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Gin Gan Goolie
Aug. 9th, 2012 09:40 pmBack to Coventry for the Canada v France third place play-off. Outside the station, joined a longish queue for the free shuttle bus to the Ricoh Arena, sorry, City of Coventry Stadium. Among those waiting in line was a Canadian man carrying a sign reading 'Keep Calm and Go for Bronze'.
The information pack sent with my hospitality ticket said '10.30 - arrival in security area before entering the main atrium'. So on the stroke of half past I advanced towards the airport-style security checkpoint only to be told that doors weren't opening until 11 am. Fortunately I'd brought my Private Eye so stood around outside reading that for half an hour.
The tables were decked out with tablecloths and flowers as befitting the occasion, and by every plate were two chocolate Wenlocks, which was a nice touch. My goat's cheese, beetroot and herb salad, harissa spiced breast of chicken, and lemon meringue pie with raspberries and clotted cream were very tasty, even if the portions were a little on the small side (nouvelle cuisine, I guess). During each of the intervals between courses a waiter came over and persuaded me to have another Sprite Zero. After dinner I watched Keri-Anne Payne swim on the big screen until it was time to file out into the stand for the match.
I gave the Canadian girls plenty of vocal support. The first half was all chess football with nobody looking like scoring. Back to the hospitality bar for a half-time Sprite to learn that Keri-Anne hadn't got a medal :(
The French came close a couple of times just after the hour, Elodie Thomis, who'd been so lethal against Korea, rattling the woodwork. Canada put up impressive rearguard action to keep France at bay. We were deep into time added on, sure that extra time was coming, when the miracle happened...
The ball ran loose in the French area, and Diana Matheson ran onto it and fired into the roof of the net.
I shot to my feet and roared myself hoarse. After the final whistle, the jubilant Canadian players exuberantly celebrated all around the pitch, and I stayed to clap and cheer them until they slowly began to calm down. After pushing the Americans so close on Monday night, this bronze was a richly deserved consolation for Christine and her ladies.
Back in Leighton Buzzard, took the bus straight from the station to the Scout Hall to give blood. I had to clear two hurdles. First, two of my three sample pinpricks floated instead of sinking, meaning I had to have an HB test. “135 or higher and we’ll see you on a bed soon,” the carer said to me as she left me with the nurse and the testing machine. Happily my reading was 137.
Once on the bed, my carer had terrible trouble finding a suitable vein. I’d warned them that that had often been a difficulty in the past, but she couldn’t seem to find one at all. I mentioned that back in Gosport they’d often had to get the venepuncturist to attend to me. “I am the venepuncturist,” she replied. She was on the point of sending me home, but did one last search with the help of a colleague and finally found a vein she was willing to try.
“Have you had much to drink today?” she asked me.
“Three or four Sprites.”
“Next time, drink water instead of Sprite. Water makes your veins expand and makes it easier for us.”
The donation went OK, thank goodness.
The information pack sent with my hospitality ticket said '10.30 - arrival in security area before entering the main atrium'. So on the stroke of half past I advanced towards the airport-style security checkpoint only to be told that doors weren't opening until 11 am. Fortunately I'd brought my Private Eye so stood around outside reading that for half an hour.
The tables were decked out with tablecloths and flowers as befitting the occasion, and by every plate were two chocolate Wenlocks, which was a nice touch. My goat's cheese, beetroot and herb salad, harissa spiced breast of chicken, and lemon meringue pie with raspberries and clotted cream were very tasty, even if the portions were a little on the small side (nouvelle cuisine, I guess). During each of the intervals between courses a waiter came over and persuaded me to have another Sprite Zero. After dinner I watched Keri-Anne Payne swim on the big screen until it was time to file out into the stand for the match.
I gave the Canadian girls plenty of vocal support. The first half was all chess football with nobody looking like scoring. Back to the hospitality bar for a half-time Sprite to learn that Keri-Anne hadn't got a medal :(
The French came close a couple of times just after the hour, Elodie Thomis, who'd been so lethal against Korea, rattling the woodwork. Canada put up impressive rearguard action to keep France at bay. We were deep into time added on, sure that extra time was coming, when the miracle happened...
The ball ran loose in the French area, and Diana Matheson ran onto it and fired into the roof of the net.
I shot to my feet and roared myself hoarse. After the final whistle, the jubilant Canadian players exuberantly celebrated all around the pitch, and I stayed to clap and cheer them until they slowly began to calm down. After pushing the Americans so close on Monday night, this bronze was a richly deserved consolation for Christine and her ladies.
Back in Leighton Buzzard, took the bus straight from the station to the Scout Hall to give blood. I had to clear two hurdles. First, two of my three sample pinpricks floated instead of sinking, meaning I had to have an HB test. “135 or higher and we’ll see you on a bed soon,” the carer said to me as she left me with the nurse and the testing machine. Happily my reading was 137.
Once on the bed, my carer had terrible trouble finding a suitable vein. I’d warned them that that had often been a difficulty in the past, but she couldn’t seem to find one at all. I mentioned that back in Gosport they’d often had to get the venepuncturist to attend to me. “I am the venepuncturist,” she replied. She was on the point of sending me home, but did one last search with the help of a colleague and finally found a vein she was willing to try.
“Have you had much to drink today?” she asked me.
“Three or four Sprites.”
“Next time, drink water instead of Sprite. Water makes your veins expand and makes it easier for us.”
The donation went OK, thank goodness.
