| oh...Updated: 11/03/03 |
Therefore, with this in mind I decided to go and republish my pages anyway but with the compromise that I would make them as simple as possible, with no frames, java, animated gifs or any of that crap which takes forever and goes wrong fifteen times! I do realize that loading this page without a broadband connection will take the best part of forever, but the pictures and text should load fast enough to keep you reading and looking through, I really tried to make them as small as possible while remaining visible. Oh yeah, I'm Lewy and this was the introduction to my site, and a little picture of me with a lovely zigzag center parting!. No, I'm actually very manly thank you very much! New Pictures Page Started (11/03/03) Totally New Page Started (10/07/03)
Happiness is a place I know.
Totally New Page Started (10/07/03) Lewy picture of the day (02/07/2003) Summer of 99 | Out in Rugby | Penrhoss House | Teachers Last day | University | Back with old friends | Family | Bike | Drums | Love | Childhood | Q and A (only shortcuts down the page) Previous web pages (july1999 ish) | Skip intro Very original web pagethat was on AOL! (1998ish)
So let's start at the very beginning (it's a very good place to start). My house, where I've lived for my entire life (excluding being at uni during term time). Incidentally, as I write this we're having an extension on the back (as if it wasn't big enough already).
The mess round the back:
Here's my place of usual residence when at home in Rugby:
Am quite sad to be proud of the dual monitor display I have set up at the moment, even if my water-cooling system is up the creek. (the laptop isn't mine, I'm not THAT loaded) And I'll disavow any knowledge of that Star Trek poster in the background if question. I think I'll try and get hold of a selection of embarrassing childhood photos of me, but for the moment here's one of me put in a local newspaper when I was taking part in a sponsored silence with my Beavers group, way back:
Spotted me? The innocent looking one at the back, in the middle. Not that it would have been difficult for me to be silent, very quiet child... The first rabbits we owned, we bought when I was 11, Flopsy and Peter (left to right). Flopsy died fairly young due to being fat while Peter nearly outlive two consecutive mates and was always getting into really odd places and running around amazingly fast, sigh.
Skipping ahead now to the summer of my GCSEs (1999): Simon, Philip Lee and I spontaneously decide to ride to Draycote Waters (reservoir) after a particularly pleasant Geography exam.
Yes, I'm sometimes easily excited, and below I am actually wearing a daisy chain, entirely self made, shame it didn't come out in the photo!
Simon on the right here (looking like a bit of a Muppet, sorry mate), many a time did we cycle back from school on those bikes, and actually breaking those front forks while avoiding the bike on the right, here, which stopped rather suddenly, in favor of a rather hefty telegraph pole...personally I got away with minimal injury (about £130 insurance claim for the bike though).
Thanks to Phil, (below) for the previous few picys.
The infamous Alton Towers 1999 photo:
I'll use this opportunity to identify my fellow mental instituties (left to right in order of nose possition): Philip, Simon, Morley, Brett, Me, Barney, Womble, Greeny, Linnett and Hammy.
A level years (i.e anyone wana go down spoonies?):
Favorite pub, below: end of sixth form pub invasion.
Yes Brett, we know you're not a freak!....but we love u...
Perhaps a little too much; Ravi!
Hey, It's not my fault, I can help being drop dead gorgeous!
You could say that this was the crowning glory of a good night out. I'd like to thank/accuse Ravi of the leg up.
Ok, so the full size traffic cone and the keep left bollard that followed (along with the road works barrier under the arm) were probably going a bit too far, but I resigned my post as resident cone-er after that....honest:
Oh! Give me a break! It was the night before A level results and I was very, very drunk.
Ok, so the Sixth form squat...umm, block was a bit of shi...mess, we still made it our own. Penrhos house: a place to unwind and take a load off the brain....
....we may have failed to get it declared an independent nation by majority vote, but I assure you the legalized gambling was entirely above board (if immensely sad)....
.....and where would anyone be without friends to share it with!
A small tribute to perhaps the best (and certainly most stoned) teacher I've had the good pleasure to be called a "supper-slacking-hyper-maggot" by. Mr. Maze (and his wife crystal, his joke):
But some serious lessons were learnt too! 'Drill those troops sergeant!'
Later in that same lesson: the shear intensity of teaching involved can sometime be overwhelming!... "There, there Simon. We'll help you reattach your head!"
Now for a quick tribute to the biggest <cough>osser on the teaching staff (yes the language is necessary): Mr. Barnett, we still hate you, yes, we really really do!
And it's not like we don't appreciate our teachers (especially with putting up with me not starting my year long computing coursework until two weeks after the deadline). So as a way of saying thanks, what better than a fridge! Bloody heavy though taking it back!
We always thought your talents were squandered in teaching IT and Maths (Mrs. Simmonds).
Mr. Denny I take my hair off to your physics teaching genious!
And what's the point of hiring a stripper when there's Mr. Hundson there ready and willing?! "Please keep them on!", I pray I never see one of his porn films....
But a sad farewell to a great grammar school (despite a slightly underwhelming presence of any female students).....<sobs> I for one will look back with fond memories, and not just of the lunch times, free periods and not so free periods spent playing pool!
Onward to the sophistication of university and the abandonment of childish exploits, such as stealing public prop..er........well, to university anyway!
And flat 19 of Raleigh Park by night, a truly student environment....(stunned awe is compulsory)
Thanks to my flat-mate and good friend James for modeling there.
And Jack, even if the
most we saw of you was coming back from flat 33 more stoned than a large
rock and at least seven times funnier. There was Stan and Brian too (unfortunately it took me several weeks to find out and remember their names), followed by KEN the Japanese exchange student disaster on legs. If I'm going through people who've lived in my flat then I should certainly include Laura (right), if only for time spent in our kitchen/living room. Although I made relatively few good friends during my first year in uni, I'd certainly include Jo as one of the specially selected few. A brief description: the best cigarette smoking, piss artist I've ever had the pleasure of going to Rock City with, "OK".
Memories...
(Just a small note to say sorry to big Pete for not having photos of him)
It's still nice to meet up with old friends, go up to their universities and go out to a foam party and get totally wasted (DNA in Birmingham):
Oh dear Simon, Laura will be jealous!
Yes, I do as a matter of fact intend to take every opportunity to to embarrass Brett that I can, for no better reason than...well, no reason! It's just so easy.
(But they do make a lovely couple) And onwards to the 2002 new year's get together at Barney's house.
Linnett introduces Sarah to Brett and they REALLY get along!
Hmmm, the evidence just keeps mounting up. Brett really is a gimp! We put this accusation to him, here's his damning response:
My Dad: apparently pretending to be some important speech making type person.
My Dad's real home; Sainsbury's Recycling center:
Sister and me:
Mum and Rhea on the swing boats in Weymouth at easter
Welsh family (dad's side) Grandma, Rhea, Uncle Hugh, Auntie Lorna:
Grandma Dinnington (Nr Sheffield), mum's side:
I love my new bike (on a regular basis....joke):
Doing a bit of Down Hilling in Wales, the problem is you've got to get up the bloody mountain first!
Oh yeah! Pose for the camera:
That was last Easter and these are from the summer on the same 12 mile "9feet.com" ride in Afan Argoed that nearly killed me again and took over two and a half hours.
Above: me embarking on the first downhill technical part of the ride after finally getting to the top of the damn mountain! Cunningly taken by myself again and in the same place, but the opposite direction, to the second photo in this section.
Some of the track to give a vague idea of how precarious it is at high speed (it's actually a lot bumpier and steeply inclined than it appears here). Spot the difference in appearance since last visit....that's right! I've got a different T-shirt on!
Drums and my band; been playing them for absolutely ages (over 9 years anyway) so I'm pretty darn good, even if I say so myself. my room (with massive Wafedale speakers to boot):
It may look simple but it takes great concentration! (for me anyway):
(that's the band's name, and the old site I made for us, here: http://listen.to/ellipse about 2 years ago while I still gave a monkey's about web design and while we had a different bassist) The super cool band (Dan, Nathan, Ben) at the Fighting Cocks gig:
and myself, drumming at twice the speed of sound:
It's all worth it for the adoration and support of the groupies! (i.e. having a quiet drink with the handful of mates who bothered to turn up):
Laura and Simon...aren't they cute! Over the summer the band's been practicing again and I've been playing the drums more consistently after not being able to for most of the year, being at Uni and all. We've been working on some new material of our own for some time now and we finally got round to recording 4 of the songs:
My drum kit, with two 'tight' mikes, one in the bass drum and another hanging out of view from the light fittings. No expense spared!
Nathan and his magical recording box of tricks with everything wired into it. Can see I've been about...empty orange juice carton in the background! We're hoping to have some form of EP finnished before we're all 20...fingers crossed.
Think I've just about covered life, how about love then:
Didn't think I'd nearly embarrassed you enough yet, Laura, honey....
Incidentally, taken at a little jazz concert picnic in a school field in Kilsby the other weekend.
All tired and bloated (well me anyway) after the great food, thanks Mum!
Spot the birdy! (yes, I know I make a worryingly fat and far too Lewy shaped bird to be directly above you in a rather tenuous tree over a rocky stream)
Just to ensure all things are at the very least even in terms of embarrassment karma....SOME CHILDHOOD PHOTOS OF ME!!!!!:
Now I know why I've always wanted a motorbike! Ok, this is where it gets bad!!! Something to do with a sports day in reception or first year. As the tale goes a girl in my class told me that the mustache would never come off and I got quite upset....awww!
I'm not even going to dignify this one with an explanation.
My sister and I got on well together from an early age...Strangling her?! No!
But while we're talking about my sister!
Childhood friends. The guys who lived "next door but one" whom I often got into trouble with.
And finally a toast to an old best mate, from junior school, all the way through middle school (age 7 to 12), Philip Stockwell (formerly Miles) and Me camping out all night in the tree-house at the end of my garden.
So many memories...
I've put the majority of LINKS to other sites here so that people will hopefully scroll through the whole page first before buggering off somewhere better. Simon Sumner | Chris Barnes | (Philip Lee) | James Tipler Sites I've done professionally: http://www.funwhenyoudrum.com | http://users.lwcdial.net/babeswood/ (I suspect is now abandoned, ops) Some personal favorite places: BBC science news | Album Listings | Useful map site | Time killing while self complacent (i.e. take the tests)
Ok, so I was sent a couple of those emails with a
list of personal questions that has been filled in by friend (or
girlfriend in this case) with their answers and I am supposed to read it
and then put my own answers in place and send the finished product to
all my friends for their interest. Well, I’ve never found the time or
effort to fill them in before but have been interested to read other
peoples, so I thought I’d go for a compromise and answer a selection
of the majority of questions from these two current questionnaires and
post up the result here! I’m explaining this so that it’s understood
that any odd questions are not my fault. Eye colour? Greeny, browny, slightly bluey (black in the middle and white around the outside). Apparently quite beautiful, so I’m told! Hair colour? Dark, dark, brown but with the odd worrying light one or two! Piercings, Tattoos? No chance, far too squeamish of needles and far too sensitive to pain, plus, would just look silly on me..... Favourite colour? Definitely dark, natural, variegated green. Favourite food? Hmmm, have a history of generally not liking food and being very picky, deserts have always been my forte and CHOCOLATE! But a nice fat cheese and tomato pitza wouldn’t go amiss when I have a hugger, and everything with chips please. Favourite movie? There’s a fair number of really good films out there so I think I’ll say officially: TRANSFORMERS THE MOVIE (long live the 80s of my childhood). It has great rocky music for a film, with transformers in it for god’s sake and I watched it loads on video tape when I was ickle! Also good are:
Favourite all time TV Show? Have to admit to having been a bit of a treky (not really any more), but good comedy series are preferable. Favourite music/band? RADIOHEAD, Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Blur, Ash, Placebo, Portishead. Also love jazz as it’s so swinging and chilled (played in my school jazz band for ages, cool), even like a fair amount of classical from my percussive orchestra background. However, my real love of music will always be indie-rock, though I’ve bent closer towards metal these days. Favourite Holiday? Week snowboarding over in Vermont, USA back in 2000, with family, just great fun, not that cold, but no friends so a bit of a quiet one. Not totally against beach holidays at all, but they can sometimes get a little dull and SANDY, especially with British weather. Although my last holiday (over the summer) was only to Wales, it wins purely by the company I had. Favourite day of the week? You mean days have names?!! They all seem to be the same at the moment, though in term time, Friday, it really has that feeling! Favourite Drink? ORANGE JUICE forever! Maybe I’ll get a little sick of it someday, but till then….alchol wise: WKD blue and orange Reef seeing as I don’t really like the taste of spirits or beer! Favourite Fast Food Restaurant? Would have to lean towards KFC if it’s a quality establishment, although I’ve not eaten there much at all. This is probably due to me not liking beef and loving chicken (not chickens). What colour is your bedroom carpet? It used to have a colour?!!!! Sort of a faded purpleyblue I think. How many times did you fail your drivers test? None, I’m just too amazing, or lucky, same difference! Do you have a criminal record? No, but I have been stopped by police for possession of cones and a person in a shopping trolley, two separate incidents. How much do you love your job on a scale of
1-10? Honestly, I really tried to get a job this summer! Things were just against me….. as in: no, I’ve never had a job as such. If u want to apply this question to being a student: too much thinking for my liking, but it’s cool to be independent and all that jazz, just the damn cooking and cleaning’s a pain in the proverbial. Been in a car accident? Yes, once while my mum was taking me to school, just a little bump to the rear, left hand side, still, really quite a shock. I’ve managed not to hit ANYTHING yet while driving myself, however I ran into a telegraph pole at high speed a few years back and wrote off half my bike! Which single store would you choose to max out
your credit cards? Drums! Telescopes! Computers!….ARGH! Maybe even some cool clothes stores, or Thornton’s chocolates, mmmm….not sure, too much rubbish I’d like to have. What do you do most often when you are bored? Nothing! Hence the being bored!….. Name the person that you are friends with that
lives the farthest away? Odd question, I feel my old friends all live too far away during term time, and certainly Laura during holiday. But by pure distance it would have to be good old Jo in Cyprus at the moment. I did have a very close friend move to New Zeeland when I was about eight. Most annoying thing people ask me? Why? Bedtime? Always, it’s never too late or early for sleep. Though it usually ends up being between 1am to 4am. If you could build your house anywhere, where
would it be? On my own personal tropical island, 5 minutes from all my friends and under 20 minutes from cool rock clubs and places to eat, hang out etc, with no heat waves hotter than a really nice summers day in England and a transition to snow without being bitterly cold, windy and rainy. The house would have a room entirely filled with mattress flooring for sleep, a whole recording/practice studio, swimming pool, observatory on the roof and perhaps a space ship landing pad….(who said it had to be realistic?!) What's your favourite article of clothing? Of all time I’d have to say my first pair of Vans which were dark green and black and very cool, they just made me feel good. On my third pair now, none of which have been quite so significant. Also like my really supper baggy black trousers with massive ankle height pockets and my “ZERO” t-shirt (Smashing Pumpkins song). What's your favourite physical feature of the
opposite sex? Could be really corny and say eyes, which is true as they seem so special and soulful in the human psyche, but generally her whole physical form from toe to tip and all in between, face is most significant. What's the last CD that you bought? Well due to the way I have been accumulating music over the last few years I’ve not bought that many CDs, but my last album was “20-20 Sound” by “Darkstar” which I couldn’t find anywhere on the net and is actually very good, think I’ll listen to it now! Where's your favourite place to be? Well, if I’m on my own, which used to be a hell of a lot, and I’m a bit of an introverted so and so, then it used to be the middle of a field just outside my nice housing estate, but as of about now is probably the top most flat roof of my house (3 story) as for one thing it’s away from all the noise and stress of life and also has a fantastic view over the whole area as my house is at the top of a slight hill (‘Hillside’) and is taller than all the other houses around, having a loft conversion, and with dusk and darkness setting in, wow! Other than that, anywhere that means I can be with my Laura. Some combination of both the previous would be amazing. Where's your least favourite place to be? In a room being mercilessly, physically tortured for all my foreseeable future, or anywhere that isn’t bed if it’s before mid day! Where's your favourite place to be massaged? Lying down in bed. What's most important, strong in mind or strong
in body? Sigh, obviously ‘mind’! However, physical prowess somewhat above a paraplegic donkey is highly desirable in any situation. What time do you wake in the morning? Should have grouped this with the bed question; as soon as someone makes a significantly great commotion to wake me, or not at all! What's your favourite kitchen appliance? What!…oh, most definitely the deep-fat-fryer!
CHIPS! What's your favourite childhood memory? Memories…..uuuurrrrr….I’ll get back to that
one maybe. What makes you laugh? Things that I find funny, especially if it’s
obscure. What makes you really angry? Nothing, I’m entirely chilled. But if anything,
religious fanatics and the frustrations of not being able to talk with
the words and the speaking and the ug. If you could play any instrument what would it
be? Slightly moot point as I play the drums and play
them pretty well, I do however have great respect for all decent
guitarists as I can’t play the damn instrument to save my life! Scariest moment of your life? Waking up after a nightmare were I proclaimed that
I was Satan…..Bloody terrifying! Not sure why though….. If there was a movie made about you, what current/former Hollywood star would play you? The semblance has been made between me and Kearno Reaves when I had my sun glasses on, but he’s the most cardboard and pathetic actor ever….probably quite suitable! Do you believe in afterlife? Going to get more than you bargained for here
I’m afraid!: I have no religious beliefs and I’m not an agnostic,
and I don’t think there’s anything inside a person (soul wise) other
than what can logically be observed, I think it unnecessary and much
more beautiful to be the miracle of evolution and progress that we are
conscious and caring. If there is life after being ‘food for the
worms’, I’d say it would be due to a far greater technological age
reincarnating us, possibly in a realisation of a theory similar to that
of the omega point theory in Frank Tipler’s book on the topic. Favourite children's book? U mean like Harry Potter???…Or in my more distant past?….anyhow, now read a lot of feasible sci-fi books:
Then of course there’s
the Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy which is amazing. What is your favourite season? Seeing as it hasn’t snowed properly in this
country for many years, I would now have to say summer as I love being
able to stroll around in shorts and a t-shirt, sit around on grass, not
have freezing rain and generally feel happy about life. What is your least favourite household chore? Getting up. Can’t say ironing as I never do any,
cooking’s a seemingly pointless task, and there’s always dirty
washing to be cleaned, damn it! If you could have one super power, what would it
be? Perfect unfiltered knowledge of
everything!!!!…But being more reasonable, I’ve always felt the
desire to fly and I have had a huge number of dreams of doing so, quite
disappointing when I wake up. Who was your first love? Passing crushes at the age of 11 to 12 excluded,
I’ve only had one other girlfriend, so Sarah (if you insist on a
linear chronology). Note: while still remembering having been in love
with her, I no longer am, as of approximately a year ago. I Love you
Laura. Do you prefer cats or dogs? Have never been amazingly keep on large pets,
though I’ve never had either of man’s second best friends (Man’s
best friend being Women), so I probably just don’t appreciate them.
Dogs are much more friendly, but noisy, and take much more care, it’s
a compromise. What's in the boot (trunk) of your car? My car, as in my
parent’s space wagon that I drive, and it doesn’t have a boot as
such, but the back will be full of my drums on the way to a band
practice or the entire contents of my Uni room. Favourite day? (Not to be confused with favourite day of the week)
Probably last Friday…. Single word to describe yourself? Abnormal
Updates will hopefully come on a regular basis......
Tribute to a past posting: Just to say, have a...
Laura (even if it is only 2 months so far), I love you very much!!! <kisses> |
Also
in living in flat 19 (if only for most of the year): Ben. The composite
photo above of him doing a little jump on his huge Santa-cruz DH bike.
It's mainly Ben's influence that I made me decide to buy a DH bike of my
own.
