Hung Jury

Friday was a co-incidental day. I had two legal documents waiting in the post box on my return from London, both were a bit of a surprise.

I had been dan Sarf to help number one son with some DIY on his new house. It allowed me to spend a few days with him which is something I don't do enough of, and to catch up with some old friends.

I got photographed by one of them here. I also took in the football match between Spurs and Sheffield United. The less said about that the better.

So I returned on Friday after easing a few door and shaving some of their bottoms off. My cousin Mike helped with numerous cups of tea and words of encouragement, not to mention a steady hand in the sawing department.

 

There in the box was the confirmation that I have served a notice of recompense against Scottish Power for the sum of £200 plus additions. They have owed me this money since May, when they took four unauthorised payments from my account before I noticed and stopped the direct debit. I filed the paperwork in the small claims court over the internet and it was all straight forward. My only concern was that their registered offices are in Glasgow and I may, therefore, have to pursue them in Scotland using their less efficient system. As luck would have it, however, they do have an operating office in London so the summons was served there. They have until 4th February to respond so we will see what happens.

 

The other letter was a notification that I am required for jury service in February. As it happens I am away for the time they have requested so I was able to politely decline. I have offered them some alternative dates in December and January next year by which time they may have become disinterested in me.

 

I have done jury service before about 35 years ago in Upper Norwood near Croydon in Surrey. I was on one trial which was concerned with stamp theft. It went on for six or seven days so we were excused after that. It was quite interesting  but hopefully at some point during my next stint, the judge will reach for his black cap and indicate that the defendant be taking to a place to be determined and there be hung by his neck until dead.

 

Not sure that will happen though, hey ho!!

Shed therapy

What a wonderful day it was on the Wirral today, and I was fortunate to have the chance to play golf with Eric Hirst and Simon Birtles. Eric is the oldest ex-captain of Wallasey still playing golf at the age of 82, and  knocks it round off a respectable 19 handicap. His job these last few days has been to manage the whole community of ex-captains in their selection of the new Captain for 2015. This will be announced this evening after which the new incumbent will be in the bar to buy drinks. It's not a cheap experience being golf club captain and this is just the start of a year of lunches, speeches and copious drinking sessions. It needs a man with a strong constitution to cope.

Simon has just returned from five weeks in New Zealand where he visited all four corners of the Country. It was sad to hear of the sorry state in which Christchurch remains. Shops are trading out of portacabins, no progress has been made to either rebuild or demolish the cathedral which was extremely badly damaged during the earthquake almost four years ago, although there is a pop-up cathedral which has temporarily taken its place. People are moving away and it is in danger of being a shadow of its former self. Simon, however, seems to have had a great time, sunbathing in the North island and skiing in the South. Quite a contrast really.

Yesterday I took to the shed. This is the original shed, not the one I built in 2013. I have installed solar powered lighting which seems to be working well, and cleared a large number of unwanted storage jar which I was keeping 'just in case'. I can now see the work bench and most of the floor, so just need a rainy day when I can go through my screw tin which contains all shapes and sizes,  and grade them for use as and when needed. I use hair gel containers for this, but now number two son has moved out, that source is harder to come by.

I am not over keen on this dry January fad to be honest, but I am trying to drink healthy home made juices at the moment as we had a new juicer as a present for Christmas. The orange and ginger shot first thing in the morning is a definite wake up call. This is all part of the pre-holiday tone up programme aimed at trying to return home in March, roughly the same weight as we were on 1st January. Time will tell.

So the year is up and running, no new years resolutions as such this time, just  a good and content time surrounded by friends and family. Here's hoping.

Old Year reflections

SWMBO and I reverted to our traditional date night in for New Years Eve. I get the privilege of cooking, and we reminisce the year past. My speciality this time was weeping lamb with boulangere potatoes with French onion soup to start, and it was all yummy.

So what did we see as the years highs and lows?

Starting on the family front, we were blessed with our fifth grandchild, Alexander, who has now maintained the continuity of the Weathers line, blending a bit of Bulgarian into the Irish and English gene pool. A welcome surprise on Monday was the news that my cousin Mike and his long suffering partner Valerie, has finally tied the knot and were officially Mr and Mrs Weathers. SWMBO's mum also got over a major health scare which we were all delighted about.
SWMBO and I both lost relations towards the end of the year. SWMBO's Uncle Kevin died after a troubled few years, in his early sixties, and my Auntie Betty passed away on Christmas Day morning after a short illness. She was 92 so had had a fair old innings.

Domestically, the years highlight was the redesign and construction of a new bedroom for SWMBO, in less than two weeks while she was in Tanzania. We had a good family barbeque and both Tim and Kieran moved into new homes in the later part of the year. Kieran's move left us rattling around on our own in Chateau Weathers. Maxine survived a full year without working!

It was good to be involved in Wally's stag 'do' in Portugal and to be visited by friends and family from London, on a regular basis, but an acrimonious holiday in Turkey meant we have lost Lou, one of SWMBO's long term work colleagues, as a friend.  They say love is blind, and in her case she is the only one to be able to see any good in her new partner, Martin. Pity.

On the sporting front, I was delighted to break 80 on the golf course for the first time. I also fired a 82 around Southport and Ainsdale which was pretty special, and I am chuffed to be Chairman elect of the Seniors section at Wallasey next year.

We saw the year as routine when we started discussing it, but as you can see a lot happened.

So now we are into 2015 and I have 23 blog entries to try to beat to allow me to reversze the downward publishing trend. what can you look forward to then?

We are off to the States for a month in March going from Las Vegas to Hawaii and back to New York. There are two trips to Ireland, one for the Causeway Classic golf festival and one to coincide with the rugby world cup. I will be attending some of the world cup games too.

I end the blog as I started, with news of grandchild number six which should arrive sometime in February. So do stay tuned it will be another exciting year.

Pimples

On Sunday, Lewis Hamilton, a racing driver supported by a team of over 1000 people, who races maybe twenty times a year and has only one serious rival, won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award for 2014.

He beat Rory McIlory, a golfer, into second place. McIlroy has probably fifty rivals, all capable of beating him on their day. He plays probably 30 times a year, and is supported by a small team which includes his caddy, coach,  management team and various suppliers and sponsors.

Whether it was the right decision is taking up a lot of column inches in the newspapers at the moment. Hamilton won the F1 World Championship, which he has won previously. McIlroy won the Open Championship and the US PGA championship. No European has ever done that before in the same year. He also won the Bridgestone Invitational and the PGA championship at Wentworth. He was also part of the European Ryder Cup team who defeated the USA.

McIlroy has a personality, Hamilton is a bit dull. So it would seem that petrolhead's took the trouble to vote, whereas golfers didn't.

Sadly it's another sign of the fading star which SPOTY has become. SPOTY has always been a must watch in our family, and I can remember the sixties programmes when the BBC had most of the sporting coverage in the World to use to produce their programme. Henry Cooper won the title twice, and he never really won anything of significance in his sport. David Steel was sent out to face the barrage of West Indian fast bowling and almost single-handedly saved England from ignominy. He won it for true British spunk.

More recently, however, the BBC have struggled to find any sporting coverage to populate the programme with as Sky and now BT, hoover up all the best events. The 2014 show reached new depths with repeated voiceovers by Eddie 'the idiot' Butler, listing the names of great British sports personalities, but showing almost no action at all.

The BBC must have know the writing was on the wall when in 2009, a year with no Olympics, World Cup or Commonwealth Games, the winner was Ryan Giggs, an aging Welsh footballer who is best know outside football for bedding his own brother's wife. Jenson Button came second that year so even the petrolhead's must have been bored with the whole thing.

Aging pop band Simple Minds opened the show on Sunday, and that, sadly,  is a suitable  phrase to refer to the BBC blazers who masterminded the whole thing.

A Prial of Teas

Blimey what a few days we have had. The weekend saw us celebrating SWMBO's fathers 75th birthday, her parents house warming party and the christening of Nell and Ava. Actually it was billed as a blessing  but there was water and cake involved  and with some imagination we managed to combine all three celebrations into one afternoon.

The London branch came up for the do's. Tim and Maya came on Friday and Mike and Val on Saturday, so I was finally able to have a team photo with my five grandchildren.

The previous week Pete and Maria had come up for a few nights as sadly her brother died, but they are now over in Australia for Christmas. Graham then turned up for the Liverpool European Cup tie, meaning we had nine visitors in less than a week.

I did check the guest book for comments, but sadly the pages were empty, but that did not stop SWMBO and I going out for our works Christmas party at the Refreshment Rooms in Rock Ferry last night, and a good time was had by all.

Its a bit off the beaten track on the Mersey in a part of Rock Park which in its day was home to seafaring men, merchants and company bigwigs. Indeed the Royal Liverpool Yacht Club is right next door in the shadow of Cammell Laird ship builders, both sit as a reminder of how Birkenhead used to be the senior partner in the Merseyside relationship.

So now on to Christmas. The tree arrived yesterday and I have already managed to break the top bit off, so not sure where the fairy is going to go, no doubt number one daughter will sort it out.

Christmas bash in Manchester next Friday should be chaos, and I have the annual opportunity to win festive meat at the Wallasey golf club turkey trot on Sunday, and the Seniors equivalent on Monday.
Things are hotting up.

I have no wish to be PM

So said Boris Johnson many times , although the jovial, blond haired serial shagger is still considered by most of the popular press to be lining himself up for a shot at our Dave, once the next elections are out of the way.

I have very rarely dabbled in politics, and my comparisons with Boris Johnson are fairly limited, my hair is grey for a start. It does seem, however, that this may  be changing as I have recently been informed that I am Chairman elect of the Wallasey golf club seniors  section. At the moment the nomination is unopposed although one is usually assured of the majority of the house when endorsed by the outgoing member, as I am.

If successful in March, I will join a line of illustrious Wallasey members, many of them ex-captains, who have held the one year office.  The benefits are wide and varied. I get automatic selection to all the inter-club matches. These include Sandiway, Southport & Ainsdale, Heswall, Chester and Mere.
I get to tee off first with the opposition chairman, captain or senior golfer, the title varies from club to club, and, I get to address both teams as part of the after dinner 'entertainment'.

This speech usually consists of thanks to the host club, my playing partners and the staff. If playing away I  then announce the result of the match, and finally tell a story. It's this last bit that is thwart with danger. Will it be risqué?  Will the home chairman tell my story just before I stand up?should it be a joke, an anecdote or a parable? I will have eighteen such opportunities so hopefully will get the formula right by the end.

It's a huge privilege to be asked to take on the role,  given I am a soft Southerner and a relatively new member of the club. I look forward to being elected, and serving the Senior section, and wider Club membership during my year in office, with humour, humility and hospitality. Can't say fairer than that, and gentlemen, that reminds me..........

In at the deep end

SWMBO arrived back safely in London at the weekend after her second trip to Tanzania to help train dental nurses as part of the Bridge to Aid scheme. She was based in the NorthEast on this occasion which allowed her to see some of the Serengeti as she was transported there. Zebra, monkey's and wildebeest were in evidence, but whether one of them was Alice is still unclear.

We then hot foot it to Alexander's christening where the poor soul was submerged in a bath of freezing water by the minister. He was christened at the same Russian Orthodox church as his sister, by the same minister, and it was still hard to watch as this little body was thrown about in gay abandon. Her cousin Ava was looking on and wondering if she had the same fate in store when she comes to getting baptised.

The reception was in the Hole in the Wall in Chiswick and I regaled the gathering with stories of a fireworks party I attended at the same venue, many years ago, when a helicopter firework came adrift and shot into the bar severely burning on of the lady punters. Not nice. Doom Bar was £3.95 a pint. It's £2.80 in the local in Oxton Village!

SWMBO and I then departed for Scouseland leaving the girls to go to Legoland. On arriving home SWMBO was presented with her brand new redecorated bedroom which a friend of mine, Peter, and I had totally rebuild while she was away. She seemed to like it although there does not appear to be enough space for all her clothes to fit back into it, it seems like a clearout may be in order.

Strangely enough I found a rugby shirt from the Protea's club in Zimbabwe which the Wildebeest had given me years ago. Its funny how ends tie up sometime.