Movember +30days - au revoir MOnsieur

And so another Movember draws to a close...

Here's me rocking my Gallic look that won Mr/MOnsieur Movember at The Rock Inn "Judge My Shrub" competition (note medal ribbon and sash hidden below my onions). It's been worthwhile!

Thank you to ALL my generous sponsors. Couldn't have done it without you. £635 raised. Give yourselves a pat on the back (or a stroke of the 'tache).

[You know what? I think I might keep it!]

Movember +24days - a little up-didilly-up-up

In honour of those wonderfully moustachioed Naples statues.

[And no, I haven't dyed it blue, just a little Photoshop.]

Pizza Face

Just back from a weekend in Napoli giving my Mo some international exposure. Those good burghers of the city from yester-year certainly knew how to rock some 'monificent' Mos. After all, how esle could they catch those pizza crumbs?

Movember +16days - no pointy uppy

M+16 days - status report:
(No, no, no, nothing to do with firearms or the former name of the M25 motorway!)

Well, the Mo is there alright although my attempt to go skywards at the ends is being thwarted by, well...lack of hair at my fuzzy fringes! Pah. You can't have everything - after all I do have the 'Chicken Whisperer Bobble Hat'!

Below are a couple of moustachioed snaps of my (continued) generous sponsors. More snaps and Lip Shrub Shenaningans at http://mobro.co/spratticus

Many thanks ONE and ALL!

MOssive thanks for your Movember support

My my. What a lot of very generous friends and rellies I have. I'm over the £500 mark for Movember and the Prostate Cancer Charity. Thanks one and all!!

Remember, just a £1 donation secures your entry into the 'Jam Tombola' where the lucky winner gets one of my hand crafted jams made with personally foraged/stolen fruits: Plum & Walnut with a hint of Grappa or Quince & Medlar Jelly (I was going to add in Creme de Menthe but thought better of it). What's not to love about that?

Take a peek at mobro.co/spratticus

A Mo update and pic to follow shortly...but here are a couple of snaps from my biggest sponsors so far - The A Team!

Movember +7days

OK, so there's definitely something MOing on now!!

A rage of colour...

Hampstead Heath, London - Sat 5 Nov

Bit disappointed...you can't even see a semblance of my tash!

Fromage my friend, fromage!

Away from top lipped Tom Foolery for a moment. I've been on a cheese mission.

The most nuclear cheese on earth it would seem is - Epoisses de Bourgogne. It's in a wooden box, wrapped in cling film, in tupperware, inside a knotted plastic bag...and I can still smell it.

This cheese is banned from public transport in France and that says a lot...not renowned for their delicate nasal sensibilities, the French.

There's a distinct smell of death about it. I was cutting some earlier and I couldn't avoid handling it. Now my hand smells like it has gangrene.

And this was courtesy of La Cave a Fromage, Hove. If you were after a cheesy night out in Brighton (& Hove), this is where you should aim for.

Wonderful.

Movember + 3days

Other than Bill's attempted 'blackmail' to get me to grow a 'Hilter' (if blackmail can be described as refusing to sponsor me otherwise), there have been no Mo-Style suggestions. So, I have opted for a 'Rockstar'.

There's an option of an upgrade to 'Undercover Brother' if my follicles are fizzing or I could embarrassingly bolt for 'The Wisp' if not. Options options options.

Compare:

[Is it just me or is my chin growing?]

Read Steady Mo!

Farewell familiar facial fuzz. It's the 1st Movember...so I am shorn, shaven smooth and ready to cultivate a bit of top lip topiary for charity.

A massive thanks to all those that have sponsored me thus far...very very kind.

I'm still open for mo style suggestions, although the Hitler/Mugabe is off the polling card (this time round).

More info:
mobro/spratticus
uk.movember.com

Dover Castle - Best Sunday Roast in Brighton?

If not, then pretty close. Two fantastic and generous rounds of roast belly pork (with extra crackling), roast spuds, roast beetroot (red and yellow), romanesco broccoli , green beans, roast carrot, roast seasonal squash, cavolo nero cabbage, great gravy, individual yorkshire pud...all delicious and perfectly cooked. The leg of lamb was similarly toothsome. All £9.95.

Dover Castle 43 Southover Street Brighton BN2 9UE (01273 688276)

(NB I have no commercial interest in or connection to the Dover Castle, just think food that's above the norm, particularly local pub food, should be applauded.)


Update: as of 24 June 2012 the Dover Castle is under new management. We shall have to wait to see if the Sunday roasts live up to the previous reputation.

Bear Shaving

Here's something to kick off Movember:

Come and see two of Kemptown's shaggiest get shaved at
The Rock Inn, 7 Rock Street, Brighton 1 Nov 8pm

I really can't believe 'Chris The Beard' is going for it. Ask nicely and whoever's waving the cut throat might 'do you' too...in a good way...and for charity!

A Shrubbery of Mos

And whilst we're stroking all things Mo...looky looky looky. What a handsome bunch. A shrubbery of Mos at Andrew North's wedding Tbilisi, Oct 2010. As real as they look (huh?), there's only one true 'face grown & hand brushed' Mo aMOngst them. Can you spot it?

Soup Strainer for Movember

Movember is almost upon us...and I'm up for it again. Below are a few visuals from last year's Movember MOuse Warming Party. A success fo' su'.

If you fancy sponsoring me don't hold back:
http://mobro.co/spratticus

Dates for your Diary if you're a Brightonian:

Movember Gala Parte, Brighton Wed 23 Nov, 8-12pm - Sticky Mike's Frog Bar, 9-12 Middle Street BN1 1AL [tickets]

Barefaced Cheek Sat 26 Nov, 'til 1am - The Rock Inn, 7 Rock Street, Kemptown BN2 1NF: end of Movember party, come along and parade your crumb catcher!

Mo Quiz Night Mon 28 Nov, 7-12pm - The Lectern, 5 Pelham Ter, Lewes Rd BN2 4AF: a quiz with a lip shrubbery theme

So what, it's not the wildest Saturday night

...but I'm having fun.
Baking rolls and YouTubing (if that's a verb...yet) Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain covering Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights.

YouTube your socks off!!

Simple pleasures.

Apple-tastic

Applefest, Middle Farm, Glynde, East Sussex

Fruity harvest fun: apples, apples and more apples. Cider, cheeses, chutneys, quinces, pears, bread, beer, bands, fun fair, sheep racing, llama racing, pulse racing! And Indian summer sun. Wonderful.

OK OK I'm back

Seems I've been rather slack and let events overtake me. Mineapolis, Toronto, JFK, Heathrow, Hereford all ticked off. Reads like a Dunhill fag packet dunnit. Now back in Brighton.

Sorry for the delay.for

Here are some pics to give you a flavour.

And so much changes when you're away...like a giant ferris wheel in Brighton that seems to have sprung up like a mushroom overnight.

Farewell San Dieaaaago

San Diego Airport, 0500...ouch

What can I say. Well, a big thank you to Brian & Robyn for putting me up and putting up with me. Great to see you.

And thanks to Greg for giving up his bed for me. True dedication to the (My) cause.

So my in transit blog posts continue.

It's rather early and I'm kicking about at San Diego airport waiting for a flight to Minesotapolis St Sauls...I think.

Here are a few enduring images...

Cherio to South California...unless I don't make the flight.