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After weeks of trying through Facebook chat to arrange a reunion with my sisters, we finally seem to have settled on Saturday 2 November. I'd suggested that date, supposedly safe in the belief that the Axe and Compass' firework display had been postponed to the 9th, as pub manager Jake had assured me it had been because they are hosting a private party on the 2nd.
At the Axe today having spag bol for lunch, I pointed out to Jake that he still had the old edition of the pub newsletter on display showing the fireworks as on the 2nd. He dropped the bombshell that the pub owners had told him to have the display on the 2nd, though he was still trying to persuade them to let him hold it on the 9th, so the date was still TBA. My having avoided the 9th for the reunion for the sole purpose of not missing the fireworks became a right pisser, though I have heard from two of my sisters that they couldn't have done the 9th and can likely do the 2nd.
Great as it will be to see the ladies again after all this time, the thought of seeing no fireworks at all this year was a damn depressing one. I told a friendly barmaid so; she suggested going on the web and looking for displays on a more convenient date.
Bus to Leighton for Town's derby with our tenants Aylesbury United. Was in town comfortably early for the game. There was a French market on (where I'd had some very tasty tartiflette last night) and the town council had a stall there; the two friendly ladies said they thought a local school called Pulford had a firework display but they weren't sure when, and that Dunstable had one on the 5th itself (a Tuesday).
Next stop the library, where another helpful lady found no reference to Pulford School having a display this year, so she and I cast the net wider. Milton Keynes' display is on Sunday the 3rd - I don't travel home till the Monday. Dunstable's is indeed on the 5th; while being out late on a week night, and shelling out on a taxi all the way home (no late evening buses from Dunstable), would have been a pain I began to think about it as a last resort. We knew Leighton has a direct train link to Bedford so looked for displays there and came up trumps with Bedford Rugby Club's display on Friday the 1st. Phew.
And so on to the football. The three fund-raising ladies had set up a table opposite the tea bar and were selling raffle tickets. On seeing me they asked how I'd enjoyed the race night last week. There was a tub of a Cadbury's Trick or Treatsize on the table with the prizes; naturally I assumed it was a prize but when, halfway through the second half, the draw was done, the tub was nowhere to be seen. I asked one of the ladies about it; she said no, it hadn't been a prize, she and her two cohorts had been eating the chocs all through the first half. I didn't win any of the actual prizes anyway.
On the pitch, after eight minutes Sam Leggett in the Leighton goal caught the ball, an Aylesbury striker barged him to the ground rather over-zealously. Sam rose, legged over to the side of the penalty box where the striker was and cuffed him one. Sam saw red for retaliation (to the delight of the vocal group of visiting fans at the other end of the stand), his assailant only yellow. Despite Aylesbury's one man advantage there was little to choose between the sides, but the only goal went to Aylesbury on the half hour when they went straight down the pitch from a goal kick and caught our defence napping. One of our young subs had a late chance to equalise, facing an open goal, but awkwardly miscues high and wide. The Leighton fans groaned in knowing resignation; we're used to it from our real-life Barnstoneworth United.
Got my half hour brisk walk for the day in, all the way home from the match. Halfway through, it started raining :(
At the Axe today having spag bol for lunch, I pointed out to Jake that he still had the old edition of the pub newsletter on display showing the fireworks as on the 2nd. He dropped the bombshell that the pub owners had told him to have the display on the 2nd, though he was still trying to persuade them to let him hold it on the 9th, so the date was still TBA. My having avoided the 9th for the reunion for the sole purpose of not missing the fireworks became a right pisser, though I have heard from two of my sisters that they couldn't have done the 9th and can likely do the 2nd.
Great as it will be to see the ladies again after all this time, the thought of seeing no fireworks at all this year was a damn depressing one. I told a friendly barmaid so; she suggested going on the web and looking for displays on a more convenient date.
Bus to Leighton for Town's derby with our tenants Aylesbury United. Was in town comfortably early for the game. There was a French market on (where I'd had some very tasty tartiflette last night) and the town council had a stall there; the two friendly ladies said they thought a local school called Pulford had a firework display but they weren't sure when, and that Dunstable had one on the 5th itself (a Tuesday).
Next stop the library, where another helpful lady found no reference to Pulford School having a display this year, so she and I cast the net wider. Milton Keynes' display is on Sunday the 3rd - I don't travel home till the Monday. Dunstable's is indeed on the 5th; while being out late on a week night, and shelling out on a taxi all the way home (no late evening buses from Dunstable), would have been a pain I began to think about it as a last resort. We knew Leighton has a direct train link to Bedford so looked for displays there and came up trumps with Bedford Rugby Club's display on Friday the 1st. Phew.
And so on to the football. The three fund-raising ladies had set up a table opposite the tea bar and were selling raffle tickets. On seeing me they asked how I'd enjoyed the race night last week. There was a tub of a Cadbury's Trick or Treatsize on the table with the prizes; naturally I assumed it was a prize but when, halfway through the second half, the draw was done, the tub was nowhere to be seen. I asked one of the ladies about it; she said no, it hadn't been a prize, she and her two cohorts had been eating the chocs all through the first half. I didn't win any of the actual prizes anyway.
On the pitch, after eight minutes Sam Leggett in the Leighton goal caught the ball, an Aylesbury striker barged him to the ground rather over-zealously. Sam rose, legged over to the side of the penalty box where the striker was and cuffed him one. Sam saw red for retaliation (to the delight of the vocal group of visiting fans at the other end of the stand), his assailant only yellow. Despite Aylesbury's one man advantage there was little to choose between the sides, but the only goal went to Aylesbury on the half hour when they went straight down the pitch from a goal kick and caught our defence napping. One of our young subs had a late chance to equalise, facing an open goal, but awkwardly miscues high and wide. The Leighton fans groaned in knowing resignation; we're used to it from our real-life Barnstoneworth United.
Got my half hour brisk walk for the day in, all the way home from the match. Halfway through, it started raining :(
