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 »

29/01/2009 by Russell.

What a day, my father had a great send off. over 100 people turned out to say farewell to my father, and I am grateful for those who came along. Imet and chatted to people from my village -Wingerworth - whom I hadn’t seen in years and years. Don of Lydgate farm (now a housing estate), Peter Normans father, John Radford (father of Andrew) and many others who I can’t even remember.  But also, was a bit of a family re-union, seeing some cousins I hadn’t seen since the 1970’s -wow! what a lovely time, then there was Peter, Ian, Karen And Suzanne, the children of Jean and the late Brian Young, wonderful to see them.

Of course it was great to see such friends as Kevin and Anne make the journey from Buckinghamshire to attend the funeral - friends indeed.

A sad but joyous day for seeing so many acquintances, and of course great thanks to Barry and Peter for coming along from Congleton. What a lucky person to have such comrades in arms. Over the past year I have felt alone and it is only now I have found that i do have friends, I have felt this way because of what trauma I have created for the family unit.

Love to Phillip, Kirsten, Emily, and Gregory  and Christine, the day would have been soulless without you there to share his day.  Also Brenda suffered enough with my father, just hope she can get out on the Moors soon.

On the day, i thought I would never make the speech and Barry was there to talk it through, (see post below) courage, or fortitude, i don’t know - but it all flowed as i wanted to remember my father, it was his last stand in the public eye, so I wanted it to count.  God what do you do now your parents have both died? it certainly is a strange experience, they have been there, always there, but now its not a family of three,  it’s a family of just 1………..

So long Dad, enjoy your reunion with Mum

On a positive note, 26th January  also a date when Bruce released his latest CD, what better accompanyment to drive home with eh?

Posted in Buckinghamshire, Wingerworth, Kirsten, Emily, Leslie Preston, Grandad, dad, Phillip, Greg, Uncategorised | No Comments »

01/12/2008 by Russell.

Cor blimey!

Its all downhill to Christmas, have already seen snow and ice, which is a bit of a rareity before Christmas.
Whats been happenin?

Been to London, HRH was out, had to pull my blog on my tv appearance on Eggheads.  The prog is to be aired in March 2009,  suffice to say I played like a turnip and apart from that I contravened my confidentiality statement..can see me on  facebook though lol!

My boys team have only won twice this season, and we are losing 8-6, or 7-5, 0r 6-4, we are so close to many victories, but can’t turn such performances into wins.

Greg is now so keen on shooting he’s off to joing the army cadets - oh my goodness, we had to go ‘cherche’  a bullet down Portobello Road market.  So we came up with an AK47 round. (Not live), and found Banksy pic for Emily’s boyfriend.

Not seen much of United this season, have seen Champions League and an odd league game, so hopefully will get across to see them play Sunderland with Bazil.

My Dad, is now in his third month in a Nursing Home in Clay cross, to be honest it smells, they have had a change of ownership, and it really isn’t my cup of tea, but for my Dad its the safest place for him with all his bladder-kidney-legs-cancer etc.  He is making a fist of it.  It is like a death camp, except no-one knows when the executioner will arrive. No-one leaves except my dad on his zimmer to get out and about.  He has to be out, there is no social interaction, no-one able to be communicate or share a game of cards or even Uno.

he puts on a brave face, Brenda  had to regain her sanity, but my dad wouldn’t be where he is now without Brenda’s efforts. i am just a visitor into his life.

Phillip is out there doing stuff when he can, been to Amsterdam on busines already..but does Accountancy grab him?

Then there is me, work, work and a flipin knee ligament injury for 3 weeks. Hobble hobble, no 5 a -side i guess until after Christmas..bck to where I started.

Posted in eggheads, Phillip, Football, dad, Uncategorised | No Comments »

25/09/2008 by Russell.

Not written for a while, must get in the swing of things. I really don’t know who’s reading this blurb.

Kirsten successfully passed her driving test at the end of August, and have got her some wheels - diesel peugeot 106 to scoot about in.  I know nothing other than she has a boyfriend went to Greece and probably got drunk in Bournemouth recently.

Our boys football season is under way, lost our first match with only 9 men - wasn’t planned, but got back to winning ways with a 5-4 victory against Gerrards Cross.  We play Aylesbury this Sunday, could be quite a game.  Gregory is one of the few who can pick out a pass, which is pleasing.

What am I doing tonight? birthday treats are not on the agenda. I am working this evening (why me eh?) but no worries, getting long in the tooth to worry about the years whistling by.

Still trekking up to Old Trafford, not been a great start, have only seen them play once so far.

On a much sadder note, have had to arrange for my father to go into a nursing home in Clay Cross, Derbyshire. Cancer, kidney what will it be? he is being awfully brave and is coping whatever mother nature puts in his way with admirable courage.  This will be a strong fight against the odds over the coming months. If I have an aim for him it would be to reach his 80th birthday in December.  I am up and down every weekend to visit him and take him out when he is well enough.  Even more galling emily and kirsten will not share his birthday as they will be in Switzerland.

Phillip was awarded a 2:1 for his degree at Manchester, got the photograph and nowt else.  He is working at ICI in Slough which is a great start for him and hope he finds his feet there.

Greetings received from Peter today and Captain, wonder whats on the doorstep when I get back?

Posted in Phillip, Football, dad | No Comments »