Tuesday 25 November 2008

Sharp and Sheedy

          I think this was on a good day

Sharp and Sheedy

A reference to the dynamic Everton pair, however when feeling on not such great form, this can deteriorate rapidly into 'feeling a bit Reed and Bracewell' (tm Chris Copeland circa 1987) and thus went my week from Thursday onwards. It was a rollercoaster of SS one minute and RB the next.


Thursday evening kicked of in great fashion with a trip to the Apollo to see the (ok it's cliche blog time) much maligned Razorlight. I own up, I've been a fan since the first record, even joined the online fanclub before it was fashionable to do so. I got tickets for a special 'test the next album out' gig in a Cambridge pub and I've seen them through the performing hi's and lows over the years. Ok through the difficult second album.


The NME seems to have it in for them at the moment and didnt even score the album as a game of two halfs.....this was probably my only decent hope for the gig mmm'NME says rubbish', then must be good. Taking no chances, me and Colin got stuck into the evil drink early doors, it is rather splendid when the hotel you are staying in gives away free cocktail samplers 3 at a time and the tequilla sunrises are half price. Happy hour indeed.

We then headed of to the trickily named Church Pub to meet our pals, its next to the church but I suspect Ric and Fi had little doubt where we were. Reasonably charged we made it to the Apollo bar just in time for kick off, which we chose to miss to get in a double handful of cider. Secret shortcut to the front and prime spot for the gig- result.


hahahahaha

And they were really good, virtually all of the first album except for Dalston, (OH I think this may have been while we were at the bar doh! mad video) and then all the singles and maybe 3 tracks of the new album bloody marvelous. And thus we said cheerio to our happy friends and headed back for an early night........ok not really. Back to the Pub Church with the not so Rusholme Ruffians, its a bit weee and a bit wayyy in there, but a splendid place to talk rubbish and listen to decent tunes. We bid our cheery farewells as last orders chimed or at least the music got switched off and then headed out in search of tea or dinner if you are reading this from the south of England. After a full tour of the town, the jewel in Manchesters crown appeared right next door to our hotel. No detail needed but the text from Colin back in his hotel room read

'this is the best food I've ever eaten' and I was thinking much the same.


Fortunately Friday was a holiday for me, I was very R&B, and then it was out again in Manchester Friday night S&S a pleasant quiet evening resulted in a pleasant quiet Saturday (Very R&B) which can only be followed by a



My favourite below

Who can resist the monkees running around


Sundays weather forecast was at best 'a bit iffy' but as I'm a bit of a list man i wasnt missing the opportunity of going up Bleaklow Head....the forecast said, and this is real 'ice pellets'. As Ric said , 'its better than snow boulders'. Bleaklow is in the High Peak just East of Old Glossop. I'm not sure how old a town has to be to qualify for that title but I suspect Old Bethlehem would be able to stake a better claim. Maybe we should tag other towns ...officially, Sexy Sheffield, 3 women to every bloke, great marketing, ok if your target market is blokes it is. On the other hand Mark Page did this nonsense years ago with Naughty Nunthorpe ...I think we'll leave it at that. how did he get the Radio one Breakfast show? Its a bit like David Hodgson getting the Liverpool gig, never ever ever going to work out.


Right its almost mid winter and the one thing you need to know about walking up big hills is ' set off early so you don't get caught up top after dark'. I don't think it's a werewolf or other scarey critter thing, more a 'you'll damn well die' thing. So lets meet at 9.30am for a 5 hour walk. Safe as houses. 'One of the team of three turned up late' or I'm sure thats how Craig would describe it. An hour late! which meant off the hill at 3.45ish 'if'we were S&S. We weren't.


Slightly off track and I can probably give you the link to this, Craig once described a fishing trip as 'we had a great day fishing, caught two fish and broke two rods'. What really happened was I caught two fish and yes Craig broke two rods oh and lost 3 spinners and nearly got us murdered! still I suppose its close enough. ((Craig I can't find the link))


Doctor Sue and Craig all sorted and up to the top of the hills we went and in ok ish weather and at an ok ish pace and then tbh the terrain did get a bit tough and the weather went a bit shite. The ice storm arrived, followed by the snow storm and the fog and the bogs and the cold and then the rain but what fun we had. As we hummed seasons in the sun to eachother everything in the world seemed to brighten, oh no thats wrong..it was just cold and tough. Actually and I may risk the wrath of my oldtime pal here, I really enjoyed the walk, all of it, the scrambling up rivers, the detours round bogs and water and the nearly getting lost at the top on the luna landscape.

It turns out there is a B52 bomber crash site about 150 yards from where we were, mind you we had no chance of finding it.....unlike these chaps




We even resorted to old school compass directions through the fog and it worked. I was portraying my usual overconfidence at the time and was bloody relieved to see the fence I was looking for turn up out of the gloom. I'm not sure we could have gone back at this point anyway. Firstly we had used up 3 of the five hours getting here and secondly we had forgotten to Hansel and Grettle our way from the last known point. All our eggs in one basket! You should try compassing in the fog over these mounds.


Some peat hills made navigation tricky!


Still it turned out to be a rather splendid walk down a long fabulous waterstrewn ridge (where we met some bloody nutter running the other way uphill into the gloom) as  a perfect ending to a day out. Well it could have been, had we not still got miles to go, we scrambled up an ace clough for about 60 yards and it needed a bit of climbing stuff. Craig, I know you asked 4 times and I'm not sure you believe me yet, but it was the right and only way back. We then took some very dubious routes across fields, quarries and ridges back to Old Glossop and got off the hillside at about 4.20pm ish just as the gloom appoached. I was very relieved although I think I hid it quite well.

Anyway, it's not always that tough Sue, sorry, and blokes never praise their pals but - well done for nearly keeping up Craig, if it had been 3 months ago I would have shot you in the clough. and you can be sure that would have smarted.

And we would have had more pics had my camera not jammed, Craig has promised to supply them....mmmhh

Still doing fat footy players but if anyone has any list suggestions for year end feel free to add to the comments list.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Big picture" does not mean get pissed every night and then go for a stroll on Sunday.

I sadly fear that you have taken a wrong turning somewhere...maybe you should look in Holland & Barretts for "Big Picture" supplements.

And Ronaldinho was a fat bastard last season.

And we beat the German's 2-0! ...have you noticed how Stephen Ireland's head is on upside down? Can you think of any other footballers with similarly upside down features?

Anonymous said...

Jan Molby!

Anonymous said...

I always thought that Peter Reid was a very talented footballer. Although I enjoyed his managerial career more. Particularly the Sunderland relegations.

It was a good walk, the weather was probably the best I've experienced so far and I had a bit of company at the back.

My excuse for being late is that someone told me it was an hour and a half away, rather than the two hours ten that my sat nav subsequently advised. Your en-route short cut added a further ten minutes too. Mind you, losing my keys as I was leaving the house probably didnt help.

The fishing trip where we caught the two fish and broke a couple of rods between us has gone. I deleted the blog accidently when trying to upload the photo of me holding the fish whilst you looked on with a damaged fishing rod in your hand and a Gazette face on your chops. I'd add it to my latest blog if I hadnt forgotten my login details.

And how about footballers with Monkeys heads?

Anonymous said...

Woah woah woah ' (sweet child o mine).But can we keep the comments on the correct blog. Anon person , Molby goes below..get to the back of the class son.

The Germans were waiting for pens obviously

Does anyone know any monkey head songs?

PaulB said...

Bob

you did back up all those blogs didn't you?

PaulB said...

I'm liking the idea of big picture supplements, but I think when I get there its just going to be fruit and veg. And there are probably much better pills available in the red lion.

Craig said...

I have them all, heavily revised to for historical accuracy. For example on that trip I can now read how I caught a shark, some angel fish and the loch ness monster, before saving you from drowning and then getting off with a mermaid. I just cant be bothered to do much with them.

Bizarrely, having just related how I dont know my latest blog login details my work computer seems to know who I am.

Craig said...

Even odder, I dont even remember starting the blog that links to my name. And who is that bloke with the grey hair? Its getting weird.

Is this some consequence of your M15 stylee tracking device?

Anonymous said...

No idea who the skinny bloke with the grey hair is, but he should employ that photographer its a belting picture

Anonymous said...

No, Guns N' Roses singer, Jan Molby belongs here. The blog clearly stated that WE ARE STILL DOING FAT FOOTY PLAYERS.

Say sorry.

Anonymous said...

I always thought Keith Gillespie looked like he had the head of a monkey

Anonymous said...

Take me back to Paradise City...if you want your big Jan on this page who am I to argue. Really sorry, but not as sorry as he was with his scouse accent very odd.

Galen for monkey head prize

Anonymous said...

what about: best footy players who would look good as Ladyboys?

Anonymous said...

Footballers with the bodies of monkeys? Who can ever forget the sight of Ryan Giggs celebrating his goal against Arsenal several years ago. A cross between Austin Powers and Cheetah.

Anonymous said...

it's a bit obvious but, Wayne Rooney - missing link..to monkeys not ladyboys.

Anonymous said...

I think Wayne Rooney ticks a lot of boxes: Simian fatures and he's pretty chunky as well! He also looks like Mr Potato Head and, of course, like Shrek.

Who knows, with a bit of a scrub-up, he might make a good ladyboy!

...I've gone too far now, haven't I.

Anonymous said...

Dear anon, that's a way to end a thread...Waaaaaaaaaaayy too far