More pets arrive

Final update before Rome. Starting from the bottom and working upwards: -

• Billy - an RSPCA cat from Yorkshire who wouldn't come out from under a hiding place for the first month and now wanders about happily. Enjoys laying in the sun.
• Kitten called something or other. Along with his sister, they were going to be named after the two from Dumb and Dumber but that got changed.
  
• The two kittens together. They currently live in the front room. RSPCA kittens from Yorkshire. Spotted a trend yet? Every time Alison goes to Yorkshire she brings a cat back to help her sister out. Jane has at least 12!
• The female kitten on its own. I've just been told it is called Jellybean. The ginger one is Rolo.
• The top picture is Maisy, the little bundle of fluff who barks at everyone and everything.

That just leaves Holly and Rosie who I will feature another time. Isn't that something to look forward to.

Why can't I email you back, Paul? Comes up failed every time. I was wanting to drop Dougie in it for telling me who the anonymous comments were coming from. John Peel might have to wait as I'm wading through Don Quixote at the moment - 900 pages!! It's pretty good though. The first novel ever written apparently.

Catch up time

It's been a while, so here are the main things that have been happening over the past couple of weeks.

1. Verwood lost to Bournemouth at cricket - not so much lost as got anhilated. They scored 240 odd on a blisteringly hot afternoon although I was pleased with my performance in the context of the game, 2 for 5o off 12 overs. We replied with a paltry 140 including a painstaking 2 from me. I sometimes wish I would go out and just smack the ball around rather than have to block an end to avoid losing wickets. It wasn't to any avail. They go second above us.
2. I got ill and am still suffering. I thought there was no game last Monday and did not go only to find out we (Thirty Plus) had lost 9 - 4 in a cup game. No idea who scored yet. I was too ill to play anyway.
3. I missed cricket this weekend with nasty cough and chest infection. Losing my voice and feeling pretty terrible. It was against the league leaders and was important but in the event, thunderstorms put paid to the game.
4. I missed the staff do on the last Tueday of term due to illness but kept going during the day. This included a marathon 6 hours in the beer garden at Chessington last Thursday as I supervised 40+ students from school at the park. They had a great day as the crowds had really gone to Thorpe Park. They got lots of rides and were brilliantly behaved. Despite the length of stay, only one pint of lager touched my lips as I stuck with coke and plenty of ice. I learnt my lesson the day our kids got stuck on Ramases' Revenge one year. I am getting far more responsible. Ended the day going on the Vampire Ride and Bubble Works where I soaked one of the students who had threatened to get me wet - they don't know the meaning of the word wet until they've been on there with me. This year I did not get told off for swapping boats or messing about too much.
5. I got John Peel's biography from the Head to read over the summer and a bottle of whisky from one of the Year Leaders along with some lovely cards from the kids. The prom went fine apart from number of ex students and present ones who had been barred from going, turning up with a load of drink in the case of the ex pupils, and completely off their heads with joints in the case of the others. I spent most of the evening out with them ensuring no trouble was caused. It was better than standing around in the disco and we caught up on old times before they dispersed.
6. I spent the weekend in bed feeling ill and coughing. Worried that I was not going to be able to make it to Rome. My first time abroad after all these years. It's exciting to have a passport at last.

I think that's about it. There'll be plenty of photos from Rome coming this way soon - hopefully not from my sickbed in the hotel.

Specially for Kev and Arn

This goal is the one where Arn hit two spectacular own goals against Winterbourne Stickland for Cranborne several years ago. They were both impressive efforts with neither being a simple tap in. You can't buy class like that.


It's not quite the right picture from the Coach and Horses but almost. Should be close enough to please Kev.

Thirty Plus sponsored by iscape - a Dave A production company

Another good performance meant we emerged from last night's contest with a 2 all draw, one of those draws where you feel a little unhappy not to have won.

With Dougie in goal in a fetching little number which allowed him to reveal his intimidating frame to the watching crowd, we took to the field with an air of confidence based around the fact that our unbeaten run stretches back into last month, over a week ago! However, we fell behind to a shot from outside the area with the player taking the ball unexpectedly early. A goal down we looked to play the beautiful game the right way and pass our way out of trouble. This proved a waste of time as we aren't very good at that and it fell to the mighty engined Matt C to engineer a goal from a goalkeeping throwout. He intercepted and shot low and true past the stranded keeper into the net which billowed beautifully from the fierceness of his left foot strike.

You read it right - a left foot strike!

Half time came and went with the team rotating position as the subs went on and off. Midway through came our second following a neat flick on by Matt C from a throw in. It fell to me in the box and as ever I managed to finish comfortably from over two yards but less than three yards out. Two goals to one and it all looked comfortable as we kept possession and did actually put together some good moves although not many clear cut chances were created.

Sadly, an intricate move from them led to Dom being horribly exposed (in a different sense to Dougie earlier! they'd swapped places for the 2nd half) and the ball being slotted through his legs.

A few things I ought to point out, having been told to: -

Matt C was off the pitch for both of their goals - he is an outstanding defender
Matt C scored with his left foot - he is an outstanding striker
Matt C flicked on a pass for the second goal - he is a creative genius in midfield

These are facts and can be proved by reading the above.

Dave A assisted in both goals. This means he took the throw in for the second goal and shouted encouragingly for the first. FIFA's definition of an assist may be slightly more stringent.

Dougie pulled off two great saves, especially the one where he went down early.

Kev had the touch off an inebriated elephant who had had to borrow someone else's boots which were several sizes too large and threw up after the game.

Matt I has found his niche and was genuninely awesome in defence.

Kev enjoyed his evening in the Coach and Horses because it seemed there was a beautiful young ladies convention and he is on the lookout for someone who is not a) Colin Jackson or b) Linford Christie who he knows intimately.

Pond life

As you will see, our redeveloped pond is coming on strong with plenty of lillies for the mayflies and dragonflies to enjoy. The bird bath at the top end of the pond runs on solar power and comes on instantly when the sun is shining but shuts off equally quickly when the cloud comes along.

There are masses of tadpoles, developing fast now with the first of them hopping out and under the rhubarb for shelter, water boatmen and pond skaters. So plenty to see sat out on the patio.

Verwood ride high after yet another win

Despite the lure of the world cup quarter final between England and Portugal, we played the match at the usual time albeit with weakened sides. Burley have managed a couple of innings of over 200 recently but they were restricted to 118 thanks to four wickets from Ali and another five for John. I was restricted to just a short spell of bowling with the effects of the groin strain.

We changed over late as tea coincided with the start of the second half of the football. At 90 minutes it was agreed to restart play and I was aksed to open the batting. Suffice to say I was able to watch most of the second half of the football following an almighty heave which was either going to launch the ball into orbit or see me getting out. Sadly the latter was the case but we managed to stumble to victory with two wickets to spare. Not exactly convincing but better than England who maintained their form in penalties. Sven has made them more consistent at least.

Verwood remain second.

Thirty Plus find mid table mediocrity

Despite the loss of our free scoring defender several years ago, now ensconced in the pleasures of South Wales, Thirty Plus have managed to turn back the clock and find victory in the past two games. Unfortunately a groin strain (!) meant I missed the first, a 2 - 0 win with an absolute screamer from Kev (his words but confirmed by others) and a neat finish from Matt C with his first of the season.

Monday's win puts us firmly in the mid table region, comfortably off both bottom and top. The new formation meant Hen in goal, Dougie and Dom in defence, Matt C, myself and Dave in the middle and Kev the lone striker up front. Two minutes in and we'd not had much possession but thereafter the result was never in doubt. A neat interchange of passes meant Kev had a clear opportunity which smashed against the post but the rebound fell to the onrushing Dave who buried the chance with alacrity. The same partnership managed to bundle in a second with some good football being dispayed throughout the team.

Midway through the second half a rare chance for the opposition was taken, putting some pressure back into the game. However, within seconds the lead was restored following good work down the left and an artful finish from Kev.

The formation worked for the evening at least, although the quality of the other side had something to do with that perhaps. We shall see next week.


In addition, I played in the annual Year 11 versus staff game after school in scorching heat. With the second half extended to 65 minutes in length, the staff managed to avoid defeat with a penalty leaving honours even at 4 goals apiece. We have always won in the past but a draw was a good result against a younger, more skillful side who wanted to win very much.

As ever there are memroies to the game played on the astro turf, essentially in the form of multiple abrasions which lose none of their stinging qualities for many a week.