It is Sunday in South Shields, bright but chilly early morning, mostly cloudy now but warmer and just put a whole chicken in to roast and the used shirts into a wash.
The English cricket season ends today with the Durham visiting Somerset supported by two coaches from the North East and it was a wise decision on my part to resist the temptation to book an extra night at a Travel Lodge and watch the final day of the game against Worcestershire where there was a prospect for a ninth win of season, but in fact it ended in an unsatisfactory draw which would have pleased neither set of spectators. According to the match report Durham looked set to win and then a couple of the bowlers put on a stand of 100 to force the draw,
My only dissatisfaction with returning home on the Saturday was to have been driving in the car during a very pleasant warm and sunny day which could have been used to explore the city and then to watch on BBC 2 Newcastle at Ipswich where the Bobby Robson’s widow and two sons opened a stand renamed in his honour at half time before almost all the players who had been part of his European winning team during his nine years there as manager before taking the position in charge of the English national team
However I had an excellent lunch break in the Midlands comprising two pork chops main course and a coffee.
The journey from South Birmingham to South of Nottingham was trouble free although one does have to pay attention to the overhead signs not to find oneself travelling south or to the northwest. It is getting on for at least two years, if not longer, since major road widening and alteration of banks and bridges commenced over a fifty mile stretch of the M1, and the area has continued to become exceptionally busy and difficult to travel with narrow lanes and speed restrictions.
On reaching to the turn off to Wetherby I decided go into the town rather than the service area for a comfort break just in case one of the many inns and public houses in the town was showing the football game although I did not anticipate people would leave their homes outside the North East and Suffolk to watch the game over a drink with others when they could do so in the comfort of their own homes, and also drink if they wished with then being unable to drive to enjoyed a people without the additional expense. I enjoyed the walkabout in this pleasant town before returning tot he car and listen to game on my way home, knowing I would be able to watch the game on the BBC I player the following day. However it is always good to experience something direct if not live. I had no difficulty in getting Real Radio which used to be Century radio and the level headed professional views of Bob Moncur the former Newcastle Captain who won the European Inter Cities Cup now some 50 years ago.
I became hungry just before the petrol garage approaching the Scotch Corner service area and enjoyed a thick filled sandwich with cheese, pickles, chicken and lettuce followed by a packet of crisps. The match was ending as I drove into the Tesco carpark at South Shields on the Newcastle Road for milk, salads and fruit and it was between 7.30 and 8 in darkness and evening chill when I reached home. There is always a moment of anxiety when I have been away from the house that everything was in order and it was.
I unpacked the basics and checked the post and Internet mailbox before a cup of soup and roll followed later by a carton of grapes and a coffee. I loaded the Luxor game on the desk computer and reached a total of 1300000 where I had been only able to get to 300000 because of being able to use the wireless mouse instead of the built in lap top mouse. I watched 200 X Factor hopefuls reduced to100 after having to sing in groups chosen by the programme editors. In previous years something of the behind the scenes drama was shown but this time the programme concentrated on performance revealing that many had been put through to this level who did not have it them to pass muster, which may one wonder why they had been selected in the first place other that to create the subsequent programme, although it would have given them a couple of days in London. I wondered who paid for this?
The 100 who passed this round were then asked to sing individually before an audience of 4000 after which they were asked to wait in one of four groups of 25, knowing that two groups would be sent home and two would live for another day. The Sunday programme revealed a different format from previous years and before the cut was made without the individuals singing again, but this year they were given the opportunity to sing again so this meant that by the end of the episode we had been reminded of the abilities of the 24 selected in the four groups of male and female under 25, those over 25 and singing in groups where a group is defined as more than one individual. The disappoint affect people the longer they get through eliminations rounds and judges find it difficult to say no to people with talent but where others have the edge of stage presence, looking good on camera and more likely to win over the wider voting audience. Nest week there are also two programmes covering the decision to reduce the 24 to the 12 who will feature in the live programmes from now until just before Christmas so that the winner will dominate the Christmas top of the pops.
Sunday was a good day of sports with England unexpectedly having something to look forward in the second game of the one day international tournament after winning against the odds against Sri Lanka. What happened was even more remarkable in that the team batted like demons and created the second highest score in one day game of some 320 runs with Shah, Collingwood and Morgan all amazing friends and critics alike with their powerful performances. On a pitched designed for run scoring South Africa failed by some 20 runs and one wicket and the result means that England will play in the semi final of the competition although they still have one more game in the preliminaries to play. It will be interesting to see if they go all out for a win or let other members of the party have a game. The game omens well for the Test and One Day two of South Africa over the Winter.
Durham just about won their last game in the Pro 40 over series against Somerset, with only two balls to go. Like Evans the fast bowler joining the first team squad with Borthwick were given a game but were only allowed three overs each after being hit around the ground for ten a over although Borthwick did get two wickets. They still have someway to go before challenging for a regular first team place. Sussex did get their second title oft he seasons although they are relegated to Division two of the championship and Nottingham finished second to Durham in the Championship and Essex and Kent have gained promotion at the expense of Northampton. I may considered going to Essex for the championship game as well as Nottingham and Yorkshire and to the Lords if Durham are invited to play the MCC eleven at the start of the season. I can just see my hat and top of my face in the photo of team against the terracing when the Championship was won. The team also paraded their trophy at the recent Newcastle game against Plymouth with the Australian team also present.
Also on television was the next round of the Motor Racing Grand Prix in which Lewis Hamilton was on the front grid but Jensen Button had a nightmare in qualifying and was 12th with his team mate five places ahead and determined to win the championship. There is dirty work at this crossroads me thinks and the sport has been tarnished for the foreseeable future however much the PR attempts to do convince otherwise. It all ended well with Lewis winning as his team has got his car in good working again and Jenson only lost two points of his lead to his team mate so is still on course for the title.
My attention also went on Sunderland’s Home game in the Premiership against Wolves. This was a curious game in that Sunderland went ahead 2.0 from penalties before giving away a sloppy goal quickly followed by a silly goal so that the teams were 2’s each at the interval. Then Sunderland score three goals in the second half to run out good winners and keep a position in the top half of the table with 12 points and eighth position. They are also in the next round of the league cup.
I also watched in full in the morning the replay of Newcastle’s visit to Ipswich. It was interesting that Lady Robson wore a blue suit, the Ipswich colours whereas a mixed Ipswich and Newcastle scarf had been produced to raise funds for his Foundation charity for cancer research work. There was an excellent crowd although not a sell out and the Newcastle fans and radio commentators had difficulty reaching eh ground because of major delays on the A1. The game was even and scrappy over the first 28 minutes before the extraordinary happened and Newcastle scored three excellent goals within the space of five minutes shell shocking not just the home spectators but also the players. Ipswich have a tradition of not sacking managers as the famous Cobbald family apologised to Robson after his head had been called for by the crowd when success failed during his first couple of years. The odd thing is that is their manager Roy Keane won his first two games at home when taking over at the end of last season and everyone expected he would do what eh did with Sunderland taking them from the bottom into the Premiership during his first season. He bought and sold a large number of players to achieve this whereas Robson was successful at Ipswich with a small squad and using home produced talent. Newcastle went on to score a fourth goal with Kevin Nolan gaining a hat trick. Such is life. Mike Ashley was there and according to one report he has said that if Kevin wins his appeal for constructive dismissal the club will be bankrupt and should this happens the team faces relegation and a loss of points before the season starts.
I enjoyed roast chicken for lunch with the remainder making a sweet and sour chicken dinner on Monday. I did not feel like salad in the evening so had a ready made pasta chicken dish with grapes and a melon for fruit and the last of the prawns in shell. I needed something warm and substantial before facing the next edition of Waking the Dead.
I also played the second Luxor game making over 2300000 points WOW yes 2 million three hundred thousand.
The English cricket season ends today with the Durham visiting Somerset supported by two coaches from the North East and it was a wise decision on my part to resist the temptation to book an extra night at a Travel Lodge and watch the final day of the game against Worcestershire where there was a prospect for a ninth win of season, but in fact it ended in an unsatisfactory draw which would have pleased neither set of spectators. According to the match report Durham looked set to win and then a couple of the bowlers put on a stand of 100 to force the draw,
My only dissatisfaction with returning home on the Saturday was to have been driving in the car during a very pleasant warm and sunny day which could have been used to explore the city and then to watch on BBC 2 Newcastle at Ipswich where the Bobby Robson’s widow and two sons opened a stand renamed in his honour at half time before almost all the players who had been part of his European winning team during his nine years there as manager before taking the position in charge of the English national team
However I had an excellent lunch break in the Midlands comprising two pork chops main course and a coffee.
The journey from South Birmingham to South of Nottingham was trouble free although one does have to pay attention to the overhead signs not to find oneself travelling south or to the northwest. It is getting on for at least two years, if not longer, since major road widening and alteration of banks and bridges commenced over a fifty mile stretch of the M1, and the area has continued to become exceptionally busy and difficult to travel with narrow lanes and speed restrictions.
On reaching to the turn off to Wetherby I decided go into the town rather than the service area for a comfort break just in case one of the many inns and public houses in the town was showing the football game although I did not anticipate people would leave their homes outside the North East and Suffolk to watch the game over a drink with others when they could do so in the comfort of their own homes, and also drink if they wished with then being unable to drive to enjoyed a people without the additional expense. I enjoyed the walkabout in this pleasant town before returning tot he car and listen to game on my way home, knowing I would be able to watch the game on the BBC I player the following day. However it is always good to experience something direct if not live. I had no difficulty in getting Real Radio which used to be Century radio and the level headed professional views of Bob Moncur the former Newcastle Captain who won the European Inter Cities Cup now some 50 years ago.
I became hungry just before the petrol garage approaching the Scotch Corner service area and enjoyed a thick filled sandwich with cheese, pickles, chicken and lettuce followed by a packet of crisps. The match was ending as I drove into the Tesco carpark at South Shields on the Newcastle Road for milk, salads and fruit and it was between 7.30 and 8 in darkness and evening chill when I reached home. There is always a moment of anxiety when I have been away from the house that everything was in order and it was.
I unpacked the basics and checked the post and Internet mailbox before a cup of soup and roll followed later by a carton of grapes and a coffee. I loaded the Luxor game on the desk computer and reached a total of 1300000 where I had been only able to get to 300000 because of being able to use the wireless mouse instead of the built in lap top mouse. I watched 200 X Factor hopefuls reduced to100 after having to sing in groups chosen by the programme editors. In previous years something of the behind the scenes drama was shown but this time the programme concentrated on performance revealing that many had been put through to this level who did not have it them to pass muster, which may one wonder why they had been selected in the first place other that to create the subsequent programme, although it would have given them a couple of days in London. I wondered who paid for this?
The 100 who passed this round were then asked to sing individually before an audience of 4000 after which they were asked to wait in one of four groups of 25, knowing that two groups would be sent home and two would live for another day. The Sunday programme revealed a different format from previous years and before the cut was made without the individuals singing again, but this year they were given the opportunity to sing again so this meant that by the end of the episode we had been reminded of the abilities of the 24 selected in the four groups of male and female under 25, those over 25 and singing in groups where a group is defined as more than one individual. The disappoint affect people the longer they get through eliminations rounds and judges find it difficult to say no to people with talent but where others have the edge of stage presence, looking good on camera and more likely to win over the wider voting audience. Nest week there are also two programmes covering the decision to reduce the 24 to the 12 who will feature in the live programmes from now until just before Christmas so that the winner will dominate the Christmas top of the pops.
Sunday was a good day of sports with England unexpectedly having something to look forward in the second game of the one day international tournament after winning against the odds against Sri Lanka. What happened was even more remarkable in that the team batted like demons and created the second highest score in one day game of some 320 runs with Shah, Collingwood and Morgan all amazing friends and critics alike with their powerful performances. On a pitched designed for run scoring South Africa failed by some 20 runs and one wicket and the result means that England will play in the semi final of the competition although they still have one more game in the preliminaries to play. It will be interesting to see if they go all out for a win or let other members of the party have a game. The game omens well for the Test and One Day two of South Africa over the Winter.
Durham just about won their last game in the Pro 40 over series against Somerset, with only two balls to go. Like Evans the fast bowler joining the first team squad with Borthwick were given a game but were only allowed three overs each after being hit around the ground for ten a over although Borthwick did get two wickets. They still have someway to go before challenging for a regular first team place. Sussex did get their second title oft he seasons although they are relegated to Division two of the championship and Nottingham finished second to Durham in the Championship and Essex and Kent have gained promotion at the expense of Northampton. I may considered going to Essex for the championship game as well as Nottingham and Yorkshire and to the Lords if Durham are invited to play the MCC eleven at the start of the season. I can just see my hat and top of my face in the photo of team against the terracing when the Championship was won. The team also paraded their trophy at the recent Newcastle game against Plymouth with the Australian team also present.
Also on television was the next round of the Motor Racing Grand Prix in which Lewis Hamilton was on the front grid but Jensen Button had a nightmare in qualifying and was 12th with his team mate five places ahead and determined to win the championship. There is dirty work at this crossroads me thinks and the sport has been tarnished for the foreseeable future however much the PR attempts to do convince otherwise. It all ended well with Lewis winning as his team has got his car in good working again and Jenson only lost two points of his lead to his team mate so is still on course for the title.
My attention also went on Sunderland’s Home game in the Premiership against Wolves. This was a curious game in that Sunderland went ahead 2.0 from penalties before giving away a sloppy goal quickly followed by a silly goal so that the teams were 2’s each at the interval. Then Sunderland score three goals in the second half to run out good winners and keep a position in the top half of the table with 12 points and eighth position. They are also in the next round of the league cup.
I also watched in full in the morning the replay of Newcastle’s visit to Ipswich. It was interesting that Lady Robson wore a blue suit, the Ipswich colours whereas a mixed Ipswich and Newcastle scarf had been produced to raise funds for his Foundation charity for cancer research work. There was an excellent crowd although not a sell out and the Newcastle fans and radio commentators had difficulty reaching eh ground because of major delays on the A1. The game was even and scrappy over the first 28 minutes before the extraordinary happened and Newcastle scored three excellent goals within the space of five minutes shell shocking not just the home spectators but also the players. Ipswich have a tradition of not sacking managers as the famous Cobbald family apologised to Robson after his head had been called for by the crowd when success failed during his first couple of years. The odd thing is that is their manager Roy Keane won his first two games at home when taking over at the end of last season and everyone expected he would do what eh did with Sunderland taking them from the bottom into the Premiership during his first season. He bought and sold a large number of players to achieve this whereas Robson was successful at Ipswich with a small squad and using home produced talent. Newcastle went on to score a fourth goal with Kevin Nolan gaining a hat trick. Such is life. Mike Ashley was there and according to one report he has said that if Kevin wins his appeal for constructive dismissal the club will be bankrupt and should this happens the team faces relegation and a loss of points before the season starts.
I enjoyed roast chicken for lunch with the remainder making a sweet and sour chicken dinner on Monday. I did not feel like salad in the evening so had a ready made pasta chicken dish with grapes and a melon for fruit and the last of the prawns in shell. I needed something warm and substantial before facing the next edition of Waking the Dead.
I also played the second Luxor game making over 2300000 points WOW yes 2 million three hundred thousand.
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