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I intend to leave the photographs below because not only is it my
website but also I am a bit of a poseur. Good enough?
In the interests of political balance I shall leave these photographs
where they are simply because DC will become PM whether we like him or
not.
Saturday 7th November
Seeing the early morning frost on the school field I thought a spot of
cross country skiing would be good fun today. Trouble is, I
couldn't find my compass so decided to play golf with my mates in the
TOGS instead.
Friday 6th November
I spotted my favourite hockey player having a peek on my blog yesterday
and am wondering if she is still playing for the Guildford ladies hockey
team. If you are, KA, we would like to know how your season
progresses.
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Still having problems with my PC. Are you out there MJ?
I need help.
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Those of you who enjoy a cup of Earl Grey tea may be interested to learn
that the beverage was named in honour of Charles Grey, the 2nd Earl Grey
who was born up here in Northumberland and who became leader of the
Whigs in opposition to William Pitt's Conservatives. He went
on to be the Prime Minister from 1830 - 1834.
The city of Newcastle has a statue at the head of the historic and
beautiful Grey Street in the Toon and there is also a metro station in
the city centre called Monument, which requires no explanation.
I tell you this because down here in North Shields, in Earl Grey Way,
there is a Twinings tea factory, one of only two in the country.
Sadly it is to close in a couple of years and production moved to the
other factory in Andover way 'darn sarf' in Hampshire.
There is also a Grey Street in North Shields and a certain citizen of
Fort Langley, BC, Canada briefly lived there once upon a time.
There are probably some Beatles LP's in an attic in a house in Grey
Street that she stowed away for safe keeping too.
I find Earl Grey tea a bit too tangy for the Boggy taste buds but
sometimes indulge when staying in a posh hotel just so that I can tell
whoever wants to listen, about the Geordie boy (near enough) in who's
(or is it whose?) honour it is named.
Thursday 5th November
Update: Having just read Jill Edwards' post in my
guest book I looked up the young man,
Matthew Nixon, as
she suggested. What can I say?
Matthew is ranked 34th in world amateur golf and 7th in GB &
Ireland. He won the British Boys championship in 2006 and I
think he is now 20 years old, is a member of the England elite squad of
golfers and is playing off +4 handicap.
I know what I can say, fantastic.
Incidentally, have you noticed how Matthew represents GB & Ireland and
not the UK.
His grandad would be so proud. Thanks for the info Jill we
shall all be looking out for him now, as well as Laura Bavaird (see
below).
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Why is it that the simplest tasks often take the longest time to
resolve? My PC has suddenly developed two problems which I
simply cannot put right and it is driving me nuts to the point where I
am considering getting the hammer out of my toolbox and just giving it a
whack.
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Firstly, the sound is not working. Yes, it is switched on
and all of the lights and dials tell me that it is OK, but can I hear
anything? Of course I can't. My online guitar
tutor from the USA sends me clips and I can see him playing the riff and
talking me through it but..........
.................secondly, the colour will not work on my printer so
everything is coming out in monochrome. Yes, I have changed
and checked the inks as well as cleaned the heads and all the techy
stuff and they read all sytems go. Yet when I print a 'test
page' only the black is working.
If my friendly IT guru is reading this he may like to contact me and
talk me through it. If not the hammer is definitely coming
out of the box.
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At the AGM and trophy presentation at the golf club last night it was
good to see Pam looking so cheerful. I hope she gets back to full
fitness soon and is back playing her James Taylor tapes. The
General looked fit and well too and we hope to see him teeing it up with
the rest of the TOGS very soon.
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I am now the proud owner of a replica scorecard in the form of an etched copper trophy as a result of my gross 78 / net 66 back in the days when
it was sunny and warm.
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The Cultured Caledonian was telling me of his American cousin, Laura
Bavaird, who is hoping to make it on to the ladies tour. At
present she is back in Q School and lying tied fifth on 5 under par to
take her place on the
Duramed Futures Tour next season.
The Cultured One was seen skipping to his office this morning having
watched his beloved Yankees win their 27th World Series.
Just as well I didn't have a bet on the Phillies and demonstrates how
little I know about baseball.
Meanwhile
I'm sticking with my mate Tony to be elected as European supremo, but if
not, the South Shields man is a cert.
Wednesday 4th November
As much as I like football I have to admit to being completely
disinterested in the fare currently being served up as Champions League
football. Brain Clough predicted that this would be the case
way back when he was the best manager in the country and that too many
live televised matches would have this effect.
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Newcastle United's home ground will officially be known as the
Something Direct dotcom at St James' Park until the end of the
season thus reassuring the Geordie public that the present owner does
not intend to abandon the name completely in his quest for cash.
Is it me or is he daft?
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Having just listened to PMQ's on the radio, it seems a new term has
entered the lexicon. Our hapless prime minister kept
referring to the 'iron cast' promise made by the Tories about holding a
referendum on the EU constitution if and when they are elected as the
next government.
Now that the Czech government has ratified the Lisbon Agreement it will
be very soon that a President and Foreign Minister are elected to
represent Europe on the world stage. The odds have
lengthened on my mate Tony becoming president and holding up traffic in
the USA and or China but if I were a betting man I would chance ten bob
on it happening anyway. If not, the MP for South Shields is
a shoe in for the other job.
Tuesday 3rd November
Congratulations to all of my mates down under on staging another David
Hookes Tribute Series. The Australian Transplant Cricket
Club - ATCC - affectionately known as 'The Wombats' are lucky to have
one person who drives things forward, does all of the organising and
running around and without whose input I daresay the ATCC may have gone
the same way as the GBTCC.
I refer of course to the indefatigable JPS or, to give him his full, title
Jeff Sewell . Not only does Jeff hold down a very high
profile and stressful occupation in NSW and look after the three lovely
ladies in his life but he also somehow has the capacity to be a one man
cricket administrator, facilitator, benefactor, manager, bon viveur,
raconteur, chauffeur, tour guide, Internazionale fan and most importantly
is a good egg. JPS does so not seeking the limelight nor
looking for praise from his peers but I for one am happy to offer same.
He would be the first to thank others who have helped him in his
endeavours with the ATCC, namely the Wolf Man, Muzza, Dr Howard Watts,
Paul Harvey and Shaun Martyn of 14 Degrees, Mark Preddey and many
others down in Bowral, Greg Monaghan and all of his many contacts in the
business and cricket fraternity, especially John Soldan and Robyn
Hookes, but there are times when unsung heroes need others to sing
their praises and I am proud to do that.
Of all the people in the world transplant family that I have come
across, Jeffrey Sewell is head and shoulders above the rest of us and I
am privileged to have him as a mate.
G'day to all at Transplant Australia too.
Monday 2nd November
It seems that my big sister's adopted homeland is employing some sharp
practice in the build up to the Winter Olympic Games which will be
staged in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. By not
allowing other teams to use the practice facilities for speed skating
and curling, except for Russia who are the hosts in 2014 (reciprocity
perhaps?) they are not showing much Olympic spirit to their visitors.
I learn that they, the Canadians, have a programme called 'Own the
Podium' in their quest to top the table with 35 medals.
This is all very well but it's just not cricket chaps.
Play up! Play up! And play the game.
Say hello to all of my friends and rellies in BC for me sis.
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It's probably just as well that I am not a betting man because the
Yankees are just one win from the World Series over Philadelphia.
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A double base steal. Now that's something you don't see very
often is it, oh Cultured one?
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My preferred search engine is, like many others, Google. It
was not so long ago that when searching for my own website there were
297,00 results. About a month ago it went up to
400,000+. For some unexplained reason it is now 529,000 and
I haven't a clue as to why or how. The search box uses
predictive text and when I get as far as the Ma of my surname, up
it pops in the options along with Graham's Manou (98,800), Masterton
(210,000), Manche (1,474,000) and Mack (a whopping 8,060,000).
Just thought you may be interested.
Sunday 1st November
Having obliged Mrs Boggy by accompanying her (I drove in the pouring
rain) to the Metro Centre on the first of what will likely be many
Christmas shopping forays I have been allowed to spend the rest of the
day with my head buried in the Sunday newspapers. I think it
is what is known as quid pro quo.
Saturday 31st October
I considered going windsurfing this morning but could not find my
wetsuit so decided to play golf with the TOGS instead. On
the way home I called in at the greengrocer's and bought a turnip and a
candle and will soon have hollowed out a magnificent nammy so that Mrs Boggy
and I can go 'trick or treating' this evening.
Friday 30th October
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My thanks to Muzza from down under for sending me the mug shots of the
ATCC squad for the current David Hookes Trophy matches taking place in a
sunny but soggy NSW.
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St James' Park being renamed as the Winalot Stadium is a brilliant
suggestion from Larry the Plec.
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How about the Hoover or the Dyson Stadium?
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A vacuum is definitely a reflection of the trophy cabinet these past 40
years.
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Thursday 29th October
On leaving the nation's favourite purveyor of knickers, having bought a
basketful of 'meals for one' for my currently incapacitated mother, I
was aimlessly wandering around the large car park for a good five
minutes before I remembered where I had parked. Is it just
me or do other people have the same problem?
I often give obscure name checks to individuals known to me and one of
them, the Cultured Caledonian merits a special mention today.
In his life outside of the golf course he is a successful businessman
and has recently launched a new initiative aimed specifically at 10 - 11
year old school children. Not only does it encompass science
and road safety but it is also educating the young angels about
recycling and the benefits to our planet. This has to be a
good thing.
The name of the project is Tyre Education for Schoolchildren and the
ubiquitous but necessary acronym is
TEFORS.
If you would like to know more, have a look at the tailor-made website
the Cultured One has created and leave a message for him.
Go on admit it, you thought I just made these people up. I
well remember the science lessons we used to suffer at school with
magnets and iron filings, this stuff seems much more interesting.
Incidentally the Cultured One is a massive NY Yankees fan and they are
presently trying to win the World Series against current holders
Philadelphia. Come on Yankeeeeees. However, if I
were a betting man my money would be on the Phillies.
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For what it's worth, if it is decided that the president of the European
Union should be a global figure of considerable stature as opposed to
simply a chairman, my preference would definitely be my mate Tony Blair.
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It would give the photographs above a certain oomph if nowt else.
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Just to be politically balanced here. If the role had come
up a couple of years after Margaret Thatcher had left office she would
have merited the same position.
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No disrespect to the Benelux countries but who could name any of their
politicos except for their immediate families?
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Wednesday 28th October
Not that I take far too many tablets or that I am getting older by the
minute but have to admit to finishing my game of golf at lunchtime, into
clubhouse for a bowl of soup, leave to do a few messages before arriving
back home at 3pm only to find that I had left my golf clubs and trolley,
complete with battery, outside the clubhouse. I
only noticed when I opened the boot of my car to put them in the garage.
Whoops.
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The home of Newcastle United is known throughout the football world as
St James' Park (with or without the apostrophe) and the name is to be
sold to the highest bidder.
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How about the Northern Rock stadium? This will match
the logo on the shirts and reflect the club perfectly?
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Another possibility would be to check out Billy Smart's circus and see
if they would like to raise their profile a little.
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Do Fisons still distribute manure? Could be worth a call.
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Tuesday 27th October
I spent much of yesterday afternoon in a large bookstore I regularly
visit reading up on Sweden in general and Vaxjo, which is the venue for
next year's European Heart & Lung Transplant Games, in particular.
All very interesting but I decided to mooch over to the music section
and spotted amongst the hundreds of books on offer a new autobiography
by Brian Johnson the lead singer with AC / DC entitled Rockers &
Rollers.
I probably read 25% of this canny tome and ended up on the floor
laughing out loud. Not only is BJ a serious musician with
arguably the world's most successful rock band but he is also a down to
earth Geordie boy. He devotes a paragraph to Brendan Healy
which is really funny and goes into some detail about a 'lock in' they
enjoyed at the Beehive Pub en route to Earsdon. Memories
came flooding back I have to say as I enjoyed a couple of similar
evenings in the company of the big fella.
There are loads of references to his Geordie upbringing and pre AC / DC
life and the story of how he nearly didn't go darn sarf to
Landan for his audition for the Aussie rockers is also very funny.
I think Brian Johnson is talking about the book all week on Planet Rock
radio, so if you get the chance to have a listen, it will definitely
cheer you up. You could always buy the book I suppose.
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I have been given a VIP weekly pass for the David Lloyd Leisure Centre
and availed myself of the facilities this morning. Wow, how
the other half live.
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Following my gym workout I was swimming in the pool minding my own
business when in came two of Newcastle United's injured 'superstars',
namely Shola Ameobi and Joey Barton both under the supervision of the
club physio.
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As Barton was using my lane it was impossible not to speak to him as we
gasped for breath at the end of the length. If it weren't
for the fact that he is an infamous footballer of some distinction he
came across as just an ordinary Scouse bloke having a swim.
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I have to inform my readers that Ameobi, who I think would struggle to
get a game for Percy Main Amateurs, has a physique anyone would be proud
of. Just a shame he doesn't use it more on the pitch.
He's a canny swimmer though and I was told he is also a good tennis
player.
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Monday 26th October
From a cold but sunny Costa del Tynemouth I am saddened to hear that the
Bowral and Sydney districts of NSW are experiencing much rain which is
affecting the current David Hookes Tribute Series cricket matches down
there in Australia. The ATCC match at Bowral against a
Bradman Foundation XI, for whom I opened the innings last season and
knocked out Muzza's middle stump in my bowling spell, was abandoned
without a ball being bowled.
However every cloud (literally) has a silver lining. Both
teams have been invited to take part in the SCG Marathon Cricket Event
on behalf of the Primary Club in January and they will contest the David
Hookes Trophy at the magnificent venue that is the Sydney Cricket Ground
on 18th January.
The Australian Primary Club is a charitable organisation and the funds
raised support cricket teams and organisations whose players suffer
disabilities. I Know in England that the Primary Club
supports 'blind cricket' and they always get lots of publicity on Test
Match Special.
To become a member of the Primary Club is easy, to qualify you must have
been out at cricket to the first ball you faced. Let's be
honest, no matter at what level of cricket you may have played you will
likely qualify.
On Tuesday 19th January there is to be a dinner held in the Steve Waugh
Room at the SCG celebrating the 88th birthday of the legendary Arthur
Morris, a fellow left handed batsman who also bowled wibbly wobblies and
Chinamen. Guests at the dinner include Richie Benaud,
Neil Harvey, Sam Loxton and the president elect of the Primary Club, the
Aussie broadcaster Jim Maxwell.
To say I am envious of the Australian transplant cricket boys would be
an understatement and it bugs me that due to the apathy of my fellow GB
transplant cricketers, with a few honourable exceptions, we could be
enjoying similar matches and functions, not to mention fantastic
publicity for organ donor awareness, here in England / Wales.
As ever, my thanks to the tireless JPS, chairman of the ATCC for this
information.
Although, "I am just happy to be here!" I too wished I could be there
Jeff.
For those of my readers who aren't interested in cricket but have read
this far anyway let me tell you that the SCG is to Australian cricket
what Lord's is to English cricket, Wembley is to football, Wimbledon to
tennis, Augusta to golf etc etc. I am sure you get the
picture.
Isn't sport wonderful?
Saturday 24th October
As I type the weak autumn sunshine is casting a long shadow but this
time next week it will be dark, having put the clocks back one hour.
I mention this only because we played golf this morning on a mild but
windy and wet day in Costa del Tynemouth and it was nice to get back
home and sit in front of the log fire roasting chestnuts.
Well it would have been if I had some chestnuts.
Your right, I haven't got a log fire either but you know what I meant.
If the three amigo's log on to check their TOGS scores whilst en route
to the French countryside - Bon Voyage mes amis. If Archie
has a peek from afar, have a nice day. Don't worry, we have informed the
engraver how to spell your surname.
Friday 23rd October
The odious Nick Griffin, the leader of the BNP received a bit of a
mauling on BBC's Question Time last night, which is a good enough reason
for letting him on in the first place. It is called
democracy.
Some of the protestors who invaded the BBC yesterday to stop the
programme going ahead and were being hauled out by police looked as if
they had come straight from a "Save the lesser toed newt" peace camp.
That we allow these people to demonstrate at all is also known as
democracy. I hope they all have a TV licence.
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Good to see that a budding sports journalist wants me to advertise his
work on my blog. That he is my nephew is incidental.
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When he becomes the sports correspondent of a national newspaper and is
looking for company on a lonely Ashes tour down under, some 'small
potato' World Cup, Superbowl, World Series or insignificant Olympic
Games in Brazil I will happily carry his typewriter ribbons.
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If he gets to report on the golf I may even carry the typewriter for
him.
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Happy to oblige Mike.
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Good news on the potholes. The council will begin repairs as
soon as possible or when they get to 10 feet deep, whichever is sooner.
It turns out that the 'man in charge of potholes' from the council went
to school with me but unfortunately could not make it so he sent along
his understudy. He did send me his best wishes though.
If you read this John, get better soon. Alison was
much better looking than you anyway.
Thursday 22nd October
As a fully paid up member of the TSUK it is good to know that the
British Transplant Games have been recognised for what they are.
They exist, not for clever dicks to win gold medals, but for all of us
in the transplant community to show the benefits of organ donation and
help raise awareness so that lots more people will sign up to the organ
donor register for the benefit of all.
The winner of the 2009 Best Sporting Occasion of the Year award for
Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire was given to the British Transplant
Games in Coventry this summer. Maybe it isn't the most
prestigious award in the sporting calendar but the good folk of the
Midlands are to be congratulated on their selection.
In 2010 we travel to the beautiful city of Bath.
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I have prepped my diving equipment and checked the oxygen in my gas tank
and made sure that my flippers are in working order because I am about
to leave for an assignation with the man from the council and the
mysterious case of the potholes that have been fixed.
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As I submerge 'neath the waves of the biggest of the three bottomless
caverns he may just be persuaded that we do indeed have a couple of geet
big holes in the road leading to Tyne Youth & Community Centre.
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The best programme on the telly today will definitely be Question
Time on BBC1 at 10.35pm. The appearance of the BNP's
leader may not be to everyone's liking but in a democracy everyone has
the right to spout off. The vast majority of us may
not like what he has to say but he has the right to say it nonetheless.
Wednesday 21st October
Since I got back home from the USA, Liverpool are sliding downhill fast,
Middlesboro have sacked that nice Gareth Southgate, Sir Alex Ferguson
has been summoned to appear before the FA beak for slagging off
perfectly fit referees, Sunderland are perfecting new ways to score
goals as they ride high in the Premiership, Newcastle United have not
won a football match and Mike Ashley cannot sell the club at any price
yet they are still sitting in an automatic promotion place.
Oh, and Alan Shearer that tactical genius is back on the Match of the
Day sofa.
Despite the matches being screened live on TV I have not watched any of
the mediocre fixtures masquerading as the European Cup (or is it a
league?). Come the spring when the knockout stage is here
things will be different I hope and I may tune in then.
Doesn't take long to get back to normal does it? Not long
before England go to South Africa and I can watch some meaningful live
sport which will justify my subscription to pay TV.
Despite what 'Larry the Plec' thinks, Sunday's Grand prix was exciting
as Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton carved their way through the field
in Brazil. Normally when we have a F1 champion he is odds on
to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award but as yet I haven't
seen the odds so am unsure about his chances. One thing is
certain, our most recently crowned world champion, Beth Tweddle, will
not win.
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It is raining heavily up here in the northeast so I am off to buy a
model yacht which I will place in the largest of the potholes at the
entrance to Tyne Youth & Community Centre tomorrow so that the man from
the council might just agree that they have not in fact been repaired.
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Tuesday 20th October
Up with the larks this morning for my 7.30am assignation at the Freeman
for a medical review. I was on the verge of cancelling my
appointment because of the way I have been feeling of late but am happy
to report that I have improved in the past 48 hours to very nearly
something resembling health.
My blood pressure was a remarkable 128 / 86 which is the first time in
the last couple of years that I have recorded a 'normal' reading.
Must be all of the paracetamol I have been wolfing down.
The next couple of days involve attending a few committee meetings which
if I am honest doesn't exactly thrill me but someone has to do it.
On Thursday I have a man from the council coming to inspect some
potholes at Tyne Youth & Community Centre which they assured me by email
had been repaired in June of this year. I think the
photographs I sent them with a pair of shoes, a football and a 12 inch
ruler beneath the rim convinced them (nearly) that this was not in fact
true. Anyway there is a man coming to look into the holes
with me on Thursday which should be quite entertaining.
Monday 19th October
Well done to Jenson Button on winning the F1 world championship.
I watched the whole of the race yesterday for the first time this season
and it was riveting stuff. It is also good to hear the
Fleetwood Mac tune - The Chain - as the theme music for the programme.
If Murray Walker and James Hunt were to make comebacks in the commentary
box, which is not only unlikely but also impossible, it would have been
just like the good old days.
I read an article this morning about our new world champion and it seems
he got his name courtesy of his car mad dad who named him in honour of
the Jensen Interceptor. My parents were apparently inspired
by a breakfast cereal. It was either to be Graham or
Cornflake and luckily the former came out on top.
Sunday 18th October
Surely anyone with a passing interest in football knows that if the ball
is interfered with by an outside agent then a drop ball will result.
I may be wrong but something in the back of mind tells me that if the
ball strikes the referee on its' way into the back of the net then the
goal will stand. Bright red beach balls on the other hand
are treated differently.
GB could have yet another F1 motor racing world champion by late
afternoon if all goes well at the Brazilian GP. Come on JB.
Saturday 17th October
Normal service was restored as I took my place alongside fellow TOGS and
played my first competitive round of golf this winter. Could
have been worse, should have been better but will settle for what I got.
It's good to be out, coughing and spluttering, in the fresh air again.
Friday 16th October
Having had a relapse yesterday I was confined to the Boggy chaise longue
therefore no blog. Feeling a bit perkier today thought I
should at least check my emails and find out what is happening in my
little world.
The note from the Cultured Caledonian in my guest book about keeping the
Yankees Game #1 a secret reminded me of a classic episode of the
Likely Lads when they went all day avoiding the result of an England
match so they could watch it 'as live' on the telly that evening.
Great stuff. The secret is safe with me oh Cultured one.
What I can tell everyone though is that the fourth playing of the David
Hookes Tribute Series will begin next weekend down under.
The Australian Transplant Cricket Club - ATCC - will play four one day
matches against select XI's in the Sydney area of New South Wales,
Australia.
25th October - ATCC v The Bradman Foundation at Bowral
28th October - ATCC v Kings Langley & 14 Degrees XI at
Paramatta
30th October - ATCC v NWS Hurricanes & Tigers at Rouse Hill
1st November - ATCC v North Ryde NSL at North Ryde NSL Oval
David Hookes' widow, the delectable Robyn, has given her full support
for the series once more as have Transplant Australia and Cricket
Australia. I have no doubt the series will result in
widespread media coverage and as a consequence the donor card programme,
organ donation and the game of cricket will once more receive loads of
favourable publicity and all those playing the beautiful game will have
a fantastic time.
Cricket Australia have released two Test players from the Commonwealth
Bank Southern Stars squad so that they can participate in the series.
Lisa Sthalekar and Alex Blackwell will be playing in the game at Bruce
Purser Oval, Rouse Hill. It was around this time last year
that Lisa was denied my prized wicket by a 'dodgy' piece of umpiring
when she had an LBW appeal turned down during my epic knock at the
Border Oval playing for the 14 Degrees XI. I eventually
succumbed to the mystery leg spin by the man from Melbourne.
To all of my mates down under - You are doing a fantastic job and I wish
I could have been there to support the magnificent work you all do.
I know how much time and effort that JPS puts in so that this series can
continue. Muzza and the Wolf man, if they play
in all four games, will be the only ever presents in the series since
day one.
The book never lies, it reads:-
Marsh
caught Rose bowled Wulff.......................6
Enjoy.
Wednesday 14th October
This time last year Mrs Boggy and I celebrated our 30th wedding
anniversary with a dinner cruising around Sydney Harbour.
Another year has slipped by and you wonder where did it go.
Tempus definitely fugit.
It appears that Newcastle Brown Ale, despite the fact that it will be
manufactured and bottled in Tadcaster from next year can still be called
Newcastle Brown Ale because Scottish & Newcastle applied to the EU for
'Protected geographical location' when they closed the plant in
Gallowgate and moved production to Gateshead four years ago.
Apparently it is different to Champagne and Cornish pasties because no
one else produces Newcastle Brown Ale except Heineken who now own the
legendary brand.
I chuckle to myself when reading articles in the posh papers or
listening to folk in the media discussing the Geordie brew and referring
to it as 'Newky Brown'. They are the only people who call it
that because we Geordies affectionately know it as a 'Bottle of Dog' or
simply 'Broon'.
Tuesday 13th October
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King Malcolm III of Scotland was originally buried at Tynemouth Priory
but now rests in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland.
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Strangely, both of these towns have been home to the Boggy clan.
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On our trip to the USA many Americans struggled to understand my Geordie
twang and variously thought I was Irish, Welsh, German, Dutch or Nordic.
I explained many times where Newcastle was, mostly by saying 'it's
nearly in Scotland' for simplicity. Then I asked if
they had heard of Sting, Eric Burdon, Mark Knopfler and Brian Johnson
etc and said if they listened carefully they would detect a partly
hidden Geordie accent.
Mostly though they had all heard of Newcastle Brown Ale even if it is
only sold in a dinky little bottle over there. The reason
being that all bottled beers in the USA need to be of a size that will
fit easily into their chilled drinks cabinets ie the size of a bottle of
'Bud'.
They seem surprised to learn that a 'bottle of dog' was brewed in the
north east of England and that the cute little picture was of the Tyne
Bridge. I did try explaining what the blue star, which
sometimes appeared as a black star, was all about but gave up once the
blank looks appeared. Many Americans thought Newcastle was a
suburb somewhere in Belgium but I won't pursue that.
Odd then that today it has just been announced that from next year the
production of Newcastle Brown Ale will move to Tadcaster, North
Yorkshire. Despite alluding yesterday to the fact that
Yorkshire was part of Northumbria I am not certain if that will make it illegal
because surely Champagne can only be produced in the French region that
bears its' name just as a Cornish pasty can only be manufactured in
Cornwall.
Still on matters geographical, JPS of Australia may like to know that I
have been to the top of the mountain in Whistler and viewed what will
become familiar to the world very soon once the winter Olympics get
underway.
The official logo for the 2010 winter Games form Vancouver will be an
Inukshuk. This is a traditional 'first American' stone
symbol of the Innuit and sits proudly at the top of the mountain in
Whistler. Official mascots for the Games are Quatchi, Miga
and Sumi who are also Innuit figures.
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I am feeling much better today and intend to have a game of golf
tomorrow, weather permitting.
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Thanks for all of your kind wishes. It is much
appreciated.
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Good to hear from you Hannah and hope you are keeping well.
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Monday 12th October
You may be interested to know that on this day in 633 Edwin, King of
Northumbria died in battle. Northumbria was formed in 604 by
Ethelfrith, following his unification of Bernicia and Deira.
The latter is now better known as Yorkshire.
Not sure why I am telling you this but I stumbled across this
information whilst surfing and just kept reading. It beats
wolfing down tablets and coughing and spluttering all day long.
Tynemouth Priory which sits at the bottom of Front Street and overlooks
the entry to the river Tyne is the burial place of three kings, two of
whom were rulers of Northumbria, namely Oswin and Osred and both ruled
after the reign of Edwin.
The name of third king to be buried at Tynemouth Priory is more
difficult to find and if anyone really wants to know who it is can
either look it up for themselves else wait until tomorrow when I shall
reveal the answer. There is a Yankee fan currently on
holiday who may know the answer and will be delighted after his team's 4
-1 victory in the wee small hours.
Can you tell that I am feeling a little better today?
Sunday 11th October
I wasn't going to bother logging on today knowing that the scores from
yesterday's TOGS would be there waiting for me and I would be obliged to
publish them. I came on simply to catch up on my emails, as
we all do.
Reading a couple of messages in my Guest Book and realising just how
important theses scores are to various people, know matter where they
happen to be in the world, I thought to myself, "who am I to
disappoint?" and so have updated the relevant TOGS info.
Go Yankees, go!
Saturday 10th October
As well as my normal intake of immunosuppressant drugs and tablets I am
wolfing down paracetamol and Lucozade as fast as is chemically possible.
Not too sure if I have swine flu or just a normal run of the mill bug
but my non existent immune system means whatever it is I have is
refusing to go away any time soon. Unable to sleep through
the night I am now an avid listener to BBC7 which is a mixture of comedy
classics and plays and is very good entertainment through the small
hours.
As is customary on Saturdays throughout the winter golf season I would
be playing golf with my mates in the TOGS but alas that is not possible
just now.
Talking of golf it is now officially an Olympic event. At
least it will be in 2016. Just as I do not agree with
professional tennis payers taking part I am also against the likes of
Eldrick and his multi millionaire mates teeing it up for a gold medal.
The Baron de Coubertin did not have this in mind way back in 1896 when
he set up the modern Olympics.
Thursday 8th October
The Cirque du Soleil's production of Love at the Mirage in Las Vegas was
the show we intended seeing when in town but with decent tickets costing
$137.50+ I thought to myself, "How much do I really want to pay to hear
Beatles music accompanied by acrobats?"
A touch cynical perhaps but my second preference was always the Blue Man
Group and I have to say if presented with free tickets for either show
and could choose only one it would definitely be the Blue Man show.
Impossible to describe but it was definitely one of the best live
theatre performances I have ever seen.
I have no doubt the Cirque du Soleil show would have been brilliant too
but having already seen a live performance elsewhere my dollars spent at
the Venetian and not the Mirage represented the best buy.
Equally impossible to describe was the Grand Canyon. We took
loads of photographs but they simply do not do justice to the actualité.
Seeing is believing would sum it up I think. The Bryce
Canyon, Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon exceeded expectations too.
Meanwhile I am still confined indoors and am starting
to resemble Robinson Crusoe. Roll on Friday.
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Not sure whether Steve Harmison has been dropped from
the England trip to South Africa or if he asked not to go.
Either way, England are not as good without him on hard bouncy wickets.
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I have suddenly acquired 162,000 new results on
Google. They now have a predicted text method of search so
when entering G r a.........etc to access my site it shows in the search
box my new results tally is 497,000. It used to read
335,000. What does it all mean I wonder?
Wednesday 7th October
Not sure if I have got swine flu or picked up a bug on my flight back
home on Sunday but have not ventured outdoors since getting back home.
I had to cancel my game of golf this morning and suspect I will not make
it tomorrow either.
High temperature, sore throat, feel cold but come out in a sweat and my
bum hurts from sitting down all day. Apart from that I
feel great and am just happy to be here.
Hi sis - yes we did fly back via BC and across Canada / Nova Scotia then
onto Greenland and over Iceland and Ireland before touching down in
London.
Tuesday 6th October
As legendary trio, Emerson, Lake & Palmer nearly sang....
.........Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends,
I'm so glad you could attend.
Come inside! Come inside!
Whilst standing at a bus stop on the corner of Laguna and Chestnut in
San Francisco last week the Google street mapping car with the thingy on
top whirring away passed close by. So it is only a
matter of time before Mrs Boggy and I appear.
On our drive around the Grand Canyon, a total of 1,200 miles, I was
accompanied by two ladies. Mrs Garmin knew exactly where we
were heading and Mrs Boggy was mostly looking out of the window.
The price of gas, OK, I know it is petrol, was at the giveaway price of
$2.75 per gallon which if my math (OK, I know it is maths) is correct,
works out at 60p per litre.
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It seems only a matter of time before my mate above becomes the first
President of Europe and the other bloke above is elected as Prime
Minister.
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His wife has already been dubbed as Cherie Antoinette.
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If I were a betting man I would wager ten shillings on a 70 -75 seat
majority for the latter.
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Monday 5th October
(I think)
I will start by saying that I love the USA and the people are genuinely
warm, welcoming and friendly but it must be said that the word
insular is made for them.
Now that I am back home, simply to watch the news and catch up on sport
in general on the often (wrongly) maligned BBC was a treat because
American news simply doesn't go outside of it's borders. The 44th
president is much better liked over here than he is over there it would
seem if Fox News is anything to go by.
Yes, I like baseball and American Football and don't much care for
basketball but the American sporting public are denied so much other
global sports information and that they did not win the bid for the 2016
Olympic Games is a complete mystery to them.
The majority of its citizens are totally oblivious that there was a
Grand Prix in Suzuka, World Superbikes in Magny Cours, Men's World Team
Squash championships in Odense, cricket in South Africa, Moto GP in
Estoril, lots of golf worldwide, loads of football everywhere and is by
miles the most popular game on the planet, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe,
an impending David Hookes Tribute Series in Australia and of course the
first round of the TOGS. Sadly the latter was a non starter
because of gale force wind and rain.
Great holiday, but it's good to be back home too.
On our travels through the states of Columbia, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and
California we have seen many wondrous sights, met many friendly people
from all over the world, stayed in hotel rooms equipped with everything
except lunar landing craft that make the Boggy living quarters appear
Spartan in the extreme.
Mrs Boggy and I have enjoyed immensely our first post transplant
holiday in 10 years without the need for team meetings, ID tags
and travelling with the plethora of sports equipment needed to go on
tour. It will be very tempting to do it again as soon
as we can fill another piggy bank.
The capital was class, Vegas brash, the canyons of Zion, Bryce, Antelope
and Monument Valley as well as the Grand canyon's north and south rim
were simply unmissable. San Francisco was hip and relaxed
and we were treated like royalty at the magnificent AT&T stadium on the
bay as we watched the Giants win 4-1 over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
We watched transfixed in Las Vegas as a magician produced a 38 tonne
Lear jet from nowhere, laughed alongside our American cousins at the
English production of Noel Coward's Brief Encounter in downtown San
Francisco but best of all was the performance of the Blue Man Group in
Las Vegas at the magnificent Venetian hotel theatre on the strip.
If you ever get the chance it is a 'must go to' production and one of my
most pleasurable trips to the theatre in yonks.
I shall plop little snippets into my posts over the days but do not
intend boring anyone with a travelogue. That we did not go
into the Blues and Biscuits Club more than once as it was next
door to our hotel in Union Square, SF is still a mystery to me but there
was just so many hours in the day.
Wednesday 16th September
The Four Seasons restaurant in New York sounds fantastic and the $59
menu too good to miss. The only trouble is I am not going to
the Big Apple on this trip. Next time perhaps.
As for Vera Lynn being at number one in the British charts.
How sad is that? She now holds the record for the oldest
person to ever be at #1. Some day soon Cliff Richard will
probably beat that !!! Give me the TIng Tings any time, or better
still, Florence & The Machine. It doesn't seem right that
The Beatles 'latest' box set works out at just over half the price in
Canada as it is here in the land where they were born. I
will definitely check out the price in the USA and may even be tempted
to buy, but definitely the mono set.
My golf clubs are safely tucked away and I have played my last game of
the summer season at TGC this morning and on my return it will
officially be the winter league and all things TOGS.
I will try and post a few messages on my Guest Book in the next couple
of weeks or so because I will have to clock in anyway to make sure that
there are no dodgy messages left on there. I have the power
to delete these nasties even from a distance but remember not to click
on any links from a unknown source otherwise they will infect your PC
and spread like swine flu.
My GP has just cancelled the scheduled session for immunisation due to
'manufacturing difficulties'. At £5 odd per jab it won't be
long before they are back on track.
Tuesday 15th September
Check out the Google logo today. Jill's UFO looks like a
flying Tilley hat to me. Being a member of the exclusive
Tilley wearing brigade I know these sort of things but tend to keep them
under my hat.
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Whilst queuing to pay my entry fee to the swimming pool this morning the
two ladies in front of me having noticed the electronic display giving
the temperature of the water in the main pool were complaining to each
other about how cold the water was.
"28°, that's bloody freezing that is. It
was over 100° in our swimming pool in Majorca last week".
Unable to ignore their conversation I duly explained that the 28 degrees
was in Centigrade and that the 100 degrees they had encountered in Spain
was in Fahrenheit and If reversed there would be blocks of ice floating
in our pool and they would have boiled to death in the Balearics.
They saw the funny side and we went our separate ways.
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I received this strange Email today from Digby's best
mate and it contains a passage from a book by Alistair Moffat, entitled
A History of Newcastle, explaining as to why the Germans did not
bomb our area to smithereens during WW2.
"An interesting suggestion is that Hitler left the
Tyne more or less alone because he wanted to use it as an extension to
his own industrial empire after invasion. William Joyce,
Lord Haw Haw the fascist broadcaster, gave the clue once when he
announced that Knott's Flats, the rather fine but monolithic block of
pre war flats overlooking the estuary at Tynemouth, would make a
rather splendid administrative HQ for the Nazi occupation."
It's been on odd sort of day.
Monday 14th September
I will have the minutes of the TOGS AGM done in a couple of days knowing
that Pam cannot sleep at night until she has read them. I
hope she is feeling a lot better as her happy smiling face is missed
down at TGC and we look forward to her speedy return.
Later: Minutes are posted Pam, sleep well.
Goodnight.
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If anyone watched the Tour of Britain cycling on TV yesterday they will
have spotted my back garden as the cyclists thundered along the coast
road on their way up to the Toon.
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Having played golf today with a rock star in the middle of his world
tour of North Shields I have just realised we did not discuss the finer
points of the mixolydian scale and it's attendant chord structures.
Probably just as well because I wouldn't have understood a word that
Larry the
Pec was on about. Go to the restaurant and check
out the breakfast menu and prices. Steak and eggs at $10.99
can't be bad. The location is not too bad either.
Sunday 13th September
Well done to Durham County Cricket Club on retaining the County
Championship. The league table shows that Durham are a
massive 43 points clear of their nearest rivals and still have two games
to play which is one more than most of the teams in the top half.
It is a remarkable achievement by cricket's newest first class county,
they were admitted to the county championship in the season of 1992 and
their home ground at Chester le Street is magnificent and getting better
all the time. I was there en famille for the first day of
cricket at the newly constructed Riverside venue on a cold day in May
1995.
It was fitting that Stephen Harmison, the big Geordie fast bowler,
mopped up the Nottinghamshire tail to clinch the championship just as he
did last season. Durham's gain is England's loss and if he
is not required by his country next season I will be straight down to
the bookies on him being the country's leading wicket taker, again.
If the sun shines on Tuesday I intend going along to watch a day's
county cricket against Hampshire.
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Mrs Boggy and I stayed in last night and paid for a movie, namely
Fifty Dead Men Walking. It is about the IRA
informer Martin McGartland and 'sort of' based on his autobiography.
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The reason I mention this is because it begins with him being shot six
times in an attempted assassination somewhere in Canada. The
facts are even more remarkable because the shootings took place in
Whitley Bay in May 1999. I know this because I was in the IT
unit of North Tyneside hospital recovering from my heart attack and
McGartland was being treated by the medics and guarded by armed officers
in the adjacent ward. All of my visitors had to pass through
a tight security cordon by men in body armour brandishing sub machine
guns. How exciting is that? My visitors managed to
smuggle in the grapes OK.
The film is good too if you like that sort of thing, which I do.
Friday 11th September
Democracy is a wonderful thing but sometimes an autocracy makes more
sense.
I clearly remember being a greenhorn in my early selling days attending
sales conferences and viewing the new ranges for the coming season being
asked for input. Our sales director, DW Wynn as it happens,
would let us, his sales force, prattle on about how we didn't like this
jacket or how that knitwear range would be much better if it
was..............whatever, it doesn't really matter you get the picture.
These conferences could last for two or three days and the outcome was
always the same. DW Wynn would say, "This is the range.
Now go out and sell it".
Why am I prattling on about this I hear you ask. At last
night's meeting of the TOGS we acted as a typical committee and
reinvented the camel. The camel as we all know is the
product of a committee attempting to design a horse. Hence
some have one hump and others have two.
If DW Wynn had been there last night we would have had a different
outcome and left knowing that, "This is the format, now go out and
play."
"I was just happy to be there!"
Thursday 10th September
So far I have had a very disappointing day. I attended a
meeting for the Third Sector, which is the posh new name for the
voluntary sector, run by very nice people from North Tyneside Council
explaining all about the new procedures which will come into being for
anyone accessing a PC, in for example a community centre, whose
connectivity charges are paid for by the Adult Learning Alliance
courtesy of the excellent VODA which is an acronym for Voluntary
Organisations Development Agency.
Yes I know it's difficult to follow all of this but someone has to.
The meeting was preceded by an excellent buffet lunch and then we got
down to business. It turns out that I was the only volunteer
in attendance as everyone else earns a salary. Nothing
wrong in that but I thought......................just a thought.
The reason for my disappointment was that not once was the term
'community cohesion' used. Nor did anyone say
'impacting' or 'resources'. A new funding source named CAMEL
was discussed but apart from that it was a fairly harmless way to spend
a couple of hours.
Tonight I am going to the AGM of the TOGS. Our
golf winter league is not to be confused with the followers of some wig
wearing DJ on R2 who has just announced his impending retirement.
Someone in our happy little band is bound to use an expression / term
that they have learnt on a management course. I hope not to
be disappointed twice in one day. If I were a betting
man...........
Wednesday 9th September
Before nipping off for a game of golf I couldn't resist posting this
blog at exactly nine seconds and nine minutes past nine o'clock.
The exact time therefore being 09 / 09 / 09 / 09 / 09 / 09
I also altered a full stop on my homepage so that the date there will
read same.
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Today is also officially Beware of the Beatles day.
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Wall to wall coverage, a new computer game, digitally re-mastered mono
records are now super duper something or other.............
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......The music is good though and I still don't know where my big
sister's LP's are. Honestly.
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It is possible to buy the original mono recordings today too which is a
much more authentic way of listening to the Fab Four.
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I don't know what they cost over the Atlantic but The Beatles in Mono
costs £199.99 and The Beatles Box Set-Remastered in Stereo
costs £169.99. I am not ashamed to tell you that my next
album purchase will be Florence and The Machine who should have won last
night's Mercury prize, but didn't.
Tuesday 8th September
If my maths is correct and assuming that £1 sterling = $1.60 (US) or $1
= 62p and that there are 4.456 litres per gallon; a gallon of gas in the
USA at $2.89 costs £1.80 or just to make matters worse it's the
equivalent of 40p per litre. We are paying 104.9p.
Put another way a gallon of petrol in the UK costs a whopping £4.78 or
$7.65.
A Canadian dollar is worth 56p today therefore $1.12 for a litre of gas
/ petrol equates to 63p. We are paying 104.9p.
Is my maths, or as they like to say over there, is my math OK?
Doesn't seem fair to me but because I shall be clocking up a few miles
around the Grand Canyon in a fortnight am happy to pay $2.89 a gallon.
Carnoustie eh, DP? How much did a round
cost and how many shots did you take?
Monday 7th September
Having just filled up the Bogymobile I notice that the price of petrol
has sneaked up again. 104.9p per litre. When did
this happen and why?
What with all this stuff about the Beatles, Vera Lynn at number 2 in the
album charts and some bloke on R2 announcing his retirement (three
cheers I say) I am not sure what decade we are in any more.
The last time the Beatles were number one in the singles charts was 1969
and that was The Ballad of John and Yoko. I bought
the single with my paper round money.
I have just rummaged through Hansard and discover that in May 1969 the
price of petrol was 6s 5½d per gallon and there were
questions being asked in the House. As I shall be filling up
with 'gas' in a couple of weeks it will be interesting to find out how
much petrol / gas costs over in the USA. I am delighted that
they still sell gas in gallons and that all road signs and distances
will be in miles. I hoper they still accept 10 shilling
notes too.
Jill - the mysterious case of the missing 'O' seems
to have started off a worldwide phenomenon on the ubiquitous search
engine and is still as yet a bit of a mystery. Perhaps a
case of 'UFO' or Unidentified Flying O. For those of
you who missed it or use another search engine and completely oblivious,
the unmistakeable Google logo was visited by aliens who abducted the
second O on Saturday.
Saturday 5th September
A game of golf followed by a party in Monkseaton this evening sums up my
Saturday.
Loads of stuff about the Beatles in my paper today and all next week
tells me the record company must be about to release an as yet 'unheard'
of digitally remastered version of a bunch of songs that we have heard
hundreds of times before. Perhaps a video game too?
I always preferred the Stones anyway.
Friday 4th September
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Did you know that Wal-Mart, the Indian Railway Company and the Chinese
People's Liberation Army are the only three institutions in the world
who have more employees than the our National Health Service - NHS?
Well, you do now.
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I have just heard that Keith Waterhouse has died. He is one
of my favourite writers and was the only reason I tolerated the Daily
Mail in the Boggy household for so long before I couldn't take any more
of it's propaganda and converted to the Times. Before that
he wrote for the Daily Mirror which I also used to read and like KW
himself cancelled my subscription the day Cap'n Bob took over.
One of his best lines appears in Billy Liar; when Billy, suffering
from one or two drinks too many, is defended by his mother played by
Thora Hird (I think) who exclaims to the vicar (or someone who I can't
remember) "Our Billy's p****d again".
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I know that England are playing a form of cricket against Australia in
the first of a series of seven but does anyone care? Who
thought that these matches would be a good a idea?
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If the weather had been OK up here in Geordieland I would have gone to
Chester le Street to see Durham claim the county championship but alas
it is the monsoon season north of Darlington.
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Thursday 3rd September
Despite my blood pressure reading yesterday at the hospital being high
enough to blow the lid off a saucepan I rang the transplant clinic just
now and my medication stays the same. Good enough for me.
My regular readers will know that before the World Transplant Games I
was suggesting and hoping that my great rival in the sprints, the
'Flying Dutchman', André Lassooij might threaten the
world record in the 50+ age category for the 100m.
I have just had an email from him and he tells me
that his time of 26.7 seconds in the 200m is a world record.
He also won the gold medal in the 100m and his time of 12.92 seconds
(wind speed +0.1) is the first time anyone our age has ran under 13
seconds. The previous best being 13.04 seconds.
For good measure he also won gold in the high jump and long jump.
Outstanding or what?
As I said a few weeks back it is a pleasure to come
second to such an accomplished athlete and I just hope I am good enough
and fit enough to finish second to him in next year's European Heart &
Lung Transplant Games in Vaxjo Sweden as I have done in the past four
events, which take place every two years.
André's performance at the World Games and also that
of our own John Barnes (outstanding athlete of the Games winner) might
finally silence those who criticise the standard of the sport at the
European Heart & Lung Transplant Games and over promote the newly
created annual European Transplant and Dialysis Games at our
expense.
We are independent of the TSUK and rightly proud of
the fact the the European Heart & Lung Transplant Games are easily the
highlight of the sporting calendar for many transplant recipients who
have either had a heart and or a lung transplant. Not all of
those taking part will ever get a sniff of the World Games and this is a
chance for them to take part / compete against others from around Europe
as well as a chance to sample foreign climes. So let's
not hear any more snooty remarks from others who should know better.
The fact that I sit on the committee of the British
Heart & Lung Transplant Association - BHLTA - has nothing to do with the
above rant.
Wednesday 2nd September
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Early morning visit to hospital followed by a round of golf and then a
committee meeting at Tyne Youth & Community Centre, otherwise not much
happening.
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Final medal table - 17th World Transplant Games
| |
|
Gold |
Silver |
Bronze |
Total |
|
| |
Australia |
84 |
49 |
44 |
177 |
|
| |
Great Britain |
79 |
74 |
61 |
214 |
|
| |
USA |
40 |
39 |
35 |
114 |
|
| |
Netherlands |
27 |
17 |
22 |
60 |
|
| |
Hungary |
21 |
27 |
22 |
70 |
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Despite GB (or is it UK?) winning most medals it is only fair that
Australia are declared the winners because the reverse was the case at
last year's Olympic Games. I think this is the first time
that we have not topped the table, but hey, who cares?
Everyone was just happy to be there!
Tuesday 1st September
I have just learned of an outstanding achievement by my fellow heart
transplant GB golfing team mate, John Barnes. John had his heart
transplant at Papworth hospital a couple of years after me and we have
competed as team mates and rivals at numerous British and European
Transplant Games plus a few golf competitions in that time.
JB plays his golf at the championship course of Woburn and is probably
the best 18 handicapped golfer I have ever clapped eyes on.
At the World Games which have just finished on the Gold Coast in
Australia John won 6 gold medals - yes 6. He won gold in the
golf (net 64) as well as high jump. long jump, javelin and set new world
records in winning the ball throw and discus. Rightly he was
awarded the trophy for the outstanding athlete at the 17th World Games.
Brilliant.
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In my quest to visit the White House in three weeks time, yesterday I
sent a request to our ambassador at the British Embassy in Washington
DC. I received an automated response informing me that my
request is being processed and they will get back to me.
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This is my last throw of the dice but it could be because my trip is
within 30 days i may have just missed the deadline. If only
I had thought of this back in April when I contacted that nice Mr Obama.
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Monday 31st August
In the days when the young Michael Atherton attended Durham University
his cricket team mates scrawled the letters 'FEC' on his locker door.
The initials stood for Future England Captain and proved to be prophetic
as he went on to captain his country a record number of times.
It is sometimes simply a matter of destiny.
A name familiar to all readers of these pages and especially my 'Guest
Book', namely Willy the TOG, AKA Willy from Bude, shall
for the next 14 months or so be know as Willy FTC.
The FTC signifying Future Tynemouth Captain.
Our mate Willy was confirmed yesterday as vice captain of Tynemouth Golf
Club and he will understudy Steve Laws for a season before becoming our
captain in 2010 -11.
Of all my acquaintances in golf I can think of no-one who deserves this
honour more than Mr W. Smith. The role of golf club captain
was created for people like Willy. That he is a TOG and a
good friend is a bonus.
The next two years will be good fun at TGC because young Master Laws is
equally suited to the job. Incidentally both the captain and
his vice captain will be helping me organise the golf day next year
(Friday May 14th) to celebrate 25 years of transplants at the Freeman
hospital.
June - August '09

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