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Head Over Heels – The Go Go’s


Track of the week 29/10/17

I knew the name “The Go Go’s” back in the day, but didn’t really know anything of them – probably just an ace before my time? I was more aware of Belinda Carlisle (a guilty pleasure – it is only in recent years that I have come out as a fan!) and Jane Wiedlin’s “Rush Hour” was a big hit in ’88 when I was in the constant rush hour that is London who both began their careers in the Go Go’s.

Anyway, (re)-discovered the Go Go’s as I had “My lips are sealed” floating around in my head and turned to trusty YouTube. Was expecting the Fun Boy Three to pop up, but The Go Go’s was the number one result. Listened to it and, through the magic that is YouTube, it then suggested I listen to this – Head over Heels which is a fantastic bit of frothy punky pop.

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Half Term Adventures

Pic of the week 29/10/17

Friday saw us all up early, on our adventures.

Becky & Sophie hopped on the train and went up to London for the day and had a wonderful time in the capital. A far better account – and more pics – can be found at Becky’s blog here.

Sam & I also got up early (too early for a holiday?) and went up the Poldens before sunrise. It was a beautiful day – my photography skills do not do it justice – the leaves turning into their beautiful autumn colours.

Home for breakfast, I then spent a pleasant morning sat out in the garden in wonderful October sunshine, reading, before nodding of for delightful 30 minute snooze basking in what may be the last sun for some months.

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Near Death Experience

I’d been cleaning windows. I’d done all the ground floor and then decided to tackle the upper floors.

I got out my trusty old ladders, but they wouldn’t get me anywhere near the upper windows.  So I got out the long ladders I bought a year or so ago.

I’ve always felt they were a little flimsy and so, with the feet firmly braced against the shed base plinth, I gingerly mad an ascent.  The higher I got, the safer they felt, so back down I came to collect my cloth & sponge.

Up I went – I felt as safe as houses at the top as I washed Sophie’s windows. Then back down to get the squeegee cloth, back up and finish the job. Rock solid at the top, I did contemplate the embarrassment of being another statistic, should I fall from the ladder. But job done, all was good and I began my descent.

A few rungs from the bottom, I felt something give and the top of the ladder slide down the wall.

I hoped off from the safe height of a foot or two and did what I could to arrest the falling ladder – didn’t want it going through the French doors (it didn’t.)

On examination, the ladder had just buckled at one rung.  I could have been another statistic, but fortunately I wasn’t.

I think I’ll buy an extension pole to clean the rest of the windows.

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Solsbury Hill – Peter Gabriel


Track of the week 22/10/17

Bit of a left field entry this week – I certainly wasn’t into Genesis back in the day, in fact they were (in my humble twelve year old opinion!) the complete antithesis of cool, irrelevant prog-rock dinosaurs that were rightly being swept away by Mod, Ska and New Wave music.

So how come this track has made it onto my coveted track of the week list?

Well, one I am now much more tolerant and much less tribal, and if I like a track, so be it.

But more importantly, it was the final track accompanying the final scene of the final series of “Halt and Catch Fire”- a fantastic series that I have been watching since the summer (on Amazon Prime) that charts the personal computer revolution and the rise of the world wide web.

Has to be up there with some of the best telly I’ve watched in the last couple of years – in the same pantheon as Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Stranger Things and Deutchsland 83. (Oh and Vikings, just remembered that great series.)

 

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Half Term – at last!

Pic of the week 22/10/17

And so half term has finally arrived.

September starts on a surge of adrenaline, but after a couple of weeks that wears of and the tiredness starts to kick in.  With working Saturdays, making it a six day week, I don’t think that you ever get the chance to fully recuperate in term time and the trick is to manage the decline from the end of one holiday until next.  This first half a term is always one of the longest, one of the hardest.

So half term began for me on Wednesday afternoon, but not until Friday for the children, so Becky & I grabbed the chance to go out for lunch together at GBK and it was, of course, lovely – the company in particular, but the food wasn’t too bad either.

No major plans for the half term, Sam’s nose is being put to the grindstone as he has mocks in the week he returns, Becky’s working much of next week and Sophie & Becky are going to London on Friday.

Me, I hope to do plenty of exercise (swam Wednesday & Thursday, spinning on Friday, refereed yesterday, played for Legends today – swim, run and spin, I hope, in the week to come), rest and catch up with stuff. Potter in the garden, wash the windows, maybe go up the Poldens …

I’ve already made a start at tidying up the garden – cutting back one clump of daises, and still mowing the lawn which is growing well in the warm, wet conditions. However, the weather does seem to have turned and we’re now into Autumn. Hence, rather sadly, I washed, ironed and put away my summer shorts for another year. A sad moment!

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Match Report – Legends v Castle Cary

Debutant bags brace to ensure honours even.

Brian wouldn’t go quietly. Despite dumping a lake of rain overnight, the pitches at Kingweston retained their billard table baize like qualities, presenting a wonderful vista for the legends arriving for the 11 am kick off. The clouds scudded overhead as Brian blew himself out, determined to have an influence on the day’s play.

As kick off approached, our numbers had crept up to 10 (from 12 who had promised to play) and so, cap in hand, the opposition were approached to lend us a player – ideally a keeper – which they kindly did. But then the eagle eyed in the squad spotted another legend jogging down from the pavilion, swelling our numbers to 11. We decided to keep our (borrowed) keeper and have the luxury of a sub, allowing new dad Jack J start the game on the sideline, on the phone to the mid-wife. By half time, two balls had been blasted over the hedge and lost to the road beyond, the visitors had suffered two (age related) injuries and asked for their keeper back … Such are the challenges of veterans football.

But what of the game itself? A cagey encounter began with the visitors establishing an early dominance, which was rewarded mid through the half with the opening goal. The lead did not last long: having resolved his paternal problems, Jarvis took to the field allowing new boy Stuart Robertson to play further up the pitch and he calmly stroked home after some deft footwork. However, using the wind to their advantage, the visitors launched a long ball that bounced over everyone to land at their striker’s feet, who finished well to give them a half time lead.

With the wind at our backs, the second half saw us begin to assert our dominance and a goal from Nick Neale brought the scores level. Alan Richardson struck the woodwork from within his own half with an effort that reminded this writer of a young David Beckham’s goal from his own half v Wimbledon. Sam Landrigan, another new signing, proved his worth in the middle of the park, showing his stamina as those around him faded.

The chances were coming, whilst Cary always looked threatening on the break. And the Stuart Robertson struck again to give us the lead.

Seeking an equaliser, the visitors threw more players forward and a pinpoint cross whipped in from the right was met, 6 yards out, at the far post by the head of the Cary danger man who directed the ball over keeper Peabody’s outstretched and flailing hand and into the top corner of the goal.

Before the final whistle blew, both sides had chances to grab all three points, but the referee called time on a great game with the score at 3-3, probably a fair result. Unbeaten as we enter November, our next game is a home encounter against an Oakhill side who went down four nil against today’s opponents. That game takes place on November 12th

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Ocean Rain – Echo and the Bunnymen


Track of the week 15/10/17
Another bit of wonderful music: calming, beautiful, brilliant.

A song to soothe the soul when the day has been long or difficult, or both.

One’s troubles get washed away in the tempestuous ocean rain, leaving you calm, refreshed and restored, and able to sail your ship away in the slack that inevitably comes after even the most violent storm.

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Boyhood Dreams

Pic of the week 15/10/17

Boyhood dreams.

As a boy (all those many, many years ago) my dream was to play for Bristol City.

Alas, I fear that dream has long been consigned to history, but today came the closest that I’m likely to get as I found myself on the same pitch as The Robins, refereeing Bristol City U16s v Millfield 1st XI.

A fast paced game played between two quality sides, on a quality pitch it was a challenging, but enjoyable, game to take charge off.

City bossed the first ten minutes and it looked like it was going to be a long afternoon for the Millfield side, but they retained their shape and discipline at the back and began to exert some authority on home turf.

Collecting the ball well into his own half, the Millfield right back exploded with pace, hugging the touch line and playing an overlapping one two to see him arrive at the byline and whip in a powerful cross which was bundled in by the Millfield centre forward, who bagged another brace before half time to see the home side lead 3-0 at the break.

City pulled one back early in the second half as space began to open up as legs (not only mine!) began to tire. However the visitors conceded a soft goal direct from a corner to leave the final score line 4-1 to Millfield, who were deserved winners, but that result probably flatters them a little.

Me: I loved it. Absolutely knackered at the end of it; 90 minutes chasing athletes 30 years my junior is hard work, but probably the highest standard of football I have ever been involved in.

(Now just awaiting to get my hands on the video of the game – my half term homework will be to watch the game and anlayse my performance)

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Domino – Cocteau Twins


Track of the week 8/10/17

Should have been last week, but wasn’t.  A top track that always make you feel better when listening to it.

Always takes me back to Gibraltar (circa 1990) when I went out their with a Buccaneer Squadron. I remember climbing to the top of the rock and looking down on the cloud below as I listened to this on my Walkman. Magical.

 

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A Walton Brace Bags the Booty

Pic of the week 8/10/17

First half strikes from Bradshaw and Whatling secure a two goal victory that sees the Legends begin their campaign with a win.

A beautiful, clear, warm October morning saw the season kick off with an away fixture at Wells City. Glistening with morning dew, the pitch was a green oasis, although was the pile of feathers  littering our half of the pitch somehow a metaphor for our playing skills – a once beautiful, free flying creature, now, sadly, consigned to history?

The game began with both sides probing, but neither establishing a telling dominance. Midway through the first half Bradshaw latched on to a perfect through pass. Collecting the ball well outside the area, he still had much to do but, shrugging off the attentions of a Wells defender, he opened his legs and glided into the box, deftly placing the ball beyond the reach of the oncoming keeper and into the back of the net. One – nil.

Wounded, Wells responded swiftly, seeking an equaliser. The pacy Wells no. 11 was a constant threat, but a mobile, organised and disciplined back four nullified his threat and continued to frustrate the home team’s attacks all morning. On the few occasions the opposition did threaten the Millfield goal Shane Potts was big, brave and unbeatable between the sticks.

A corner, swung in from the left, and the wily, wiry, Whatling leapt higher than those around him to glance the ball into the net. Two – nil.

As legs tired in the second half, so space began to open up, allowing new boy Andrew Cassin-Davies – the oldest man on the pitch – to show the daintiest of footwork as he began to dance and dazzle his way around the middle of the park. Fellow debutant Phil Betts confirmed his Legend status, collecting the ball wide on the right and driving hard into the opposition half, ghosting through the Wells defence he found himself one on one v the keeper. He unleashed a powerful low drive, beyond the flailing arm of the Wells number one, only to see – or more accurately hear – the ball cannon into the upright with a thud loud enough to waken any resident of Wells still abed on this Sunday morning.

Neither side troubled the scorers in the second half and the ref blew the whistle on an historic, and well deserved victory: Wells City 0 Millfield Legends 2, three points in the bag.