Thursday, May 28, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool

Had a great day today with my daughter who is currently enjoying a 2 week holiday at the Brittany Holiday Cottage, popped down to the coast and spent the day at Carnac.

I was surprised to see how quite it was there, the tide was out so we spent a few hours looking around in the rock pools and then as the tide started coming in, went for a swim. Afterwards we went to my favorite ice cream parlor( 135 different flavours) then spent a few hours playing on the beach.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool



Had a trip to Camors adventure park with my daughter today, its only 5 min away from the Brittany Holiday Cottage and she had a great time. The minimum height to take part is 120cms for the children's course and 135 cms with a minimum age of 8 for the more difficult course.

Next time I'll do the big course.....

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool

Spike with his girls at the Brittany Holiday Cottage

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool

Had a wonderful day today at our Brittany holiday cottage, with a pool party for my daughter.Due to Ryanair cancelling its flights from Stansted too Nantes this year, it scuppered my daughters birthday bash in France, so after getting permission from her school to extend her May half term holiday by an additional week we had the party today. It was also planned for today as this week the holiday cottage is vacant, with new guest arriving tomorrow.

With it being a bank holiday today and the French schools closed, we had 6 children playing in the pool and enjoying the sun shine, it was very hot today and I had to make sure my daughter had sun lotion on.

All the children enjoyed our new chickens and

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool

I returned to France on Saturday after a 2 day round trip to pick my daughter up for her 2 week holiday at the Brittany Holiday Cottage, after an 800 mile round trip I was shattered by the end of it, I travelled via La Harve to Portsmouth via L & D lines.

On the way back I brought back our new pet 'Spike' our Silver Pencilled Wyandotte Bantam cockerel and on Monday went to the market at Aurray and bought 4 hens that are ready to lay and today we were rewarded with our first egg.

The first night was a case of running around the run trying to catch them to put them in the coup for the night but tonight I went out just before dusk to see the last hen walking into the coup...fantastic.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool and Gym


I have been body building now since the age of 14, initially to build myself up for rugby but after leaving school the rugby stopped and the body building took over.

At the age of 19 I started working in stock broking and weighed in at 11st, being 5'10". With money now being earned I started buying my own food on top of what I had at my parents and started to eat 8 times per day. Within 4 years my weight increased too a lean 15st, all natural- no steroids.

In 1993 I entered my first body building show at my local gym in Upminster ' Stans Gym' where I had been training since the age of 16. My weight prior to the show was 16st and i dieted down too 13st 4lbs, I was the largest on stage height and weight but lacked condition and placed 5th or last, which ever way you wish to look at it.

In 1994 I re- entered the Stans Gym show and dieted down from 14st 7lbs down to a very lean 11st 5lbs, the judges said it was a very close decision but I was placed second behind the previous years winner.

In 1995 I entered my first national body building show the ANB Mr South East of England, I came in at 12st 2lbs and just edged under the 72 kilo class. To my alarm I was the tallest man in the competition and most were around 5'5"-5'8" and my competitors at the same weight just looked more muscular. That show I did not place although I did enter the Couples Class with my training partner Claire and although we were the only couple to enter....we won...lol

1996 I entered my last show the ANB Mr Wales, I went for the Welsh show as it was the last qualifier before the British Finals. For this show I came in at 13st 4lbs after using creatine for the first time. I felt so confident the week prior to the show feeling big and lean but I messed up the night before drinking a whole bottle of dry white wine and on the day of the show felt so ill and could not pump up back stage. I felt so disgusted in myself that I left after the morning show without staying for the evening results because in my mind I looked terrible. My best friend and my girlfriend at the time were with me in Wales but did not convince me how I compared with the rest of the guys on stage. It was only when i got home and viewed the pictures did i realize I might have been placed. I was so gutted that I had blown 6 months of diet and training for 1 bottle of wine.

After 12 years away from competition I have decided to compete again. The ANB no longer exist but a new organization has been formed the NPA ( natural physique association) which promotes and test body building competitors that are steroid free for life. Ive entered the Mike Williams classic in sheffield on the 4th October 2009 in the senior class being over 40, its the last regional show before the British Finals 3 weeks later.

In 2003 I ballooned up to 19st after 2 years of no training, my first spell of no training since the age of 14. After my marriage fell apart at the end of 2003 I joined a new gym and over the year got down too 17st 10lbs. Since 2004 I have remained at that weight even though Ive continued to train and in 2006 I moved to France and started my new life running the Brittany Holiday Cottage with the private pool.

I joined a gym in Pontivey and noticed that my lower back problems that were being made worse by the stress of the marriage break up started to improve. Ive never been very strong on upper body 280 lbs being my maximum bench press weight but in 2007 I started pressing 360 lbs for 2 reps not bad for someone hitting 40. Being stronger than ever I started to think about the possibility of competing again and started the diet in September 2008. January 5th I weighed in at 17st 5lbs, I'm now currently 16st 1lbs, Ive not been this light since 1998.

In January 2008 I created the Gym at the holiday cottage and have upped my training doing a 3 day split and now see the results. Ive still got lots of work to do, my aim is to compete at 13st, with 5 months still to go that means loosing 2lbs per week so I know its doable. Im using Maximuscle Promax protein plus Creatamax 300

The gym as you expect at the holiday cottage is designed to provide a good workout and will cater for the majority of peoples wishes. I look forward to gaining a few training partners over the holiday season while guest use the facilities or simply to show then around and let them do their own thing. My goal is to buy additional equipment over the next 3 or 5 years with a veiw of operning a public gym in France in the future.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Brittany Holiday Cottage with Pool

Its been one of the hottest weeks so far at the Brittany holiday cottage this year, after a week of sunbathing I decided to build a temporary chicken coup today after I found out that the one I had bought via ebay was going to be delivered late.

My daughter is coming out for her 2 week Holiday next week and I want her to go choose the chickens at the local market. With that in mind I had a spare compost bin, so after fixing some perches inside and giving it a thorough clean it will make a perfect chicken coup for 3 or 4 weeks until the bought one arrives.

As I'm looking to buy 6 month old chickens I've bought a plastic bowl that can act as a nest box within the coup.

I went around various garden centers this week looking at the cost of feeders and drinkers only to discover they are so much cheaper in the UK, so while picking my daughter up I'll buy those while back in the UK. I have also made a note of the price of complete chicken feed, at 13 euros for a 25kg bag and will compare that with the UK prices. I have a feeling i'll be bringing alot back from the UK again.