THIS will be my penultimate post for a week or more (there will be a Sepia Saturday Post tomorrow). On Monday, the Good Lady Wife, Amy The Dog and myself set out for a tour of the country something in the style of the Royal progresses of old (you stay with a succession of friends, eating their food, drinking their booze and slaughtering their game) (the last bit has been included for veracity's sake - I am glad to say that Veracity will not be coming with us and therefore no wild animals will be injured in the making of this holiday). The first couple of nights we are staying at a pub in Dorset called "The Fox". I will do a full write-up on my return along with a complete set of tasting notes on Hall and Woodhouse beers. So after tomorrow I won't be around for a bit, but I will be back on-line on Monday the 21st.
THAT means that I will be away for the first week of the World Cup. I realise that a third of you out there will not even know that the World Cup is about to take place in South Africa and another third will know but not care. But I belong to the third that will be engrossed by this festival of the beautiful game and - wherever I may be - I will try and see as many of the games as possible. I have tried to be cynical and adopt an intellectual dismissal of football, but it is no good : I love watching the game and if it is being played well I am not too bothered who might be playing it.
Having said that, I will still be supporting England, although that support will be tinged by a fair degree of realism. We should progress to the knock out stage but with the England team, who knows. I would like to say that we have a good team this time around, but you know us English we don't like to blow our own trumpet in case we are accused of PATRIOTIC PREJUDICE. Step up to the microphone Michael Flanders and Donald Swann.
have a spectacular time
ReplyDeleteOh how I'd love to come with you on your boozilicious gastronomic tour. You'll be away before seeing Australia beat Germany? (coughs Semillon over screen). We'll be up at 3am watching the bloody thing. I think I'll have to have 2 teams in the game . . England? Maybeeeeeeee! Have a great time away.
ReplyDeleteLove this F & S song!
ReplyDeleteWe'll have to spend Friday watching the football, you realise. Will you get here in time?
I like it when you clean out that bottom drawer.
ReplyDeleteLoved the Flanders & Swann.
ReplyDeleteI'm envious of your road trip. And you're starting in Dorset! Are you continuing from there is a southwesterly direction? Someday I hope to be able to visit the British Isles, and one of the first places I plan to visit is Dartmoor, and from there go to Cornwall and hike some of the Southwest Coast Path, especially out there on the toe of Cornwall around Land's End and Penzance.
ReplyDeleteFlanders and Swann are great! I came across some of their albums in the '70s, and the nearby public radio station had several hosts who played F&S routines on the air. Fantastic stuff!
Jane : Can't remember what time the kick off is on Friday - but whatever the time, we will be there for it.
ReplyDeleteHave A Great Trip Alan.
ReplyDeleteYou do know we are going out ,on penalties ,to the Germans ?
I hope you and the Good Lady Wife have a wonderful holiday! If the two of you are ever in this neck of the woods, I hereby issue a 'royal' invitation that you're both welcome to sleep in our spare room, sample some local brew and take some shots at the local wildlife (camera wise).
ReplyDeleteAs for patriotic prejudice. Go for it! We Canadians have usually been rather remiss at tooting our own horns. However, this seems to be changing. I like that.
Have a great trip. Hope you find some fellow football fans to watch the games with. It's always even more fun in company (and you don't feel so stupid shouting and cheering as when you're watching alone!)
ReplyDeleteSoccer?
ReplyDelete;)
enjoy
ReplyDelete!
hope you and glw amy have an utterly marvelous wander!!
ReplyDeletesee you when (we both) return!
Sorry to see England lose and the US in the same round, no less.
ReplyDeleteI can't beleive how much bigger soccer is now here than it was 20 years ago. Everyone seems to be into the world cup.