A Quick Scan

This year seems to be going very quickly maybe that is because we can actually go out and do things again unlike this time last year. Next week the clocks go forward meaning the evenings get lighter and we can pack even more in to our days. It will be summer before we know it at least I hope it will as my Jamaican sun tan is now just starting to fade a little.

Neil Quigley

I am massively clumsy and always catching my arm on things or quite often knocking my knee somewhere. I also seem to hit my head more often than you would think. Personally I feel that may be due to my lack of hair as I have no early warning system when I am getting a bit too close to something. Anyway I managed to hit my head on holiday on the door frame of a minibus as I was getting out of it. The reason I did it was because I was too busy thanking the driver and not paying attention to where I was going.

At the time it hurt a little on impact but I just about managed to style it out and carry on as normal. A month or so later I was still getting a headache from time to time, so just to be on the safe side my doctor sent me for a MRI Scan. If you have never had one before they feel like the kind of thing that a “Bond Villain” would use to torture 007. They are very small and compact, your head gets fed into it on some kind of moving board. Then for the next ten minutes it makes some of the weirdest noises you have ever heard. They do give you ear plugs and play music to try to mask it but it is still very strange.

The medical Staff were great and made it very simple and straight forward explaining exactly what was going to happen. It takes about a week for the results to come through. I am just hoping that they do find at least a trace of a brain in there somewhere. Joking aside it will be nice to know that everything is fine in that department and the headaches are not being caused by anything sinister or concerning.

Neil Quigley
Neil Quigley

My girlfriend Lynda is a great cook who enjoys experimenting with meals that she has not made before, which I benefit from hugely. She has recently got a new cook book and it has loads of recipes in it that she is very keen to try. At the moment she is basically working her way through it. In the week doing fully gluten containing dishes, but at the weekend trying anything that is or can be made gluten free for me to enjoy, due to my special dietary requirements with me being Coeliac.

The other weekend she made us some Malaysian Sticky Spicy Ribs which I must say were amazing. The meat just fell off the bone they were really sweet and came with a nice hot kick from the spices and the chilli. That was just the starter. For the main she produced these chicken satay burgers which she had made from scratch again from this new book. These were spectacular and so tasty she has already promised me that she will do them again for us.

The division of labour when it comes to meals is such that we both play to our strengths. She prepared and cooked all of the food. While I supplied the shop bought gluten free desert and on this occasion at least did the washing up. By which I mean I loaded the dish washer and turned it on. She does enjoy creating new meals and I very much enjoy eating them so as an arrangement it works perfectly as far as I am concerned. I do cook occasionally but the menu I tend to offer is a little simpler to say the least.

Ribs

After we had eaten we decided to settle down and watch a film. This is rarely my suggestion and anything we do end up seeing is usually as a result of a Dragon’s Den style pitch by Lynda pointing out why we should spend the time doing this. To be fair to her nearly all but one of the films we have watched together have at the very least kept my attention. She suggested we watch the latest Ghostbusters film called Afterlife. I had seen and enjoyed both of the original films as a child so agreed to give it a go.

I really liked it as it kept very true to the originals in fact it even had the same style and character to it. There are some very clever links to the first and second instalments from the eighties. Yet at the same time they have made it more modern and up to date. I do not want to say much more about it in case I give anything away. But if you did like the originals and want to hear a bit of the Ray Parker Jnr theme song then I would recommend you see it. The cast are great and it is just an easy to watch fun film.

Ghostbusters Afterlife

I went to the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday. I like to go every year but I ended up having a couple of years off for obvious reasons. It is a brilliant day out for the horse racing enthusiast where you get to see the best horses from the UK and Ireland go head to head at one of the most challenging courses. The atmosphere is always great at the event and the standard of the racing is unbelievably high.

Neil Quigley

It was even more special this year as one of the horses I have a few shares in Stage Star was running in a big hurdles race on the day that I was there. It was fantastic to be there and watch him run in person for the first time. I had previously been to visit him before he started his career at the Equiprep Facility that the Owners Group have. I got to see him in the parade ring and then chilling out in his stable. I have of course followed his journey very closely ever since and this was the biggest moment for him so far.

Cheltenham Festival

I managed to pick the one day this week when it rained all day at the Cheltenham Festival. But it did not matter we still had a great time there. The racing was exceptional despite the challenging conditions. The occasion and weather got to Stage Star a little bit I think and he set off a bit too quickly and was not really enjoying the conditions so very sensible the jockey Harry Cobden pulled him up before the end. The important thing is that he is fine and will learn from it. I do think that if it was a drier day he could have fared a bit better but that is horse racing for you. The well being of the horse is of course the most important thing.

Stage Star set the tone for my day as I did not have any winners while at the track which is quite unusual. We did however see the racing journalist legend that is Brough Scott and the maverick that is Matt Chapman. I did also manage to wear a coat that was more like a sponge than a shower curtain so had that nice damp feeling for a bit. It was as ever a fantastic day out we met lots of nice and interesting people. I am already looking forward to going back next year and hopefully seeing Stage Star or another one of my horses run there.

Stage Star

I did apply for the London Marathon Ballot for this year’s race. I am not totally sure why if I am honest. I entered it when I turned forty as I thought it might be a nice thing to do while I could still run a bit. I did not get in then and as a result stopped trying. But I guess after the lockdowns of the last couple of years I thought it might be good to give myself a new challenge and see if I could test myself and my glass ankles and knees to the maximum. However I was sadly not successful this time either, so I have now decided to accept that I will never do it and I am totally at ease with that decision.

Neil Quigley
Neil Quigley

I have been enjoying the current series of Saturday Night Takeaway. Ant and Dec are still brilliant at what they do. That show is shaped around them perfectly. You can tell that they are heavily involved with every aspect of it. They have been doing live television for so long now I honestly believe there is nothing that can trip them up. I think they have had some very strong end of the show, shows’ once again this year. They just seem to highlight how annoyingly talented they are, whatever they are doing in that segment they seem to pull it off perfectly even if that means they are being Drag Queens!

BGT London
BGT London

I have lots of good friends who support Everton and I have been to Goodison Park on many occasions. I always enjoy it when Spurs play them normally they are close and often exciting games. I seem to remember us winning more times than not but I always have a good time up there with my mates. I went to the match at the Tottenham Stadium the other week. It does of course give me bragging rights when we win, which we did by five goals to nil.

Neil Quigley & Jeff Nolan
Neil Quigley & Jeff Nolan

I did not think it was a good game and I personally did not think that we were that brilliant. However it was a very easy victory and it was possibly the worse Everton team I have seen for a very long time. I have a soft spot for them and would not like to see them relegated. The best bit about the night was giving Frank Lampard some stick. When he was at Chelsea they beat us I think two-nil at our place and he celebrated with their fans after like they had won the Champions League so we gave him both barrels while we were thrashing his new team! 

Not that Tottenham’s current form is much better. We seem to have fallen into a routine where we win one game and then lose the next one, so they give a little hope that a corner has been turned and then remove it straight away. Something Spurs have been doing on a fairly regular basis since I started supporting them as a four year old, who at that time it is fair to say did not know any better. That said they are my team and I support them no matter what. The thing with football is you cannot win every game so celebrate the victories and accept the defeats it is all part of the charm. Enjoy the journey and the end destination for one season at least may hopefully make it all worthwhile.

Neil Quigley
Neil Quigley

A quick reminder that you can listen to me every Saturday afternoon between 2pm – 4pm on Radio Ninesprings https://www.radioninesprings.co.uk/ 

Neil Quigley
Neil Quigley

I have not been to see live comedy for quite a while but I am happily going to put that right tonight as I am off to see a gig in Covent Garden. I will of course let you know what it was like next time we speak. Have fun and we will catch up again soon. Stay safe! Cheers Neil.


Magic Time in York

During lockdown one for my birthday in 2021 Lynda bought us an online Cheese and Red Wine tasting experience from a place in York called Love Cheese. It was very nicely done they sent you the cheese and wine in advance, it was all clearly numbered. Then on the actual set night the owners of the company did a Facebook Live where they took you through all the pairings. They were very good at explaining the origins and flavours of the food and drinks and saying why they had put them together. It lasted about an hour and a quarter. We enjoyed the first one so much we actually did another one about a month or so later, this time with a mixture of different wines and cheeses. Once again it was good fun. The couple who run it seemed extremely passionate about the subject and were also a good laugh.

It was nice to see a small business use the fact they had to close their shop to improve their customer base across the whole of the country. We decided that we wanted to go to their shop in York and experience what we had enjoyed online in person. It was Lynda’s Birthday on Tuesday so last weekend we went to York to do a bit of sightseeing and to visit Love Cheese.

Love Cheese

We got the train there from London on the Friday evening. That did mean that we did not arrive until gone half nine. I had booked us into a nice little guest house called The Judges Court right in the centre of York. The rooms were styled like Judge’s lodgings so they were a little bit quirky and different.

Once we had checked in and dropped our bags off we headed out and found a bar around the corner for a few drinks. We decided not to stay out to late as we wanted to make the most of the one full day we had there. That said we still did not make it out of our hotel until after eleven o’clock on the Saturday.

Judge’s Court

After a quick look round to get our bearings we decided to get some food. We were planning on doing quite a bit of walking so decided that we better take on some fuel first. We found a Bill’s that actually had a table. It turns out that York is very popular at weekends in half term so it was extremely busy and booking in advance was advised.

I had a lovely three course meal including a tasty parsnip soup, steak and a very nice apple crumble. They were brilliant with me being a coeliac and made sure all my food was gluten free and served with an allergen flag in it, which I always like as I feel safe that I can relax and enjoy my food.

Neil Quigley

After we had eaten we visited the remains of York Castle before a walk along the city walls. There is something special about walking on that many years of history. We followed them all the way around to York Minster. When I was at Primary School we had a week away in Yorkshire staying in Scarborough. And did one day in York so I had been inside the Minster before but this time we just decided to have a walk round the outside and then grab a hot drink at a Cafe’ with it right in front of us.

York Castle

Then we had a quick look at The Shambles. It seemed to be full of Harry Potter fans queuing to get into the magic and potion shops. After a bit of research it turns out that many fans think part of one of the movies was filmed there, although it was not. However they did shoot some scenes at York Railway Station. From here we went back to our hotel room to get ready for the main point of the whole trip.

Neil Quigley

Love Cheese has a little restaurant area where you can eat and drink called the Speak Cheesy. I had booked us a table there for 5pm. We got there bang on time and the very friendly staff showed us to our seats and gave us the menus. They offer various cheese related options and a nice and varied wine list.

We opted for a glass of wine each and got the five cheeses tasting option to try. Here you tell the waiter what sort of cheeses you like or do not like and they supply a selection of five of them to try with chutney and crackers. They are fully on board with serving gluten free people like me and made sure I had gluten free crackers and safe cheese options.

Love Cheese

The servings of each piece of cheese were generous. When they were delivered each of them were described to us so we knew what texture and flavours to expect. You can then enjoy the cheese and wine at your own pace. We sampled each piece together in order while comparing notes. They serve it beautifully on a slate with of course proper cheese knives.

We were enjoying ourselves so much we ordered another glass of a different wine each to try and then got another three cheeses to taste. All of the cheeses were lovely although we of course did have our favourites. Having spent a great couple of hours in there we left feeling nice and full of cheese and having thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. We were pleased we had discovered them online and actually managed to get there in person and see it for ourselves.

Neil Quigley

We then went and had a few more wines in one of York’s many pubs. I mentioned earlier that is was so busy that you needed to book to eat. We were not sure if we would still be hungry after our cheese fest but just in case we booked a table at The Ivy for 9.30pm. We decided to keep the booking and have some food as it is a chain that we both like but had not been to for a while. Happily once again the Staff were fully aware of the issues of a Coeliac and gave me several gluten free options to choose from.

The original plan was just to have a main each so I had the Aromatic Duck Curry, which was nice. When I had finished it I did end up ordering a dessert as in my world a meal should always end with something sweet. Just in case you are interested I had the Creme’ Brulee’. It was another enjoyable dining experience.

Neil Quigley

We then called it a night and retired to the Judges Court. The next morning, we had to check out by eleven but the train was not until three. We left our bags at the hotel and then returned to Bills for an epic Pancake and syrup breakfast.

Then we decided to take in some history so we went to the York Castle Museum. It was really good. There are the remains of an old prison there to look at, it is where the highwayman Dick Turpin was held before his execution. They have also reconstructed a whole Victorian Street inside. They were the two main highlights for me.

Neil Quigley

It was then time to collect our bags and make our way to the station to catch the train home. We had a great weekend. York is a really nice, historic and friendly place with lots of things to do. We could easily have spent a few more days there. I think we may have to have a repeat visit at some point if for no other reason than to go to Love Cheese again.

Love Cheese

I first discovered The Mischief Theatre Company when a mate and I went to see a midweek matinee of a new show called The Play That Goes Wrong. It was the most I think that I have ever laughed at the theatre. I really enjoyed it. Their idea started off as a play at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and then via the West End made it to Broadway.

A couple of years later I went to see their next show that was called The Comedy About a Bank Robbery. Once again I thought it was brilliant. From there the group have ended up making regular television series and one off specials, all of which I have enjoyed.

The Comedy About A Bank Robbery
The Comedy About A Bank Robbery

They put on a production a couple of years ago called Groan Ups, which again was very clever and very funny. I have seen all of their productions in London and with the original cast many of who were the founding members of the group. They are all extremely talented and good at what they do. I only just managed to catch their most recent show before it closed in London.

While they were in America with The Play That Goes Wrong they met the American magicians Penn & Teller. I am not totally sure how the next bit happened but they ended up working on a new show together called Magic Goes Wrong. This was the final one of their productions so far that I had not seen.

I caught it in the last week of its run. It did what the title said with lots of magic tricks going wrong but as we know from the great Tommy Cooper getting a trick wrong with perfect timing is almost as tough as getting it right. It was quite an interactive show with lots of audience participation. Penn & Teller devised and designed all the magic included in the show and some of them do really work and it is amazing when they do.

The show is fast paced, funny and very well performed. Extremely entertaining and it does keep you guessing a bit about what will happen next. It gives the illusion at least of a fair amount of danger. As ever with The Mischief Theatre company stuff I thoroughly enjoyed it. And I am already looking forward to seeing whatever they come up with next.

Magic Goes Wrong

Before we went to see Magic Goes Wrong we had a meal at Browns. One of the main reasons we went there is because they are Coeliac accredited which means it is a safe place for me to eat as regards to gluten free food with no risk of contamination. It also means that there is a good selection of dishes on the menu that I can have.

In the end I opted for their prawn and lobster pasta dish followed by some Eaton Mess for my pudding. This set me up nicely for our trip to the theatre. The Staff were good in there and I would certainly eat there again.

Neil Quigley

This was the weekend of Storm Franklin and we managed to get the timing of the walk from the restaurant to the theatre totally wrong. It was tipping down with rain and because of the very strong winds it was coming horizontally at us rendering the tiny umbrella I had as useless and meaning we were completely soaked by the time that we arrived.

It did not spoil the night despite being a bit damp during the entire performance, as it was actually to celebrate the second anniversary of mine and Lynda’s first date. We had a fun and lovely evening despite the challenging weather.

Neil Quigley
Neil Quigley

I was delighted that after a couple of months rest one of my horses Proclaimer won on his comeback at Kempton. He had won four out of his last five previous races before the trainer Julie Camacho had decided that he needed some time out of the action.

He looked very good on his return and I hope to see him possibly run a few more times over the next two months, ideally with similar results. One of my other horses is currently being lined up to run in one of the big hurdle races at Cheltenham later this month which is very exciting.

Proclaimer

I have mentioned this before but I have some sort of problem with my ears in that they build up with all kinds stuff and need to be in effect hoovered out about every six months ideally. I should stress this is by a medical professional using equipment designed for this task. Due to the current situation it had been longer than usual since I last had the procedure.

It was so overdue I was having trouble hearing, getting headaches and struggling a bit with my balance. I had it done this week and it was like suddenly getting surround sound back in my life. I feel so much better for it, really is quite weird as it creeps up on you as time goes by and then when you have them looked at it is only then you realise how bad they really were! I am all good now for another six months!

Neil Quigley

A quick reminder that you can listen to me every Saturday afternoon between 2pm – 4pm on Radio Ninesprings https://www.radioninesprings.co.uk/

Neil Quigley Presenter
Neil Quigley Presenter

Have fun and we will catch up again soon. Stay safe! Cheers Neil.