Category: Pic of the week

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… and relax.

Pic of the week 10/12/17

At last, a busy, long term draws to a close and my well deserved holidays begin.

September seems a long time ago, but when I look back on the term, it is with a sense of achievement and satisfaction. I’ve enjoyed this term, I’ve risen to the challenge of being a Senior Tutor and have enjoyed the responsibility it has brought. I’ve been (pleasantly) surprised by the level of autonomy the role requires – I do get the casting vote on a number of matters, although there is enough top cover available when required. I’ve also enjoyed “managing” a team of tutors and the status the position brings. What a shame its only for a year! Who knows what next year will bring – perhaps I will return to “just” being a maths teacher, or perhaps I will seek out bigger and better things … never say never …

And the napping – I put that down to combo of getting older, exercising more and eating less, but I do like a little zizz of an evening. Most refreshing!

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Christmas is coming …

Pic of the week 3/12/17

So December has arrived, and the festivities begin to ramp up.  Still a bit too early for my Scrooge-like mind: I’m much more focused on, and excited about, the end of term and the start of the hols at the end of the coming week, but the sparkle of lights and glimmer of red and green is a nice hint of what is to come (and the odd extra chocolate treat doesn’t go amiss, too!)

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Discombobulation

The Cupboard of Doom

Pic of the week 26/11/17

When the family rock wobbles, the impact is felt throughout the household.

Last Sunday, all was well with the world. Becky was busy (as ever), and was putting things away in the cupboard in our room.

She stood up, and the world started spinning.

She was sick. Twice. And then slept for the rest of the day. And the next day. Vertigo, or Labyrinthitis , was the diagnosis of Dr Google. By Tuesday she was back at work, although worrying about moving her head to rapidly to cause a repeat.

And with Becky ill, the household didn’t quite fall apart, but it didn’t run with its normal smooth efficiency, particularly in the kitchen, although Sophie did a sterling job in taking over the catering responsibilities.

As Joni Mitchell sang in “Big Yellow Taxi”

That you don’t know what you’ve got
Till it’s gone

Fortunately our rock didn’t roll away, and the wobble has stopped, earthquake avoided and life has returned to normal (aka wonderful.)

 

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Trees and leaves

Pic of the week 19/11/17

Perhaps it is a sign of getting old that you begin to appreciate such things.  Or perhaps its just that its taken me 48 years to realise that winter can be quite a long time and a few months of a bleak, barren landscape have nothing to commend them. Or perhaps this is just a “good year” for leaves.

Whatever the reason, I’ve been making a mental note to look at and enjoy the trees in all their splendour as their leaves turn a classic golden hue.  We’re now well into mid-November, and the trees at school are gamely hanging on to their foliage and producing a quite spectacular show. They’ll soon be devoid of leaves for a long time, so I’m making the most of them while I can.

I think I am getting old!

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18!

Pic of the week 5/11/17

It is hard to believe, but Sophie turned 18 yesterday.

Where did the years go?

For eighteen years she has brought us joy, happiness, pride, occasional worry(!), more joy and love.  I knew the day she was born that life would never be the same. I wasn’t wrong. The world was enriched on the 4th November 1999 when our little bundle of love arrived.

I can’t find the words to do her justice.  I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

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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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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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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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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.