000+01:002012-05-04T00:28:03.704+01:00Bargain!I was walking down the town in my lunch hour when what should I spot in the charity shop window but a large stuffed toy lobster, complete with chef's hat and bib. The poor thing was posed next to a cook book, which I rather felt was cruel and unusual punishment, but still..<br />
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'Oooh!' I said, 'Is that a lobster? I've got to have it.' My boss, who was with me, looked at me a little warily and said 'Is that for the Ffiesta?' and just nodded resignedly when I said it was. Anyway I went into the shop to purchase said lobster and the rather jolly lady behind the counter fetched it out of the window for me. It was then that I discovered, to my delight, that it isn't just any old stuffed lobster, it is an all singing, all dancing stuffed lobster! As she brought it to the counter she pressed a little button on his tail (conveniently marked 'Press here') and he burst into song. He does a splendid rendition of Mungo Jerry's 'In the Summertime' whilst demonstrating the 'Claw' manoevre from Lobster Space Invaders and doing a little shimmy. He is just the coolest thing you have ever seen* and he only cost me £3.50 - easily the bargain of the year.<br />
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The jolly lady did a little dance round the shop with him before putting him in the bag and several of the other customers laughed and came to admire him. His name, for obvious reasons, is Mungo and all Ffiesta attendees will have the opportunity to meet him.<br />
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*for a given value of cool<br />
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-40733727224124817732012-04-29T23:48:00.001+01:002012-04-29T23:48:30.315+01:00DodosWell, we had our Fforganiser meeting yesterday and all is going very well. We had a very wet journey down there. It's a good job we didn't go today though because I drove past the spot where I normally meet Elizabeth (we take turns at driving down to Swindon) and the road was closed because of flooding. Terrible this drought isn't it? <br />
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Anyway we had a jolly time eating cheese and marmite paninis and inventing inteesting facts about dodos. They are to be the new face of Crusty Cards - this year we will have the dodo deck.<br />
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I saw the lobster badges that are going in the welcome pack... they are fabulous. I also saw the photo of me which is to go in the programme, which is markedly less so<br />
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I told you it was tough being a FforganiserKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-73108765563551614392012-04-27T22:27:00.004+01:002012-04-27T22:27:45.517+01:00Danger moneyI hope you all appreciate the sacrifices I make and the risks I take in fforganising. I was printing some pictures for the 'Getting to Know You'/Codebreaker game when I gave myself a very nasty paper cut. I will be claiming danger money.<br />
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Anyway, we have a Fforganiser meeting tomorrow when we get together to reassure ourselves that everything is in hand... or not. <br />
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I'm sure the Chronoguard have been interfering in things, because it's just amazing how one minute the Ffiesta is ages away and then before you know it I only have half an hour to sort all my bits out, do the quiz questions, make up some rules for the games and look out my costume for Legion of the Danvers. I probably won't need a wig this year, because I shall be completely grey by June. <br />
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But worry not amigos, it'll all be alright on the night, and if not a bit of chaos will add to the ffun. <br />
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In any case I will just pretend that all is going as planned and nobody will know any different.<br />
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<br />Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-38318204858847958252012-04-16T00:11:00.000+01:002012-04-16T00:11:16.345+01:00Breathes there the man with soul so dead......who never to himself hath said 'This is my own, my native land'...?<br />
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Well, those of you coming to the Ffiesta this year will be citizens of the Ununited Kingdoms for the weekend. Most of the Fforganisers will be taking charge of a country for the duration and you'll all be randomly assigned to one or the other. <br />
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Did I say randomly? I meant of course that we have a complicated algorithm which combines psychological profiling, data on income and information on physical characteristics to allocate you to the Kingdom which best suits your personality. <br />
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Except that that might mean that there would be an awful lot of you who found yourselves subjects of Kent, beer capital of the UUK, so you might not all get the perfect match.<br />
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Anyway the Kingdoms will be competing against each other in certain events where teams are required, such as Lobster Space Invaders. We'll be keeping score and there will be a prize for the winning team. I think, if we get round to organising it. Although it may just be something like the marshmallows rescued from 'Feed the Dodo' or left over battenburg. That'll encourage a bit of healthy competition won't it?Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-15690286332938652462012-04-12T23:33:00.000+01:002012-04-12T23:33:43.047+01:00A tear in the fabric of space/time......or the wormhole under the stairs.<br />
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Well, that's the only way I can explain it. <br />
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For some time now my ffellow fforganisers and I have been trying to track down some Ffiesta bags that we had printed last year. At every meeting recently I have denied knowing what had happened to them.<br />
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Well today I was seeking out some other Ffiesta merchandise to send out when what should I come across in the cupboard under the stairs (Clue: NOT Harry Potter) but those selfsame bags. I really can't understand it, because I could swear I'd looked in there at least twice, but there they were. <br />
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So I reckon the Chronoguard have been mucking about in there - there isn't really another explanation (except a pair of Ted's old trainers, which are enough to warp space time or to cause hallucinations and blackouts. Or at the very least to discourage a thorough search of the area).<br />
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So, sorry chaps, I had the bags all alongKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-21026264441285325172012-03-01T00:50:00.001+00:002012-03-01T00:52:27.332+00:00Plague!We had a Fforganiser meeting last Saturday. Well, I use the term 'we' in the widest possible sense, because I wasn't there. I had <strike>the plague</strike> a bit of a nasty cold and I didn't want to cause an epidemic among my ffellow fforganisers. So I stayed at home and felt sorry for myself whilst the rest of them enjoyed cheese and marmite paninis and decided on all the things they didn't want to do and could delegate to me. I'm sure that they were far more efficient in my absence though as Iwasn't there to drag them all off topic.<br />
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Obviously I can't really tell you what was discussed, but I need to get my finger out! If you already have your tickets I think that Gill will be sending out a draft timetable to whet your appetite soon.... and if you haven't already got tickets you need to buy them - it all looks jolly good fun!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-68611332517281583182012-02-21T23:56:00.000+00:002012-02-21T23:56:47.763+00:00CrosswordsI'm currently trying to compile a crossword for the Ffiesta, and it's proving quite tricky - there have been a few cross words muttered in our house, I can tell you. <br />
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When I was young, my dad used to do the <i>Telegraph </i>crossword every day and he used to let me help him. (Disclaimer: I have no idea why he read the <i>Telegraph, </i>which does not reflect his political views at all (for those of you not from around here, the <i>Telegraph </i>is often known as the <i>Torygraph </i>and is rabidly right wing)) Anyway he taught me a lot of tips and wrinkles for working out the answers, so if a clue said that something was muddled or mixed up you could be pretty sure that you were looking for an anagram and 'sounds like' indicated that there would be homophones involved. 'Sappers' in the clue meant the Royal Engineers and you would find the letters RE in the answer, things like that. After a while I got to be quite good at solving the clues and I even began to recognise the different compilers - you can start to see the way their minds work when you get used to their individual styles.<br />
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I admired the way that the lady across the road could solve a crossword in a few minutes - I was a bit surprised by this, because I knew she didn't even know how to spell words like essential - she used to ask me. Admittedly it was only the quick crossword, but nonetheless I thought she must be very clever. One day I looked at the completed grid and it was only when I thought 'Hang on, there isn't such a word as PFXT!' that I realised how she did it. She would put in the answers she did know and then fill in the rest of the squares with random letters! I was much less impressed by her skill after that.<br />
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I was reminded of this whilst trying to get the words in my crossword to intersect in any way at all and am strongly tempted to add in or take out a letter here and there just to make the wretched things fit. Still I shall persevere and you may see the results in June.<br />
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Oh, and don't try and get an insight into the way my mind works from my crossword, you'll only end up feeling sorry for me.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-45460934011572687622012-02-20T23:19:00.000+00:002012-02-20T23:19:26.076+00:00Pie!Out shopping the other day I bought a cherry pie as a bit of a treat. It looked delicious, all golden brown with sugar sprinkled on the top. Ted was a bit peckish when he got home from work, so he had a piece whilst I was cooking tea. He ate it with no complaints. After dinner I sat down with a cup of tea and a slice of pie. One mouthful and - urgh, it tasted disgusting! That wasn't sugar on the top, it was salt, and it was <i>not nice</i>! I'm not sure if my culinary experiments have fried Ted's tastebuds, or if he just inhaled his without tasting it, but when I asked him if he'd noticed anything wrong he just said 'I thought it tasted a bit weird'. <br />
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I took the remainder of the pie back and got a refund. There had obviously been a problem with a whole batch, because when I was waiting at Customer Services the chap behind the counter just said 'Salty pie?' when he saw what I was carrying and gave me my money back.<br />
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It reminded me of Shades of Grey where all sorts of substitutions are made when there are problems with the availabilty of ingredients. You will no doubt be pleased to know that we are not planning any similar taste sensations for the Ffiesta, although of course one never knows what unlikely sounding combination of foodstuffs will taste good - cheese and pineapple, pork and applesauce, peanut butter and jam (jelly), prunes and bacon, raspberry, papaya and chamomile - oh no, that last one is my shampoo.<br />
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Marmite chocolate anybody?Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-48361770487607813522012-02-18T10:52:00.001+00:002012-02-18T13:54:29.013+00:00Whodunnit?This year we are having a Murder Mystery, so don't annoy Elizabeth, or you may end up as a corpse. We did have a Murder Mystery once before, but it was over dinner and rather static, whereas this one will take place in various locations around the hotel. The Fforganisers will be the suspects and you will have the opportunity to question us about motives, means and opportunities. I can tell you that if Ted is a dead body you would do well to place his sister at the top of your list of suspects. I'm surprised that she hasn't murdered him before as he really knows how to wind her up and she has a bit of a temper to match her hair! (They love each other really)<br />
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There is no point asking me for hints, as I don't know whodunnit, but it sounds like it should be fun.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-48694002269263677152012-02-16T07:39:00.000+00:002012-02-16T07:39:45.558+00:00Psycho biscuits! ***WARNING*** contains Fourth bear SpoilerWe had the 'biscuit or cake' discussion at work recently, which led into a digression about the difference between biscuit tins and cake tins. We decided that this is simply that cake tins are used for keeping cakes in, whereas the common or garden biscuit tin is used for the containment of biscuits <i>and jaffa cakes. </i><br />
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I was able to insert a reference to 'The Fourth Bear' into the discussion by pointing out that the difference between cakes and biscuits is an important plot point. Although I do feel that, cake or biscuit, the Gingerbread Man was always going to turn soggy and disintegrate under the full force of the fire sprinklers.<br />
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Anyway Tyke has developed quite a fondness for Gingerbread men, despite the fact (or perhaps because) everytime I buy him one I chase him down the arcade with it yelling 'Psycho biscuit!' and he runs away giggling.<br />
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I rather fear that in years to come he will find me an embarrassing grandma. Mind you, I don't think that that's as embarrassing as my dad making me and my brother and sister line up outside the bakers, with out noses pressed to the window, and instructions to 'Look hungry and a bit pathetic, maybe they'll take pity on you and give you free cakes' every time he went into that same bakers when we were little. Fortunately bought cakes were a very occasional treat in our house when I was small, as my mum is a super cake maker and we usually had delicious home made ones instead. Otherwise I think we might have been taken into care for vagrancy and begging! Mind you this is the all the same bakers as the one where my ex husband worked until he ran off with the shop manageress, so I think they might have a very distorted view of me anyway, so chasing a small child whilst brandishing a biscuit is probably considered merely slighly odd.<br />
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Tyke and I have also taken to practicing our biscuit making in preparation for the Ffiesta, something else to which he has taken with great enthusiasm. Just a small tip, if you are offered a gingerbread man/lobster/transient moose/dragon at the Ffiesta, I'd stay away from those with a slight marbling of grime (goodness knows where that comes from, I'm scrupulous about making him wash his hands) or those which have been 'pre-tasted'!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-71262474534569633272012-02-14T00:21:00.000+00:002012-02-14T00:21:15.222+00:00Guess Who Again!The main reason why I called my post 'Guess Who!' yesterday was because I intended to mention that one of our new events is going to be a human 'Guess Who!' but I got sidetracked and didn't say anything about it. Nought out of ten for sticking to the point. Must try harder.<br />
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Anyway I use the term 'human' with some reservation. It is to be based on characters from the Ffordiverse with special reference to the Nursery Crime books, so will contain aliens, bears and gingerbread men along with Mrs Danverses and members of the NCD. No veruccas though you will be pleased to hear.<br />
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The reason I called it 'human Guess Who!' is because all the characters will be played by humans, that is any of you who come along to the Ffiesta and who want to join in. I assume that you are all human anyway. <br />
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It could be fun, or it could be not, but unless we try we'll never know. It'll be an opportunity for a bit of a sit down anyway.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-24833193206161430702012-02-12T23:54:00.000+00:002012-02-12T23:54:13.806+00:00Guess Who!Oh dear, this blog has been sadly neglected of late. Nought out of ten for effort Mrs Kiely, must try harder.<br />
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But just because I haven't been posting doesn't mean that I haven't been Fforganising. We have already had a number of fruitful meetings and there are lots of things afoot, of which more later.<br />
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Now I know that for some of you custom cannot stale the infinite variety of the Ffiesta but we like to tweak things to make them even more enjoyable, should such a thing be possible, so this year we'll have some new things and some old favourites. Some of the events which are returning will be served up with a twist. Name that Fruit will be back all shiny new and improved (fret not, the Wonky Wheel will still be making an appearance) those wishing to do the Speed Soliloquy will have a choice of speeches (Hamlet or Richard III) and Literary Karaoke will be making a return, We are also hoping to do more with the 'Getting to Know You' game. Ooh, exciting!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638343342995319652.post-77575434717588751492011-08-24T23:25:00.000+01:002011-08-24T23:25:27.823+01:00Da Ffiesta CodeAs any of you who are members of the Ffiesta facebook group will know we had our ffirst proper Fforganisers meeting last Saturday, and now I'm getting excited all over again.<br />
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We've got loads of exciting things planned, who knows how many of them will come to ffruition, and of those that do, who knows how many will be absolute pants (none of them, that's how many - they will all be ffab!)<br />
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Several of the ffeedback responses said that you would like us to take the 'Getting to Know You' game a bit ffurther and do something in teams so we are planning ...ta-dah! A Team Treasure Hunt! With codes and ciphers and silly things to do. I think I'm in danger of getting carried away and organising some mammoth thing (I don't mean with mammoths, though that's always a possiblility, I just mean something that gets out of hand) I could do it in several layers, so that clues lead to clues, or just one set of clues leading to the answer. I don't think it should go on too long, but on the other hand I'd like there to be a bit of variety, which means it needs to be a bit more involved. I don't want to say too much and spoil it, but I would like to know what people think. Do you all like codes and ciphers and secret treasure maps? Or would you rather just go to the bar? Of course you can go to the bar and work on the clues, so that's the best of both worlds then!<br />
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In other news Ted is having great fun playing with the barcode scanning app on his new phone. So far he has discovered that a spray bottle of Dettox comes up as some sort of iPod accessory costing £4.95 and that a pack of 4 muffins in Asda on special offer for £1, costs ...£1. Still, even though we are not particularly having a 'Shades of Grey' theme for next year, I'm sure we can do something interesting with bar codes. And that's not something I often find myself saying!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08341326476933551316noreply@blogger.com2