They love a bit of...park life

­­­­­Random Act of Kindness No. 43 Give a kite to a father and son in the park.

So pop quiz time.

How much do you think a kite costs these days?

How about a ‘power kite?’ (whatever one of those is, seems popular though).

Well let me tell you…

I was in Oxford today, meeting up with a good friend of mine, Polly for lunch. On my way back to the car after lunch, I stopped off at a ‘clown shop’ it wasn’t a clown shop but sold all sorts of juggling, uni-cycle, and other clown-like things. The only kites they sold in there were ‘power kites’. Now this excited me. A ‘power kite’ what on earth can you do with one of those? Will it pull you off terra firma and soar you into the heavens? Well judging by the price tag I would hope it would take me to the moon. £108.99, yeah. Some ‘power kite’ that must have been. This shop didn’t sell any bog standard kites, so I called it a day and left.

When I got home, I gave my friend Ellie, a call and asked if she fancied helping me with a RAOK and meeting me in town. I met up with her for a cappuccino before we tackled this RAOK head on. We decided Argos was probably a good place to start for a standard kite type-flying thing… To my horror once again, ‘power kites’ seemed to be the order of the day. They did sell a low range ‘power kite’ but that was still £30.00. I am going to need to set up a justgiving page to help pay for these RAOK’s. They are breaking my already very broken bank.

We needed to brainstorm. I was in the pub last night and I was being told off for changing some of the RAOK’s. So I was determined not to alter todays, however, I am sorry guys, I just had to.  I couldn’t afford a kite, I had to down grade to something else that can be enjoyed in a park.

PING – there it was.

RAOK No. 43 (Will’s way) Give a Frisbee to a father and son in the park.

That is a reasonable substitute I think. It is like swapping Toby Flood, for Jonny Wilkinson. It’s pretty darn good. So with Frisbee in hand we hit the recreation ground, in Stratford-Upon-Avon, opposite the theatre. We meandered around the park and encountered another issue. There were no fathers and sons playing. There were teenage boys, pumping with testosterone kicking footballs and each other, hormonal girls walking around in extremely short skirts, and the odd couple of people enjoying a picnic. Ok time to adapt the RAOK again…sooorrrrry

RAOK No.43 (Will’s way 2) Give a Frisbee to a group of jolly people enjoying a picnic.

Crackin’.

I approached a group of girls with my nice English smile and offered them the Frisbee. I think they were on holiday, doing a bit of traveling, but they looked like they were doing it in style. They had an immense picnic, massive lumps of cheese, empty wine bottles, olives, crackers, the lot. I nearly asked if I could stay. I did refrain though and instead gave them the link to my blog. They were three lovely girls and I managed to get a little snap with them.

About 30 minutes later, after Ellie and I had had a little summery drink, we walked back through the rec. and saw the three girls playing Frisbee. It was awesome.

So girls, if you do have a look at my blog, leave a comment and let me know if the Frisbee was any good.

Groovey. It was a great site seeing the trio playing with the Frisbee I had just given them. It made me believe they actually appreciated it rather than just think I was a loony English guy, which quite a few people think I am!!

So, to round things up, a standard kite £30.00. Perhaps shop around a bit. Some places might sell them cheaper than Argos. A ‘power kite’ depending on size but roughly 120cm one is £108.99. Again shop around and seek advice if you have any questions.

Very good. Thank you for all the comments and support. It’s good to know you are enjoying this.

Tickets, tickets. So many tickets yet so little time.

Random Act of Kindness No. 41 – If you can’t make it to a gig – don’t waste the ticket. Give it to a stranger.

As much as I wish I did, I don’t have any tickets for a gig. When I opened my book up on Saturday morning, I was kinda stumped as to what to do. Over a cup of coffee I mulled some ideas over in my head. I figured I needed to give something away, that I would use but not today.

I took my cup of coffee outside to get some inspiration from the country air. And there is was, I got it! My chickens came up to me and started scratching around me feet. Ah ha, perfect. I can collect half a dozen eggs, stand out on the road and wait for a car to come by. When a car does, stop it and give them the eggs.

Random Act of Kindness No.41 (Wills way) Give half a dozen eggs to a passerby.

Now not many cars go down our road, so the likely hood is, I will either be waiting here for a while or someone will pass who I know, which would be a shame. Nonetheless still a kind thing. After hovering in the road for about 10, 15 minutes I heard a car coming in the distance. This was my moment.

I stood firm in the middle of the road, going against every thing I have been taught in my childhood. “William get out of the road”, “William always look before you go across road”, “William get on the grass verge”, that’s what my mother used to shout at me every time I went out the door.

Sorry mum, not this time. I am going to do whatever I want. So I was standing there with this car hurtling up towards me. Well I say hurtling, it was probably only going about 30 MPH, but when you are standing out in the road that feels rather fast I have to say.

Like a lollipop lady, I stuck my hand out to stop the car. The guy in the car stopped and put down his window. “Everything all right?” said the guy in the car. He could clearly see I was slightly worried, but most probably didn’t know it was because I didn’t think he was going to stop.

“Yes, yes, everything is crackin’ sir. Would you like some eggs?”

“If everything is Crackin’ do I really want these eggs? Are they cracked? Ha ha haaa”

Yeah he got me there. Nice one.

I assured him they weren’t cracked and I had just collected them from my chickens this morning. He was very chuffed with the offer, so much so he pulled his car to the side of the road and hopped out for a nice picture with me. Marvelous.

Here is the picture.

Gold Joinee Abad, has requested that if any of my RAOK-receivers’ comment on my blog I update you all. And of course I will do. I have also had a request from a guy called Matt for a watch. I am in the process of organising to meet up with Matt and hand the watch over to him in person. I will be sure to keep you all updated and get a picture.

Very good, happy days.

You've got to scratch it, and match it, and spin it around

Random Act of Kindness No. 40 but meant to be 39 – Buy a scratch card and hand it to a stranger.

Proper string vest weather outside today wasn’t it. Summer ventilation. Sadly I didn’t have mine on.

So I popped into the bright lights today of Stratford-Upon-Avon to have a cup of coffee with my maarmy. My trip started off exceptionally well. When I was climbing out my car this lovely young woman came and gave me a parking ticket. She said she had just bought it but can’t stay anymore so gave it to me. Amazing! It was nice to be on the receiving end of a RAOK. I asked if I could have a picture with her but I think she thought I was coming onto her. She said she ‘REALLY has to go, sorry”, never mind. Here is a picture of the ticket any.

On my way back I stopped off and bought a scratch card. It was the first time I have ever bought one. I felt like I should be buying a can of special brew at the same time. Sorry that is probably very rude and stereotypical of me. Because it was my first time I felt like an underage teenager trying to buy alcohol. I didn’t really know what to ask for, or which one I should be buying.

I opted for the one with a chance of winning £250,000. Thinking big. Just imagine if the guy I gave it to won. It would be incredible. The way my day was going so far it was certainly possible. I’m the eternal optimist. I parted with two golden nuggets and walked out of the shop. I spotted this man queuing up at the cash point. What grabbed my attention was his crackin’ beard. I have a bit of a thing for beards. I’m not manly enough to grow one, so anyone who does have one I am very jealous of.

I approached the bearded gentleman and asked if he would like a free scratch card. He accepted and I grabbed a quick picture with him.

He claimed he didn’t know what to do with it. He said “ I tend just to scratch all the stuff but don’t think you’re meant to do that are you? It’s like popping bubble wrap, quite addictive”. Yeah mate just like gambling. Now I don’t know if he genuinely didn’t know what to do with the scratch card or whether he was a gambling addict and just trying to cover it up. I don’t think he was though.

I stood by his side just in case he won and I could ask for some of the winnings… he scratched the bits off he was meant to and sadly – nothing! He didn’t win a penny.

Winning isn’t everything, it’s the taking part that counts. Hmmmm yeah right. Sorry Pedro, if you’re not first you’re last!

Anyhow, I had a nice chat with this lovely gentleman in the sunshine and told him about my blog. I finally allowed him to carry on with his daily antics and get his money out the cash point he was waiting for.

Lipstick, Reggae, and Jedward, who would have put those three together? ...me

Random Act of Kindness No. 39, but meant to be 40 – Buy an unpopular CD single.

It turns out I can’t count. Or read a book. I have accidently skipped a RAOK and hopped to number 40. But no fear, Will is here, so I will just swap them around and do the one I was meant to do today tomorrow. Ya get me?

Whilst I was in the holy city of Stratford-Upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s land I popped into a record store. As I went in I felt rather nostalgic, I haven’t been in a record store in years. And it turns out no one does. I walked to the back of the shop where the CD singles used to be but it was replaced with some funky technologically advanced game consoles, you know the ones – where you stand about in front of a TV screen waving your arms and flinging your legs about and suddenly the little caricature of yourself moves on the screen. Yeah those things. From floor to roof it was filled with them.

Well I had to go and seek some advice. I headed to the counter and asked for the singles chart. The funky girl in the store with a pink streak in her hair and a nose ring pointed me in the right direction. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Now it’s not just me but the singles chart used to be massive right? Well not any more. In the record store they only stock the top 7 singles in the chart. The rest is all done online. Crazy beans.

Well my mission was to buy an unpopular single to support their talent. This just wasn’t possible. The next stage in this pained me sooooooo much. I decided I would at least have to buy the most unpopular single they stock in the store. And do you know who that was? Jedward. Yeah, they are number 7, apparently!

Now bless Jedwards hearts. If they enjoy doing what they are doing then that is great, but I try and stay away from all this hyped up, talentless tat that gets pumped out into society. But I just couldn’t avoid it today. Today was going to be the day I joined in with the masses and gave the commercial machine of Sony and Universal records some money. £2.99 in fact. That’s a pound a track. But, all the tracks are the same, track 2 is slightly longer, and well I think I got a duff CD, on track 3 there are no lyrics. It turns out Jedward, with this single I have just bought are representing Ireland in the 2011 Eurovision. Well crickey if they get more than ‘nil point’ I will jump out of a plane naked. But perhaps with a parachute.

I got in my car and put the CD in quite excited actually to hear what it sounded like. I lasted 25 seconds and had to turn it off. I just couldn’t bear it. So when I got home I whipped my computer out and headed onto the iTunes store and purchased the first song I had never heard of. Number 157 down the list I came across, Gyptian – Hold you. You beauty no need for the 30second preview lets buy that. And you know what, it is pretty darn cool. Crackin’.

After looking this Gyptian up, it turns out he has been around a bit, cranking out some reggae. Nice one, that is a good find.

Here is a picture of the Jedward CD, and a screen print of Gyption, Hold you.

Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair. Spring is here

Random Act of Kindness No. 38 – plant a flower in your neighbours garden without them knowing.

As you know by now, I am at my parents house in sunny Warwickshire, and in the little settlement where they live there is not many neighbours. So I decided to head out of my village and over the hill to a nearby village with a friend. Before I stopped off at a house and dropped my plant off we went to the local pub for a bit of Dutch courage, or, in my case, Cornish courage. I had a pint of the finest Cornish Ale, Tribute. It was B-E-A-Utiful.

Before it was too late we left the pub and found a house close enough to the road with a porch light on in the hope it would help my amateur camerawomen capture it. Sadly, not due to poor camera work, thank you Elizabeth for your help, but due to poor light you cant see it very well. Nonetheless you do see me run up to the house, ding on the doorbell and then run off.

I left a little note inside the pot with my blog address on in the hope they will have a look on here.

Here is the picture and video.

Nice one.

I’m seriously struggling being stuck out in the middle of no-where with horrendous Internet trying to upload videos etc to my blog, so I’m sorry I have been extremely late in uploading my posts.

I thought the Internet here was as bad as it gets, however, I got sent an email today, from a friend in Malawi, Effie – she has been looking at my blog, but the Internet is so poor out there it won’t even upload the videos. So from now on, every time I upload a video I will give a little heads up and write a synopsis of what is in it. Sound good?

Crackin’, beautiful day today wasn’t it! Let’s hope it sticks around.

I just phoned to say... thank you

A-up, it's time for RAOK No. 34. Have a look at the video and see what it was.

Nice one.

Have a good weekend.

Coffee break...

RAOK No. 19 - Find old scarves and gloves you don’t need any more and, on a cold day, offer them to the strangers in the street.

Well today was a typically cold February day. It was slightly overcast in the morning but the sun soon came out and the sky turned clear blue. I have been slightly under the weather recently with a cold, seeing the sun poke out from behind the clouds beaming down on Elephant and Castle filled me with happiness and joy. There was still a bite in the air though.

Now those who have been avidly following my blog with remember Tom., or as I named him Darren. Here he is…

Well I ended up buying him a pair of gloves, therefore, I have kind of already completed this RAOK. I therefore, decided to adapt this RAOK, and instead of giving some gloves or a hat to someone, I would buy a lovely cappuccino from the Lavazza man outside my University. In the underpass in Elephant and Castle, more often than not, there is a homeless person, asking for spare change. Instead of giving him some spare change I thought I would give him a heart-warming cappuccino.

I wasn’t sure what the person’s reaction would be, as sometimes they are very rude and shout abuse at you as you pass by. I got my friend to record it for me. Whatever the outcome and the person’s reaction I wanted to capture it.

I didn’t stop and talk to the man, but I told him “I don’t have any spare change but here is a cappuccino for you”. To my delight and perhaps surprise he was very happy with the cappuccino. It made me feel very good, and happy that I had put a smile on his face.

Here is a little video to show you what happened. It is only very short but you can certainly see his happiness. This was actually for me quite a moving RAOK. Perhaps because of my delicate state at present, nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this RAOK.

Have a look at the video and let me know what you think.

Thank you.