Not been a great week....

...Football-wise anyway.

Having lost 5-1 to Glapwell on Tuesday, Belper went down 1-0 to Goole AFC at the Meadow last Saturday. A 92nd minute goal in a niggly game decided the contest which although it brought a much improved performance from Belper Town, was still a massive disappointment.

One of the main reasons for the poor game, in my opinion, was this gentleman:

I told him at the end of the game that, in my opinion,  we've had some crap refs at the Meadow but he is the new top of the crap pile.

Positives from the game? (You should always look for the positives!) Two new players were on view and showed up very well. Striker Daryll Thomas has pace and looks like he has goals in him too whilst Nicky Darker in midfield put in an excellent shift.

I'm still faffing with my pictures but you can see Tim Harrison's album from the game here....

http://www.timharrisonphotography.com/NailersAction/GlH1011/index.html

An excellent effort from Tim (Mr Consistency) too!

Other news since my last post..

Son and Daughter-in-law went back to Holland Saturday. We took them out to dinner on Friday night as an early "Happy Birthday" meal for our daughter in law who celebrates the event on October 1st.

Saturday, after they'd left, I cleaned my car and we then went to the Goole game and on Sunday - I cleaned the Duchess' car and also the lounge bay window. Yes - I know - that explains why it has persistently piddled it down since Sunday evening. What sort of moron cleans 2 cars and the windows all in the space of 36 hours? Asking for trouble!

So - you are up-to-date with my exciting life. I'll leave it a couple of days before giving you the next instalment. Too much excitement in one dose is not good for you!

Oh yeah -

Clean car 1:

 Clean Car 2:

Didn't have time to photograph the window before the rain started but you all know what a window looks like yeah?

;-)

A week's a long time in politics......

..... and it's just as long a time in football!!

Tuesday last week - Belper Town 2 - 1 Glapwell in a league game.

Last night - Belper Town 1 - 5 Glapwell in  a Cup game!

Fans are up in arms and one in particular is spouting off on the fans forum about the performance and not getting value for money. "Schoolboy football." " A disgrace" etc etc

Stepping back for a moment and whilst admitting it was not the best performance we've ever seen at The Meadow, there are one or two things that need to be remembered.

Rich Adams - regular centreback this season - out with a stress fracture of the big toe.

Simon Mirfin - generally playing the midfield "holding role" - out with a disclocated shoulder.

Luke Federenko - wide midfied player - sunning himself in Dubai.

Mark "Barney" Barnard - left back and our most experienced player. Carrying an injury and could not be risked.

Jon Froggatt - captain and striker - again, carrying an injury so started on the bench.

and so on.......

The Belper Manager actually had to ask the "retired" Asa Ingall to help out and had to stick a new signing, Jay Smedley, straight into the side. Andy Rushbury - who plays wide midfield usually, had to fill in at left back.

The argument expressed last night and since is that we beat Glapwell last week but we lost to the same side this week - "Why?"

Read my lips - they put the same side out as last week but we couldn't! Different game altogether. The performance wasn't great but hey - get over it and move on.... This is not Chelsea we're watching here but a Manager with a greatly reduced budget working his b*ll*cks off to bring together a squad of, perhaps, lesser players than we had last season and make some sort of half decent side from them.

Anyway - rant just about over and I'll post a few pictures as soon as. One last thing - I don't think it helped that the team also lost 3-2 to Rushall at the weekend in a league game. After coming back to 2-2 from 2-0 down, it was naturally very disappointing to lose 3-2 but that's the way it goes sometimes.

This week's activities.....

Tuesday night was one of the highlights - Belper beat Glapwell 2-1 and thoroughly deserved the victory. Best I've seen the team play this season. I took the camera and here's a couple of my pics:

Justin Jenkins' header loops over the keeper for 1-0.........

The Glapwell keeper makes a good save from a shot by Chris Wood and Jenks was on hand to pop in the rebound....

A familiar face in the crowd - Belper top scorer for the last 2 seasons... Lee Stevenson ....now moved on to Eastwood Town:

For a proper view of the game - see Tim Harrisons album - I really haven't had the time to make one this week!

http://www.timharrisonphotography.com/NailersAction/GlpwllH1011/index.html

Wednesday was one of those days when you are absolutely knackered at the end of it but can't really understand why.... maybe it's this slight head cold I've been carrying for a week or so! Anyway - dropped a colleague off at a local garage in the afternoon and saw these beauties on the car park:

1969 vintage Jag I understand and there was a Bentley too..

Thursday - left work slightly early (we were on a maintenance shutdown week and so I've been popping into the office to check e-mails and so on.) When I got home. I suggested to the Duchess that we nip down to Autoworld at Chesterfield and see what offers they have on a new (used) car for her. Ended up buying her another Seat Ibiza! (We only went for a look!) This one's a "56 plate" to replace the  "51 plate" she currently has. Nice car! We collect it Tuesday next week when Road Tax and PDI is sorted. It's a 1.4 "Special Edition" with DAB Radio and controls for the CD player on the steering wheel etc. I'll post pics next week.

Friday - the REAL highlight of the week - my son and daughter-in-law arrived late afternoon from Holland. They drove over in their new car - a Volvo C30, 2.40i racing machine! It's absolutely beautiful!

Saturday - Son and daughter-in-law were out and about visiting friends various and since Belper were away at Rushall, we decided to have a football free Saturday for once and after the usual supermarket penance in the morning, we had a run out to Eyam in Derbyshire. I've never been to the village before but it is famous for "shutting itself off" from the outside world when the Plague struck in 1665/1666. I took some pictures and will create an album but here's a few to be going on with...

The notice above is outside the cottage shown below:

St Lawrence Church, where most of the plague victims are buried.

I reckon we could use some of these stocks nowadays!

Anyway - you are now up to date but as I said - I'll make a Jalbum of Eyam photos and post the link ASAP!

Another week flies by....

..and would you believe this is my third attempt to write this particular note.

I began it yesterday (Sunday) and first of all - the PC crashed and I lost the whole thing. Then when I tried again - I managed to hit the wrong key and everything but the title was deleted...

So  - here what's been happening...

Tuesday - shifted some paperwork then in the evening, waited anxiously for news of Stamford v Belper Town. It was simply too far to travel after a day at work so I followed the game via the Stamford website. Belper were winning 2-0 but it finished as a 2-2 draw. Although disappointing, I'm sure we'd all have taken a point had it been offered before kick off.

Wednesday - the Duchess had  a Junior Football League Meeting in the evening so I spent some time preparing a presentation for my boss on a new telephone system I want to put in at work. He wanted the details on Thursday morning when I would be at our sister company's office for another meeting.

Thursday - all day in Dronfield at a briefing on the new computer system we are to implement. After about 20 years, theh IBM AS400 computer and the Macpac MRP software are to be dumped and we will be running Microsoft AX on a brand new machine. It was interesting but it's obvious that there's a lot more work to be done before we introduce it. Target date is June 2011 for the new system to be up and running.

Oh - and the Duchess got a date for her hip replacement operation - it's to be done on October 25th with pre-op assessment on October 11th.

Friday (early finish day) was interesting. After work I ran an errand for my son. He's bought a bubble gum machine (Yes - you heard right - a bubble gum machine - y'know, put a coin in, turn the handle and candy or whatever drops out.) on eBay and wanted me to pick it up from an address in Sheffield. He is moving his company to a new office and wants to put it in the lobby for visitors to help themselves!!

Saturday - up early and into Sheffield to pick up my Christmas present from the Duchess. She has bought me a Canon Speedlite 430 EX II flashgun and now my DSLR kit is just about complete.... (although I have hinted that a Canon EOS 7D might make my pictures better...). Sheila decided that since the recovery period after the operation is about 6 to 8 weeks, she might struggle to get her Christmas shopping done so she's starting now! (I'm getting her a "Spotting Scope" to replace the binoculars she uses when we go to the various RSPB Reserves we often visit.)

Main business of the day was a trip to Goole to watch Belper Town. We won 1-0 and probably deserved it. I have to say I've been to fewer more hostile places to watch footy. Fans snarling at the linesmen and referee and even their manager and coach had to be warned by the ref for berating the officials.  Anyway - I took the camera and here's the the link to my pictures....

http://nortoner09.jalbum.net/2010%2009%2011%20Goole%200-1%20BTFC

Have a look if you want to!

Sunday - create the above photo album whist listening to The Archers Omnibus - fail to complete a blog entry - twice -  dump some stuff from the garage and shift some stuff from the dining room in there and in the loft - clean the car - dine and catch up on sports news - call son in Holland (they're coming over on Friday 19th and staying almost a week - Yipeee!) - bath - bed.... and then the new week begins.

This week the plant is on maintenance shutdown and so I'm popping into the office every day to check e-mails, faxes etc and to tell people "Call back on Monday!"

Tomorrow evening - it's Belper at home to Glapwell which will see the return of a couple of last years squad who joined Glapwell in the summer. It'll be a tough game - I'll tell you about it later.

What Day Is This Please?

Back from me travels - Jet-lagged to hell and back but a blog entry is the perfect antidote to Eastenders and tiredness.

A long week but it feels like it went very quickly. As I said - it was bloody hot and humid but hopefully, worthwhile.

Got back to Heathrow at about noon on Saturday and as usual, tried to stay awake until normal bedtime cos it's reckoned that helps the jetlag pass more quickly. Slept well Saturday night - a good 9 hours in fact. Sunday wasn't too bad - cleaned the car - again - (note to self - getting a black car was a dumbass idea - I seem to have done nothing but clean it since I took delivery!!)

Watched part of Brentford 1-0 Sheffield Wednesday on TV but wasn't impressed! Bed at about 10 pm, sleep before half past - awake at 11:45 pm and still awake at 3 in the morning. Up at 6 a.m. today and consequently - today has been mostly driven on autopilot.

Other news? Son and daughter in law planning a visit to Sheffield later this month and the Duchess finally has a date for her replacement hip operation. That happens October 25th, subject to cancellation by any emergency that may occur that day.

Didn't take the big camera with me to USA but took some snaps on me little 'snappercam'. Here's a few.....

The Four Points Hotel, Mississauga (Toronto) - Nice hotel!

Toronto airport sunrise - waiting for 8 a.m. flight to USA

Rental Car in Pittsburgh - a Kia - not bad actually!

This was  a small plane (20-seater with a single row of seats either side of the aisle!)

OK - Eastenders is over and I'm tired. I'll do some more ASAP! Watch this space!

It's 3:30 in the morning here!.....

...and I've time for a quick post before we head for the airport at 5:00 to catch a flight at 8:00 to the USA.

It has been unbelievably warm here this week. Temperatures in the low to mid 30's C but humid as well. Examples - Sudbury on Monday - Temperature 33, Humidity 48%,; last night after dinner - about 8:30 pm - temperature still around 28 C. The air conditioning works fine but it's noisy and since it's unbearable outside - been breathing "air conditioned air" for the last 3 days and I'm sure thats why I have a dry throat and itchy eyes!At the customer visit yesterday the lady in Reception told us these are record breaking temperatures for Canada in August!

Anyway - forecast is for similar temperatures in Arkansas later today and Pittsburgh Friday - oh - and there's a hurricane threatening the East Coast!

Today is another long one. 8:00 a.m. flight to Grand Rapids Michigan, pick up a rental car and drive 40 minutes to see client. Drive back to airport after lunch for 17:35 flight to Fayetteville Arkansas where we arrive at 21:17, after putting the clocks back an hour cos Springdale Arkansas is 6 hours behind UK.

Still the trip is just about half over now and we're on the homeward leg. 5 more flights in total and we'll be back at Heathrow 11:25 Saturday morning if all goes to plan.

Didn't bring the 50D - it's too big and heavy to lug around on a trip like this but I've taken some pics with the iPhone and a few on my "snapshots" Canon camera. Here's one of my friend (and customer) Lou's vintage Jaguar..... Nice innit?