We then went for dinner in Covent Garden, oddly enough at the same resturaunt as I went too when Bill was over here. Crazy.

I think we started to bore his brother towards the end of the night, but his mother was right in there discussing Apache with us.

Great company, nice food and drink. Best of all – putting a face to the name. It’s not quite the same just looking at photo’s it’s good to get out and meet these folks.

Whilst there we met up with niq for dinner at a local pub - The food was great, as was the venue.  Down some winding little roads, into what felt like an abyss.  It wasn’t far off at one point where a foreign driver decided to try and do his level best to write off the back end of my lovely car.  Thankfully he missed.

Alice and I took a walk through the grounds of the castle, and then through into north Bovey and back right around one side of the estate. Lovely.  I’m sure we’ll go back one day. Don’t know when, but I’m sure we will.

Just recently the wife and I have stumbled across two Jamie Oliver TV programmes. Now normally I would have say I find that Jamie Oliver is the preserve of those who like to be irritated. He just bugs me.

Now the first programme (Jamie’s foul dinners) that was on TV not so long ago, was an eye in to the world of production of chicken and eggs. In the past the wife and I have always (so far as I can tell) bought free range chicked and eggs. When bought fresh. However one of the things that I don’t think we have ever considered was the quality of these products when included in other produce, like read-to-bake pies. This purcashing of free range produce seemed to come as second nature, what with the wife being a farmers and all.

I don’t think we are ones to follow the latest trends or popular movements, but I have say I have eaten anything but fresh chicken since watching this programme. Since making a concious decision to only eat chicken that I know has been responsibly famed has meant that I have not had chicken for almost a week now. That just goes to show how much of it we ate.

The second programme (shown last night, rather late too) was more about the quality of foods that we tend too stuff down our throats. The show went on to explain that >30 years ago the quality of foods being consumed was much higher, invariably due to the fact many more women stayed at home. Now I am not sure how much truth can be placed on the latter of that argument, but that seems to be some credence to it.

Last nights showing was entitled “Eat to save your life”. On the face of it this seemed to be yet another eat sensibly, exercise blah blah in your face programme. But it wasn’t. I was intrigued. They tried shock tactics, scaring people and just giving people the down right dirty truth about their bodies. Some seemed genuinely concerned, whilst others tried the ‘stuff upper lip’ kepeing up the appearances for the camera.

Dr. Gunther von Hagens displayed some remarkble body slices, as well as showing the ‘insides’ of one healthy man, and one very unhealthy man. The latter looked like he met a very unpleasant end to his life. Sad really. I don’t want the same for me.

Now whilst shock tactics don’t usually have an affect on me, it did provoke a conversation between the wife and I. Off the back of which we have agreed to go and have a well-being assesment with BUPA, or a.n.other practitioner. Now I fully expect to be told as part of this that my diet, lifestyle and general health is very unacceptable for someone of my age, and size. In fact I am sure I will be technically classed as obese. Now the thought of being told that neither scares or worries me, even though I know it should do.

What I do want to do though is go and see a qualified nutritionist who I want to better inform me, so I can make better choices with my diet. Over the last 5 years or so I have seen my health, fitness and overall well-being plummet whilst my waist line has ballooned. This is far from unique, but is not somewhere I want to be any longer. So what can I do? My job invariable makes it impossible for me to carry a ‘packed lunch’ whilst convenient healthy food seems like a paradox in parts of London.

So what is the reason for all this self reflection? Well the wife and I want a family of our own, and I can’t very well be a fat father chasing his children over the park? Can I?

So I need to pull my finger out. Who can I blame but myself? Yes there maybe contributing factors, like the bloody long days, and the frequent drinking, but ultimately it’s either me and my health I need to worry about.