Fitness drive continues

I actually finished work early(ish) yesterday and went to the hotel gym managing a 25 minute run, 15 minutes on the rowing machine and 10 minutes on the bike - worked up a decent sweat but couldn't be bothered to continue. Not so much because I was tired but more that it was a little boring. How am I supposed to keep my interest and not get bored in those places?

Taking it easy today as there is the vets match tomorrow against Chinnor which I am sure is against Gregs, Gazza, Carry and Ronnie Russell - some old Thame faces from the past. Looking forward to it.

Came back to Oxford this evening and heard an awful story on the news about a family of 9 who crashed their car and of the 7 kids so far 4 of them are dead - the parents are okay but how on earth will they carry on now? Heart-breaking for anyone.

Busy weekend now over

Did loads this weekend, where to start?

Had the first training session for the Summertown Stars u7's team on Saturday morning which went really well. There were 38 boys in the end I think, Tash and Charlotte were doing the registrations and name badges, Lewis and Victoria helped with the coaching and all went like clockwork. There are some talented players in amongst the group which is pleasing to see so it'll be good to see how they develop over time.

After picking up the boys form Team Taurus we went out in the afternoon to Charlecote House National Trust property, very nice place indeed. Lovely hot day lazing by the river and then walking round the grounds and into the house, "Same as all the rest" commented Charlotte! Oh well, hopefully she'll appreciate it when she's older.

Lewis had a cup match this morning over at Florence Park winning 3-1 in quite a good game and then in the afternoon it was over to Sue's for dinner.

Have spent the last couple of hours getting my football details and information up to date and prepared the next Inner City email newsletter to send for the club.

I have also been asked by Lyner and Colin Taylor to put my boots back on for Witney and Nomads respectively, i had to turn them both down unfortunately, I just can't get back into serious football at the weekends - when would we wind Charlotte up by going to NT properties? It was flattering to be considered, but my proper playing days are behind me now I think.

Oh well, this old man had better get off to bed now then.

Fitness drive

Took the car in for a service today at Kidlington and then ran home, quite pleased that I did it but now need to make sure that I continue with the running. Certainly feeling fitter and trimmer already!

The car repairs need to be £2k - taking the piss really, bloody Audi. We refused it so will try and get a better price elsewhere.

Took the team to play Kennington this evening but ended up narrowly losing 2-1, disappointing, but hardly surprising. I am trying to get the team to play with a bit of composure but they're not listening which is frustrating.

Knackered now so off to bed.

Aching a bit as a I type this

Just got back from playing against Stonesfield in the first Veterans match for Oxford City. We had a decent team and this is the same group of players that will be there week in week out which bodes well as we ended up winning 12-2 - match report can be found here

I have also been updating the website this evening and also sent out the Inner City e-newsletter as well so been quite busy really.

I managed to get hold of the 20 size 3 footballs that I have been after, it mean travelling out to Swindon to get them but I got what I wanted so that was important. I also set up the mother in law's computer this afternoon as well. I now need to get broadband sorted for her which will happen over the next couple of days.

Somewhere in all of today I managed to get some work done as well!

Summer Update

Back into the fray tomorrow with Oxford City veterans, looking forward to getting together with some old faces and having a run out. Not feeling very fit at the minute, but with the possibility of playing on a few Sundays as well it should be interesting.

Played last week against an Arsenal 11 who had some celebrities in it. We managed to beat them but it was a competitive game which was good, Mark O'Hara scoring from the halfway line - cracking goal.

What else? Have been away to Sardinia for a week, lovely place, no English where we were which was all the better.

Starting up the u7's team this Saturday, getting quite nervous as I have about 35 boys registered - that's going to be a nightmare to cope with. We'll see how it goes I guess.

Well, as per usual I intend to keep more up to date with this but we'll see how it goes! Off to Swindon tomorrow to collect the footballs I ordered!

Exam Day today

I have the Level 2 exam today - I am first one on as well with attacking play (2v2). Bit nervous to be honest and not 100% sure this will go. All I can do is try my best but I'll be very disappointed if I don't pass it. I have a 6v6 to coach tomorrow - defending so should be comfortable with that one I hope.

Anyway, this has been hard work, so much paperwork to get completed.

Better get the plan finished, fingers crossed

Long time no hear....

I am pissed up as I type this and tash has gone to bed stroppy with me, well I assume she has, i haven't seen her for the last 40 minutes and I am sat here in the dark trying to type this message!!!

Not quite sure what she is funny about - it is FA Cup final day and I have sat through a load of dross drinking my tinnies and then fell asleep - how is that different to any year?

The final was shockingly bad - enough said.

What else has been happening? i am doing my level 2 coaching course and also agreed to be u7s manager next season for Summertown which I am looking forward to. I played in the veteran's final last week against a team from Liverpool who we completely played off the park but just couldn't score which we then lost on penalties.

Work is buy!

We came runners-up for the summertown team and are about to go to Holland next weekend which should be fun.

Well, I am too tired to carry on typing, will try some more later.

Cheers for now

Weekend for the boys.

Very proud parents this weekend, Lewis and Jack had their Karate gradings and both passed. Jack is now an Orange Belt with yellow stripe and Lewis is a full brown belt - he passed with Distinction which is quite unusual - it's as high as you can get at a grading.

Lewis has to go through the routine of his combinations and then a long kata but this is nothing to the end where he has to fight two opponents at the same time. He'd taken a bit of a battering in a different fight and wasn't feeling too good, so when he had to fight we were a little anxious but with encouragement he got through it. It's all good for the character building though so he will certainly benefit in the long run. I have now been uploading the video of the fights onto Youtube and these can be watched now on http://youtube.com/juliandark01

We're really proud of them both - so well done boys. Checkout Youtube anyway, there's a funny video of Jack and some geese!

Sad end to the day...

Well they found Ben last week after about three weeks in the river, it wqould have been awful had they just given up. Today was his cremation and then a celebration of his life at the local church near his school which we went to along with half of Wolvercote and all his scholl mates.

It's all incredibly sad what has happened and there is no way to ever imagine how you would act as a parent to the event of losing your child so young. Liz and Rob have been incredibly strong and even today with the service, speeches by them and the school mates and a tribute PowerPoint display was testiment to that strength that I just wouldn't have.

It was all capped off with tons of free donuts which were Ben's favourite. I hope I never have to go through something like that, it was bad enough losing Grandad.

Golf Lessons

Well, it begins...Natasha it obecome a golf widow shortly, but it's her own fault it has to be said. For Xmas she advised my mum to get me golf lessons for my present and I had the first lesson this morning.

Went really well, although it started a bit ropily to be honest. I said I was left handed and we tried the warm up and swing and hitting a couple of balls left handed and it was pathetic to behold. So we tried right handed, first three shots pinged as sweet as you like. So we reverted back to left handed and guess what, first three shots pinged as well. The pro just looked at me and said we should spent half our training time on left and then right handed work!!!

We plumped on deciding I am left handed though...I got more consistent as the time went on and stayed out with some remaining balls at the end of the session. Enjoyed it and hopefully will take it further. I have more lessons booked but need to get some practice in before the next lesson. My body is killing me though, my shoulders are going to be stiff in the morning.

Let it snow...

It only lasted two days but is was brilliant snow - well over 6 inches deep and perfect for snowballing. As expected the whole of England ground to a halt and the kids were off school. It's all gone now but they loved it and we got some good photos of them playing in it.

Managed to get over to the meadow as well. Snowmen everywhere! It's all gone now unfortunately and we are back to normal.

Playing at the park

Something tells me that Jack isn't going to make it as a goalie if he is to become a football player...

This was him and Lewis messing about up there the other day and me trying to hone my skills (non-existent skills) as a Sports Action photographer. I went down to Oxford City at the weekend as well and fared no better to be honest.

At least it was an hour well spend as I appreciated the difficulty in planning where the ball would be and making sure I had the focus and shot as I wanted it.

Should get better with practice, that's the idea anyway.

Long old day

Not much to say about today really, was woken up by Tash running out of bed to throw up in the toilet - so not the most pleasant way to wake up in the morning...for either of us I guess! She seems to have come down with this bug that is going through the family and she spend the whole day in bed being sick or complaining of a headache, or both.

Not often she is laid low so you know it is serious, although she was up and about late afternoon so she'll be back to normal tomorrow.

I have spent the whole day, and evening just working. Been productive though so no complaints, got loads done and got a lot of things I wanted to be organised sorted out.

Anyway, enough of me typing just for the sake of it...

A week to forget

I didn't mention it earlier in the week but this week has been awful for the Wolvercote community and one family in particular. On Sunday coming back from Madam Tussaud's we heard over the radio that a boy of 15 had fallen into the river in Oxford and drowned. It was only when I was up in Edinburgh that Tash told me it was Ben Halsey-Jones who are a family that we are friends with and live only a matter of doors away on our street. Tash would often look after his younger siblings and Ben would crash out on our sofa watching telly so she got to know him well enough to be really upset by this - as are the rest of the community.

There was a prayer evening for him today at the local church that pretty much all of Wolvercote attended, I didn't make it as I was playing the Vets football match, but when coming home near the end of it I could see all the cars drawn up. Apart from the obvious tradegy, the police divers still haven't been able to locate Ben's body from the river, this just doesn't bear thinking about and you pray each day that he is found so that he can be buried properly.

I don't even pretend to imagine what the family are going through, there is great local support as it is quite a close-nit community here, but the thought of losing your child in any manner however serious or innocuous (he rode over a pothole and lost his balance from the towpath!) just leaves me cold and no words would get through to me.

It just drives home to you how fickle life is and how important little things are and not to be complacent with any of it.

New Year

Well, it's a new year and all the usual promises have been made with no intention of keeping them. In saying that, when very drunk on New Year's Day watching MTV with my nieces I said that I could get as fit a body as the lads on the videos - so that has been my challenge for the summer - oh dear. I have made half an effort to get into shape with some running up to the school and things, but so far it isn't really paying dividends.

What have we done since the last blog? Went to Lapland before Xmas, fantastic, had a brill Xmas and New Year, have been busy with work and was up in Scotland this week, been out for Gaz's 40th Birthday and went to Madam Tussaud's the next day.

We have a veterans game this Sunday at Flackwell Heath - should be interesting as none of us have played since the last match. Although I did have a run out the other day for Gordon at one of the colleges against Chalgrove - interesting match that was. Was called an old fat bastard at one point, couldn't really argue back on that point, it was concise and fairly made...

Looking to keep this a bit more up to date this year, haven't started well but we'll see what happens.