Ale to Chichester

Today we decided that now most of us are too old and slow to play football properly we would combine two of our other favourite activities...drinking and cycling. The Chichester Bike Pub Crawl was born. Here's the plan. Click to make it bigger...After breakfast in the Sussex Brewery we made an extra, unscheduled stop in the Richmond Arms at West Ashling. Geoff, Simon, Chalkie, Scholes, Jez and Me....

We made it to Chichester. The Chichester....

The first pub on the return trip was the Woolpack....
It was a long 200yd ride to the next one...The Bulls Head (famous for hosting a certain Fellows wedding reception sometime last century)....

Down the sunny lanes to the Old House at Chidham. Geoff won the forfeit jacket for being the first to finish his pint (Chalkie's photo)....

The beautiful weather and the great beer continues at the Old House...
A slight detour back along the road after we 'forgot' to stop at the Bosham Inn...
Finally back at the Sussex Brewery....it's been a long day....
But we all made it. Geoff, Simon, Scholes, Jez, Danny and Chalkie....
Great day...here's to another very soon...

Mary's Birthday Weekender

We spent the weekend at Mary's place to celebrate her birthday. Almost everyone looking right way... Smile please...

The kids put on a very spotty show...Nell, Lisa, Reggie, Lily and Lola...

Our future Olympic Gymnasts...

Joe chilling out on the swing chair...

Lisa, Lily, Iris and Lola after a dunk in the paddling pool...

It was a brilliant Easter weekend....cheers Mary...

Coalie Classic

To celebrate 15 Years of the Coal Exchange Football Club we played a 'friendly' game between the current Coal Exchange team and a team of Old Boys. That's me briefing the Old Boys team before the big match....(click on the photos if you want to make them bigger)... The kick-off. The old touch is still there!

Both teams made good chances early on. Here's Billy Whizz challenging for a header with veteran defender Simon Oiller...

The Old Boys relied on experience, skill and a lot of arm waving (Laycock?) to keep the reds at bay. It was OvO at half-time.

That's me receiving some expert tactical advice from my assistant manager at half-time....

The Old Boys opened the scoring in the second half with a brilliant poachers goal from Simon Bornhoft. We got a second soon after when Darren Perry rolled back the years to jink past the reds defence and slot the ball past the keeper.

The reds came back with a goal in the last ten minutes of the game from Sam Wedderburn. The photo below shows Sam giving Laycock a shove in the back and taking an elbow in the ribs from Jon before knocking the keeper out of the way and nodding the ball into an empty net. It has to be said a goal of great bravery, skill and foul play....good work! 2v1.

The game finished 2v1 to the Old Boys, but the real winner was football :-) and the brilliant sprit of the Coal Exchange Football team (since 1996).

Old Boys : Julian Oiller, Tim Warner, Brian Clancy, Jimmer Jennings, Pat Mattison, Pete Nugent, Darren Perry, James Laycock, Mark Oliver, Mark Lawrence, Sonny Moseley, Lee Jacobs, Simon Bornhoft, Jon Simpson, Danny Fellows.

Coal Exchange FC : Bert, Martin, Lee Farndell, Bran Nicol, Jamie Kite, Billy Blanford, Duncan Dixon, Hayden Kite, Simon Blackman, Del Garner, Sam Wedderburn, Adam Kite, Jez Bullen, Simon Oiller, Paul Joel.

Paris

Three days in Paris. Here's Lisa checking out the balcony of our room. It's a looooong way down. DAY 1 : Le Tour Eiffel. Joe, Karen and Lisa on the first level. Joe wants to climb up!

The top....Wow. What a view...

Joe is watching the football match 1000ft below...

We did it. We climbed the Eiffel Tower (in a lift!)...

We had a traditional Parisian pizza to celebrate...

DAY 2 - Disneyland.

The Moteurs Action Car Stunt Show. Great start...

Princess Lisa riding after her Prince...

Lisa with a 'real' princess...

Me and Lisa having a dance with Baloo and King Louie. 'Oo oo oo I wanna be like you oo oo'...

Joe in his Mickey chair.

The Disney Parade..

Some realish American, English, French dancing pearly queens from Mary Poppins. All good...

DAY 3 - Luxembourg Gardens. Breakfast in bed...

We went to check out the tranquil and beautiful Luxembourg Gardens. Here's Karen chasing Joe across the grass you are not suppoed to walk on...opps....

We hired one of the toy sailing boats to sail across the pond. When the boat reaches the side you prod it with the stick to tack it and it sails away again. Brilliant...

'Dad, we've crashed!'

Lisa the Sailor....

Great playground too...

Under the trees in Luxembourg Gardens. A fine place for a nap...

We had a wander down Blvd St Michel to Notre Dame...

And finally...Waiting for the 18.43 to England...

A Grand Voyage...Au Revior Paris...

Crazy Golf and BBQ

Crazy Golf in Southsea. Here's Joe with his golf coach (Freddy).... Hole in One?

'Come on Iris you're on for a birdie!'...

Rachel chucking some prawns on the Barby at our place...

And the fire. Mum, Nell, Will, Lisa...