08/04/2010 by Russell.

One day left in blighty, am about to set sail (fly really) to the ends of the earth (globe which has no end) on a voyage of  discovery.  I am about to embark on football coaching for 14 weeks in South Africa, based in Port Elizabeth.  I am the only over aged numpty on this programme, everyone else are 20-25 or so.  I am the grandad.  Although there are 26 on the range of activities (cricket, rugby, netball coaching, orphanage volunteering) only 5 of us are completing the 12 weeks footy.

My jobs list before departure has been a mixed bag - I haven’t completed the decorating,  I have got my India visa, but not China.  I am outside 6 months of arrival, so thats something i will have to arrange on the road, somewhere.  I have sold my car : ( but to compound things only yesterday, my bank card has split along the chip - problem there, how do i get money out?

What to look forward to? certainly the world cup, England, Germany, Portugal, Ivory Coast come to town, but tickets are hellishly expensive, the cheapest ticket I can apply for is $160 to the Portugal vs Ivory Coast game.  How do locals afford that? A festival of football, is an expensive affair, plus you are only entitled to 7 tickets for the tournament, and have to pick up your tickets in person only.  I am sure some tickets will be available to chancers like me.

I hope to whale watch in Cape Town as well as climb Table Top Mountain and visit Robben Island.  Above all I am worried about travelling on my own from PE to CapeTown, security and all that…

From here I am off to Delhi belly in India, got my Immodium, by the bucket load, got re-hydration tablets and ‘deet’ spray and roll on! will abandon ‘Sure deodorant’ for the month. My arse is ging to suffer, but guess it comes with the sanitation and water.  Still had my Typhoid booster to combat this along with Hep A and Hep B jabs.  also got my anti bacterial wipes to clean my cutlery and plate lol! - Taj Mahal, Jaipur, Jodhpur await.

Bangkok offers mysery and golden buddha’s, people tell me it stinks and is smelly, well, I’ll head for the beach then.

Cambodia offers malaria, I have 10 days to get thru this with my tablet supply to get to Vietnam.  if you saw BBC’s ‘Top Gear’ you will have seen some of the spectacular coastline, absolutely unspoilt in Vietnam.  I thought how beautiful, when I watched the programme, I would love to see that, and here i am 2 years later on the brink of seeing all this.

From here I am going to catch a train from Hanoi - yes you can - into China, where my destination will be the Terracotta army in Xian.  That is something which I am very excited about.  You read these things asa kid, you see the pic of Prince Charles face to face with them, and it makes you think about the incredulity of it all.  Then Hong Kong, before going to Australia.  I cannot believe my luck, good or bad, as its an Ashes Cricket series. Wow!  This is where i hope to rendezvous with at least one family member.

Well I guess this compensates United not making the Champions League Final in Ronny’s backyard.

So am off to pack and stuff…you can find a dedicated travel blog at http://www.getjealous.com/rustycarno

So keep watching and reading my progress…

Love to Barry ( he started ‘rustycarno’) love to all my U15 footballers (Chesham Strides) love to Brenda (Dads old girlfriend) love to Kevin (and family) for the miles we have travelled to United, love to Simon Standish (top bloke) love to some great work colleagues, love to BB for undiminshed support without whom this wouldn’t happen, and above all love to Captain, Phillip, Emily and Gregory without whom life would be untolerable.

sa

Posted in Barry, BB, South Africa, ben Standish, Emily, kids, Greg, Kirsten, Phillip | 1 Comment »

24/01/2010 by Russell.

Back to winning ways in a keenly contested game against Widmer End.  After taking a lead somewhat against the run of play after 10 mins played, the first half ended with Strdies 2-1 down. An end to end game with both sides playing competitively.

The second half saw Chesham conceded a goal against the general direction of play.  Not to be deterred, CHesham game back gamely to score a second goal fromEric’s corner.  As the minutes ticked by and with ten minutes left Eric scored only his second goal of the season with a swerving drive from the edge of the box, 3-3- and game on.  With only miutes left, the ball dropped to Eric on the edge of the box who shot unerringly into the net from 20 yards, the ball was parried on to the crossbar and over the line.  Eric has been consistently one of our top players all season.

The last minute wasn’t without its drama with Tom, clearing a ball dropping over the line for a corner after Toby had been lobbed by the Widmer number 9.

We march on……….

Posted in Keiran, Eric, chesham strides, Tom, Greg, ben Standish, Football | No Comments »

20/09/2009 by Russell.

United at the death beat old City rivals, thanks to a scouser, you just can’t write a script like it, life better than fiction, first Manchester derby I have missed in 4 years, and this is the one which seems to be the one to end all derbies.  Ah well, plenty of others to come.  Well let’s see if it does the trick for United’s less than convincing start to the season in terms of performances.

As for the boys - U15s - we got off to our first win in the cup today, thanks to a patched up team and a superb hat-trick by my centre forward Ben.  he scored a very late winner with a last kick of the match from the edge of the area after a mix up between keeper and defender.  However, we conceded defeat because we were playing two unregistered players.  I didn’t want to incur a club fine, money which can be better spent elsewhere.  Our Greg was ill, Keeper Toby felt sick and dizzy (another sterling display) and so we had players under the weather.

Greg has settled well into central midfield, and has the technique to look for the pass, and had two wonderful dribbles today leaving their No 7 on his backside.  Big Keiran needs his fitness levels to be improved, there were some flagging players at the end, but on the whole we deserved our victory against Cookham Dean.

Source: Daily Telegraph 20/09/09

Posted in Keiran, Man Utd, ben Standish, Greg, Football | No Comments »

06/05/2009 by Russell.

End of year pics of players, team and award winners

Not the best playing season, but well done to everyone involved.

Posted in chesham strides, Will Silman, Tom, Louis, ben Standish, Football | No Comments »

08/04/2009 by Russell.

Here are some snapshots.

The pic of me with my bronze man is a survisor of 9/11….more on this to follow.

Berlin was t-shirt weather, but the evenings cool.  I found the museum of the resistance to the Third Reich in a small museum.  It was very detailed of how the German population really objected to Hitler and his cronies, one notable name amongst 20th century leaders was a young Wily Brandt.  He conducted his campaign from Norway of all places against Hitler.  There was of  course Von Staffenbergs attempt to assassinate Hitler with a bomb (a recent fim documents this event starring Tom Cruise) Von Staffenberg’s office was here aliong with the courtyard where he was shot.  Over 600 people were arrested in response to the assassination attempt. Tragic.  It was a free museum with narrative, beat that British Museum!

Tired now.

my boys lost the final game of the season 7-2, heads were down after a long seaason, but we probably scored our goal of the season, a determined run and cross by Louis and Ben hit it on the volley over his shoulder, great goal, pulling us back to 2-2, then in a blink it was 3-2, downhill from there…

Off to OT tonight for the Champions League versus Porto, c’mon United.

Posted in Berlin, New york, Louis, ben Standish, Uncategorised | No Comments »

15/03/2009 by Russell.

We were up then we were down, Chesham Strides U14s needed the win against the league leaders. We were always up in the game until the last 2 minutes again, what is it about our results? Another hard defeat to take, I can’t do much more. On the positives we have found our formation, 4-5-1.  We have played much better and with more steel.  We should have been 5-4 up just after half time, but we hit the post for the second time in the match.

A failure to communicate, to pass and to finish teams off.  However, we have more-or-less found a settled side and now its up to the boys to finish the season with a flourish.   If we get relegated, it would be too much to bear, c’mon boys.

Next up is New York City, I fly off next Sunday in the late afternoon - ah well see what comes round the corner next.

Posted in Tom, chesham strides, Louis, ben Standish, Greg, Football | No Comments »

22/02/2009 by Russell.

Thanks goodness, after so many close shaves Chesham Strides make winning look comfortable again. 8-3 away to Gerrards Cross. Even Greg tucked away a penalty.  Of course Ben only scored 5 because he was wearing my socks, he will have to get in the habit of wearing and scoring in his own socks next week…..We have now won 3 and are pulling away from relegation, one mute point is that we collected our second yellow card of the season - shame on Tom.

Greg  was not our star performer or Ben or Louis for once, honours went to Will our centre half, who has been easily our player of the year. 3 fixtures to go….

On the  other wide ranging issues, life goes on and have to keep pushing my boulder up the hill, am nowhere the summit, but there’s a few key decisions to be made over the next month, all as important as each other.

So March is nearly upon us, Spring is in the air, I should be making my ‘turnip’ of an appearance on Eggheads this month, I should be in good spirits if my degree prgramme is revalidated, I should be uplifted if United win against Spurs, Inter and the Scousers, I should feel happy that I am off to New York later in the month- but there is a flip side - and it’s all grim reading.

Anyone on twitter out there?

Here’s what Greg and some of his mates did over half term….scary eh? and who’s nicked the chocolate muffin?

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Posted in Tom, Louis, ben Standish, Greg, Football | No Comments »

08/02/2009 by Russell.

Pics from Blackberry walking to the theatre.

What a week, Monday 2nd Feb - snow - and more snow and College closed, no matter I was off to Berlin with the management students. Erm think again.  My colleague braved the elements to go to Watford and collect the travel docs and then take me and two students to Luton Airport.  Roads weren’t too bad (despite the histeria over gritting), we had our moments but sure enough Luton was where we were headed and Luton airport was under snow.  So much for contacting the airline operator, but no worries this is Britain, this is the country which is dogged in its determination to overcome adversity, well not quite at Luton, our 17.40 flight was still up on the board as ‘departure’ amongst all the red cancelled flights.  Copius coffee was quaffed and we settled down to be called. I discovered at 5ish that the flight was cancelled, well not according to the easyjet desk..it was green for go! and minutes later the departure board confirmed this - flight to depart at 7pm…..we waited…we waited, yup - cancelled. What a farce, it was evident to every pseudo Michael Fish, Rob McElwee, Alex Deakin  that there was no chance for a take off.  We all trudged away, knowing that we will have to come back another day….

Tuesday - College closed, worked on my dads estate and watched tv

Wednesday - work - and the BA revalidation

Thursday, more snow, no way would my car be safe, Nick spent two hours in a jam, Rob had a walk round and said there was no traffic up Nashleigh Hill, that was good enough for me, stay indoors! College closed at 3pm.

Friday, even more snow, College closed - off to the Library and still no phone or Internet. Had a walk to the shops.

Saturday - icy weather, had a great walk to the theatre to see my centre forward -Ben Standish - in his latest am dram production, ‘All Shook Up’ with Greg.  Good show, some great singing of Elvis songs and Ben was seen kissing the girls, well done that man! not sure what his mum thought though.

Sunday - shall I risk the car Forecast - guess? snow tonight.  Australia - heatwave and bush fires, in 40 degrees heat, nowhere is safe from mother nature.  The first time I haven’t sledged or built a snowman : (  - kids did.

Posted in ben Standish, Greg, snow | No Comments »