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Aug. 2nd, 2006 07:37 pmWe set off at 8 am on Saturday. Stopped in Shrewsbury, where we had lunch (a delicious KFC) then my mother hit the clothes and shoe shops while I took refuge in the Virgin Megastore. It wasn’t long before the instore radio played a song I fell in love with – well, it was a girl group singing in Shampoo/Fuzzbox style voices over a guitar backing, with ballsy lyrics “I don’t want you, it’s just a one night stand”. How could I resist? I’d missed the announcement at the start of the song, and the DJ didn’t name the group again at the end, so I went over to the checkouts and asked the staff what the song had been. After a false start – they initially thought I meant the next song, the one currently playing – we established the group was The Pipettes, but a shop assistant searched in vain for the song both on the singles racks and in the store. Finally he checked his screen again and realised that it hadn’t been released as a single, but was only a track on the girls’ album. He offered to fetch the album for me : how could I refuse after he’d gone to all that trouble already? So I did a tenner of my spending money before we even got to Wales.
We had no trouble with traffic until Minffordd, less than ten miles from our destination, when we hit the back of a jam and barely moved an inch for nearly half an hour. While we were sitting there I got a text from Aunt Marian saying “Don’t come thru Porthmadog, still in Q about 4 miles already.” She suggested we bypass Porthmadog by turning off towards Beddgelert then turning back towards our destination later. So we did.
( Wales )
On the train ride on Monday morning, at Dovey Junction our train was withdrawn and we all had to pile onto another one across the platform. Then at Machynlleth, those of us who were travelling beyond Shrewsbury had to move to the front two coaches! There were several unexplained delays, and we got to Birmingham 15 minutes late – just enough for me to miss my connection to Guildford. Just then, one of the handles of my admittedly well-filled carrier bag burst. Because my ticket was specific for particular trains, I was gloomily convinced I’d have to pay up for a full single fare from Birmingham to Havant, but thankfully the lady at the enquiry desk marked my existing ticket valid for the next service to Reading then another train to Guildford. With that sorted, I went to WH Smith, bought a bar of chocolate and asked the lady at the till for a carrier bag, sadly explaining and showing my burst one. She was a bit bemused, but gave me one.
West Leigh Park was packed full when I arrived just after 7. I got a burger and chips from the tea hut then found a rare spare seat. Portsmouth fielded a side with a couple of regular starters and a lot of squad players. It was no surprise that the ground was full of Pompey fans, but the four young guys behind me spent much of the first half disparaging Havant & Waterlooville FC, slating Dean Holdsworth for being ‘old’ and scoffing at a couple of Hawks fans who cheered him on. So imagine my delight when after half an hour Deano put Havant in the lead! The lads behind me switched to moaning about their own players then. Portsmouth equalised but I was cool, just hoping we’d hold on to the draw. For most of the second half there didn’t look much prospect of any further score, I sat there willing time to pass, still just hoping to hold the draw, then in the last ten minutes Rocky Baptiste gave us the lead! We Hawks fans raised the roof while, all round the ground, all the Pompey fans surrounding us fell dead quiet (apart from a group of nutters behind one of the goals who never stopped chanting). But even better was to come as, with a couple of minutes left, Brett Poate slammed home a beautiful shot. 3-1 TO THE SUPER HAWKS!
As the final whistle went (the ref gave no stoppage time at all in either half, perhaps to offset the 10 minute delay to the kick-off, but I wasn’t complaining), and delirious Hawks and sober Pompey fans filed out of the ground, I thought about all the relatives who’d asked me whether it was really worth rushing back from Wales early to see the game. YOU BET.
Back home, waiting for me was a £58.72 mobile phone bill, thanks largely to my multiple voting to try and save Lisa. It’s the fact that it was all in vain that hurts. With that bill and the £75 for hiring my suit for Hardcore Sue’s wedding, the memories of that night’s football will have to last me for a while, as I’m left unable to afford any games in August. My pint with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
whalefish will have to wait until 14 April at Farnborough. My copy of the new FourFourTwo was also awaiting me, but with several pages missing from the season preview.
( Civic Day )
Back to work today. Early on I passed Lesley and told her it looked like Mikey was going. She showed no emotion either way, so I added a “Yes!”
“Are you fed up with him?” she asked.
“Yes, kick him out. He’s a karzi rat!” I replied. Lesley and Sarah laughed, then Lesley said “I don’t really notice him”…
The shift, thankfully, passed without incident. Towards the end a lady called Cathy walked up and slipped me a note offering me a lift home as Sarah #2 was away. We had a nice chat on the drive and she offered to do the same for me tomorrow. What an angel.
This evening was the rehearsal for Hardcore Sue’s wedding. Father Ted was surprised to see me, as he’d had no idea Sue and I knew each other. He took Sue, James, best man Matt and matron of honour Sam through a quick run-through of the ceremony, quickly explained my duties to me at the end – I just have to stand at the back of the church as people come in, telling them which side to sit if they ask - and asked me how the mayoral functions were going. Sue and James both confessed to a touch of nerves, but judging by tonight they’ll be fine. Afterwards Sue gave me my cuff-links (with a little ‘Usher’ cartoon on) and dropped me at the top of my street. Home for a quick rest, then dinner, then to the PC to type all this… Got to go watch BB. ’Night folks.
We had no trouble with traffic until Minffordd, less than ten miles from our destination, when we hit the back of a jam and barely moved an inch for nearly half an hour. While we were sitting there I got a text from Aunt Marian saying “Don’t come thru Porthmadog, still in Q about 4 miles already.” She suggested we bypass Porthmadog by turning off towards Beddgelert then turning back towards our destination later. So we did.
( Wales )
On the train ride on Monday morning, at Dovey Junction our train was withdrawn and we all had to pile onto another one across the platform. Then at Machynlleth, those of us who were travelling beyond Shrewsbury had to move to the front two coaches! There were several unexplained delays, and we got to Birmingham 15 minutes late – just enough for me to miss my connection to Guildford. Just then, one of the handles of my admittedly well-filled carrier bag burst. Because my ticket was specific for particular trains, I was gloomily convinced I’d have to pay up for a full single fare from Birmingham to Havant, but thankfully the lady at the enquiry desk marked my existing ticket valid for the next service to Reading then another train to Guildford. With that sorted, I went to WH Smith, bought a bar of chocolate and asked the lady at the till for a carrier bag, sadly explaining and showing my burst one. She was a bit bemused, but gave me one.
West Leigh Park was packed full when I arrived just after 7. I got a burger and chips from the tea hut then found a rare spare seat. Portsmouth fielded a side with a couple of regular starters and a lot of squad players. It was no surprise that the ground was full of Pompey fans, but the four young guys behind me spent much of the first half disparaging Havant & Waterlooville FC, slating Dean Holdsworth for being ‘old’ and scoffing at a couple of Hawks fans who cheered him on. So imagine my delight when after half an hour Deano put Havant in the lead! The lads behind me switched to moaning about their own players then. Portsmouth equalised but I was cool, just hoping we’d hold on to the draw. For most of the second half there didn’t look much prospect of any further score, I sat there willing time to pass, still just hoping to hold the draw, then in the last ten minutes Rocky Baptiste gave us the lead! We Hawks fans raised the roof while, all round the ground, all the Pompey fans surrounding us fell dead quiet (apart from a group of nutters behind one of the goals who never stopped chanting). But even better was to come as, with a couple of minutes left, Brett Poate slammed home a beautiful shot. 3-1 TO THE SUPER HAWKS!
As the final whistle went (the ref gave no stoppage time at all in either half, perhaps to offset the 10 minute delay to the kick-off, but I wasn’t complaining), and delirious Hawks and sober Pompey fans filed out of the ground, I thought about all the relatives who’d asked me whether it was really worth rushing back from Wales early to see the game. YOU BET.
Back home, waiting for me was a £58.72 mobile phone bill, thanks largely to my multiple voting to try and save Lisa. It’s the fact that it was all in vain that hurts. With that bill and the £75 for hiring my suit for Hardcore Sue’s wedding, the memories of that night’s football will have to last me for a while, as I’m left unable to afford any games in August. My pint with
whalefish will have to wait until 14 April at Farnborough. My copy of the new FourFourTwo was also awaiting me, but with several pages missing from the season preview.( Civic Day )
Back to work today. Early on I passed Lesley and told her it looked like Mikey was going. She showed no emotion either way, so I added a “Yes!”
“Are you fed up with him?” she asked.
“Yes, kick him out. He’s a karzi rat!” I replied. Lesley and Sarah laughed, then Lesley said “I don’t really notice him”…
The shift, thankfully, passed without incident. Towards the end a lady called Cathy walked up and slipped me a note offering me a lift home as Sarah #2 was away. We had a nice chat on the drive and she offered to do the same for me tomorrow. What an angel.
This evening was the rehearsal for Hardcore Sue’s wedding. Father Ted was surprised to see me, as he’d had no idea Sue and I knew each other. He took Sue, James, best man Matt and matron of honour Sam through a quick run-through of the ceremony, quickly explained my duties to me at the end – I just have to stand at the back of the church as people come in, telling them which side to sit if they ask - and asked me how the mayoral functions were going. Sue and James both confessed to a touch of nerves, but judging by tonight they’ll be fine. Afterwards Sue gave me my cuff-links (with a little ‘Usher’ cartoon on) and dropped me at the top of my street. Home for a quick rest, then dinner, then to the PC to type all this… Got to go watch BB. ’Night folks.
