Sunday 24th January 2016

Saturday

With the trip to Leuven this week and the adventures in picking up and dropping off the car, it has seemed a short week, but in reality, I did a 16 hours on Thursday, driving and in meetings and the such, so I like to think my employer got their pound of flesh this week, or good value at least.

As is always the case, first task of the morning, once we have had coffee, is a trip to Tesco for life's essentials, and this time no beer, no cider and no wine needed nor bought. Not much to report, other than it is always a relief to be driving out of the car park and back home.

We then have chores to run in town: not just the usual weekly snaps of Burlington House coming down, but also some serious stuff, including a trip to see the bank manager. Oh dear.

Anyway, a trip into town now means avoiding Jubilee Way, just in case there is trouble at the port, so past the castle and down the hill and dodging the various closed roads and car parks in town, finding a spot and once paying for the ticket, we slit up as I zip round the outside of Burlington House getting my shots, only now because there is so little of it left, it is barely showing above the green wooden fence which surrounds the site. Which shows it's time on this earth is now measured in very few days. The wrapping has also been removed showing one, maybe two stories left to come down.

Back to the banks, where it seems no one has thought of bringing the keys, so we wait half an hour whilst someone runs around to collect the branch keys from the manager who apparently is having the day off. So, we wander round town for half an hour, I buy a new guide to Japan, the Bowie tribute edition of Uncut and then dive into Costa for a gingerbread latte with an extra shot, just because i can, really.

We see the manager, and all goes well which is good, really. But it takes and hour, and with the time heading for eleven, I was planning on going to Shakespeare for an updated look at the works on the line, with the latest rumours being its likely to be closed until the summer. However, as we walked back to the car, the warm temperatures caused fog to form, and as we neared the car, it was clear that there would be nothing to see, other than fog, from the vantage point.

Additionally, with City kicking off in the early game at quarter to one against Liverpool, and being on the radio, there seemed little choice but to return home, have lunch and then for me to settle down and enjoy the game.

What followed was one of the most remarkable games in recent years, with Liverpool taking an early lead: City equalising and taking the lead before half time; extending their lead via a penalty early in the 2nd to lead 3-1. So far, so good. Straight away Liverpool opened up our defence like it was made of fod, and pulled one back, equalised in similar fashion a few minutes later then took the lead a few minutes later on. In injury time, City pull level with a piledriver of a shot, so that should have been that. Only for Liverpool to force home a winner with the last kick to win 5-4, and leave players and fans reeling.

To be honest, the rest of the afternoon was spent in a bit of an anti-football grump, but at least Man Utd carried on their dreadful scoring record, once again failing to score in the 1st half, and slumping to another defeat thanks to a Southampton winner. Still, got to laugh!

Smokey BBQ chicken for dinner, not one on a barbecue of course, but then its not really bbq weather is it?