Not What I Expected

It's been an odd day today.  We decided, this morning, we would head to Wolverhampton and go and visit Bantock House, believing it to be similar to Winterbourne Gardens.

Arriving in the city centre we decided the best way to get there was to get a cab.  At first the cab driver wouldn't take us but when he realised we were from out of town he changed his mind. Strange that!  He was very chatty and a little camp but the 5 minute journey (£5 fare) was pleasant enough.

The brochure for Bantock House led us to believe that we could spend ages wandering around the house and gardens and so we were surprised to find a very small garden attached to a park. 

The house itself is lovely and the staff were friendly.  There just wasn't enough of it! 

Having stopped at the cafe we decided to walk around the park.  Although pleasant enough there isn't much there.  Just a green space surrounded on all sides by main roads.  So much for getting lost exploring!

We left feeling a little disappointed and decided to walk back into the city centre.  It took about 15 minutes.  We had a couple of hours going around the shops before heading back to the station.

Getting home around 4.30ish meant I we had time to watch the end of the cricket.  England seem to be in control of the Second Test against India with leading by 374 runs at the end of Day 3.

A bizarre incident occurred when Bell was run out on the final ball before tea.  Believing the final ball had been hit for four he left his crease and headed off the field.  The ball however had not made the boundary and India knocked the bails off his wicket.  During tea behind the scenes a decision was reached that, even though India were correct and Bell had been fairly dismissed, he would be able to take to the wicket again after the break.  I admire India's sense of fair play but if I'm honest I wouldn't have changed my mind!

The weather has been lovely over the last couple of days and yesterday we headed to RSPB Sandwell for our monthly walk.  Bird wise it was very quiet but we did see quite a lot of butterflies including Peacock, Small Tortoise Shell, Green Veined White, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper and a Small Copper.

Having spent the best part of the day wandering around we got back just in time to see Broad get his first test hat-trick.  A maiden over, 0-0-W-W-W-0.  A great display!

With the sunshine and the cricket, the last couple of days has felt like the first proper summer weekend of the year and I'm hoping it continues for a while longer!

The weekend started with a quiet Friday in front of London Boulevard.  With a cast that includes Ray Winstone, Colin Farrel, Keira Knightly it tells the story of a man who is released from prison but finds himself being dragged back into the underworld by gangsters.  Refusing to be drawn in he decides to go head to head with the top man. 

I really enjoyed the film.  It wouldn't make it onto my best of lists but for a couple of hours entertainment it was perfect.  For me Jordan (an out of work classically trained actor who spent his time getting stoned)  played by David Thewlis stole the show although all the parts were well thought out and well acted.

Signing Up

So Clare and I finally did it.  We have talked about it for some time and today we finally took the plunge.  We joined the RSPB.  Having made our way to Sandwell Valley for their guided walk we took the opportunity to sign up.  For our money we came away with the latest copy of the RSPB quarterly magazine, a welcome pack and a lovely book on Garden Wildlife.  Not only that but we also have the satisfaction of knowing that we are doing something to help our wildlife.

The day itself promised to be a good one, warm and sunny!  As we headed over to Sandwell it was lovely but at the start of the walk it turned cloudy.  Not only that but the birds seemed to have disappeared!  We got to the lake and all the usual suspects were there Lapwing, Gadwall, Tufted Duck and Mallard.  There were a couple of Common Terns, Lesser Black Backed Gull and plenty of Canada Geese.  At the hide we watched a Great Crested Grebe making repairs to it's nest. Also on a nest was an Oyster Catcher. 

The highlight for me was a Black Tailed Godwit which we watched wading through the marsh.

We got home in time for the England versus Switzerland match.  If I'm honest I hadn't really given it a second thought.  I've sort of grown tired with the whole England Football Team.  A manager who we don't want and who doesn't want to be there. On the pitch it's the same old faces and the same old lack lustre performance. 

As a Euro qualifier it should have been a much more exciting prospect but it didn't really fire the imagination. I put the TV on but rather than watch it properly I just had it on the background.  In the first half England went 2-0 down but pulled it back to 2-1 through a Lampard penalty.  In the second half Ashley Young levelled the scoring.  The game finished 2-2 and England are still top the group but I can't for one moment believe that, if we qualify, we could actually go on to win the competition.

Barmy Army!

England have won The Ashes Series beating Australia 3-1.  It's the first time in 24 years they have won on Australian soil. 

The final Test in Sydney saw England win by an innings and 83 runs. The time difference meant staying up all night to watch it but I couldn't manage that.  Each morning I would wake up and put on the news to see that England had edged a little closer to victory.

India (ranked number 1 in the world) are due here in the summer and if England can maintain their form it looks like it will be a great year for cricket!

And The Winner Is...

RUSSIA! After a short delay the 22 executives finally reached a decision and the announcement made by Sepp Blatter, President of FIFA.

England's presentation , this morning, was a good one. Built around Eddie Afekafe's story (on the dole, no future, volunteers for Manchester City Youth Project, football changes his life) it featured David Beckham, David Cameron and Prince William.  With a film that showed nations around the world watching English Football the presentation was slick and well presented. It seemed to be well received by all and Sepp Blatter called it remarkable.

Outdoor screens were erected around the country including Birmingham, London and Manchester and crowds gathered to hear the result.  I don't know how it came about but this announcement became "an event".  Was it the hope of a nation or was it the media building it up?

As the announcements began, rumours started circulating that England had been knocked out in the first round of voting. This proved to be true and it means that England will not host the World Cup until at least 2030. 

FIFA have, once again, ruined my football dreams.

A Quiet Night In

Having spent the previous four nights watching bands last night was a quiet night in front of the TV.  First we had the football and then what the continuity announcer said was "one of the must see TV events of the year" This Is England 86.

England's Euro2012 qualifying campaign is off to a good start.  Two wins out of two and top of the group.  I missed their opening match against Bulgaria as I was at Moseley but last night I sat down to watch them beat Switzerland 3-1.

A strong England performance with Wayne Rooney, Adam Johnson and Darren Bent (his first goal for England) on the score sheet.

Theo Walcott was injured in the move that lead to the first goal and had to be taken to hospital. Jermaine Defoe was also stretchered off as the game went on.

With England in the driving seat at 2-0 and Switzerland down to 10 men, after Lichtsteiner was sent off for a second bookable offence, a fantastic strike by Shaqiri gave Switzerland a fighting chance before Darren Bent sealed England's victory.

A good England performance but nothing more than what we should expect given the opposition. 

After a short break it was time to settle down for This Is England 86.  The new Channel 4 mini series that reintroduces us to the characters of the 2006 film This Is England.

If you've not seen the original film it centres around a young lad called Shaun who falls in with a group of skinheads.  When an older skinhead, Combo, returns following a prison sentence he takes Shaun under his wing.  Combo is a racist and eventually attacks the only black skinhead in the group. Shaun becomes disillusioned with Combo and walks away from the group following the attack.

It is here where last night started.  The series catches up with Shaun and the group 3 years later.  The first episode was mainly an introduction of the characters with Shaun running into his former friends and girlfriend following a trip to the hospital.

The show is what I would expect from Shane Meadows. The bleak Yorkshire landscape, the clothes and the music all blend to give a great snapshot of life in the mid 80s.

The hour flew by and the disappointment of having to wait a whole week before the next episode is something I haven't felt  for a long time.

All in all a thoroughly enjoyable night in.

England 1 Slovenia 0

So, England upped their game yesterday and managed to make it through to the next round.  They played well, especially in the first half and at times, looked like a World Class team.  It still worries me that we only managed the one goal (Defoe 23mins) and that we never topped what was a relatively easy group. 

What I did enjoy about yesterday was the vibe.  From lunchtime onwards, there were people on the street.  Walking to the pub or popping to the shops to stock up on supplies.  Others on their way home from work early.  You could feel the excitement in the air, or should that be tension?  The weather was great.  The sun was shining which added an extra element to things.  I think the time of day helped as well.  There were the lucky ones who were not at work, others leaving early or just skiving off. Some were stuck in their offices with it on the radio (Clare) or were watching it on their PC.  It all added to the sense of occasion.

So Germany in the next round.  Tough game.  If we manage to beat them then our next game would more than likely be Argentina.  We don't make it easy for ourselves!

With all the drama of the World Cup I have neglected other things.  Yesterday was National Cricket Day.  When the stars and coaches go into schools and organise competitions to help develop children's education through cricket. I'm not entirely sure how that works but it has been going since 2005 and so must have some benefits. 

Today, England take on Australia in the second One Day International. On Tuesday, a great display by Eoin Morgan helped England to victory, winning by 4 wickets.

Finally, there have been stories in the news lately about foxes attacking people. There has even been talk of a cull! Yesterday I was lucky to find one asleep in my garden.  He's welcome back any time!

England vs USA

Another uninspiring performance from England then.  I had hoped, that despite the last couple of matches, we would have stepped it up a gear when the tournament started.  Sadly, it was not to be. 

Green's mistake will appear on countless footballing gaffe DVDs in the future and I haven't really got much to say about it, except I hope Joe Hart gets a chance against Algeria. 

Heskey's work rate was very good but how he has the nerve to call himself a striker is beyond me. 

Why is Ledley King even in South Africa?  He is already ruled out for the next match! 

Why wasn't Joe Cole playing?

Rooney was very quiet as was Lampard.  A couple of long range efforts between them but nothing to write home about.

On the plus side Gerrard led by example.  Good goal and some great tackles when tracking back. 

Here's hoping for a much improved performance on Friday!

England v Mexico

I'm not going to talk too much about this as there will be plenty of football talk next month when the World Cup starts.  England won 3-1 last night, a good result but for some reason I just wasn't convinced. We didn't dominate and could have gone behind  couple of times in the first 30 minutes. There were some good points, Ledley King's and Glen Johnson's goals. Although King scored with a well placed header, defensively he made some mistakes.

As a Birmingham fan it was good to see Joe Hart get 45 minutes.  He deserved it after the season he had with Blues but I thought Robert Green played very well in the first half and deserves a place in the squad.  I would have liked to have seen Adam Johnson get more of game as I think he could bring something different to the team.

On the strength of the performance last night, I think we will be in for a roller coaster ride come June 12th.