Thursday 22 August 2013

Hare and Hounds (15)



My Hare and Hounds Project is well into its third year and I must admit it has lapsed somewhat. Well actually quite a lot.

Never mind, yesterday I had a day off work and I got myself back on track with a visit to this Hare & Hounds - in Holcombe. It was lovely!

(Photo from Google Streetview.)

It is a bloody good job that we can have days off, go walking in the woods with friends and visit lovely pubs. Back at work today and it's not so good.

Friends are still losing their jobs and there is an air of despond over us all.

On the bright side, we are no longer buried alive in the office with no windows. We have been moved to a new office with windows - not just any old windows either! We can open these ones, and look out onto the trees in the park.

On the other side of the park is the Irwell - which could be nice, but all week it has stunk of rotting corpses. So there isn't just despond in the air, there is stench and quite a lot of flies too. Puke.

Sometimes open windows aren't such a good thing.

I should have stayed in the pub.

Monday 5 August 2013

Ashes to Ashes


Last Friday I took the day off work and went to watch Day Two of the Third Test at Old Trafford.

I love cricket. I love the whole mindset of the game. What other sport has meal breaks? What other sport allows you to go home at night, have a sleep and then start again the next day where you left off?

Where else can you play the same match for five days and at the end of it all no-one has won?

Cricket is the epitome of English optimism: what are the chances of even getting five days in a row of nice weather in this country? (Actually pretty good this year.)

Here are some Aussies. They look full of optimism too, don't they?



Sky Cameraman. I reckon he could probably see our house from up there.



It is a long day at the cricket and by the evening session many folk like to create their own entertainment, possibly with a craft activity like this: the Lager Snake:



If you click the image and zoom in you can see what an impressive piece of cooperative teamwork this is, especially when you consider that most of these people had been drinking for about seven hours already, and in theory shouldn't even be able to stand upright.

That's enough hoo-ha for one day. Yesterday I went to the hills:



Bliss.