End of year review

 Why do I not get the time to post so often? I really don't know, but better late than never. 

SWMBO and I finally made it to Prague for a weekend break. Luckily we were there before the shooting incident. I had been there before on a golfing trip, and had always promised SWMBO that I would take her, so this was a delayed birthday present.

We did the touristy bit, walking past the castle and the cathedral down to the Charles bridge and then into the Old Town, and saw the Jewish quarter and New Town section with the astronomical clock, bu the main reason for choosing December was to experience the Christmas atmosphere and the festive markets.

What a disappointment that was. While we did get some snow, the markets were really all food stalls and very tourist oriented, so our objectives based on Christmas tree decoration shopping and so on were not forthcoming.

The only major item we did buy was a 'undertaker' Crombie style long black coat which will keep me warm through the Winter months and help hide my captains red jacket until it needs to be exposed at the next formal dinner. 

We had a good central hotel, and ate well on one night, but the other restaurant choice was poor. So much for Tripadvisor reviews!!

Anyway, we returned safely  to tackle our 'big' Christmas. 20 people including children sat round the table this year including the addition of Nick who had recently proposed to Emma so we have  a wedding to look forward to in May. It all went rather well, as i kept my humour and SWMBO got lots of help in the kitchen. I still show people the scar I have from the blister while peeling about 60 potatoes, and making 90 pigs in blankets.

Luckily we did not host Boxing Day, we are on the rota for next year for that one, but it will only be a small Christmas with maybe 8 sitting down next time.

We then spend 'Twixtmas' in Scotland at St Andrew's and stayed at the Fairmont hotel. Its about ten minutes outside the town, and bills itself as a 5 star establishment. Sadly it is not in the Turnberry or Gleneagles class, so we had a few issues which we needed addressing, and would be reluctant to recommend it for anybody thinking of using it in the future. The 'Old Grey Town' though was wonderful and we ate and drank very well, using the hotel courtesy bus given the Scottish zero tolerance to alcohol as far as drinking and driving is concerned.

One pub even put the Southampton v Argyle game on for me, and even the locals thought we wuz robbed.

We got back for dinner with Rebecca on New Years Eve and then went home to watch the local firework displays from the balcony.

So that's 2023 put to bed, although I still have a fair bit if repair work to do in the garden as a result of the various storms which swept the region during December,

So a belated ho ho ho! and Happy New Year to all my readers, onward to 2024.

King of the Castle

So on to BMW and their tournament. It was in 2010 that I last qualified for the UK final at Turnberry, and I was unable to go to the World final as I was only an associate member of the BMW family. This timeeverybody was playing on a level playing field and the prize was a trip to Fancourt Golf Club in South Africa. Now I say level playing field but the Castle course on which we were competing was anything but. It is the newest course in the St Andrew's estate and because of the tricked up greens the locals will not play it. That leaves it to the Corporate golfers to try to find their way to a decent score. 41 points won by a 21 handicapper which is hard to swallow.

The layout of the course and the setting are first rate it is just a pity the greens have to be so difficult as to ruin the experience really.

Nick Dougherty , the Sky presenter and ex-golfer, was the guest speaker and he was very good. We stayed in the Old Course hotel and were treated as we always are by NGL and their staff. as is traditional, we had a beer or two in the Jigger pub and fish and chips in the town. All in all it was a great few days with a few new friends made.

Our travels were not finished then though. We had a very enjoyable night in Edinburgh before moving on to Gleneagles for a couple of nights to look at their shared ownership properties. Unfortunately the weather was finally against us, so I only got 12 holes of golf in on the Queens course, but SWMBO had two fantastic spa treatments and we had a very pleasant meal on the hotel in their Strathern restaurant. Everything from the bread to the cheese was plated at the table and all we covered was a very good bottle of red.

The journey home was great and I got to play at Royal Birkdale yesterday, but more about that in a subsequent missive. 

Don't just book it...

So disappointed to see the demise of Thomas Cook, a travel firm we have used on numerous occasions for holidays, flights and corporate hospitality. We have been in Mauritius when a holiday firm has gone bust and we saw first hand the stress it put their clients under, both from the point of view of their holidays being cut short, how they would get home, and the actions the hotel owner took to protect his outstanding payment schedule.

None of that is pleasant, and it was only by chance that we had not booked a pre-Christmas mega group to take the ankle biters to Lapland for a special trip. Thomas Cook were favourites to be our carrier, but we were still trying to sort out dates with the four families involved.

Instead we have booked everybody to go to Geneva to see number 1 son and family so EasyJet just got 15 return flights they might not have been expecting. Geneva is great from Liverpool as there are flights most days in the Summer with extra ones during the main skiing season.

We have a few other sorties planned with a first trip to 'off the record Dick's new abode in Middle , Little, Upper or Lower Wallop near Andover shortly then a major BMW golf event in St Andrews followed by golf and spa in Gleneagles. We will return home yearning for sunnier climes I suspect but they might have to wait until next year as our property sales process has stalled once more so funds need to be rationed.

That said, we are geared up for the mega Euro Lottery tomorrow. What would I do with €200m

Double bubble and a cuppa tea luv.......

Heston Blumenthal, of snail porridge fame, if turning his hand to the menu of the Little Chef chain, and i sense a disaster coming on. The red sign of the Little Chef has been a beacon for me and the family on our many trips along the A303, A38 or A50, and always under the beacon, like a crock of gold at the end of a rainbow, is the renowned all day breakfast, the highlight of which are the saute potatoes.

Now Heston knows alot more about food than ever I do, but I think he needs to apply the Honda principle to the all day breakfast. if it aint broke don't fix it! The thought of it changing and by so doing sacrificing the tatties and fried bread is a thought I cannot bear. Its the best way to eat a lump of lard, known to man.

I always remember staying at the Gleneagles Hotel some years ago, and was disappointed that their breakfast was not made to order, rather it was kept in trays under those ghastly heat lamps. we were quite later down, so had pretty miserable dried up fayre, which prompted a letter to the general Manager on my return home.

'Sir' I indicated ' I would consider an establishment such as yours well able to provide a breakfast worthy of your status. On the last occasion I visited, it came a poor second to the Little Chef.' Needless to say the offer of a complimentary week in the hotel did not materialise, just a standard acknowledgement of the letter. If the Little Chef start offering snail porridge on the menu, then Gleneagles has no chance!