I Wish I Had Been There When…………
When you look back on life there are many events that take place where we all say "I wish I had been there." For me there are many, including England winning the World Cup in1966 and at Wembley stuffing Holland during Euro 96. There was the Botham Ashes series in 1981, the Flintoff Ashes of 2005 and the memorable winning cricket tour down under just last year. In the world of music I would have love to have seen The Clash play the Shea Stadium ...
No More Heroes Anymore?
There have been a couple of instances this week that have had me wondering about what defines hero status and why, as we get older, we idolise people less and less, except perhaps our own children or parents. The incidents that triggered these thoughts were very diverse, but in their own professional circles they were lavished with similar praise. Firstly there was Reading football manager Brian McDermott signing a new contract after overtures ...
What is So Addictive About Sport?
These days, to keep fit, I spend my time in the stench of middle England at the local gymnasium. I plough a lonely furrow on a running machine, I sit on bits of equipment that loosely resemble push bikes and rowing boats and I try to do sit ups and lift up weights as well as resembling a windmill in a force nine on a humiliating piece of machinery that is called a cross trainer. This battle against being described as rotund is a desperate one, ...
Organising an 80th Birthday
I have had various phone calls in recent days from my Dad, sister and eldest brother with regards to my Dad's forthcoming 80th Birthday to be held at a local village hall. Obviously, with the hall booked, this left the arrangements of the catering, music, and invitations to be dealt with. The initial phone call with my sister left me thinking that I was to be charged with the impossible task of planning the music, though after a phone call with ...
Britain–Home of the Pantomime Villain
We can't resist a pantomime villain in this country, it seems that a new one is turning up on a weekly or even a daily basis. In the last seven days alone we have had Stephen Hester (RBS Boss) Fabio Cappello (England boss) and Abu Quatada (boss of evil axis of extreme Islamic terrorism). Stephen Hester has turned down his £1m bonus and Cappello has been resigned, yet Quatada, a threat to the whole human race if you believe the tabloids, is ...