Free Kleenex Anti-Viral Tissues

Just in time...still got a few of the last lot of free tissues, but really only a couple...my nose starts to run and - behold - a bunch of guys (dressed up like they belong in Spamalot) materialise at London Bridge station and hand me a load more tissues! I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but it does seem rather...convenient... ;)

In other news, one of the colonies has sworn in a new leader...(congratulations Mr Obama)...it's just rather a shame that British troops imprisoned and tortured his grandfather during an uprising in Kenya in the 1950s (leaving his family with an understandably bitter taste in their mouths)...so what "special relationship" was that then Mr Brown?

Take over Disneyland!

Hehe, sorry, couldn't help myself, (I know) it's *blatant* advertising, but it is so cleverly done I just had to share...Well, admittedly some bits of the grammar don't work too well ("It's a Angel World" for example), but I really enjoyed it none the less... ;)

So don't miss out, it's your chance to rename Disney World to something completely different, although not swearwords I'm afraid...(Yes, I knew what you were thinking, you cheeky little imps)... ;)

When you get to the landing page scroll down to the bit at the bottom to generate code to embed it on a website, that saves you having to fill out the form at the top... :)

Happy "holidays"... ;)

Strepsils - Charing Cross Station

So, it appears Fink is not the only one to get freebies on his commute into work. Strolling across the concourse at Charing Cross this morning, I suddenly broke from my conversation with Sarah and grabbed not one, but TWO free Strepsil samples... I can't tell you how they taste as they are still at the bottom of my handbag, but it will be moved into the top drawer of my desk and will be taken out when I get a cold (So far, I've managed to avoid coming down with the one that struck Fink at the weekend).



Special thanks to my commuting friend Sarah, who scanned this image and sent it through for inclusion on the blog and regularly listens to me twittering on (when I'm sure she would rather be reading the paper). I hope your head and arm are feeling better after that very very nasty man let his bag fall from the overhead locker onto you this morning
;o)

Vicks Breathing Sensations

Well this was a bit of happy timing (or perhaps not depending on how you want to look at things) - I've spent most of the weekend lolling around the house in my dressing gown feeling all sorry for myself with a really sore throat and some pretty annoying (and sneeze-ridden) congestion...my constant companions have been olbas oil and sudafed tablets, so it was a pleasant surprise this morning at London Bridge to be handed a couple of tiny sachets of Vicks new "Breathing Sensations" chewing gum, which, if I could smell or taste anything at all, I imagine would have tasted of peppermint and blasted my nose with menthol...neither of those experiences were forthcoming, however, my sore throat *does* now feel slightly soothed, and my nostrils are clear for the first time in three days...might have to keep my eyes open for them in the shops!

Free Thameslink season ticket holder

In a happy piece of good timing, yesterday I was the lucky recipient of a brand new (if a little garish) season ticket holder, courtesy of Thameslink, which is nice, because my last free season ticket holder (from the FT, in the ultimate goodie bag) was starting to get a bit tatty...this was also a little odd, as when First decided to buy Thameslink they spent a huge amount of time and money (and actually it wasn't even that long ago) changing the name and the livery of the service from Thameslink to "First Capital Connect"...so a rainbow coloured branding reversal seems to be taking place (Thameslink was a much better name anyway IMHO)...

So what was this actually all about? Opening up the tiny folded sheet tucked inside revealed something that put a bit of a (cruel) smile on my face - a happy-clappy season ticket holder in exchange for massive disruption to services until around 2015 due to underground works, crossrail works, platform works, track works, new trains (with aircon - gasp! Only had them for 10 years on the other lines!) etc. etc. etc. (absolutely none of which is going to change the fact that it's a one up, one down single line for much of their track, any problem along that bit of the line and the entire service grinds to a halt)...so actually it's just another load of reasons to give thanks and praise every day for not having to even touch that service with a barge pole...

Free Lurpak (and spud) at Canary Wharf

Feels like it's been a while since I last got a freebie, but actually it was only on the 3rd of September, and to be honest, I have actually walked past a few offers I didn't fancy including a whole huge great big litre container of "innocent" branded orange juice (but only because there were so many in the office I was sick of it by the time I actually walked past the stall and had the opportunity to grab some), anyway, today at the Wharf was probably the largest stall we have seen since Del Boy paid a visit...and it was all down to Lurpak butter...they set up their own few market stalls and were handing out (with a cheery "Good Morning Sir/Madam") little brown paper bags -

- each containing a spud, some butter, a small recipe leaflet and some (in my case) pumpkin seeds, but other people reported getting garlic bulbs (which may have suited me better)...

Anyway, I'm Flyingpops will be thankful for a free feed courtesy of the tiny yellow musician... ;)

Mmmm...Free Muller Yoghurt...

...today outside Canary Wharf tube station -

- I got a tropical crunch...very nice indeed... ;)

Free Trident chewing gum at London Bridge

Well, if you fancy some free chewing gum, London Bridge is the place to be - got the free tropical soft chew yesterday morning, the full pack of Spearmint soft on the way home last night (bonus!) and the Apple and Apricot Trident Splash this morning...and very nice they are too...especially the Splash one (it's got that wonderful fake sour green apple tang when you first bite in, which is then quickly sweetened (before it becomes too much) by the apricot)...missed out on free V Water at "The Wharf" though because the Jubilee line was closed so I had to get the Thames Clipper...oh well, from what I heard it tasted like weak lemon squash anyway... ;)

Walkers Brit Trips promotion

Well, this is pretty cool, probably wouldn't have even read the blurb on the packet if not for spotting a rather good ad for the promotion running on the internet, but looking at it, as we *do* eat a few bags of crisps each week, it's quite possible to save rather a lot of money! Basically, on the inside of each multipack bag they have printed a unique ten digit code, all you do is go to http://www.walkersbrittrips.co.uk, register and then type in this value, thus crediting your account with a certain number of "points", little multipacks give you 6 points, large ones give you 21 points...and considering that 20 points means half-price entry to Chessington, 15 points gets you a free "Day pass" to any National Trust site, or as little as 10 points will get you into a Sea-Life centre for half-price that's actually an extremely good deal (considering I'm eating them anyway)...now combine that with Tesco doing a "loss leader" on Walkers crisps at the moment (buy one get one free) and we've actually got quite a lot of points already without even realising it until last night!

Anyway, check it out, would be a shame to miss the opportunity! ;)

Fink's Links - World Wide Wonderment...!

(rather embarrasingly, another freebie today, this time a fortune cookie from HSBC to promote the "China Design Now" event at the V&A, but anyway, it's Friday)...!

So, to save you the bother of surfing all hither and thither (lost, as if at sea, between the countless cute feline images choking the web), I sweep away the cats (largely), draw together the far flung and interesting, and place them as morsels for your delectation, thus -

A rather lucky American gentleman who hit a patch of ice while driving his pickup truck and...well, you'll see...I like there being cameras everywhere now...perform a FAIL and *someone* will be there to snap it... ;)

Nothing better to baffle any simple natives than to gift them with a "magic question box" on a pole in the middle of their village, actually we could probably do with a few in the UK... ;)

Sticking with exotic India, enjoy with me the warm *welcome* sign to a humble restaurant...(still, at least it's "Free sample day")... ;)

WIN - Man builds vigilante robot to battle drug dealers (and it works)!

Fancy signing up for a one way, one person mission to Mars? The proposal was real, and even had a code name - "Spirit of the Lone Eagle" after Charles Lindbegh's solo flight from New York to Paris in 1927...

Awesome video of some experimental modular snake bots, just need fitting out with venom sacs... ;)

A morphing model plane based on mother nature's very own Swift (with bonus video goodness)...

Exactly what happens if you decide that you fancy a nice "sip o' beer" while on the New York subway system (and it ain't pretty)...thank God I always took a cab... ;)

Now, how about a Japanese Horseraddish fire alarm (and yes, you read that right)... ;)

Fancy some nice DRM-free MP4 downloads direct from BBC iPlayer?

Watch the worlds largest shotgun cartridge being fired (bonus - high speed video photography thereof)

Seven brand-spanking-new deadly sins from the Vatican, including "meddling with DNA"...*face+palm*...

And finally, a nice piece on the history of photography (with a number of "firsts" there pictured)...

Previous posts here and more linky goodness next week... ;)

Ultimate Goodie Bag - Canary Wharf

Wow, nice surprise this morning, opposite "Oi! Bagel" lots of Canary Wharf "crew" were handing out these little goodie bags, in what *has* to be the ultimate freebie day (well, thus far anyway), the contents being as follows -

• A load of vouchers for money off at various stores and restaurants (although most expire at the end of the month)
• A sachet of free Carex anti-bacterial hand wash
• A "Virgin Active" sweat band
• A selection of "Charbonnel et Walker" truffles
• Some Givenchy Eau de Toilette
• An Alpen light bar, summer fruit flavour
• Some Nivea Gel-Cream
• Two kinds of Body Shop lipstick
• A small bottle of "Molten Brown" bath/shower gel
• A 125g Galaxy smooth dark chocolate bar
• A couple of "Yorkshire Tea" tea bags
• A "Cabot Place West" branded bottle of Welsh mineral water
• An FT.com "newspaper of the year" travel card holder (with nice composite fake city-scape, notably sans One Canada Square)
  

- not a bad haul (although rather girly), Flyingpops should be pleased anyway... ;)

As word spread around the office so little gangs of people set off (indignant at having been left out) towards the lifts at a gentle trot forging an orderly queue of people waiting by the doors into the guts of Cabot Place, pouncing on the crew members and grabbing handfuls of bags before they could even get into the corridor... ;)

London Bridge Haunted? Call Ghostbusters!

"Okay, we got a *great* gig for you guys today, you get up at 5am, dress up in this loose fitting, cheap "Ghostbusters" costume and then spend the next 4 hours reaching down to pick up Metro newspapers and hand them out to members of the public saying 'Win a Sony Ericcsson phone', and remember to keep that smile on your face! We'll be checking!"...

Poor guy...

NHS Cheese givaway!

I think I might have *slightly* missed the connection here (and I'm sure there is some obvious link between the London Healthcare and French Edam), but anyway, it's promoting the "Have your Say" campaign being conducted by MORI Poll...it doesn't affect me (I don't suppose) as I live in Surrey, but thanks for the cheese anyway...went nicely with my morning apple...the debate, however, as to whether NHS funds should be spent on feeding hungry commuters, is another matter entirely... ;)

Fink's Stag Do - Lal Akash Reigate

Mmmm, free mineral water today, thanks Dot2Dot (they do cheap mini-bus trips between the Wharf and Heathrow)... ;)

Anyway, Stag Do (yes, it's not long to the wedding now)! We are going to try out the new curry place in Reigate called "Lal Akash", it looks absolutely amazing, the menu has a *load* of things I've never heard of, so it's bound to be a bit of an experience (if I can resist the lure of Chicken Tikka Dansak), for my starter I'm contemplating the "Chingri Roshan" which is described as "Tender cold water prawns pan fried with fresh garlic and coriander" (mmmm!), or perhaps "Lamb Momo", "Tender lamb marinated in a secret sauce, gently cooked in the tandoor and then pan fried with aromatic herbs and spices", main course how about the "Nawabi Masalla" - "Chicken roasted with onions peppers and fresh oranges, cooked in a puree of carrots and fresh mint stir fried in an unforgettable sauce" (wow!)...you are almost on the last page of the menu before anything familiar (like vindaloo) turns up! Other interesting things on the menu "Bullet Nan", which is "stuffed with fresh green chillies", or how about "Special Nan" which is "stuffed with paneer, capsicum and chicken tikka" (sounds like a meal in itself)! If you are feeling *really* adventurous, check out the "Mutter Paneer" - "Peas with home made cheese"...! Can't wait!

Anyway, really looking forward to it, I have a table for ten booked for Saturday night, fifteen people have been invited, eight confirmed so far, hopefully everyone can come...we'll do a few beers before, and then xbox/movies afterwards, should be a good craic...! ;)

Super Foggy day at Canary Wharf

Wow, quite a contrast to the normal view out the window today, odd, it didn't actually look that bad from the ground...everyone is just telling me to wait for a thunderstorm across London (apparently that is just *incredible*)...can't wait! Still this is quite spooky, unless you look right up into the sky -


...it just looks like we are floating in the clouds...and funnily enough, more freebies today - some travel-sized deordorant - will hang on to them for the honeymoon... ;)

Commuter Hell

Just had two absolutely terrible journeys - firstly last night, didn't get home until about half past *eight*, delays on the Jubilee line getting out of Canary Wharf to start with, never seen it so bad, they hadn't closed the huge metal security gates at the top, but the entire plaza downstairs was completely full, and not moving...so I walked back to the DLR and got (finally) onto a train (had to watch two go past, simply no room to get on) - there is a lesson learned here though, don't walk to Canary Wharf DLR stop, walk to one of the earlier ones across the water, they are roughly the same distance from the tube entrance and *should* avoid the crush...anyway, got to Bank, then walked to the Monument exit and across the river (blooming freezing!)...by the time I got to Redhill I had missed the last "commuter" bus, and was looking at a one hour wait, so I ended up getting a cab (after spotting that the "Favorite Chicken and Ribs" in Station Road had closed down, which I must admit I found quite funny, although it's probably more to do with KFC opening a branch in town than anything Hugh is up to)...

Then this morning the train was delayed out of Earlswood (but that was actually lucky as we were running a bit late), got to the Jubilee line and it was like I had never left last night, gates closed, huge queues...urgh...did my secret trick and then wished I hadn't when I got to the platform...45 minutes I spent underground for what should be an 8 minute journey...

Still, I did get another freebie today, the Guardian newspaper had little elves handing out new travelcard holders, so I have defected from my trust old Vittel one (which while being extremely useful thanks to having a tube map on the back) is now a bit too battered to continue...(just like I feel, what a way to arrive at work)... ;)

Released!

...after a lovely lunch (coincidentally having being given 120 bits of free extra chewing gum on our way) we have all been released!

So I'm all done (work-wise) for the year!!

See you later London! ;)

The clock is ticking... ;)

Nearly there, only one more day at work (after today) and the Christmas break can start! Woo Hoo! As if in sympathetic symbiosis, the sun is really having trouble cutting through the cloud/fog today...it's lending the whole place the aspect of a futuristic city on Mars... ;)

Pleasingly another freebie today (seems like it's been ages!) some free actimel this morning at London Bridge (could have grabbed a few, but wasn't sure if I was going to like it), drank it when I got to my desk and it isn't actually too bad, it tastes a bit like a watered down fruit yoghurt...not sure I'll be leaping out to the shops to buy a load for the fridge though... ;)

Woolworths win UK Simpsons Promotion

Kwik-E-Mart
Originally uploaded by StartedByAMouse.

Read in the Metro this morning that Woolworths have won a £5 million advertising deal to promote the launch of the new Simpsons DVD, not quite on the same scale as the incredbile job done in the US to promote the movie where a number of 7 Eleven stores were converted into Kwik-E-Mart stores (complete with themed goods to buy)...still should be pretty cool though, 200 stores are involved, so maybe one near me, surely either Crawley or Redhill will make the list... ;)

Del Boy at Canary Wharf

Bit of a suprise this morning upon reaching the top of the escalator at Canary Wharf, a "Del Boy" look-a-like (Maurice Canham I think, but there are quite a number of them around) was posing for photographs!

He came complete with a market stall set up by the opposite wall (and several people with video cameras), all in aid of advertising (not quite sure about the link here) wireless headsets for office telephones...hmmm... ;)