Football Tonight ... not I !!

Droylsden have won, beating Kings Lynn (they're now starting to breath down Celtic's neck in the BSN) - Curzon Ashton have beaten Newky Brown Ale Blue Star - Curzon now ten points in front of Mossley ... and still an outside chance of the play-offs in the Unibond 1 North.

Me - going for the Wakefield v Mossley option tomorrow night .. train jobby straight from work and home for 2330.

Work - strangely "relaxed" .. our Lotus Notes Admin (Helen) left today - which leaves our Developer doing stuff till I get trained up (cus he's buggering off to Deansgate at the end of April - toad - 'twas probably "karma" which led James to "fall over" in the karaoke bar on Saturday night and smack teeth and nose to the ground - and NO HE WASN'T PUSHED !!!!!).
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Sunday Relax ??

OK - a bit of a lie-in (until I realised that the (fairly new) sexy DAB bedside radio had automatically "moved on one hour").

Mrs Smiffy and "our Michelle" were down in Belper - hence my Saturday "all-dayer and most of the bloody nighter". Today was beautiful - blue skies all over the shop - so I did some "tidy-up", did some ironing - and then grabbed the 170-500mm "monster" - still on extended loan although the owner was one of those who "didn't make the cut" @ work - so it should go back eventually - and caught a train up to Greenfield - now there's a photo on the wall in the "Railway" showing a train going over the viaduct @ Uppermill - my aim was to find the spot where it was taken - and believe it or not, once I got "in the vicinity", I realised that the 70-200mm would have been fine (being honest I was looking for a spot for when the next "Cotton Mill Express/Steam Train" goes through our neck of the woods) See what you think anyway - the big lens is very very heavy - I can see the idea behind a sturdy tripod - I was using monopod but still ...

Trains and Trains and other related stuff !

Walked back to Greenfield - nipped into "Railway" for 1.5 pints of Copper Dragon "Golden Pippin" and then(as you can see from pix) I moved onto Stalybridge to finish off - even got "permission" to snap on the station - why I hear you say ?? I refer to ..

Train Spotter Terrorist .....

- a natter with some Celtic fans (got the low-down on the Kings Lynn defeat - and apparently Jason's barred !!!) - some Howard Town "Monks Gold" .. and then return home to cook for the returnees - cajun chicken for the "meaties" - quorn korma for the "veggies" - a rather nice medley of roast veggies for veggies and meaties alike - now I drink Grolsch (honest) in front of this ...

Monday - put it down as the first day of the new Computer Services Department @ work - it will be "interesting" I'm sure - because at least - at the moment - we have a Lotus Notes/E-Mail Admin presence - once that goes - the post will NOT be replaced .... apparently my training courses kick in at the start of April ....
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Chaophraya 1 Tampopo 3

OK so in footy world it was Mossley 1 Durham City 3 - but first some eating hints ... Chaophraya - have always enjoyed going in there for a drink (the posh "underground chairs" work for me !) - but Friday night saw us eating upstairs - they were certainly in a rush to get us out in time for the next sitting - nothing but mither, mither, mither throughout the meal (which was very good mind ...). I much prefer the - ask about drinks - get food order - bring food - one quick check to make sure all OK - and then "Bugger off and leave us alone" sort of approach.

Saturday night saw a "Departmental Do/Wake" including nosh at Tampopo - which was just the way I like it - no frills - no mither - and equally good food (cheaper too !). After several more beers I even managed an "Addicted to Love (Robert Palmer)" moment in some karaoke bar in Chinatown ! Home - very late, hence my diatribe on the Mossley Message Board - now suitbaly "toned down" by both "Admin" and me !!!!

Diatribe ? Oh yes - football - Man of the Match was one Dave Storrie from Leeds - well he seemed to think so anyway - we can only assume that having the Channel M cameras there helped to decide which level of complete ineptitude this "official" was to adopt for the afternoon - oh yes forgot to say the redoubtable Mr S was in fact the referee ...

No complaints about the result - 3 down in 15 minutes - and then we began to play - the damage had been done by then however. Some pictures at ...

Mossley 1 Durham City 3

... and I'll leave it at that !
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Stalybridge "Scrote Alert"

A couple of days old - it happened over the weekend - some scrote attempting to enter the Buffet Bar by chucking beer barrels at the windows - which only managed to smash the two big mirrors behind the bar .... viz ....





The good news is .. the dozy bunt made so much noise, that the "night watch" at the Fire Station next door heard it all and managed to apprehend said scumbag - let's hope they used "reasonable force" - because that's allowed .... It got me thinking though - they have "Blue Watch" and "Red Watch" and stuff like that - do Scottish Fire Stations have "Black Watch" do you think ?

Tonight ... well Ilson were 1-0 up at Guiseley - fingers crossed for Nosmo's boys in their quest for play-offs and above (especially if it keeps FCUM out - ooooh I can be so bitchy !!).
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MossleyTrafford - the "Dry Bits"

Yep - it took a while - pc playing up last night - everything soaking wet through - take it all apart - allow to dry - and put back together a 0645 this morning before heading for work.


Horrible horrible horrible day @ work today - Gordon finally left (it was me or him for the one remaining post) - and we've worked together for well over 20 years - not a lot you can say with a handshake, but I was rather upset - God only knows how Gordon was feeling ... the spaces are appearing in the car park as many of those with the "dark mark" call it a day - not only do we have the 70+ staff redundancies, but we also have over 50 contractors leaving early next week ......... what happens next we wonder .....

Back to last night's football for a minute - sweet revenge for the President's Cup defeat seven days earlier - although we did well to come out of it with a 3-1 win as Trafford must have rattled the woodwork more than three times !! Some pictures at

Mossley 3 Trafford 1

The weekend brings Durham City into town (assuming the pitch recovers from last night - it should do - well I have !!) - I believe me and Mrs Smiffy are out "doing Japanese" in Manchester on Friday night - and we have a works do in Manchester on Saturday night (be interesting to see who turns up for that ...). That'll do for now I feel ......
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Mossley 3 Trafford 1

More (inc pix) tomorrow night - pc probs - this from laptop - suffice to say ... we won !
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Surely you weren't expecting .....

... something/anything tonight - were you ? (Spot the Todd Rundgren verbose .... !!!)

Curzon have beaten Salford City 2-1 - which knocks back the Salford "We're gonna stay up after beating Harrogate on Saturday" plan big style - no goals from "Fossie" tonight ....

Some interesting meetings @ work involving "Who's gonna do this - who's gonna do that - in addition to your own job natch !" - some serious "doubling up" to be done in the Computer Department - and naturally some totally inept performances from the HR Department (yes - surely the ultimate "p*ss up in a brewery" department - I've mentioned it before - really - now - I make no bones about it !) ... those with the "thumbs down" letters were given a suitably vague scenario which many saw as "don't bother turning up this week" - and others saw as "they're stealing ten days pay off us - so I'm turning up" - total bloody chaos - but totally typical ....and at 1700 tonight still officially unresolved ..what can you say ?? I'm a "lucky one" - but I just can't believe how crass this whole "exercise" has been even before the "sh*t hit the fan" - and this total insensitivity continues effortlessly into the "nasty bits" - as someone outside our place said to me tonight "It all went to sh*t when Personnel was replaced by Human Resources" ... I tend to concur .. I reckon some people in our HR would struggle to spell Personnel anyway .........

Still football tomorrow - somewhere

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"The" Weekend

...OK began on Friday night - see earlier rant-cum-review (!!). Saturday started early - don't know why, because postie is ALWAYS LATE ... while the Mossley Pendolino Crew were setting sail for Lancaster I was stomping round the house, packing stuff for our stop-over in Lancaster and listening for the letter-box. Got to about 1115 and we realised we'd get nowt in the car boot as it was full of recycling - you know tins (beer) bottles (wine) papers (MEN) ... so I drove up to Top Mossley and got rid - on my return to Chez Smiffy I saw postie coming up the street - and this is what came through the letter box ...



How did I feel - little bit of everything really - relief (for me), sorrow (for others), apprehension (what lies ahead ?) - but the rest of the weekend had to go on - so we leapt into the limo and headed up the M60/M61/M6 to Lancaster - Mossley game, and evening meal with student son - and Mrs Smiffy was being taken to the posh place at the Lancaster House Hotel for some pamper/massage-type stuff ... got to Lancaster, offloaded Mrs S and our Michelle before heading into town, drop off car @ Royal Hotel and meet the Pendolino Peeps in the pub - sorry "The Pub" - awash with Mossley fans, tattoos and a belting juke box - ten minute walk to ground to meet student son, drink keg and watch football. Game pix are at

Lancaster City 0 Mossley 0

I guess the injury to Andy Teague (thankfully not as serious as first thought) took the stuffing out of the game really - but we did see two sublime performances from the custodians, Messrs Thornley and Mann - there may have been no goals - it may have been a bit "end-of-season" - but these two guys didn't put a foot (or hand) wrong for most of the 90 minutes... game over, a few beers before repairing to the Royal to change for food - the Hotel has a tapas bar downstairs (Latinos) - but we'd done that one before so we headed up Market Street to "1725" - good nosh, good wine and real ale !! Late beer back @ hotel before kip.

Today - we stopped off at Pendle Hill on the way back - and climbed it ... things you do ... some ickle pix below








Home - food - upload - tweak/tidy - and now this ... Monday's going to be a hard day at work - the theory is that those who have had the "thumbs-down" will finish on the 31st March - meaning they're in all next week and then Monday/Tuesday the week after - while it's been agreed that notice periods will not be worked (good), I'd hope for some understanding/discretion next week and week after by Managers - we shall see ...

Football ... Mossley @ home on Tuesday (revenge mission against Trafford) - or maybe I should go up to Bower Fold (Stalybridge Celtic v Blyth Spartans) wiorking on the premise that there will be at least one (if not two) other snapper/s at Mossleyanyway ...we shall see ... for now it's ....
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SAFE !

... just back from Lancaster (via a hike up and round Pendle Hill) - pix uploading on big pc - back later - the title of this one however .... says it all really ..... shame a similar result was not forthcoming at the Giant Axe .
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Friday - a great night ruined by some ...

Hmm - naturally today at work was totally w*nk - there were even peeps(those who knew) literally saying "farewell" - and the rumour mill was working in overdrive with names (both full-time and agency). Never mind - a quiet drink after work in the "John Millington" with part of "the team" (possibly the "team of the future" ??) We wait - we see ... tomorrow sees the letters (as I've been saying all bloody week - sorry world !) ...

Home - quick change - and out on the 1855 to "big town" - a quick drink in the "Modern" before walking up to Academy 2 to see Tunng & Tinariwen @ Academy 2 ... we got in and thought immediately - this has been oversold - it was rammed and it was uncomfortable - and here's the first "moan" - there were some really ignorant b*st*rds there tonight - you know who you are - OK yeah we can all live with a bit of pushing /shoving/squeezing through (especially with a hint of "excuse me", "sorry" etc) - yes we can live with that - but when the ignorant tw*ts push/shove I fight back - don't give a toss male or female - you're ignorant b*st*rds - this was Tinariwen for Frith's sake - not the bloody Sex Pistols !!! I was really disappointed with some of that crowd tonight - and some of the tw*ts were nearly as old as me .... you so often hear same sort of sh*t behaviour going on at big festivals as well - I reckon the way forward for the t-shirt companies is to make tees with "You should have got here earlier" or "push me and I'll smack you" printed on the back to be worn at gigs/festivals/bus/train queues.

Enough "first rant" - to gig - excellent night out - (oops second rant kicks in) spoiled only by above and a low hubbub of talking throughout - why do people go out to a gig etc and then proceed to talk through it ????? I remember a night at the Comedy Store about 3 years ago - people talking throughout a comedian's set - why bother to spend money ?? Stay at home and stop spoiling my/many others night out .... wonderful music - great fusion/confusion music - think "Tamantant Tilay" with a banjo accompaniment (worked perfick!) - and a Touareg version of "Reign in Blood" by Slayer (OK just the intro but ... you know what I mean !!) ... only one pic of note - too busy protecting space/the diminutive Mrs Smiffy from the tw*ts !!



Sensible gig finish time enabling a gentle walk down to Manc Oxford Road - arriving at 2300 to get the 2317 to Stalybridge - it was cancelled - and the "official" advice from the Manchester Oxford Road Station Supervisor (I KID YOU NOT) was to "run" to Piccadilly to get a 2317 rail replacement bus - so we ran - arriving at 2312 - to be met with an announcement that the next train to Stalybridge/Huddersfield/Leeds was 2338 - on checking there were NO RRBuses anywhere - Trans-Pennine - another complete and utter f*ck up (the complaints will be going in) and wonderfull comms again - so we dashed to the "Balcony Bar" to salvage a drink - like many others - the two bar guys were overrun !! Anyway the train arrived - some dozy tw*t forgot to turn off the automted "gob" which said, "First stop Huddersfield" ..... into 'Bridge (the screens there said "passing train - stand clear"- techno can be good - but when in the wrong hands ....) - we'd booked taxi "on train" - and home..

Later today - "the letter" - followed by Lancaster City v Mossley - followed by "nosh up"/stay over - followed by Sunday walkies - so expect nowt on here until Sunday afternoon/evening ...
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Another Night Off ?

Why the hell not ?? The "chop" was arriving @ work today for some of the "Agency" peeps - word was they've their normal 7 days, finishing next Friday (27th) - apparently word is out about a few full-timers as well - they obviously had their interviews and were "off the recorded" or slightly less than "vaguely hinted" - and they've been happy to "spill the redundancy beans". Obviously the real sh*t hits the fan on Saturday morning - even though it does sound like a fair number of people already appear to know their fate - and aren't afraid to talk about it.

Sat here watching Youtubes of Tunng and Tinariwen - found one of a "Tinariwen trio" playing in Sweden (people - and kids - keep walking in front of the video man - gits !) - believe tomorrow it's a Tinariwen threesome rather than the full crew (there are some other vids from same gig of the full band)- we'll see if it's the same three ... try this for size anyway

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pwb1birJ5SY

and for balance - here's Tunng doing "Bullets"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI1NgFYJCN4

unable to find/get the Radio 3 "Late Junction" prog from Feb this year where the collaboration played three tracks I believe... we'll see how it fits together in 20 hours or so - babycam will be in attendance naturally !

I'm pretty sure tomorrow at work will be even more sh*t than the previous 37 days - just hope a) Rick goes for the bacon butties early doors and b) we finish as suggested at 1500 - and go to the rub-a-dub !! If this be the case we're down on the train and taking our chances with the sh*t public transport after 2300 from the "big city" ... and then it will be Saturday ............
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This Week's "Day Off" ...

... is today/tonight ... just so tired ... get this whole thing over and done with come "Saturday postie" - and then we'll have some kind of focus/aim/method to move forward one way or another ... and I can stop smoking once again ...
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Amongst other stuff - Trafford 2 Mossley 1

...so the chance of another cup final goes begging - a bit like the Chorley game on Saturday - right team won as Mossley were pretty much toothless up front - an equaliser with 10 mins to go brought hope - but 90 seconds later we were chasing yet again - d'oh !

(A paltry few) Pix at

Trafford 2 Mossley 1

... again mind not properly "on the job" - we had the "2nd interviews" @ work today - much was said both on and off the record (bugger - beer can just "burst" all over computer table !! This IS live folks ...) - on both sides of the table - all we can do now is to wait for "Postman Pat" - or Bernard or Daisy - to deliver the "official verdict" on Saturday morning - and I hope he/she comes earlier than last Saturday (1130 !!) as we're off to Lancaster for football and meet middle boy (and lady friend) for food afterwards - the Mossley rabble are rail travelling courtesy of the "Sun" newspaper (!) on "2 for 1" tix - was hoping to meet them off the train, but I feel the need to wait for "the letter" before leaving home in the limo - catch 'em asap (hopefully getting a couple in at the "John O' Gaunt") ...

But before then - Friday night sees a trip to the Academy in Manchester avec Mrs Smiffy and our Michelle (sound tech - Seb Clarke album coming very soon !!). We're off to see 'Tunng with Tinariwen' - Tunng I know nothing of, but we saw Tinariwen at the Bridgewater Hall last year and their Touareg "Roll and Roll" music is marvellous (check out "Aman Iman - Water is Life")- should be an interesting night out.

But that's 4 defeats in 4 for Mossley - a touch depressing ...
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Saving Time - I DID NOT go to Droylsden tonight !

... sorry ...
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Shameless Rail Trip Plug ..

.. if you fancy a day out in Bristol and Bath on May Day Bank Holiday .... check out

http://www.retrorailtours.co.uk/rt2.php

Retrorailtours are a local company - out of Ashton - the real ale bar opens eyes as well - they advertise in the Buffet Bar @ Stalybridge - and look what's hauling from Huddersfield to Bristol - yep a class 56 - amazing !!!!
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And Stalybridge Celtic have snatched a 90th minute equaliser away @ Droylsden tonight .... me - it's football tomorrow - straight from "work" (ha !) to Chassen Road International Railway Station, heading to watch Trafford entertain Mossley in the Unibond League Presidents Cup semi-final....another final beckons .. will need some "pick-me-up" at the moment mind - and I don't mean pro-plus !!!
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Sunday - 2330 - Part Two

...some stuff from today's walk ... I fancied trying out some "long exposure" stuff - one day I'll actually learn the numbers rather than faffing about - anyway have a go at ...



Stainforth Force - 1



Stainforth Force - 2



Stainforth Force - 3

Must fly - it looks like seven shades of sh*t occurred at Stalybridge Celtic v Fleetwood Town yesterday - and earlier in the week I was singing the praises of a number of the "Cod Army" - looks like the "wrong 'uns" turned up as well - (and that's gonna put me in the poo as well - looks like I've been well let down - no-one's gonna trust my take on things up at Bower Fold again - are they ???).

Anyways ... it's a long thread and I'm down to my last two cans - expect "namoor" tonight ...
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Sunday - 2250 - Step One

.... the pictures from the Chorley game (come on - since early message I've uploaded two lots of pictures cooked tea for three, eaten same, tidied up after, selected pictures (football set), tweaked and uploaded same - only 23 pictures rather than the expected 56 however ....

Pix at Mossley 0 Chorley 1

Right team won - albeit in the 92nd minute ! Mossley keeper James Mann saved a pen, but could do nowt with James Mullineux's bullet header right at the death - I'm afraid Chorley created more up front and always looked more likely to score for pretty much the whole game - remember we "got out of jail" in the 95th minute against Clitheroe not that long back - so "touche" I guess - worrying thing is that's three on the bounce - with a Cup semi-final at Trafford on Tuesday night - over to "da management" to get the players up - but be assured that the fans WILL be there.

It's times like this - I'm glad that I'm not a "dyed in the (blue) wool" Stalybridge Celtic fan ...and I've still got to get on their board and "have a peep" (I'm expecting severe "flak" from Hyde fans, still brassed off from last Tuesday) - I'm sure I'll get on for a look before sleepy time ....
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Sunday - 1855 - home ...

....after a 0-1 reverse for Mossley at home to Chorley - followed by beer and tapas at "Baum" in Rochdale - more beer - sleep - and an eight-and-a-half miler round Settle this morning/afternoon. Pix from both uploading on pc at the mo ( took well over 56 snaps at the game yesterday) - fingers crossed for something "up" before midnight ....
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If all else fails ....

... there's the slippery slope to capitalism ....arrived this week (double-click for big !)



(You might JUST be able to see the sly use of tippex on the share price !!!)

Note also that I only bought 5 shares - rather than 56 (incidentally the year of my birth - back in the 20th century - strange ...)

Hey ho - football this afternoon - wonder what the score will be 1-1 ? 1-0 ? 0-0 ? Incidentally - if you run those numbers together you get 111000 - must mean something to someone ....
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And in the midst of Sh*t

...life goes on - even @ two in the morning - Mossley fan Stuart held his 40th up @ the club tonight , and I had time off to visit ...



bit of a dodgy "right hand side" - but hey .......



only "babycam" mind ....my excuse and I'm sticking with it - my "babycam" is soooo old school these days ....
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