Where in Coventry 2

Was part of an ancient structure in the City Centre. Later moved elsewhere and then received a direct hit from a German bomb during the 2nd World War. This was one of the pieces that survived. Finally relocated to this place.

Ans: 
This is at the War Memorial Park on Kenilworth Road

Some more pics:

My kids 

My daughter taking a closer look

Fortis Sports Tuxedo watch

This is the latest addition to my growing watch collection. It's a vintage Swiss made Fortis Sports Tuxedo hand winding watch, which I got at a bargain on eBay. Like any stuff you buy over eBay, it is a bit of a gamble but this time it paid off. The watch has kept good time since I last set it this morning (as soon as I opened up the package).

I am still new to horology or the art or science of measuring time but I am learning a lot. I learnt that the company is based in Grenchen, Switzerland that was founded by Walter Vogt in 1912. Working with John Harwood, the British inventor of the automatic wristwatch, Fortis came out with the first self-winding (automatic) wristwatch, the Harwood Automatic in 1926. They are also the official supplier of watches to the Russian space agency.

About the watch - surprisingly for a company which has been around for more than a century, there was very little information about the Watch. As mentioned earlier, it has a hand winding movement and 17 Jewels. It is encased in a stainless steel case with an after market black leather strap. The watch measures 36mm (without the crown)

The description on eBay said that the watch crystal is Sapphire crystal but I found out that it is actually clear acrylic glass. Another mistake in the listing was the age of the watch. It was mentioned as modern (2000s) but I found out that it is a vintage watch (1971-1983). It might actually be older than I am.

Some more pics from the eBay listing.

If you examine the last picture carefully, you will see that the movement is made by Camy, an old Swiss brand. I cannot seem to find any information about the brand and seems to have just disappeared though there are a number of their vintage watches floating around on eBay. Does this mean that Camy used to supply movements to Fortis? Or is my Fortis a "frakenwatch"?

Coventry University cycle locker

Parking at the Coventry University cycle locker at the multi-storey car park near my office,
for the first time. More for protection from the elements rather than for security. 

Had to pay £40 as security deposit (refundable).

Trip to the highlands 2013 - 2: Great Glen, Scotland

Updated 22/8/2013 with more pictures

Some more pictures from our trip to the Scottish highlands during the Easter break.

This was a short trekking trip from the Great Glen Water Park, where we were staying, to The Eagle Barge, a floating restaurant at the South Laggan Locks. The weather was great and the distance (about 1.5 miles) was just right for the kids. It was my son's first trekking trip as well.

The path was really nicely maintained with some great views of the Caledonian canal.














Moss on the ground






Boats passing by

Gluten Free Casein Free Pancakes

My wife made these pancakes for 2 hungry boys, Imaan and Noah.

Gluten free, casein free and sugar free as well.

Really simple to make. Blend all the ingredients below:

3 bananas
5 eggs
3 dates (to sweeten)
Almond flour
Rice flour
Sodium bicarbonate
Vanilla essence
Coconut oil for cooking


Yummy!

By Road to Malaysia: Bidding farewell to Jamalulail Ismail and family

A couple of days ago, I blogged about Jamalulail Ismail and his family who are travelling "By Road to Malaysia" on their motorhome (Read post here). They dropped by at Coventry for a few days and we were able to meet up with them and have a chat just before they left.

Jamal gave us a brief tour of their motorhome and their equipment. It was quite pleasant inside even though it was around 27 degrees outside. I was quite surprised that they did not have air conditioning and wondering how they would cope when they pass some of the warmer countries on their journey.

I asked them how they intended to keep in touch with all their friends, family and fans following their journey. They told me that they would try to update their progress via their Facebook page, Twitter and blog wherever they had internet access. They do not have a satellite phone but they have a DeLorme in Reach two-way satellite communicator with GPS which allows text messaging from anywhere in the world (according to their site) and post their location on a map. They can also send an SOS in case of an emergency though I hope it will never come into use.





They are looking for sponsors now. Please contact Jamal (advertise@byroadmalysia.com) if you want to sponsor a satellite phone, fuel or part of the cost of their journey.

We wish them all the best and pray that they have a safe journey which I am sure would be an amazing adventure.

We bid Au Revoir to them (till we meet again). Selamat Mengembara!!

Visit to Cardiff 2013

Just came back from Cardiff. I had gone there to attend the Academy of Marketing annual conference which was hosted by the University of South Wales this year.

I stayed at the Park Plaza Cardiff, which was about 5 minutes walk from the conference venue. It is the only 4 star hotel in the city but I was not really impressed. No free water bottles, no free newspapers, tiny holes in the bath tub, tear on the bed sheet, limited channels on the TV and room facing the main road and NIGHTCLUBS. I could not sleep till late because of the noise. I think they should take the manager for a tour of some 4 star hotels in Malaysia or Singapore to see how it is done over there. Next time I will stay in Premier Inn - at least I will get free water bottles. Positives: the lady at the reception was warm and friendly, hairdryer, ironing board and iron in room. They apparently have a great restaurant, spa and swimming pool but did not get the chance to use them.


An interesting sculpture in my room

Here are some pictures from my short trip:




Cardiff Castle. Unfortunately it was closed by the time I freshened up and went for a bit of sightseeing.













The best part of the conference was the reception at the National Museum Wales. They have an amazing collection of artwork by some of the greatest masters including, Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Cezanne, etc.









Will definitely be visiting again.

Note: The pics here were taken by either my Samsung Galazy SII or my Nokia Lumia 900 and hence the quality which is actually not that bad. Definitely need to get my hands on a Nokia Lumia 1020.