![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to update, so I’m afraid it’s the abridged version :
Gathering of my extended family at the Warners Hotel at Studley Castle weekend of the 15th to 18th. Food, facilities and entertainment first class, all the staff friendly and helpful. We were close enough to Birmingham for me to think wistfully from time to time of Sarah my true love (a daughter of Sheldon); more than once I thought how I wished she was there with us, as my +1.
Found a ground to hop on the Saturday afternoon as Birmingham United played Bolehall Swifts at Redditch’s Valley Stadium; sadly the tea hatch isn’t opened for BU games so I had to make do with chocolate and crisps from the bar. Saturday night we had a Fleetwood Mac tribute band - during the first half they touched my heart with a wonderful rendition of Sara. Either side of them, Hannah K the entertainments manager sang for us; she had a great voice and in her closing set she kept us entertained with witty patter, especially about her native Scotland.
Sunday we did archery, then after lunch me ma and I played French boules while the others went pistol shooting. Playing boules on gravel instead of grass, and having to hold the boule in a face-down clenched fist up to the point of dispatch, took some getting used to but it was all good fun. Our stay was rounded off by an excellent singer, Lauren Faye Moss, who performed a set of songs by a variety of divas. After the show, as she passed by our table I complimented her on her set and she ended up chatting to us for a while.
That Sunday afternoon I’d learned of a cup tie for London Seaward announced at short notice, away at Haringey Borough, for the Tuesday, so hastily booked a day’s holiday and a hotel. The hotel room was small but had all you could want for a one night stay, and was surrounded by Greek, Romanian and Polish shops and eateries. The girls called out to me and waved as I climbed up the steps of the elevated stand. After a 1-1 draw, Seaward lost on penalties. My hotel didn’t do breakfast so I crossed the road to a Greek cafe for fried halloumi, toast and Greek yogurt.
Friday the Battle of Britain. England Women v Scotland at Sunderland. Met Crystal, Rachel and Leanne in the Colliery Tavern together with a bunch of other England fans they’d met in Australia. The place was packed with Tartan Army, who, it has to be said, outsang us hands down. Their songbook was superb. Rachel did lead us in a bit of a fightback with ‘Millie Bright is magic’ and ‘Wiegman you’re the one, you still turn me on, football’s coming home again’. Pam, a Scots lass with whom I share mutual friends and who I’m friended with on Facebook, came over to take a selfie with me. The Scots launched into a rendition of Y Viva España; we countered with ‘Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that’. The Scots’ rejoinder was a good-natured ‘We’re shite and we know we are’. I chatted to a group of their fans, they were warm and friendly; one lady among them said “Hope you get hammered tonight” smiling sweetly all the while.
I have to admit I felt envious of the magnificent support the Tartan Army show and their dedication to having a good time. With that, and Scotland having Lady Pies legend Rachel Corsie on board, I was seriously tempted to switch my allegiance.
In the event the Lionesses triumphed 2-1 and I was glad the Scots had put up a great fight.
Saturday the train journey home.
Sunday London, for Seaward v Ashford Town (Middlesex) Women. Carrie Dunn was doing a book signing. I brought along my copies of all her women’s football books and her wrestling book. She was quite surprised to see that one and said it’s out of print now. I’d mentioned it to her on Twitter four years ago, but I told her again how her writing about the team now called London Seaward had been a factor in my drifting onto them after Notts Ladies died, and I made a point of thanking her for telling the previously hushed-up true story of the Lady Pies’ demise in Unsuitable For Females. She was happy to do a photo with me, which a lady from the club took. Seaward drew 1-1, not bad against the league leaders.
Monday night Deacon Blue at Portsmouth Guildhall with Jade. They were brilliant, and Lorraine McIntosh still looks fantastic, but it was a bit if a shame that although the tour was called ‘All The Old 45s’ they left several of their classic singles out of the set. Dignity made a great finale though.
Because we’d arranged to see Deacon Blue months ago, I had to make a flying visit to Holland, flying out on Tuesday morning for that evening’s Lionesses match. So I reached my hotel in Utrecht at about 3.30, so after unpacking and having a brief chill, by the time I walked to the pub everyone was leaving to go to the ground. For some reason Sue, Leanne and Crystal wanted to be in the fanzone soon after it opened at 5 pm, though there was nothing special announced as happening there, so everyone reluctantly tagged along. Joining those three, Rachel, Jules, Ali, Lisa, Mark, yours truly and our German friend Carmen was a new friend they’d made in Australia, Maisie, an English fan who actually lives in Amsterdam, so she was able to guide us in all things Dutch. Sure enough, when we arrived, apart from a couple of food and drink stands there was nothing much there apart from football related activities for youngsters, and people handing out stickers of the Holland players and asking fans for score predictions. And the only beer on offer in the fanzone was Heineken. With kick off at 8 pm we could easily have stayed in the pub for another couple of rounds of decent beer.
After taking a couple of group pics we conceded there wasn’t much to stay in the fanzone for and headed into the ground. I hit the refreshment kiosks for a broodje braadworst, and was surprised to see mayonnaise as one of the offered condiments with the sausage (curry and mustard being the other options). Still, when in Rome, so I opted for the mayonnaise, and the combination was actually quite tasty.
We’d all managed to get seats together this time, and we made another new friend, a German girl named Annalena who was sitting alongside us. Dutch fans very impressive, an orange wall of noise throughout. The Oranje Leeuwinnen went in front, Alessia Russo’s equaliser revived our spirits and had us fans believing, but on 89 minutes Holland broke our hearts. England strove for an equaliser for the six minutes of time added on but were unable to find a way through.
We stayed to clap the teams. As we filed out of the stand Sue was absolutely steaming. She couldn’t believe that VAR wasn’t being used in the Nations League; she was sure the first Dutch goal was offside. When we got out, word had reached us that there were no trams this late in the evening. So we set off on the long walk to town. Rachel did her best to lift our spirits by leading us in a sing-song. Everywhere we walked we had to look out for cyclists; the speed they go, I see why the Netherlands win so many Olympic cycling medals. We saw a pleasant-looking little hostelry and stopped off there. Thankfully, there were a few Trappist ales on offer. I finally felt at peace with a Tripel Karmeliet inside me. Annalena had stuck with us, chatted with us about her favourite German and English women players, and said that in men’s football she was a Borussia Dortmund fan. We had another round - I went for a Westmalle Tripel - then ambled into town and said our goodbyes with hugs outside the hostel where some of the girls were staying.
Flew back home Wednesday. Back to work yesterday.
A great Top of the Pops from 1991 tonight. I only realised near the end of the show that it was the one aired in my first week back at QM at the start of my final year, when my friendship with Natasha and Clare was flying high and I was filled with optimism for the year ahead. Nice while it lasted. Then came an episode from 1977 with a curiosity I’d completely forgotten about, a single by Peter Blake. And he was exactly how Kirk St Moritz would have been as a pop star!
Gathering of my extended family at the Warners Hotel at Studley Castle weekend of the 15th to 18th. Food, facilities and entertainment first class, all the staff friendly and helpful. We were close enough to Birmingham for me to think wistfully from time to time of Sarah my true love (a daughter of Sheldon); more than once I thought how I wished she was there with us, as my +1.
Found a ground to hop on the Saturday afternoon as Birmingham United played Bolehall Swifts at Redditch’s Valley Stadium; sadly the tea hatch isn’t opened for BU games so I had to make do with chocolate and crisps from the bar. Saturday night we had a Fleetwood Mac tribute band - during the first half they touched my heart with a wonderful rendition of Sara. Either side of them, Hannah K the entertainments manager sang for us; she had a great voice and in her closing set she kept us entertained with witty patter, especially about her native Scotland.
Sunday we did archery, then after lunch me ma and I played French boules while the others went pistol shooting. Playing boules on gravel instead of grass, and having to hold the boule in a face-down clenched fist up to the point of dispatch, took some getting used to but it was all good fun. Our stay was rounded off by an excellent singer, Lauren Faye Moss, who performed a set of songs by a variety of divas. After the show, as she passed by our table I complimented her on her set and she ended up chatting to us for a while.
That Sunday afternoon I’d learned of a cup tie for London Seaward announced at short notice, away at Haringey Borough, for the Tuesday, so hastily booked a day’s holiday and a hotel. The hotel room was small but had all you could want for a one night stay, and was surrounded by Greek, Romanian and Polish shops and eateries. The girls called out to me and waved as I climbed up the steps of the elevated stand. After a 1-1 draw, Seaward lost on penalties. My hotel didn’t do breakfast so I crossed the road to a Greek cafe for fried halloumi, toast and Greek yogurt.
Friday the Battle of Britain. England Women v Scotland at Sunderland. Met Crystal, Rachel and Leanne in the Colliery Tavern together with a bunch of other England fans they’d met in Australia. The place was packed with Tartan Army, who, it has to be said, outsang us hands down. Their songbook was superb. Rachel did lead us in a bit of a fightback with ‘Millie Bright is magic’ and ‘Wiegman you’re the one, you still turn me on, football’s coming home again’. Pam, a Scots lass with whom I share mutual friends and who I’m friended with on Facebook, came over to take a selfie with me. The Scots launched into a rendition of Y Viva España; we countered with ‘Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that’. The Scots’ rejoinder was a good-natured ‘We’re shite and we know we are’. I chatted to a group of their fans, they were warm and friendly; one lady among them said “Hope you get hammered tonight” smiling sweetly all the while.
I have to admit I felt envious of the magnificent support the Tartan Army show and their dedication to having a good time. With that, and Scotland having Lady Pies legend Rachel Corsie on board, I was seriously tempted to switch my allegiance.
In the event the Lionesses triumphed 2-1 and I was glad the Scots had put up a great fight.
Saturday the train journey home.
Sunday London, for Seaward v Ashford Town (Middlesex) Women. Carrie Dunn was doing a book signing. I brought along my copies of all her women’s football books and her wrestling book. She was quite surprised to see that one and said it’s out of print now. I’d mentioned it to her on Twitter four years ago, but I told her again how her writing about the team now called London Seaward had been a factor in my drifting onto them after Notts Ladies died, and I made a point of thanking her for telling the previously hushed-up true story of the Lady Pies’ demise in Unsuitable For Females. She was happy to do a photo with me, which a lady from the club took. Seaward drew 1-1, not bad against the league leaders.
Monday night Deacon Blue at Portsmouth Guildhall with Jade. They were brilliant, and Lorraine McIntosh still looks fantastic, but it was a bit if a shame that although the tour was called ‘All The Old 45s’ they left several of their classic singles out of the set. Dignity made a great finale though.
Because we’d arranged to see Deacon Blue months ago, I had to make a flying visit to Holland, flying out on Tuesday morning for that evening’s Lionesses match. So I reached my hotel in Utrecht at about 3.30, so after unpacking and having a brief chill, by the time I walked to the pub everyone was leaving to go to the ground. For some reason Sue, Leanne and Crystal wanted to be in the fanzone soon after it opened at 5 pm, though there was nothing special announced as happening there, so everyone reluctantly tagged along. Joining those three, Rachel, Jules, Ali, Lisa, Mark, yours truly and our German friend Carmen was a new friend they’d made in Australia, Maisie, an English fan who actually lives in Amsterdam, so she was able to guide us in all things Dutch. Sure enough, when we arrived, apart from a couple of food and drink stands there was nothing much there apart from football related activities for youngsters, and people handing out stickers of the Holland players and asking fans for score predictions. And the only beer on offer in the fanzone was Heineken. With kick off at 8 pm we could easily have stayed in the pub for another couple of rounds of decent beer.
After taking a couple of group pics we conceded there wasn’t much to stay in the fanzone for and headed into the ground. I hit the refreshment kiosks for a broodje braadworst, and was surprised to see mayonnaise as one of the offered condiments with the sausage (curry and mustard being the other options). Still, when in Rome, so I opted for the mayonnaise, and the combination was actually quite tasty.
We’d all managed to get seats together this time, and we made another new friend, a German girl named Annalena who was sitting alongside us. Dutch fans very impressive, an orange wall of noise throughout. The Oranje Leeuwinnen went in front, Alessia Russo’s equaliser revived our spirits and had us fans believing, but on 89 minutes Holland broke our hearts. England strove for an equaliser for the six minutes of time added on but were unable to find a way through.
We stayed to clap the teams. As we filed out of the stand Sue was absolutely steaming. She couldn’t believe that VAR wasn’t being used in the Nations League; she was sure the first Dutch goal was offside. When we got out, word had reached us that there were no trams this late in the evening. So we set off on the long walk to town. Rachel did her best to lift our spirits by leading us in a sing-song. Everywhere we walked we had to look out for cyclists; the speed they go, I see why the Netherlands win so many Olympic cycling medals. We saw a pleasant-looking little hostelry and stopped off there. Thankfully, there were a few Trappist ales on offer. I finally felt at peace with a Tripel Karmeliet inside me. Annalena had stuck with us, chatted with us about her favourite German and English women players, and said that in men’s football she was a Borussia Dortmund fan. We had another round - I went for a Westmalle Tripel - then ambled into town and said our goodbyes with hugs outside the hostel where some of the girls were staying.
Flew back home Wednesday. Back to work yesterday.
A great Top of the Pops from 1991 tonight. I only realised near the end of the show that it was the one aired in my first week back at QM at the start of my final year, when my friendship with Natasha and Clare was flying high and I was filled with optimism for the year ahead. Nice while it lasted. Then came an episode from 1977 with a curiosity I’d completely forgotten about, a single by Peter Blake. And he was exactly how Kirk St Moritz would have been as a pop star!
