The Ashes come to Adelaide

Wow what a weekend that was. Friday had to work at the office, but made sure of lots of cups of tea as the kitchen is right by the Telly.

Saturday was the steaming hot day over 37c so watched the game on Telly and jumped in the pool at the breaks. Sunday I took Jamie to the Oval and we had a great time. He bumped into one of his school friends Arthur and I hung out with his English parents Bruce and Michele right in front of the historic scoreboard. We were also right in amongst the barmy army as you can see from the attached pics. Of course we missed the final session as the sky opened and the rain came.

Monday I was invited through work and we saw the England team grab 3 wickets in the day and field superbly all day. Then to get a wicket with Pietersen's last ball of the day was magnificent. Of course we hung around for the hour of lost play to rain. You could sense some history was in the making. By the way the new stand is really fantastic. Really tempting me to invest in one of the members season tickets, although I hear there is a wait list of several years.

A momentous week

On Monday debi and I headed off to the Gold coast for the launch seminar of our new franchise. We had to arrange for a lovely young lady to stay in our house to watch over Georgia and Jamie and take Charlie for his walks. We arrived in the Palazzo Versace Hotel (incidentally classed as one of Australia's finest)just in time for the welcome drinks. Call it perfect planning...

We met a few of our co franchisee's (Area Managers) over drinks and then dinner in a nearby restaurant. Everyone was very excited and looking forward to the product launch the next day.

A full day of presentations followed, ending in the announcement of 2BMW's to be won as part of an initial incentive. Certainly got Debi's eyes open and attention. What is the product I hear you ask. Well I guess for a full explanation it's better to refer you to this site where you can find out all about it. www.sensaslim.com.au


So Debi and I returned from the trip quite excited and with a can of the Sensaslim solution each to try for ourselves and see if it can live up to all the hype. I have never ever tried any form of diet so it will be interesting to see how I go with it.

Two memorable sporting events this week

The first and it cannot go without a mention is that my beloved Spurs thumped the reigning Champions of Europe 3-1 in a classic night of European action at White Hart Lane. I know several people who were there including 2 of my brothers and all are still in shock that our team can have played so well. To have played Inter Milan off the park with a superb display of attacking football. My only upset was that I wasn't physically there to share in the passion and the excitement. Nothing in this world can really match this sort of event.

The other memorable moment is more personal and no doubt some would regard as being quite sad. I played my best round of golf since being here in Oz. i.e. in over two years. Was 8 over for 41 points and finished 2nd out of 95 starters. Worth a few dollars in the sweep, but don't tell Debi. This Thursday night got to the first Twilight golf of the summer season. 9 holes after work followed by a nice dinner with 80 other players. Got 18 points so exactly on handicap.

Just back from Jamie's Kanga Cricket on a Friday night, so the wine is now uncorked and off we go again for the weekend....

Trailblazer Challenge 2010

Held on Saturday, I entered a team of 4 with colleagues Jo and Hamish and Geordie friend Andrew. 2 Girls from our Norwood Branch also entered, and they walked the first 18k with us up to Checkpoint1. My team of 4 then carried on up into the Adelaide Hills finshing the 34 k after 7hrs 20 mins. Over 1/2 an hour slower than last year, but that was down to queing for the bacon & egg muffin (and the loo) at checkpoint 1. Seemed like a good idea at the time. I felt strong enough this year to have gone on to the 50k mark, but the beers are hard to decline. Maybe next year.

Was a beautiful day wrapped up in the afternoon by several beers at the Edinburgh hotel, ,joined by Debi and the kids and Andrews wife Ashley and their kids (same ages as G & J). Funds raised for Operation Flinders (for underprivileged kids) & Adelaide Rotary (I'm a member) are currently $120,000 but should top $150k by the time all donations are in. Thanks to all my sponsors, I've raised nearly $1,000.

The old legs were fine on Sunday. Played a knockput Matchplay game at the Golf club, but true to recent form, made loads of mistakes and got knocked out. There's always next year. Now where have I heard that before...

Got to 28c today,  so really feels like Summer has arrived. However Flooding in Queensland and big rains on the way for the rest of this week. My day at the Murray Bridge Races, this Wednesday could be a damp sqiib.

Visit of my Father Mike from UK

Having arrived on 23 Aug, it has been great to have Dad around for nigh on 3 weeks to see and experience our new lifestyle. Also it has been fantastic respite for my Dad who is effectively the sole carer for my Mum who is suffering from Alzheimers and has gone in to a care home for these few weeks.

We have shown him around Adelaide, although the kids have still been at school and I have had to work. I've just taken this last week off to spend some quality time, as who knows when or if he will be able to make the journey again.

We've tried to do a number of things to keep him occupied, including visits and tours of the kids school including a Fathers day breakfast and a Grandfathers day tour and Presentation. He is certainly impressed with their new school and all its facilities. We took in 2 of Georgia's netball games although sadly Jamie's soccer season ended the day before he arrived.

Visits to wildlife parks, a go karting track, the beach at Glenelg and Seacliff, 9 holes of Golf at Blackwood, a lunch with guest speaker at Glenelg Footy Club, a day trip to McLaren Vale with lunch and several tastings at 3 different wineries. We even had a mini - EBOZ reunion (Dad & I plus 2 old stalwarts from EBOG, one who kindly flew in from Sydney especially to see Dad, and one who now resides here in Brighton SA) this week. EBOZ being East Barnet Old Grammarians who now live in OZ. There are now several dotted all over. Trips to various local pubs to check out the atmosphere and banter and fayre. Various walks in the Parks and Reserves with Charlie our Labradoodle.

The kids have particulalry enjoyed having their Poppa stay over and have enjoyed their cuddles (as has Dad). A pity Mum will never be fit enough to ever make the journey. It will be a wrench to wave him goodbye on Sunday, but as with everything, all good things must come to an end. I will be left with an aching heart all over again.

How to speak South Essex

Although I come from Hertfordshire, these brought me closer to home

alma chizzit - A request to find the cost of an item
amant - Quantity; sum total ('Thez a yuge amant of mud in Saffend')
assband - Unable to leave the house because of illness, disability etc
awss - A four legged animal, on which money is won, or more likely lost ('That awss ya tipped cost me a fiver t'day')
branna - More brown than on a previous occasion ('Ere, Trace, ya look branna today, ave you been on sunbed?')
cort a panda - A rather large hamburger
Dan in the maff - Unhappy ('Wossmatta, Trace, ya look a bit Dan in the maff')
eye-eels - Women's shoes
Furrock - The location of Lakeside Shopping Centre
garrij - A building where a car is kept or repaired(Trace: 'Oi, Darren, I fink the motah needs at go in the garrij cos it aint working proper')
Ibeefa - Balaeric holiday island
lafarjik - Lacking in energy ('I feel all lafarjik')
OI OI! - Traditional greeting. Often heard from the doorway of pubs or during banging dance tunes at clubs
paipa - The Sun, The Mirror or The Sport
reband - The period of recovery and emotional turmoil after rejection by a lover ('I couldn't elp it, I wuz on the reband from Craig')
Saffend - Essex coastal resort boasting the longest pleasure pier in the world. The place where the characters from TV's, popular soap opera, Eastenders go on holiday
tan - The city of London , the big smoke
webbats - Querying the location something or someone is. ('Webbats is me dole card Trace? I've gotta sign on in arf hour')
wonnid - 1. Desired, needed. 2. Wanted by the police
zaggerate - To suggest that something is bigger or better than it actually is. ('I told ya a fazzand times already')

Discovering Social Media

Starting to get my head more around the various benefits and nuances of Facebook and Twitter. Have started experimenting and testing through work and finding out lots of new things. I've even attended a tweetup in  Adelaide City centre and am only missing another one tomorrow as I have to go to a works drink up as a sponsor of SA Rugby.

Thought I'd start this post and come back to it, as I have been so bad at blogging these past few months. Looking at ways to link them all up, but only in the correct order. Twitter would look real naff on here, but a blog can appear in my Twitter and hopefully my facebook feeds.

Anyhow tonights World Cup match has started and nothing takes precedence over footy. England departed 2 nights ago, plonkers.

The festive season down under

It's odd, but a lot happens, you think nothing of it, and its only when you get the pics downloaded, you think - oh yeah we did do that. That was fun wasn't it. As always we end up taking far too much for granted. I'll try and catch up a bit here on the comings and goings of the Christmas festivities.

Xmas Day was spent chilling in the morning then we spent 5 hours on the beach in the afty with friends Ashley, Andrew and kids Hannah and Louis (same ages as G & J). Boogie boarding, BBQ, Football, wine and beer, no pressure, a pretty relaxing way to spend XMAS day, no rushing around or pressure.

Georgia had her 11th b'day electing to spend it with friends Gracie (on the left) and Hannah around the pool followed by a meal at the Belair Hotel (likened to the Brookmans in stlye) with cocktails (non alcoholic) and then a good movie in PJ's. They were meant to bed down in the theatre room all together, but at 2am and 4am they decided they wanted to move to a bedroom as the little princess's were not comfortable enough. The Princess and the pea story comes to mind.

New years night we entertained 6 friends, who all live locally and all members of the golf club. A great night was had by all, Debi as always doing us proud on the catering front , and then taking over the Karaoke. Amazing how good you sound with a few swallies inside you. We played the video back next morning, what a shocker! It was well after 5 am we eventually got to bed.Music up full volume, dancing and singing to our hearts content. Next year however we'll need to tone it down as we'll have neighbours by then. We are the only occupied house on this new estate for several hundred metres. On 2nd thoughts - nah sod it. Lets make a racket, life's for the livin'.

On 2 Jan we welcomed an old travel trade friend Brendan Jones and his lovely wife Sharon. They stopped for 2 nights as part of their years round the world trip. What a great experience for them. We spent a lovely 2 days, thankfully over a weekend as I was back at work by now. We took in a visit to the McLaren Vale wine region and the Woodstock winery & Coterie for a leisurely lunch and wine tasting. We also showed them the beach at Brighton (with the obligatory bevvy at the beachside pub) before retiring home to play Texas hold em poker into the wee hours. Sharon is a real wildlife and animal lover. On one walk with Charlie we casually said you need to look up in the trees to have any chance of seeing a Koala (we hadn't seen one in over a year of walking this particular route), and guess what, no sooner had I said this than - bang there was a cuddly Koala perched on a branch right above us...

The Kids Summer holiday is now nearly over. They've been off since mid December and go to their new School Westminster on Wednesday. Georgia is well up for it, but now the day is aproaching is getting understandably nervous. Jamie is even more anxious as it is another move another year on. This school though we hope will be it, right through 'til leaving age. The opportunities for development at this school both academically and sportswise are immense. The facilities are amazing. I'm sure (I hope) after a week or two they will both have settled, made good mates and be off and running. That just leaves Debi and I .....

Port Lincoln to dive with the Great White Sharks

Port Lincoln is on the Eyre Peninsula some 650 kms or 8 hours drive away. Interesting to see the lay of the land, but can honestly say I won't be doing that journey again in a hurry. There are flights serving the route in 45 mins, so depending on budget , time and the reason for visiting, we'll not be back in a rush.

I'd bought the Shark Dive and 4 nights in a self Catering B&B type joint at a charity auction, so also not quite what Debi has been used to, but that was also part of the fun. The kids shared the room with us on a bunk bed, it was fine and the owners very friendly and helpful. We saw the aftermathe of the recent bush fire here - very frightening I would imagine. It burnt down some houses on the fringes of the town, hundreds of metres from where we stayed.

As for the dive itself, I travelled a further 3 hours by boat in exceedingly rough seas - all on board bar the Crew and me chundered . We waited a further 6 hours for the sharks to show, but nothin' doing. Went in the Cage to experience it, saw a few fish but nowt else. You will understand why none of us fancied going for a quick dip in the briny to relieve some of the boredum. 3 hours back which was better as we then started on the beers and were escorted home by a few dolphin.

We visited  a beautiful area called Coffin Bay, actually a coastal national park, with acres of pristine beaches, bush and trials for 4WD cars and Camping. We also went to swim with Tuna. Well I did, Debi and Georgia both deciding not to get their hair wet, and Jamie just getting his bum wet then thinking better of it. Understable really as the Tuna were very large and incredibly fast. However despite being in there with 100's of them, not one touched me.

All in all a nice break, seeing some new country and a major Tourist and Fishing port (Tuna, Oysters, Mussels). Of course we ate out every night, sampled the local wines and had several one for the roads, without having to hit the road...

<< Proof that Jamie did get in with the Tuna, even if it was only for a few seconds. Not sure who the baldy is on the left...enough blubber on him to float for days.

World Team Tennis and Skal

Had a very nice invite from the local rag "The Advertiser" to attend the above event last week. A few drinks and nibbles followed by great seats to watch the main event. John McEnroe, Pat Rafter, Pat Cash and Henri Leconte were representing the Legends and current players were Ginepri, Tomic, Simon and Stepanek. Singles followed by doubles. Excellent fun - Leconte was great as was wild card Mansour Bahrami who astounded with an array of trick shots. Mine are never meant... McEnroe on court as intense as ever but when interviewed in the pre event function showed great humour. I think he's great. At the end there were 6 palyers on court at the same time keeping 3 balls going and wowing the crowd with their skill.

Skal Club Adelaide
This was my second meeting of this travel Trade networking club. I was inducted at this function held at the Henley Beach Sailing club to a backdrop of an amazing sunset. I'd left my camera in the car so didn't record it. It was stunning. I used to be in the Skal Club of London in the 80's, so a bit of full circle here. It will be a great way to meet new Travel Trade contacts over here and build up some new friendships. Went along with my new boss Phil Hoffmann, who is a real trade icon over here. He has also rejoined being too busy in recent years to attend.    

Am going on  Saturday to the 20/20 final featuring the Adelaide Redbacks and the Victoria Bushrangers. Jamie boy is coming with me. Should be a great evening, full of big hitting, incident and beer.

A Catastrophic Day

We were advised by the local SA fire Service that the Fire Danger rating in the area that we live in, was Catastrophic.  This was the official recommendation for us yesterday:


ACTION: For your survival, leaving early is the best option.

• Fires will be uncontrollable, unpredictable and fast moving. Flames will be higher than roof tops. Thousands of embers will be blown around. Spot fires will move quickly and come from many directions, up to 20 km ahead of the fire.
• There is a very high likelihood that people in the path of the fire will die or be injured. Thousands of homes and businesses will be destroyed.
• House construction standards do not go beyond a Fire Danger Index of 100. Well prepared, constructed and actively defended homes may not be safe during a fire.
• Do not expect a fire truck.

The kids are in the School holidays and have been happily playing and swimming in the pool. Thankfully we have one, as it was so hot, 2 days over 40c with that risk of fire. We actually live in a semi risk area, with not so many trees around us, but of course they say the other risk is from the embers that can start flash fires ina greater area. The day passed thankfully without any serious event, only a handful of small local fires, easily contained. Today we've had rain and back to 26c. A far cry from the frozen UK.