Summer recess

After a brief flurry of posting over the last few weeks, I have decided to take a few weeks' break from the blogging - at the moment, I am very busy with work (and after all, they do pay my wages), and also with the campaign to Save Sherwood the Bear. Things are going to remain frantic for a good three or four weeks yet, after which I intend to retreat somewhere hot and sunny (I hope!) for a few days.

So there may still be updates on the Nottingham Forest blog (hopefully I will be able to squeeze in a match report this weekend), and also on the Save Sherwood site; but for now, it is "au revoir" from Rish's Diary.

Stay safe and be good - see you in the autumn.

Amusing but true

I linked to this from a careers-related article sent to me by my boss - it is a rundown of some of the most bizarre cases heard by employment tribunals, and is quite funny in places (in a "sad but true" kind of way).

He's only a little fella...

We went to see the legendary Prince in concert at the O2 Arena (i.e. the old Millennium Dome) on Saturday. I do not have the time or inclination to write a full review, but here is a precis, as culled from an email to a colleague earlier today:

"Some of it was just like a party - think Soul Train with a hint of evangelism (no-one was preaching, but there was a kind of "let me hear you" kind of atmosphere).

He started off with a hit ("Let's go crazy"), then the Soul Train section, then he kept teasing us. The band were really tight, but they could have played more of the hits. I think it is because he is playing 21 nights, so he is playing a different set every night. Although it was great to see him play stripped down solo versions of "Little Red Corvette" and "Raspberry Beret", it would have been even better to see them played with full band.

Anyway, no complaints, for £35 each we attended a once in a lifetime concert from a legend, on what is probably his last UK tour.

Oh yeah, he is absolutely bloomin' amazing at the guitar!"

Returning to a previous topic of interest (commuting), the journey down from Birmingham to Greenwich was fine - about two and a half hours. I quite enjoyed driving in London again after a long time away from the capital. The journey back was a nightmare. Getting out of London was fine, but we got caught in a queue in the roadworks on the M1 near Luton. We got stuck at 1.30am, and took a whole hour before we were able to get going again! Luckily, before we hit the road, we thought of taking the precautionary measures of: (a) going to the toilet, and (b) stocking up on snacks and drinks.

Celebrity Lookalikes pt 7 - Save Sherwood special!

Foot-in-mouth pundit and Nottingham Forest "Football Consultant" David Pleat, and Robin Hood, the Nottingham Forest mascot-in-waiting.

Save Sherwood the Bear!

For those of you who don't usually frequent the football musings on the Nottingham Forest blog, I suggest you do so, to find details of a campaign of the utmost importance: Save Sherwood!

The lovable bear is to "retire", and be replaced by "Robin Hood". The campaign has started on the Nottingham Forest blog and BBC Nottingham are going to run features on the website and on BBC Radio Nottingham.

Click here to view details on the blog.