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 »

17/01/2010 by Russell.

Posted in Emily, Wingerworth, Greg | 1 Comment »

13/01/2010 by Russell.

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25/12/2009 by Russell.

Ice Skating Natural History Museum, London.  Happy holidays!

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23/12/2009 by Russell.

‘Let it Snow…Let is snow..’ is the line from the song and boy did it snow Monday afternoon.

Emily, Greg and I had a lovely shopping day in Milton Keynes, all under cover, no worries of the weather, we left to get a frame from IKEA about 4ish.  leaving IKEA an hour later, a few snow flurries appeared, and thought nothing of it since travelling at rush hour, plenty of traffic, no worries………….

By the time we reached Dunstable, it was settling and it was a slower pace of 20mph.  And we ploughed on up the hills to Tring, which we liked so much, we decided to take it steady and take in the Christmas snowscape.  We waited patiently, and moved and waited all the while the snow lay deep and crisp and uneven.  Wilst we slewed to the Total petrol station in Tring, one kind gentleman asked me to pull over so he could park outside his house, queues of traffic in each direction, numpty! we had already crashed into a kerb by this stage in Dunstable.

Well we waited and waited (hour and a half later) then we made our move, being kindness itself we let a Vauxhall (front wheel drive) out from the petrol station, bloody numpty number 2, he came to a standstill at the r-about, when we we cruising nicely…20 mins later after pushing him up the hill to Tesco’s it was my turn.

Out Emily & Greg went into the snowstrom, push and push with others, and I was off, I ain’t stopping - see ya! Santa’s sleigh ain’t seen anything like it - Emily and Greg chasing after me…once on the flat I went back to help others, but once we were on the flat, we saw a huge queue of cars in the opposite direction, amazing for a slight incline in normal conditions suddenly becomes the North Face of the Eiger.  Cars all over the place.  We stopped to help a car up the hill, the next car in line to tackle the hill (well more like anthill) was a Z4, uhm I knew he wasn’t going to make it, my rear wheel drive was suffering, so I knew what was in store for him.  Oh dear!

We abandoned the Merc on the high street and walked 5 mins to the sanctuary of tv and jacket potatoes. 3 hours later, for a journey of 50 mins
Sadly there was one person who I know would have loved it, my Dad.  He and I have great memories of snowy escapades, Wingerworth 1967, Lavender Hill, handbrake turns in a van, Chesterfield to Manchester 1981, such fun…where are you Dad? I hope you are smiling up there!

Posted in me, Emily, Grandad, Greg, snow | 1 Comment »

12/11/2009 by Russell.

Well the clock keeps ticking, birthdays come and go (Emily17, Phillip 23), life goes on.

As well you may know, my 50th birthday was a raucus event…well,,it was a quiet 50th spent on the M6 travelling to my friend Barry’s gaff near Crewe with his family.  Bless, they stayed up to blow the candles out.

Typically, he was the only person who raised a cup of cheer with me.  Greg had a great time on his mower and on the wii with Jo.

At last number 1 is now cmpleted for rent, well no-one is renting yet, but its costing me money all the time now, am expecting the local authority to drop a council tax bill through the letterbox.  All decorated, all carpeted and burglar alarmed, who could resit? seems that no-one is ready to go to number 1, its been on the market a fortnight now.

As for the boys, the season is up and down, hammer Amersham 15-2 and lose 9-5 the next week.  However, I must say it’s rare to be awarded two penalties in a match for two weeks running, which Greg has despatched for two successive weeks. Well done. Ben is flying in scoring, but hpefully we have a little gem in Rob who has joined us, more pace in attack.

Now where’s me glasses. £220 later, 1 week later and my new proper reading glasses have been lost in the car? Wearing them on the bridge of my nose, I go to 5 a side footy, only for them to have disappeared….need a brain as well.

Hey ho - counselling is steady…….

Solicitors bills for house is an ongoing cost along with everything else.  No worries Greg got his apple computer which is splendiferous.

Now we are on with Spitfire making - thanks to James May.

Posted in Chesterfield, Barry, chesham strides, Wingerworth, Greg, Uncategorised | 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 »

13/09/2009 by Russell.

Hi jolly campers

Forgot to mention that Greg and I went camping bank holiday weekend inbetween Portsmouth and Chichester.  We had a great time, weather fine, a bit windy, but nothing untoward.  the tent went up like a dream, what’s more we could just get up and have a ready made footy pitch.  Pity there was no floodlights though, once darkness set in, it was card games til late.

We were relativley prepared, tv, dishwasher, bathroom and bedroom. This is interpeted as Archos for tv,  Greg for dishwasher, bathroom - having a pee behind the car, and inflatable beds for cosy bedroom.

We visited the naval dockyard, lucky to see the Mary Rose as it is closing for two years in September 09 - moving to a new display, the Victory etc.  We had a saunter round Chichester and the Marina, the D Day museum at Portsmouth, but sadly no beach bumming, too breezy.

We managed hearty breakfasts and cooked our suppers without a hitch.  Our only incidents we had were checking sleeping bags for earwigs.

We are now ready for the Eiger summer 2010.  Well not exactly at the summit but in the foothills.

More recently the boys have started the season, we should get 16 registered U15s - whoo-hoo, the most ever, but results are required on the pitch, first game today and after leading 1-0, we suffered a 5-2 defeat.  Early days.

Kite Festival, Southsea, August Bank holiday 2009

very windy, it was busy on the front.

Posted in camping, chesham strides, Greg | No Comments »

11/08/2009 by Russell.

Gosh! is it really way back in July that I last made a post?

First up was Derren Brown, on 16th July - what could he offer? very clever and manipulative chap? Was it all so random? I never saw the join between set up (if there was one) and inspiring comments ‘How did he do that?’ He certainly tries to think out of the box, so much random selection in the audience with whizzing paper plates.  However, I did work out where he was going with the word ‘Enigma’ but how he arrived at that was completely (or to me at least) seemed random selection.  Thanks Derren, Greg and I will be back. And what about the McFly thing? well if you went you would know! so book your ticket for the next time round.
Within Days of this we were off to Montpellier to visit Sylvie. Up at the crack of dawn, in Montpellier before 11am, thanks to easyjet.

Needless to say we left a murky Luton to arrive in clear blue skies of the med. We went to town, to Palavas for beaches, to the old Roman Aquaduct of Pont du Nord, to Sete, Cap D’Agde, Millau and Lord Foster’s bridge, to the Camargue etc, oh and a spot of sunbathing.

Sadly I fell asleep and scorched my back - loser eh?, we had a good beach at Palavas, which was a 20 minute commute - although there are many beaches to choose from from La Grand Motte to Cap D’agde.  The weather was glorious every day, very hot, comparable to Greece and Corsica.  We were in shorts everyday, watching our Archos/iPod movies by night, or playing cards on the verandah with Prissine, Sebastien and our other host Anne Marie, for which Greg and I were very grateful for the two beds and of course Banjo a friendly dog, seeking breakfast with me everyday (oh for the days of my dog Penny).

The day we chose to go to the Camargue, about 40 mins away, we had a good day seeing the white horses although not as I imagined trotting through the surf, but our quest was the Flamingo’s. Which we found on a wildlife sanctuary near to the town of Saint Marie de la Mer, but the jewel of the Camargue is the fortified town of Aigues Mortes, where we found weaponry for an army(and that’s the shops!) to the most delightful confectionery shop selling biscuits, sweets and toffees.  We paid a few Euros in there for one of Gregs friends.  On the whole we had a great outing.

To drive on and see the Millau bridge over the Tarn Valley is spectacular to say the least. It clearly beat the pants off the alternative proposals, so who says Brits can’t do design? come in on budget and look aesthetically great (which was a requirement) - wonder if we include this on our civil engineeering projects.

Down side was my hearing, which at times plagued me.  Iwas in the little store buying Phillip’s bracelet when this chap said something behind me, thining he was speaking to me in french about the bracelets, I immediatley responded saying something like ‘just looking, Ok mate’ only to notice he was talking to someone on the the phone, me and Greg just howled with laughter.  We had some great light moments on holiday, especially in Intermache, taking one of those bags to put your fruit in off the dispenser…yup - the whole roll came shooting out across the floor of the supermarket..

The lilo was great on the beach and in the pool where we were staying.

I personally was on a quest for a pair of cycling shorts for my colleague Rob. we went everywhere, hypermarket, sports shops, until we arrived on the Saturday to the largest Decathlon I have ever seen, shorts? and boats and guns and wet suits and footwear and punch bags, and even lockers to put your belongings in as you went hunting for goods. So shorts were easy to purchase.

In all the only real mishap was my chipped tooth in the departure lounge at Montpellier airport, the tooth broke awaywith the filling and cost me £100 to repair..ho hum, back to normal now fiddling with my Dad’s house

Greg in Montpellier

Posted in Derren Brown, Sylvie, Montpellier, Greg, Holiday | No Comments »