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I'll leave it at this ...
My Early "Shout"
The Initial Appeal
Result of Appeal
Today's announcement from Ashton United
I just hope that Ashton United are coming out of this whole thing with some dignity,respect and more importantly liquidity ... and of course this should take a whole load off Danny White's shoulders (especially as he's now a new Dad and he STILL wants to - and does - play football !).
... and I'm sure the market for Elvis impersonators does go up at this time of year - and in the interests of balance I offer IAmElvis
As Zebedee said - "Time for Bed".
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... a new A-Z of Oldham, Rochdale and District - mine is now starting to show its age !!
... falling apart at the seams (maybe get something to wipe up the coffee stains as well !)
Sadly today - after three weeks in the country - it was back on the "mean streets of Oldham" (Derker and Higginshaw to be exact - three-quarters of one walk and a quarter of another one - weird but true !) Another 'funny' - I got a bit of a telling-off on the postie message board (yep - it's not all football y'know) for something I did last week - one comment was "...you are not paid to show initiative or thought ..." - reckon it's a bit sad when people are starting to live their lives by those sort of rules - must do wonders for their self-respect !
Today's FA Trophy Draw has thrown up a couple of interesting ties for the two local clubs - Droylsden are at home to last season's beaten finalists Mansfield Town, while Stalybridge Celtic have an interesting "local derby" away at Stockport County (might try to blag a snapper's pass for that one - naturally assuming I finish work early enough - especially as the Christmas rush will be getting up to full throttle by December 10th - aargh !)
Football this week ? Ashton United v Whitby Town on Wednesday night I think (might ease off the ISO a bit as well - not totally convinced with the results from the "high numbers" !).
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... has died ... see BBC website
... shocked ... stunned ... saddened ...
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... basically because it's blowing a gale outside - not exactly brilliant walking weather (and Mrs Smiffy has already put tonight's tea in the slo-cooker !) - I decided to spend a couple of hours messing about with football photos taken during 2011. "Why not some kind of poster" thought I.
So - I picked out a load of random (OK and some 'not so random' !) pictures from the past 11 months, sized them down a bit and had a play with something called "ShapeCollage" (found on net). Not bad but ... not quite ... so into Photoshop Elements 6 (thanks again Ken !) - and , one picture at a time, created something a bit more like it. Finished results of both efforts can be found at
Six Tame Sides "Official" 2011 Poster
... and NO, I've not counted how many pix from each club (although it's fairly obvious that Droylsden and Hyde are in the minority - apologies for that). Obviously the jAlbum pic is somewhat "lo-res" (I've attempted to size the original at A3) - but if anyone wants one, let me know and I can e-mail out a copy of the big 'un.
How about that - the perfect Christmas gift (!) - and it's FREE !!!
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6-0 in the end - should have been more (missed penalty etc) - but big up to a "scratch" Wakefield team (tbh "scratch" probably demeans them) who never gave up, had chances, hit post - and came out of the game with a great deal of credit in my eyes.
More pix etc to come ...
LATE UPDATE - pictures now up at
Mossley 6 Wakefield 0
(an eclectic mix of not bad and not good - still experimenting - as you can tell !!!)
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... is the game of choice.
But - will it be on ? Who will turn up from Wakefield (and I'm talking about ON the pitch) ? If you're unsure about my drift, check out
Wakefield in Crisis - 1
or
Wakefield in Crisis - 2
Sadly just another team going the way of so many of the last few years - and this time it doesn't seem to be down to unpaid tax/VAT etc (see Truro City for example this season). They're not the first - and they won't be the last this season (check out Kettering Town for example). Yes the country is in crisis/recession - and this will drip over into all aspects of life (even OUR beloved non-league football).
Answers/solutions on a postcard please - although there are certain aspects of non-league football that could be changed to help prevent this sort of thing happening - like relaxing the ridiculous ground grading requirements for starters (one of my personal big bugbears). It's certainly time for the so-called football authorities to take a long hard look at some of their rules and regulations in the light of the sh*t we ALL find ourselves in. I'm certainly not condoning tax evasion here (sorry Truro) - but some clubs are going to the wall through no fault of their own - and it's time the League Management Committees started to relax a bit - maybe even discover the word "discretion" (!!) in some cases.
It won't solve everything - but it just might keep some clubs afloat - and give all of us hard-pressed fans something to look forward to on Saturday afternoons.
Tonight's "stream of consciousness" over ...
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Well - not at Bamber Bridge tonight (Mossley lost 3-0) ...
Had a crack at last night's pix in the cold light of day - OK early evening - and they're actually not that bad (IMHO as they say !) ...
Curzon Ashton Reserves 0 Mossley Reserves 1
Still don't think I'll go that high again though - unless maybe with the 85mm f1.8 - or ... but now I'm rambling ...
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... ISO 12800 that is - did the full 90 minutes tonight on that setting - and I know it's a bit late now, but I picked one pic out for playing about with - and ...
A compressed version of the "original" ...
... and after a bit of tweaking ...Even after "tweaking" - it's not so much the noise but the noise reduction which brings on/accentuates the "white spots" problem - maybe next time I'll nip down to ISO 6400 ... although the above pix are a damn site sharper (cus you can keep the shutter speed high) !!! It's something I need to sort out sharpish (no pun intended) before even the day games get dark - but I'll get there.
Oh and Mossley Reserves won 1-0 - totally undeserved - an unexpected 92nd minute winner (which naturally - I missed !!). I'll have a bash at the rest of the pix tomorrow (eek - today) after work/after cooking tea etc etc. Watch this space ...
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"Curse these darkroom chemicals - bring on digital SLRs"Change of plan ... sorry Woodley Sports tomorrow - 'twas pointed out this afternoon that Mossley Ressies are away at Curzon Ashton Ressies tonight - and it IS a touch easier to get to the Tameside Stadium - apologies also to Jools in Aylesbury who was expecting pix of the "Woodley Construction Site" - although this pic from the Mossley game a couple of weeks ago might give some idea !!!
Anyway - the "Great Experiment" - I was looking at some piccies on Sunday from the Ashton United v Bradford Park Avenue game taken by Bradford's John Rhodes (pix here) - checking out the EXIF data (the stats behind the pic - shutter speed, focal length - and also the ISO setting), I noticed he was taking pix at ISO 12800 (he has a Canon EOS 60D) and they look bloody good - now my "new" EOS 50D will also go up to that setting, but I've never gone beyond ISO 3200 (call me a coward or what!) - tending to slow the shutter speed down to compensate - which then makes the later (as in darker) pix look a bit "iffy".
So - tonight - a perfect time to "give it a go" before the nights really start to draw in for 1500hrs kick-offs. Apologies in advance to both Curzon Reserves and Mossley Reserves (and of course you the viewer !) if it all goes to cock - we'll see ...
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...in a rush - going out tonight (in minutes !) - 1-1 draw - dour (?) but here's some good news - Ben Richardson has re-signed for Mossley (amazed it's took so long since Chris Wilcock's resignation @ Woodley but ...).
Welcome back Ben !!!
EDIT - Home after night out - and here are the pictures from Saturday's game:
Mossley 1 Trafford 1
(as the nights draw in so the picture quality starts to drop - aargh !)
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... following my "appearance" in the "Worcester News" a few weeks back (one photo - with credit !) ... I received a copy of the "Cambridge News" Sport on Monday supplement today - and by God they've done me proud - certainly a welcome addition to the old 'portfolio' - check out these (photos not scans - but the credits should be legible !) ...
Smiffy makes the front page (of the middle bit of the paper mind !)
... and virtually a full centre spread as well !!!... and the e-mail from the Cambridge News Sports Editor included the words "Wish we could get the same service from other clubs" ...... now if only the "Tameside Reporter" could come up with a similar "Sports Supplement" every week - with a featured game - I'm sure they know how to get in touch ...
Back to the humdrum (!?!) of Evo-Stik North tomorrow - once round Diggle in the morning pushing things through letterboxes and waking people up - before heading up the road to the Mossley v Trafford game (I'll be the one with the big lens - and ego to match !!!)
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... whilst searching for something else this evening (which wasn't found) - found these ...
Left-overs from the 2011 "Home Grown Tomato Project" - while the last plant finally bit the dust, the last few green ones were wrapped in newspaper and put somewhere dark - at least they turned red !!! A bit wrinkly in places (think you're supposed to wrap them separately !) - but perfectly adequate to put in the chicken and white wine sauce served up this very eve ...
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(two of mine - naturally !!)... has just kicked off (1930hrs) - best wishes to the two local boys in the squad - Connor Jennings of Stalybridge Celtic and Scott Spencer of Hyde FC ...
... and yes I'm taking about Gibraltar v England C (not that pointless money-making exercise at Wembley tonight) - hopefully this link will get updated through the next couple of hours (assuming everyone at the FA aren't creaming themselves over their highly-paid "role models").
LATER UPDATE - Aparently finished 3-1 to Gibraltar (England scorer - Connor Jennings !!!)
Naff all on FA Website - my earlier fears were indeed correct (s'pose that had to send everyone to Wembley to try and get the crowd above 50,000 .... they failed ...)
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Just some of "The Mossley Connection" - Ben Richardson, Lee Blackshaw and Chris Rowney... in the Doodson (i.e. League) Cup last night. Now we thought Mossley were grim against Woodley last Tuesday - but Curzon fared little better last night (a pale shadow of the team that beat Belper ten days ago).
I promised myself 45 minutes for each team - but at half-time one of the "Daves" recommended I went up the other end - I stuck to my task ... and missed some decent 'snappage' on three goals. There's something about Woodley at the moment - bombsite ground; too few fans - but a bit of dosh and a pretty good set-up on the pitch (well done to Paul and Matt - Ricky Anane once again on fire last night !). Strange to watch these two teams as a Mossley sympathiser - because you know so many of the players on both sides ! Still - the best team certainly won on the (cold) night - and some pictures are at:
Curzon Ashton 0 Woodley Sports 3 (Doodson Cup)
That's it for midweek football - tomorrow I have to get up at daft o'clock (0515 to be exact) to be in Oldham for 0600 for a "training thingy" - going in the car in full knowledge that it will be over and I can get home probably before Mrs Smiffy even gets up - then off to Dobcross (by bus) for a days' work.
Early night tonight then (i.e. in bed before midnight !)
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What the well-dressed "snapper" wears these days ...Midweek footy is tonight - when Curzon Ashton take on Woodley Sports in the 2nd Round of the Doodson Sport Cup (or League Cup if you're old-fashioned !) ...
... and if there's anyone else going - wrap up warm !!!
(P.S. Got a picture on the "Cambridge News" website - hoping for more in the paper !!)
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Ross Hildersley on the ball ...... yeah - sneaked an extra game in (aren't slo-cookers useful !!) - and a very narrow 1-0 for the home side
Pictures at
Mossley Youth 1 Curzon Ashton Youth 0
... and I missed the bloomin' goal - the reason for this was well documented on this very blog on May 26th 2010 - as you can guess ... they've NEVER been replaced - an absolute disgrace. How the club gets a ground grading is totally beyond me ...
A cautionary tale for all weak-bladdered visitors to Seel Park ...
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Histon's Jorg Stadelmann keeps another one out... well I just about made it for the kick-off (unfortunately missing the apparently impeccable one minutes' silence), and was not disappointed as Celtic were soon on top with players "queuing up" to score the first goal - Ellams doing the hard work and Phil Marsh nicking it off his foot ! Things went from bad to worse for the visitors when captain Omar Riza saw red for a high challenge on Jack Rea. I have to admit - sometimes these sort of tackles look a lot worse than they actually are (Rea was soon up and running again) - but it WAS high (although Jack Rea is quite small !), and with the ensuing handbags/melee/fracas the ref had no real choice. The visitors shrank further back into their defensive shell after the break, leaving Celtic to play the patient stuff, eventually getting their reward near the end when Marsh got his second after good work from Connor Jennings. Again not the greatest of performances from Celtic (trouble here is that everyone is using the 5-1 defeat of Altrincham as their yardstick - no team is going to play like that week in week out !) but another three points to stay hot on the heels of Hyde FC who notched a (for me - unlikely !) 2-0 win at Boston United - Droylsden snatched a late equaliser at Vauxhall Motors - Ashton United went down 1-0 at Chasetown - Curzon Ashton went top of the Unibond 1 North after a 2-0 home win over Durham City (good to see the crowds are on the up there as well - 203 yesterday - and finally Mossley managed to turn certain victory (2-0 up with 5 to go) into a 2-2 draw (a get a red card in the process !). Pictures from the Stalybridge game at:
Stalybridge Celtic 2 Histon 0
Now - with Mrs Smiffy away until late this afternoon ... I feel an urge to going and watch Mossley Youth take on Curzon Ashton Youth in the 2nd Round of the Manchester FA Youth Cup (kick-off 1400 hrs today) - and good luck to FC Halifax Town in their lunchtime FA Cup game (might get to see some of that as well !) - better sort tea out first though ...
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It's not even Christmas yet ...
Yep - THREE bags of packets - plus the (background) mail - aargh !That was yesterday - and today inundated with Red Cross and Dr Barnados mail-outs - not letters but bulky cardboard box-type envelopes (and "only" two and a bit bags of packets !!) Starting to worry a bit about tomorrow - usually I get the use of a car on Saturdays (it doesn't save much time "on the job" - but it DOES save time getting to and from work !). However Mrs Smiffy is off to see her Mum in Belper tomorrow - avec car !
Be assured - I'll be at Bower Fold for the Stalybridge Celtic v Histon game ASAP (I better be - the "Cambridge News" is expecting product !!). Mossley are away at Radcliffe, which on a normal day would have been a go-er (train/tram/walk) - however the kick-off for that game has been shifted to 1330 hrs - so no chance ! Hyde have a tricky one tomorrow away at Boston United - Droylsden similar away at Vauxhall Motors - Ashton United away at Chasetown (Robins in urgent need of a boost) - Curzon at home to Durham City (a bit of a top-of-the-table type game this one - if Curzon can keep tabs on Arjun Purewal - they should nick it).
Believe England have a game tomorrow as well - a game overshadowed by the ludicrous "poppy debate". My shout on this one is probably controversial (be that as it may - at 1100hrs today I put my bag down, took my hat off and stood still for two minutes - respect innit) - but why oh why has this suddenly become a story ??? I have not seen the England team wearing poppies on their shirts in the 90 odd years that they (poppies) have been around - a minute (or two) silence is fine - and that HAS been going on for many years. Call me a cynic - but I reckon the whole thing is either:
1 - a cunning ploy by shirt manufacturers to make money;
2 - a cunning ploy by the FA to further discredit an already discredited FIFA;
3 - a cunning ploy by the ConDem government to "bring the country together", whilst taking people's minds off the rest of the sh*t they're putting forward and putting us through;
4 - A nice "controversy story" egged on by the tabloids to sell papers ...
.. but that's just me ...
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There might be a few of you old gits out there who can remember ... when the original "Six Tame Sides" paper fanzine came to a close back in the early 1990s (don't forget - a fully bound copy of all STS fanzines is available to peruse in the Local Studies Section of Ashton-under-Lyne Library - plug plug !), it was followed quite soon by a Mossley fanzine with the quaint title of "Stuffed Like ..." - a team effort during some of Mossley's darkest hours (hence title) featuring yours truly and Jools Thomas (who also had a stint as Mossley Programme Editor - as did yours truly !!!). We put a few fanzines out - "...Turkey"; "...Valentine"; "... Easter Bunny") - but it ran its course and we all moved on. Jools (after a while travelling the world and earning his keep !) eventually moved down south with work - and has now become the Aylesbury Branch of the Mossley Supporters' Club ... and more ...
... got a txt on Sunday however saying "Read the Non League Paper !!" So when I got home from walkies etc I did - to find this (page 34) ...
Well done Jools - next stop the "Sunday Sport" (and if they're looking for a snapper ..... !!!!)
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Mossley's Steve Halford taking "Movember" to a Freddie Mercury extreme !!!... an "interesting" night out !!
Arrived in good time (thanks again Dave !) to be greeted by a construction/bomb site !!!!!!! Where's the clubhouse gone ? Fortunately - after finding a parking space (not knowing about the 'new' parking area) - we found a portakabin selling "can's beer" (their apostrophe balls-up not mine !), which turned out to be lager, lager or cider. I chose the apple juice (!). It's certainly "all change" down at Lambeth Grove/Neil Rourke Stadium - not sure what Neil would make of it all either (especially the off-the-pitch "kerfuffles" ) ... oh and all the Australian accents (mentioned in previous thread) appeared to be drinking hot choccy and playing pool !!
Anyroad up in front a a very sparse crowd (official attendance was 120 - not convinced !!) with the majority of the crowd from Mossley (and a few hangers-on from Curzon Ashton spotted as well - spotted Mr "young" Young, Mr Hampson and Mr Flanagan to name but three !), Mossley got off to a flyer with Kayde Coppin's speculative cross/shot/kick/pass totally confusing Liam Higginbotham in the Woodley net to make it 1-0. The following 89 minutes was pretty much all Woodley. Missed their equaliser (too busy talking to their Press Officer vis-a-vis photographs - savage irony !), but ... most of the action was at the wrong end for this snapper. Just before half-time Liam H took a kick and went "ouch" - and the second half began with a sub keeper for Woodley - not just any sub keeper (not even a Marks & Spencer sub keeper !) but ex-Mossley hero Benji Richardson (who donned the keeper's jersey for Mossley last season in "that" 6-2 Darlington FA Cup game). Was he tested/put under any pressure - was he heck !
Again - me at wrong end for most of the action, and Woodley went on to score two more and run out well-deserved 3-1 winners. Strange that Mossley had a Saturday off and Woodley didn't - you'd hardly believe it on that performance ... still a lot of work required at the Mossley end to construct a team that gives 100% all the time, plays for 90 minutes, and has the ability to "adapt on the pitch as the circumstances change" - just seem to run out of ideas at times, shrink back into a shell and get pressured and pressured, eventually cracking - maybe youthful naivety has something to do with it - but with some experience at the back one would expect better. Hy ho - c'est la vie, c'est la guerre , c'est Evo-Stik ...
If you've lasted this far - some pictures at:
Woodley Sports 3 Mossley 1
One bonus today - received a copy of the "Worcester News" starring one of my pix from the Stalybridge/Worcester game - with a SixTameSides website credit underneath (one to stick in my "portfolio"). Also yesterday got an e-mail from the "Cambridge News" asking about Saturday's game twixt Stalybridge and Histon. Word gets around it seems ... now if only a full-time snapper job could appear ...
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... after another hard grind at the "mail face" (curse all you early online Christmas shoppers - and all you untrustworthy buggers who insist on "sign for" mail - and are never in to bloody well receive it !!!). Tonight - Woodley Sports v Mossley - and the time to spare is due to an offered lift to the game (cheers Dave !) - it's been "all change" at Woodley recently - most of the old regime appear to have "stepped down" (that's me being diplomatic - I'll miss my normal natter with Rod), and the word I've heard is that there are a load of Australians in the camp (or on the pitch) - hopefully it'll be too cold for 'em tonight as Mossley make the most of their Saturday off, while Woodley are tired after their hard fought battle against Ilson ... we shall see !
Obviously I got my Saturday pix up on Sunday (the Curzon/Belper game), together with the "as usual" Sunday walk (project there was "The Autumn Colours" !) - so - it wasn't until late Sunday afternoon that I bought my "Non League Paper",, caught up with all the scores - and found out about the "shenanigans" at the Droylsden v Stalybridge game ...
... in a way I'd say it was inevitable - the bad blood (no pun intended) at all levels between the two clubs has been around for some time, despite 99% of both sides being what we should call "proper" non-league people/fans. And when you've ex-players on the pitch (some - one - of whom does have an rather short fuse - no pun intended) with "previous", you just know something is going to kick off - somewhere. So ... fireworks thrown on (and off) the pitch, accusations of this, counter-accusations of that, an alleged stabbing, a red card ... it goes on and on ... oh yes - apparently a pulsating 3-3 draw.
Unfortunately the result, the performances will pale into insignificance, so maybe it IS worth just forgetting about (although it would be nice to see some sort of official statements from both clubs - which would then be picked over, analysed etc - probably casuing more grief). Seems fairly obvious that any future game twixt these two teams will have to involve segregation, police presence, alcohol bans etc - as usual the tiny minority f**k it up for the well-behaved majority.
Hopefully all the protagonists involved will be grassed up/identified (you can bet your bottom dollar that most of them will not be regular fans - if fans at all). Much is said about the "internet warriors" on both message boards - this is just b*ll*x - most of it is just good-natured banter or alcohol-fuelled posing. It's hardly likely that a few "words" on a message board can lead to World War 3 - and if people use that as an excuse they should take a long hard look at the real world out there - unfortunately this country does have a large proportion of home-grown d*ckheads - and the worse it gets, the more likely that the vigilantes will step in - certainly not the perfect solution - but one I personally would not condemn (gasp - controversy !). There are too many people out there who think they can get away with stuff - the Tony Martin/burglary/use of "reasonable force" argument and subsequent ruling is one step towards deterrent - but it's only a matter of time before the "fair minded" of this land start to band together (spontaneously or otherwise - anyone remember the "Guardian Angels" on the London Underground ??) ... it's not violence for violence's sake - it's time some people got it into their heads that what they are doing is not nice, not good, in many cases not legal - and the majority out there will start reminding them of same - in one way or another ...
Thus spake "P*ssed Off of Mossley" ...
Now - time to get ready for football - tonight involving wooly hats, several layers of clothing - and gloves !
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... and you get this ...
Ashton United v Nantwich Town
Curzon Ashton v Belper Town (note 1400 KO)
Droylsden v Stalybridge Celtic
Hyde FC v Histon
Mossley - no game
Last time I had a Saturday off I made the most of it (heading down Cambridge way to watch Stalybridge Celtic at Histon) - obviously not much of a "travel option" tomorrow !
Logic would dictate the "big one" at the Butchers Arms to see if Droylsden can "up their game" and put a spanner in the Stalybridge works ... however personal reasons will be taking me down to the Tameside Stadium to see Curzon take on Mrs Smiffy's home town team - who I've not yet seen this season (back to the "Saturday off work" problem), so there's a few "Hellos" to be said to the Belper crew - in fact I'll be in Ashton centre at 1230 tomorrow to meet the "Southport Branch" off the train before a beer or two and a gentle stroll past Ikea !
Also in a fit of madness, I thought about possibly whizzing down to Droylsden for the second half due to the early kick-off at Curzon - however me and Mrs Smiffy are off out tomorrow night, so I shouldn't - really ...
... unless anyone can supply fast cars etc !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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... yes I got the haircut ... yes I got some new walking boots (it's bye bye Meindl and hello Zamberlan - they felt good on first wear - and the £50/60 price difference also had something to do with it !) - but real reason for this post has nowt to do with Man City winning 3-0 (at the moment anyway) - more to do with this bit of graffiti spotted in Ashton-under-Lyne today - on Stamford Street ...
Thought it worthy of note ...
Later edit - 2150 - might as well put this "link" on regarding missing/late post in the local vicinity
Nowt to do with me !!!
(although it makes me - and 99.9% of fellow posties - look like thieves in the eyes of many - but the alibi this week is "I'm on HOLIDAY !!!")
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Harry Noon lines one up ...
... well that didn't take long ... when the home team scores after 18 bloody seconds (still taking camera out of bag), it doesn't help much ! And I'm NEVER going to turn up at a game again with just the 85mm lens - might be better in the low light but it's SO restrictive in what you can take - think I took 33 pictures all night (hence the pauscity of snaps below) - maybe the lack of lens - maybe the lack of real action - probably a mix of both. Mossley might have took the lead but they did get pegged back (well worked effort utilising the space available - I can say no more !!) - and it finished 1-1. The 'paucity' is below - don't bust a gut ...
Mossley 1 Warrington Town 1
Tomorrow - maybe the hair cut ... and maybe the new walking boots !
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Uppermill Pie Shop - note sign on driver's door !!!
... which has come together thanks to my jobbie - delivering around various bits of Saddleworth, I'd noticed several buildings which were "once something else", so that was the basis of today's project. Armed with my trusty £5-80 Train/Bus Day Saver I headed off into the hills - Greenfield - Uppermill (had a great natter with the Librarians in Uppermill Library - they certainly know their local stuff !) - Dobcross - Diggle - Delph - then back to Uppermill and Greenfield and home. No doubt I've missed a fair few other "interesting" buildings but hey ho - a good time was had by all (OK me !). Pictures at ...
Saddleworth (Old/New) Stroll - 01Nov11
Home to do this - and quite soon off up to Seel Park with t'other camera (and JUST the 85mm lens tonight !) to see if Mossley can put Saturday's "reverse" behind them ... and with me still off work tomorrow it's possible (!) that something might get up on here tonight ...
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