A good weekend of footy!

We decided at the last minute on Saturday to go to Mansfield to watch Belper Town Reserves play at Forest Town. The thinking was that the 1st team were at Carlton and since that is one of Belper's bogey grounds (we never get anything there), and Mansfield is a lot nearer Nortoner Towers, and it was getting on for 1:30 pm, we'd go watch the ressies.

The journey (which the sat nav says is 37 minutes), took over an hour and a quarter! We got stuck in a 2.1/2 mile queue on the A617 heading to cross the M1 at Junction 29 and when that cleared, we were held up for a good half hour whilst police recovered 2 cars after a bad smash in Forest Town itself. It was a mess - a BMW had hit a Fiesta side-on at a set of "filtered" traffic lights so it seemed one or the other had jumped the lights.

Anyway - in glorious sunshine, we watched Belper Town Reserves cruise to a 5-0 win over 3rd from bottom Forest Town. It was a perfect day for "snapping" so there's a bigger than usual album here:

http://nortoner09.jalbum.net/20100410%20Forest%20Town%200-5%20BTFC%20Res/

One of my better efforts! I'm quite pleased with this one.

After the match we heard the 1st team had actually won 4-2 at Carlton and with other results helping, they are back in the last play off spot. Played more games than anyone else tho but I'd rather have points on the board than  games in hand.

Saturday evening - Barca beat Real Madrid 2-0 and although not a classic by any means, it's always worth watching when Messi steps onto the pitch.

I've been out in the garden all afternoon - the lawnmower had it's first outing of the season - then came inside to watch extra time in the Portsmouth v Spurs FA Cup semi-final. Pompey won 2-0 and to say Harry Redknapp looked miffed would be an understatement!!

Roast Beef and Yorkshire pud for tea - and you're up to date! 

Sundays are sometimes a mixed blessing - good to have a sunny day and a choice of whether to work or play but they are a damn sight too close to Monday morning for me! Now that would be less of a problem if we'd won the Lotto on Saturday night but we didn't - again - so we'll see what next week brings.

Browsing my pictures.

I decided to show you some of my favourites from the files on my PC.

Please look and (hopefully) enjoy but also remember  please - they are all copyrighted so no nicking them or I'll be after yer!

http://nortoner09.jalbum.net/2010%2004%2010%20-%20Gallery

and any comments would be appreciated (Not just nice ones - if you think they're rubbish say so! I'll send the boys round with the knee-capping gear but that doesn't mean you're not entitled to your opinion!!)

There's an election on...

.....and I've just heard the lunchtime news as I ate my sandwich.

Is anyone as depressed as I am at the "Presidential" choices we find ourselves faced with?

Gordon (Vote for me or I'll spit the dummy so fkn far you'll NEVER find it.) Brown
Even if he does get voted back in you just know he'll make our lives hell for having the nerve to require an election in the first place. You know he'll just do WTF he likes and claim a public mandate.

David (I'm down with the kids - provided they aren't those council estate type oiks) Cameron.
Our nation being represented at stuff like the G8 summit talks really would be like sending one of the Famous Five to negotiate our best deal - only happens after pop and crisps have been consumed and we've given that bully Brown a damn good thrashing.

Nick (No! Really! I'm not kidding! It's true - I AM the Lib Dems leader!) Clegg.
Nonentity describes him perfectly. If it wasn't for the fact he has a strong backer in Vince Cable, he would simply evaporate into the ether.

BNP, UKIP, Greens, blah blah...

It's frightening that I find myself agreeing with a lady interviewed on the street today  - "What's the point - they're all in it for the money and the power. Why bother voting at all because whatever the general public declares it wants, the government will do as it likes anyway."

A scary point but an almost credible one and now I am REALLY pissed off! Thank God the weekend starts here.

A very stressful few days...

..but the major cause is recorded somewhere a little less public!

Wednesday evening - Belper Town Reserves v Carlton Reserves in a cup semi final. Sadly Belper lost 1 - 3 and even more sadly, I had another "mare" with the camera. My less than satisfactory record of the game can be found here:

http://nortoner09.jalbum.net/2010%2004%2007%20BTFC%20Res%201%20-3%20Carlton

Today it's "early closing" at work then the Duchess has to go to hospital for an X-Ray on the hip that's been causing her problems. Doc's diagnosis is incomplete although it's reckoned there's some fluid on the Duchess' knee and that might be contributing to the hip/ankle problems (making her "walk funny" and distressing the hip.)

After that - "by ear". May go to Meadowhall or the chippy for "tea" we'll see.

As for the weekend - the forecast isn't too bad and both Belper 1st team and reserves are away. If we decide not to travel, there's always the garden...... (I heard the 3rd lawnmower of spring yesterday!)

Fill you in on the details later.

Late - but here are the pics from Monday's game......

click on the link.....

http://nortoner09.jalbum.net/2010%2004%2005%20BTFC%200-2%20Chasetown

Poor result and a 2nd defeat in two games may well have put paid to play-off hopes. We'll see. Don't they say that it's not over until the fat lady sings? Well - I reckon she might be practising her scales.

Tonight it's back to The Meadow to watch Belper Town Reserves in a cup semi-final. They are a good side and well worth watching. Top of the league by some 6 points and now the semi. Looking forward to it. I'm taking the camera so hopefully there'l be some pics for you to look at.

I'll be back!

(Gotta go now  lunchtime is over so it's back to work.)

Should have been gardening....

... and to be fair, I did a little bit of "weed-killing" but since it's so early in the season, I didn't want to overstretch myself you understand.

I restocked the various bird feeders around the garden and was almost immediately rewarded by a visit from this fella:

A Great Spotted Woodpecker. We've had visits regularly throughout the winter from a couple of these birds. Handsome looking chap but I'm not sure why they're called "Great Spotted". No spots as such that I can see.

Anyway - point of info (or interest - but then again, you may not be interested.) The metal piece at the top of the feeders is a squirrel deterent. If a tree rat tries to slide down the feeder to get at the food, its weight slides the metal sheath down and covers the food! Works a treat!!

Not a great weekend so far.....

I worked on Good Friday (well - I was AT work) which meant we couldn't go to Grantham v Belper yesterday afternoon. Probably just as well. Belper lost 4-2, Ant Wilson was sent off for violent conduct (so his season is probably over) and Tim Harrisons pics:

http://www.timharrisonphotography.com/NailersAction/GrnthmTwnA2010/index2.html

show the absolutely appalling weather conditions.

After the supermarket run this morning, Saturday has been spent sorting through the 22,000-odd photos on my PC (well - I have been taking pictures for 35 years so that doesn't seem an unreasonable number does it?) Weather can't seem to make it's mind up - sunny one minute then threatening heavy rain next minute.

Listening to Sheffield Wednesday at QPR on Radio Sheffield. Losing 1-0 and looking like we'll never score apparently.

Not a lot else happening - Oh Yeah - I went for a pre-operation assessment at the Hallamshire Hospital on Thursday. They are now to decide when they want me in to shift this kidney stone. The assessment lasted almost 3 hours and they took blood samples, urine samples, MRSA swabs, blood pressure and I was weighed and had an ECG.

I came home with about 5 separate brochures which explain rules for hospital visitors (cos I might be in overnight), spinal anaesthetics, what a stent is (basically, a temporary drainage tube, fitted after the op), info of the Theatre Admissions Unit, info on reducing infection risk.. all information which must now be given to patients "just in case" as the staff nurse put it!

Anyway - I'll leave you with a photo..... one of the 22,000 I particularly like...

And Wednesday have just equalised..... and the sun is out!