So, the first Saturday when none of the football teams I have been following throughout a fractious season are in action.  Their season is over, done with, finito and apart from minor issues like the Champions League final, the odd play-off final and the upcoming European Championships, there`s not much to occupy the minds of fans of proper football like me.  And so we are left to wonder what happens now.

And in doing so, it`s instructive to have a look at what fate might befall my heroes - beginning with Forest Green Rovers whose season ended in a narrow defeat in the League Two play off semi-final to Newport County.  What has happened in the last week following that defeat is that the club has announced its `retained list` along with the list of players whose services have not been retained.   Among them is our street`s local hero Scott Wagstaff whose contract was up at the New Lawn and, at 31, it was perhaps expected that he might not be offered another contract, especially as Forest Green have appointed a new manager to take the place of Jimmy Ball who, I have to say, impressed in the few games in which he was in charge.

For both of them the curtain closes on another chapter in their football journeys and time will tell whether new opportunities might open up for each of them, given the vast experience of the Football League that they have acquired over many years.  I hope they do.

For us Southampton fans, another few weeks of closed season speculation, hopes and dreams as attention turns to the transfer rumours.  There are some players who really do need to go and some who really do need to stay.  Manager Ralph Hasenhuttl claims he needs to `build from the back` but what he and the rest of us really need is a new benign ridiculously rich owner willing to plough most of his money into the club in order to supply the investment that is sorely needed.  Sometimes the closed season is more stressful than when games are being played.

Elsewhere, Brechin City`s fate has been secured and they now face a long winter ahead negotiating the farthest reaches of Scotland`s Highland League.  Their fixtures against Fort William will bring divided loyalties for me but they should be compelling encounters. Meanwhile in - deepest south Devon - Stoke Gabriel have at least maintained their place in the South West Peninsula League Division One East.  They must also build from the back, but also in midfield as well as up front if they are to stand any chance of competing on a level playing field next season.  And in Cornwall, I look forward to Truro City emerging from their extended hibernation following the curtailment of hostilities in the National Southern League South.

Not sure why I find comfort in following teams such as those - maybe they remind me of my own playing days in the dim and distant past when proper football was played at places like Frittenden in the Maidstone and District Saturday League Division 3B, where the sheep were herded off the pitch before play commenced, when games against them ended in 6-6 draws and where most of the attention was spent not on playing the game but more on avoiding the deposits left behind by the departing sheep.   Ah, the romance of it all.

Have a good Summer.

 

THE SUN AINT GONNA SHINE ANY MORE ?...

To grab a line from the Walker Brothers, who also opined that "Loneliness is a cloak you wear.  A deep shade of blue is always there."   Or words to that effect.

Anyway, a confession before my rant begins.   I did not watch any part of the Eurovision Song Contest last weekend - it`s an event that I avoid like the plague;  too political, duff music, bizarre bands, singers, what have you, the annoying Graham Norton who trousers far too much money from us elderly compulsory licence fee payers struggling to survive on fixed incomes in trying times, so it`s all a bit rubbish really.

Except for the fact that I`m told by an inside source that to enter the contest costs the BBC something like £300,000.   Now for that money, time and effort I think we are entitled to a fair hearing but it seems that the rest of Europe think otherwise - the results shown above speak for themselves.  It makes one wonder whether it`s all worth the effort.  Perhaps if we were to enter into the competition with our big guns blazing - after all we as a country are acknowledged as one of if not the leading light in the world of popular music - and had people like Led Zeppelin, Mark Knopfler, Paul McCartney, Elton John, (there`s a long list) conjuring up a song or two then maybe we might stand a chance.   

But even then somehow I doubt it.  Seems like the EU and its family gathering are not going to forgive us for leaving them and this result looks like yet another in a growing line of snubs which have nothing to do with open and fair competition and more to do with sour grapes. Or maybe they`re just jealous.

And yet there must surely be some smug satisfaction for us in receiving absolutely no points whatsoever and coming bottom of the pile once more.  I`m feeling a kind of inverse triumph here - of all the competitions to come last in, it surely must be this one.  This is one occasion when, again with due respect to the Walker Brothers, there is comfort and smugness in the cloak of loneliness that we are wearing on this side of the channel but maybe not with the deep shade of blue that` always there.  And for us on this bountiful May morning, the sun is shining once more.  So there.

 

THE PARTY`S OVER...

....."it`s time to call it a day.  They`ve burst your pretty balloon and taken the moon away.  It`s time to wind up the masquerade."  These snatched lyrics from a timeless classic seem somehow to catch the mood as yet another  football season draws to a close.   Well, almost.  Just things like play-off finals to determine promotion, relegation or stagnation, then the European Championships and all that jazz before the bandwagon leaves the stable for another roller coaster ride.

Forgive me.  I am in danger of losing myself in yet another lyrical fantasy world.  But I confess to having mixed feelings about the end of another season as far as the teams I follow are concerned.  In one sense I`m heartily glad that it`s just about all over and I can look forward to a stressful few weeks before it starts all over again, but that is met with a tinge of disappointment that, once again, the three teams I am left to follow have all contrived to lose again.

Perhaps I`ll start with hopefully the worst damaging defeat, which came at the London Stadium as Southampton capitulated to yet another 3-0 defeat against West Ham.  It typified the season for the Saints really - a bright start that led to nothing followed by a pretty dismal end which also led to nothing.  Hard to believe that back in November the Saints were top of the Premier League beating the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City before a dreadful run which saw 19 league defeats overall and conceding more goals than any other club in the Premier League except relegated West Brom.

OK we scraped through the season by missing relegation, finished 15th, lost in the FA Cup semi-final but in truth it was a pretty dreadful season, which has left worrying questions about next season and the need for a wide ranging overhaul of much of the squad, the coaching staff and most importantly the ownership.  Surely there is a guardian angel out there somewhere willing to invest all his or her money, rid us of the absent non-investing Chinese owner and take us back to the promised land of mid table obscurity?

The next two reports cover yet more damaging results.  Last night the televised second leg play-off semi-final between Forest Green Rovers and Newport County was a game of proper football with so much riding on it.  Rovers were 2-0 down from the first leg but went 2-0 up within eight minutes to level the aggregate score.  Then 3-0 up early in the second half only for Newport to come back with two goals to bring the aggregate score to 4-3 in their favour and although Rovers scored another, it was Newport who went on to score again in the 118th minute - yes, that deep into extra time - to secure their place in next week`s Wembley final. Although  Forest Green  won the game 4-3 on the night, sadly for them the 5-4 aggregate score was a case of winning the battle but not the war.

So near and yet so far.  The Nailsworth faithful, whilst disappointed with the result, are full of praise for the team`s effort last night and proud to be Rovers fans - wishing Newport all the best for their place in the final against Morecambe.   Such is life in League Two, which has so much to commend it.

Lastly, yet more disappointment for Brechin City fans whose 67-years stay in the Scottish League came to an end following their 3-1 aggregate loss in their own play-off final to Kelty Hearts, who now take Brechin`s place in Scottish League Two.  Brechin, meanwhile, are now consigned to the outposts of the Highland League but visitors to Brechin`s Glebe Park will surely be in awe of the famous hedge if not the opposition..  

So, pretty balloons severely burst all round for me.  I`ll end the season with another visit to that classic song. "The party`s over.  The candles flicker and dim.  Now you must wake up.  All dreams must end. The party`s over.  It`s all over, my friend." (At least for another season.)

 

Two examples from yesterday.  The first concerned the cricket match my son and I went to see on Thursday.  It was a disappointing day - no play until 4.30, by which time  we had given up on the day and come home.   Yesterday was yet another of `inclement weather` at least here at home in mid-Kent.  But down the road in Canterbury play got under way (or is it under weigh?  I never really know - something about weighing anchors I think.)

And while we were stuck indoors here at home yesterday, down the other end of the county Darren Stevens went berserk, rescuing a dodgy Kent batting display by smashing 190 in a total of 307 which included 15 fours and 15 sixes.  He put on 166 for the ninth wicket with Miguel Cummins whose contribution to the record breaking partnership was just one solitary run.  Shades of Jack Leach?

So, we had hung around most of the day without seeing any cricket on one day and the day when `inclement weather` should have put paid to any cricket yesterday Stevens goes and does that.... and we missed it.   Is God trying to tell me something?  Or is it just irony?  Or just the luck of the draw?

The other example of the ironic world we live in came from the mountainous kerfuffle surrounding the BBC and the Martin Bashir inquiry fallout.  I won`t go on about it - it`s being done to death in the media and I`m sure everyone is now well versed in every aspect of the whole affair.   But what did strike me as at least straying into the realms of irony was the fact that, in 2016, Bashir was appointed as the BBC`s Religious Affairs Editor no less. 

Now you would imagine that the basic qualifications for such a post would be things like integrity, honesty, a devout understanding of religion and all its works and an unimpeachable background.  Perhaps the BBC thought that this appointment would be the icing on the cake of its serial cover-ups.  The more I see and hear about it all, the more I miss Line of Duty.

 

A DAY AT THE CRICKET ?

The picture above shows the St. Lawrence Ground in Canterbury, the home of Kent County Cricket Club, on a day of inclement weather.   Now it has been 604 days today since spectators were allowed into the ground and it must be all of 700 days since I made my last visit;  all due to Mr. Covid and his variant chums.

So it was with a good deal of expectation that my eldest son and I were able to return to the ground yesterday following the partial lifting of Covid restrictions.   He is a member of KCCC and is entitled to bring a `guest` with him as part of his membership and so I was privileged to be his guest yesterday.   The game against Glamorgan was due to start at 11.00 am but after our journey through the beautiful Kent countryside, parking the car, getting the Park and Ride bus down to the ground and going through all the Covid checks, we were a bit late in arriving.

We shouldn`t have been too concerned because, after taking our socially distanced seats in the open air around the boundary, we discovered that there was a delay is starting the game due to the fact that a large area of the outfield was too wet to allow play to commence.  There had apparently been some heavy and persistent overnight rain in Canterbury.  

The umpires had inspected the ground and decided that play had not been possible at 11.00am but they would make another inspection at 12.20pm.  That came and went with the decision for the players to have lunch at 12.50 and the umpires would have another inspection at 1.30.  That came and went as well - and all the while we were sat in our seats getting more and more uncomfortable in the `inclement weather` as the south west wind becoming stronger and the temperature never reaching anything that it should be in late May. 

I think it was Oscar Hammerstein who suggested that "May was full of promises but she didn`t keep `em quick enough for some.  And a crowd of doubting Thomases was predicting that the Summer`d never come."  Well, he wasn`t wrong.

So we munched our packed lunches and waited the outcome of yet another pitch inspection. That also came and went with the promise of another inspection at 2.40 and as the day wore on it became obvious that we would see hardly any cricket to speak of, so we gave up and came home.  The frustrating thing was that all the time we sat there, there was no rain at all - just that a part of the outfield had not dried sufficiently to allow play to begin.  But we learned later that it did begin - at 4.30pm - and Kent, having lost the toss and been put in to bat promptly made 70 for the loss of two wickets before proceedings were drawn to a close for the day.  

It could only happen in the hallowed world of County Championship cricket and could only happen on a May day which promised so much but delivered so little, especially having waited patiently for almost two years to be back in the enveloping surroundings of a good old fashioned cricket ground..  Maybe Summer will arrive - I hope so because despite the frustrations of yesterday I hope to be back there again in two weeks time for the visit of Northamptonshire.  Fingers crossed.  And a word of praise to Kent County Cricket Club - their hard work and attention to every detail to ensure the safety of their visitors in these trying times was exemplary.  

 

A MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB...

Well, that is the fate that has befallen two of the football teams I follow, as a result of yesterday`s play-off first leg games.   Firstly, Forest Green Rovers went down 2-0 away at Newport County`s Rodney Parade Ground in South Wales.  The game was screened live on Sky Sports and it may have been the effect of the worldwide audience that played on the minds of the Rovers players (although they were in competition for viewing figures with Manchester United, whose game was on a neighbouring channel at the same time.)  

In other games between the two teams this season, one was a 0-0 draw and the other a 1-0 win for Rovers, so it was always going to be a close call.   The return leg is at Rovers` New Lawn ground in Nailsworth on Sunday and although they have a mountain to climb hope springs eternal.

The other play-off game that concerned me was the first leg encounter between Brechin City and Kelty Hearts at the latter`s New Central Park ground in Fife.  Must be a difficult place to go to, Kelty, as Brechin went down 2-1 in yet another close encounter.  The return leg will be at Brechin`s Glebe Park ground on Sunday to determine whether the home side will retain their Scottish League Two status or take Kelty`s place in the Highland League, where they might look up trips to Fort William, Wick, Fraseburgh and other northern outposts.  A mountain to climb for Brechin then - perhaps in more ways than one.

As almost an afterthought, my beloved Southampton played Leeds - the Damned United - in their last home game of the season before an expectant 8,000 Saints supporters.   In true Saints` style, they contrived to lose 2-0, thanks to a goalkeeping blunder and a 95th minute breakaway goal that followed a golden opportunity to level the scores. 

So, a hat trick of defeats for the three teams left for me to follow in these dog days of the season.  Nothing too unusual about that but I long ago learned the lesson of life that says you have to learn how to lose before you can enjoy the winning. In the recorded `highlights`, I caught a glimpse of my old seat in Block 9, Row P of the Itchen Stand at St. Mary`s.   There didn`t seem to be anyone sitting there.   Perhaps it has been `retired` since my departure?

 

....or so it seems.   I saw a very brief note over the weekend suggesting that Imperial measurements such as  miles, yards, pounds, ounces and even inches are being reviewed by Oxford University because of apparent links to the British Empire.   The University`s maths, physics and life sciences faculty has suggested that the presence of these forms of measurement may have to change as part of a `decolonising` project.

It will consider the history of modern forms of measurement which, it suggests, `are tied deeply to the idea of the Empire and imperialist standardisation.`  Interesting. Now, despite wasting away those odd years between leaving school and getting called up for National Service working in the Weights and Measures Department of a local council, I make no claim to knowing too much about the subject.

But I know enough to recall that the history of the Imperial system goes back as long as people have been measuring things.  Units like `foot` show that the system was originally based on how long objects were in relation to the human body.  And going right back in time, the `cubit` refers to the distance between a man`s elbow and the end of his middle finger.  So it all predates the `British Empire.`  And the same rather random nature of other forms of measurement - rods, poles, perches, furlongs and the rest - all go back centuries.  Indeed, the `inch` was originally the length of three barley corns placed end to end.

One thing that is true is the fact that the Imperial system was officially introduced in the 1824 British Weights and Measures Act which was the time when the British Empire was at its height.   And that timing is no doubt why the system became known as `imperial` and so maybe why the academics of Oxford are concerned with the connotation with empire that gives rise to their review.  But I find it hard to understand how on earth the humble inch and its three barley corns, along with most of the other forms of imperial measurements, might be consigned to the scrapheap for all the wrong and rather dubious reasons.  

Something`s afoot in the gleaming spires of Oxford.  Trouble is - give them and inch and they`ll take a mile. There`s a simple solution ,of course - just change the name and stop calling it imperial if that is so offensive to the wokish world we live in.

 

 

COMPOUNDING THE FELONY ?

Well, some days it just feels like that.   The latest in a long line of strange encounters on Planet Earth appeared a few days ago when a well meaning train conductor greeted passengers by saying, "Welcome aboard, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls."  This seemingly innocuous announcement was met with a complaint  from a `non-binary` passenger, who felt `they` had been excluded by the announcement.

Now I`m afraid I had to look it up but I discovered that `non-binary` people do not identify as male or female and they use pronouns such as `they` or `them` instead of he or she.  So the complainant in this case prefers to be referred to as `they.`   And they considered the announcement on the train as being sufficiently excluding to lodge the one formal complaint which the railway company received. 

("Stand by, Scotty.  Phasers on stun.")

Now what might compound the felonious act by the railway conductor is the swift and grovelling nature of the apology issued by the rail company, whose representative said, "Our train managers should not be using language like this and I thank you for bringing your concern to my attention. Please could you let me know which service you are on and I will ensure they remain as inclusive as we strive to be."

In a follow up statement, the train company said, "We are committed to diversity and inclusion in all that we do for our customers, colleagues and communities and we encourage all our on-board teams to welcome all customers."  All well and good but how is the `on-board team` supposed to know the identity preferences of each and every one of their passengers?  In former posts on here I have sometimes referred to my preference for being identified as a giraffe, gambolling happily across the Serengeti whilst nibbling away at high level foliage -  so I would expect giraffes to be especially welcomed aboard any train I might jump on to.   Where are we going I wonder?  Where will it end?  What is our final destination?

("Beam me up, Scotty. There`s no rational life down here.")

 

THE SONG HAS ENDED...

Well, please forgive a little more self indulgence but a few posts back I did warn you that I might be boring you with some more snippets from our week back home in the New Forest.  And seeing this photo which I took while we were lost in the depths of Oakley Enclosure brought back memories from just two weeks ago - which already seems a lifetime ago.

I vividly recall how I felt on that morning as we ventured into the unknown - captivated by simply being there, being alive and taking it all in.  The silence was deafening, save for the song of the forest birds going about their business and the slight rustle of the breeze through the towering trees.   I guess I`m understandably feeling a touch nostalgic about it all but I think being able to look back on days like that makes it a little more possible to deal with `the real world,` which all about us seems anything other than how it was on that morning.

So, as my self indulgence gathers momentum, here are a couple of more photos that also provide me with a sense of proportion and a longing to recapture those times and those places that keep me going.  This one shows the sunlight glinting through the forest with not a distracting sight or sound of anything else .......

Whilst out on the open heathland the forest ponies wile away another day......

And at the end of the day the exertions and the new experiences seemed enough for our retriever, Dudley.......

(Please click on photos for better images)

So, self indulgence over for another time.   Back to the real world now with more pressing issues to concern me.   Fulham at St. Mary`s tomorrow, Forest Green at Rodney Parade.

The song may have ended but the melody lingers on.......

 

......and for us Saints fans, staving off relegation to secure another season in the Premier League is one of them.   Something we`ve got used to over the years, epic last ditch battles to stay up - Swansea and Crystal Palace spring to mind as examples of games needing to be won at the dog end of previous seasons.  And last night`s defeat of Fulham by Burnley meant that Southampton are now mathematically safe from relegation with four games still to be played.  

It`s curious how the emotions run when you support a club that seems always to be struggling to survive.  For the past few weeks I have been concerned that we might not make it and although it was highly unlikely that Fulham were going to win their last four games and the Saints would lose all of theirs, nevertheless when last night`s result came through there was a collective sigh of relief.  The stresses and strains were finally lifted and a general sense of wellbeing descended on a hitherto nervous city.  The dancing in the streets is probably still going on.

Now of course it would be nice to win something - a long time since my last visit to Wembley when Southampton won the Johnstone`s Paint Trophy and a long time too since we were top of the Premier League back in November last year.   And I understand the elation that must be felt by supporters of clubs like Manchester City, Chelsea, Man. Utd and Liverpool who have grown used to winning things.  It must be nice for them.

But it does make me wonder whether they feel any better than we Saints fans do on days like this- it`s a different kind of emotion I guess, between the elation of winning and the relief of not losing. It might be a better feeling, having come through yet another anguished time and lived to tell the tale?

 

WELL ALMOST...

This interminable football season is surely now in its death throes.  After what seems half a lifetime of ups, downs, stops, starts, unpredictability and general confusion the season is nearing the end of its line.   This weekend we have seen the ups and downs from the Championship, Leagues One and Two and some more minor competitions resolved.  Well, almost.

And it has been a weekend of triumphs, disasters and all things in between, so let`s start with a rare triumph, which was Forest Green Rovers` 3-0 win away at Oldham to secure their place in the League Two play-offs.   A fully committed performance saw the boys from the New Lawn romp home at Boundary Park and they now face a two-leg semi-final against Newport County.   The first leg will be away at Newport`s Rodney Parade ground on 18th May with the return leg at home on 23rd May.   A win over those two legs will secure a play-off final at Wembley, so at the end of it I hope they will be dancing in the streets of Nailsworth in celebration.

Another triumph of a different kind was Accrington Stanley`s spirited 1-0 win away at Portsmouth today - a result that sees Southampton`s sworn rivals consigned to yet another season in the depths of League One.   I could now become a devoted Accrington Stanley fan in homage to the honesty of their achievement in a game which meant little to them but so much more to the Blue Few of kraP nottarF, whose season has ended on a note of heartbreak.  So sad.

Gillingham ended their season today with a 1-0 win over Plymouth and so ended in the top ten of the League One table.  All in all it has been a season of some promise for my neighbour`s heroes and it will be interesting to see if their rotund manager Steve (Two Pies) Evans can propel them to greater things next term.

Southampton went down 2-0 away at Liverpool last evening, a result which still leaves them pretty safe from relegation but not mathematically so - the odd point or three from their last four games would be welcome to stave off the unlikelihood of Fulham winning each of their remaining four fixtures.  To be fair, it has been a season of real ups and downs for the Saints - topping the table in November but likely to finish too close to the bottom three for comfort.  

And finally, Brechin City who fell woefully to the bottom of Scottish League Two now face a two-leg final of their own to determine whether  they can maintain their league status.  Like Forest Green Rovers, their dates with destiny are 18th and 23td May when they face Kelty Hearts, the winners of the play-off against Brora Rangers.   Kelty look the real deal following their triumph in winning the Lowland League and dispatching Highland League champions Brora 6-1 on aggregate over the two legs of their play off.   Brechin`s hedge might need a bit more than a trim for that one.

Will it ever end?

 

BIG IN SWEDEN ....

A curious thing.   Over the past few weeks I have been keeping an eye on the `analytics` for this blog and some interesting facts have emerged.  For example, the number of daily views, which have always fluctuated, have become more regular and the numbers have been steadily increasing.

Here`s the latest statistics which reveal the number of views across a number of countries in the past couple of days:-

Sweden

1.45K

United Kingdom

75

France

68

United States

56

South Korea

16

Netherlands

6

Portugal

5

Austria

3

Germany

3

Other

6

All very curious and it makes me wonder why I am suddenly big in Sweden with 1448 views in just a day or two.  I can only assume that it is because of my commentary concerning Greta Thunberg and all her works.  Or  because I like ABBA songs.   Or maybe, as a Saints fan, I count Anders Svensson and Michael Svensson among my Southampton heroes.  Or even the fact that years ago I used to taken my sons to watch Maidstone United play under the management of Bobby Houghton, who found Scandinavian fame whilst steering Malmo to a European Cup Final.

Either way, my followers in Sweden are very welcome, as are all others from across the globe.  

Mind you, it might just be some kind of hacking scam.  I`ll keep an eye on it.

 

NOT TODAY THANK YOU...

Today is election day here in our Kentish enclave.  We are being invited to vote for candidates for the County Council and also, of all things, the County`s Police and Crime Commissioner.  To help this process along, the village hall has been commandeered for the day and the polling station there opened at 7.00am this morning and will go on until 10.00pm this evening - so plenty of time although I feel for the staff at the polling station who will have a long 15 hours of it.

Once upon a time in a former life I had some things to do with elections and all the paraphernalia that went with them - the stubby pencils, the red tape and sealing wax, the strict formality of it all.  Indeed, on one occasion I was appointed Presiding Officer at a remote hamlet in deepest Surrey which had a population of about 50.  I put in the 15 hour shift despite the fact that the vast majority of the residents had cast their votes by about mid afternoon.

Now I accept that General Elections and the odd referendum are events which should be taken seriously and the democratic right to vote should be observed but somehow I can`t quite take the County Council or the Police and Crime Commissioner thing as seriously as perhaps I should.  Maybe as my decline accelerates, my cynicism increases.  But the fact is that almost every aspect of our lives is governed by politics and that`s a pity.

The County Council comes across as a remote organisation, perhaps too big to be genuinely close to those for whom it is there to serve and who, of course, pay its way.  I have a good deal of admiration for the staff of the County Council who, being Council Tax payers themselves, are doubtless aware of the need for efficiency and commitment to the cause.  But the problem seems to be the elected members - too many of them, costing a fortune in expenses and allowances and concerned with the maintenance of their status...and we only ever hear from them when elections come around every few years.  Arguably more interested in the politics than the job at hand.

As for the Police and Crime bod, that is also a political position;  the candidates for us to choose from today are from each of the three main political parties.  Now one would think that an experienced and thoroughly professional Chief Constable would be more than capable of securing his annual budget and submitting an annual report on priorities and performance to a small independent panel, rather than be beholden to a political appointee.  Well, that`s what used to happen in olden times but those arrangements were not political enough for the politicians.

I speak with the experience of being a victim of politicisation.  In yet another former life I was approached to become a governor of a couple of local schools - a primary and a secondary - the head teachers having nominated me on the assumption that my experience at the time might prove useful.  I accepted, enjoyed the role and for a while things went very well.  Until one evening I had a phone call from a Labour Party `whip` in County Hall to tell me that my services were no longer required.  Thank you and goodnight.  Problem was that I was (and still am) politically ambivalent.

So, perhaps for the first time ever, I will decline the chance to go and vote for two `offices` neither of which inspire any degree of confidence, identity or direct relevance, save for the fact that together they are costing me a four figure sum each year and there`s nothing I can do about that or the clinging grasp that politics has over our lives.

Not today thank you.

 

A BIT OF A TWEAK..

Had a bit of a tweak about the `Comments` section on the blog.  At the bottom of each post it says `No comments` but if you click on there a panel appears on which you can post a comment.  In that panel it says `e-mail follow up comments to...` and gives an e-mail address.  That is a defunct address, it`s a stiff, it went to meet its maker a long time ago, so don`t worry about it - just ignore it.   

My tweak now means that if you do leave a comment on that panel, I will receive an e-mail on my current e-mail address to let me know.   I know it works - I`ve tried it.   Over the years I`ve had quite a lot of comments about various rants on here - well over 500 - and it is always encouraging and refreshing to hear any views you may have.

Hope this helps.

 

Good word inconclusive.  My tame dictionary defines it as "not giving a final decision or result."  And that just about sums up the weekend`s football, at least for the teams I am following.  To begin at the beginning;  on Friday evening before a worldwide television audience Southampton gained a valuable point against high flying Leicester.  Despite being a man down after ten minutes, when Jannik Vestergaard was controversially dismissed following an altercation with Jamie Vardy`s ankle, the Saints dug in and secured a 1-1 draw.  It may have been inconclusive but the point gained just about secures their Premier League survival, hence yet another open top bus parade through the city on Saturday morning.

Elsewhere, the battlers of Gillingham also managed an inconclusive 1-1 draw away at Burton Albion.  The Gills knew they had to win both of their remaining games to stand a chance of making the play-offs but Portsmuff`s win at Wimbledon took it out of their hands.  Perhaps more concerning for my neighbour is the rumour that Gills` manager Steve Evans is being touted by Swindon Town.   If I were Steve, I would find it difficult to chose between the cultural delights of either town, but maybe Steve doesn`t `do` culture.

Brechin City also managed an inconclusive 1-1 draw away at Albion Rovers but I`m afraid that is a genuine case of too little, too late. They have, however, now amassed ten points from their 21 games so far.  Which leaves Forest Green Rovers who also went down to ten men for part of the game but nevertheless managed an impressive and conclusive 2-1 win over promotion rivals Tranmere.  One game to go - Oldham away next Saturday - win that and they will be in the play-offs for promotion to League One.  Mind you, Boundary Park is always a difficult place to go to and with so much riding on the result there may well be some considerable bum squeaking going on hereabouts on Saturday afternoon. 

I`m tempted to comment on the events at Old Trafford yesterday but to be fair any amount of mayhem that befalls Manchester United is welcome, except for the assaults on police officers in their line of duty.  I don`t think we`ve heard the last of the fans protests - something else that`s inconclusive.  It`s arguably more interesting than the football.......

QUIET PLACES...

 

I apologise in advance if I go on a bit about the New Forest but after being home again for a few days, the memories of last week linger on.   I think in my last post I mentioned the thousands of people who visit the Forest these days - so much so that the `hotspots` in the Park are invariably crowded - and so it`s important, for us at least, to find those quiet places which people tend to pass by and ignore.

And we found a few.  But you have to be prepared to walk some way to find them.  We came across the ponies in my picture above deep in one of the Forest`s many enclosures.  We left them in peace, they totally ignored us and Dudley or retriever and life went on undisturbed.

One of the many `out of the way places` we found was Anderwood Enclosure on the back road from Burley to Lyndhurst.  It is an impressive site, despite being in one of the more remote locations but you have to walk away from the parking area and get deeper into the Forest, which we did - eventually finding a restful place in Church Moor.   Here`s another photo I took there showing the stillness and tranquility where only the rustle of the breeze in the trees and the birdsong filled the air:- 

And when we eventually made our way back to the car park, we found this family gathering of New Forest ponies taking a rest from their own busy day:-

(Please click on the photo for a better image)

It`s just possible I might bore you again in the next few days but I hope you agree the photos are quite nice and that in the frantic, crazy world we live in it does us good to find our own version of quiet places.