Get your own diary at DiaryLand.com! contact me older entries newest entry

Notes

Previous Next

About Me

stranger thing have happened (but not often)
04 July 2016 22:05


One evening last week I was following an AA van that was towing a broken-down car. After a couple of miles we came to a junction where I was turning left and the AA van was going straight on. As I drove away I glanced in my mirror and was surprised to see a second car, identical looking to the first, cross the junction behind me.

Of course, it wasn’t a second car; it was the first car that was no longer being towed. The tow bar had broken and the vehicle was freewheeling across the junction.

By that time I was well on my way to being out of the way, so I can’t tell you what happened next. Did the broken-down vehicle come to a standstill in the centre of the junction and cause traffic disruption in all directions? Did the AA van get to the destination before noticing something was missing? You’ll just have to imagine what may have happened next.


Friday evening I did something that I think I’ve never done before. I voluntarily and without prompting watched an entire football match. What’s more I quite enjoyed it - it even got to the point where I needed a pee but didn’t want to miss any of the game.

It was Wales Vs Belgium. I thought I’d watch the first few minutes, and then find the remote control to see what else was on. But after the first few minutes, when I saw that Wales were at least equalling the performance of Belgium, I was almost hooked – I was even cheering (for Wales, of course).

I think the gods must have been smiling on Wales a bit, as they had a few decisions in their favour (like a non-awarded penalty), and cases where Belgium should have scored but hit wide of the mark, or were just one pace too far away from the ball to get a decent kick. But why shouldn’t the gods smile when a vastly underdog team plays so well – and some cracking goals too.


At the start of the European Cup shezazzle I wondered what the point was of extending the number of teams so that the competition includes teams with such varying levels of ability. But then realised that if the teams didn’t play each other we wouldn’t know how their relative ranking.

And as it turns out, it’s not a waste of time at all, as poor teams can – and do – win against better teams.


CS3 asked what would happen if the game ended in a draw. I explained about extra time, followed by five penalties, followed by sudden-death penalties.

“So if both teams are really good at defending but really rubbish at attacking, the game could go on for ever”, she concluded. Well, yes, I suppose it could.

The following evening we were able to see my explanation in practice, as Germany Vs Italy did just that (we only saw from about half-way through extra time).

I explained how the goalkeeper can’t move from the centre of the goal until the ball is kicked and decides which way to dive in advance. Sometimes I amaze even myself about my knowledge of the game. CS3 responded with “So it just comes down to chance. That’s a rubbish way to end a match; they might have well have not played”. Good point, but they can’t work out a better way of deciding the winner.

“Why don’t they just aim for the goalkeeper’s head, as they know that is going to move when he dives?” I have no idea.
“Who do you want to win?” CS3 asked me.
“Germany – because I’ve been to Germany, but never been to Italy”.


Heavy rain showers on Saturday – heavy enough to wash the car. This was good, as the car needed washing. A neighbour had a bonfire on Friday but as the weather was damp with little wind, the smoke didn’t rise into the air. Instead, it just deposited ash over the neighbourhood – and my car.

Scale this problem up and you see why tackling pollution has to be an international effort. The pollution created by one country has a detrimental effect on neighbouring countries. Some years ago Germany produced stamps with anti-pollution pictures – but priced them at the cost of international mail, because it was the foreign countries they needed to get the message to.


Annual SJA awards ceremony last week, with awards presented by the Lord Lieutenant (the most important person in the county apart from royalty. And as there are no royalty in the county, he is the most important person). I was called up at the same time as someone else, and the organisers were hastily trying to make sure the right award got given to the right person. “Don’t worry, “ I heard the Lord Lieutenant say, “I know who Ruby Barefoot is”.


Sunday afternoon I had to go to Aylesbury. Aylesbury is a strange town, should you ever go there (not that I’m recommending that you do – in fact, if you’re ever given the chance I suggest that you decline). You drive along single-carriage way roads through the countryside with no sign of habitation for several miles, and then suddenly you are slap-bang in the middle of the town. It’s as if the entire place has been picked up from somewhere more urban and dropped in the middle of the Buckinghamshire countryside.

And it has a theatre called “Waterside”, despite the fact that it doesn’t appear to be beside any water.

previous - next

Recent Entries

What's changed - 21 May 2020
Locked down life - 17 May 2020
Travel Bookings - 15 February 2020
Does anyone know what's going on - 06 September 2019
Family stories - 17 August 2019

about me - read my profile! read other Diar
yLand diaries! recommend my diary to a friend! Get
 your own fun + free diary at DiaryLand.com!