 |
 |
|
|
| |
| |
| |
|
Statistics |
| Unique Visitors: 6 |
| Total Unique Visitors: 16853 |
| Visitors Out: 929 |
| Total Visitors Out: 2739 |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
| The Dave & Judy Show... |
| 2008-01-10 13:12:00 |
Happy New Year Everyone. After the mad rush and media coverage at the start of 2007 I let the GrALE Quest take a back seat for a few months while we concentrated on the arrival of our second child, who has just arrived!Not sure what 2008 will hold yet but I have an exciting new project in the pipeline and full details are set to be launched in the next few weeks.In the meantime I have been doing the rounds talking about blogging and the GrALE Quest, tomorrow, 11th January 2008, I will back on the beeb. BBC Radio Lincolnshire that is! I will be on the Dave & Judy show in the morning at around 11.30am to have a quick chat them about blogging.Dave & Judy have been writing a blog for the past week to see what it's all about, you can read it here and hear all about it on their show tomo...
|
| |
|
| Kyle's Book... |
| 2007-06-29 13:04:00 |
A quick plug for the inspiration behind the whole Lincoln GrALE Trade Quest. As you all know it was seeing Kyle MacDonald complete his own trade quest almost a year ago now that inspired me to go ahead and try it myself, and what fun I had! If you haven't read about my trading exploits you can read all about it here on my Trade Quest Blog. If you haven't heard about Kyle, and lets face it if you haven't you must of been sleeping under a rock for the past 2 years, but if you want to know more about his original One Red Paperclip Trade Fest get his book and have a read, its great. Congratulation to the man with the plan, Kyle, well done.lincolngrale@hotmail.co.uk...
|
| |
|
| Still Alive... |
| 2007-03-02 14:49:00 |
Thought I better just make a quick post to let you know I'm still alive! Its been a sad month as you all know with the loss of the camper but things are moving, the cogs in the background are still turning and progress on the quest will be updated within the next week or so! Keep watching...lincolngrale@hotmail.co.uk...
|
| |
|
| Back On The GrALE Trail... |
| 2007-02-05 21:52:00 |
Well, from bad news & sad news, to new news and new possibilities...I can't believe how quick the camper went, I only put it on auction a few days ago and the interest was fantastic. It had to go to a good home after all the effort that went into getting me this far and in the end it did. I was contacted this afternoon just after my previous post (see below) by a local VW nut, Danny. He had been told about the van going up for auction and was keen to get hold of it and bring her back to her former glory. He said it will take him almost a year and many thousands of pounds but he is keen to do it. To be honest I admire his energy and enthusiasm, and believe me he had plenty of that.We settled on a price of £600 for the van and I ended the eBay auction early. He handed over the cash and ...
|
| |
|
| Bad News & Sad News... |
| 2007-02-05 13:16:00 |
Back On The GrALE Trail...It's been a while since my last post, you may remember last time I posted I was on top of the world, I had just got my sweaty hands on my fantastic camper, I had dropped her off at the local VW Specialist to sort the minor clutch fault and then we were off, ready to travel Europe in the newly acquired 'passion wagon' (as named by Peter Levy of BBC News!)Well sadly, the latest news on the camper is...RIP...That's right, heartbreaking news, I am devastated. My dream of owning a camper and touring Italy has been ripped from my hands.Basically what happened was, I took the camper to two local VW specialists and they both said the same thing... "It's buggered" I would be looking at over £2000 to put her right so they both recommended mo...
|
| |
|
| News Just In... |
| 2007-01-19 14:10:00 |
I will be appearing on BBC Radio Five Live tonight on the Stephen Nolan show, assuming those damn prostitutes don't show up again in the news!I should be on sometime between 11.00pm & 12.30pm so it will be late one! Listen in online if you can here.And don't forget to tune into Radio 4 tomorrow to hear 'My Philosophy Of Life'... Details below. lincolngrale@hotmail.co.uk...
|
| |
|
| Winning Awards & Radio 4... |
| 2007-01-19 10:27:00 |
The small BBC Radio 4 piece has been confirmed for tomorrow. It will appear on the Saturday Live programme between 9.00am-10.00am tomorrow morning. You can listen online here.Other top news today, the GrALE Quest has won an award...of sorts! It has won the prestigious Scotsman Lucky White Heather Awards! You can read about it here.lincolngrale@hotmail.co.uk...
|
| |
|
| Windy Days... |
| 2007-01-18 18:00:00 |
My god what a windy day, glad I wasn't driving the Camper today as I would of been blown over!Pretty quiet few days on the GrALE Quest news front, a few stories popping up here and there..BBC Radio 4...I recorded a slot at BBC Radio 4 today, hopefully to go out on this weeks 'Saturday Live' morning programme, it was good, I think! Although who knows what it will sound like when it goes out on air! If it even makes the grade! It was basically a piece for their 'My Philosophy Of Life' section of the show, so I'm pretty much talking about (surprise, surprise) 'My Philosophy' of life. Its obviously highly interesting, very deep and meaningful, but you will have to tune in on Saturday to hear what that is.Clearly a face best suited for Radio!Finally for today, I'm taking the camper to a few gar...
|
| |
|
| Five News, The Nations Best... |
| 2007-01-15 06:08:00 |
New week, new experiences, new stories to tell. Well the same old story actually but in a slightly different way!A great day so far today, this morning I appeared 'live' on BBC Radio Manchetser chatting with Eamonn O'Neal and Dianne Oxberry which was great fun, without a doubt the best show I've been on so far this week! Although as many of you know I was due to appear on another national radio station last night at 11.15pm but sadly, due to a couple of prostitutes*, I have been pushed back to sometime later in the week. Hopefully, if they still want me on the show. I was looking forward to that one, so fingers crossed, as always I will keep you posted.Other massive GrALE Quest news today...I have just had an incredibly funny TV slot on the 11.30am National ...
|
| |
|
| Wayodd! |
| 2007-01-14 17:32:00 |
It's been a busy few days, loads of story's of the GrALE Quest popping up all over the web. I'm now officially 'wayodd' news! As well as popping up in Vietnam and Sri Lanka!Finally for this week I've been meaning to get a quick mention on the blog for the Million Dollar Animated Web Page. A great idea that Andrew Henderson of Trading Nothing is trying to get off the ground this year. If you get chance, check out his site, especially if you are looking for somewhere to advertise in the new year. This may just be the place for you, bound to get some heavy internet traffic over the coming months.lincolngrale@hotmail.co.uk...
|
| |
|
| Gday Mate... |
| 2007-01-10 15:19:00 |
Well Gday indeed, I have just appeared live, via telephone, on Western Australian Radio Station 6PR chatting to Millsy & Kent. 6PR is based in Perth and is the Australian equivalent to Radio 1, so excellent world wide recognition for The GrALE Quest. I have absolutely no idea how they heard about the Quest but they contacted me yesterday and asked me to do a piece live on their show.I'm amazed how the news of the GrALE Quest has spread worldwide and completely surprised every time someone contacts me saying where they have seen the story. Apparently the story has popped up today in...iol in South Africa, read the article here netscape in the USA, read the article herealso in the USA All Headline News , read the article here and News Channel 5 , read the article here I just can't believe ho...
|
| |
|
| Out Of Africa... |
| 2007-01-09 07:44:00 |
It seems the GrALE Quest Story is traveling the world faster than I can myself in the camper! As well as interest from down under I have today appeared in Cape Times, Cape Town's English morning newspaper.In an article by Glenn Bownes Cape Times go on to say... Man gets more than his bottle's worth ... swops beer for camper van by Glenn BownesLONDON: A man has converted a bottle of beer into a camper van - in just five deals.Pete Genders wanted the motor home so he could take his wife Verity on a second honeymoon. He set up a website offering a £2.69 beer and vowed to trade up until he had the van. Five months later Pete, 28, got the keys to a W-reg VW camper worth £1 500. He admitted: "I never expected to do so well." In his first deal, Pete swapped the beer for a day as a local newspap...
|
| |
|
| Live On The BBC... |
| 2007-01-08 15:56:00 |
Well for all of you that didn't see my 'Live' satellite interview on the BBC News tonight, here it is! I'm actually really pleased with how it came out, I don't come across as too much of a fool!You might have to turn your volume up the hear it though as for some reason the sound has come out low on the youtube upload.Also I wanted to add a quick thank you to Tim Stewart, of Tim Stewart Press. He's a freelance reporter and the all round fantastic chap who wrote the GrALE Quest article that has been popping up in all the tabloids today. I know a lot people look at the site who are doing similar crazy 'boy projects' so here is Tim's email address if you feel you have completed a 'boy project' and want to give him a shout. tpsontour@yahoo.co.ukFinally for today, and what a day... I have just ...
|
| |
|
| Here Comes The Mirrorman... |
| 2007-01-08 09:36:00 |
Here comes the mirrorman, says he's a people fan! Here comes the mirrorman... Whatever did happen to The Human League?Anyway, the day keeps getting stranger and stranger, it would appear that I seem to appear in more than one national newspaper today, excellent! Not only did I appear on Page 22 of today's edition of the Daily Express a great article, see here but I also managed to get my ugly mug on page 16 of the Mirror and on their website here !I didn't know about the mirrorman article, my lovely mother brought me a copy this afternoon when she came to see her granddaughter, 7 month old, Harriet. She had come to sit with Harry for 10 mins while I did a 'Live' link up with BBC News Presenter Peter Levy for BBC Look North, tonight, 6.30pm. However Harr...
|
| |
|
| Express Delivery... |
| 2007-01-08 03:47:00 |
Surprise news today in the form of my first full page spread in a national newspaper! Page 22 of today's edition of the Daily Express is sporting a super chessy picture of me holding the now infamous bottle of Lincoln Grale. Yesterdays red top tabloids also gave the Trade Quest a mention, albeit a very very small mention! It was given a small slot in a side column of the News Of The World . So that's it now, I am officially world news! Or a complete wa*ker one of the two, its still out with the jury!And finally a picture that we went to great efforts to have taken (you wouldn't believe it even if I told you, its too long and too complicated) but we finally got it taken so it deserves to be shown somewhere...Happy Campers, Pete & Verity Genders...lincolngrale@hotmail.co.uk...
|
| |
|
| Guardian Swapfest... |
| 2007-01-05 23:42:00 |
My first major newspaper mention today, well in a fashion, amazingly comes from the well respected Guardian in the form of a link direct to this site at the top of their 'Links We Like' section on the guardian.co.uk news website, excellent, and giving the Quest one of the best descriptions so far... 'Swapfest'To check out my 'Swapfest' mention visit the Guardian news blog page here lincolngrale@hotmail.co.uk...
|
| |
|
| What A Week... |
| 2007-01-05 13:36:00 |
Well, what can I say? What a fantastic week so far. Excellent piece in the local rag. with a super cheesey pic...and a good little ' Swap History' chart break down, nice one...And all round spectacular article from Matthew Pike at the Lincolnshire Echo. , cheers Matthew. I will post the full article on the GrALE Quest Photo Dairy , hosted by the good chaps at Flickr. But the big news... some real interest in the story from some major tabloids, don't want to say too much yet but will keep you posted over the next few days. And also, best bit, 2 possible TV spots next week!! Exciting stuff!!lincolngrale@hotmail.co.uk...
|
| |
|
| 5 Months, 5 Trades, One Bottle Of Beer & VW Campervan! Fantastic... |
| 2007-01-02 13:22:00 |
Yes that's right in just under five months and only 5 trades I have managed to complete the Lincoln GrALE Trade Quest by swapping my bottle of Limited Edition 'Lincoln GrALE' Beer for a 1980 Red VW Devon Campervan,I've gone from this... One bottle of beerTo this... The chance to be the Editor of a NewspaperTo This... Co-hosting a Radio ShowTo This... x4 Tickets to see The Zutons in concertTo This... A old J Reg Citroen ZXTo my end Target of...A VW Campervan!!It's been fantastic, a great 5 months. I never actually thought I would even get to end of the quest let alone so quickly and in just 5 trades. I put it all down to having such a great start to the quest and having so much support fro...
|
| |
|
| The Cats Out The Bag... |
| 2007-01-02 07:27:00 |
Well the cats out the bag, the 5th Trade has been revealed, the car has been traded and in it's place I am now the proud owner of my very own..... VW Campervan!And here she is, a 1980 Red Volkswagen Devon Campervan, fantastic!As you are all no doubt aware today was the day I revealed the details of the trade Live 'On Air' at LincsFM on the breakfast show with DJ John Marshall.So I completed the Quest, unbelievably I actually managed to trade a bottle of beer for a VW Campervan!! I can hardly believe it, 5 months, 5 trades, from one bottle of beer to a fully MOT'ed VW Campervan.I'm going to post in more detail tonight how the final trade came about and a full recap of the trade quest so far but it's all go today and I'm about to do an interview and some pics ...
|
| |
|
| GrALE Quest Code... |
| 2006-12-31 13:34:00 |
I have had a few emails over the past 24 hours asking for me to reveal the details of the latest trade, sadly I can't let the cat out of the bag yet as I have promised the exclusive to the John Marshall Breakfast Show on LincsFM this coming Tuesday (that's if all still goes to plan! If not you will hear it here Tuesday afternoon!)However in true GrALE Quest style I have in fact posted all the details of the trade and full pictures hidden within this blog. If you can decipher all the clues you will find the location of the hidden 5th trade details and find the next item I have to offer in the GrALE Trade Quest. Good luck, sorry no help with this one, only this picture as your first clue!You will need to locate 4 more clues in order to find the location of th...
|
| |
|
| Bye, Bye, Love... |
| 2006-12-29 16:22:00 |
Well, she's gone, that's it. Jade has been traded....Yes, that's right, Jade the J REG Citroen has gone to her new home today. Sorry to keep you all waiting with the 'Big News' I promised last week but its worth the wait, I assure you. I'm going to keep you waiting for a few more days before I reveal the item I have traded the car for, but its a beauty, a real beauty. Without a doubt my best trade yet.I'm going to reveal the details of the 5th trade live on LincsFM this coming Tuesday, 2nd January 2007, at approximately 8.15am on the John Marshall Breakfast Show.I know you will all be listening to LincsFM anyway, as there is clearly no better radio station currently worth listening to, but if for some strange reason someone has re-tuned your radio to a lesser station make sure you tune it ...
|
| |
|
| Big, Big, News! |
| 2006-12-21 02:47:00 |
Fantastic festive news, you wouldn't believe it even if I told you! So I will wait until I have photographic proof and let you all in on the festive frolics tomorrow!lincolngrale@hotmail.co.uk...
|
| |
|
| Busy, Busy, Busy... |
| 2006-12-14 16:50:00 |
Gosh, its been over a month since I posted on the site and so much has gone on. I have been so busy with the shop, getting ready for the Christmas Market and Food & Drink Fair, but Im back on the case now and moving on towards my next trade. I have been driving Jade the J REG every day for the past month, shes great, it will be a shame to see her go. I even managed to get a parking ticket which I didn't know anything about!! Anyway, will be posting updates and pics in the next day or so. Meanwhile there is still time to make offers for the car, so anyone who needs a good car please let me know...lincolngrale@hotmail.co.uk...
|
| |
|
| Lets Get Trading... |
| 2006-11-08 04:51:00 |
Right then, I am now ready to push on with my next trade. I have been a bit slack this last week with pushing the car for the next trade. This is because I have been using the car everyday to drive to work and run the kids about, it's fantastic, I'm almost tempted to stop trading here and keep the car!!However, if I do that I will never get to my goal of a campervan so I must push on. I was going to do all the Jade showcase pictures today and get them on here for you to view her and submit all your offers but its pissing it down with rain so I will have to put it off until tomorrow! There's a few pics of her below if you want to check out her bodywork!But she's still there, available to trade, so if you need a car and you have something to offer me to tra...
|
| |
|
| Lincoln Today... |
| 2006-11-01 06:17:00 |
If you have not already checked it out www.lincolntoday.co.uk is a great website for anybody who wants to find out what's going on in and around Lincoln, its constantly being updated almost hourly so anything you need to know can be found there. All the guys at www.lincolntoday.co.uk have been great and they are following the GrALE Quest and drumming up support for me by running stories with each trade. They have a great piece about the Jade Trade on their home page today so please check it out, and bookmark their site as its a great source of local info.lincolngrale@hotmail.co.uk...
|
| |
|
| Happy Halloween... |
| 2006-11-01 06:11:00 |
Happy Halloween to my GrALE Quest readers. Look out for my Jade the J Reg photo showcase this weekend!! lincolngrale@hotmail.co.uk...
|
| |
|
| Pimp My Citroen... |
| 2006-10-27 15:02:00 |
After watching a fantastic episode of 'Pimp My Ride UK' tonight I have had an idea... Now I wouldn't normally watch such a ridiculously stupid programme but the episode tonight featured non other than... A 1967 splitscreen camper, pimped to a beautiful gold and cream love machine, spectacular. Now that's the kind of camper I would love, I live in eternal hope!Anyway, the idea, Pimp My Citroen! Maybe if I can convince some local garage to pimp up 'Jade The J Reg' I might stand a better chance with the trade up, so what do you think? Anyone out there fancy helping to Pimp her up?Also worth a mention in today's post is www.Ldhealthwise.co.uk set up by a regular reader of the blog and great supporter of the GrALE Trade Quest si...
|
| |
|
| Over The Bonnet Shot... |
| 2006-10-24 14:29:00 |
Another super cheesy picture from the press... lincolngrale@hotmail.co.uk...
|
| |
|
| Not Quite The 9 o'clock News... |
| 2006-10-24 07:39:00 |
Well it's not quite the 9 o'clock news but The Lincolnshire Echo, have run a great story on the GrALE quest in today's Echo.As I reported over the weekend I have just managed to complete the 4th Trade and it was such a fantastic trade Matthew Pike at the echo has run a 'Trades So Far' piece, with a super cheesy picture of me laid over the bonnet of Jade! Jade is the car for all of you coming into the story late. I will add a scan of the article onto the blog tonight but if you want to read the article in the meantime you can read it here>>> on the Echo website..Jade Update...Just to update on the state of play with Jade, she has now been fully serviced and has a brand spanking new alternator and a brand spanking new battery. ...
|
| |
|
| The 4th Trade... |
| 2006-10-20 14:48:00 |
The Jade Trade...It's done, finally I have managed to complete the 4th Trade on this momentous GrALE Quest, and its a beauty!That's right, I have now traded 'The Zuton Tickets' for Jade! Who's Jade? I hear you all ask. Well I will tell you...Jade is a Red J Reg Citroen ZX, a racy little car lovingly owned and cared for over the past 3 years by Tasha. Tasha is a superstar and down right fantastic lady who contacted me about the trade last week to see if I would be interested in swapping the 'The Zuton Tickets' for her prize motor. I jumped at the chance and we set up the trade.So, this afternoon I jumped in the van with my trusty cameraman and we headed down to meet Tasha & Jade. On cameraman duties this time was good old Tom, which was handy as it was his v...
|
| |
|
| |
 |
|
| |
| |
|
 |
