I’ve collected up all my favourite HD wallpapers from over the past few years into one giant wallpaper pack to download and share, hope you enjoy them 
All posts by beddy
Spit to Manly walk
This is my mums favorite walk when she visits Sydney, the Spit bridge to Manly walk, about a 2 hour walk. We walked with Steve and Damien. Beautiful views of Sydney harbour all along the way. We are very lucky this is just a 10 minute trip away from where we live.
Following the track along the waters edge.
Great lookouts along the way.
And as it was 31° a cold beer at the end was so satisfying.
Hummer H1 dune bashing
On new years day there were no hangovers present for a change, so we took up Brendons invite to head North to Newcastles 15 km beach your allowed to drive along, and test his massive Hummer out on the sand.
HUMMER H1 can seat 4 or 6 depending on how many seats are in. Its weight is 2.6 tons! The Hummer can let all 4 of its huge tyres up and down with a press of a button in the cockpit.
We went with a few others who brought a excellent condition 2012 Land Rover Defender, I think everyone loves these at the moment.
There were huge blue jelly fish all washed up on the sand, all as big as my whole hand!
After the beach, Sanna Damien and me went for a walk through the hot sandy forest.
Happy Christmas 2014 & a Happy New Year–Some blog stats
Happy Christmas 2014 and a Happy New Year for 2015 to all my friends and family all around the world!!
With a Thank you to everyone that reads my blog, I thought we should take a quick look at some stats…
I think this is interesting you can see the Green dots over the past 12 months of the year when I have written (aka Posted) something on my blog. I’ve been pretty consistent this year!
It seems funny that a lot of strangers come to read my blog about articles I’ve written a long time ago, some as far back as 2007.
These are the most read Posts & Pages and most viewed photos on m,y blog but over all time so pretty much nearly 10 years. A lot of people come to my blog to read and look at Lotus stuff.
and where do all my blogs visitors come from….
Christmas holiday 2014 in Sussex England –Christmas day & end of trip
Sanna and I spent 3 weeks in Sussex with my parents for the 2014 Christmas break. Here are some of the best photos. They might be in a bit of a random order.
This is Christmas day 2014 with all the Bedford family unwrapping their presents., Here’s my old Nan unwrapping a pressie.
Father Christmas’s here with my mum.
Christmas day dinner with 13 of us for dinner.
I visited my old friend Mark Akky on boxing day at his house in Felpham, he must have the 4 most well behaved kids I’ve ever met.
The Tea Pot I gave my mum for Christmas and some good quality Twinning’s tea from the Twining’s shop and museum we visited in London.
I visited my old College in Chichester where I studied Computing for 4 years to do some reminiscing. On the wall I found where I scratched in words.
“Kickass Rulez” Mu old name in Doom and Quake was ‘Kickass’.
”MT is GOD” MT was my old friend Mike Thompson.
”Rumsey is a poof” me taking the piss out of old friend Paul Rumsey.
Sanna and I made Jamie Oliver’s big Turkey Wellington again this year like we did for her family last year. It was a great success again and I think came out even better than last year.
Nicki, Katie and Sanna, having a good chat over a cuppa.
Sanna, Dad and mum in Portsmouth seafront as we took a walk along the ‘Millennium walk’ to Portsmouth’s Gun Warf for shopping.
Exploring Portsmouth’s old round fort on the ‘Millennium walk’.
A small harbour in Portsmouth’s gun Warf area, I would think this would be a lovely place to live, but the houses would be expensive.
On board the HMS Warrior for a Black tie dinner event.
Cornish Sharps Doom Bar Ale, a very good beer.
Before dinner on the old HMS Warrior for dinner.
All the old tables were set for dinner for the ‘Victorian Christmas; dinner event.
Sanna enjoying her food as always
We were free to explore the depths of the HMS Warrior whilst on board, this photo is of Sanna in the engine room level in the base of the old ship.
Above ship on the main deck, a lovely photo but it was around 0 degree’s when I took this photo, so it felt REALLY cold.
Joining dad and Grandad in the Nags head in Chichester before the annual Christmas wheelbarrow club event. 
The annual event which goes back hundreds of years, the local people dress up in silly clothes and take some presents to the old peoples homes in return for some mulled wine and mince pies.T
There was no sensible answer given to why this guy had a large rocket?
As part of the tradition of the event, Father Christmas pushing the mayor of Chichester in a very old wooden wheelbarrow being joined by traditional Morris dancers. No one really knows how all this started but its over 100 years old.
Sanna trying to make a phone call at the Black Rabbit pub in Arundel.
Another great English Ale, this one called Cocker Hoop.
My nanny Bedford enjoying her TV quiz shows in my parents living.
My dads alcohol cabinet, full of all kinds of drinks from all over the world.
Visiting my old friend Claire from Bognor Regis for the day, I said she looks similar to the bear 
I hit this Black boxer in the face with my plastic bag to take him down.
Sanna with Nicki’s little Harry.
Me Sanna went for a chilly English countryside walk in Slindon with Nicki and baby Harry,
Sanna doing a lot of chilling out time at the family kitchen table to chill out from Cousin Jacks.
My dad and Sanna looking for a drink for Sanna from the alcohol cabinet.
My grandad bought a special Christmas festive jumper for Christmas day.
Father Christmas (my dad dressed up) came toot see the children on Christmas day. Little Katie was scared until after 1 minute she released it was my dad and started saying “Grandad that you”.
Presents giving time with Father Christmas on Christmas day.
Christmas 2014 trip to London
Sanna and I spent nearly 3 days in Christmassy London during our England Christmas 2014 break. Here are some of the best photos. They might be in a bit of a random order.
We are happy to visit London at Christmas time 
Here is a nice angle of 2 of the most famous landmarks of modern London, the London eye and Big Ben, lovely winters sky too.
Sanna and I with the famous Big Ben and the houses of parliament.
We visited the annual Winter Wonderland which is every Christmas in London’s Hyde Park. Its a German style outside winter market with food, drink, live music gifts and rides.
Sanna enjoying a nice German sussage 
Inside German traditional a style drinking hall, its quite amazing this is all temporary and is taken away at the end of Christmas.
Outside drinking with live music was fun.
Salmon being smoked on a open wood fire.
A crazy but impressive looking themed ride.
My date for the night
Ice skating on a temporary outside ice skate rink.
Sanna booked us to stay at London’s famous Dorchester hotel, one of the most exclusive where the wealthy and famous stay. I don’t want to know how much it cost for the room for 2 nights but for room service a Chicken club sandwich cost £25 $50 crazy!
St James park the one right out the front of Buckingham Palace has lots of swans, but Sanna was a bit scared to put her fingers out.
We made a very interesting trip to the famous ‘Tower of London’ The beefeater who gave the tour was very good and slipped in a lot of jokes.
Map of the tower of London from 1597. There is actually not one tower but 22 on the whole site.
Old armour looks so heavy to wear.
In the armoury there were lots of very old weapons.
and hundreds of swords to project the tower of London.Famous tower bridge.
Famous tower bridge.
The home of Twinning’s tea, this is where it originally came from. It is now a small museum and shop.
Lotus London’s showroom in Piccadilly circus has to be the most posh Lotus dealership ever.
The hotel Dorchester’s corridors to the room were very plush with thick carpets, padded soft walls and antique vases lining the halls.
We visited the famous Winston Churchill’s underground bunker war rooms from where Winston Churchill and his stall ran England’s efforts during the 2nd world war against Nazi Germany.
This room and BBC outside broadcast equipment was used by Churchill to deliver his famous wartime speeches to the people of England all to the troops all over Europe. 
The main control room with telephones linking to head generals of the armed forces all over Europe.
For lunch I had Christmas Ale, it was strong and tasted great, I wish we got beers like this in Australia.
Lunch was very good with some of the best scotch eggs and caramelised onion relish i’ve ever had.
We visited the famous Natural History museum. Such a massive museum and all totally free paid for by the government (our tax). It is a great educational museum to take children.
Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar A T-rex head!
The museums building has the most beautiful architecture.
The famous and poor Dodo bird is now extinct
Famous Harrods, all lit up and Christmassy.
Scones with clotted cream and Jam and a good cup of Tea, how English and yummy.
Back in the Dorchester hotel, the main reception area felt very Christmassy.
The large Christmas tree in the foyer of our hotel.
Sanna wanted to visit Jamie Oliver’s American style Diner in Piccadilly Circus, it was good but not excellent, but wasn’t overpriced anyhow.
Just by chance we spotted BBC’s Top Gear being filmed in the streets, the Stig was sitting on a motorised arm chair with two big machine guns sitting out the front being filmed from a Smart car.
The river Thames of course.
A lovely Winters sky for the evening before we leave to go back to Sussex.
Christmas holiday 2014 in Sussex England
Sanna and I spent 3 weeks in Sussex with my parents for the Christmas break. Here are some of the best photos. They might be in a bit of a random order.
Kellys Clotted Cream Cornish Icec ream, perfect with homemade apple cake made by the cake expert Sandra. I put this on the Cousin Jacks Facebook page and our customers were jealous 
The West Cornwall Past Co. in the UK inspired me to open up Cousin Jacks Pasty Co. in Australia, going back for the first time in 3 years it was good for me to try a lot of their Pasties to compare. Nicki below walking out with a funny face on her.
I know I’m bias, but Im sure our Pasties are without a doubt better, they look really good though.
A ploughmanslunch my dad made for me, very impressive
Sanna a cold Australian, we went for a walk along Dell quay just south of Chichester.
Dell quay just south of Chichester, it was very cold as it looks.
All local food of the West and East Sussex area.
We put stickers on Harrys face for fun 
Proper Cornish beer for the family party we had.
A lot of the Bedford family together for a pre-Christmas party
22 members of our family I counted
Fireworks are illegal to buy in Australia with out a license but not in the UK,so Sanna had a go at lighting a big 36 rocket barrage, she screamed as she lit it and ran away.
Sanna helping the kids Christian and Alexis with their giant sparklers.
We had our own mini real Christmas tree in our bedroom.
The view in the mornings from the upstairs landing from my parents house.
A reunion with a lot of my old friends from England.
The Christening in the local Barnham church of Harry and Katie.
Some English Ale beer, Hob Goblin which is a strong beer with lots of flavour.
Stopover in Guangzhou, China
On our way to the UK and we had a quick stopover in Guangzhou, China for one evening and a morning. The hotel we stayed at was right at the international airport, very handy it was and very good.
Sanna was very very tired from the flight from Sydney at dinner.
The hotel reception area was very nice!
The room had a glass wall in the bathroom to divide it from the bedroom, it was a interesting design. A electric blind could be lowered to give some privacy for the bathroom.
Breakfast area was all buffet and had some very decorative chocolate art.
IT Position Suitability Analysis
Something I put together after a coffee with a local IT recruiter the other day. We got chatting about what is the perfect IT position (job), what factors do you need to decide if its right for you? This is especially important to me as a IT contractor where I switch job to job every 6-12 months and you often have to compare if the engagement/project your being offered (or at least to discuss) is better or not compared to your current one.
With the attached sheet you just simply just rate the position out of 10 for each attribute, 10 being the best. The larger the surface area in the chart, the closer you are top your perfect position! These are the attributes to rate:
1) Money (as high as possible).
2) Tech stack (as interesting/new as possible).
3) The job itself – projects/ops, senior/junior, specialist/generalist.
4) Commute/ hours logged per week / times of day worked (night shift, changing shifts etc) (the fewer and most convenient the better!).
5) Length of role / progression opportunities / safety of tenure (the longer the better or the most flexible the better depending on situation).
6) Culture fit – Social aspect of your team or the company fits with yours.
Here’s the link to the Excel sheet (Excel 2013 .xlsx):
Stirring music by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra
This is a extremely stirring piece of music I’d like to share from the 1984 film Dune, written and performed by Toto with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and Choir of the Vienna Volksoper.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCiRR3X7rjM&feature=youtu.be&t=11m9s