We’re now into March and that’s scary that it’s nearly 1/4 the way through the year.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again that time is absolutely flying past and before we know it, it will be 2024!

February was a relatively quiet month. We had the start of the Six Nations Rugby championship. I had a ticket to the Wales v Ireland game through work. A spectacular display from Ireland and a woeful performance from our boys. I gave up at around 60 minutes and left to go to the pub. Must admit that our defeat was compacted by Scotland beating the English for the Calcutta Cup in an amazing game.

Looking back through my photos for the month then there were lots of other things going on. A visit to Flight Club on St Mary’s Street was good fun. Only an hour to play but darts at the pub will never be the same again.

Saw a couple of great bands. Black Diamond and Esprit d’ Air at the Globe down on Albany Road. A cracking evening although I had possibly the worst bout of cramp that I’ve ever experienced. I was just standing in the crowd, before the gig had even begun. To be fair, I was feeling a bit run down and tired by the time I’d even got to the gig.

However, the bouncers took pity on me and allowed me to sit on the balcony to watch the gig. I had a seat but it was still a painful evening.

Really enjoyed Diamond Black. The lead singer Ben Christo has done time with Sisters of Mercy as well as some others and was well worth a listen. Enjoy the track.

February also saw a visit to the South Wales Aviation Museum (SWAM). I never even knew that it was there down at St Athans. I saw a post on Facebook about the place and noticed that they had a Phantom F4 on display. They are my favourite aircraft and I’ve never seen one up close. Wow! I don’t think that I really ever appreciated how big they are! 

There’s a brilliant story and a photo as evidence backing up that it was flown at low level and high speed between two of the buildings on the former RAF base. The noise of the afterburners made one of the squaddies fall off a ladder and break his leg!

I will certainly be looking to go and visit again. I spent a good few hours wandering around the hangar. The staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. They seem to be all ex-RAF and pilots.  They have some really interesting pieces from a crashed MiG and load of displays and themed rooms.  But mainly it’s that Phantom. 

The anniversary.

So up to the present and the aforementioned anniversary. Five years ago this week, I stepped through the doors at Slimming World. Strangely, it was the beast from the east that hit back then and there was snow on the ground. Its not yet hit but there is some snow forecast for this week, almost a mirror for this time five years ago.

The plan worked for me for two years and I did manage to lose a ton of weight that has all gone back on. I spent 18 months through covid and mum’s decline gradually getting back to where I was half a decade ago.

My head is still not ready to go back yet although I am working on it. I will find a local group and will look to get back onto the plan. 

Anyway, that was my February. Perhaps in a few weeks, I’ll post about how March has gone. 

Thanks for reading.