... how I've missed out on an absolute classic piece of music ???? I'll tell you why: - We don't listen to Radio 1 - or Key 103 - or other such "modern music" radio stations ... - We have not listened to the "Top 20/Top40" show since ... music was good and the artist's names didn't include the words "... featuring ..." or "MC" or "DJ" or other such cr*p - much happier listening to "Sounds of the 60s" with Brian Matthew (often at work); "Pick of the Pops from x years ago" with Tony Blackburn (often coming home from work on a Saturday) - or "Sounds of the 70s" with Johnnie Walker on a Sunday afternoon ... We didn't watch the 2012 Paralympics Closing Ceremony (there's the big clue !!) ... - We're getting on in years - we pick up music from what we already know (Radio 2 or BBC 3/4) - or via the world music scene (Radio 2 or BBC 3/4) - or odds and sods that the kids play us and say "You might like this you old gits ..." - We've (or rather I've - Mrs Smiffy hated 'em) stopped going to music festivals (Leeds, Download etc) ... So ... there we were 'twixt Christmas and New Year in the cinema to watch "The Hobbit - Part 1 of 3" when a trailer came on for "Life of Pi" ... and I heard a snippet of a tune and thought "That's good - that's very good - will research when I get home" ... we knew the other one already (as in "Saeglopur" by Sigur Ros) cus we've got it - another clue ... ... and so it was - a tune that's been out since September 2011 - made number 1 in that chart I never listen to in the first week of 2012 - and has a jolly Youtube video with (apparently over 177 MILLION hits !) ... I'm an old git - and I LOVE anthemic tunes ... and this is certainly up there with the best ..
Such is life ... I consider myself "caught up" !!! Football tomorrow ?? The match I want to go to (Ashton United v Stafford Rangers) is already subject to a 1000hrs pitch inspection - t'other option (hate to say it's second choice ... but I only get to see the old home town - as in Stafford - rarely) is Mossley v New Mills - a cracking top of the table duel - and word is that the pitch is fine ... so we'll get summat ... surely ... Off round to daughter's for New Years Eve - so if I don't get back before midnight (unlikely) - all the very best to you readers out there from "STS" - let's hope 2013 is an improvement to all - ignore the the ramblings of Cameron and Clegg - and let's do it ourselves ... because we'll get no bloody help from those clowns in charge .... .
... well we got some football in on Saturday !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There I was - wandering around Saddleworth in the pouring rain on Saturday morning - and I get a txt (thanks to Andy W !!) - Mossley game off (they were away @ Clitheroe so I knew etc etc) - Curzon Ashton game off (one of my options - bugger !) - but Stalybridge Celtic have had a 1030 pitch inspection (local ref) and it's on ! The way work was (i.e not a bad day) I thought ... we got a go-er here. Anyway the rain contiued to belt down - I got wet - the mail got wet - and I thought ... surely not ?? Then it stopped ... and I hurried round, finishing at a sensible time this Saturday - unlike that bugger before Christmas when I saw 3 mins of the Mossley game !!) - got home at 1355 - checked on laptop - and match ref says GO !!! However ... not as simple as turning up ... I'd promised some framed piccies for the Stalybridge "Hail Ale" raffle which was to take place after the game - and just after Christmas I'd thought "Bugger - better get them printed" - and true to form Photobox came up with the goods - they were there when I got home from work ! Fortunately Mrs Smiffy offered me a lift up to Bower Fold - via Tesco to pick up three photo frames - so there I was at 1450 putting pics into frames and hoping that the ref didn't kick-off at 1455 (see Boxing Day thread). He didn't - so pics in frames - and handed over to Tweedy - I got ut and started to wander round - and then Celtic only went and scored in the 3rd minute !!!!!! Fortunately I was "all plumbed in" and got it - albeit from the 'wrong end' ... but hey - result. A very even first half after that - Bradford can certainly play football - but they're a pretty physical bunch as well - however the Celtic "young 'uns" stood up well to it - and Alex Cairns in the Celtic goal made a couple of cracking saves to keep it at 1-0 by half-time. One bottle of Peroni later (my half-time treat !) and it was back out for more. Bradford still looked good but the Celtic defence was holding firm (as they say on the Message Board ... "PLAY TIM RYAN !!" - and it DOES seem to make a difference having an older/wiser/balder head back there. Celtic were playing downhill and just after the hour mark Tom Buckley made it 2-0 with a well-placed shot from outside the box. A red card for Bradford's Richard Marshall - and that was it really. Credit the opposition mind - they continued to play good football to the bitter end - and one save from Richard Lamb towards the end was first class (he'd spent the entire game being 'baited' about his 'chunky disposition' - you can work out the chants - surely !) The rain returned - big style - so it was just like being at work (!!) but - 2-0 final score - and a good end to 2012 for Stalybridge Celtic. You've waited this long - some pictures at Stalybridge Celtic 2 Bradford PA 0 Quick beer - and home (we had visitors) ... I did my best - good food from Mrs Smiffy (whole salmon with Mustard and Dill Sauce) followed by an hour's natter/diarising (things to do in the next three months) and then a game of Trivial Pursuit on the Wii (forget boards - this is the future !) ... but still "zonked out" at about 2300hrs - all these early starts play havoc with my sleeping patterns. Naturally wide awake this morning around 0600hrs (see previous) - but then zzz-ed until 0800 (whoo - a lie in !) before getting up and sorting the above pics out. Next jobbie today was nipping out to buy stuff for the New Years Day starter - I'd promised a "Vegetarian Terrine" - but it took me FOUR supermarkets to find veggie gelatine !! Meanwhile Mrs Smiffy is waiting at home for me to return with car, as she's off to Belper to Mums - coming back tomorrow afternoon (avec Mum - hence the posh starter option). A couple of hours in the kitchen making said terrine (it looks great - and I promise a picture of a slice on New Years Day !) before sloping off to the pub to watch football (!).
Home to an empty house - and now this ... going to get some food before settling down in front of the telly to watch a Christmas DVD pressie - "AC/DC Live at the River Plate 2009" - I did mention it on the blog a few weeks ago after seeing the "short" version on BBC4 - and thankfully some people actually read this cr*p (i.e.daughter !!!) ... and then it's up at 0600hrs tomorrow for another day at the mailface. .
Some pictures for starters ... Stalybridge Celtic 2 Altrincham 2 ... and if the camera wasn't rusty before - it might well be now after all that water !!! More tomorrow/today - got to be at work in less than 6 hours - aargh !!
THURSDAY EVENING UPDATE - well .. it got to about 1415hrs - and then the heavens opened !!! "My God - it'll be like going to work - but paying for the privilege", thought I. Still - got to Bower Fold in time for a quick pre-match Peroni (just can't drink that lo-grav keg rubbish - hopefully the 'Hail Ale Project' will put that right in the fullness of time.
Getting ready to go out - and a loud cheer erupts - teams coming out - NO - apparently Celtic are 1-0 up - I check watch - it's ONLY 1457hrs and the Golden Goal was given as 1 minute ... BUGGER. Hey ho ... still bucketing it down as well. Celtic were looking much better than the last time I saw them (as in the last match I'd seen 25 days earlier !) - however a "momentary lapse of reason" saw Alty equalise and then early doors in the second half they edged ahead with a second goal from Watmore. However far from home heads dropping, Celtic kept plugging away and got their just rewards with a second goal from Jack Laird. From then on, it could have gone either way - 'twas good end to end stuff as the weather improved slightly (as in "rain" rather than "torrents" !). In the end though I reckon a draw was a fair result - a touch of (penalty) controversy at either end evened itself out and all-in-all a cracking game of football given the atrocious conditions.
Happy to get a game in (AT LAST !) - and home via a beer or two. One "cold turkey" moment sorted (i.e. lack of football) only to be greeted with another "cold turkey" moment (i.e. tea !). Slumped out for a while before sorting pix and then heading off to bed before another early start today - not too many Christmas cards coming through - but ... bloody catalogues (Spring Sales, Holiday Brochures etc) - my gum it was heavy - as in weight !
... and then to come home, open payslip and find rather a lot of last week's overtime "missing" - a bit of a kick in the festive teeth to put it mildly. Happy to work it - but it's nice to get the money innit ?? Phone call ("Angry of Mossley" !) dutifully bunged on the answerphone - let's see what occurs tomorrow ...
Out in a bit (after some 'non-turkey based tea') ... . .
... well the Curzon Ashton v Mossley game has already been called off ... now trusting to Satlybridge Celtic (at home to Altrincham) ... ... we'll worry about transport (or lack of) in an hour or so ...
1300hrs UPDATE - Stalybridge Celtic v Altrincham is ON ... let's hope the camera (and cameraman) ain't rusty !!! .
... taken from my copy of the Ladybird Easy-Reading Book - "People at Work - The Postman" - circa 1965 !!
So - that's it for another year !! A sensible finish time today, so home for 1400hrs - and changed and back out in pub for 1410hrs !!! Just a couple mind - presents to wrap and all that stuff - and so to relax - before a different kind of "Christmas Pressure" in the kitchen tomorrow ... Merry Christmas to all readers from "STS" - sorry that there's been next to bugger all to read over the last few weeks - but I'm comfy in that everything that has been thrown at me (junk mail, Christmas cards, packets, parcels etc) has been delivered in time for tomorrow - anything outstanding is down to incompetence elsewhere (ouch - just felt my halo slipping down there ...). Have a good 'un everyone - and hopefully we'll all have football to go to on Boxing Day - even if there is no public transport !! Now off to slump in front of the box ...
... yep - the Ossett Town consolation goal on 90 minutes - lucky that I'd got up to Seel Park just a few minutes earlier !! Yes ... we're nearly there - but we've still got Christmas Eve to get through yet. Just working it out - the last "real" game of football I saw was Stalybridge Celtic v Vauxhall Motors ... on the 1st December - and THAT was hardly a birthday treat ! Since then ... it's been "Christmas Pressure", waterlogged pitches, "Christmas Pressure", frozen pitches, late finishes (missing Celtic v Workington - a blessing in disguise in hindsight !), "Christmas Pressure", early starts - getting wet, getting cold, getting very wet ad nauseam ... third Christmas with RM and it's certainly been the worst in all aspects - hours, weather and the sheer volume of stuff - recession, what recession ? Had a txt part way round today saying "Mossley game ON " - knew I wouldn't make it, but I wondered how the hell it had beaten the weather !! All credit to the groundstaff however - I finished work at about 1600hrs - home for 1620hrs, out of the dripping wet clobber and dashed up the road (minus camera - no point getting all the gear wet for just a few minutes of football) so see ... a goal ... pitch looked really well considering (was told that it only really started to cut up in the last 15 minutes or so when the rain got 'heavier' !). So a calculated gamble (IMHO) that paid off with three points. Day off tomorrow (as in Sunday) - time to do the Christmas food shopping - and maybe some last minute (!) presents - in at 0630 on Monday - hoping for an easier day (but not holding my breath) before a massive 48 hour break ... let's hope that Curzon Ashton are getting their pitch ready for the visit of Mossley on Boxing Day - and that the weather is kind - this lack of football is really giving me ... cold turkey (ho ho ho !!) .
... trust me ... just absolutely shattered every day - and with no football since God knows ... let's get this Christmas mayhem out of the bloody way - and then maybe normality may return ... although "normality" IS a relative term ... and so to sleep ... .
... says it all really (from Evo-Stik website) ...
... work slightly easier than yesterday as well - possibly the usual "calm Tuesday before the storm that is Wednesday" however ! Must admit looking at the weather forecast long-range ... it should become tropical on Thrusday/Friday/Saturday (tropical being relative of course !!) so maybe - just maybe - a game on Saturday (or half of one depending on "you know what" (you should know - you ordered the damn stuff online - now go out and buy a bigger letterbox !!!).
Late Update - took advantage of Mrs Smiffy's absence (down in Belper - her Mum had another cataract op today - went well apparently) - and watched Arsenal make fools of themselves agin Bradford City - could have done without the e/t and pens mind ! Came home rustled up some meatballs in sauce and got on here - whilst cooking I banged on a "golden oldie" - "I Get Wet" by Andrew WK - saw him at Leeds many moons ago - he's fun !! And following the AC/DC offering t'other night I give you my fave track from said AWK album ...
... normally one of the two quiet days @ work (other being Tuesday ... and OK Saturday if you like - but that would make three ...) - not today though - - aargh !! Obviously they've had the "casuals" in on Sunday doing extra sorting, so we 'walkmen' copped for it today. Weather still not brilliant either (i.e. dodgy underfoot) - so a late finish. By the time I was walking up our street it was "glistening" again, so I reckoned the Curzon Ashton v Trafford game would be off tonight. How wrong was I ? Apparently they played (yet to hear the full monty on the game mind) and it finished 0-0. Me ?? I roasted up a topside of beef to make butty material for the week, had a couple of pints down the pub, put a load of washing on - and most importantly got my e-mail sorted !!! I think it wasn't until about Friday last week that I realised I'd had no e-mails since Wednesday. I did fiddle about with stuff over the weekend, but still no joy, so this evening I phoned up Orange - and "the man" took control of my laptop (good ol' Citrix - I remember it well from a previous employ !) - and sorted it - and they all came gushing through ... so "big up" to Orange tonight !! Let's see what Tuesday brings - certainly won;t be any non-league football I'm afraid (but come on Stafford Rangers - hope you can beat AFC Moneybags Fylde ... and it would be nice if Cammell Laird can take something off Skelmersdale United as well !!). Now I REALLY need to think about Christmas stuff ... oh and sleep as well !! .
...starting at 1930hrs ... expect me to go into draft mode as I go along - hence timings .. Where shall we start - well theoretically (?) it's a footy blog so start there - Mossley v Cammell Laird - OFF; Ashton United v Frickley Colliery/Athletic - OFF. Suppose I could have gone to watch Droylsden (lost 2-1 to Bishops Stortford) or Hyde FC (who came back from a 0-1 reverse at half-time to beat AFC Telford 2-1). Two places I couldn't have made were Garforth Town (who lost 6-1 to Curzon Ashton) or Solihull Moors (who beat Stalybridge Celtic 1-0) - I WILL check out the "details" from all above games later ...... However ... I didn't finish work until 1420hrs - thanks to "having the motor" I got home for 1430hrs so that Mrs Smiffy could slope off to Belper (who incidentally got a 1-1 draw at home to Brigg Town) ... and I just sat down - football was the last thing on my mind - I was absolutely knackered. I've been out since for a couple of beers, but my legs/hips are not in the greatest shape at the moment ... ....yep - it's work - it's called "Christmas Pressure" - and it's effing hard work !! This week has seen 0630 starts - and as the weeks went on 1600/1630 hrs finishes due the the sheer volume of stuff - notwithstanding the weather - we've seen rain/hail/sleet/snow flurries plus the icy pavements/paths/driveways ... on top of the madness that is called "packets" - they've gone through the roof this week - if only peeps ordered DVDs (nice, slim, fit through most letterboxes) .. but they don't they order silly sized stuff that we walkmen have to carry out with us (because the whole "size" issue has changed over the years- what used to be a 'van size packet' now has to be taken out by the walkers - believe it or not the phrase "shoe box size" is pretty much the norm - so you don't need many to fill the sack !!!
2230hrs update - just took some time out to watch a bit of BBC IPlayer - AC/DC Live at River Plate 2009 which was on BBC4 last night apparently - that looked like one helluva gig !!! And there's still time for me to stick the full DVD on my Christmas list !!
... in about 6 hours time ... something to do with this UK version of "Cyber Monday" ... No midweek footy this week - unless you count that "tame surrender" from Man City this evening which I had the pleasure (??) of watching ... Now it's off to bed to dream about packets/parcels - and more of them ... AAARGH !! .
24 Feb 1981 - Wedding of Charles and Diana announced ... Thatcher 02 April 1982 - Let's start a war - Falkland crisis begins ... Thatcher 20 Mar 2003 - Let's start a war - Iraq "conflict" begins ... Blair 27 Jul 2012 - Let's start an Olympics ... Cleggeron 03 Dec 2012 - Kate is expecting a "Royal baby" ... Cleggeron
... ho hum (and I bet I've missed a few other dates out as well). .
... as predicted - another "yuk" day at the mail/parcel face (fingers crossed it's a question of peeps 'ordering early' this year - although I bet it STILL goes bananas in the last 7 days) - sub-zero temperatures didn't help much either (!) ... so finished somewhat late for a Saturday (1445hrs), dashed home to see what was occurring football-wise (had already been advised that Mossley was OFF), and headed straight up to Stalybridge for their game against Vauxhall Motors, arriving about 25 minutes late (!). Not a good day for the home side - distinctly lacking up front I'm afraid - and this coupled with a harsh (IMHO) red card for Lewis Hatch and an 89th minute "smash and grab winner" for the visitors made it a miserable afternoon for the home support - sub-zero temperatures didn't help much either (!) ... and then word came through that Hyde had put 7 (seven) past Woking and Curzon Ashton had won 3-0 at home to Harrogate Railway ... picked a wrong 'un me (but it was the nearest so ...). A few pictures from a freezing cold Bower Fold at Stalybridge Celtic 0 Vauxhall Motors 1
Home - and out for birthday tapas with full family - only to be let down at the death by train cancellations home - bloody Northern Rail - any excuses/reasons gratefully received. Two taxis home and collapse in heap. No walk for me today - I've dipped out - so it's a case of continuing to rebuild the house after the recent improvements (need to nip down to ye local DIY shoppe for some new light switches, some cupboard doors to move about - and this of course). Already sorted out some new curtains (dirt cheap when you get involved in this Tesco Clubcard exchange kerfuffle !). Meat for tea defrosting (ha !!) as we speak. Back on "very earlies" next week - so, Northern Rail I'm depending on you NOT to balls it up ... .
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