Ms Moon has a dodgy ankle, that's swelling up in the sweltering heat; she doesn't fancy the hard slog back uphill into town. My black and white (old school) Adidas Sambas negotiate the tight, cobbled, uneven streets of this beautiful city. I turn onto Archbishop Street and wander up to 'The Pub.'
On the 2nd May, 1999, Ollie Reed, along with a few friends and crew members of the frigate HMS Cumberland (docked in the harbour) downed eight pints of lager, twelve double rums and half a bottle of whiskey in a drinking competition with the British Navy. He collapsed and died en route to hospital at the age of 61. What made it sadder, was, that he hadn't drank in months. He was buried in County Cork, Ireland. On his gravestone read the epitaph "He made the air move." Ironically, 'The Pub' is closed this morning and it's gone 11 a.m. Ollie wouldn't be best pleased, nor would blog drinking-legend Trumpy Bolton (‘The Keyworth Oliver Reed').
We head back to Barcelona on Sunday in some of the roughest seas I've experienced since an overnighter from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire back in 1989. Half the boat succumbs to seasickness, including a pasty Ms Moon. The final day of the cruise is pretty much a write-off, although it doesn't taint the wonderful memories of Rome, Athens, Florence and Pisa. Royal Caribbean cruises ticked off all the right boxes except for some of the awful American music we had to suffer. "Any chance of playing a British artist?" I sarcastically asked the DJ one day. Next song on was 'Stay With Me' by Sam Smith - I never complained again.
There's more bad news for Ms Moon on Monday evening with only intermittent coverage of the Love Island final due to a software update on our TV and a Sky box malfunction. A youth I know is set to land a £10k accumulator if Tommy Fury and Molly Mae win the competition. At 1/6 on, it's a formality. I hear on the radio the following morning that another couple have won. As they say on the adverts - "when the fun stops, STOP!"
It was meant to be a short trip to watch Carlton Town v Shepshed Dynamo on Tuesday evening, but I notice on the excellent On the Road Blog twitter feed that the fixture has been postponed. I pick up my repaired bike from Hawk Cycles in Netherfield, unpack the remaining suitcases, before driving over Trent Bridge and calling by the Ruddington Fish Bar for a chippy tea.
Clifton All Whites Green Lane ground is a few minutes' drive away. Tonight they entertain club-in-crisis Ilkeston FC. Earlier in the day the Robins lost the services of manager Lee Fowler. The Club's owner, 'Big Alan Hardy', recently sold up at National Conference Premier side Notts County. I hook up with my two lads and some of the team I coached last year. I have a stroll around the ground and bump into John Ramshaw - it would be easier to tell you which clubs Rammers hasn't managed in the East Midlands. He talks of retirement .... lol ... come on John! Ilson run out 4-1 winners, although the scoreline flatters them.
Wednesday evening is spent at Rushcliffe Leisure Centre, in West Bridgford, a venue that Sting and The Police played at before they were famous - Trumpy Bolton was propping up the bar that night, supping Skol. I watch Jack and Joe play for Keyworth Ressies versus West Bridgford U19s. An entertaining game ends at three apiece. There's time for a quick pint (Sleepwalker from the Castle Rock stable) with blog legend James 'Tosh' Turner at the Stratford Haven before turning in for the night.
On Thursday, I pop down Trent Bridge to bag a ticket for the Outlaws v Bears, Vitality Blast game on Friday evening. I get some well-needed miles into my legs with an eight-mile bike ride down the Trent. I spend the rest of the evening slumped in a chair in the garden, listening to the first day of the Ashes being analysed on Five Live - Steve Smith, eh? What a player. Some oiks in the Hollies Stand boo the Australian when he reaches three figures.
I listen to the start of play on Friday on Test Match Special. A plane engine can be heard droning above Edgbaston. Those boring toffs, the Barmy Army, have hired a plane to display a banner asking the Queen to knight Ben Stokes - jog on lads, and take that chuffing trumpet with you, too.
I manage a quick pint of Island Party pale ale from the Neon Raptor taproom in Sneinton Market. A large group of us gather at Trent Bridge for the visit of the Birmingham Bears. Tom Moores gives the crowd a masterclass in slogging, bludgeoning 69 runs off 38 balls, as the Outlaws cruise to victory.
The rest of the evening is spent down The Avenue, in West Bridgford - not exactly my favourite spot. We're out celebrating Bruiser's birthday. It's £5.25 for a craft beer in Zinc. The Parlour and thankfully Bar 44 are full, so we are refused entry. We finish up in The Botanist. I'm surprised to see some Notts Outlaws players sat in the beer garden as they have a big match up in Manchester tomorrow evening. Others will say they've earnt a few beers.
I've had nothing to eat since midday on Friday. My stomach rumbles as I climb into the car first thing on Saturday morning. Ms Moon and I commit the cardinal sin of having a McDonald's breakfast - it's absolute filth and repeats on me for the rest of the morning. Union Jack radio are playing some banging tunes - Echo and the Bunnymen, The Farm and The Shaymen get my fingers tapping on the car dashboard.
The journey up North is a bloody nightmare. Sat nav takes me off the A1 at Bawtry and through Doncaster. The South Yorkshire town is clogged up with traffic. After a three and a quarter-hour drive, I finally park up in Shildon town centre, ten miles north of Darlington. Thankfully Test Match Special has kept me company. The actor Keith Allen is on excellent form as the lunchtime guest. He says Derek Randall was his favourite cricketer when growing up as a teenager. 'Rags' or 'Arkle' is what we call Randall in our neck of the woods. He was my inspiration and the reason why I played cricket for my village for over 20 years.
I'm desperate for the loo, so pop into the Royal George. There's no real ale on, so I opt for a soft drink before taking a stroll around the town centre, passing a church where a wedding is taking place. I stand by the War Memorial, saddened by the long list of men who lost their lives fighting for our country. I cheer myself up with a light snack from Milligan's, a local bakery.
Shildon is a town in County Durham with a population of 10,000. It was well known for its railway works which were closed in 1984 with the loss of 1,750 jobs. The football club was established in 1890. They play their football at Dean Street in the Northern League Division One. One of their former players, Lewis Wing, scored for Middlesbrough last night in an exciting Championship opener at Luton Town's Kenilworth Road.
It's £7 on the gate, £2 for a superb programme and £1 for a 50/50 ticket. The ground is an absolute beauty and well worth the trip. Two stands run along both touchlines, although the more striking one appears to be out of bounds. The pitch is immaculate, with the grass thick and lush. The PA guy is playing Justin Timberlake - crikey, I feel like I'm back on the cruise ship again.
There's a minute's silence for ex Shildon player Kevin Stoneman who died suddenly last weekend. He'd recently been appointed as a European scout for Newcastle United under Steve Bruce's stewardship.
There's nothing much doing in the first twenty minutes as both teams weigh each other up. It gives me the chance to have a chat with Daley the Dachshund and a lad in a wheelchair who is a diehard Shildon supporter. The Railwaymen take the lead on 21 minutes through a smart finish by Matty Robson. The visitors, Thornaby, look tidy going forward. They are back on level terms on 43 minutes with a fine finish by Louis Murphy. They don't manage to see it out until half-time with Shildon's Zak Atkinson scoring at the fag end of the first half.
Bobby Brown's Two Can Play That Game is blasting out of the PA system as I take a peek at a crowded social club, admiring all the photos and memorabilia hanging from the walls.
The home side run riot in the second half, scoring a further six goals without reply. Shildon's talisman, Billy Greulich-Smith, bags a deserved hat-trick. His unselfish running, first touch and goal-scoring prowess are easy on the eye.
Man of the Match: Billy Greulich-Smith
Attendance: 390 (Fourth highest attendance in the country at Step 5. The top 3 all in the Northern League)
No comments:
Post a Comment