On trial

I've always been a goalkeeper, from my earliest years through to my early 40s, and my one sporting claim to fame is having a trial at a professional football club, Colchester United.
I was about 15, I was definitely still at school as I remember the school keeper getting the hump about it. I never played for the school, I never got the chance, it always seemed to be a bit of a closed shop, kind of like, if you face fits.
I went over to the trial with one of my mates from school. We got off the bus at the train station, which as it turned out was an appalling move. Neither of us had been to Layer Road before, and as it turned out, my friend still wouldn't have after our trip.
We walked for what seemed like hours, but in reality was probably only an hour or so. We walked along the Avenue of Remembrance to the very top where the road forks, it was at this point that we thought, we will never find the ground, I've just googled the directions and it turns out the way we was going was about 4.5 miles.
I returned home, a slightly disappointed would be professional goalkeeper, but also slightly relieved. Relieved due to the fact that I was incredibly nervous, more nervous than I had been and indeed ever would be.
How did you get on? Mum asked, when I got back home.
Didn't find it, I said, didn't look hard enough, was what I should have said.
She told me to get in touch with Colchester and inform them of this fact, which i duly did.
I got another chance a few weeks later, I didn't take my mate to this one!
I found it the next time and boy was I nervous, again. I was to be disappointed, on 2 counts as it happens. Firstly, the Layer Road pitch was unavailable on the day of our trial, there was a first team home game later in the week. We had to play at the garrison ground, which is across the road and a short walk from the ground. We used the changing rooms at Layer Road and took the short stroll to the pitch.
There was, what seems like now, hundreds of young would be stars there, and I was one of a good few keepers.
We was split in to 4 teams, plus some others who were substitutes, a couple of which were goalkeepers. I was put into a team and we took to the pitch, for the first stage of trying to impress a coach. Now if your waiting for the happy ending, and are easily disappointed I suggest you leave now. It didn't go well, it seemed to me that the team I had been put in was the best side on the day and therefore not much action at my end. Nerves eventually got the better of me and I had to come off after about 30 minutes or so, my stomach was in knots. I didn't hear anything after from Colchester, and to tell you the truth I wasn't overly surprised, but I gave it a go, and failed miserably!
I carried on playing, Sunday league stuff mostly which I always enjoyed.

Xsara Picasso takes Mercedes, checkmate

Up early Sunday morning to watch the Australian F1, and upon pulling back the curtains in the living room imagine my complete horror, 2 of the car owning families in the square had been playing car chess.
You see in our square most of the family's own more than one car and this means they have their own space, ah bless. This means that if someone parks out of place all sorts of trouble ensues, doors are slammed, loud tutting is performed and neighbours are ignored for days.
Seemed that one of the offenders had had the cheek to park in the wrong spot, so when the aggrieved party returned home he parked right behind the offenders other car, thus blocking it in. Grow up for Christ sake. Last year the council put in some extra parking bays, 8 in total but the 2 families mentioned here don't use them, heaven forbid. Why would you, when you can get a few feet closer to your front door.
It took until about 11:00am for the offender to move his first car, this allowed him to move his second car, almost checkmate by this time.
What he had done was to move the car which was in 'the wrong' space into a bay, goodness me, he then moved his other car into its previous space, thus stopping the offended moving in to his space. These people really need to grow up, there all middle aged and should know better.
Eventually the offended managed to put his car in its rightful place, and the the world was once again at peace.
I was, at one stage thinking of phoning our local newspaper and writing to my local MP, to inform them of the injustice which was playing out in front of my eyes.
When they started addressing the situation I had the urge to pop my head out of my front door and inform them as to how pathetic they are acting, but I showed restraint, and was proud of myself for showing it.
They're the sort of people who think its ok to park where they like, but park in their space at your peril.
Sad people indeed, but none the less very entertaining.

A tale of 2 siblings

In some of the past posts I have mentioned my daughter, I think I may have mentioned the son in one of them as well. They couldn't be more different. Charlotte will try anything, give it a go then cast it aside, but at least she tried. Mark, on the other hand, couldn't care less about doing stuff that doesn't involve either the computer or games console, professionally lazy our son.
Mark has just come round to the fact that if he wants stuff now he may have to, god forbid, go out and get a job, I can see the beads of sweet building on his brow at the very mention of the words, going out.
I do, and in the case of our son, did, give them pocket money for doing chores. Charlotte will wash up, take the dog out with Sam and other small jobs for a bit extra, but they have to earn their money. Mark does, well, nothing really, and when I first stopped his money he just couldn't grasp the concept that maybe if you do sod all you earn sod all. He gets it now, the concept that is, but as he's 18, pocket money wouldn't get him what he wants so he's not overly bothered. He wants a new computer, that means a part time job, unlucky, and unlikely!
He goes to college most of the week but needs something for the weekends. He's handed out a few CV's and now just waits. Which is an improvement on how it used to be, I'm sure that before he sat in doors and waited for an employer to knock and ask if he was looking for a job.
I know that when Charlotte is 16 she will start looking, she will get one as well, as she will put in all the effort needed.
His attitude seems to be, well I've sent out the CV's whats keeping them from calling. The only thing in his favour is the he doesn't drink, or go out, or socialise, or leave his room, so he needs minimal funds, if any in fact.
Asking them both about what they want to do when they leave school, or college you get two answers.
Charlotte will real off a list of things she might do, these sometimes change, but at least she gives it some thought, and has something to aim at.Mark on the other hand hasn't a clue, and he's nearly at the stage of getting a job, he will get the fright of his life, oh how I will laugh, I wont though will I, I'll be out there with him looking, trying to help.
I gave them, and still do to Charlotte, the old parental rubbish about trying hard at school or you will end up in a dead end job like the old man. Maybe if my old man had been around to say that to me I would have done better, but, hey ho!
It makes you feel old though when you start reeling off the stuff the parents said to us as kids. Things like; Your not going out like that are you? Try hard at school. Ha, school, its the best years of your life.
You kids don't know when you got it easy, and finally the oldy but goody, you never had it so good, we had to make our own fun. Brilliant, I honestly can remember thinking all them years ago, when I have kids I'm not saying any of this stuff like an old misery, but here I am, giving them both barrels, wonderful.