My Blog

Vibram fivefingers

Alan — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:06:54 GMT

Justin put me onto these, aren't they just so hilarious !! My wife certainly wont come out with me wearing these !! Oh that's ok, I have other attire already where I have to walk alone if we are out together, lol. But they are fantastic to wear, they arrived today and I've worn them around the house and garden all day. It really is like bare feet. These are the sprint model; for training, running, walking, hiking, swimming, fishing, climbing it says but of course we have added the hooping. You can just wash them out and hang them on the line to dry. Haha ... just off to try them at hooping !

Oh just blogging

Alan — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:38:47 GMT

I have not blogged for ages !! I just put up some of our garden photos, it looks delightful this time of the year. Although we have a fair sized garden there is actually little space to hoop. You can see my favourite place by my green hoop mat under the very old overhanging apple trees. Sometimes I place the mat on the lawn but even then there are only two areas to hoop without crashing the plants down. My wife must take the credit for the garden and my life would not be worth living if I hoop smashed the plants !! We have a tarmac yard also where I hoop but this is on a slope, not so good and it demolishes tape on the hoops instantly. Haha I'm not moaning really !! Just telling ya what its like. I do try and hoop daily, but then keep forgetting and getting sidetracked with work, so its about three times a week in reality. Going on my annual week French fishing trip on Wednesday 25th June. 5 guys .. fishing, eating out and drinking. Great, can't wait and my hoop is there waiting for me. Still have not converted any locals to hooping in spite of making so many free hoops for folks. I just need a couple of converts and we will be up our Village Park for sure. I have some great mp3 travel speakers for mobile music, just need some m8s to join me. I still feel a dickhead going up the park on my own .. so I dont !! Well great weather forecast for hooping tomorrow, better make sure I make the most of it !!!

Don't try this at home !!

Alan — Sun, 25 May 2008 13:24:49 GMT

Just reading about The Royal Academy summer Exhibition this year. Apparently Tracy Emin is curating a room. We all know she tries to be shocking and one her choices caught my eye. It is a video by Israeli artist Sigalit Landau showing a naked woman hula hooping with barbed wire. The longer it goes on the more cut and bloody she becomes !! http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=PcImMYHjl8I

Happy Easter

Alan — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 10:41:07 GMT

Hooping in a winter wonderland !! Amazing to get snow Easter Sunday in the south of England but I just had to go and hoop in it. Not a bad morning really, I found I had won £20 on the lottery, hooped in the snow and looking forward to the Arsenal match this afternoon .. perfect day. Happy Easter Folks

Jackson's Lane

Alan — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 22:24:22 GMT

Well in spite of it being Mother's Day it was well attended .. I counted 14, still room for more in this magnificent venue. Two young girls brought their mother for a treat. A great afternoon, I've been really lax recently hooping, so much pruning and needed in the garden right now !! So I had a ball. 2 hours is so much better than just a one hour session. I put a vid on google video: http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=419320441910577942 The great young hooper with the yellow top is Hooptrix (Beatrix) .. super hooper !! Thanks Diana, looking forward to more .. Alan

Jackson's Lane Arts Centre. with Diana Defries

Alan — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 19:16:39 GMT

What a fantastic Sunday afternoon. I think we were all feeling the winter effects!! I for one cannot hoop in my low ceiling house. It certainly has has a well being effect on me, to have a 2 hours hooping session with like minds !! Absolutely delightful venue, high ceilings, mirrors, with plenty of space and a brand new sprung floor.. couldn't ask for more !! Its not a class, but folks were ready to assist and help each other. I counted 14 hoopers, and Diana says it will continue once a month. Hoorah, it took me 40 minutes each way such and easy drive. Well worth a visit for UK hoopers within distance. Also delightful to meet Sharna again with her mate. There are 3 more photos in my album and I will edit my small vid clips and put these up shortly. Thanks Diana for such a well oganised afternoon. Whooohoo I'm in a good mood and off to the pub !!

China

Alan — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 22:12:26 GMT

Wow what an adventure!! I have put a few pics up but I had an absolutely amazing time. Sarah is an internet Skype meet from 3 years ago, we always said one day it would be for real and I kinda took on a bluff,. she never thought I would go!! .. but I did and it was fabulous, it never rained in 17 days and we did Shanghai, Nantong, Tongzhou City (her house, son and parents) Beijing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Zhou Zhuang and back to Shanghai. Being accompanied by a local was fantastic. Eating with chopsticks full time, local flavours like steamed dumplins, cookpots in restaurants .. fish heads, ducks feet, sheeps intestines being all local favourites !! Hahaha it was good if you don't think about it. But after doing hooping in first hotel that was it unfortunately. I got stared at enough without hooping !! Good to be back now and going hooping tomorrow in Hemel Hemstead at Diana's class.

Gone to China

Alan — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 23:21:45 GMT

Just to let you know I'm off to Shanghai tomorrow on my own. A little adventure and will be visiting Beijing and other attractions in southern China. My first visit to China. Of course my hoop is packed !! I will have to get some candid pix / vids to show you upon my return on 3rd December. Happy hooping folks XX

Yay i got my psi

Alan — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:43:09 GMT

It arrived this morning, beautifully packed with 6 pages of destructions. Faultless so far .. I've tried it on grass (be ages before I use this on tarmac methinks). I really like it, the 1.25lbs weight is amazing with 16 leds and rechargeable batteries. It was coiled in a much smaller box seen on left in photo but it went back to perfect round immediately. The recharge is so simple, just plug it in for a few hours with the charger provided. ****** MAGIC ******

Hooping in Hemel Hempstead

Alan — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 17:18:39 GMT

Wow what a gorgeous day today to go to Hemel and hoop. The building was delightful as was the company. It was only 20 minutes journey for me, brilliant, and Diana Defries is going to do more there with a 6 week course starting in November. Yay I don't mind starting from scratch with folks, its just great to be hooping with a group. Just a small vid off my phone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CzQE6mxRR0

Back now

Alan — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 10:39:14 GMT

It was a very successful trip, pic shows before and after .. worked 24 days non stop but got the result we wanted .. the shell is up and it's all felted and battened and in the dry. Going back 1st to 8th September, taking our wives for a holiday but will be getting a few more tiles on the roof also. Haha I did hoop, but most nights we were rushing to go out to eat. But I did sufficient hooping to stay in practice with what I know. My legs ached most nights without hooping !! The project is expected to take another year to complete to finish with 4 bedrooms, balcony on master bedroom, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, lounge and a further room. I really wont get into serious hooping again until 8th September, this week is all about catching up on stuff. Good to see the Tribe is going strong .. Alan xx

Working in France

Alan — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 22:21:07 GMT

I'm off again !! Lol .. yeah going to help my mate extend his house in France near Limoges on Wednesday 1st Aug until about 22nd then we are booked to return on 1st September till 8th September to take our wives on this week. It's a huge job and I am the architect .. plus I practically work also. More guys from UK are joining us on the 8th August so it will be a team event. A fun event also, living in bivvi's, a little fishing and lots of drinking not forgetting my 46" hoop which lives there now. It will be work hard and play hard !! I will miss you all but hopefully return fit and a better hooper. I have mesmerised just about every hooping movement so I can live for a few weeks without YouTube. Best of luck to everyone .. Cya soon xx ps, my photo is how it might look .. but not until several more months

hooping in the park

Alan — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 08:14:09 GMT

It was delightful to join in with Diana on Sunday 22nd July in Priory Park North London. After all that rain the weather was super, cloud and sunny spells and not too hot .. just right for hooping. Shame only 3 hoopers turned up but we did 2 hours and we enticed quite a few youngsters to join in as well as one mum. I took one small vid clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIVbx3qRXr0 But thought I had taken more and got in myself but I guess whilst setting the cam up to point in the right direction it switched itself off. In the bright weather I have difficulty seeing the screen so I missed this fact and failed on two vids. (must check that out next time) Never mind eh? I do have some record of this lovely afternoon and it was great to be with others hooping again .. Thank you Diana for organising it

french fishing holiday

Alan — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 22:32:55 GMT

Had a great time, caught 18 huge carp and hooped every day. I took my collapsible hoop but there was just enough water pipe left from the work we were doing to make another (I took my tape ready). So I was able to make a 46" one which I have left behind for when I return. It was the first time I had hooped barefoot and I whacked my toe jumping through the hoop and got a big blue and purple toe now !! Lol

Away

Alan — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 19:02:04 GMT

Yippee I'm off to France for a week tomorrow, packed my collapsible hoop already. See you guys later :)

walk for life

Alan — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 22:56:47 GMT

did the walk last Sunday and finally threw some images up to my server. a great atmosphere ensued but i never took my hoop, it was far too crowded anyway !! it was a job to walk thro the crowds by the thames. i raised £420 and wirh my two mates, Annie and Maureen, we raised over £1100 hehe that last pic Annie was really inebriated .. she's a kind soul !! one of the best http://www.slimshader.co.uk/w4l.html

my computer is dying

Alan — Mon, 28 May 2007 18:24:52 GMT

Hi folks, i'm still lurking but my puter is grinding to a halt, 4 years and 97 gigs on it plus a few viruses must have slipped thro !! Cant even get it to reformat so it means professional assistance. Sooo i'm still hooping but my 4 month vid will have to wait until i get it fixed. What lousy bank holiday weather in uk .. Happy hooping in the meantime.

new hooper

Alan — Sun, 13 May 2007 12:13:50 GMT

The party was an ideal time to get some hoops out in the yard .. which I did. I took 5 out and folks had such fun. One woman, Jo, who teaches Step Classes, was really taken and want to return to learn more. I showed her some Tribe vids also and she was amazed what can be done. I'm sure she is hooked on the hoop so a good result if I get another local hooper.

Party time !!

Alan — Sat, 12 May 2007 22:40:08 GMT

Still ongoing, Mandy, my daughters bd party tonite. My garage has been transformed !! Lots of folk here .. looks like being a late one. Still before midnite and I have still to introduce the hoop to guests. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXLCtQH0eC4

One fat lip later !!

Alan — Fri, 04 May 2007 11:51:48 GMT

Yay I can hoop on my foot laying on my back with my leg in the air !! Not a lot yet but enuff to know I will be there easy in a few more practices. Must try my left foot now.

Daughters

Alan — Tue, 01 May 2007 13:07:47 GMT

What a fantastic day in uk !! 2 of my daughters visited, grandaugher Louise and my great granson, Charlie, and we lunched out in my back yard. I could not resist getting the hoops out and we all hooped. Here's a still pic plus I put a clip off my phone vid on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcP60O1jq3s

New Hoops

Alan — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 15:49:48 GMT

I just made 4 new 44" x 1" tube hoops, the bright parcel tape was useless .. too transparent. They are under taped with black duct tape and decorated with pro-gaff and one added with light grey electricians tape. These are for spectators .. hopefully when we hoop in our park !! I got a friend who will join me and break the ice when we do this. It will be so much easier if two of us do it.

Hoop Tape

Alan — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 13:41:35 GMT

I was just in Staples and found some really bright shiny parcel tape, 6 rolls for £13 summat. Its nowhere the thickness of gaffer tape but it could make some nice under taping methinks. If not my ebay stuff I send will look very pretty !!

my hoops

Alan — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 19:37:31 GMT

These are my new hoops and re-decorated one

good hooping bad finger

Alan — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 19:36:37 GMT

I smashed my finger laying some slabs this morning !! Haha it dont arf throb atm !! That was the bad news the good news is I made three hoops this afternoon and re-decorated the very first hoop I made. Two are 1" tube X 44" and for two of my daughters. The third is a 3/4" tube x 45" diameter. Using the latter I got "beam me up" from the front many times, then after again with a heavier hoop. I knew it would come in the end. But I kept banging my bad finger hooping, lol, very painful !! No pain no gain as they say. Lets hope the weather allows daily hooping from now !!