This is the time - the time for action...

OK. So after spending my youth listening to The Jam's In The City (and if you're unfamiliar with the Modfather's first UK album, check it out - its a joy!), singing about not seeing themselves settling down with a mortgage and a kid, I've done both. (For the eagle-eyed reader, there will be one point awarded for every lyric from the In The City album you can spot).

We've been in this collection of Bricks and Mortar for a little under 10 years, and a combination of work (or the lack of it), time (or the lack of it - oddly, the time and work thing is mutually exclusive), and money (or lack of it - again, heavily tied to the two previous constraints) have meant that little has been done to the exterior,  interior, or the garden.

This year, however, we decided to do "stuff" about the house. There's been discussions about feature walls in the living room, raised beds in the garden, decking, and possible relocation of the shed (which has been in its current temporary home for about 3 years, now).

Now to give you some idea (and photos may be included in future posts), our back garden is on two levels. The lower level is patio, and the upper level is like a really big raised bed. Now, for the past 10 summers, the patio section has had a constant river of moistness running through it. Sadly, this has had nothing to do with Angelina Jolie writhing around in throes of passion. Its been down to a leak. From somewhere. Point or points of origin unknown. We've blamed the watering system of the guy on the other side of the fence (not without evidence, you understand - we did see water leaking through from there at particular points during the day). But that guy's moved out. And my patio's still wet. Even over the last fortnight, which has been remarkably dry considering Wimbledon's been on.

Then I spotted tell-tale leaks from the wall seperating the patio from the rest of the garden. So, I thought, slow down! Lets look at this logically. So I dug. And I dug.....and then I dug some more. And eventually, I found an inept attempt at filling in a former water feature. I am praying now for some more sun, so that I can see whether the exposed pipe I found is now no longer takin' my love-ly water from the raised section to the patio.....

Unfortunately, my body has grown accustomed to a life of IT, sitting in front of a keyboard. Its not reacting well to all this outdoorsy stuff....

Ah well - more tales from the riverbank on another day.

And if we talk for two minutes only, it will be a START!

Welcome, dear reader.

If, like me, you are of an age that meant your teenage years were full of 3 chord, postpunk new wave attitude, and mod revivals and the only Elvis you were interested in sang about Oliver's Army, then this blog is the aftermath.

Because now, you've reached the age when you've discovered that Paul Weller was right about your future being a clam, that suddenly, Jeremy Clarkson talks a lot of sense, and that you've found yourself sitting there in front of the World Cup moaning about how "that's not how Brasil used to play".

I will post only occasionally, but if you want entertainment daily, I urge you to read "From the North", by my good friend Keith "Telly" Topping. You can find it here...http://keithtopping.blogspot.com/.

My first proper blog entry will appear shortly...see you soon.