When things are as tough as they are at the moment and people are confined to barracks, it is important to be considerate to each other. Now the initial panic is over, there is no need to stock pile food, road rage should be a thing of the past, given there are hardly any vehicles on the road in our part of the Country, and people can adhere to the 2 metre separation guidelines as there is loads of space in our parks and on our footpaths and coastal borders.
The boys in blue are keeping a watchful eye on Birkenhead Park walkers and riders so at the moment The Wirral is doing OK.
That is more than can be said for the people who find they are out of work, or the back street entrepreneurs who find their once profitable cottage industries blown away in the blink of an eyelid. It has also hit multinationals and all those companies and organisations who sit in between, certainly in size terms.
Martin Lewis used the definition of forbearance to try to get us all to understand the struggle that business has at the moment, and it is useful to take that on board. My mate and I had paid a lot of money to a golf travel agent to go to Augusta for the Masters golf in April. When the event was postponed and then rescheduled, we asked for our money back. Rightly or wrongly , that was not one of the options they gave us, so rather than fight a battle over what the definition of 'force majeure' is, we have given them the slack they need and said we will rebook for 2021. They are now fighting battles to repatriate other golfers they have sent on holiday and, I suspect , their cash flow to ensure they are still in business next year.
We have a milkman and he has been delivering to us for years. I have just paid in advance for the next three weeks to help his cash flow and hopefully see him continue the service he provides to us and to allow him to keep his milko's employed.
I am also philanthropic in a small way towards my ex-rugby club. I'm in it as a business venture, but have today let them know that there will be no further payments due to me in 2020. That may help their cash flow somewhat as they will suddenly have nil income from rugby for 6 weeks and social functions and catering for probably three months. The grass will need to be cut a few times, but major outgoings like rent, rates and utility bills still need to be sourced.
I have a small part to play at the golf club as a result of the closure of all courses for the time being, so the lockdown provides opportunity. Having just completed the painting project, we now have to redress the room. I have discovered the sofa springs are out of life so that forces me to participate in my favourite lockdown game, buy on e-bay. So far I have brought one new golf club, a pre-war Totopoly game with proper lead horses with four legs (fans of horse racing games will know why this excites me), an extra five horses of the same structure for display purposes, and I am now in prime position to win a Mont Blanc pen for a steal as it is listed in the wrong category!!!
Unfortunately the sale of my mothers old flat has had to be put on hold as a person in the chain is an NHS worker and does not feel she has the bandwidth to handle a house move just yet, but hopefully that will proceed in due course. We shall see.
So time to rehang the curtains plug the TV back in and resume some sort of normal like, although we have not really missed the TV these last few weeks, I wonder if we might be right in the middle of a permanent life style change. Husbands and wives talking to each other, now there's a side effect I didn't anticipate!
Wednesday, 25 March 2020
Tuesday, 17 March 2020
Bat Out of Hell
Who would have thought an experimental dish from a soup kitchen on the other side of the World could create such problems, not just of the population involved, but for the whole World. What started out as a potential crisis for China has now escalated into a World pandemic the likes of which we have not known for 100 years. Imagine the difference in population numbers and the difference in scientific analysis when Spanish flu swept throuh Europe. This corona virus takes no store by technological advances and at the moment is blasting all away in its path. We anticipate it will peak in May on the Wirral.
It is hard to imagine that only two weeks ago I was at Twickenham watching England beat Wales in my 49th season of such pilgrimages. The night before we went to see Magic Goes Wrong at the Vaudeville Theatre in The Strand. Even Penn and Teller can't make this virus just disappear, and the theatre stands empty now for who knows how long.
Golf, and the excitement of becoming Wallasey captain, is really no more now than an illusion. The senior Seniors are self isolated, all the prestigious events are cancelled and we wonder what is next for us and what we have done to deserve it. The Masters in Augusta to which I was going, is postponed, and as I type Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott have announced they are postponing their arena tour. We were going to that too.
What does one do while self isolating, we aren;t 30 years old any more when the options would be singularly more attractive!! At the moment I am decorating the living room in anticipation of an event for the ex-Captains wives which will not now take place! I can at least give some attention to my piano playing and try to se if by the end of it people will be able to recognise some of my tunes.
My wardrobe needs some attention, how many polo shirts does a man need? and the garden is starting to bloom so that can give me the excuse to potter out of doors, should the golf course itself ever have to close.
Will shopping on-line become the only option, what will all the DPD and Hermes delivery drivers do, and who will deliver all the e-bay and Amazon stuff if they are confined to barracks?
Boris Johnson has been handed the poison chalice, and inspired by his hero, Winston Churchill, he is being stoic and trying to get things done. It is disappointing that opposition members and retired scientists and medics are publicly challenging the approach, when all the Country needs is one face to the Nation. Have your grumbles behind closed doors, not on Newsnight and Question Time.
The Country will survive, particularly as it is the youngsters who seem to have the greatest immunity to the virus. It's the complete opposite of World War II in which all the future captains of industry were the ones cut down in their prime. At the moment it's those who have lived their lives, but would quite like a bit more please, who are in the firing line.
Good luck everybody, stay safe.
It is hard to imagine that only two weeks ago I was at Twickenham watching England beat Wales in my 49th season of such pilgrimages. The night before we went to see Magic Goes Wrong at the Vaudeville Theatre in The Strand. Even Penn and Teller can't make this virus just disappear, and the theatre stands empty now for who knows how long.
Golf, and the excitement of becoming Wallasey captain, is really no more now than an illusion. The senior Seniors are self isolated, all the prestigious events are cancelled and we wonder what is next for us and what we have done to deserve it. The Masters in Augusta to which I was going, is postponed, and as I type Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott have announced they are postponing their arena tour. We were going to that too.
What does one do while self isolating, we aren;t 30 years old any more when the options would be singularly more attractive!! At the moment I am decorating the living room in anticipation of an event for the ex-Captains wives which will not now take place! I can at least give some attention to my piano playing and try to se if by the end of it people will be able to recognise some of my tunes.
My wardrobe needs some attention, how many polo shirts does a man need? and the garden is starting to bloom so that can give me the excuse to potter out of doors, should the golf course itself ever have to close.
Will shopping on-line become the only option, what will all the DPD and Hermes delivery drivers do, and who will deliver all the e-bay and Amazon stuff if they are confined to barracks?
Boris Johnson has been handed the poison chalice, and inspired by his hero, Winston Churchill, he is being stoic and trying to get things done. It is disappointing that opposition members and retired scientists and medics are publicly challenging the approach, when all the Country needs is one face to the Nation. Have your grumbles behind closed doors, not on Newsnight and Question Time.
The Country will survive, particularly as it is the youngsters who seem to have the greatest immunity to the virus. It's the complete opposite of World War II in which all the future captains of industry were the ones cut down in their prime. At the moment it's those who have lived their lives, but would quite like a bit more please, who are in the firing line.
Good luck everybody, stay safe.
Thursday, 27 February 2020
Welling up
I had no idea that there were two Well Lane addresses within less than a mile of each other on the Wirral. It was in one such address I was due to have my golf captain photograph taken today. The poor man in Tranmere had no idea what I was talking about when I went knocking on his door. I just find it hard to imagine that I am the only person ever to make the same mistake. No, there was no ' you want the Well Lane up the road, mate' just a 'what photographs have you come to take' query. As Fiona Richmond would say, I made my excuses and left.
The correct Well Lane address when I found it was a house tucked away in Higher Beddington and is home to Colin Beringham, professional photographer. On entering the property one is greeted by a huge picture of Bruce Grobbelaar, the ex-Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper, in a very swish DJ. On the stairs is a portrait of Ken Dodd and a three quarter length John Major adorns the parlour. Colin was very welcoming and had taken the precaution of caging his dogs prior to our arrival. Good move.
After the usual preliminary discussions I was ushered into the changing room to first get ready for the blazer shots. These have been traditionally used by the Club for press release and other such routine matters, although their use does seem to have been somewhat reduced in recent years, maybe this year will see an upturn. I decided on two versions, one with the Club tie and another with the Senior section tie. It's their decision whether they take, one or both, or neither.
We then moved onto the main event of the day, the red coat shot. In the studio Colin has a range of chairs, stools, tables, half desks and other props with which to frame the perfect shot. we must have taken twenty shots for consideration but probably fifty all together.
Finally he took a three quarter of me in the style of John Major which I shall keep for my own records.
Once I was changed back into civi's we went through the selection process, aided by the current Captain who had accompanyed me there as is the tradition. I found a quick and slick process to be the best and we soon had our four portraits selected and they are now to go under the Photoshop process to make me even more good looking than I naturally am. All will be revealed after the Annual General Meeting at the end of March when my portrait will hang proudly in the foyer of the Club.
As long as people don't think it's Jack Rowell we should be OK!!
The correct Well Lane address when I found it was a house tucked away in Higher Beddington and is home to Colin Beringham, professional photographer. On entering the property one is greeted by a huge picture of Bruce Grobbelaar, the ex-Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper, in a very swish DJ. On the stairs is a portrait of Ken Dodd and a three quarter length John Major adorns the parlour. Colin was very welcoming and had taken the precaution of caging his dogs prior to our arrival. Good move.
After the usual preliminary discussions I was ushered into the changing room to first get ready for the blazer shots. These have been traditionally used by the Club for press release and other such routine matters, although their use does seem to have been somewhat reduced in recent years, maybe this year will see an upturn. I decided on two versions, one with the Club tie and another with the Senior section tie. It's their decision whether they take, one or both, or neither.
We then moved onto the main event of the day, the red coat shot. In the studio Colin has a range of chairs, stools, tables, half desks and other props with which to frame the perfect shot. we must have taken twenty shots for consideration but probably fifty all together.
Finally he took a three quarter of me in the style of John Major which I shall keep for my own records.
Once I was changed back into civi's we went through the selection process, aided by the current Captain who had accompanyed me there as is the tradition. I found a quick and slick process to be the best and we soon had our four portraits selected and they are now to go under the Photoshop process to make me even more good looking than I naturally am. All will be revealed after the Annual General Meeting at the end of March when my portrait will hang proudly in the foyer of the Club.
As long as people don't think it's Jack Rowell we should be OK!!
Monday, 24 February 2020
2d back on the bottle
What a strange weekend just gone. It always seems to be not quite right when the rugby international matches are played on a Sunday, but we embrace the home games anyway. Paris is a dead loss as the whole City seems to shut down on Sundays and as the rugby federation are only tenants in the Stade Francais, they get to play at the ridiculous times the landlords dictate. Rome is a bit better so we have been known to go over there for a Sunday game, but the other venues, forget it. That said we don't go to Cardiff these days fullstop!!
So Twickenham weekend was shifted a day, and numbers were down considerably. Just two of us for the Saturday night pre-match drinks and five for the game itself. I was amazed to read how positiive the reports of the England performance were. Ireland were dreadful and like Scotland before, they exectuted schoolboy errors to gift England a substancial lead. So in my mind England have played three games and discounting the two pieces of magic from Jonny May late in the game against France, England have created nothing through thier own imagination or ingenuilty. I can't help thinking that The All Blacks would have put 50 points on both sides easily.
Tuilangi disappeared after about 30 minutes, Farrell has no imagination or flair and both scrum halves are on borrowed time. I fear the Welsh will find us out.
The apres match was a very good craic and I have returned home in one piece, but recieved an interesting e-mail from one of our S-Club members who has just had 6 weeks in Australia and New Zealand. He and his wife have decided to instigate a self imposed 3 week isolation period as they have been near to countries which are part of the Corona virus outbreak. This means he will not be with us for the Wales game for fear of being a carrier. It's a very noble gesture and gets them out of baby sitting duty for a while, so we might try that one ourselves.
So we are now long on wales tickets and hotel rooms, somethoing which has never been heard of before.
So Twickenham weekend was shifted a day, and numbers were down considerably. Just two of us for the Saturday night pre-match drinks and five for the game itself. I was amazed to read how positiive the reports of the England performance were. Ireland were dreadful and like Scotland before, they exectuted schoolboy errors to gift England a substancial lead. So in my mind England have played three games and discounting the two pieces of magic from Jonny May late in the game against France, England have created nothing through thier own imagination or ingenuilty. I can't help thinking that The All Blacks would have put 50 points on both sides easily.
Tuilangi disappeared after about 30 minutes, Farrell has no imagination or flair and both scrum halves are on borrowed time. I fear the Welsh will find us out.
The apres match was a very good craic and I have returned home in one piece, but recieved an interesting e-mail from one of our S-Club members who has just had 6 weeks in Australia and New Zealand. He and his wife have decided to instigate a self imposed 3 week isolation period as they have been near to countries which are part of the Corona virus outbreak. This means he will not be with us for the Wales game for fear of being a carrier. It's a very noble gesture and gets them out of baby sitting duty for a while, so we might try that one ourselves.
So we are now long on wales tickets and hotel rooms, somethoing which has never been heard of before.
Sunday, 16 February 2020
Gilets jaunes
A series of weekends away see me today in Hamburg for number 2 son's stag celebration. There are 16 of us and I am oldest by a good 25 years. Consequently I need to pace myself. Yesterday was random drinking with a visit to a mega beer kellar with stein after stein on offer. I seemed to drink them for hours with no visible reduction in the amount of beer in the glass!!
Today we have been curling and then had a bar all to ourselves for what are called the Proll Olympics. This consists of a series of pub games unlike any you could imagine. Popping balloons with staple guns, flipping pencils like you would beer mats and stopping spinning coins are mixed in with giant jenga, giant pick-a-stick and spoof. To add continuity there was also table curling to play.
Sadly the stag missed most of this as he had a quiet few hours in bed after becoming tired and emotional earlier in the afternoon.
Last weekend we had our traditional 6 Nations trip away. Normally we take in France or Italy but the France game was on a Sunday, when Paris is closed, and Italy fishes with my mother-in-law 80th birthday. We,therefore, decided to go to Bordeaux to watch Scotland v England and Ireland v Wales in a bar. It all worked really well except for the yellow vests deciding to have a mini riot on the Saturday. We were in the old town which they avoided for fear of getting hemmed in by the police, but the damage we saw on the way home must have been heart breaking for the businesses affected. The glaziers had a good revenue stream though.
We also visited St Emilion, another World Heritage site to add to our list and touched a bottle of 1948 Petrus Pomerol listed at €9000. Maybe another time!!!
Proper 6 Nations next weekend lets hope for some better weather!
Today we have been curling and then had a bar all to ourselves for what are called the Proll Olympics. This consists of a series of pub games unlike any you could imagine. Popping balloons with staple guns, flipping pencils like you would beer mats and stopping spinning coins are mixed in with giant jenga, giant pick-a-stick and spoof. To add continuity there was also table curling to play.
Sadly the stag missed most of this as he had a quiet few hours in bed after becoming tired and emotional earlier in the afternoon.
Last weekend we had our traditional 6 Nations trip away. Normally we take in France or Italy but the France game was on a Sunday, when Paris is closed, and Italy fishes with my mother-in-law 80th birthday. We,therefore, decided to go to Bordeaux to watch Scotland v England and Ireland v Wales in a bar. It all worked really well except for the yellow vests deciding to have a mini riot on the Saturday. We were in the old town which they avoided for fear of getting hemmed in by the police, but the damage we saw on the way home must have been heart breaking for the businesses affected. The glaziers had a good revenue stream though.
We also visited St Emilion, another World Heritage site to add to our list and touched a bottle of 1948 Petrus Pomerol listed at €9000. Maybe another time!!!
Proper 6 Nations next weekend lets hope for some better weather!
Thursday, 6 February 2020
Beauty Parade
It used to be said that you had travelled well North of London if you passed a Morrison's supermarket. It's not so these days, but I felt something similar about Liverpool as I travelled through Norris Green with SWMBO last night.
We were going to Huyton and Prescott golf club for the new captains introduction as part of our inauguration into the Liverpool Society of Golf Club Captains. There are 27 clubs in the society and each new captain was accompanied by their current (2019) captain and their lady.
We had pre-order drinks, a pre-match handshake and then a team photo, one for the men and one for their ladies. We then sat down for a three course dinner and a couple of speeches after which each couple was announced and stood to take plaudits of their peers.
That was the easy part. After dinner the ladies were shepherded into one room and the gents into another. We had to appoint a secretary and treasurer, a name for the year group and a first informal meeting date. Those that know me will not be surprised that I was appointed secretary, and as 2020 captains, being called the visionaries should not be a surprise either. The optics got a few votes in second place. We will all convene as a group informally in Childwall towards the end of April. Childwall incidentally used the same clubhouse refurb company as Wallasey have engaged, and were very happy with the results.
The whole evening was funded by the 2019 captains, called The Eagles, to whom we were very grateful. The golf club staff were excellent and the clubhouse was a hidden gem, being the manor house of the old Hurst Estate owned and occupied by the Atherton family. I look forward to returning to play the course during my year in office.
So it now feels like the year has begun and I can see clearly now the way ahead!!!
The next time I see many of my year group will be at the Spring dinner when 6 or 7 captains are invited to attend as our guests. For most it will be the first time they will be wearing their red coats for which I had a fitting this morning. As a precursor to that dinner I look forward to an informal round of golf with the incoming captain of Royal Liverpool, who will be the visiting guest speaker on the night.
We were going to Huyton and Prescott golf club for the new captains introduction as part of our inauguration into the Liverpool Society of Golf Club Captains. There are 27 clubs in the society and each new captain was accompanied by their current (2019) captain and their lady.
We had pre-order drinks, a pre-match handshake and then a team photo, one for the men and one for their ladies. We then sat down for a three course dinner and a couple of speeches after which each couple was announced and stood to take plaudits of their peers.
That was the easy part. After dinner the ladies were shepherded into one room and the gents into another. We had to appoint a secretary and treasurer, a name for the year group and a first informal meeting date. Those that know me will not be surprised that I was appointed secretary, and as 2020 captains, being called the visionaries should not be a surprise either. The optics got a few votes in second place. We will all convene as a group informally in Childwall towards the end of April. Childwall incidentally used the same clubhouse refurb company as Wallasey have engaged, and were very happy with the results.
The whole evening was funded by the 2019 captains, called The Eagles, to whom we were very grateful. The golf club staff were excellent and the clubhouse was a hidden gem, being the manor house of the old Hurst Estate owned and occupied by the Atherton family. I look forward to returning to play the course during my year in office.
So it now feels like the year has begun and I can see clearly now the way ahead!!!
The next time I see many of my year group will be at the Spring dinner when 6 or 7 captains are invited to attend as our guests. For most it will be the first time they will be wearing their red coats for which I had a fitting this morning. As a precursor to that dinner I look forward to an informal round of golf with the incoming captain of Royal Liverpool, who will be the visiting guest speaker on the night.
Thursday, 23 January 2020
The Italian Job
We are half way through our short break in Barbados and up to now it has been anything but dull! The usual room rearrangement was interesting as initially one couple had a suite and the other had the spare box room but they were on different floors. The hotel then came up with a cunning plan to put us in a double suite with a sea view on the floor below. That sounded a good plan until we came back from breakfast find the door would not open. This was when it became necessary to paraphrase Michael Caine as angle grinders and power drills came to the fore. That didn't work so a ladder was brought in so the maintenance crew could get until the rooms via the balcony. After four hours we were back in the room, holiday back on track.
We were fortunate that Tuesday was a Bank Holiday here so the horse racing was moved accordingly. As a result of our room problems we we were guests of the hotel in their VIP tent. Two winners later and we were lined up for a free day. One jockey almost did a Frankie Dettori and had six of the eight winners. People in the known picket up an 800-1 accumulator in the quad forecast.
As can happen here, it dumped down with rain yesterday but it looks set fair for a bit of sea fishing tomorrow. No golf planned while Apes Hill is closed but the positive news is that it should reopen during 2021. Lets hope it is still affordable.
Coincidences still appear regularly. On this holiday I popped into the pavilion at Dover cricket club and there on the wall amongst pictures of famous West Indian cricketers was a presentation plaque from Old Parkonians, the local club to us in Oxton. They went in 1993. Continues to be a small world.
We were fortunate that Tuesday was a Bank Holiday here so the horse racing was moved accordingly. As a result of our room problems we we were guests of the hotel in their VIP tent. Two winners later and we were lined up for a free day. One jockey almost did a Frankie Dettori and had six of the eight winners. People in the known picket up an 800-1 accumulator in the quad forecast.
As can happen here, it dumped down with rain yesterday but it looks set fair for a bit of sea fishing tomorrow. No golf planned while Apes Hill is closed but the positive news is that it should reopen during 2021. Lets hope it is still affordable.
Coincidences still appear regularly. On this holiday I popped into the pavilion at Dover cricket club and there on the wall amongst pictures of famous West Indian cricketers was a presentation plaque from Old Parkonians, the local club to us in Oxton. They went in 1993. Continues to be a small world.
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