My April 2026 round-up (part 2)

This month has been so busy I've had to do two round ups. In part 1, I mentioned canvassing, litter-picking, going to a local history evening, football and loads of other stuff. I've also blogged a Book of the Month, an Album of the Month, and about my monthly Blood Bowl fixture with Bryan.

I spent the first and last weekends of April in Shropshire, celebrating my birthday at the beginning of the month by feeding rhinos at West Midlands Safari Park, and then celebrating my youngest niece's birthday with a family party on the final Saturday.

Since my interim round up post I have been in Liverpool for the Diabetes UK Professional Conference (DUKPC). 

The programme I work on had a bigger presence than ever before including involvement in some sessions. This meant I had my second bucket list moment of the month (after the rhinos).

Nine years ago, in 2017, when I was working in the NHS, I went to DUKPC as a punter with my friend Sara. It was being held in Manchester. I remember saying to her that one day we would be presenting together at the conference... and nine years later my prediction came true!

The whole conference went very well from our perspective. We had a great team of young people working with us. It was even sunny the full time we were there.

After the conference I went to Shrewsbury for the weekend. My niece's birthday party included a bouncy castle and a piñata. I took this photo of my Mum just before she delivered the killing blow that smashed the poor colourful donkey.

Everyone else had a go too. Some people were more dangerous flailing with a stick than others!

I went to Shrewsbury Town's final home game of the season in the afternoon. It closed out a nice symmetry as I was at their opening home game back in August. It's been a long old season and they looked in danger of a second successive relegation for much of it. But they were safe by the time this game came around. It finished 2-2 and Shrewsbury's equaliser was voted goal of the season a few days later!

Blue the Lion, the Shrewsbury mascot, got injured during the half time mascot race with Fleetwood's Captain Cod and had to be helped away. It's perhaps an indicator of what a poor season it's been that their mascot lost a foot race with a fish.

I got to see some bonus football watching Zac on the Sunday morning. His team were drubbed so we went to Greggs afterwards to drown our sorrows in sausage rolls.

My final game of April was Gloucester City v Poole Town in the play-off semi-final in the Southern League Premier Division South. I went with Steve. It was a great game but I'll mainly remember it for some terrace aggro that delayed the game when two scrappers fell over an advertising hoarding.

Gloucester won 3-2 after extra time. I think it was the first game I'd seen this season that went to extra time.

It was my 10th Poole Town game. I got a Futbology badge when I checked in.

And then on the last day of April I did my final station trip of the Senedd election campaign, with my friend Anna.  I have done 28 of these weekly sessions since October and I am weirdly going to miss them when the election is done.

May is going to be busy with the election and then some traveling. So next month's round up will likely be another full one.

Album of the Month: Volbeat, Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies

I'm still working through reviewing the stack of CDs I got for Christmas. This latest one is by Danish metal band Volbeat - another band who I first heard played on Planet Rock.

The song I really liked by them is called Lola Montez. It's about the real life dancer and courtesan Lola Montez, who had an incredible life in Europe, America and Australia in the 19th Century. 

Lola fits into the overall American West in the 19th century theme of the album, enhanced by the noir Western artwork in the CD booklet. One picture is clearly meant to be Lola, with her 'spider dance' depicted quite literally.

Other characters lending their names to song titles are outlaws Pearl Hart (another shady lady) and Black Bart and another song is named after Western hero Doc Holliday. There is a 'Lonesome Rider' and a Hangman who are the titular focus of other songs. Some characters feature in the artwork.

The slight country feel of the prelude Let's Shake Some Dust quickly disappears into heavy distorted guitar riffs, but there is a melodic overlay across all the songs, driven by the power vocals of singer Michael Poulson. The country feel returns for Lonesome Rider, which features guest vocals from Canadian singer Sarah Blackwood. 

Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies is an unusual album because it felt to me like it got stronger as it went on. There is a five track sequence in the latter half of the album starting with My Body and ending with The Sinner is You that includes both Lola Montez and Lonesome Rider, that is an incredible selection of songs. 

Overall, this album has made me want to listen to more of Volbeat's output. I like albums that have a rough theme where the tracks seem to be telling several facets of the same story. It lends a fluency to the listening experience. And several of these tunes stuck in my head, which is another sign of a well-made album.

Details

Year of release: 2013

Tracks: 14

Favourite track: While I still like Lola Montez, if I could only pick one track it would be Lonesome Rider. 

Track to skip: A couple of the early tracks are skippable if you want to get to the really good stuff faster. But they are all worth listening to.

Boostin' the rosters - Norse edition

Another Blood Bowl post! Back in February I posted about how I'd added a couple of star players to my teams. Thanks to a friendly seller on Facebook (cheers Josh!), I've now added two players to my Norse team line up - star player Thorsson Stoutmead, and a "big guy" who is a Yhetee!

When I've played with a Norse team, I've found them a tad underpowered, so I'm hoping the Yhetee will help them out. (In case, you're wondering Games Workshop create their own version of some words (like 'yeti') for intellectual property reasons.)

Buying these guys second hand means they arrived pre-built and ready for action. So they aren't going to sit in my 'pile of shame' for ages, like a lot of my models do. It could be a while before they get painted but they could get their debut next month!

Also, Thorsson has a great special ability - "Beer Barrel Bash!" He can launch a keg of beer at an opponent to hopefully knock them over. I look forward to using that bonus skill!

The Rodents Return - a Blood Bowl match report

I have a large number of Blood Bowl teams. If you check my list of match reports, last year I coached two different orc teams, wood elves, and Norse (humans). This year I've debuted my team of "necromantic horrors". But, however much I enjoy fielding other teams I keep coming back to my rats.

I now have my own copy of the Season 3 rules for Blood Bowl, courtesy of my sister-in-law Abby who gave it to me for as part of my birthday present. The skaven (giant rats) have been slightly 'nerfed' in the new rules because a coach can only field two gutter runners (super agile and speedy players). However, gutter runners do have a new "stab" skill (which I forgot to use) and I have two star players, one of whom is very agile and speedy.

My reserves box is just teeming with line-rats now. Including two that aren't painted.

Bryan is still figuring out the Tomb Kings that came in the starter set he had for Christmas. They are a strange side. The 'big guys' tomb guardians are very strong, but none of the team are agile. They also all have the regeneration skill, which can work for a coach but often works against them as it increases the possibility of a player having to leave the field.

I say I love my rats, but they are a bit neglected. Hakflem and Glart, the two star players are still unpainted. Hakflem got injured almost immediately and spent the first half recovering. He was lucky with his injury. One of my gutter runners ended up dead.

It was a fairly even first half. Towards the end a skaven line-rat broke free and scored a down.

The second half started similarly to the first, with a star player carted off to the injuries box. 

I was having a bad time with my dice rolls. Lots of ones being rolled and that all-time clasic, double skulls! Fumbles led to some loose play on the wing.

But my surviving gutter runner scored.

The Tomb Kings then ended a drive successfully with a down. 

From the restart, possession was regained by the rats and they were able to pivot the play, opening up a channel through the Tomb Kings defence.

That led to Hakflem scoring a down on the very last turn of the game. Not a bad comeback from injury.

Final score: Tomb Kings 1-3 Skaven

And on an additional note, Bryan and Elaine had made me a birthday "cake" out of jaffa cakes. They know me so well!

The jaffa cakes had an even worse survival rate than my skaven players!

My (interim) April 2026 round up - halfway through... ish

It's been a very busy month so far, so I am blogging an interim round up early! 

Mascot!! (At the Welsh Cup final)

I missed the Keep Grangetown Tidy litter-pick in March but made up for it on a warm April Saturday. There were loads of volunteers. Great to see!

We don't litter-pick for the rewards, but it was nice to get a community champion badge.

And I found an abandoned Henry vacuum cleaner who is now off the streets and off to be recycled somewhere. 

I went to a very interesting Grangetown History Society talk delivered by Father Richard, vicar of St Paul's church, about the various Anglican mission churches established in Grangetown in the 19th and 20th centuries. It was fascinating to hear how the current St Dyfrig and St Sansom's church has preserved an accumulation of items from the now-demolished missions.

My main activity so far in April has been canvassing for Plaid Cymru. The Senedd election is looming and activity is ramping up.

Grangetown

Riverside

I'm now a poster boy for canvassing in Caerdydd Penarth

And I've been canvassing in exotic locales beyond walking distance from my house as well...

Pontyclun

Penrhiwceiber gyda chwaer calon, Sara

Llandaff.

Cathy has created this wonderful window display!

I like the protesting daffs!

I've also been lucky enought to meeting up with friends. Connor was back in Cardiff for a weekend and took me out for a birthday meal.

Matt and Lauren (and Alex) met us down the Bay. It was even sunny enough for ice creams.

Sian insisted on using a selfie filter when we met for coffee. So this is the most glam I've looked so far in April!

And I've been to some more football matches. I saw an historic Welsh Cup Final in Newport with Paul, as Caernarfon won the trophy for the first time.

Celebrating with flames!

And I've been to the Cardiff Dracs final game of a season where they finished an excellent seventh place in the league. I spent the final game of the season with Nic and Scott. 

It's been great supporting the Dracs this season. We will do it all again starting in July!