Friday, June 29th 2012

It may as a big surprise to you to hear me say this, but, perhaps, there is too much sport on TV. Too much if you don’t like sport and too much if you do. I like sport, but I also like to get out and do stuff, thus with the European Championships winding down I may have thought I may leave the sofa once in a while. But as we’re halfway through Wimbledon, apparently. I say apparently as I have not had time to watch any, and there is just one thing worse than listening to tennis on the radio. What could be worse than listening to tennis on the radio where the commentator cannot keep pace with a rally and ends up being several shots behind what is actually happening. No, even worse than that is F1; Grand Prix. Which sounds like the commentator is trapped in a bucket with a thousand angry hornets as the cars whiz by. He could be making it up and sitting on his sofa commentating, but quite frankly, I don’t care.

And then tomorrow Le Tour begins. Now, I love the tour, not for the cycling but for the landscape the race passes through. But, I have no real desire to sit through three weeks of it.

And if that wasn’t enough, come the end of July, the Olympics starts, which, in case you missed it, is being held in London. Have you seen it on TV? It has been mentioned.



Now, I like the Olympics, but the fact we have been unable to get tickets for the cycling and swimming is annoying, but we are going to go to the Paralympics in September. Anyway, some of both Olympics might be on TV. And then the football season starts again; however, we no longer have Sky Sports, and I am already thinking of the books I can read whilst listening to the radio; or maybe we just go out instead. Full stop?



And football: yes, the Euros are still on, we have a final of Spain v Italy to look forward to after Spain beat Portugal by sending them to sleep by playing tippy tappy football for two hours, and Ronaldo deciding he wanted to score the winning penalty begged to take the 5th kick; but by the time his turn came around, Portugal were already out. And he cried. Or it could have been pomade from his hair, running. Italy beat Germany, and it could have been six rather than the single goal victory. But at least it kept us all awake.

Cinderella Beckham will not be going to the Olympic Games ball, or at least to play, as nasty Stuart Pierce (Ugly Sister) won’t pick him. Becks is distraught and told AP so in an expensive exclusive interview.



Anyway, back in the real (non-sporting) world.

Apart from spending Wednesday and Thursday, of course, I spent part of the evening watching football on TV, for details see above. Before hand, on both nights there were steam tours to go out and snap: on Tuesday, I went down to Dover Harbour to snap Tornado as she steamed through after coming through Canterbury on a trip from the west midlands. Anyway, the sunshine that had graced the day, was covered by sea mist, and the light down under the road bridge was very gloomy indeed, but the camera captured the scene well.



On Thursday, Tangmere was due to come through, and so I headed to Shepherdswell after work to see her; I got the times wrong and had just 20 minutes to get from home to the station, about a 20 minute drive away. See the problem?

I arrived with three minutes to spare, but these things are never on time are they? Well, yesterday it was a minute ahead of time, and I just had time to get onto the footbridge, get the cameras out and she was thundering towards us. Only it wasn’t Tangmere; it was a Black 5, still a fine sight at 75mph. I got my shots, and just like that she went under the bridge and into the tunnel beyond and was gone.



Afterwards my friend and I went hunting for fields of poppies. I had seen a fine looking field from the A2 on Sunday, and so we drove along to Barham, and turned off and headed along the narrow lanes, up through Kingston until we came to a gate in a hedge, and there were poppies.

Lots of poppies.

We snapped them from all angles and with all lenses and then headed back home.

Phew, rock and roll.