Mottisfont Abbey more photos

Mottisfont Abbey

We had a day out with Alison's parents on Wednesday as I didn't have to go into school. We went to a National Trust site just outside Romsey where we had a lovely day in the gardens as well as a tour of the house. It was a stunning location and the flowers were still worth seeing even at this later stage of the year. Glen found a friend in the trees, placed there as part of a children's activity, the straw bride that is, not Glen.

Chrissie and Jamie's visit

We had a visit from Chrissie, Jamie and the girls over the Bank Holiday weekend and managed to find enough good weather to sit out at the chimnea as well as watch Hot Fuzz and Run Fat Boy, Run. It was quite a crowd with everyone in the front room. We all got our wellies on for a walk to the woods but Maisie seems to have swallowed something irritating and keeps coughing since then. She went to the vets yesterday and has some antibiotics with the proviso to get her checked up again in a fortnight if the cough is still there. She is also overweight and is going to be on a diet after picking up so much cat food over the summer.

Verwood triumph over Centurions

I played my final game of the cricket season this weekend although the team has a game to play. It was only my fourth outing this summer but once again Verwood won comfortably leaving us in fourth place overall with a slight chance of promotion.

We batted first and it was a struggle to begin with. We found ourselves making slow progress and were 21 for 3 before a match winning partnership between John and Mark ensured victory was ours. They put on 161 runs and ended up unbeaten with a total of 182 for 3. John batted very well for 114 not out including 7 sixes. In contrast Mark was far steadier but nevertheless made the magical mark of 51 not out securing his first ever 50 on a Saturday after 25 years of playing!!

The opposition were always behind and wickets began to fall regularly with 6 of them coming to me in a spell of 6 for 36 in 10 overs. I was very pleased but it leaves me disappointed not to have made a bigger impact this year with only the handfull of games. My season figures are 15 wickets in 4 games at a cost of 124 runs, an average of 8.25.

Ouchee

Sparkshop played a league game on Monday with a much altered line up once again, this time lacking both Matt and Dougie as well as 3 pint Pete which left us welcoming, back Kev after his back/toe injuries. There was Lacey from Witchampton, our feeder club when short and Rich's brother, Mark? in addition to myself, Dom and Rich himself.

The sad thing was we ended playing one short anyway following a pretty horrific cut to Lacey's headafter an assualt from an aggrieved opposition player. We were two down by that stage after Richard pulled off a fantastic double save. The follow up shot beat him at the near post which was hard to swallow coming after such great saves at full stretch and then smothering the ball. It could have gone anywhere but fell at an angle from which it was driven home. A second goal came immediately from the kick off and we looked in trouble but the incident which put Lacey out of the game seemed to get us back into things.

He'd fouled the defender but the ref played advantage quite rightly. It wasn't a malicious tackle but it was taken that way and revenge was in the air. As Lacey took the ball out of defence he was scythed at twice without going down leaving the angry defender to steam in to him and another opposition player. The collision actually put both players down and there was a clash of heads. Lacey ended up with a bright red scalp as blood flowed and ended up with 8 stitches as he went off to casualty.

He'd won us another penalty by that stage, one in each of our last three games and it was debatable again. This time Kev slotted home but it was after the injury we played our best football. The guilty defender was sent off quite rightly despite his protestations and initial refusal to give his name. We created a number of chances but the goal was reluctant to come and indeed we ended up conceding a third in the second half which left us as 3 - 1 losers. It was hard work against a good side but we battled well and can be encouraged by the number of chances created.

Sport hurts.

Back to cricket

After a break of well over two months since my last game, I played cricket yesterday for Verwood who have been having a good season in my absence, hopefully despite rather than because. I've only managed two games so far so it was nice to be back although the weather was not fantastic by any means. We were at Fawley and after winning the toss put them into bat. They were always in trouble with Jerry eventually taking 5 wickets for just 15 runs. I got a bowl and took 3 for 12 in my 6 overs which means I've taken 9 for 88 this season which would give me a great average if only I'd bowled more overs.

Batting was straightforward with the target reached with just the one wicket down. Charlie scored 35 and Chris M got 48 not out. And it didn't rain once which means Verwood actually completed their first game in August.

View from Eiffel Tower 6th August 2008

Paris Day 6 Final Part

A final few photos of Paris from the batobus near Notre Dame and a view of the Eiffel Tower which shows how it just emerges from a park and looks incongruous to me, as if it doesn't quite fit its surroundings.

Paris Day 6

On our last full day in Paris we finally went to the Eiffel Tower properly having been aware of its presence all week as it looms over the city from just about any viewpoint. It was a late start after a late night and lots of walking yesterday and Maria took her time over breakfast. We took the batobus along the Seine and realised just how hot it was going to be with the temperature over 30 degrees which made queueing for the tower a big ask without shade.
There were big crowds when we arrived and decided to just take the climb up to the first floor which nevertheless meant a wait of over an hour and a half as halfwits waited in line and got to the ticket office before getting out money despite the information posted all over the place and on an electronic display board. If they weren't doing that, they decided to have a chat and keep everyone else waiting because they are idiots. I was a touch frustrated at having to queue for so long.
It was worth it though and we, Alison, Georgina and myself, took the stairs upwards while Bridie looked after Maria. The views were incredible although nothing compared to the higher parts I'm sure.
In the evening we returned to Les Halles to stop in a couple of brasseries and sort out the dehydration. Whilst the others shopped for souvenirs, I had a couple of small beers (a pint was 7 euros!) before Alison collected Maria. As she walked to the crossing a scooter ran into a car and threw the rider and bike into the crowd as some speed. The rider hit some people waiting at the lights while the scooter hit a lamppost and began leaking fuel all within a few yards of where I was sat and even closer to Alison and Maria. It could have been awful but the rider appeared ok when the ambulance arrived quickly and pulled his trousers down round his ankles. It wasn't the only thing they did obviously but it brought to mind the old adage your mother used to say about wearing clean underpants. The poor lad was in a neck brace and lying flat with his trousers round his feet as he was lifted into the ambulance. I'd have thought that was more traumatic than anything else.

Paris Day 5 Part 3

A very busy day saw us travel across to Les Halles where we found a bar for some drinks and a vegetarian restaurant which was expensive but tasty. We walked back to our hotel via the gardens of the Palais Royale which were very attractive as the sun set. On the way there was a strange sculpture in the middle of another park and it took a while to figure out what it was as we approached from the rear.

Paris Day 5 Part 2

There are a few more examples of art work from the Musee d'Orsay followed by a picture of a rhino outside the museum and one of the Pompidou Centre which is very different in its approach to the architecture. We sailed down the Seine to Notre Dame again and did a tour of the interior. I thought the backlit cross was quite dramatic.

Paris Day 5 Part 1

Tuesday is a day when many of the attractions in Paris are closed e.g. the Louvre which means that the crowds tend to flock to the Musee d'Orsay which houses the main artistic achievements of the late 19th century and earlier parts of the 20th century. The Louvre is home to earlier works while modern pieces are at the Pompidou Centre. I enjoyed the Musee d'Orsay more than the Louvre in some ways especially as the impressionist work is very appealing.
The museum was quieter than I'd expected and gave an opportunity to get very close to some of the world's most famous pieces with examples from van Gogh, Monet, Whistler and Renoir amongst others. Monet was the one that stood out to me and Iguess its the subject matter as much as anything with nature being far more represented than the Louvre with its portraits and religious art.

Paris Day 4 Part 4

Just a couple more pictures of paintings from the Louvre and then it was off to the restuarant for a meal where Geirgina was serenaded by a busker who didn't put much effort into his work at all. He smoked a dog end as he played or rather moved the accordion in and out a few times whilst moving his fingers randomly. The sound bore no resemblance to music of any sort despite Alison saying she recognised it! He was great though and gave us a good laugh.

Paris Day 4 Part 3

It was just Georgina and myself who returned to the Louvre in the afternoon where we took in the Egyptian exhibition with the biggest display outside Egypt apparently. The first photo is of the pyramid entrance to the Louvre which is spectacular and guides the visitor into a massively light entry area. The art work shows an image of nipple tweaking which is said to signify the legitimacy of the king's new born child which to me simply supports what many say about art in having the critics see in a work something which isn't there or is hidden from the masses.

The final photo is of Louis who appears as arrogant, dismissive and completely self centred. The man seems to be utterly vain and incapable of understanding the political realities of France in the 18th Century.