Alysha and Ireland

Saturday 17th September, 2011.

The second weekend of the 2011 Rugby World Cup began early on Saturday morning, with Argentina beating Romania by 43-08. This was then followed by the Republic of South Africa taking on Fiji. After the Springboks dismal performance against Wales last weekend, Fiji must have thought they stood a chance. However, the Springboks aren't the current World Champions for nothing, and they came out playing their typically physical game. So much so, that they destroyed Fiji by 49-03. It was as this game was finishing that I finally decided to get up and head downstairs. This was purely because the final match of the morning was between Australia (second favourites to win this years RWC) and Ireland (who have dropped to 8th in the World Rankings, following their poor performances in the warm-up games.) Well, what a match this turned out to be! At half-time the score was tied at 06-06. The first half had been one of the closest that i had ever seen, and the scoreline reflected that. Then the second half began. Sexton scored within 10 minutes of the restart and Irelandwere in front for the first time in the match. Then O'Gara kicked a penalty and Ireland stretched their lead. Australia kept threatening to score a try, but the Irish defense were unbeatable. Then, with 10 minutes left to play, O'Gara kicked another penalty and Ireland were 9 points ahead, leaving Australia needing two scores to win. It didn't happen. As the clock ran down, past the 80th minute, it fell to O'Driscoll to kick the ball into touch. Ireland had beaten Australiaby 15-06. The match that I had just watched, was as good as any final that I had witnessed.

 

Sunday 18th September, 2011.

Day two of the second weekend in the 2011 Rugby World Cup saw Wales take on Samoa. Apparently a very tough game, in which Wales were very lucky to score a try towards the end of the match to secure their win. This was then followed by England against Georgia. England had not played at their best the previous week and needed to put in a convincing performance today. And Georgia are no pushovers. If they ever change the 6 Nations into a 7 Nation tournament, Georgia would be the 7th Nation. Well, by the end of the first half, England were lucky to be in front. The start of the second half sawEngland make one of those comebacks that they are so good at doing. Ashton was back to his try-scoring ways and Flood was converting them. Obviously the match earlier in the week for Georgia, was beginning to take its toll and you could see some of the players were absolutely shattered. Final score, Englandwon 41-10. After this it was time for France v Canada match. Canada began by getting a penalty in the first minute and putting 3 points on the board.France then scored a try two minutes, which was followed by Canada doing the same minutes later. It was looking to be a good match. At half-time the score was close, with Canada just a few points behind. The second half, however, saw France up their game. Tries, drop goals and penalties saw France win the match 46-19.

Alysha was in Staines at a dance competition and didn't return until the early evening. Alysha doesn't call or text while she is at competitions as this 'jinxes' her, so we have to wait until she returns home to find out how well she has done. Well, in her 'solo' dance she got through to the semi-finals, and in the 'couples' dance she came first, so yet another trophy for her shelf. Way to go, Alysha. (I can see I am going to have to put up another shelf for all these trophies.)

So all-in-all a great weekend. Ireland beat Australia and Alysha came first in one of her dances.

A BBQ, A Fire and A + E

Saturday 3rd September, 2011.

With the coming seasonal changes, I thought it best to have another BBQ, before the weather took a major turn for the worse. So, up early on Saturday to prepare. Emma (Matron) went into Watford, to get some shopping and when she returned we headed to our local shop, 'Vimco', to get the last few things we needed. On returning home, we discovered Swany's car on the drive and some beer and bread in bags in the garden, but no sign oft the Swany himself. So, I picked up the beer and put it in the fridge and placed the bread on the side, in the kitchen. I then set about preparing the Chili. I heated some oil and added chopped onions and garlic. I then took the pan off the heat and added a tin of tomatoes and left the pot to stand. I then added the minced beef and the diced beef, followed by a healthy pinch of Paprika and Oregano.I then seasoned with Salt and Pepper before adding a couple of sliced Chili Peppers and two tins of kidney beans. I then broke up half a bar of Lindt Chili Chocolate and added this to the pot. Then, using one of the now empty kidney bean tins, I made a strong black coffee and added this to the mixture. The lid was then placed on the pot and left to stand. (The recipe is at the bottom of this page.) I then got to work on the Pork joint. I made some holes through the joint with a skewer and threaded some fresh Chives (fresh from the garden) into the meat. I then criss-crossed the skin of the Pork with a sharp knife and rubbed oil all over it, before rubbing sea salt into the skin. I then carefully wrapped it in tin foil and left it to stand. By this time, Ben 'Swany' Swan and Jason 'Smithy' Smith had returned. It turns out that they had arrived whilst Emma and I had gone to the shop and had been messing around in the park. So, we opened a bottle of beer each and I lit the charcoal on the BBQ. After 20 minutes-or-so the charcoal was ready. So, I put the pot of Chili in the back left corner and placed the Pork Joint in the back right corner. (Both directly on the coals.) Then it was a case of sitting back and waiting. While we waited Swany had brought his 'Circus' equipment with him. (Juggling clubs and balls, Plates for spinning, Unicycle, etc..) So, while theChili cooked and the Pork Joint roasted, we messed around. Swany is slowly improving on his Unicycle and we had a lot of fun videoing him. We then tried some plate-spinning, which I was not very good at. After the Pork joint had been on for an hour I turned it over and stirred the Chili. More beer followed, while we awaited the arrival of Steve 'Browny' Brown. I then flash-fried some steaks and Haloumi, which took literally seconds to cook, over the coals. It was then that Browny arrived. So, we dished up the Chili and I took the joint inside to slice it. We then all tucked in to eat. Smithy had never tried one of my Chili's, or a Pork joint cooked on the coals and he had never had Haloumi. Surfice it to say, that not an ounce of food was left over. Everything went. Once we had let our food settle, we went out into the park and played about. Smithy climbed to the top of one of the trees, whilst Swany messed around on the round-a-bout. After a good half-an-hour of us all playing about (which Emma videoed), we headed back into the garden to chillax. Soon after Smithy decided to leave as he was slightly drunk (Lightweight!!!) so Browny, Swany and I played with the circus gear. Browny got his plate to spin without much practise, whilst I was ready to launch mine like a frisbee. Then I got it to spin and I was happy. As the evening drew on, and the light began to fade, Swany and I put on our Honcho's. At about 10ish, Peter 'Tits' Metcalf came round with more beer (not that we needed it as the fridge was still well stocked) and some flammable liquid for Swany. Swany then decided that it was time to up his game, so with my video at the ready, he began. First with his 'torch', which he tried to balance on his chin. (While wearing his highly flammable Honcho and its bag as a hat!) Then by juggling lit fire-lighters, and finally by breathing fire. This was very impressive and came out very well on the video. ('Swany's Fire Circus' on my Video Page.) After Swany had finished his 'fire show', we all settled down to enjoy the rest of the evening. Then the call came. Swany looked at the number and obviously recognised it, because he answered it in a very cautious manner. Then his demeanour changed, and he promised that he would be there (wherever that was) in minutes. When he put the phone down, Matron asked him what was up. It turned out that Stacey, ('Champagne Stacey' on my Video Page) had been involved in a Road Traffic Collision (RTC) and had had to be cut out of her car by the Fire Brigade. She was also 19 weeks pregnant with Swany's baby, so, while we packed Swany's things away, Matron made Swany a cup of strong coffee, to help sober him up. He then headed off with Tits, to A+E, promising to let us know how she was, as soon as he could. This left Matron, Browny and me to wait and wonder what was happening. Soon after, Matron went up to bed, while I watched TV and Browny played on the PC. Eventually, Matron received a text letting us know that Stacey was just a little sore and banged-up and that Baby Swany was fine. So, everything turned out Okay. Good food. Good friends. And good fortune for Swany.

       Recipe for the Perfect Chili

• 
  
  Olive oil


• 
  
  1 large onion


• 
  
  1 clove of garlic


• 
  
  2 red chili peppers


• 
  
  Paprika


• 
  
  Oregano


• 
  
  Salt & Pepper


• 
  
  500g good quality mince beef


• 
  
  500g good quality diced beef


• 
  
  1 can of tinned tomatoes


• 
  
  1 tin of kidney beans


• 
  
  1/2 cup of fresh coffee


• 
  
  1 bar of good quality Chilli Chocolate

Haiku: Alysha

A perfect moment

Evolving over the years

My first born daughter

A Day at the Theatre

Saturday 25th June, 2011

The day started as usual, but it would be anything but usual. It would be incredible!

Act One

The morning came and went as usual then, after lunch, we walked over to my nan's house. Once we knew she was ready, we ordered a taxi to take us to the Palace Theatre in Watford. When we arrived, we looked around the entrance lobby at the photos and prints on display, before buying a programme and heading to our seats. Our seats were in the second row, almost dead centre, so we had a perfect view of the show. The show began on time, at 14:45 and we sat back to watch the Rare Productions Youth Theatre Groups 'Disney's Camp Rock: The Musical'. Now I know I keep saying that I don't like musicals, but Alysha was one of the Principal Dancers, and I always try to see her shows. (Usually the matinee, so we can take my nan.) Anyway, having seen quite a few musicals recently, (Hello Mister Capello & Company), I am getting quite used to them. Well, Alysha was brilliant as usual, which made up for the odd mistake made by other cast members, getting the odd line wrong. Granted Alysha wasn't perfect but she was by far the best. There were a few other dancers that stood out, such as Leanne Flannigan as Axel and Klara Gashi. Natasha Chambers and Seb Kainth as Mitchie and Shane, I thought were exceptional. At the interval Emma and I bought ice cream for us all before the second act. Once Act Two was over, we made our way to the theatre lobby, to await Alysha. It didn't take her long to find us milling around with the other parents and friends. We didn't talk for long as Alysha was anxious to go to Nando's for lunch with some of the cast members, so we said our goodbyes and ordered a taxi to take us back to nan's. Once nan was safely back at home, Emma and I headed home to get a quick bite to eat and await the arrival of Len and Em-J.  

Act Two

Em-J and Len arrived at about 18:30ish and we made our way to Rickmansworth. Em-J drove and we parked in the car park just off the High Street, outside The Coach & Horses, as it was free and particularly empty. We then took a short stroll down the High Street towards Watersmeet Theatre, where we were going to watch the PHEOS MUSICAL Players presentation of 'Fiddler on the Roof.' It turns out that Len had never been to the Theatre before, so this was to be a real treat for him. Once inside the theatre we bought a drink and made our way to our seats, which were front row to the right of the stage. Before the lights were extinguished, I looked around the theatre and spotted a few people I knew from the hospital. Pretty soon the theatre was full and the lights dimmed and the play began. (Now, I don't normally get goosebumps when watching stage shows, but seeing Steve Brown in his costume and beard (real) in the role of 'Tevye', a role that he had always dreamt of playing, I was filled with enormous pride for him.) Well, the next hour and forty minutes were enthralling! Steve played the character to a tee and his voice was perfect. The walk and demeanour that the Steve brought to the character were spot-on. Not once did it seem that Steve was imitating the greats. Somehow, he had managed to bring a little of himself to a very iconic role and truly made it his own. (Before you start thinking that I am just saying this to because Steve is my friend, you are WRONG. Steve knows me well enough, as do many others, that if I thought his performance was wanting, I would tell him.) Surfice it to say that that first act was one of the best I have ever seen on stage. There was a 20 minute interval before the second act, so we disappeared to the bar and bought another drink. Len seemed really impressed, apart from his back was going stiff (old age) from the theatre chairs. Once Len had limbered up we headed back inside for the second act. The second act, although shorter than the first, was just as enthralling and was quite moving in some scenes, which were played to perfection. As the show finished and the cast took their bows, the applause began to rise. Then, with Steve the last actor on stage, I saw a few people rise to their feet and give a standing ovation. It was truly an incredible play. After the show we waited in the downstairs lobby, to greet the man himself. After the congratulations and hand-shaking, hugs and kisses, Steve posed for a photo with the four of us. We then went back upto the bar to have a drink with him, before heading home. A mention has to made of Sue Reynolds (Golde) who was brilliant as the wife. Her voice was incredible and hit every note. Also, Jessica Bergman (Chava) and Tamsyn Wheatley (Hodel) played the roles of the daughters who go about things differently were brilliant. Alice Ingham (Tzeital) gave an almost perfect performance. Brad Hatton (Motel), Les Broude (Perchik) and Martyn Jackson(Fyedka) were simply great to watch. Julian Ardouin (Lazar Wolf) gave a quite reserved, but powerful, performance as the Butcher. The set design was brilliant and the music top-notch, but the entire show belonged to Steve as Tevye. This was the first PHEOS production I had seen having missed 'Follies' and'Oklahoma!', their last two productions, but I would see them again, even if Steve isn't in the show!

Now, until the review comes out, this is what people have said of the show.

Chantal - Steve was phenomenal!

Andy Milne - Absolutely Cracking!

Annalise - What a part, What a voice, what a man!

Ray - A well deserved success!

Annette - Steve was fantastic!

Gary - Amazing!

Emma - A great performance by Steve!

Jane - Steve was Incredible. What a voice!

Tom - A first class performance. Legendary!

Em-J - Very proud of him. Awesome!

Len - Brilliant!

Daryl - All of the above... and more!

Len and Emma Jayne's Wedding

Saturday 28th May, 2011

 

Wedding Day

 

Len was the first to rise and had been to the shop and back before anyone else arose. Then Emma and myself got up, followed soon after by Alysha. After a quick coffee I went for a shower and got myself dressed (Black suit with blue shirt, no tie). Then Emma had a shower, then Alysha and then Len. While I was downstairs, I heard Len come out of the bathroom complaining that his hair wasn’t right. I then heard Alysha ask him if he needed help with it, which made me chuckle. Len said he would be fine and disappeared back into the bathroom. What seemed like an eternity later, Len came out of the bathroom, finally satisfied with his hair. Once we were all ready, Swany arrived. He had shaved his head completely and wore a black suit with a red shirt beneath. (He looked a bit like Harry Hill) Another coffee and then we made our way into Watford. After a quick trip to Primark to buy Alysha some new shoes, we headed onto Watford Market for a quick bite to eat. When we had each finished our lunch we made our way towards the Escourt Tavern for a quick drink and to meet some of Len’s friends. After a quick drink (or two) we made our way to the Registry Office, to meet up with the rest of Len and Emma’s family and friends. Once we were all introduced, Len and myself went into the Registry Office to speak with the Chief Registrar. I told him the track listing on the CD that Emma Jayne had asked me to make, before Len entered his details in the register. Then we both went back outside only to find out that Emma Jayne had arrived, so we all made our way to our seats. The music began with ‘U2’s Beautiful Day’, then ‘Eternal Flame’ by ‘The Bangles’, followed by 'Nat King Cole's Unforgettable'. Then Emma Jayne made her way down the aisle (or runway, as she kept calling it) to the sound of ‘Etta James’ singing ‘At Last’. All this time Len kept facing forward and I was thankful that Shanel was at the front to catch the moment on film (well, pixels actually.) The entire ceremony went without a hitch, apart from a slight mistake by Len, (unlawful instead of lawful), before they were pronounced Husband and Wife. After a few kisses they turned and moved behind the desk to sign the register. Then a few of us that had been chosen as witnesses, signed the register and had our photos taken with Mr and Mrs Erdwin. Once these were taken, we headed back to our seats, to watch the happy couple walk up the aisle (runway). The registrar handed the marriage certificate to Emma and then they made their way out of the office and on into the garden, to the sound of ‘Elvis Presley’ singing 'Can't help falling in love'. Once we had all gathered in the garden, Shanel got to work taking the photos of the happy couple. Then the happy couple with their families, then with friends, then acquaintances, etc. Finally, Shanel got us together for the big group photo and the final ‘confetti’ shot. After this it was a case of saying ‘goodbye’ to those who weren’t able to make the reception, while giving directions to those that could. We then made our way back to the Escourt Tavern until it was time to head for the reception.

The reception was held at the newly built ‘Ex-serviceman’s Club’ on St Albans Road, and was perfect for the amount of people invited. The room was pretty much square, with tables along both sides and in-between the bar and dance floor, where there was also a stage, on which the DJ (Paul Baz) had setup and was playing a mix of 70s and 80s music. Food had also been prepared and was laid out on some tables, to the right of the stage. Once everyone was settled, Mr and Mrs Erdwin took to the dance floor, for their first dance as Husband and Wife. (Check out the video on my movies page.) They then proceeded to cut the cake and pose for more photos. Once the cake had been cut, the kids were put to work building the cardboard cake boxes, while Emma (my Emma) cut the cake into box-sized pieces. After that, the drinks flowed and people mingled. Debbie got up and made a speech and she was followed by Len, who ended his speech with, “Thank you. Thank you, very much.” Beer flowed, food disappeared, Len danced (doing the splits three times!!!), photos and videos were taken and everyone had a great night. All too soon, the night came to a close. Handshakes, hugs and kisses were given to friends old and new, before Mr and Mrs Erdwin made their way home to start their married life together.

And they lived happily ever after.

Track Listing for the big day:

While the guests are waiting for Emma Jayne to arrive,

1. U2 - Beautiful Day

2. Bangles - Eternal Flame

3. Nat King Cole - Unforgettable

4. Elvis Presley - Wonder of You

For Emma to walk down the runway,

5. Etta James - At Last

While signing the register

6. Adele - Make you feel my love

7. Shania Twain - From this moment

For the walk up the runway as Mr & Mrs Erdwin

8. Elvis Presley - Can't help falling in love

Jamaica, part 5

Friday 29th April, 2011.

 

As today was to be our last full day in Jamaica, we decided to make the most of it. Breakfast and then a walk along the beach, while Alysha went to see Kiah, before a little bit of lying on a chaise and a spot of paddling. Emma and I then moved towards the pool, where various drinking games were being played. Haveron was his usual happy self and, while Emma went for lunch, he made me a cocktail. It was made with different rums and liqueurs and tasted delicious. Some Scottish people that were by the pool saw Haveron’s cocktail and decided that they would try it, too. The next thing I know, I am caught up in a cocktail drink-off! Luckily, Emma soon returned from lunch and things calmed down. (Although the damage had been done!) A few photos of us with Haveron and we made our way back to the beach. It was as I stood on the beach, watching the sunset with Emma, that my legs started to get drunk. It is a really weird feeling getting drunk from the toes upward. It was soon decided, by Emma, (not that I complained) that we should go back to room to change and have a break from the sun. Replenish our energy, basically. This sounded good to me, so I tried to make my drunken legs walk in a reasonably straight line towards the lift lobby. Once in our room, I asked Emma to wake me for dinner, before falling onto the bed. Sleep came quickly. I awoke at just after half-seven. Dreams of rum cocktails still swirled on the screen in my head, as I scanned the room. Emma was in the asleep and so was Alysha. The sun was pouring in through the balcony and I had to check my watch, again. It was definitely 07:30. I had been asleep for 12 hours! How? Then it hit me. Haveron! Haveron and his cocktails had made me miss dinner! Then I thought about it… and then I blamed the Scots! Then I thought about it some more and decided… it was time for breakfast. Once we were all up, we headed down for our final breakfast in Jamaica (well, this trip at least.) Then, after a second coffee, we walked along the beach before returning to our room. Everything had been pretty much packed, so it was only the last minute checks of drawers, closets, etc. We checked out of our room with main reception, just after 11:00 and headed back towards the beach. We walked the length of the beaches, before heading toward the Wedding gazebo with the manicured lawns. We saw geckos and countless birds and wildlife. We then walked around the water park and I had a game of pool with Alysha at the Teen Centre. Alysha stayed at the Teen Centre with some friends, while Emma and I went to the pool bar to find Haveron. After some photos, Emma and I met up with Alysha and had our final lunch in Jamaica (until next year?) After lunch was finished we took a look around the market stalls and made our way to the reception area, where we awaited our coach. Once the bags were loaded, we climbed aboard and waited for the journey to the Airport. As the route back to the airport has to go around the entire Montego Bay, we kept getting glimpses of the resort until our view was obscured by the mountains and buildings. A few moments later and we were looking down on Sangster International Airport, Montego Bay. One of the things that I always remembered about Montego Bay Airport, from my first visit in 1991, was how small and compact it was. Now, looking down on it 20 years later, you could see the expansion that had taken place. New terminal buildings and departure lounges surrounded the old departure terminal, which was now used as one of the security checkpoints. I won’t go into what it was like at the airport, suffice it to say, we were sorry to be leaving. Alysha was already promising to bring her friends here, when she turns 18. Emma had really taken to the place, and wanted to return as soon as possible. While I felt like I had 20 years before... Hoping that it wouldn’t be another 20 years before I returned. As we taxied along the runway, I noticed that we weren’t picking up enough speed and started to wonder what was going on. All became clear a few seconds later. Air traffic control had changed the direction of take-off. Brilliant! This meant that we would get one more glance of the Sunset Beach Resort. And we did. The flight took-off on time, and our flying time was slightly less than our previous flight. We all found it difficult to sleep, so I watched ‘The King’s Speech’, ‘R.E.D.S.’ and various other programmes. We landed exactly on time and sailed through baggage reclaim, customs and passport control and headed for the Arrivals Lounge, where EmJ was waiting for us.

 

There is only one way to end this blog and that is by paraphrasing Captain Kirk:

 

‘Of all the Souls I have encountered in my travels, Jamaicans are the most friendly.’

 

Until next time…

 

May it be IRIE with you.

Jamaica, part 4

Thursday 28th April, 2011.

 

 

Today, we had a bit of a lie-in, before heading down for breakfast. After breakfast Emma and I went to use the ATM, which is situated outside the main entrance of the resort. (We needed to use the ATM as we had transferred most of our money into Jamaican Dollars, only to realise that the shops in the resort and most of the people we had dealings with, preferred US Dollars.) We then had another coffee and a gentle stroll along the beach, while we waited for our minibus, to take us to the ‘Hip Strip’ in Montego Bay and the craft market. Peter, our driver, arrived on-time and Alysha, Emma, me and three American passengers were off into Montego Bay. The journey time was only ten minutes and the roads have improved considerably, since my last visit. There has been a lot of construction and infrastructure has been improved in Jamaica’s second city. Peter dropped us at some shops on the ‘hip strip’ and we were given about 20 minutes to look around and purchase items and souvenirs. We managed to find a few presents and Alysha was quite happy looking at bracelets and things, while trying to decide what to buy. Once we were happy, Peter drove us a little further into the City, where we stopped at a shop that sold jewellery and duty-free items. Although we looked, there was nothing really that we liked the look of, so we crossed the parking lot and went into a different shop. After another look around, we headed back to the bus and were transported to more shops, before heading off to the craft market. The craft market is set into the side of a hill and is made up of over a hundred wooden sheds, all painted in bright colours. It is here that Alysha managed to find the exact bracelets that she had been searching for, all morning. Now, the only problem with the craft market is you begin to feel pressured into buying things. As you look at each stall, you are constantly approached by other sellers, asking you to come and see their wares. Then, if you do want to buy things, you have to haggle. The prices start ridiculously high and you have to keep your wits about you, so that you don’t lose out. And most of them only accept US Dollars, so we constantly trying to work out the exchange rate in our head. (Roughly it worked out as £7.50 = $1000 Jamaican or $12 US.) With the heat rising to 35C, Alysha and I made our way back to the minibus to wait for Emma, who was quite happy to keep looking around. Once we were all back on the bus, Peter drove us toward the Freeport. This has moved, from where it was 20 years ago, to a new facility with more shops and offerings. A few of the Americans went to look inside, but most of us stayed on the bus. When everyone was sure that they had got everything that they wanted, Peter drove us back to the resort. The round trip of two-hours-or-so had been a nice way to spend the morning. Once we had disembarked the minibus, tipping Peter with the last of the Jamaican Dollars, we made our way to the restaurant for lunch. Alysha then disappeared off, to find her friends, while Emma and I chillaxed with a cold drink. As the afternoon drew on, clouds moved up from the South and the sky behind the resort started to darken. Alysha had already been back to the room to get changed, so Emma and I headed back to get changed for dinner. When we were ready we headed out onto the balcony in time to see the clouds roll down the bay. The sky went through a whole spectrum of colours, before settling on a deep purple. It was then that the deluge began. It lasted a good ten minutes before passing overhead and out to sea. After dinner, Emma and I headed off to our spot by the now closed pool bar and watched the lightning storm that was happening out over the Caribbean. The rest of the evening we spent wandering along the beach or sitting on the rocks, before heading to the Lounge Bar, to watch the evening’s entertainment.

 

To be concluded…