I suppose I should get the football out the way first. I really haven't got much to say.
We were beaten by a better side. Prior to the competition, the pundits were saying that this was the team with the best chance in years to win the World Cup. I never agreed with that. I thought we were a mediocre team at best.
Yesterday, I watched England suffer their biggest defeat ever at a World Cup Finals, at the hands of Germany. England were outclassed and the game finished 4-1. Yes, Lampard had an obvious goal disallowed, as neither the ref or linesman saw it cross the line, but I doubt that would have made much of a difference to the over all result. However, FIFA really do need to review their policy on goal line technology. It is becoming ridiculous.
On the plus side, our cricketers put on another good performance to go 3-0 up in the ODI series against Australia. Although, in the final few overs, they made hard work of it! Bollinger bowled a great over. Taking 2 England wickets and giving away no runs. In the end it was left to Tim Bresnan to notch up the required 8 runs off the last 8 balls. A tense but thoroughly enjoyable end.
The Big Brother eviction on Friday night saw Govan evicted. He had 72% of the public vote. Very high. He deserved to go as he didn't come across well, a bit of a stirrer by all accounts.
So with the TV stuff out the way, what else have I been up to? Well, on Saturday I went to Birmingham Rep. Not for a show but for a sale! It is due a refurb and they were selling off costumes and props. I came away empty handed but there were some fantastic things on offer! There was quality furniture being sold for £5. Clothes and costumes were selling for between 1 - 5 pounds. There were a lot of am dram people buying all sorts of weird and wonderful things. It was like the most interesting jumble sale you have ever been to. Have a rummage and who know what you will find!
After the sale we headed to Moseley where we bought fresh bread, cheese and olives and headed for Highbury Park. We sat under a tree and ate our food. After, we wandered the park and found a beekeeper looking at her bees. As we watched the secretary of Birmingham Bee Keepers Association came over for a chat. A very nice fellow. Did you know that there are up to 16 exams to be taken to become a qualified bee keeper?!
Having walked the park Clare went for a drink at Kitchen Garden Cafe while I nipped off to a friend's daughter's birthday party. I met Clare at the Kitchen Garden a couple of hours later when, after a quick drink, headed home.
Yesterday, was a trip to Solihull Nature Reserve, just to get out for a few hours as the afternoon would be spent in front of the TV watching the football. We walked for a couple of hours but ,as it was the hottest day of the year so far, was shattered by the end.
Finally, Glastonbury weekend has sort of passed me by. I have recorded a lot of the coverage but haven't watched it yet. It was nice that they got good weather for their 40 year anniversary.
Here are Muse covering U2's Where The Streets Have No Name. Complete with The Edge on guitar.
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!
Wimbledon started yesterday. What with all the football I nearly forgot. Not that I am big on tennis. I sort of keep an eye on it but very rarely will I sit and watch it. I'll stick to football and cricket.
I will, however, be listening to this. Tennis are a band from Denver. They are a married couple that saved money for years, bought a sailboat, and sailed around the East Coast for eight months. The band was started from there, and their songs document their experiences on the water.
They will release their debut 7", "South Carolina", via Fire Talk on July 27; until then, enjoy this sweet little pop ditty. (via Delicious Scopitone)
A poor performance by England on Friday night. I was dubious as to whether we'd do well but thought we could have at least managed a 1-0 win. 0-0 against Algeria is not a good result and leaves us needing a win against Slovenia to qualify. Even if we do, I don't fancy our chances in the next round!
After the football it was time to turn over for Big Brother. The first eviction! 3 up for it, Rachel, Shabby and Sunshine. Despite the crowd chanting "Get Sunshine Out" it was Rachel who was evicted. I can't say I was expecting that!
Saturday meant a trip to Shropshire with friends. The day started well with a veggie breakfast at Morrison's. We picked up some food for the picnic and headed back to meet the others. Then it was off to Haughmond Woods just outside of Shrewsbury. I'd not been there before. There are some amazing views from the top of the hill. There is also a viewing platform overlooking a working quarry. Having walked around the woods for a few hours we drove to Monkmoor Fishery for a picnic beside the River Severn. Again some great views. We found a great spot on the curve of the river. It was a lovely way to spend a few hours on a sunny Saturday afternoon and I am sure we will do it again before the summer is over.
Driving home we saw this. I'm sure I must have seen this before but I can't remember. I still found it very impressive! I looked it up when I got in. It is called The Lord Hills Column. It is the world's largest Doric column. It is 133ft and 6inches tall (13 feet higher and 2 feet wider than Nelson's Column). It was built between the years of 1814 and 1816.
We got home early evening and watched Sunshine Cleaning. An odd little film but I enjoyed it. Apparently it came out a couple of years ago but have to admit it passed me by. It's about two sisters who start up a crime scene clean up business. It stars Amy Adams, Emily Blunt and Alan Arkin and is worth a look.
After the film I managed to catch the last 30 minutes of Cameroon vs Denmark. It was a shame to see Cameroon go out of the competition having lost 2-1. I hope I'm not writing something similar about England later in the week!
Sunday, and a meal with the family. We drove out to The Falcon in Hatton. The food wasn't cheap and even though I enjoyed mine, a couple of people were not impressed with the standard. It has, however, got the poshest smoking shelter I have been in. Made of perspex and canvas. It has a wide screen TV. Tables and chairs and corner sofas for lounging on. In the corner was a jazz musician playing a saxophone and clarinet. This is where we ate our meal. It's a great idea.
In the evening watched the football, Brazil versus Ivory Coast. Brazil won 3-1. A good game but the referee has some questions to answer. Firstly, Brazil's second goal shouldn't have been allowed due 2 hand ball. Fabiano, the goal scorer, handled it twice. The ref missed it and the goal stood but minutes later the camera focused on the ref asking Fabiano if he had used his hand. Obviously he said no. The second thing was Kaka's sending off. It was an off the ball incident that the ref did not see. Kaka raised an arm to stop Lannoy running into him. Lannoy then hit the ground clutching his face even though Kaka had not made contact with his head. Kaka was shown a second yellow card and was therefore dismissed. It's a shame as ruined a perfectly good game and Kaka will now be suspended despite his innocence
Lanterns on the Lake are hard to describe. Words such as lush, atmospheric and cinematic have been used along with comparisons to Sigor Ros, Cocteau Twins and even Bjork.
Lungs Quicken was released on Monday on 7" vinyl. It comes in a hand made sleeve and can be purchased from their Myspace page.
I believe they are touring this summer and will be appearing at Glastonbury and End of the Road in Dorset. Apparently they are really good live. Sadly, they are not coming to the Midlands and so I'll have to wait that bit longer before seeing them.
So, the football fixtures have been released today. I always look forward to them coming out. The first thing I do is look at the last game of the season. Are we home or away? I prefer to be away as it is more of an occasion. The next thing I look for is our opening game. I prefer one of the big clubs because, if I'm honest, it means we get them out of the way. Finally I look to see when we play Aston Villa. I'm sure I've mentioned I support Birmingham. Villa are our biggest rivals.
Our last game of the coming season is Tottenham away. As much as I like the away trips, I just hope that we don't need the points at that stage of the season because I don't think we'll get anything there.
This year I have another couple of games to look out for, West Bromwich Albion. Another local derby and also, Clare's team.
Last season saw us finish 9th in the Premiership. Our best finish for 51 years. Here's hoping we capitalise on that this year.
Saturday meant a trip to Shropshire with friends. The day started well with a veggie breakfast at Morrison's. We picked up some food for the picnic and headed back to meet the others. Then it was off to Haughmond Woods just outside of Shrewsbury. I'd not been there before. There are some amazing views from the top of the hill. There is also a viewing platform overlooking a working quarry. Having walked around the woods for a few hours we drove to Monkmoor Fishery for a picnic beside the River Severn. Again some great views. We found a great spot on the curve of the river. It was a lovely way to spend a few hours on a sunny Saturday afternoon and I am sure we will do it again before the summer is over.
In the evening watched the football, Brazil versus Ivory Coast. Brazil won 3-1. A good game but the referee has some questions to answer. Firstly, Brazil's second goal shouldn't have been allowed due 2 hand ball. Fabiano, the goal scorer, handled it twice. The ref missed it and the goal stood but minutes later the camera focused on the ref asking Fabiano if he had used his hand. Obviously he said no. The second thing was Kaka's sending off. It was an off the ball incident that the ref did not see. Kaka raised an arm to stop Lannoy running into him. Lannoy then hit the ground clutching his face even though Kaka had not made contact with his head. Kaka was shown a second yellow card and was therefore dismissed. It's a shame as ruined a perfectly good game and Kaka will now be suspended despite his innocence
