Doing my bit....

The Portugese economy seems to be the next one to require an EU bail-out. It would appear that they are unable to produce enough product to be able to service their debt, rather than be suffering any major banking crisis. Consequently twenty of us decided to pop over for a bit of golf and see if that helped them out!!

It was the 20th year of the Algarve Cup, and one member of the party, 'Yorkshire', had attended all of them. I was a mere novice with thirteen years behind me, however, I was unable to attend last year due to family commitments, and have also served a one year ban after receiving a red card, sometime in the past.

So with twenty participants being an apt number to have on tour, we had to think up villa themes and thought the terrible twenties would be as good as any. Consequently I was a member of the Charles Lindberg villa and others included the Flappers, the Louis Armstrongs, the Charlie Chaplins and the Al Capones.

We also had some additional tour guests this year and so we had to provide nicknames for them. Its a tradition in the City where most of the boys work, to have a nickname, as it is in the fire service, in which none of them work!!

Now the footballer mentality of adding ie on the end of a name gave us our first . One of the chaps had a surname of Tait and was called Taitie by his friends when he arrived. We soon changed that to call him Neeps. There was a father and son combination with surname of Simpson so they quickly became Bart and Homer. Bit of a no brainer really.

Mark Hurley became Liz, and John Kendall became Mintie. One of the group was fairly nondescript, and a name was proving difficult until he shot 17 points one day in the stableford. Now as 17 is the Boots own range cosmetics, he became bootsie, and unless he reads this blog he will still be wondering why!

Our final newcomer looked just like Dobby the house elf from Harry Potter so he was tasked with collecting the fines on the final night, using a sock as a collection vehicle. Quite good I thought!

Candy Cabs

We had some friends staying at the weekend, and that gives us a chance to do a few things which are out of our regular routine. So on Saturday we went to walk the wall around Chester.

Chester is the only completely walled City remaining in Britain and one marvels at the planning which went into making the spans wide enough to take a four lane duel carriage way, and install zebra crossings at strategic spots on the walk!!

We saw the Mott and bailey castle, the cock fighting pit and amphitheatre, the edge of the harbour wall which is now embedded in the bank of the race course, several miles inland, and the tower from which King Charles stood and watched his army defeated in the battle of Rowton Moor.

The fact you can't see Rowton Moor from the tower is, of course, irrelevant.

We managed to stop for an ice-cream half way round by the river, and finished with a pie and pint near the cathedral. All a jolly good wease

Sunday we went to West Kirby which has been featured in the BBC programme 'Candy Cabs'. We wandered around the marina, where from the shore it looks like people are walking on water. We also stopped for a while to watch the annual Wirral egg chase. This involves hundreds of bikers and scooter riders burning it up around the coast all to raise funds for Claire House Hospice. The way the bikers has decked out their trusty steads was a joy to behold. Jolly well done to all of them

Live and let die....

Liz Taylor passed away a few days ago, and so brought to a close the latest chapter of the rugby club death list. This session had run for six months and provided a tidy sum for Julie, the winner. It was less than the several thousand won when John Forsythe popped his clogs a few sessions ago, but at least the Duchess of Death, Kerrie was not the winner. Kerrie has won more times than anybody, so woe betide any celeb she picks in future.

One of the picks last time was Jim Branning out of East Enders, somebody I know personally from our time together at Wyke Green golf club. It would have been strange to have to tell him that he had been selected in the list although I guess he knows he is a prime candidate.

Some wag at the rugby club did say we should have a death list comprising members of the club. That is taking the list to a place which I suspect nobody wants to go, particularly if you are one of the more mature members, or a life member, as that category of member seems to pop off soon after being nominated.

There are loads of death pool web sites out there and it is amazing how many celebs do keep leaving us.....here's to President Mugabe, my choice at the moment, riddled with cancer and sure to stop a bullet sometime. That said, Zaa Zaa Gabor is not too bright, Ronnie Biggs must be hanging by a thread and who's to say one of the Douglas family will oblige? Carpe Diem.