Mossley v Airbus UK Broughton

Despite the score (1-4) ... despite the fact I came home believing it was 1-5 (eek !) ... 'twas a very good game.  It was obvious which side was the fitter, more organised etc (well they HAVE been to Latvia and back !!).  Shame that some of the first half was spoilt by a lot of "unnecessaries" - I baulk to point out the number of Liverpool accents in the visitor's team - I was thinking more "Whingemakers" than "Wingmakers".  Fortunately it soon calmed down (!) and we were treated to a very good game of football.  Airbus well worth their win - obviously with the extra games they've played - and the quality of the teams they've met - there was only going to be one winner.  However Mossley gave it their best shot ... and certainly looked very good in places.  Like I said about the Stalybridge/Gateshead game - it's only a friendly ... but it's useful to test yourself against someone better.  Pictures to be found at

Mossley 1 AirbusUKBroughton 4

Tomorrow sees a trip up to Hurst Cross to the annual "Meet the Players" evening - camera in hand to assist the "main man".  Saturday ?? Who knows - I don't - yet ...
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Duchess in Labour ...

... now THAT surprised me when I got home tonight ... thought all the Royalty were at least Conservative sympathisers ... obviously can't do UKIP due to German heritage ... and no-one - repeat no-one - does Liberal Democrat these days do they ???

If I were a betting man it would be George or Victoria ... but wouldn't it be much better if it was Kyle or Chardonnay ??
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(Can't you tell cricket's finished, golf's finished, cycling's finished ??? - bring on Tuesday footy !!!)
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Cock-Up Sunday ...

... went for a bit of a wander (no local cricket unfortunately) - to try some stuff out with the "old" camera - sad to say ... it didn't work too well !!!  Rescue attempted via the "black and white option" ... but ...

Settings suitably noted down - promise better next time !!!

Football tomorrow - the "big international" 'twixt Mossley and Airbus UK Broughton ... sadly looking at the weather forecast, it'll probably be in a raging rainstorm ... with flash flooding options ... we'll see (but I'm taking wet weather gear - i.e. plastic bag and rubber band - just in case !!!)
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Stalybridge Celtic v Gateshead

A touch cooler today work-wise - nice bit of breeze at times - finished at a decent time to get home, then rush up the Mottram Road to see Celtic take on a useful Gateshead side who were a touch quicker and sharper all round - believe they've had a few more friendlies so ...  can't argue with result really - but that's what friendlies are for ... innit ??? Some more pics from the rusty lens at

Stalybridge Celtic 0 Gateshead 4

One gripe ... a bottle of Peroni in't'club has gone up from £2-60 to £3-00 !!!!  Lucozade (or temperance) calls ....
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Gridlock in Uppermill ...

... a quickie from yesterday ... excuse lateness - there were more important things happening - like football and death ...

Here's a couple of pix (via phonecam) from my walk yesterday close to the mill pond in Uppermill ...

 

The mill pond is on the right of pic 1 - left of pic 2 ... talking to Pete who was out there ... he reckons the Canada Geese are evil b'tards who scare the big white buggers away.  However checked this morning - they were happily back in big pond !

Meanwhile - the hot weather continues - I'm still alive (obviously) - very very very disappointed that the postman death story  I mentioned yesterday (another story here) has been relegated to the page 4/5 of most papers today.  As I said - we're not Territorial Army "heroes" going for it - and not knowing their limits - we're just peeps doing our job - with little or no help/advice from the highly paid management. ... sad when it comes down to that - but I AM very disappointed that the story appears to have been almost "hushed up" ...

Hey ho - apparently the North-West weather is up to "LEVEL 3" tomorrow ... whatever level 3 means ... will struggle again tomorrow - and the only local footy is Stalybridge Celtic v Gateshead.  Hopefully I'll get finished/stay alive/get down to Bower Fold to continue knocking the cobwebs off the footy lens ... although I was quite happy with Wednesday's efforts ...

Stay cool ................ stay safe ........
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As If I Cared ...

... but thanks to Davro @ Belper for pointing it out !!! (Note the "slight censorship" !!!!!)

RIP ... Graham Bennett

... but then again ... a postman dying is not as "front page" as TA's dying on the Brecon Beacons ...

Postman dies on duty 

Work it out ... we're not just talking about the odd "hot day" ... it's been 75c+ for at least two and a bit weeks ('scuse my farhenheit ... I'm old !) - and even I'm feeling it - big style. Add to this we get the "heavy days" - as in Wednesday/Thursday usually) ... and these days it's a lot more parcels/packets - plus I'm still out in "the countries" as it's called round here - still bags on shoulders (no vans for us !) - and in the Pennine foothills .. we have ... hills.

Naturally ... we await the full SP - no doubt RM will be hoping there are "underlying medical medical issues" ... which will get them off the hook ...
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Mossley v Glossop North End - PSF

Yes football is BACK on "STS" ...OK so I've missed a few over the past few days - but having spent several hours a day out in ridiculous heat (and I'm on 0645hrs starts as well), I hope you'll bear with me

Mossley 3 Glossop NE 1

Will update tomoz ...
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Edale and Back ... Twice ...

One of those "silly ones" ... whereby I finish work on Friday, head down to Edale, set up tent, make food, drink, sleep ... then wake up at daft o'clock, come home, go to work, do work then head back to Edale on Saturday afternoon etc etc.  Didn't take big camera either - but managed a few pix with babycam.  Unfortunately something seems to be wrong with the "Alt" key on my laptop at the moment - hence "dodgy panorama" picture.  Still ... good time had by all - and got a good walk in today ...

Edale Weekend 14Jul13

... and yes ... it was hot !!!
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Management Merry-go-Round ...

At the end of last season Ashton United Manager Danny Johnson left to take over the reins at Nantwich Town - he was replaced at Hurst Cross by Craig Robinson ...

... but it's all happened today !! First Craig Robinson resigns due to personal reasons ... and Coach Paul Phillips was appointed "Joint Manager" ... together with Steve Halford who leaves the job of Mossley Manager.  Taking over at Mossley is former Assistant Manager Peter Band ... we await the new Mossley Assistant Manager ...

All that in about five hours flat !!!
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And a few from Sunday ...

Another scorcher - and some "time out" again ...

Poster @ Greenfield Station ...

Some more cricket - well the Uppermill innings (including a ferocious 30 runs off the final over) ...

Greenfield v Uppermill 07Jul13

... followed by the third set of Andy Murray - and 20 minutes of George Borowski at the "Railway" ...

One last snap - from the "Britannia" - of Robinsons fastest selling brew for yonks !!

(MONDAY MORNING UPDATE ... Uppermill 289 all out ... Greenfield 142 all out ...)
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Cricket at Greenfield ...

A sunny afternoon - and a chance to break out the big lens for what is usually the "one and only" cricket match I ever manage in a summer ...

So - finish work - home, change and then straight back to Greenfield to watch their 2nd XI take on Friarmere 2nd XI.  When I arrived, Greenfield were in trouble at 78 for 5, but after some hard-hitting from the middle/end they posted a score of 164 all out.  Tea interval allowed me to discover that the club was selling Greenfield Brewery "Silver Owl" on tap - very nice it was too !!

Greenfield struck early (4 for 1) ... and by the time I had to leave Friarmere were wobbling at 39 for 4 ... some pics from the afternoon at

Greenfield 2nds v Friarmere 2nds 06Jul13

Checked out the score this morning - apparently Friarmere squeezed home by 2 wickets.  
 
NOTE - The First Team have a big game this afternoon - the Tanner Cup Semi-Final against Uppermill.
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Some Early Cup Draws

FA Cup Preliminary Round - 31st August

CURZON ASHTON v St Helens Town/Ashton Athletic
MOSSLEY v Worksop Parramore/AFC Blackpool

FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round - 14th September

ASHTON UNITED v Witton Albion
DROYLSDEN v Trafford
Marine v CURZON ASHTON/St Helens Town/Ashton Athletic
MOSSLEY/Worksop P/AFC Blackpool  v Cammell Laird/Salford City

FA Trophy Preliminary Round - 5th October

Ossett Albion v CURZON ASHTON

FA Trophy 1st Qualifying Round - 19th October

ASHTON UNITED v Padiham/Sheffield
DROYLSDEN v Nantwich Town 
Lincoln United/Cammell Laird v Ossett Albion/CURZON ASHTON
MOSSLEY v Lancaster City/New Mills
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Conference Fixtures Out ...

some selected games (Opening/Christmas/Bank Holidays) here ...

HYDE FC - full Hyde FC Fixtures here

Sat 10 Aug - Forest Green Rovers (A)
Tue 13 Aug - SOUTHPORT (H)
Sat 17 Aug - HEREFORD UNITED (H)
Mon 26 Aug - GRIMSBY TOWN (H)
Thu 26 Dec - Macclesfield Town (A)
Wed 01 Jan - MACCLESFIELD TOWN (H)
Mon 21 Apr - Grimsby Town (A)

STALYBRIDGE CELTIC- full Stalybridge Celtic fixtures here

Sat 17 Aug - HEDNESFORD TOWN (H)
Mon 26 Aug - BRADFORD P.A. (H)
Sat 21 Sep - STOCKPORT COUNTY (H)
Thu 26 Dec Altrincham (A)
Wed 01 Jan - ALTRINCHAM (H)
Mon 21 Apr - Bradford P.A. (A)
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Well Done Bala Town ...

winning 1-0 tonight in the Europa League against Levadia Tallinn - BBC Report
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Rest of Weekend ...

... after work Saturday headed off down to Belper (OK Bargate as in "just outside") for sister-in-laws Birthday Bash (had to go ... I'd marinaded the lamb for the kebabs on Friday night !!).  Good do - pretty much all the wife's side of the family were there - and that's a lot  - and the kebabs were good too.  When we were down to the last eight we sloped off to the pub ("Dead Poets Society" in Holbrook) for a few before returning at about 2245hrs ... and kicking off the barbecue again !

"Pimms o'clock - Saturday afternoon

Brief walk on Sunday before returning home

Making hay while the sun shone - Belpershire ...

... and that was the weekend.

And can someone tell me why something like this ...

 

... has something like this on the packet ...

... pointless isn't it ???


Football ... Wednesday is the day ... Football Conference fixtures released ... until then we can only look at Wimbledon - and stuff like that (actually I DID watch the first half of the Confederation Cup Final late on Sunday night - Brazil looked tasty didn't they ??)
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Wimbledon ... Is it just me ...

... or does Sabine Lisicki (Germany) look like Alice Tinker (Vicar of Dibley) ???

...

Something to look forward to ...

... if you're in the vicinity !!

... and to think ... just about three years ago ... Mossley 3 Bala Town 1

dymuniadau gorau i'r Bala !
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Tumbleweed Time ...

... well it IS that time of year - this IS mostly a football site so ... one has to suffer other stuff - or more to the point other stuff all the time.  I could muse about transfers/players leaving this club and that club - but when it all boils down to it, most of it is hearsay/unconfirmed etc - even when the friendlies kick in, you might see a team of 11 - of which maybe only 4 or 5 actually start the season.  Even that list of friendlies I've put up is subject to change ...

Still - since my life-changing win on the horses last Thursday (!!) - been to work a few times, watched TV a bit, cleared out a "storage area" in our cellar (partly in an attempt to find out why the downstairs bathroom has gone a bit "smelly" - well it IS underground - we're part way to solving the problem; the rest of the solution will probably cost money though - aargh !!), cooked a few tasty meals (including slow-cooked lamb with a redcurrant gravy on Sunday), tidied up some of my shelves - which tend to get in a right royal mess !!!

That's about it really ...

Go on then - here's the left-overs from tonight's foodie offering ... creamy cod and haddock pie ...

OK ... during my tidy-up - found a few (OK a lot !) of footy programmes ... anyone out there fancy a copy of

Wigan Athletic v Darlington - 28th April 1979 (Division 4)
West Ham United v Shrewsbury Town - 26th April 1980 (Division 2)

... just a couple - there's LOADS more !!!
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I Don't Do It Very Often - But ..

... I did today ...

£5 on ... £22-50 back - many thanks to John @work who tipped me off  (I'm probably buying the chocolate/cans of coke in the office tomorrow morning) !!!

FRIDAY UPDATE - today's tip also won (Sky Lantern @ 9-2) ... but, not being a gambler, I thought "surely not two out of two" - so I didn't ... bugger ... !! 
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A Midweek Wander ...

... making the most of the weather after work yesterday ... a stroll down the canal.   Having walked up and down this bit of canal for the best part of 30 years, I "attempted" to try and find some different angles on the same old stuff - see what you think ...

Canal Stroll 19Jun13

Looks like the weather is going to break by the weekend - hey ho ...
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The Number of the Beer ...

... found a bottle of this over the weekend - in Morrisons of Belper ...

A brew "created" by Bruce Dickinson himself - just down the road at Robinsons Brewery in Stockport !!!  Find out more at the Iron Maiden Beer Website.

Busy weekend - finish work, drive down to Belper (Mother-in-Laws Birthday) - good afternoon/evening - then today home via Stafford to see parents (Fathers Day of course) plus sister and hubby.  Another good afternoon of natter and catch-up.  Home - cook tea (Pork in Cider) - a bit of this - and soon to relax - late start tomorrow - a welcome relief from two weeks of 0530hrs get-ups.

Football ?? Apart from that pre-season friendly list, pretty much forgotten - not unlike the England Under-21 fiasco in Israel  (fortunate enough not to see ANY of it) ... although I "might"  catch a bit of Confederation Cup later tonight ... even the "Non-League Paper" is down to 32 pages ...
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Pre-Season Friendlies ... UPDATED 31JUL13

Wed 03Jul - Football Conference Fixtures issued

Fri 05Jul - FA Cup/FA Trophy Draws issued

Sat 13Jul - Abbey Hey 0 CURZON ASHTON 2
Sat 13Jul - Rhyl 0 HYDE FC 5

Mon 15Jul - Evo-Stik League Fixtures issued (obviously NOT !!! Wed 17Jul maybe ??)
Mon 15Jul - Chadderton 5 MOSSLEY 3
Mon 15Jul - CURZON ASHTON 0 Oldham Athletic  2

Tue 16Jul - Irlam 2 DROYLSDEN 3
Tue 16Jul - STALYBRIDGE CELTIC 0 Rochdale 3

Wed 17Jul - MOSSLEY 3 Glossop North End 1
Wed 17Jul - West Didsbury 0 CURZON ASHTON 2

Sat 20Jul - Bacup & Rossendale Boro 1 MOSSLEY 1
Sat 20Jul - Barnoldswick Town 1 CURZON ASHTON 3
Sat 20Jul - Clitheroe 0 ASHTON UNITED 1
Sat 20Jul - Congleton Town 2 DROYLSDEN 2
Sat 20Jul - Glossop North End 1 HYDE FC 2
Sat 20Jul - STALYBRIDGE CELTIC 0 Gateshead 4

Tue 23Jul - MOSSLEY 1 Airbus UK 4
Tue 23Jul - Prescot Cables 2 DROYLSDEN 2
Tue 23Jul - Runcorn Linnets 1 CURZON ASHTON 3

Sat 27Jul - Abbey Hey 0 MOSSLEY3
Sat 27Jul - ASHTON UNITED 0 CURZON ASHTON 1
Sat 27Jul - STALYBRIDGE CELTIC 3 HYDE FC  6 (Ray Stanley Memorial Shield)

Tue 30Jul - Brighouse Town 3 CURZON ASHTON 1
Tue 30Jul - MOSSLEY 4 Altrincham 2
Tue 30Jul - STALYBRIDGE CELTIC 2 Accrington Stanley 2

Sat 03Aug - CURZON ASHTON v Isle of Man (National Team)
Sat 03Aug - DROYLSDEN v Romulus
Sat 03Aug - MOSSLEY v ASHTON UNITED (Willow Wood HospiceCup)
Sat03Aug - Nantwich Town v STALYBRIDGE CELTIC

Tue 06Aug - CURZON ASHTON v Blackburn Rovers 

Sat 10Aug - DROYLSDEN v Northwich Vics (Tony Downes Trophy)
Sat 10Aug - MOSSLEY v Chorley
Sat 10Aug - New Mills v ASHTON UNITED

Sat 17Aug - Football Conference and Evo-Stik League starts

Todd Rundgren - Manchester Ritz - 09Jun13 ...Some Words ...

... on the "Official State Visit" tour ...

(N.B. this might be rather long ... but you can guarantee I'll be missing large chunks out !!).

I have two great music heroes ... alphabetically speaking ... Steve Hillage and Todd Rundgren.  For those under-age people, you'll need to go back to the 70s (Google will help of course !!).  I look back with fondness to those days - Knebworth Festivals, Reading Festivals (i.e. well before Reading/Leeds was invented), gigs in London and Sheffield, even Liverpool (when Todd performed with Ringo Starr's All Star Band) - all in homage to those two musicians.  

Time moved on ... starting with Steve Hillage - his 1976 album "L" was a classic in my humble opinion, his peak - and incidentally was produced by ... yep Todd Rundgren.  Then came the anti-music backlash of punk rock - so Hillage promptly puts a track "1988 Aktivator" on his 1979 album "Open" - OK just the one track but ...  The early 80s saw the "double" album "For To Next/And Not Or" - and we were starting to move away from the hippy/dippy music that I'd loved and grown up with ... we were heading down the ambient/trance route, which culminated in the formation of System 7.  I gave it a go - yes I've got a System 7 album (OK CD !!), but it was one step beyond.  OK, the 21st Century has seen him reprise some of his old material together with Gong, but that's just what it was - a reprise of old material.

Todd Rundgren ... a man who has re-invented himself more times than ... an inventor - often on the same album (think "Wizard/A True Star" - a right 'eclectic' mix if I may say so !).  Time moved on - Utopia arrived - and there was a  move towards 'progressive' rock ("Todd Rundgen's Utopia" and "Another Live").  One year after the Steve Hillage production, Utopia released "Ra" - probably my all-time favourite album involving Todd ... and later that same year came another classic Rundgren production - "Bat out of Hell" by Meat Loaf (like the Hillage album, it was produced by Todd and featured members of Utopia).  Time moved on ... Utopia albums and Todd solo albums - each one just that little bit different - but still very accessible.  Then came the 90s - then came "No World Order" ... a radical movement towards dance/techno, heavily influenced by computers !!!  Other "odd-balls" came and went - the bossa-nova inspired "With a Twist" for example.  2008 saw the "Arena" album - a throwback to rock - saw him in Manchester on that tour - and that was a cracking night.

However ... it's time to move on to last night (09Jun13) at the Manchester Ritz - not a huge venue - it was probably 70% full downstairs (the upstairs balcony was shut).  For my sins I had not got round to buying a copy of the new CD "State" so I was 'going in cold'.  Looking around, I reckoned the average age of the audience was about ... me I guess.  Within 15 minutes, I was confused - was I watching Todd Rundgren or was was watching a Todd Rundgren karaoke ?? Despite the attendance on stage of drummer Prairie Prince and Guitarist Jesse Gress (who is an excellent performer), it was more a question of Todd pressing buttons and singing along to a backing track.  Digressing slightly, I believe there was a "computer glitch" at the Edinburgh gig a couple of nights ago which led to Gress "filling in" with a bit of "Lucky Guy" from "Hermit of Mink Hollow" (from 1978 !) - it's on Youtube somewhere.  In fact I believe Todd only donned his guitar three times during the entire (90 minute - no support) gig - and on one of those occasions he started a solo, took the guitar off, and left Jesse Gress to finish it - weird or what ?  We had many flashing lights (no epilepsy warning for us old gits on the ticket/in the venue - OK I jest), and the techno/dance theme continued - at times it was embarrassing watching some of the elderly people in the audience bouncing around to "Angry Bird" as if they'd aimed for the Parklife Concert in Heaton Park - and missed.  I almost expected Bez to come bounding out on stage - but maybe it was more Prodigy than Madchester ... Guess my highlight track of the night was "Worldwide Epiphany" - although again I was unsure whether the heavy guitar riff was live or 'on tape'.  Trawling the web a bit when I got home last night, there was talk of people "walking out" at certain concerts - I'm sure there were many purists (?) there last night as well, although I didn't see any about-turns for the exit.  And for the purists I'm sure the encore was an abomination ... three classic tracks ("Can We Still Be Friends",  "I Saw The Light" and "Hello It's Me" segued together with a techno/dance backing track.  I've no problem with reworks of old classics (I've mentioned the bossa-nova album earlier) - and I've seen Bob Dylan "tweaking songs" live as well as on disc ("Budokan") - I was waiting for the cry of "JUDAS !" but it either didn't come ... or I didn't hear it.  Hearing these three performed as they were was somewhat bizarre though.

Did I enjoy the gig ??  Hard to say - can I say I didn't dislike it - it certainly wasn't what I expected - but what did I expect ?? ... as I said somewhere further up, Todd is a guy who is continually evolving, re-inventing, trying new - and I'm sure he's sick to death of being asked to play stuff that's 30+ years old.  I did come out of the gig (at 2145hrs - now that's early !) a lot more confused than when I went in though - although I did come out clutching a copy of the "State" CD for further perusal/'analysis'.  I could say more I suppose ... but suffice to say, I await the next incarnation of Todd Rundgren with bated breath. There's a track on "No World Order" called "Time Stood Still" - it certainly doesn't for Todd Rundgren !
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... but first ...

... the rest of the weekend - work not as easy a some days (I have been on 0530hrs get-ups all week as well) - but we got there in the end - home to make a load of lamb kebabs (for later) before toddling off to top end of Rochdale to mates' house for barbecue (they get the evening sun !!).  We ate a shed load of food (and drank some alcohol too) and were still outside getting on for midnight.  Sunday saw a drive down to the Vale of Edale, decamping at Hope for a bit of a walk - another glorious day - what with virtually a week of RM shorts plus Sunday = backs of legs suffering a bit (colour-wise).  Just a few pix - virtually all that I took !!

Vale of Edale 09Jun13

Home for about 1730hrs - a quick "creation" in the kitchen (Chicken, Chorizo potatoes and "stuff") before heading down to daughter's for the evening's entertainment ...

... which will be fully reviewed later tonight (I'm in the midst of tonight's tea creation - which involves "bulking up" last night's left-overs - and serving with pasta) ...

Back soon ...
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Appointment with God Tonight ...

... and was I surprised/astonished/confused ...

An early "Fathers Day" pressie from my lovely daughter - she even drove me down there too - which allowed me a couple or three pints of beer (note to non-lager drinkers at the Manchester Ritz ... your only option is bottles of Old Speckled Hen ... at £4-40 each !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Going back to the first line ... it was different to say the least ... and in all fairness I'm saying no more tonight until I've sat down (for a bit longer) and analysed what I saw in my own way ...

(Plus I'm up early doors tomorrow - eek today - at 0530hrs ...)
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Hols ... The Rest ...

... so - to continue ...

The eight-hour journey down was eventful for starters - our new sat-nav (£109 from Tesco.com ... less £70 of vouchers - ergo bargain !?!) seems to have an affinity with Paris. However I'm jumping the gun here - because on the Saturday there was an accident on the M25 - so said sat-nav took us through some busy bits of London (to save time apparently).  Back on track - Sunday saw us driving through almost the middle of Paris - yikes !!!  Ended up going through loads of tunnels (including "that Princess Diana One" - yes I've checked !) and another that seemed a bit "tight" - we had the roof box on - so I was driving and ducking at the same time.  
Got to campsite about 2030 - tent up no probs - still dry - but a bloody cold evening. Monday - dry again - did the supermarche shop and went for a bit of a walk to La Madeleine - a troglodyte village built into the rocks overlooking the Vezere river.  Amazing stuff ... back to campsite - managed a barbecue - steak natch ... and then it started raining ...

... and basically it didn't stop raining until Friday.  Campsite owners said "It's usually 25 degrees Celsius this time of year" ... but is wasn't.  It was wet - and the evenings were bloody cold !  So - Tuesday - it was "museum time" - all good stuff - but not what we were expecting - a brief respite Tuesday afternoon was spent with a shortish walk.  Then back to the tent - to find we'd been burgled ...  not by any human beings, but by a fox, who'd managed to tip over the "cool box" and steal our food (spicy Merguez sausages, pork and parsley pate, bread - and also stick a few teeth marks in the vegetables, thus making them uneatable).  Well hacked off ???  Oh yes ...  however the campsite - although very quiet people-wise - did have a small bar/restaurant, and  Giles managed to put together a wonderful meal of entrecote steak, chips and salad for us.  We returned to the tent - by now it was chucking it down again, and continued all night and the following day - plus the camping lantern had packed up - despite new (expensive) batteries - aargh !  Wednesday - more museums (Le Thot and Lascaux II) due to weather - still amazing stuff, but ... a trip to the supermarche to replace food as well.  We sat in the car park watching the rain pour down and Mrs Smiffy said "ENOUGH !!".  On return to campsite we enquired as to the possibility of renting one of the (empty) mobile homes on the site - as in light, heat, electricity, comfort etc etc - "pas de probleme" was the reply - so we left the tent ...OK we could still hear the rain hammering down - but we had light, heat etc etc !!!

Thursday - another troglodyte village - an amazing place (Le Roque de St Christophe) - also because of the layout we were under cover from the rain.  Afternoon - we went to Sarlat - a medeaval city ... but camera stayed in car - as we did for a good while watching the rain on the windscreen whilst eating lunch.   We ventured out eventually (avec waterproofs !) and sneaked in a posh tea/cake shop as well.  Tea was cassoulet - I love that stuff !!

Friday ...and it started to clear ... so  we grabbed the chance for a big walk - and then another supermarche visit to buy pressies etc (local produce ... foie gras , confit de canard and truffle sauce).  Saturday - a long trip back up to the north of France - and naturally the weather was brill - stopped off at one the the "aires" - like service station - for lunch and admired the French ... picnic table but out came the tablecloth, bottles of wine and posh food (we had butties from our tupperware and a can of Orangina !).  Another nightmare journey ... we decided to avoid Paris but ended up in the hell that is Rouen - some new roadworks that the sat-nav was unaware of ... you can guess the rest.  Arrived at hotel - late (!!) but they too managed to sort us out some Steak Bordelaise with chips and salad.  Sunday - back on Le Shuttle ... and lunch at Toddington Services - sat in the car !!! One helluva difference from 24 hours earlier (aren't Brit Service Stations mostly crap ?  Can only think of one up in the Lake District (Tebay)that's remotely nice and not full of the usual cr*p - some of those French "aires" are just a few picnic tables and a loo - which is great if you're fully prepped !!!

So ... that was our week off - not quite what we were hoping for ... and since our return to GB - and work - the weather's been wonderful (yes the Royal Mail shorts have been out this week !).  Sod's Law I guess ...  photo-wise, it was also a bit disappointing - I'm blaming the weather (!) - but a few from the week can be found at:

Vezere Valley Holiday Pics

A few football stories have turned up in my absence ... but that's another post ...
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Home after Away ... the Prologue ...

... must have worked it out by now - we've been away ... and it was a somewhat "eventful" week !!!

Finished work last Saturday (as in 25th June !!) about 1400hrs - and headed straight for Folkestone, arriving several hours later. One night in a "Lenny Henry Hotel" before taking Le Shuttle on the Sunday morning to Calais (a new experience !) followed by an 8 hour drive down to the Vezere Valley in the Dordogne.  It was a beautiful day weather-wise - shame we were in the car ...

... and then it all went slightly pear-shaped ... stay tuned ...
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Oops !!!

Last year I got a reminder ... this year I didn't ...

So if you're reading this at about 2000hrs on Thursday - you must have used sixtamesides.blogspot.com ... because the web hosting account for the "posh one" (i.e. www.sixtamesides.co.uk) expired -  aargh !

Anyhow ... have just renewed for another 12 months (it's free via www.freehostia.com), so all should be back to normal ... soon.

In the meantime - it was back to work today - nice to see the hailstones bouncing off my cap this afternoon (aah the Great British Summer) - tomorrow is Whit Friday (big local holiday round here - much marching of brass bands and churches etc) - so we're all in very early to try to avoid stuff.  However, it should mean early finish so we can all go home, put on our best bib and tucker and go out in the evening and watch brass band contests and drink a few shandies.  We'll see if last year's "lacklustre effort" (as I called it) continues this year - a good day/night for all which over the years has been slowly ruined by the p*ssheads, I'm afraid - people are staying in due to the aggro, some band contests have 'finished for good' ( see my 2012 post - or my 2011 post - and if to prove a point that's it all been going pear-shaped for some years ... my 2007 post !!!)

In fact if you wanted ... you could substitute "Trans-Pennine Rail Ale Trail" for "Whit Friday" - great ideas ... ruined by morons ...

Rant over - if you can read it in time !!!
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What I Did on my Holidays ...

... three days off this week - not through choice but ...

As with most holidays, it's time to do all those jobbies that you never have time for - doctor's, hospital appointment etc etc.  To add insult to injury, I've managed to chip a tooth exposing the filling below - so an emergency dentist's appointment has been added to the list.

Lazy day on Monday (did buy a pair of bathrrom scales and a Freesat box though) ... yesterday spent virtually all morning in the hospital (I'd been sent there by dox for an x-ray) - so spent a happy hour in the waiting room watching "Homes under the Hammer" - gripping stuff this daytime TV !!! Headed off towards Manchester after that ... via Droylsden because I wanted to "have a go" on the recently opened Metrolink tram extension - such is the geek in me.  

 Got some cheap trainers and a fancy SCART adaptor (automatic - none of this cheap 'button pressing' stuff) to cope with new Freesat box (plus DVD and Nintendo Wii).  A quick whizz round the Football Museum - I'd done it not so long ago (pics here), so it was just a peep at the latest "changing exhibition" which was "Football and Fashion" ... and then home (with a rare - these days - stop-off at Stalybridge Buffet Bar).  Some REALLY boring pictures from babycam at

Day out - Tuesday 21May13

Now you've all fallen asleep (?) ... so far today (1030), I've done the doctor's appointment, bought a new SatNav via Tesco Direct (used a shed load of vouchers to bring it down to just £39 !) - sorted yesterday's pics (staying awake somehow !) and written this ramble.  What next in the thrilling lifestyle of someone without work or football ??

Talking of Tesco ... anyone seen this story today ("Mayor Drives Car into Tesco Store") - brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "Click and Collect" !!!
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Stalybridge Celtic Legends Night

... another jolly night out (and like the Mossley do I got fed as well !!).

Some excellent 'rabbit' from all three speakers - I reckon they'd all do very well on the "After Dinner Circuit" - good plate of chilli, a few beers ... and miss the last train home !  Some pics from the night at

Stalybridge Celtic Legends Night 18May13

Now ... is it worth buying a "Non League Paper" today - or not ?
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Mossley Presentation Evening ...

... and a good time was had by all ...

Once I'd got my head around using the external flash with the new camera I started to get there as well (never been much kop at this indoor/portrait type stuff !).  Plus this new AutoFocus system is still a bit of a learning curve ... I mean ... what the hell happened here ??

OK ... f1.8 lens = DOF but I'd got all AF points selected ... hey ho - enough jargon ...

Anyway ... my tip for Player of the Year failed to materialise (might as well not bother with a lottery ticket tonight either ...) - but it was a good turn-out of both players and fans - and some of the half-decent pictures can be found at

Mossley AFC Presentation Night 17May13

Didn't get too wet today ... as I was arriving for work I spotted one of my 'customers' and family heading for the railway station bedecked in claret and amber on their way to Wembley - so I'm well chuffed for them after today's result (as in Bradford City 3 Northampton 0) - and I hope he got some good shots with his "film camera" - some of Ian's earlier work can be found here.

So ... home at a sensible time - sorted through last night's pictures ... and it's soon time to head off down to Stalybridge for their "Legends Evening" - also got an invite to a "bit of a do" just round the corner from Celtic's ground - apparently there is a barrel of "White Nancy" from Bollington Brewery all set up - probably in the "shed" !!!  Best not overdo it ... might be a long night ...
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Ten Days On ...........

... so I guess the period of mourning is over ...

What the hell - it's over - and Cammell Laird didn't even make it in the Play-Off Final either (Trafford going through on penalties) - at least Belper can say they were "beaten by the winners" (with Stamford beating Chasetown).  In the Evo Prem, FC United dipped out yet again, losing to Hednesford - helluva crowd at Keys Park for that game mind - nearly 4,500.

So ... anyway ... what does one do now ???  OK I watched the FA Cup Final - and certainly the best team won in the end (God the memories of watching Stafford Rangers play Wigan Athletic in the Northern Prem back in the 70s came flooding back ... that crowd of 8,107 at the old Springfield Park is still - I believe - the record crowd for an NPL/Unibond/Evo-Stik game).  Hey ho - and by coming second in the league and "only being FA Cup Final runners-up = "THE SACK" for 'Henry' Mancini.  Just shows how pathetic the "top level" of football in this country has become.  Mossley "only" made the play-offs and won the Manchester Premier Cup - that's not a sacking, it's probably a deportation to Oz ... only joking Ackers - may you remain !!!  Fell asleep in front of the Chelsea/Benfica game ...

So ... anyway ... what does one do now ??? Well there's always cricket I suppose ... but - just for now - a couple of indoor events - in a couple of hours time it's the Mossley "Player of the Year" awards night ... and tomorrow at Stalybridge Celtic it's a "Legends Night" - strangely enough Mrs Smiffy has bobbed off for the weekend daaaarn Derbyshire way so ... you can guess the rest !!!

Note that one of the Stalybridge "Legends" tomorrow night is a certain Tony Sullivan - who is now Manager at ... Cammell Laird; I'd best make sure they know that when I'm pointing the camera at him, IT IS JUST A CAMERA ... no hidden machine gun or anything like that !!

It's took ten days ... and that's it ??  'Fraid so ...

OK ... here's the "League Setup" for next season

... subject no doubt to appeals/teams folding etc etc etc etc etc ... and I've NO idea what a "SUSTEM" is either ...
 
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Weekend Pictures ...

... and not a football in sight ...

Wharfedale 05/06May13

Still totally gutted ...
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Gutted ...

... just back (1800hrs) from North Yorkshire weekend (arranged ages ago ... before the season extension f*cked everything up !) ...

Title says it all ... Mossley lose to a 93rd minute winner @ Cammell Laird (karma for that 93rd minute Skem goal on Saturday maybe ??) ... and Belper lose 4-2 AET in their Play-Off semi - after being 2-0 up in the first 20 ...

Going to pub while Mrs Smiffy in bath ...

Mossley make the Play-Offs ...

Can't say much - it's too damn late and we're up and away for the holiday weekend in not many hours ... here's the pictures though ...

Mossley 3 Harrogate RA 0

All of which means an away trip to Cammell Laird ... on Monday afternoon - not Tuesday night as I originally thought ...  the above first sentence says it all ... hope someone's taking a camera ...
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Big Game Tomorrow ...

... up at Mossley ... the fight for the play-offs ... should be one hell of an atmosphere ... worth £8 of anybody's money (if you're doing nowt !)
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Thursday Wander ...

... out for a bit of a stroll tonight ... took new camera (with another "old faithful" lens attached ) all part of 'getting to know you'  process I guess ...

Midweek Meanderings ...

... well there's no "proper football" so ... 

Starting with some "sad news" - Ashton United Manager Danny Johnson is 'moving on' ... he's accepted the Manager's post at Nantwich Town.  After six years at Hurst Cross - up and down and up and down - he's done a great job there, working on tight budgets but always putting out a good squad, finding a few little gems on the way ... and always very approachable for a natter.  An amicable split I'm glad to say - everyone at Hurst Cross is fully appreciative of Danny's work there and he leaves with everyone's good wishes.

Next ... Cammell "bloody" Laird - buggered up my "If If If" post last night by winning - so it's now definitely/mathematically 'perm any 2 from 3' on Saturday afternoon vis-a-vis the Evo 1 North Play-Offs - takes me back to the heady days of 2006 at Gresley when Mossley were losing and mobile phones were going here, there and every bloody where checking results elsewhere (thank you Shepshed that day !!).  It could well be the same this Saturday ... although these days we all have Twitter to keep us up to date - however might still offer up my mobile number to Trafford and Ramsbottom - can just imagine 1645hrs on Saturday ... waiting ... waiting ... team staying on the pitch ... waiting ... and this is just to get into the bloody play-offs !!!  Now that the Conf North has finished, it would be nice to see a few "extras" turning up at Seel Park on Saturday as well (and personally I'm praying for an "easy Saturday" at work so I can get there early enough to start taking photos) ... incidentally a big plug for Dave Bauckham ... he came up for the Mossley/Ramsbottom game - and there's a cracking album of pictures here:

Mossley/Rammy - Dave Bauckham's View

Fortunately Belper Town don't have this worry on Saturday - guaranteed 3rd place in the Evo 1 South - unless they can turn an 8 goal difference around (assuming Coalville lose as well) - at least 3rd place guarantees a home tie in the Play-Off Semi-Final ... Mossley can only hope for 4th or 5th (assuming all goes to plan) ... which means travelling (New Mills or Cammell "bloody" Laird !!).

Can Barcelona turn it round tonight ?? Does anyone really care ?? Will Mourinho move back to England ?? Does anyone really care ??

Time to cook tea ... does anyone care ??
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