My third decade

I forgot to blog about my birthday last week.

I turned 30.

My lovely wife did the most fantastic party for me at a great little venue on Whiteladies Road in Bristol with loads of friends and family. She is amazing!

The party was great – good food, great music, fantastic company and a great time all round.

 

In answer to the questions I’ve been asked…

- I don’t feel different

- I don’t feel old

- My hair won’t grow back

Lower Severn Barbel part 2

Back out last Sunday evening on the Lower Severn… arrived as it was getting dark and so got set up and cast out as fast as possible. Set up the Kelly Kettle and got comfy. Felt very positive as I know that a few Barbel had been showing over the weekend and the spot I’d chosen had been fished a couple of times over the weekend with a bit of success.

Anyway… rods were indicating that there were a few fish interested as well so waited expectantly for the first fish. The right hand rod went off about 90mins after I arrived and I quickly landed a good Bream. Not the fish I wanted but welcome none the less. About 45mins later the left hand rod nodded a bit which was enough for me to strike into a fish. Didn’t feel like much, but after a minute or so of slowly bringing the fish in, it suddenly came alive and I realised I had a better fish on this time!

After a good scrap I landed it and realised that this is a good fish…

I realised that I had forgotten my camera so called a friend who also fishes the same stretch who drove out and took some great photos. It weighed in at 11lb 1oz – smashing my previous best of 10lb 4oz and making it the third double figure Barbel from three rivers this year. It’s been a cracking run.

Had another smaller fish of 6lb 12oz later in the session and packed up a happy chap.

Sweet.

Lower Severn Barbel

Back onto a really great stretch of the Lower Severn just above Tewkesbury… went with the intention of catching Pike and Zander because the conditions weren’t the best for Barbel… arrived a bit later than intended at 515pm after spending time with some lovely Tewkesbury peeps. Got the Pike rod out first with a big dead roach on and then the Barbel rods were sorted. Didn’t have any interest for ages so enjoyed the sunset and spent loads of time trying to get my kelly kettle to boil so I could have a cuppa.

At about 730pm the Pike rod alarm indicated that something had picked up the roach so I picked it up, wound down and struck… into nothing. Which was a good thing as the same time I picked up the Pike rod, the Barbel rod wrenched down and the alarm went into meltdown. I chucked the pike rod to one side and grabbed the Barbel rod. It turned out to be a really nice Barbel. I had forgotten my scales so guessed the fish to be between 7.5-8lbs which is a new best for me on the Lower Severn! Really chuffed. Couple of dodgy pics below.

Just as I was leaving a car drove past me and parked at the bottom of the field. They weren’t fishing. The lights in the car went out and no-one left it.

Hmm.

Didn’t feel I should go and disturb the happy couple really…

More stuff on SuperBadger

Just received this email from Superbadger – this is the difference you can make with it!! Sign up and get badgering.

Two years ago, SuperBadger was born. The mission: to help ordinary people badger politicians, CEOs and other influencers to change the world and tackle global poverty. And what a success it’s been.

In the past two years, through SuperBadger, over 20,000 people have taken on-line action for justice. And even though change takes time, we’ve still had some great successes, including:

- Gordon Brown announced plans to go to Copenhagen for the climate talks
- EON announced they will temporarily withhold the proposal to build the Kingsnorth coal-fired power station
- The British Government re-affirmed that there will be no political contact with the Honduran coup regime
- DFID included all of our key asks into their White Paper on food security
- Thorntons created a Fairtrade chocolate range
- The UK passed a world-class Climate Change Act

Even when our target isn’t able to make the change we ask for yet, it’s still nice to get a response. And recently badger actions have been receiving tons of responses from the likes of the BBC, Nestle, Cadbury and even David Cameron. Our work is definitely noticed.

So thank you for all your help making SuperBadger become the effective and fun campaigning tool that it is!

Apologies…

… to those who feel hurt that I called you a loser for playing Farmville on Facebook. My lovely wife tells me that it isn’t a nice thing to do.

Anyway…

However please sign up for Superbadger on Facebook and send those emails! To find it either click on the link I posted below or just search for “Superbadger” on Facebook.

Five things to do as a leader

Found this from Chuck Swindoll on the “Out of Ur” blog – you can get to it via the Delicious links… anyway thought I’d reproduce it here as it is brilliant.

1) Whatever you do, do more with others and less alone

2) Whenever you do it, emphasize quality not quantity.

3) Wherever you go, do it the same as if you were among those who know you best.

4) Whoever may respond, keep a level head.

5) However long you lead, keep on dripping with gratitude and grace

Super Badger

If you are on Facebook you should be using Superbadger.  Run by Tearfund, it gives an easy way to “badger” different people via email about particular issues. It literally takes a minute to put your name at the bottom of an email and send it. I’ve had responses from government ministers, Tesco, Starbucks and more. It does get through, especially as most of the “badger” requests get done by a thousand or so people.

Imagine if that became 10,000. Or even 100,000. It wouldn’t be that difficult – please can you sign up to it and get others to do the same? If you’re on Twitter then follow Superbadger there as well.

Find the application here – SUPERBADGER

If you don’t do it and you play Farmville instead then you are a loser.

That’s not a joke.

Change

So I’ve messed around with the blog for a while… I’ve changed the theme, colours, pictures and more.

And then simply came back to what it was.

I think that’s often a really good benefit of change. Making yourself try out some new things. Its fine if the old stuff works best.

Bob Jackson (well known CofE chap) makes this stark statement:

“Most churches need to make a choice between having a comfortable death and uncomfortable life”

He cites statistic after statistic showing that churches who won’t change decay and decline. Those that do change grow. I’m now part of a “context” based training group that looks to work out the theology of the classroom in the cut and thrust of the real world. Both churches are great places that long to have an impact on the city of Bristol and do so in very different ways. The leaders in both churches are up for being uncomfortable but alive.

How about in our individual lives… are we willing to “comfortably die” or experience life with all the discomfort and challenge that it brings?

Final quote from Bob Jackson… think it can apply to both our church communities and our own lives:

“We do not advocate change for the sake of change; we see change as the condition for survival”

Bristol Avon Barbel

Out last Thursday afternoon/evening on the Bristol Avon. River was about 6ins higher due to the rain, but I could still spot fish (if they had been there!!).

Fished several spots with very little indication that there were any fish feeding. Dropped back into a nice little swim that I had already fished and within a minute the rod tip slammed round and after a good scrap I got this nice Barbel into the net. Weighed just over 10lbs. Absolute cracker. My second double of the season and first from the Bristol Avon. It was a long and lean fish too so has the potential to put on a good bit of weight. Would love to catch her again in the winter!

Two things though…

I’m entering this photo into the national gurning competition

I need to remember the case for my polaroids next time