Another week another adventure. This time your intrepid reporter was assigned to a training course in the small suburb of Slough, which is home to Guidance Software, the creators of EnCase, which is the software used (along with other reputable tools such as FTK and Norton Ghost :S ) by a large proportion of the Computer Forensics community.

The training was a little slow paced, as we had used the software before starting the course, and as such the basics were a little boring, but it did give us the opportunity to think up some interesting questions, and also filles gaps in our knowledge.

The week was without special note, the days spent playing Computer Forensics and the evenings spent testing the local establishments, most of which were not especially interesting, apart from the splendid Indian restaraunt, which was probably the best I've had! Pizza express wasn't too bad either.

Our last night however, was mildly interesting; I had noticed on a previous evening that one of the establishments (Que Pasa) were promoting a pole dancing competition, offering £10 drinks vouchers for all entrants, so I duly enquired as to when I would get the voucher, before or after the competition, having hatched a cunning plan to enter, get voucher, then gracefully withdraw with an old war pole dancing injury. However, I was informed that this was not allowed and I would have to perform for my beer tokens :( We were not put off however, and attended, merely to support the poor sluffo's who's only means of survival is to enter endless competitions just to feed their habit of exhibitionism, we felt it was our duty, honest. Unfortunately, in true Slough-like dis-enthusiasm, only two competitors appeared in front of the baying (indifferent) crowd; both female incidently, they were forced to perform twice, the first was pretty good (we later discovered that she works for Spearmint Rhino, which apparently offers entertainment of a similar nature) and the other really tried hard, but seemed would be more at home ball dancing with very nice footwork.

The evening ended with me getting a little drunk and signing up to do Karaoke, in tribute to Simon, singing 'I am the one and only' by 'Chesney Hawkes'. Which, as you can imagine, was great for the first few bars, until I actually started singing, and then I was laughed at and duly helped out by the DJ in fits of hysterics. I went home to sulk in my nice big double bed at the Slough Premier Travel Inn shortly after.

The last day was indictative of life as a Sluffian, who like to Sluff about with fellow Slufflodites. The hotel car park was subject to (random?) attacks upon resident car windows, and as a result, as we checked out, there were a few red faced business people complaining about the lack of security.

The weekend was a welcome break from the toll off life in Slough-upon-concrete, and I spent it busying myself with stuff in the new flat, such as setting up my our office in the spare room (at last I can play BF2, if I ever get the time!) and doing general household things with the lovely lady fink who is great and beautiful at all times, even when she's just woken up. (Honest, I really mean it!) ;)

One last thing I really should mention was the Sunday lunch I had (yesterday ;)) at a Pub called the Rose and Crown in Bexhill (land of the nearly dead) which came highly reccomended by some of Laura's friends. I dont think i've seen a plate as big as the one marked 'Hungry Horse' which was filled up with very tasty Pork sunday roast; it was at least the size of 2 to 3 normal plates! I was skeptical when we first arrived, when the place was full of families with children running around everywhere, but Laura quite rightly pointed out that we were very lucky to get a seat, and the place must be good if it was this busy. The food was great, and nicely priced too. I throughly recommend it! :)

On that note, I should probably finish off my beer, and slope off to bed. More enthralling updates to come....