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2006 European Transplant Games - Review
2006 British Transplant Games - Review

Thursday 31st August

Remember the documentary that the gorgeous Suzie made with me and a lad called Anthony, who is waiting for a life saving lung transplant earlier this year?   Well, if you watch BBC's Look North at 6.30 pm tonight I understand he will be featured in an item.

Not knowing what the piece is about I shall hazard a guess that it involves future rules governing organs for transplant.   From tomorrow anyone who has registered as an organ donor or carries an organ donor card will have their wishes carried out in the event of them falling off their perch.   Relatives will not be permitted to overrule those wishes by not allowing doctors to use the organs in the event of their death, except in exceptional circumstances.

Since 1st April this year:-

There is much more to it than I have just described and my version above is simply an outline of the new rules.   If you would like to know the full story and have a factual read I can recommend the UK Transplant  website.

Wednesday 30th August

Ring 101, and not 999, if you need to call the police and it is not an emergency.   This is exactly what I did at 9.15am this morning.

Tyne Youth & Community Centre, the club of which I am chairman, was the victim of a 'burglary' through the night  and I was informed at 9am.   The roller shutter door mechanism had been removed from the wall and the bare wires were left hanging.   A limbo dancing miscreant had crept under the roller shutter before jennying the main door lock.   Notice the use of underworld terminology in that last sentence.

As it turns out the burglar alarm or something disturbed the unwanted invaders and they left empty handed.   They could of course just have been casing the joint (there I go again) and will return at a later date now that they know where the computers and other IT stuff is located.

Having telephoned the roller shutter company, the joiner and the police I left to play golf before returning in late afternoon.    The roller shutter man had been and replaced the electronic gizmo thingy and the joiner had been and repaired the main doors and locks, but alas the police had not.

I was just about to sit down to my bangers and mash, no this is not another criminal slang term, when the phone rang to say the police had arrived.   So, at 5.30pm, a little matter of eight hours later, my 101 call was answered.

This is not a criticism as it was not an emergency and I was given a job number by the policeman who it turned out was very canny.    The club is restored to working order and the computer equipment is safe again, I think.

Tuesday 29th August

No further action will be taken against Keith Richards.   It appears that the stage at Hampden park is not an enclosed space, so no law was broken.   I wonder how long it took to work that one out?

Monday 28th August

Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones is the archetypal rock 'n roller and it seems that someone has reported him for allegedly smoking on stage at a gig in Glasgow last week.   Smoking is banned in all enclosed public places in Scotland, therefore he may have broken the law and police are investigating this heinous crime.

What next?   Umpires offering to resign in return for $500,000,  Scottish goalkeepers being fined for genuflecting on the pitch or Roy Keane working for a man he once described as a Muppet.

How's this for a good quiz question - What is the name of Roy Keane's dog?

Sunday 27th August

After considerable inner turmoil and much thought  I withdraw my suggestion of yesterday and wish to carry on as if nothing had happened.

Are you baffled?   So are most of the cricket loving world.

It's a Bank holiday weekend here in the UK and I intend to lope around for most of the day and devour the Sunday newspapers.   First though Mrs Boggy and I are off for a stroll along the seafront at Tynemouth, it is a beautiful sunny day up here in Geordieland.

Saturday 26th August

It's Saturday so it must be a game of golf, whoopee.    If I were to receive a payment of $500,000 I would of course be prepared to stay at home and not play.   This offer will expire at 9.30am.

Friday 25th August

I am happy top report that the British Transplant Games in Bath were very good, so Colin can breathe a sigh of relief.   It would have been awful for him not knowing if he had had a good time or not.  

What puzzled me most is how it can be announced at the opening ceremony that these are the best Games ever.    That the  organising  committee can see into the future is very commendable and also a little spooky.      

I met up with Andy Knox and he looked really well, sadly Mattie was missing as he was pursuing runs elsewhere and generally it was good to meet all of my fellow competitors and their spouses.   These are special moments even if we do not appreciate it at the time.

I shall be filing my Games report in the next few days but do not expect too much controversy, as their was none.    Then again........

Wednesday 16th August

The 29th British Transplant Games being staged in Bath begin on Thursday so as you are reading this I am either driving down or am already there.    It could be that it is already next week in which case the Games have finished.

Any potential burglars should know that my six foot plus son and his mates have taken over Chez Boggy in our absence and as long as he feeds the fish and cuts the grass, as opposed to smoking it, you enter at your peril.

I am looking forward to meeting up with everyone down in Bath and shall be looking out for Andy Knox.   I still do not understand why MLA is not taking part but will ask him on Friday as he watches the captain of the GBTCC set fire to the grass as he runs away with the walking race.   Surely this is a form of cheating.

The British Games this year take on extra importance to the serious competitors among us as they are the qualifiers for selection for next year's World Transplant Games in Bangkok, Thailand.   My golf game is not great at the moment and the new age categories in the athletics mean I shall be running and jumping against some young(ish) guns, so all in all I am expecting a hard time of it.  

Nevertheless, "I am just happy to be here".

Tuesday 15th August

I heard Darren Campbell on R4 this morning attempting an explanation at his failure to take part in a lap of honour following the victory of our 4 x 100m relay team in the European Athletics Championship on Sunday.

The interviewer then asked him if he had any qualms about having Linford Christie as his coach.   As CM might say........hmmmm.

I read in my newspaper this morning that Brett Lee cut a cake in Sydney to mark the start of the countdown to The Ashes in November.   There are just 100 days to go.

Monday 14th August

Watching the European athletics from Copenhagen yesterday I was puzzled by one of the gold medal winning relay team who refused to run a lap of honour with his team mates, one of whom has just returned to the GB team following a two year drugs ban.

That the returning miscreant is banned for life from competing at the Olympic Games is neither here nor there.   The rules are the rules, even when they are bad rules.    If one of the team did not want to run a lap of honour in victory as a protest against drug cheats, surely the point would have been better made by withdrawing from the team before the race and letting someone else run in his stead.

I am reminded of the hapless cabinet minister Clare (voiyant) Short who did not resign her position as a matter of principle against the Iraq war until she was about to be pushed.    In contrast to the late and honourable Robin Cook who resigned immediately.

Sunday 13th August

Having just missed out on a hole in one by two inches in yesterday's competition I shall be attending the prize giving this lunchtime which will be a partial consolation at my handicap increasing to 12.

Saturday 12th August

As DP mentions in my Guest Book, since the Aussies have returned home the weather here has been awful   Today is no exception it is cold(ish) and blowing a gale (again).    The surf at Tynemouth is good and some hardy souls are out on their boards.

I considered going out and bagging some grouse this morning but cannot find my retriever,  blunderbuss or shooting stick, so am off to play golf instead.

Friday 11th August

i played in the last game of the season for PMCC III's last night and we were beaten easily by South North.   Yes a team of that name really does exist.   South Northumberland is their full title and they are one of the stronger sides in local cricket.

Unfortunately I did not get a bat but my services were required to open the bowling (honestly).   I may be a lot of things but an opening bowler I am not.   However when the team is short and the skipper asks me to open the bowling, I will.   After delivering three overs of pies (albatross of course) for 16 runs and no wickets my talents in the field came to the fore.   We lost by 9 wickets in the 13th over.

I've thoroughly enjoyed my season's cricket and am not expecting to play again this season due to my golfing commitments and holidays.

Great to hear from Andy Knox and that his transplant is going well.   I wonder if he is coming to Bath to say hello.

Thursday 10th August

A strange thing happened to me at yesterday's committee meeting of the FHLTA which was held in the transplant clinic waiting room of the Freeman hospital.  

I had already attended clinic in the morning for my bloods and check up and as I reported in 'My Red Book' (fascinating stuff if you are health junkie) the nurse had a few attempts at relieving me of an armful of the red stuff.  I  returned home looking like  pin cushion.

During the meeting Paula, the nurse, spotted me and asked if I could see her before I left, which of course I did.   My blood samples had been broken and I therefore had to give up some more blood for analysis.   This time though the hypodermic went straight in and it was all over in a couple of minutes.   

It's the first meeting I have attended where I had to have an injection.   Of course like most who sit on committees,  I have attended loads of meetings where an injection would have been preferable.

Wednesday 9th August

I have to report that England's ground fielding yesterday was superb, as was Monty's left arm spin.   Steve Harmison will bowl worse and pick up loads of wickets.   The Aussies had better watch out for him at the WACA.

Before I can play in the midweek medal today I have to return to the Freeman hospital this afternoon.   Nothing to panic about, it's simply a committee meeting of the FHLTA.

Tuesday 8th August

Depending on the weather forecast I am tempted to drive down to Headingley in the the morning and watch the last day of the current Test match.   It will be my first visit post transplant but an interesting day's cricket is on the cards and any one of three results is possible.

If I was forced to have a bet my money would be on England but a little voice in the back of my head tells me Pakistan.   It should be a draw then.

Update:   Accompanied by my son Kevin, we went to Headingley and watched as England bowled and ran out Pakistan before tea.   I bumped into Sir Geoffrey at the back of the North Stand and he asked if I had read my 'Guest Book' yet?

Monday 7th August

Are you ready to be impressed?   Well listen to this:-

My adopted nephew Adam Loewen pitched last night for the Baltimore Orioles against the legendary New York Yankees and won the game for his team 5-0.

Adam's unbelievable stats are:

Pitched for 6.3 innings straight / struck out 8 / walked 5 / retired 11.

Howzat?   Whoops wrong sport.

Sunday 6th August

In the current Test match being played at Headingley, the other Geordie in the team Paul Collingwood is in danger of establishing a record in Test match history that he would prefer not to hold.

At present he is third on the list of bowlers who have gone wicket less as a bowler before claiming their first victim.    He has bowled 66 overs (I think) in Tests and is still to get off the mark.     I will be very impressed if any of my readers can come up with the two bowlers ahead of him.

Update:   In Paul Collingwood's 64th over of Test match cricket he took his first wicket....phew!

Saturday 5th August

Snow White et al may be watching Test match cricket, I shall be playing golf.

Friday 4th August

It did cross my mind that Mike Rice, AKA Bashful, might need the sightscreen adjusted when he and his fellow dwarves, can we say that nowadays? descend on Headingley tomorrow.    CW got in first.   Hi ho ho  ho.

Since 1976 up until my transplant in 1999 I have attended the Headingley Test match and have seen all the great moments.    The best without doubt was Sir Geoffrey's hundredth hundred in 1977.

Watching on TV today I spotted the clock beside the new scoreboard.    This horological masterpiece was manufactured by Phillip Stoner jewellers.   In my working days I had the pleasure of counting Phillip as a customer and  know he too will be at the Test match during the next few days.  

He was not only a good customer and a gentleman but also very generous to me when I competed in my first Transplant Games (Norway 2000).   If you happen to Google yourself PS and come across this entry...hello and thank you.   Beware of 6 foot tall transvestites on Saturday.

Talking of the fancy dress tradition on the Western terrace, I was also there the year that the stewards banned a man dressed as a carrot from entering.

My apologies once again to those of you who do not understand the wonderful game that is cricket. 

The chairman and all rounder of the GBTCC Alistair Hedderwick marries the gorgeous Lucy tomorrow.   I would like to offer my congratulations to the happy couple and trust they go on to build a big innings.  

Thursday 3rd August

It has been brought to my attention, by the good doctor (Howard) that the result of the recent David Hookes Memorial series against the Aussies had the same outcome as The Ashes last summer.

We won 2-1 with two draws.   Or should I say, they lost with two draws?   Thanks Howard.

Wednesday 2nd August

The Geordie monsoon has arrived and it is lashing down here in Costa del Tynemouth so my midweek  game of golf cannot be played.  

I'm glad all of the Aussies have arrived back home safely and would like to thank them for their kind words (some private) in my 'Guest Book'.    It is to be hoped that none of them are afflicted by the mysterious 'Lyme disease' which the good doctor (Howard) has been telling us about.  

Touch wood I feel O...............aaargh

Tuesday 1st August

The world's oldest clipper (sailing ship) is currently rotting away in Irvine, Ayrshire,  Scotland.   Her name is The Carrick and she predates the Cutty Sark by 5 years having been built in 1864.  

The ship needs restoration work which will cost millions of pounds but the Scottish Maritime Museum cannot afford to carry out the work.   A businessman has offered to restore The Carrick and turn the clipper into a tourist attraction in Cornwall and the Maritime Museum are willing to sell the vessel to him for just £1.  

The problem is the vessel's status, it is classed as one of Britain's Top 10 historic vessels and has a listed-building tag.    As long as the vessel remains listed it cannot then be turned into a floating hotel or restaurant, which is a classical case of Catch 22.

The reason for my interest is that that not only was The Carrick built in Sunderland here in the north east of England but that it made 28 voyages between England and Australia in the 1860's and 1887.  

Australian researchers have estimated that more than 60% of the population of South Australia can trace their families' arrival down under to The Carrick.  The clipper was originally named City of Adelaide and her record time for the journey between London and Adelaide was 65 days.

July '06