On Rugby, On New Flats and On Iron Sky
Oct. 13th, 2015 03:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
danieldwilliamThree things make a post and a welcome break from some dull balance sheet analytics.
The Rugby.
MLW, the Captain and I to Newcastle Saturday last to see Scotland play Samoa in the last game of the group stages of the Rugby World Cup.
Rugby is the family sport and we've been following the world cup pretty closely. I haven't seen all of the matches but I know who's played who and what the result was. Those of you kind enough to pay any attention to me on Facebook will have experienced my bafflement at the orang utan and my dismay at the quality and the partiality of the ITV commentary team.
But that is by the by - most of family go to Newcastle's St James' Park to watch the game. Scotland, the favourites, need to win to ensure they qualify for the quarter-finals. Samoa need to win to have any chance of third place and automatic qualification for the next world cup in Japan in 2019.
We travelled by train. A train so filled with Scotland supporters that it felt like the bar at Teucthars. So many Scotland tops, past and preseent it felt like a montage of Murrayfield Past, Present and Yet to Come. Not a seat unbooked on the train. We left at 11.00, arrived at 12.25, in time for a short walk to China Town for an all you can eat buffet at Lau's (a well made recommendation of f3f4 of this parish - both digitally and IRL).
This is not the first rugby match in Newcastle I've been to. I am a Falcons' fan of many decades standing. (FAAALC-ons. Who's Gus?) but it was my first trip inside St James - which is a magnificent stadium. The main stand is tall, highly raked and has a fabulous clear roof, making it both snug and a cauldron of atmosphere. With a capacity of about 50,000 and I'd estimate 30,000 travelling support it felt more like home match than many games at Murrayfield i've been too.
The game was tense. Samoa were clearly trying to pack a whole World Cups worth of skills and tries in to the first half. They scored. We scored. They scored again. So did we. Not since the cavalry revolution of the 5th Century AD has offence proven so dominant over defence. MLW, who had a several pints of beer, was swearing at the Scotland defence, the Samoan backs, the match officials, people in the crowd, me like a Valkyrie who had stubbed her toe, once again, on the corner of the door. In one of the highest scoring matches of the World Cup Scotland and Samoa traded scores with Scotland just doing enough to keep in touch during the first half.
During the second half Scotland had gathered their wits and sussed out a way of playing the Samoan team who had arrived rather than the earlier Samoan team who had lost to South Africa and Japan. This didn't stop them kicking to the corner a few times. This is a practise of which I disapprove, ranking it with incest and English country dancing. The score crept upwards with Scotland gradually gaining a slight advantage, Towards the end of the game I thought they'd won it when Laidlaw scored a try to take Scotland 10 points ahead with five minutes to go. Then I thougt they'd lost it when Samoa immediately hit back with a try of their own. A draw would be uncomfortable.
Scotland hold on for the win.
We then headed to the fanzone to hang out, get some food, watch a bit of the Australia vs Wales game and ride on the dodgems. We stayed a little too long and had to run for our train home catching it with only a minute to spare.
Home by 7.30 we watched the rest of Strictly and then to bed after an emotionally tense day at the World Cup.
The New Flat of My Father
*singing* Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
My dad has bought a flat. It is on the same park as my flat and about an eight minute walk door to door. Ground floor, main door He becomes the owner on Friday but as a courtesy the vendor has let him have the keys early. So on Sunday MLW, the Captain and I went round to help him do some thinking and planning. The flat is very recently refurbished so needs almost nothing doing to it but the furniture needs planning out.
Gloriously, the flat has a small private courtyard on the south side of the buillding. I've been recruited to do some garden design. I'm thinking fruit trees and birds and comfy sofas. I shall look forward to sitting out there on sunny afternoons in the years to come.
It's nice to have the old boy in the same suburb. I think, with three of his grandchildren in Australia, and one not living with her dad he might as well be as close as possible to one of them. The Captain will be able to walk down to see his grandad on his own within a year or so.
I help him move in a load of furniture this weekend and he'll move in properly over the coming weeks before giving up the rental flat soon.
Iron Sky.
I watched Iron Sky - the movie about Nazis on the Moon. It had it's moments but perhaps the kindest thing that could be said about it is that it is better fantasy movie about cartoon Nazis than Inglorious Bastards by Quentin Tarantino.
I'm glad to have seen it but mostly so I can now divide my life in to a period in which I may be tempted to watch Iron Sky (now, blessedly the past,) and a period in which I will not be tempted to watch Iron Sky (the future).
The Rugby.
MLW, the Captain and I to Newcastle Saturday last to see Scotland play Samoa in the last game of the group stages of the Rugby World Cup.
Rugby is the family sport and we've been following the world cup pretty closely. I haven't seen all of the matches but I know who's played who and what the result was. Those of you kind enough to pay any attention to me on Facebook will have experienced my bafflement at the orang utan and my dismay at the quality and the partiality of the ITV commentary team.
But that is by the by - most of family go to Newcastle's St James' Park to watch the game. Scotland, the favourites, need to win to ensure they qualify for the quarter-finals. Samoa need to win to have any chance of third place and automatic qualification for the next world cup in Japan in 2019.
We travelled by train. A train so filled with Scotland supporters that it felt like the bar at Teucthars. So many Scotland tops, past and preseent it felt like a montage of Murrayfield Past, Present and Yet to Come. Not a seat unbooked on the train. We left at 11.00, arrived at 12.25, in time for a short walk to China Town for an all you can eat buffet at Lau's (a well made recommendation of f3f4 of this parish - both digitally and IRL).
This is not the first rugby match in Newcastle I've been to. I am a Falcons' fan of many decades standing. (FAAALC-ons. Who's Gus?) but it was my first trip inside St James - which is a magnificent stadium. The main stand is tall, highly raked and has a fabulous clear roof, making it both snug and a cauldron of atmosphere. With a capacity of about 50,000 and I'd estimate 30,000 travelling support it felt more like home match than many games at Murrayfield i've been too.
The game was tense. Samoa were clearly trying to pack a whole World Cups worth of skills and tries in to the first half. They scored. We scored. They scored again. So did we. Not since the cavalry revolution of the 5th Century AD has offence proven so dominant over defence. MLW, who had a several pints of beer, was swearing at the Scotland defence, the Samoan backs, the match officials, people in the crowd, me like a Valkyrie who had stubbed her toe, once again, on the corner of the door. In one of the highest scoring matches of the World Cup Scotland and Samoa traded scores with Scotland just doing enough to keep in touch during the first half.
During the second half Scotland had gathered their wits and sussed out a way of playing the Samoan team who had arrived rather than the earlier Samoan team who had lost to South Africa and Japan. This didn't stop them kicking to the corner a few times. This is a practise of which I disapprove, ranking it with incest and English country dancing. The score crept upwards with Scotland gradually gaining a slight advantage, Towards the end of the game I thought they'd won it when Laidlaw scored a try to take Scotland 10 points ahead with five minutes to go. Then I thougt they'd lost it when Samoa immediately hit back with a try of their own. A draw would be uncomfortable.
Scotland hold on for the win.
We then headed to the fanzone to hang out, get some food, watch a bit of the Australia vs Wales game and ride on the dodgems. We stayed a little too long and had to run for our train home catching it with only a minute to spare.
Home by 7.30 we watched the rest of Strictly and then to bed after an emotionally tense day at the World Cup.
The New Flat of My Father
*singing* Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
My dad has bought a flat. It is on the same park as my flat and about an eight minute walk door to door. Ground floor, main door He becomes the owner on Friday but as a courtesy the vendor has let him have the keys early. So on Sunday MLW, the Captain and I went round to help him do some thinking and planning. The flat is very recently refurbished so needs almost nothing doing to it but the furniture needs planning out.
Gloriously, the flat has a small private courtyard on the south side of the buillding. I've been recruited to do some garden design. I'm thinking fruit trees and birds and comfy sofas. I shall look forward to sitting out there on sunny afternoons in the years to come.
It's nice to have the old boy in the same suburb. I think, with three of his grandchildren in Australia, and one not living with her dad he might as well be as close as possible to one of them. The Captain will be able to walk down to see his grandad on his own within a year or so.
I help him move in a load of furniture this weekend and he'll move in properly over the coming weeks before giving up the rental flat soon.
Iron Sky.
I watched Iron Sky - the movie about Nazis on the Moon. It had it's moments but perhaps the kindest thing that could be said about it is that it is better fantasy movie about cartoon Nazis than Inglorious Bastards by Quentin Tarantino.
I'm glad to have seen it but mostly so I can now divide my life in to a period in which I may be tempted to watch Iron Sky (now, blessedly the past,) and a period in which I will not be tempted to watch Iron Sky (the future).
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no subject
Date: 2015-10-13 02:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-10-13 02:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-10-14 10:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-10-14 10:39 am (UTC)It's possible that I'm approaching it entirely too earnestly - that seems to be a theme in my life at the moment.
no subject
Date: 2015-10-14 11:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-10-14 01:11 pm (UTC)Perhaps I just wasn't approaching Iron Sky on its own terms of utter silliness. That would sound about where my head currently is.
no subject
Date: 2015-10-14 08:18 am (UTC)I too went by train to St James' Park to watch Scotland play, and my journey was almost an inversion of yours.
The Saturday before you, I came up from London on a train almost completely full of South African fans. Again, all the seats were booked, but not by me, and I spent the journey sitting on the floor.
When I arrived, I went to a pub instead of Chinatown, and may have forgotten to eat. But not to drink.
I didn't actually have a ticket for the game, but since I'd agreed to meet my new flat mate (who didn't have a ticket) and his girlfriend (who did) at the ground, I walked up anyway. We ended up buying, with some trepidation, tickets from a tout outside the ground. We ended up with great seats either side of the posts on the touchline.
I'm an old hand at the Stadium, from watching Newcastle, but wasn't used to a rugby crowd.
As the Proclaimers say (in The Joyful Kilmarnock Blues) "The day was bright and sunny, but the score I won't relay". I thought Scotland played well, but I was loftily informed by those who know better that we'd marched to the top of the hill and jumped off. Whatever.
I'm equally befuddled and gratified by this new sporting adventure. Going to the rugby isn't the same as going to the fitba. I don't get the rumbling excitement in the pit of my stomach (yet) but I also don't have to keep looking over my shoulder in case the police huckle me. Drinking at a game is a new experience. Drinking with the other side's fans is a completely new experience. Yes, I'm enjoying it.
If your Dad is 8 minutes walk closer to Summerhall, btw, that probably puts him equidistant 'tween me and thee.
no subject
Date: 2015-10-14 09:46 am (UTC)I have wondered how one becomes a ticket tout - what is the path to entry?
I really liked the stadium. It's been ages since I went to the football - Swindon against Crystal Palace I think. Fifteen years ago perhaps.
I like the atmosphere at rugby. MLW gets very tense. She's much more shouty at the television or the players than I am.
Yeah - I figure Dad'll be about half way between us. Give or take.
no subject
Date: 2015-10-14 10:16 am (UTC)He likes going to the rugby but he doesn't much care for the rugby itself - mostly because he has no idea what's going on and he finds it a bit noisy.
I have been eying up the next Hearts vs Aberdeen game in the new year for a family trip to the football. I expect we'd need to buy ticket now to avoid disappointment.