Phew!

Kinda sticky today and my legs seem to belong to somebody else but the Durham Miners Gala was attended and it was packed with people, banners and bands. We rolled in a little late so did not take up our usual position opposite the County Hotel, but round the corner where several bands come in rather than the massed ranks on Elvet Bridge. Here is a phone picture from the Market place at just after 9 a.m. Several bands and banners were already off at that time. First band arrived at 7.45 a.m. It used to be a matter of pride to be first in, usually before 7. More from camera are in my Scrapbook and can be viewed there. (hopefully)

And here is one of the bands. They have red uniforms and peaked caps and are from Dobcross in Yorkshire. This is them at their own battle of the bands last year at Whit Week.

These appeared on the show field. There is a Brass Festival that runs for a fortnight in Durham. This group is from Sicily.

Go here for my pictures.


In other news Paul the Psychic octopus correctly predicted Germany would beat Uruguay in the 3rd/4th place playoff.

Phew!

Kinda sticky today and my legs seem to belong to somebody else but the Durham Miners Gala was attended and it was packed with people, banners and bands. We rolled in a little late so did not take up our usual position opposite the County Hotel, but round the corner where several bands come in rather than the massed ranks on Elvet Bridge. Here is a phone picture from the Market place at just after 9 a.m. Several bands and banners were already off at that time. First band arrived at 7.45 a.m. It used to be a matter of pride to be first in, usually before 7. More from camera are in my Scrapbook and can be viewed there. (hopefully)

And here is one of the bands. They have red uniforms and peaked caps and are from Dobcross in Yorkshire. This is them at their own battle of the bands last year at Whit Week.

These appeared on the show field. There is a Brass Festival that runs for a fortnight in Durham. This group is from Sicily.

Go here for my pictures.


In other news Paul the Psychic octopus correctly predicted Germany would beat Uruguay in the 3rd/4th place playoff.

And they think it's all over! I wish it were.

Not very good so far. The Dutch are acting like Wimbledon: no skill; plenty of shocking fouls and poor attacking football. Alan Green is not impressed and neither am I. The game has been cynical and poor. No football involved at all. Poor Howard Webb has had to book virtually all the Dutch team and some Spaniards, but the Dutch havemade no attempt to use skill. I hope Spain win now on this showing.

This is a sound indictment of this World Cup which is the worst I can remember - and I go back to 1966. The negativity from the majority of teams has been very disappointing. Big names, both teams and individuals, simply did not turn up. I can remember nothing much of any game except the Paraguay penalty shootout v Japan, Ghana v. Uruguay and Argentina v. Germany. The following teams might as well not have bothered turning up:
Italy
France
England.

Going away with heads held high:
Ghana
Paraguay
Uruguay
Argentina
Germany
Japan
USA
New Zealand

Flattered to deceive:
Brazil
Portugal

Where were they?
Kaka
Messi
Ronaldo
Rooney
Torres

Good show:
Teves
Muller
Ozil
Sneijder (except for a cynical foul in the Final)

What was good?

The African people.
The stadia
The fact there has been no trouble or hooliganism reported
The little boys who have come out with the teams. Some of them were tiny and gorgeous
Some of the National Anthems
Chris Waddle's rant after England lost to the Germans.

What wasn't?
Vuvuzelas. They ruined all the national sounds for different teams - never heard the Dutch band or the Brazilian samba or singing. Every game sounded the same.
The football. Maybe two goals have been scored from free kicks in 64 games.

Whoever wins this Final it will not have been a memorable tournament, but they will still be World Champions.
Alan Green has moaned and whinged about every game he has been at

And they think it's all over! I wish it were.

Not very good so far. The Dutch are acting like Wimbledon: no skill; plenty of shocking fouls and poor attacking football. Alan Green is not impressed and neither am I. The game has been cynical and poor. No football involved at all. Poor Howard Webb has had to book virtually all the Dutch team and some Spaniards, but the Dutch havemade no attempt to use skill. I hope Spain win now on this showing.

This is a sound indictment of this World Cup which is the worst I can remember - and I go back to 1966. The negativity from the majority of teams has been very disappointing. Big names, both teams and individuals, simply did not turn up. I can remember nothing much of any game except the Paraguay penalty shootout v Japan, Ghana v. Uruguay and Argentina v. Germany. The following teams might as well not have bothered turning up:
Italy
France
England.

Going away with heads held high:
Ghana
Paraguay
Uruguay
Argentina
Germany
Japan
USA
New Zealand

Flattered to deceive:
Brazil
Portugal

Where were they?
Kaka
Messi
Ronaldo
Rooney
Torres

Good show:
Teves
Muller
Ozil
Sneijder (except for a cynical foul in the Final)

What was good?

The African people.
The stadia
The fact there has been no trouble or hooliganism reported
The little boys who have come out with the teams. Some of them were tiny and gorgeous
Some of the National Anthems
Chris Waddle's rant after England lost to the Germans.

What wasn't?
Vuvuzelas. They ruined all the national sounds for different teams - never heard the Dutch band or the Brazilian samba or singing. Every game sounded the same.
The football. Maybe two goals have been scored from free kicks in 64 games.

Whoever wins this Final it will not have been a memorable tournament, but they will still be World Champions.
Alan Green has moaned and whinged about every game he has been at

Sunday means video time

It's gone to extra time so I am watching the golf. Meanwhile it's Sunday which means video time. Not much up from the Gala as yet but here are a couple. First a band outside the County doing one of their party pieces. Sorry the sound is a bit thin.

And secondly a Scottish Colliery Band leading the banner through home streets before setting off for Durham. This is the Buckhaven and Methil Miners Brass Band from Fife but they are in Thornley. The tune is not complete.

The other two banners are Thornley Primary School and the Scottish NUM. The Primary School banners actually started in my home town where a former miner friend of ours helped the children of Westlea to design their own banner and other schools in County Durham have done their own. Sadly, he is not well enough now to attend the Gala, but he has given something to the community that will outlive him.

This is the 126th Durham Miners Gala and though the mines have long gone it is a rallying point for all sorts of Unions to express their solidarity. I was standing next to a couple from Wigan most of the morning and there were banners and bands there from Fife to Brighton. Stick that in your Public Sector pipe Mr Cameron.

Sunday means video time

It's gone to extra time so I am watching the golf. Meanwhile it's Sunday which means video time. Not much up from the Gala as yet but here are a couple. First a band outside the County doing one of their party pieces. Sorry the sound is a bit thin.

And secondly a Scottish Colliery Band leading the banner through home streets before setting off for Durham. This is the Buckhaven and Methil Miners Brass Band from Fife but they are in Thornley. The tune is not complete.

The other two banners are Thornley Primary School and the Scottish NUM. The Primary School banners actually started in my home town where a former miner friend of ours helped the children of Westlea to design their own banner and other schools in County Durham have done their own. Sadly, he is not well enough now to attend the Gala, but he has given something to the community that will outlive him.

This is the 126th Durham Miners Gala and though the mines have long gone it is a rallying point for all sorts of Unions to express their solidarity. I was standing next to a couple from Wigan most of the morning and there were banners and bands there from Fife to Brighton. Stick that in your Public Sector pipe Mr Cameron.

Paul got it right!

The octopus was awesome. The Dutch let themselves down significantly. Sadly a controversial goal won it but Holland got what they deserved for the way they approached the game which was appalling. Mr Webb did not come out of the game very well, but he was fighting a losing battle with such cynical tactics to face. Really he should have sent at least one Dutch player off, but probably didn't want to spoil the game. Don't worry Howard, the teams did that. Very shoddy end to a shoddy tournament.

I found this so I am going out with a bang with the official song from France 1998. That's more like it!

I forgot to say it has been horribly windy today - gale force for most of the time. It's calmed down now.

Paul got it right!

The octopus was awesome. The Dutch let themselves down significantly. Sadly a controversial goal won it but Holland got what they deserved for the way they approached the game which was appalling. Mr Webb did not come out of the game very well, but he was fighting a losing battle with such cynical tactics to face. Really he should have sent at least one Dutch player off, but probably didn't want to spoil the game. Don't worry Howard, the teams did that. Very shoddy end to a shoddy tournament.

I found this so I am going out with a bang with the official song from France 1998. That's more like it!

I forgot to say it has been horribly windy today - gale force for most of the time. It's calmed down now.