Wednesday, July 27, 2005

My thumb is better

Cricket gloves

An awkward bounce in the cricket match I played in Saturday before last resulted in a painful blow to my right thumb.

It quite spoiled the dinner dance I went to that evening as I was nursing my thumb in ice.

Well, the bruising came out and I played again this Saturday but my thumb still hurt. Not all the time but when I turned a key, washed my mug ... that kind of thing.

Tonight, by accident, I managed to get the thumb caught in the straps of the kit bag and heard a "click". I'd managed to put back my slightly dislocated joint.


:-)

Friday, July 15, 2005

Tour de France

Tour de France

I'm no cyclist myself but through the coverage on ITV2 I have learned to appreciate the finer points of team racing in the Tour de France.

It's also nice to catch the names of places we've visited on holiday over the years.

Monday, July 11, 2005

Simpsons' Sky!

We had a sky right out of "The Simpsons" this morning :-)

Simpson's Sky!

Sorry about the quality ... just a little better than nothing.

For a better rendition, you might like to check out the BBC's site where a Simpsons' Sky is used as a background.

Sunday, July 10, 2005

It's a Knockout for Hospice in the Weald

It's a Knockout

Today saw the staging of "It's a Knockout" in Tonbridge.

This year there were 36 teams all having fun whilst raising money for Hospice In The Weald.

A good thing on many levels.

I hope everyone involved feels better about the world this evening ... it's been a bad week.

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Biarritz - April 2005

Whilst the girls were away in Spain with their Aunt, the rest of the family took advantage of an offer in The Telegraph for a train ticket to anywhere in France for £50.

We picked Biarritz as we'd never been to this part of the country before.

We stayed at the Hotel Atalaye, which I think has been fairly reviewed by some recent guests.

Hotel Atalaye, Biarritz

The Hotel's owner could not have been more friendly. He greeted us warmly and set us up each day with a cheery smile. He even offered his Hotel for my Tilley Hat, but I think he was just joking.

My Tilley Hat

Whatever, I've still got my hat and he has his hotel.

Biarritz has a spectacular coastline as well as some interesting man made features. The bridge in the picture was constructed by M. Eiffel (we saw his other, more vertical, structure on the way home).

Biarritz swimmers

Although it was warm and sunny there was no chance of me dipping a toe into the Atlantic as it was too cold. However, there were a good number of hardy locals that went swimming for half an hour or more.

We shared the town with the visiting supporters of Munster Rugby FC. I thought I was a keen sports fan, but the local support for the home team, Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque seemed to involve the whole town. The shops were decorated in the club's colours, and one had made a pretty good guess at the final score:

Rugby score

In fact, it finished 19 - 10 to Biarritz.

Friday, May 13, 2005

Highway Golf Society - Spring 2005

It was off to the golf course again on Friday. This time it was Darenth Valley Golf Club.

34 points playing off 17, so not bad. Also came home with the prize for "nearest the pin" (about a metre away on the par 3 5th).

Nearest the pin

Having actually read the www.golfreview.com reviews about the Taylor Made 320Ti, I had a much happier experience with my new driver.

I had been trying to hit the ball too hard!

All it takes is an easy swing and the ball is off, arrow straight. On the par 5s I must have been 30-40 yards further than my playing partners.

Taylor Made 320Ti
Welcome to my bag!

Thursday, May 12, 2005

Causeway Cup 2005

The annual competition between Chiddingstone Causeway, Leigh, Ramblers and Stonewall Park took place at Sedlescombe Golf Course.

Having not played a round of golf for a year, I felt my handicap of 24 appropriate. However, there's always a danger of putting in a storming round and being derided as a bandit.

Teeing of from the Ladies tee on the 16th was at the root of the first blob on my card. I took my dark mood to the 17th which wasn't a good idea as two balls disappeared out of bounds into a field. I reckon the farmer could get a healthy income from the balls collecting there.

I finished with 32 points which was good enough for 3rd place.

I need more time with my new driver, which is favourably reviewed on www.golfreview.com.
Taylor Made 320Ti
There was no sign of a slice when I bought it but I found it soon enough out on the course. However, the trusty metal 3 wood performed well.