With Charles Lotter (GM of Summer Lodge) and John Longley (America's Cup winner in 1983 and friend from Perth, Australia)

The sun is finally shining and it's been a busy. busy, BUSY day!

Have topped it off with a lovely dinner with friends ... one a "sailing games" commentator for Australia (& guest on the show from January)... and the other ... Charles ... !

Song of the Day: Shoot the Dog - George Michael

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-9FCTbKF2o

Awoke to a nice piece of news - United Airlines is airing the show inflight coast to coast USA! Yay!

Thanks to Jack, I have ALL the photographs from all this year's filming locations ... there are many, many of them I can tell you!

Tomorrow I am dining with some old ILT friends ... one from Perth, Australia and one from Dorset ... both who have appeared "here" and on the show ...!

This weekend, Moo and I have been invited to participate in  "the waggiest tail" category in a local dog show ... and the weather looks fabulous ... hmmm .... sounds like fun!

Song of the Day: Cream - Prince
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Lmq6RDn5O8

 On THE "Beach" in Thailand

The Anassa in Cyprus with the boys ... 

Thank you for the all the messages and emails about Series 6 ... I am very much looking forward to filming ... which indeed does start in Lisbon at the end of the month.

Weather here is dreadful ... but I am told there is SNOW in Johannesburg! Wow!

Once again, no cricket or golf for me today ... and I have a wee cough so no cigar either! Harumf!

Song of the Day: Fisherman's Blues - The Waterboys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VKouBHarIo

where I would like to be ... right now!

2012 - Series 6 - starts filming at the end of this month: Lisbon, Cambodia, Vietnam, Kenya, Dubai, Maldives and St Petersburg ... starts airing February 2013 ... dates to follow!

2012 - Series 5 - Munich, Cyprus, Toronto, Costa Rica, Marrakesh, Perth and Johannesburg & safari ... starts airing in October 2012 ... dates to follow!

Now planning for 2013!

Song of the Day: I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me - Nik Kershaw 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqqXMXpyAkE

Happiness is ... 

Rain stopped play ... for me ...


I was meant to be playing some cricket this afternoon but the heavens opened and drowned the pitch ...


I just sat in my car, smoking a cigar,  listening to Andy Murray whoop Federer on the Wimbledon Centre Court. Murray is just ... brilliant!


I am once again off to the movies tonight ... is it the new Spiderman or Killer Joe (from the director of The Exorcist)? We shall see ...


Song of the Day: Heroes - David Bowie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgcc5V9Hu3g

Champion!

I love going to the movies by myself ... I have a ritual ...


I always pre-book my seat - front & centre with " love seat" if available ...


Water, sweet popcorn and a bag of "mix" (chocolate raisins, banana chews and white mice) ...


Movie ... then afterwards - a pizza!


Today I watched THE best movie of the year - Ted! (Even better than Batman by the way!)


It was funny ... funny ... very funny and wonderfully funny!


Go and see it (unless you hate Family Guy ... or purile jokes ... or general silliness).


TED RULES!


Song of the Day: Bare Necessities - Jungle Book
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ogQ0uge06o

The weekend is here! Whoo-hoo!


Sadly the weather forecast is for rain and wind ... no golf then ... 


Thankfully my new television set arrived today ... thank you Amazon ... I love you!


OK - so on Monday I will be telling you what we are filming for the rest of 2012 ... ooh ... aah ...


Song of the Day: Mr Blue Sky - ELO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98P-gu_vMRc

Me in the Olympics:

 Sailing! (from Perth)

 Canoeing! (from Margaret River)

Cross country horse riding (Costa Rica)

The word "BANG" and "television-set" are not good bedfellows. This morning my beloved 50" Sony projector television went BANG ... I have had it for seven years and reminiscing over the shows, events, and films I have watched on it makes me rather sad ...

Also, I bought it for a staggering £2,000 ... and it has lived in three homes ... but now resides in the skip outside my house, along with half a tree and the skeleton of a marquis that I bought for an ill-fated summer garden party last year (it rained, snowed, hailed ... all in one July day!).

Time for a new television I fear ... (I do have others around this house BUT this one was attached to my 7.1 Dolby surround that made Star Wars feel like my own civil war).

ALSO - I bumped the front of my car on a wall and I no longer have my HUGE spotlights! Grrrrr ...

I SURRENDER!

I did buy some tickets for the Paralympics which are going to be the GREATEST show on earth this year ... have bought a huge box of tissues too as I KNOW I am going to cry!

Song of the Day: Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lyu1KKwC74

My rather spiffing new set of golf clubs courtesy of my golf sponsors is here! BIG GRIN!

Song of the Day: Ghost Town - The Specials
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WhhSBgd3KI

Why is the "song of the day" at the top of the diary? Well .. today I visited a real "ghost town" ... London! I joke not - the shopping streets were deserted ... the Underground was empty ... there were queues of cabs - with drivers looking bored and miserable ... but the worst part was that the shops were devoid of customers ... more staff than anything ...


I had a grand day though ...


Started the Toronto episode edit with Oli - lunch at Zedel (the "new" Wolesley") with Louis, General Manager of the soon-to-be-opened Cafe Royal (hotel) ... a cheeky cigar and a large glass of Pimms ...


Back at my desk now ...

The sound mixing for ILT is done ... in Sydney!

 The team at Cafe Royal - Mark and Louis

 Hmmmmmmm

It was really the "four seasons" here today. Awoke to cold rain, then hot sunshine, then snow (well - actually - gusts of pollen), then finally nothing ...


Got a lot of work done today ... and am in the editing suite tomorrow with Oli ... plus I have a little London adventure planned ... which will be awesome if the weather is good ...


Have agreed to play in the annual local cricket game today ... better start working out then! Ha! Last year was fun although I was on the losing side. This year, we will win ... ! I hope.


Am desperate to try out my new set of golf clubs - PLEASE someone invite me for a round! PLEASE!

Song of the Day: She Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWitntwPjM4

I am not a born cricketer ... 

Back in 1992 ... while I was still at University (Manchester) ... I was invited to see a film at the Cornerhouse (?) ... it was called "Baraka" (blessing) and was sold to me as having "no words, travel, great soundtrack - Dead Can Dance - and ideal as a kissing-movie". Well, no kissing went on that evening as I was completely transfixed by Baraka.


Fast forward to 2012 and Ron Fricke has finally released his follow-up "Samsara". It is officially released at the end of the month but the previews are tonight ... ! SO SO SO SO EXCITING!


Movies that have changed your life? You must have one ... Baraka did it for me!


If you get the chance, rent or buy Baraka and you will see what inspired me to do what I do today ...

Fantastic friends, fantastic family (love you & happy birthday Mom), fantastic fruit juice (no wine or whisky today), fantastic weird weather, fantastic conversation, fantastic barbecue, fantastic cigars, fantastic traffic (out of London), fantastic ladies beach volleyball, fantastic ketchup, fantastic food, fantastic tractor driving! Ha! What a Sunday …!

Song of the Day: Fantastic Day - Haircut 100

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qQWs-fg3k0&feature=fvst

Fine friends, fine family (love you Pops), fine wine (see below), fine weather, fine conversation, fine barbecue, fine cigars, fine traffic (out of London), fine ladies beach volleyball, fine ketchup, fine food, fine whisky ... freezing cold swimming pool! My first weekend in England for months is just ... fine!


Oh - I am near Oxford ...

 1, 2, 3 ... whoo-hoo!

 Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

 Yum

Today in 1586 - Sir Walter Raleigh brought tobacco to England from Virginia. It was an "early" cigar ... and thank for that Sir!


So my usual journey to visit my Papa was elongated by over 90 minutes tonight ... due to traffic ... which is set to last for the next 6 weeks. Great.


Oh - and I believe that £100 million was spent on the opening ceremony for the "Games" ... while over 1 million children in the UK did not have ONE POUND to spend on food today. Erm ... how does that work?

And the Gold Medal for smoking a cigar without breaking into a sweat ... 

"Varun, you are a monkey."
"How is that?" I asked
"Well, you have long arms like a orangutan, you pull silly faces ... and you always look cheeky .. oh and when you don't shave, you look a neat mess ..."


Isn't it amazing how well our friends know us?


Today is my Papa's (76th) birthday - the kindest, sweetest and most wonderful gentleman in the world. If I am even 1% of the man he is, then I have done well ...

 me

monkey

Another gorgeous day here ...


Thankfully my house has a thatched roof - which means it's cool in summer and warm in winter ... I have been hiding in my office for most of the day with the Pooch ... she was defurred today so is now walking around with a spring in her step. She may be old, blind and toothless but she still acts like a puppy sometimes!


All good until I just read a news story about a wee 5-month old kitten (see below) who had her MOUTH glued shut by some evil ba***ards ... glue ... what kind of a world do we live in when a defenceless kitten can be attacked in this way by mindless idiots ... their parents must be so proud. It makes my blood boil.


If anyone EVER touched my 4-legged family - there would be serious hell to pay.


Thankfully, the lovely kitten is okay now ... and is being looked after by vets ...


Tune of the Day: Wallace & Gromit - Julian Nott
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDWiJ_WX2Oo

It's been a busy 24 hours.


Last night I watched the new Batman movie ... it was quite entertaining BUT I thought the ending was somewhat unremarkable. I did enjoy it ... but ... for me ... the Michael Keaton "Batman" with Jack Nicholson, the Prince soundtrack and Kim (grrr) Basinger will always be my favourite ...


Am still enjoying the mini-heatwave which is set to end on Sunday ... sadly ...


Olympics - sailing - maybe ... beach volleyball (ladies) - definitely!


I watched the sun set this evening - in the garden - with a small cigar and a large cider to hand ... a steam train even chugged close-by ... it was ... idyllic ...


You just can't beat a perfect summer sun-shiny day in the English countryside ... even the cows & the sheep in the neighbouring fields looked happy!


Song of the Day: Ramblin' Man - Lemon Jelly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXDtQcuA5Bo

(some of my sunsets of the year)

Sunshine hits the UK for another day .... about time too we've been waiting sooooo long!
Yipeee!


From Emma (Producer)

The official day of rest began with breakfast; tea & crumpets in the sunshine on the lawn ...


Bradley Wiggins won the Tour de France - bravo ... and Adam Scott won The Open golf ... hold on ... he DIDN'T ... Ernie Els did! How did that happen?


I thought it was all over in the last 4 holes so decided to cut down a huge bush in the garden and mulch it. I wandered back to my desk an hour later and the Big Easy had done it! Bravo x 2! It was a great day for South African sport then ... the golf AND the cricket! I hope all my friends down in SA are dancing with joy!


I have a bottle of Ernie Els wine in my collection - it's not all that good but I will "open" (geddit?) tonight in his honour!


The day is going to end on the lawn again (mown by moi) ... with a glass of red wine ... a wee cigar ... and a smile ... wish you were here!


A busy week ahead I fear ...


Viva the 80s!


Song of the Day: Manic Monday - The Bangles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAZgLcK5LzI

Missed by just an inch ... 

I don't suffer from greed ... (except when it comes to Heinz Ketchup ... oh & pizza) ... 


In fact I love giving away stuff - whether it be clothing, duplicated electrical goods, memorabilia, toiletries, and of course, anything to do with sports! Recently, I bade farewell to a signed Joe Montana football (American) shirt and I now have a set of golf clubs looking for a new home (more on that tomorrow) ...


I am quite blessed in that I get sent stuff ... connected to my job ... clothes, electrical goods, toiletries, memorabilia and everything to do with sports!


On my recent trip to Toronto, I had a fun afternoon with the Blue Jays ... and the ball below was signed by the star players ... Jose Bautista and JP Arencibia (a hitter and a catcher?) ...


The ball is now winging its way to New York ... and to Robert Stock ... the man behind Robert Graham (which "does" my wardrobe). Once, when I visited him, I was introduced to Mariano Rivera - who - I was informed, IS one of the greatest ball players of all time ... I didn't have a clue ...


Song of the Day: The Model - Kraftwerk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgS252XT_Ts