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Apr. 28th, 2007 11:45 pmLogged on to Sky Sports' website's Live Scores Centre this afternoon, to keep track of the Hawks and the other teams involved in the scrap for play-off places. After half an hour of staring at an unchanging array of 0-0 scores, it dawned on me that they only do updates for non-league at half-time and full-time. I had Radio Solent on as well; twice during the first half I had the agony of hearing that Fisher had taken the lead and not knowing how any of the other teams were doing, but both times Hawks equalised.
Half-time and with the score 2-2 we were heading for the play-offs - as long as we could hold on. At last the Scores Centre broke the news that Bishop's Stortford were 2-0 up, but Braintree were being held 1-1 at Eastbourne, and Newport County were losing 2-0. So far, so good, if all those games stayed the same way we'd be third.
Another 45 minutes of torture as Radio Solent, relaying the goals from Fisher v Hawks only, again became my sole source of information. Fisher took the lead yet again, leaving me clinging to the glimmer of hope that Newport had been losing, till just moments later the commentator brought news of another Hawks equaliser.
At long last the full-time scores began to appear on the Sky website. The first of the relevant results to come in was actually our own - 3-3 and we had the point we needed. I punched the air and exclaimed "Yes!" in a mixture of celebration and relief. Soon we learned Bishop's Stortford had won and Newport and Welling had both lost, but the Eastbourne v Braintree result took ages to come in. While I waited, I heard Gosport Borough had won the Wessex League title - a nice bonus to the day.
Finally it came up on the screen, Braintree had won, meaning Hawks are fourth, and will play the play-off first leg on Wednesday at home. That's good news for me personally, as financially I'd never have made it to an away game, and I wouldn't have made the second leg next Saturday anyway because of two mayoral functions.
This evening was my mother's charity Old Time Music Hall at the Thorngate. By Mayoral decree I had to wear fancy dress, so I was turned out like Mr Footlights 1924 in candy-striped blazer, cravat and (balsa wood) 'straw' boater. Lots of the other mayors and chairmen came (including Jim, Maria and Sue), nearly all of them in fancy dress, and shared a private Bucks Fizz with us in the Theatre while my mother had people take photos of various combinations of us all, and Brian from Hart and I talked football and cricket. Several of the ladies reckoned I was 'looking dapper' in my costume - Michelle even thought I reminded her of Maurice Chevalier.
Then me ma, with me two paces behind, led the procession of the chain gang into the Ballroom for the show. I had been just about to sit down on my mother's right when I saw there was just one empty chair on her left - next to Sue. Believing Sue had come on her own, I hopped straight into that seat - alas, just as my mother had been about to show a lady into it. Me ma directed the lady round to her other side. I only found out later that the lady had actually been Sue's guest. Whoops. Thank goodness, no-one appeared to mind.
The show was all very jolly and light-hearted, just the Thorngate company people singing old music-hall songs either in groups or as soloists, punctuated by the odd comedy turn and the usual witty patter between acts from resident MC Geoff. Lots of the audience, mostly more mature people, and quite a few of the Chain Gang did a lot of singing along. One act consisted of four Harry Lauders in kilts of varying lengths; to my delight they sang Donald Where's Your Troosers. During the interval we were brought a generous plate of ploughman's and salad each, and Pete roved along the front row asking what we all wanted to drink. I requested a Magners; ten minutes later Michelle came back with a Bulmers with ice, the nearest to a Magners that they had.
Early in the second half, one of the songs was 'Oh dear, what can the matter be?' Automatically I sang along, albeit softly, but doing the 'six old ladies locked in the lavatory' variation (and I was not the only one singing lavatory lyrics). Sue heard me singing '...two weeks last Saturday' and said "You're not supposed to sing that version, Wilhelmus."
My mother won a bottle of Bell's whisky in the raffle. At the end, when we said our thanks to some of the cast members, Lynn, a mainstay of the company, reckoned I ought to go on the stage. She looked me up and down and said "I think Alderman Fitzwarren in Dick Whittington." Then me ma sought out Steve, a cast member and Lynn's son, whose birthday it was, and gave him the whisky as a birthday gift, before joining me to say goodbyes to all the chain gang as they made their way out.
Home, to get out of my costume and have a cup of coffee from my HWFC mug. GO HAWKS!!
Half-time and with the score 2-2 we were heading for the play-offs - as long as we could hold on. At last the Scores Centre broke the news that Bishop's Stortford were 2-0 up, but Braintree were being held 1-1 at Eastbourne, and Newport County were losing 2-0. So far, so good, if all those games stayed the same way we'd be third.
Another 45 minutes of torture as Radio Solent, relaying the goals from Fisher v Hawks only, again became my sole source of information. Fisher took the lead yet again, leaving me clinging to the glimmer of hope that Newport had been losing, till just moments later the commentator brought news of another Hawks equaliser.
At long last the full-time scores began to appear on the Sky website. The first of the relevant results to come in was actually our own - 3-3 and we had the point we needed. I punched the air and exclaimed "Yes!" in a mixture of celebration and relief. Soon we learned Bishop's Stortford had won and Newport and Welling had both lost, but the Eastbourne v Braintree result took ages to come in. While I waited, I heard Gosport Borough had won the Wessex League title - a nice bonus to the day.
Finally it came up on the screen, Braintree had won, meaning Hawks are fourth, and will play the play-off first leg on Wednesday at home. That's good news for me personally, as financially I'd never have made it to an away game, and I wouldn't have made the second leg next Saturday anyway because of two mayoral functions.
This evening was my mother's charity Old Time Music Hall at the Thorngate. By Mayoral decree I had to wear fancy dress, so I was turned out like Mr Footlights 1924 in candy-striped blazer, cravat and (balsa wood) 'straw' boater. Lots of the other mayors and chairmen came (including Jim, Maria and Sue), nearly all of them in fancy dress, and shared a private Bucks Fizz with us in the Theatre while my mother had people take photos of various combinations of us all, and Brian from Hart and I talked football and cricket. Several of the ladies reckoned I was 'looking dapper' in my costume - Michelle even thought I reminded her of Maurice Chevalier.
Then me ma, with me two paces behind, led the procession of the chain gang into the Ballroom for the show. I had been just about to sit down on my mother's right when I saw there was just one empty chair on her left - next to Sue. Believing Sue had come on her own, I hopped straight into that seat - alas, just as my mother had been about to show a lady into it. Me ma directed the lady round to her other side. I only found out later that the lady had actually been Sue's guest. Whoops. Thank goodness, no-one appeared to mind.
The show was all very jolly and light-hearted, just the Thorngate company people singing old music-hall songs either in groups or as soloists, punctuated by the odd comedy turn and the usual witty patter between acts from resident MC Geoff. Lots of the audience, mostly more mature people, and quite a few of the Chain Gang did a lot of singing along. One act consisted of four Harry Lauders in kilts of varying lengths; to my delight they sang Donald Where's Your Troosers. During the interval we were brought a generous plate of ploughman's and salad each, and Pete roved along the front row asking what we all wanted to drink. I requested a Magners; ten minutes later Michelle came back with a Bulmers with ice, the nearest to a Magners that they had.
Early in the second half, one of the songs was 'Oh dear, what can the matter be?' Automatically I sang along, albeit softly, but doing the 'six old ladies locked in the lavatory' variation (and I was not the only one singing lavatory lyrics). Sue heard me singing '...two weeks last Saturday' and said "You're not supposed to sing that version, Wilhelmus."
My mother won a bottle of Bell's whisky in the raffle. At the end, when we said our thanks to some of the cast members, Lynn, a mainstay of the company, reckoned I ought to go on the stage. She looked me up and down and said "I think Alderman Fitzwarren in Dick Whittington." Then me ma sought out Steve, a cast member and Lynn's son, whose birthday it was, and gave him the whisky as a birthday gift, before joining me to say goodbyes to all the chain gang as they made their way out.
Home, to get out of my costume and have a cup of coffee from my HWFC mug. GO HAWKS!!
