I wouldn't mind hearing some of eavers diary entries while he's away

what happened, forget to wipe your freckle?

Beaver sleeping in Dubai airport..... ( two weeks ago)

Mmmmmmm Didn't slocombe just get back from a holiday last night, good detective work pie chucker

Welcome back Hoff...................

How to catch everyone up to speed, left Sydney after visiting my sister and my newborn nephew i was almost not allowed to board my flight from Sydney to Dubai to Manchester as all flights to the UK was closed. But i managed to get a flight to Paris were i planned to catch the train into the UK, but on arrival at Dubai all flights to the UK and Europe were cancelled. which meant i spent Friday to Tuesday in Dubai. The place is super windy and sandy with alot of humidity, the locals are some what lazy and at times can be rude.

But on a positive note i got to stay with some family Kevin and Sam and there kids, they opened there home up to me which was brilliant. I spent some time at there restaurant were i got to know all the lads, they are a group of Sri Lankans who work there and i went out with them one night but they don't drink alot because everyone cent they earn they send home to there family.
Eventually i got a flight to Nice in France, were i met a lovely older couple from Perth, Australia named Sue and Ray they were off to Chalone in France to connect with a cruise they were meant to catch days earlier but due to the Iceland Volcanic situation there flight was cancelled. From Nice airport we hired a car @ 231 Euros and i drove them to Chalone some 6 hrs down the road.
Driving across France was beautiful and it is a long trip on the France motorway were the speed is 130kphs and the locals tailgate you and flash there lights at you so you move over and at 130kphs in a little shoe box it can be scary.

After 1300kms in 14hrs with 2 hrs sleep i made it to Calais France were i paid 65 pounds about $147 Australian dollars to catch the ferry over to Dover Uk, i slept on the Ferry which took 1hr to get to the UK that 1 hour sleep meant i had 9hrs sleep in 4 days i was S T ruggling to be honest.

From there i caught the Southern speed train which travelled like a bullet to London were i switched over onto another train and headed to Manchester were i got off at a station called stop port were the club Captain Guy Haynes picked me up.
I eventually arrived in Edgworth Wednesday night my first thoughts were how cold it was and green and hilly. It is a really beautiful place the roads into the small village were small and windy with alot of ups and downs the road sides were lined with stone walls that stretched for miles, houses placed only a matter of a few feet from the road and all houses adjoined side by side.

I eventually arrived at the house were i am staying and met Ian the owner and his son Alex, really two nice gentlemen.

On the left me on the 1st tee at Pleasington & on the right with Geoff and Larry.
both very very nice and friendly people so we had a frozen pizza and i headed to bed as people arrived for the committee meeting i was spent. I awoke on Thursday morning as i headed out with Ian to play a round of golf at Pleasington Country Club with his business associates who work for Powerbilt in America who were also stuck here to the flight fiasco. There names were Geoff and Larry and they are genuine nice guys.

Thursday night at the club is Poker night which i attended which was washed down with Peroni nastro azzuro and some games of pool before i headed home, i did not win anything this time at Poker but had some fun as there would have been about 60 people at the club.
Friday Guy took me shopping to get a Australian wall plug so i can charge my Pc and phone i also purchased a new wallet as the English pounds are a extremely large note and don't fit in my existing wallet. Then after that we headed off to Chorleigh Country Club another extremely
beautiful course in the hills of Bolton as you can see by my picture on the 1st tee.
It was a nice game but by now the hills of the local courses were taking there toll on me here, Friday night i arrived home were i quickly got changed and travelled the 3 minute walk to the club to coach the juniors on a Friday night.


Were after training i managed to knock back some of the offerings on the BBQ at the club as i sat back enjoying my gourmet Burger wrapped in Hp sauce i though wow as i estimated there to be at least 100 people at the club, it seems Edgworth.C.C is the middle of the social network too the village everyone pops in for a Beer and a chat. The club is open from 4pm-11pm everyday and some of the parents use Friday night as a baby sitting service to offload there kids to the coach's so they can wind down and have a few drinks after a long weeks work.

Funnily enough Edgworth.C.C though a small village has 1 Butcher, 1 Chemist, 1 Newsagent, 1 Milk Bar & 4 Pubs lol really makes me laugh.


So Saturday came around Ian, Alex & I all went shopping for grocery's which i am told is a Saturday morning ritual and i ordered a sausage roll for breakfast and when i asked for the Ketchup (not tomatoe sauce here) to be put on i got some weird looks. Alex informs me it is not normal to put Ketchup or Red sauce on your Pie or Sausage roll????????
I am also finding that when i talk all the waiters and Lady's tend to snicker and giggle they think my Aussie accent is hilarious which at the start i didn't mind but makes it hard to place a order when they a laughing.

Then i ventured to the club for my 1st game we were bowling and our warm up was rather disappointing totally not what i was expecting, blokes rocking up late and no organisation totally not the signs of a potential tittle winning team which many think we can be. The outfields are beautiful here nothing like Australia flat and green like lawn bowls surfaces and the ball races to the fence, and all the grounds are small it is quiet a surreal experience playing here in the UK.

On the left is the outfield at our home ground Edgworth and on the right you catch a glimpse of the Houses over the valley.

The wicket played well, we were at home against Standish who were not expected to cause us any problems and so they didn't as Liam Watkinson 19 years old tore through them taking 6fa as the pro David Parkinson bowled 17-18 overs on the trot for 2-30 odd bowling with out luck.
ours truly fielding at point had my 1st chance to field for my side as the bloke square drove one through my legs for 4 not a great start to be fair lol but nothing else got passed me for the rest of the day as Standish all out for 102 in 33-35 overs.
Guy opened with the Pro David Parkinson and Guy was bashing it about with the score on 0-43 off 5 overs Guy was on 41 before we knew it we were 3-62 when i came in and with overs on our side i was set on taking my time before i got a nice yorker that i bottom edged for 4 runs and i was getting back into my crease after i thought i would only get a single and in running crossed with the non striker i was given out for 15 LBW. We went on to win 4 down in 15-18 overs.
On the left is Locky who did not get a bowl and was batting low so he is sitting back smoking his pipe lol.........just something they do over here lol.

Stayed around at the club chewing the fat before we headed out to Bolton with the lads but it gets a bit blurry here, was with Jack Axford got lost and decided to go home can't really remember what time all i remember was waking up in our bathroom on the floor next to the toilet and what had happened will remain anonymous for now lol extremely poor form by me ha ha ha ha don't ask because you won't be told lol.

No real hang over the next day which was surprising as i went down to Bradshaw and watched two of my mates play in A.Taylor & Pete Walters who had a win as i returned home for a nice home cooked Roast Beef.........and it is still fricking cold.

Untill next time take care.

I didn't think I'd like it so I didn't read it.

Guy opened with the Pro David Parkinson and Guy was bashing it about with the score on 0-43 off 5 overs Guy was on 41 before we knew it we were 3-62 when i came in

At this stage Brett did you think you were still at Mordi and would be all out for 84 ?

Spot on Sobers.

Anyone who read all of that needs serious help.