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Five goals for Bradley Barnes ...
Let's just say ... you don't see many games like that ... and if you're looking for pics of the goal-fest you'll be disappointed - admitted, I missed a couple - but I'm not going to add insult to injury by detailing a 10-0 defeat - maybe Droylsden Manager/Chairman/Ultimate Supremo Dave Pace IS running the club into the ground - I don't know - but it would just be unfair - especially on some of the Droylsden players who kept going 'til the bitter end, despite playing with only ten men for over an hour, and in the full knowledge they were (at least) a class below. To be honest - as half-time approached with Droylsden just 1-0 down (and one man down), I reckoned they'd done really well. But a goal on the stroke of half-time ... and a goal within seconds of the restart ... the beginning of the end ... pictures from tonight at
Droylsden 0 AFC Fylde 10
(excuse the lack of decent captions ... train from Mossley 10 mins late, so I never really got round to asking for a teamsheet !)
You start to wonder whether they will see out the season ...
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... yep ... wet workie day !!! However just rang Droylsden FC and got the usual message "Yes it's on ... at the moment".
We'll give it a go - plus I get to try out the new MetroLink tram-type stuff from Ashton ... watch this (wet) space ...
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Went out tonight with Mrs Smiffy to the Manchester Ritz, to see Lucy Spraggan in concert. There were a couple of support acts too - as per the title above. I'm afraid Ms Saunders was not my cup of tedium (a bit of a Lucy Rose clone if you ask me), whereas Mr Moe was very good indeed (acoustic guitar and bass drum worked with his foot - as an old git I HAD to struggle to get images of Don Partridge out of my mind !!).
Point being ... the incessant talking/shouting of a very large proportion of the audience throughout both sets. OK, you've come to see the main attraction, but have some bloody respect for the other artistes - otherwise bugger off to the pub and come back at 2130 hrs. Seen this so often - it must be soul-destroying for some performers - and to me it shows the true ignorance of so many self-proclaimed music lovers. As I said before, Shannon Saunders will not be going on my CD "wants list" - but at least I gave her a chance - unlike so many others ... but I'll certainly be checking out more of Andreas Moe.
P.S. Lucy Spraggan - and her band - were excellent ... and the place was a virtual sell-out unlike a couple of months ago when I went there to see Todd Rundgren ... what is the world coming to ?!?
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... was today's game ...
After a thoroughly awful week at work (weather; ridiculous D2Ds .. a very thick Red Cross envelope - how much money do charities waste ??) - and no transport to get home early today (Mrs Smiffy off and away to Belpershire), it ended up as a trip to Hurst Cross. Admitted it was a toss-up between the Ashton game and Stalybridge/Leamington - but I'm afraid finishing late at work (shape of things to come ?? Christmas etc) - and the fact that Ashton United have kindly supplied me with a season ticket for "services rendered" pre-season ... and Ashton snapper Jez had told me of his absence - so ..
The game ... I was astonished at how poor Marine were ... the bench was SOOO quiet throughout the first half - and what summed it up for me 40 minutes in was the lone shout from the Marine bench "Let's keep it at 1-0 till half-time" ... suffice to say they didn't !!
Joe O'Neil has a crack ...
Ashton looked slick up front ... and very tidy at the back - and thoroughly deserved their 2-0 lead at half-time (tbh it should have been more - if only they'd stopped hitting the woodwork !!). Second half - 3-0 up and coasting - which maybe the management team WILL pick up on (as in coasting = slacking) - Marine got one back, but never really looked like turning it round - and Ashton's fourth goal was the icing on the cake.
A bumper bundle of pics from the game as well (covering for the above mentioned absence) can be found at
Ashton United 4 Marine 1
Other stuff from today - yes I got p*ss wet through this morning at work ... in the Final Qualifying Round of the FA Cup Hyde FC went down 0-2 away at Wrexham ... in Conf North Stalybridge got their revenge over Leamington from last week winning 2-1 .. in Evo Prem Droylsden succumbed 0-2 at Frickley ... and in Evo 1North CurzonAshton won 1-0 at Cammell Laird ... Mossley slipped up 0-2 at Northwich Vics ... and while Mrs Smiffy is down at her homeland, I might as well mention Belper Town's 4-1 win against Romulus ... and I'd rather not let on about events from my homeland (but I will ... Witton Albion 5 Stafford Rangers 0 - aargh !)
And that was Saturday ...
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Grangemouth Terminal Stays Open
In short ...
Either:
Take a 3 year pay freeze, agree to a 3 year no-strike deal, and allow your pension arrangements to be "messed with" (naturally to the detriment of the workers) ...
Or:
We close the whole thing down ...
... and for all the bluster etc of the Unite union (yes that same union that turned several blind eyes when Simon Carves was falling apart - the ones who made me lose ALL faith in ALL Unions three and a bit years ago), they caved in. If you read the above article there are some absolutely astonishing quotes - the word un-effing-believable springs to mind ...
There must be companies all over the UK rubbing their hands with glee after this. Welcome to 2013 - unlucky for some - with more to come ...
Look on the bright side Grangemouth ... Scottish Power have joined the energy price cartel bandwagon with an 8.6% price rise ... never mind, David Cameron is urging us all to turn up our heating - wonder why ??
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Honest guv - the pics would have been up at 0830hrs this morning - but I got this ...
... but all appears well now - so here's a few pics from last night ...
Mossley 2 Lancaster City 1
Promise more words later ... but it's been a bad day @ work ... and tea is on the go (otherwise you might have seen these pics an hour or so ago)...
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... is needed according to "Sir" John Major ..
energy windfall tax story
Hang on a minute ... is that the same John Major who back in 1993 (The Railways Act) paved the way for the privatisation of the railways ??? Probably explains why all those TOCs (Train Operating Companies) are allowed to raise their fares OVER AND ABOVE INFLATION ...
Funny old world innit ??
Off to Mossley in an hour or so ... football returns ...
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... on Saturday. 3rd were playing 4th in the Skrill North - but what a cr*p game it turned out to be (especially for the neutrals - oh and possibly the faithful few who came up from Northamptonshire). Brackley have conceded very few goals - and were unbeaten coming into this game ... but I don't know what their game plan was (apart from lump it up front to Mulligan). Alty created more chances ... but there were still so many "unforced errors" if you like. A couple of penalty appeals from the Alty side of things - one cleared off the Alty line by Luca Havern ... but all in all it wasn't the "top game in the Skrill North" that it had been hyped up to be. Here's some piccies from the game (note I've had to copyright a few as well - having checked with my 'employers', it's fine for me to show - but ...)
Altrincham 1 Brackley Town 0
After the game (when I was ensconsed in the Press Box sorting out "stuff") was the manic rainstorm with thunder, lightning etc etc. Alty wi-fi was described by their guy as "iffy" (!!!) so it was a good test for the new dingle-dongle - which worked perfectly - shame about the pictures really - also the new laptop behaved impeccably - the speed of download from camera CF card to computer was excellent - maybe now I feel I can take a few more pics when "on the paid job" - rather than being careful (thinking of the time, deadlines etc after the game). Still, we got there in the end !
So - while I was at Moss Lane Altrincham, Mossley were beating Lancaster City 3-2 in the FA Trophy ... their reward is an away tie at Northwich Victoria (Flixton Vics ?? well that's where they're playing !!) Curzon Ashton won 1-0 away at Cammell Laird, and now face a journey to Kidsgrove Athletic in the next round (incidentally Dave Stringer - who wrote the Alty/Brackley match report in the "NLP" - is involved at Kidsgrove, and after the Alty game - up in the press pen - he was over the moon when he found out that they'd beaten Stamford in the Trophy !).
Around the rest of Tameside it was defeats all round ... Hyde FC (3-4 at Dartford); Stalybridge (0-1 at Leamington - 90th minute winer !) and Ashton United (0-3 at home to Sheffield in the Trophy). Tonight sees Curzon at home to Salford in the Evo 1 North - apologies for absence as I'm going to the Mossley/Lancaster game tomorrow night (which of course means I'll miss the Stalybridge/Vauxhall game - which I guess is the first "proper game in charge" for their new Manager Keith Briggs - hopefully I'll be down at Bower Fold on Saturday to see Celtic play Leamington - a chance for early revenge !!).
It rained a bit today ... on fact it rained a LOT today - and the forecast is no better for Tuesday - whether this has any effect on tomorrow's games ... we'll see - at least I've got the choice of two !
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... and now it's NPower ...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24607242
... which leaves EDF and E-On I believe (from that 'secret meeting' of the cartel) ?? Qualityquotes as follows :
"I know that any increases to household bills are always unwelcome, and
this is not a decision that we have taken lightly. We will continue to
take steps where we can to reduce the impact of the external influences
on energy bills," said Paul Massara, chief executive of Npower.
"I know these are difficult times for many customers and totally
understand the frustration that so many household costs keep on rising
when incomes are not keeping pace," said Ian Peters, managing director
of British Gas Residential Energy.
"We haven't taken this decision lightly, but what is pushing
up energy prices at the moment are costs that are not all directly under
our control."
"We're sorry we have to do this," said SSE's Will Morris.
"We've done as much as we could to keep prices down, but the
reality is that buying wholesale energy in global markets, delivering it
to customers' homes, and government-imposed levies collected through
bills - endorsed by all the major parties - all cost more than they did
last year."
Face facts ... they DON'T GIVE A SH*T !!!
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Football in a minute - honest guv ... but I had to get that off my (very wet) chest !
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... scary .... not that fast ... yet ... probably because I've had to plug stuff in and mess about registering online (Christ they've had my money - they've got my details - and I've got to go through it all again !!!). It's all good practise I suppose ... so here's a quick pic (I hope) from tonight's game at Hurst Cross ...
Lee Rick on the ball
I'm assuming now it's all plugged in, registered etc etc etc ... the next time I use it - it might be a touch quicker - bloody hope so !!
More later when I get home - maybe ..
VERY Early Friday Morning (!!) Rest of the pics now up and running at
Ashton United 3 Whitby Town 4
(.. and up pops another problem ... looks like my favoured JAlbum "skin" has disappeared - hey ho ...)
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Off to Ashton United v Whitby Town ... taking new laptop and also the newly arrived (i.e. today !) internet dongle - a fall-back in case of iffy (or non-existent) wi-fi options.
Best give everything a thorough test before Saturday ...
... apparently a day off on November 4th ...
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Let me tell you about it ...
... after tea !!!
(OK after breakfast !!) Got a new laptop at the weekend - the old faithful Dell was showing it's age (must be at least six years old - which is probably well into it's 80s in "laptop years" ...) - problems with a few of the keys not working, odd glitches with wi-fi connections - time to upgrade . So - a new laptop (Dell again - better the devil you know) with Windows 8 on it - no touch screen (which of course Windows 8 was designed for - saves money though). Naturally first job is get the essential stuff on - Photoshop, FTP, JAlbum etc. No probs here. Then ... shift e-mail account over ... first problem ... couldn't do it ! Windows 8 does not support POP3 e-mail accounts - and my internet provider does not support the newer IMAP protocol. So (at the moment I'm reduced to a Googlemail account - which means the "change of (e-mail) address" nightmare began (as in informing all and sundry) - and I reckon it's going to take weeks !!!
To be honest, once you get past the silly "tile" main screen and hit "Desktop", normality is resumed somewhat - but lots more to do. Even had a quick "malware" attack as well. 'Twas only a case of 10/15 minutes or so whilst we got the anti-virus stuff loaded and running - but it took a good hour to get rid of the cr*p that managed to infiltrate in that short time ...
Still - we've now got a new working machine (whatever happened to "straight out of the box" ??), so hopefully I should be a bit more comfy when "out on the road" - which I will be on Saturday (Altrincham v Brackley Town for the "Non League Paper").
P.S. Well done to Curzon Ashton last night - 1-0 winners over Darlington 1883 - my midweek match of choice is tomorrow (Ashton United v Whitby Town - well they did give me a season ticket for "services rendered" - so I ought to get some use out of it !!).
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Pictures for starters ... and no it's NOT "noise" on the pics - it's the incessant bloody rain ...
Mossley 3 New Mills 3
More tomorrow/today ... 'tis a touch late !
(OK MONDAY - excuses coming later) ... What is it with Mossley giving everyone a goal (or two) start - and then playing like world-beaters later ??? Maybe a bit of an excuse on Saturday ... wind and rain. New Mills had the advantage in the first half - and certainly took it !! 3-1 at half-time - it could have been more had it not been for the woodwork/metalwork. Maybe another hairdryer half-time "chat" - we'll never know - but it was one-way traffic pretty much in the second 45 minutes (with wind and rain at their backs). When it got to 3-3 we were all thinking "phew !" - but the game was still not over. Mossley pushed and pushed - created chances - missed out through some stoic defending from the Millers (and the crossbar being six inches too low !).
Given the conditions, it was an absolutely belting game - the phrase "a game of two halves" has been used elsewhere - and it certainly was ! At the end of the day was it two points dropped ?? Probably - but it's great to see the team hanging in there and putting in 110% effort right up to the end. However - if they'd just stop giving everyone a bit of a start, it might be a touch easier on the pitch (and a touch less heart-stopping OFF the pitch as well !!)
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Royal Mail shares ... ha bloody ha !! Valued at £3-30p ... which makes Royal Mail massively undervalued does it not ??? Definitely a quick Government "fire sale" to get some quick money to cover their cock-ups - Ok the private investors who went for big money (i.e. over £10,000) will get nowt ... but the big institutions - who are naturally in league with the money-grabbing Government - will get their share - keep it in the (Tory) family eh ?? And don't get me going on our employee shares - I 've been there before on here - just to re-iterate - more strings than a Thunderbirds puppet ...
Meanwhile SSE announce an 8.2% increase in energy prices (coming in on 15th November i.e. just before it REALLY gets cold) - no doubt the other energy companies have seen this as a pointer - and eventually will declare similar sized increases ... because as we all know since privatisation, the energy business has become a cartel.
Did I say cartel ??? Wait one moment ... privatisation ... so we lose a "nationalised" industry (a monopoly if you like) - and all of a sudden we have several groups of b*st*rds offering the same product - I'm sure these same groups of b*st*rds all meet in a room and decide how to screw the general public (whilst keeping their Tory big City investors happy) ...
Did I say cartel ??? Wait one moment - the railways ... 25 different Train Operating Companies who are allowed to raise their fares over and above inflation ... oh I forgot - John Major privatised the railways ... wonder if they all meet in a room and decide how to screw the general public (whilst keeping their Tory big City investors happy) ...
Wait one moment - TNT Mail are now setting up their own "end-to-end" mail system ... once Royal Mail becomes "privatised" maybe we'll see them in league with the others (maybe DHL, Hermes UKMail might get involved) ... setting up a mail cartel price-wise. If so ... they'll probably all meet in a room and decide how to screw the general public (whilst keeping their Tory big City investors happy) ...
You see it happening now - wait for it happening in the future.
The rich get richer .. and the poor - inevitably - get poorer ...
Rant over ...
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Always thought that October was a bad month for Football Managers ...
Statement on Stalybridge Message Board from supremo Rob Gorski ...
Stalybridge Celtic today announces that Jim Harvey has left his position as First Team Manager by mutual consent.
Jim joined us in February 2010 and has had two promotion-challenging
teams in that period. He has been a major driver in the youth policy
that we have developed and he was instrumental in our change to a full
time structure.
I would like to put on record our sincere appreciation for all the
hard work that Jim has put in over the past 3 1/2 years and we wish him
every success in his future career.
Colin Chambers, our excellent Academy Coach, will take control of
training from tomorrow morning until a new appointment is made.
With two other clubs in the area "struggling" - and actually in far worse shape 'on the pitch' than Stalybridge Celtic (viz. Hyde FC and Droylsden) - who's to say that we won't see more changes ...
Meanwhile ... Hinckley United have been wound up with debts of £200,000 ... a great shame (remember going there not long after they'd moved to the new stadium for the Matt Gadsby Memorial game back in 2007 - and their first couple of home games at the then Marstons Stadium were against Ashton United and Stalybridge Celtic). There's more to this winding up than meets the eye as well (Police probe into Hinckley United "business irregularities") ... we shall see ...
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More soon - pics here
Curzon Ashton Reserves 2 Colne FC Reserves 3
Wednesday Morning Update - Decided on this option as I haven't really been a "lucky charm" for Hyde this season (the thought of having to pay £14 in had nowt to do with it - honest !) - as it was, my absence at the Hyde v Gateshead game on Tuesday did not mark a change in their luck with Gateshead winning 2-0 - so much for superstition in football ...
Arrived at Curzon just in time to see Colne take an early lead. Although Curzon pegged it back, a couple of errors at the back saw Colne go 3-1 up only for Curzon to get one back fairly quickly. A lot of effort (and some good skills, especially from Luke Horrocks) came to nothing however. The game saw the welcome return of Graham Kay for Curzon after a lengthy spell out through injury - on for the last half-hour or so - good to see him get some match-time under his belt.
Onwards to Saturday - and probably Mossley v New Mills ...
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... second Sunday in a row ... up early-ish, grab "Non League Paper", read with relish (OK cup of tea and a ciggie !) before heading off down to Belper to pick up Mrs S before fitting in a quick walk (6 miler) on way home. This week - Froggatt Edge and Curbar Edge. Happy with refurbished camera - not so much with pics. There's a small rocky pool in Froggatt Wood (we've been there before) - and I've NEVER quite managed to catch the atmosphere of the place pictorially (in my mind anyway) ... have to try again another day maybe ... anyway, walkie pics at
"Close to the Edge" - 06Oct13
Soon be Monday ... hang on, we're 10 minutes in ! Time to retire ...
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... now up and running at
Hyde FC 0 Braintree Town 3
(incidentally ... for information ... Braintree had two players yesterday named ... Marks and Sparkes !)
Yes - walk today - so you'll probably get another load later - but back to finishing off tea now ..
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... got there eventually - another stupid day at work viz text at 0630 saying "Can you go in early ... " and also a request to do a completely different walk (one I'd not done for at least 18 months !) - - aargh ! We got there in the end ... because I'm GOOD (unlike the management) !!
So it was with trepidation that I approached Ewen Fields - yes the "laptop situation" (I'd got more cameras than you can hold in one hand ... i.e. two !!). As for the game ... Hyde started really well, hit the woodwork - but then the errors crept in and Braintree went in at half-time one goal to the good. Second half saw the home team reduced to long ball and long range efforts ... whilst the visitors got another couple of goals. At the end of the game I had the same internet problem ("limited connectivity") that I had at the Cambridge game ... so another mad rush home to sort out/send out pics before the 1800hrs deadline ...
It's starting to look grim for Hyde - although, looking at next week's
fixtures (or lack of !), I may return on Tuesday night to see their game
against Gateshead (not being paid so hopefully a full album of pics).
In the meantime I offer up three that didn't make "The Final Cut" for
submission to the "Non League Paper" ...
Josh Brizell moves it forward ..
Will Haining gets highest ...
Jordan Cox of Braintree - remember Jason "Pineapple Head" Lee ??
Tomorrow - off down to Belper (who beat Loughborough Dynamo 2-0 in the FA Trophy today) to link up with Mrs S ... and another 'bit of a walk' no doubt !! Will take the newly refurbished 50D for a run out as well (in the bag today ... but not required in the end).
SUNDAY (real) MORNING update - just had a further peep at pics ... and should be able to rustle up an album of photos from yesterday (i.e. the unused non-copyrighted ones !) - but it'll be later rather than soon - off down the A6 very shortly ...
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... received camera back from menders yesterday - and it was a joy to press the shutter to focus and then to take picture - OK only tried it out in the house but I'm happy - they've done the sensor clean and general service (got rid of an irritating "something" in the viewfinder - think it was a hair !!) - so at least tomorrow I've got camera + back-up camera - fingers crossed this ol' laptop stays the course.
So big up to Thomas Camera Services - all done within a fortnight - and very reasonable pricing as well. Obviously they do more than Canon but - I recommend - check out
http://www.thecameracentre.com/
... and tell them I sent you !
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OK ... as noted t'other night ... a new laptop is required, so Wednesday night saw me and Mrs S sloping off after tea for a bit of a shopping spree - a bit late but we knew PC World was open 'til 2000hrs. In - checked out the display stuff - and hung around the Dell - because that's what I've been using since 2007-ish, and it's been brill. Flunky said "I'll be with you in 5 mins - just dealing with another customer" - no sweat. On arrival (about 1955), I said "I want that one" .............. he said "Oh it's out of stock" .....
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....
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"Great ... thanks ... goodnight"
Let's go back 6 weeks - small boy about to go off to college ... needs new pc - so Mrs S, large boy and small boy head off down to - you've guessed it - PC World. Apparently they checked out what was on display, and found flunky and said "We want that one" .......... he said "Oh it's out of stock"
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....
....
Oh it's a PC World shop selling PCs etc - wonder if they've got a computerised stock control system - which then enables them to put little stickers on the display models that say:
Obviously too bloody difficult
What can I say - apart from ... I hope this old bugger can hang in there this weekend - and then I WILL get a new Dell laptop ...
... but it won't be from PC bloody World ...
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(And yes ... still on the old laptop !!)
Salford certainly came out of the blocks a bit quicker - despite Mossley getting the first clear-cut chance - and it was the visitors who took a deserved lead for all their early pressure. However it didn't last - and Mossley were soon back into the game and 2-1 up before the half-hour through a Marley header and a Carroll penalty.
Bonus STS picture - Wayne Welbeck at speed ...
All went a touch flat after the break - but Mossley never looked like they had a problem (OK Salford hit the bar - but it was a rare chance up at the wrong end). With just over 10 minutes left Charlie Anderson put the game to bed with a thumping header from a Tom Pratt corner ... and that, as they say, was that.
Five wins in a row for Mossley now (3 league 2 cup) and they're up to 8th in the table ... yep it's starting to look a lot more comfortable at Seel Park. Pictures from the game at
Mossley 3 Salford City 1
... can't say the same about Droylsden though - another heavy defeat keeps them firmly bottom of the Evo-Stik Prem. Also last night Curzon went up to Lancaster in a FA Cup replay, and came back with a 2-1 win - next stop away at Stourbridge. Ashton United will hope to keep their good start to the season going later this evening when they host Frickley Athletic - won't be there myself (sorry folks !) - new laptop to buy !!
It's gonna be a pricey week - as I also got a phone call from the "Camera Menders" ... "Your camera (the EOS 50D) is now serviced (hopefully a new shutter unit for starters) and ready - can we have some money ??". Thank God last week I did the "double bubble" (24 hours contracted + 24 hours overtime). So ... I should have a back-up camera for Saturday's "do" at Hyde - and hopefully a laptop I can trust (although this old bugger is hanging in there as we speak/talk/type).
Tea time now ...
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... isn't it ??
Laptop worked fine this morning when checking train times/BBC News etc etc - but when i got home from work tonight ... "The User Profile Service service failed the logon. User profile cannot be loaded" ...
AAARGH !!
I think I've said for a couple of weeks or so that this 'ere laptop was on it's last legs - and tonight confirmed same. Fortunately said machine did have a "Guest" account loaded on it which enabled me to Google said problem. Tried the first option thru Guest account - failed (no admin access) - so had to go in through "Safe Mode" as in F8 F8 F8 F8 - which logged me on via an Admin option - and it was into Regedit (editing the Registry - scary but ...) - and it worked !!
Good to know that the old computer knowledge/confidence is still there - for those geeks out there ... LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\Profile List was the way forward - find the .bak file ... rename the NON .bak file (having checked folder contents against the .bak file) and then rename the non .bak file by removing the .bak suffix) - restart ... BINGO !!!
However ... this has delayed stuff somewhat ... so Mossley's 3-1 win at home to Salford City will be detailed tomorrow (eek today) night I reckon ... probably after the trip out to purchase a new laptop !!!
Especially having had the call this afternoon ... can you cover the Hyde v Braintree game on Saturday for the "Non League Paper" - so it's a get new laptop and load all necessary stuff on it over the next couple of nights - Photoshop (wonder where the disks are ??!!??) being the main event, followed by an FTP option (Filezilla probably).
Life's never simple these days ...
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