Can I have my 62p back please?

"Royals 'cost the taxpayer £37.4m'

The Queen and the Royal Family cost the UK taxpayer £37.4m in the last financial year, her financial public accounts reveal.

The cost, equivalent to 62p per person in the UK, rose 4.2% over the previous year, accountants said."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5123580.stm

Surely it's time we scrapped this out-dated concept? It should be a fundamental right of the people of this country to elect their Head of State rather than someone born in a particular family.

There's plenty of things I'd rather spend my 62p on.

Chernobyl

We finally arranged our "ecological / extreme toutism" day trip to Chernobyl for when we are over in Ukraine next month.

I got emailed the tour details which you couldn't make up. Alex forwarded it onto some of his collegues and they though it was a joke.

Apparently it is safe enough to visit for a couple of hours, but I guess they would say that. I remember how initially 20 years ago the Russian authorities lied when the disaster happened...

"Full-day trip to CHERNOBYL –
visit the site of the worst environmental disaster in history"

• 9:00 Depart Kyiv. Two-hour ride northwards to the border of the "exclusion zone". The area is 214 km in perimeter.
  
  
• 11:00 – 14:00 Pass the checkpoint "Dytyatky" and enter the "exclusion zone". Visit to the site of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant – an enterprise once employed more than 5000 staff. Observe object "Sarcophagus"- concrete-and-steel shelter covering radioactive masses and debris left after the explosion. Experience the peace and quiet of the ghost-town Prypyat – all 47.500 inhabitants had to abandon their homes the next day after the accident. Explore the deserted apartment blocks, schools, hotels, kinder gardens.

• 14:00 – 14:30 Lunch (the quality of food is guaranteed).

• 14:30 - 15:00 A briefing conducted by a specialist of the governmental agency "Chernobylinterinform". Get answers to your questions about the accident, current ecological situation and the future of the exclusion zone.
  
  
• 15:00 - 17:00 Visit to the site of contaminated vehicles. Thousands of tracks, helicopters, armoured personnel vehicles are so soaked with radiation that it is dangerous to approach. Meet the self-settlers, elderly people living in the exclusion zone.
  
  
• 17:00 Leave the exclusion zone
  
  
• 19:00 Arrive Kyiv

On Safari

I can't claim credit for this photo - I got emailed it from Ruf who was on safari for his honeymoon.

It's a cool photo though, so thought I'd upload it to my blog.

Not had a chance to catch up with him since he got back, but there's definately a Playstation, beer and pizza night on the cards. (That is of course if the new Mrs Spiller allows it!)

Trans-Siberian Railway

There was an article in the Sunday Herald magazine yesterday about the Trans-Siberian Railway.

The writer in this case did it in seven days which would be interesting but I reckon it would be better to do it other a longer period of time and make a few overnight stops.

The next choice is which route to take. The traditional one is of course Moscow to Vladivostock but it would probably be more interesting to go through Ulaan baatar in Mongolio and then onto Beijing and Hong Kong.

Definately up for doing it next year.

Those Crazy Commies

N.Koreans congratulate South on World Cup win

Arriving in the South Korean city of Gwangju for a celebration marking the sixth anniversary of the first-and-only North-South summit, North Korean officials praised South Korea's 2-1 defeat of Togo on Tuesday, marking the South's first World Cup win outside of Korea.

http://chinadaily.com.cn/sports/2006-06/14/content_616916.htm

ETC 5s Tournament 8th June 2006

Last night was the ETC 5s Tournament. After missing the Carlsberg National Fives over in Galway, I was looking forward to this one. We entered a team consisting of Martin, Martin G, Mick, Andy, Joe, David and me.



We progressed to the knockout round after we convincingly won our group by winning 8-0, 3-1 and then drawing 2-2.

In the quarter final we were the better team, but lost 1-0. The team that we drew 2-2 with eventually went on to win it.

Yeah, I like how the photo of me in goals is one of the few times I got beaten. What about all those top saves :)

God-Forsaken Lion

Got sent this link to a story on the Daily Record web site by Alex.

"GOD-FORSAKEN LION

A visitor was mauled to death by a lioness in Kiev zoo after climbing into the animal's enclosure, shouting: 'God will save me, if He exists.' The zoo was packed at the time of the tragedy on Sunday."

I wonder if he'd been drinking the local hooch? We're off to Kiev next month and I dread to think what 'hilarious' scrapes we'll get into this time.

In Budapest, Alex decided to swim the Danube whilst full of Unicum. In Braşov, Transylvania, Graham drank the local hooch, Polinka, and got us lifted.

Thankfully, Krakow managed to go relatively incident free.

Mind you, if Alex had been drinking and got in the lion enclosure, he'd probably bore it to death with his bizarre and yet unrelated tales about Le Corbusier, his dog, Scottish customs, his Lynne, property prices, Captain Columbus........

Mr and Mrs Spiller

I was at Rufus and Fiona's wedding down at 'House for an Art Lover' in Bellahouston Park yesterday. Rufus has been one of my best mates for years since working with him at ItsNotRocketScience and I was totally chuffed to see him and Fiona finally tying the knot.

Rufus and the lovely Fiona


Cutting the cake


The cake figures made by Liam


The first dance to Ian Brown. Stefan was, as usual, a top DJ and kept the dance floor busy with his inspired choice of tunes.


It was a great day and it was good to meet all the INRS guys again as well as the guys from the Ibiza stag weekend.

Al 'Air Guitar' Brodie

Carlsberg National Fives

I was supposed to be flying over to Ireland today to play in the Carlsberg National Fives competition which is held every year in Salthill Co. Galway. Mick has entered a team and I was to be playing in goals.

Unfortunately I came down with a throat infection at the end of the week and although I am starting to feel a bit better now that the Penicillin is kicking in, but a weekend in Galway would have been too much.

Anyway, all the best to team today. I'll be fit for the work's five-a-side tourney next week at least.