It’s been a while since we’ve put an update on the Blog but it’s not for lack of things to say, just a lack of spare time with a dash of laziness thrown in for good measure.
Our last post seems bloody ages ago now. Since our week long trip in Europe with Tim & Dunc we’ve been up to London on a handful of occasions and also had a weekend in North Yorkshire for my Granddad’s birthday, as well as having Phil & Cheryl down for a weekend more recently.
The Rugby World Cup Weekend
We were due to meet up with Tim and Dunc some seven days after saying our goodbyes in Florence but due to a massive, massive Friday night we had the company of just Tim and not Duncan for the remainder of the weekend! That Saturday afternoon was spent knocking back a couple of bottles of wine (and port) in the cave like surroundings of Gordon’s Wine Bar, accompanied by Phil and Cheryl.
We ended up watching the game in an antipodean themed pub with the large majority of punters being South African. It’s old news so there’s not much else you can say about the final other than what’s already been said – a boring game of two teams trying their hardest not to lose, but the better side won in the end.
The pub had a great atmosphere (aside from a couple of whining Saffers who seemed to think they had rights to watch the screen from their seats despite the place being packed to the rafters) and we couldn’t stop laughing when Phil came back from the bar with half a dozen stubbies shoved down his pants to save queuing up again!
Our last post seems bloody ages ago now. Since our week long trip in Europe with Tim & Dunc we’ve been up to London on a handful of occasions and also had a weekend in North Yorkshire for my Granddad’s birthday, as well as having Phil & Cheryl down for a weekend more recently.
The Rugby World Cup Weekend
We were due to meet up with Tim and Dunc some seven days after saying our goodbyes in Florence but due to a massive, massive Friday night we had the company of just Tim and not Duncan for the remainder of the weekend! That Saturday afternoon was spent knocking back a couple of bottles of wine (and port) in the cave like surroundings of Gordon’s Wine Bar, accompanied by Phil and Cheryl.
We ended up watching the game in an antipodean themed pub with the large majority of punters being South African. It’s old news so there’s not much else you can say about the final other than what’s already been said – a boring game of two teams trying their hardest not to lose, but the better side won in the end.
The pub had a great atmosphere (aside from a couple of whining Saffers who seemed to think they had rights to watch the screen from their seats despite the place being packed to the rafters) and we couldn’t stop laughing when Phil came back from the bar with half a dozen stubbies shoved down his pants to save queuing up again!
The Engagement Weekend
The next weekend we were back up in the capital, this time for the engagement do of Mike and Rachel. They’d hired the upstairs of a swanky little bar in the Richmond part of London and we were joined by Matt & Kim along with Ray. Good times as you can see from the photos below (we even dedicated one to you Jan!) and all the best again for the future guys.
Granddad’s Birthday Weekend
My mum had flown over from New Zealand to be here for my Granddad’s birthday (the one in North Yorkshire, not here in Bournemouth) and as it turned out half a dozen other members of the family from my Mum’s side were going to be there as well. That included meeting my Uncle Stewart for the first time and his daughter, my cousin, Rachel, from Wales.
I think everyone should have a long grey haired, hippy, pot smoking Uncle and in Stewart I have one! He was a lovely chap and it was great to finally meet. Of course having not seen Mumsy for some 18 months it was nice to catch up on what’s been happening back home – that’s when I could get a word in!
The Football Weekend
Last weekend we were in London (again) this time to watch The Owls take on QPR at Loftus Road. It was the first time I’d been able to make a game so far this season and Sheryl and I took Phil, Cheryl and Mike in the rowdy away section while Hoops fan Matty took his troops to the home stands. It was probably the best 0-0 draw I’ve ever seen to be honest and as always the atmosphere in the away section of the Wednesday games in unbeatable – worth the admission fee alone!
The post-match discussion over a couple of drinks was followed with a Thai meal on the Thames after having checked out the ice-skating rink outside the Tower of London.
That Sunday evening, after returning from London, I went to check out my cousin Mark who was playing a gig at a pub in Bournemouth. I was quite impressed at his skills for a kid who’s not yet 17. That was great but not the resulting hangover on Monday morning.
The first weekend in December was spent up in Sheffield. It was a bit of a mad dash of a weekend after going direct on the train from work on Friday night and coming home Sunday morning. We did manage to squeeze in another football match (a terrible performance in losing 2-1 at home to Colchester) and a meal out on the Saturday with my Dad and Carol.
