Friday, 18 April 2008
Chuffed To Bits
After a five year absence, I returned to Buckmore Park Kart Circuit in a Pro Kart tonight - and didn't disgrace myself! Lapping consistently, I had no spins, no contact (except the two that hit me - I kept it pointing in the right direction and carried on)and gradually brought my time down from a 65 second out lap to a respectable 52.26 last lap, just 1.4 seconds off the fastest driver who was in a Thunderkart, marginally faster than Pros. I also beat my 17 year old, three stone lighter son - he wasn't happy. But it was his first time, bless him. We're looking to do an event next week, he's all excited now and raring to go!
Sunday, 13 April 2008
I'd Do Anything: Week Three
I can’t help noting the lovely atmosphere on this show, so good natured. The Nancies are all in good voice for ‘It’s a Fine Life’, Niamh very strong, Samantha possibly the weakest. Andrew reiterating how unhappy he was to lose Cleo last week. Show songs night! Yay!
Rachel: Dreadful dress, she looks like a Jif lemon the morning after Shrove Tuesday. She really isn’t doing it for me at all, not a great vocal, though it picked up towards the end.
Sarah: Stunning! Blew Rachel off the stage, great performance. Vocally wonderful, more presence. Aw, even at age 9 she was great.
Denise??? Good, John’s shaking his head. Barry’s talking *yawns* Oh, apart from that - well said - Oh, shut up, strange man.
Francesca: Some tuning issues but a spirited performance.
Keisha: Great timing - I dunno what it is though, it didn’t sound as musical as it should. Best dress so far.
Thank you Andrew - I’m pleased to be agreeing with him more than the others.
Olivers: Loving the jazz hands in football training! And I love that they justify why they’d choose a particular Nancy. I wonder if they get told what to say? I hope not. Teamwork, brilliant. They’re such a highlight of the show.
Ashley: Wish she’d stand a bit more elegantly. Stronger vocally at the end. Andrew has a point; I think taking away her jazz hands robbed her of a bit of personality.
Jodie: Commanding performance. Really put herself in contention with that. I was thinking a definite ‘no’ before.
Niamh: Ooh, just one bad note, right at the start there, but really picked it up, lovely. Downbeat ending though, would have liked to hear it sung out a bit stronger. Gorgeous dress.
Jessie: Wow - brilliant! What a vocal, great presence. That’s my fave tonight. Shocking dress though.
Tara: No, please not that Deniece Williams song! She did better with it than I thought. Didn’t set the stage alight though - that choice could really cost her.
Samantha: Lovely dress. Mike a bit too close I think. Strong vocal but is just lacking something I can’t quite put my finger on.
Agree with John re both. And we don’t do excuses!
Tops for me tonight: Jessie, Jodie and Sarah. Perm any two from these three for the bottom: Rachel, Tara, Samantha.
I caught the end of ‘Britain’s Got Talent’. I think we’ve just seen the winner - 13 year old Andrew Johnston. I had to stand around the corner, because the men folk in my house laugh at me when I cry at something on the telly.
Results Show:
Graham really seems to enjoy himself. Mm, Ben looks nice, I’m hoping to see ‘Hairspray’ soon. Their dads watching them snog? That’s cruel! LOL, get in there, girls! No-one stood out for me on the ‘Hairspray’ song regrettably. Arthur loves fashion, bless, at least we can’t blame the wardrobe mistress on that one. They should have these boys release a Xmas album, surely!
Keisha, ooh, nasty, first one straight into the sing off, she thought she was safe. Poor thing; ecstasy to despair in a nano second. I wondered if they mixed it up a bit like that. Sarah and Jodie safe. Francesca safe. Rachel and Jessie; both safe. Tara knows she’s a goner if she’s in the bottom two, you can see it in her expression. Niamh safe, Ashley safe. Depends on the song but I think Andrew will save Keisha again. She’s bottom with the public 2nd week running though, I doubt she’ll get saved a third time. ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ excellent choice. Lovely tone but Keisha unconvincing, lost confidence. This could be tougher for Andrew than he thought. Tara singing lovely, nothing to lose. I prefer Tara on this - soon as he said ‘8 times a week’ though, we all knew. If only she’d sung like that on her solo songs, it might have been different. Ooh, a bit of Welsh - I understood Diolch!
Rachel: Dreadful dress, she looks like a Jif lemon the morning after Shrove Tuesday. She really isn’t doing it for me at all, not a great vocal, though it picked up towards the end.
Sarah: Stunning! Blew Rachel off the stage, great performance. Vocally wonderful, more presence. Aw, even at age 9 she was great.
Denise??? Good, John’s shaking his head. Barry’s talking *yawns* Oh, apart from that - well said - Oh, shut up, strange man.
Francesca: Some tuning issues but a spirited performance.
Keisha: Great timing - I dunno what it is though, it didn’t sound as musical as it should. Best dress so far.
Thank you Andrew - I’m pleased to be agreeing with him more than the others.
Olivers: Loving the jazz hands in football training! And I love that they justify why they’d choose a particular Nancy. I wonder if they get told what to say? I hope not. Teamwork, brilliant. They’re such a highlight of the show.
Ashley: Wish she’d stand a bit more elegantly. Stronger vocally at the end. Andrew has a point; I think taking away her jazz hands robbed her of a bit of personality.
Jodie: Commanding performance. Really put herself in contention with that. I was thinking a definite ‘no’ before.
Niamh: Ooh, just one bad note, right at the start there, but really picked it up, lovely. Downbeat ending though, would have liked to hear it sung out a bit stronger. Gorgeous dress.
Jessie: Wow - brilliant! What a vocal, great presence. That’s my fave tonight. Shocking dress though.
Tara: No, please not that Deniece Williams song! She did better with it than I thought. Didn’t set the stage alight though - that choice could really cost her.
Samantha: Lovely dress. Mike a bit too close I think. Strong vocal but is just lacking something I can’t quite put my finger on.
Agree with John re both. And we don’t do excuses!
Tops for me tonight: Jessie, Jodie and Sarah. Perm any two from these three for the bottom: Rachel, Tara, Samantha.
I caught the end of ‘Britain’s Got Talent’. I think we’ve just seen the winner - 13 year old Andrew Johnston. I had to stand around the corner, because the men folk in my house laugh at me when I cry at something on the telly.
Results Show:
Graham really seems to enjoy himself. Mm, Ben looks nice, I’m hoping to see ‘Hairspray’ soon. Their dads watching them snog? That’s cruel! LOL, get in there, girls! No-one stood out for me on the ‘Hairspray’ song regrettably. Arthur loves fashion, bless, at least we can’t blame the wardrobe mistress on that one. They should have these boys release a Xmas album, surely!
Keisha, ooh, nasty, first one straight into the sing off, she thought she was safe. Poor thing; ecstasy to despair in a nano second. I wondered if they mixed it up a bit like that. Sarah and Jodie safe. Francesca safe. Rachel and Jessie; both safe. Tara knows she’s a goner if she’s in the bottom two, you can see it in her expression. Niamh safe, Ashley safe. Depends on the song but I think Andrew will save Keisha again. She’s bottom with the public 2nd week running though, I doubt she’ll get saved a third time. ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ excellent choice. Lovely tone but Keisha unconvincing, lost confidence. This could be tougher for Andrew than he thought. Tara singing lovely, nothing to lose. I prefer Tara on this - soon as he said ‘8 times a week’ though, we all knew. If only she’d sung like that on her solo songs, it might have been different. Ooh, a bit of Welsh - I understood Diolch!
Saturday, 12 April 2008
Five different sports, a lot more medals
Great Britain won gold at the first archery World Cup tournament of 2008, with Alison Williamson, Naomi Folkard and Charlotte Burgess winning the women's recurve team event, their second successive World Cup gold, having won the team tournament on home territory, in Dover, last August.
Gymastics, European Championships: Beth Tweddle wins the silver medal in the floor exercise.
An excellent weekend for the British modern pentathlon, with Heather Fell winning gold in round three of the World Cup, following a strong cross country run to secure her first World Cup win. Sam Weale won his first World Cup medal, a bronze, in the mens final.
Sailing: British trio Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson have clinched the Yngling European Championship in Spain.
The favourites for gold in Beijing now hold all three major titles - the World Championship, the 2007 Pre-Olympic title and the European crown.
World Short Course Swimming Championships in Manchester.
Team GB won 24 medals in total, five more than any other country, to finish 5th in the medal table:WORLD SHORT COURSE MEDALS
USA: 10 gold, 6 silver, 1 bronze
Australia: 8 gold, 9 silver, 2 bronze
Netherlands: 4 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze
Zimbabwe: 4 gold, 0 silver, 1 bronze
Britain: 3 gold, 10 silver, 11 bronze
Our golden swimmers were Kris Gilchrist, pacing his 200m breaststroke perfectly, Liam Tancock in the 100 metres backstroke, winning from lane 8 and Rebecca Adlington in the 800m freestyle, beating Austrlia's best, Kylie Palmer by nearly four seconds.
And if I could actually find a list, I'd tell you the rest. Of all the tons of info on the BBC sport website and the links to FINA and the ASA, not one single one of them actually lists all our medal winners. Much as I'd love to sit through every session on I-player, I just don't have the time. Here are the ones I could find, I'm missing a silver medallist - feel free to let me kow who it is! And rest assured, I have emailed 606!
Silver:
Liam Tancock 200m individual medley and the 50m backstroke.
Mark Foster 50m freestyle
Lizzie Simmonds 200m backstroke.
Fran Halsall 100m freestyle.
Hannah Miley 400m individual medley.
Kate Haywood 50m breaststroke
The men’s 4x200m freestyle relay in 6 mins 56.52 seconds, a new European record.
David Davies 1500m freestyle.
Bronze:
James Goddard 200m IM
GB's women smashed the National record in the 4x100 medley relay.
Robbie Renwick 400m freestyle in a British record 3:40.22.
Hannah Miley in the 200m individual medley.
Caitlin McClatchey 200m freestyle,
Jessica Dickens in the 200m butterfly.
4x100m women freestyle quartet of Fran Halsall, Caitlin McClatchey, Julia Beckett and Mel Marshall
Jo Jackson, setting a new British record 4:01.11 in the 400m freestyle.
Liam Tancock 100m individual medley, setting a stunning new European record in the semi.
17-year-old Jemma Lowe when she came in third with a new British record of 56.84 in the 100m butterfly.
Fran Halsall 50m freestyle.
It was a record-breaking championship for Britain's swimmers, who set 44 national records as well as nine Commonwealth and European marks to give them the perfect boost with the Olympics now less than four months away.
Gymastics, European Championships: Beth Tweddle wins the silver medal in the floor exercise.
An excellent weekend for the British modern pentathlon, with Heather Fell winning gold in round three of the World Cup, following a strong cross country run to secure her first World Cup win. Sam Weale won his first World Cup medal, a bronze, in the mens final.
Sailing: British trio Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson have clinched the Yngling European Championship in Spain.
The favourites for gold in Beijing now hold all three major titles - the World Championship, the 2007 Pre-Olympic title and the European crown.
World Short Course Swimming Championships in Manchester.
Team GB won 24 medals in total, five more than any other country, to finish 5th in the medal table:WORLD SHORT COURSE MEDALS
USA: 10 gold, 6 silver, 1 bronze
Australia: 8 gold, 9 silver, 2 bronze
Netherlands: 4 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze
Zimbabwe: 4 gold, 0 silver, 1 bronze
Britain: 3 gold, 10 silver, 11 bronze
Our golden swimmers were Kris Gilchrist, pacing his 200m breaststroke perfectly, Liam Tancock in the 100 metres backstroke, winning from lane 8 and Rebecca Adlington in the 800m freestyle, beating Austrlia's best, Kylie Palmer by nearly four seconds.
And if I could actually find a list, I'd tell you the rest. Of all the tons of info on the BBC sport website and the links to FINA and the ASA, not one single one of them actually lists all our medal winners. Much as I'd love to sit through every session on I-player, I just don't have the time. Here are the ones I could find, I'm missing a silver medallist - feel free to let me kow who it is! And rest assured, I have emailed 606!
Silver:
Liam Tancock 200m individual medley and the 50m backstroke.
Mark Foster 50m freestyle
Lizzie Simmonds 200m backstroke.
Fran Halsall 100m freestyle.
Hannah Miley 400m individual medley.
Kate Haywood 50m breaststroke
The men’s 4x200m freestyle relay in 6 mins 56.52 seconds, a new European record.
David Davies 1500m freestyle.
Bronze:
James Goddard 200m IM
GB's women smashed the National record in the 4x100 medley relay.
Robbie Renwick 400m freestyle in a British record 3:40.22.
Hannah Miley in the 200m individual medley.
Caitlin McClatchey 200m freestyle,
Jessica Dickens in the 200m butterfly.
4x100m women freestyle quartet of Fran Halsall, Caitlin McClatchey, Julia Beckett and Mel Marshall
Jo Jackson, setting a new British record 4:01.11 in the 400m freestyle.
Liam Tancock 100m individual medley, setting a stunning new European record in the semi.
17-year-old Jemma Lowe when she came in third with a new British record of 56.84 in the 100m butterfly.
Fran Halsall 50m freestyle.
It was a record-breaking championship for Britain's swimmers, who set 44 national records as well as nine Commonwealth and European marks to give them the perfect boost with the Olympics now less than four months away.
Thursday, 10 April 2008
2nd July 1993 - 30 March 2008
For Christopher Read
The closed ranks massed
on the church banks of grass
silence, deafening
tears falling, unchecked
laughter erupting, sharing memories of
a sense of humour, never lost.
Too young to be taken
so brave the fight
A Kiss From A Rose, playing again
Will always remind me of you.
The closed ranks massed
on the church banks of grass
silence, deafening
tears falling, unchecked
laughter erupting, sharing memories of
a sense of humour, never lost.
Too young to be taken
so brave the fight
A Kiss From A Rose, playing again
Will always remind me of you.
Saturday, 5 April 2008
The GG’s GG.
Gethin’s Girls decided to choose a GG for the Grand National, and naturally scanned the entries for something remotely Gethin related - we all agreed on Butler’s Cabin (didn’t finish unfortunately) but why, I hear you ask. Well, we had a thread on the SCD Message Board called ‘Gethin and Ben Fogle to Row the Atlantic’. There was a boat, then a ship, some shorts and white socks - and some GG’s who liked a lot of room service ...
I’D DO ANYTHING REVIEW
Just so you know - I can’t sing but I LOVE to comment! I have no idea on what constitutes a technically good performance, I just know what I like and what I don't. These are the notes I made as the show unfolded.
Why with the Christmas stars still on the stairs?
Niamh: I’m struggling to get past the ‘Wednesday’ look. Good song choice, not strong enough vocally for the West End, too ‘poppy’ for me. Finished with more depth, possibly should have heard a bit more like that.
Cleo: I can see it - started great, thought she lost it a bit but I like her earthy voice. Feeling Good is one of my Argentine Tango songs.
Hm, I’m all for a bit of encouragement but aren’t the judges going a bit OTT?
Keisha: Was really looking forward to hearing her but disappointed - why, in these reality shows, do they give awesome vocalists pop songs whose lyrics just roll along, with nothing to wrap their vocal chords around?
Samantha: See The Day - another AT song! Quite ordinary I thought. Now, if she’d swapped songs with Keisha I’m pretty sure I’d be writing the opposite on both of these.
Ooh, now JB's gone from one extreme to the other. No, sorry Denise, not the perfect song at all. As for Barry Humphries - can anyone tell me the point?
Francesca: Good start, strongest performance so far, rockin’, in fact. Top end not quite there but overall a feisty performance.
Olivers: Not sure about some individually but collectively they’re great. I was left choosing between Sam, Jonny and Chester: Chester it is. They seem so much more relaxed than the adults.
Rachel: Overdid the ‘vulnerability‘, I thought she was going to stop - and looked like she was going to throw up when she went down to her knees. Didn’t work for me at all.
Sarah: Aw, bless her little bro’. Great performance vocally and acting. Best so far. Oh, come off it judges - the reaction from the crowd when she kicked the chair shows she was working it. Good on you, Andrew.
Tara: Started beautifully but the chorus was a bit flat, I thought she was going to belt it out and she didn‘t.
Jodie: Too cabaret for me. I dunno, who chooses the songs? What’s the betting they give her ‘It’s Raining Men’ at some point and saddle one of the other poor lasses with ‘Young Hearts Run Free’. Totally impossible for anyone ‘cept Candi Staton - it’s such an anthem, so why has every established diva avoided it? And only Whitney brave enough for ‘I’m Every Woman’.
Thank you Andrew! He thought so too re the songs. I think they buggered most of them up tonight.
Ashley: See now, with ‘Mercy’ she could do with some jazzy hands! Great vocal, but how can you stand still while you’re singing this? Now she’s putting a bit of attitude in it, that’s better.
Jessie: Lovely performance, understated, possibly a bit too nervous.
If I was voting: Ashley My bottom two: Keisha and Rachel
Update: Results. Cleo and Keisha in the bottom two, quite shocked at that actually. At least they sing a different song; It suited Keisha more, so not surprised at her being chosen. A real shame about Cleo though, she was one I preferred to some of the others. Just shows how important that solo song is, Cleo sounded fantastic at the end there.
Why with the Christmas stars still on the stairs?
Niamh: I’m struggling to get past the ‘Wednesday’ look. Good song choice, not strong enough vocally for the West End, too ‘poppy’ for me. Finished with more depth, possibly should have heard a bit more like that.
Cleo: I can see it - started great, thought she lost it a bit but I like her earthy voice. Feeling Good is one of my Argentine Tango songs.
Hm, I’m all for a bit of encouragement but aren’t the judges going a bit OTT?
Keisha: Was really looking forward to hearing her but disappointed - why, in these reality shows, do they give awesome vocalists pop songs whose lyrics just roll along, with nothing to wrap their vocal chords around?
Samantha: See The Day - another AT song! Quite ordinary I thought. Now, if she’d swapped songs with Keisha I’m pretty sure I’d be writing the opposite on both of these.
Ooh, now JB's gone from one extreme to the other. No, sorry Denise, not the perfect song at all. As for Barry Humphries - can anyone tell me the point?
Francesca: Good start, strongest performance so far, rockin’, in fact. Top end not quite there but overall a feisty performance.
Olivers: Not sure about some individually but collectively they’re great. I was left choosing between Sam, Jonny and Chester: Chester it is. They seem so much more relaxed than the adults.
Rachel: Overdid the ‘vulnerability‘, I thought she was going to stop - and looked like she was going to throw up when she went down to her knees. Didn’t work for me at all.
Sarah: Aw, bless her little bro’. Great performance vocally and acting. Best so far. Oh, come off it judges - the reaction from the crowd when she kicked the chair shows she was working it. Good on you, Andrew.
Tara: Started beautifully but the chorus was a bit flat, I thought she was going to belt it out and she didn‘t.
Jodie: Too cabaret for me. I dunno, who chooses the songs? What’s the betting they give her ‘It’s Raining Men’ at some point and saddle one of the other poor lasses with ‘Young Hearts Run Free’. Totally impossible for anyone ‘cept Candi Staton - it’s such an anthem, so why has every established diva avoided it? And only Whitney brave enough for ‘I’m Every Woman’.
Thank you Andrew! He thought so too re the songs. I think they buggered most of them up tonight.
Ashley: See now, with ‘Mercy’ she could do with some jazzy hands! Great vocal, but how can you stand still while you’re singing this? Now she’s putting a bit of attitude in it, that’s better.
Jessie: Lovely performance, understated, possibly a bit too nervous.
If I was voting: Ashley My bottom two: Keisha and Rachel
Update: Results. Cleo and Keisha in the bottom two, quite shocked at that actually. At least they sing a different song; It suited Keisha more, so not surprised at her being chosen. A real shame about Cleo though, she was one I preferred to some of the others. Just shows how important that solo song is, Cleo sounded fantastic at the end there.
Thursday, 3 April 2008
You know what follows Easter ...
I’m not good with diets - I like my food too much, you see. So, after attending Weightwatchers for the first time today, I came away clutching my Kickstart pack, full of optimism and good eating ideas. (And only a stone to lose, which isn't too bad.) I then met with friends for coffee as usual, back in our old haunt which has just been refurbished. This is a good thing: no longer will I be tempted by the large soup bowl of vanilla latte in the posh cafe, it’s back to plain old tea for me. However, the refurb included a new menu - they were offering samples of mini pepper-spiced meatballs; smoked salmon and cream cheese in pitta bread; lemon drizzle cake and creamy yoghurt topped carrot cake. A major test if ever there was one.
All four were absolutely yummy, especially the chocolate muffin with the crunchy mint topping, free with the next hot drink. Mmmmmmmm. Although, it appears WW may have hexed me - the first attempt at opening a packet a sugar ended up with the tube in my tea, the next attempt saw it shoot across the table into the milk jug!
It’s going to be a long week.
All four were absolutely yummy, especially the chocolate muffin with the crunchy mint topping, free with the next hot drink. Mmmmmmmm. Although, it appears WW may have hexed me - the first attempt at opening a packet a sugar ended up with the tube in my tea, the next attempt saw it shoot across the table into the milk jug!
It’s going to be a long week.
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
Great Britain: World Champions
Thanks to the BBC's excellent coverage over the weekend, we were privileged to see our cyclists topping the World Championship Medal Table with 11 medals, NINE of them Gold: Mens Madison: Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish; Mens Keirin: Chris Hoy; Womens Sprint: Victoria Pendleton; Mens Sprint: Chris Hoy; Womens Team Pursuit: Wendy Houvenaghel, Jo Rowsell and Rebecca Romero; Womens Pursuit: Rebecca Romero; Mens Team Pursuit: Edward Clancy, Geraint Thomas, Paul Mannning and Bradley Wiggins; Womens Team Sprint: Victoria Pendleton and Shanaze Reade; Mens Idividual Pursuit: Bradley Wiggins. Silvers: Womens Keirin: Victoria Pendleton; Mens Team Sprint: Jamie Staff, Ross Edgar and Chris Hoy.
It's a good job I saw it though, and wasn't idly checking out teletext now - I couldn't find a single report! There probably was something there, but it had to make way for the very important relegation battles in the football league. Grrrrr!!
Congratulations to the whole team - that's them, Taekwondo and Sailing in contention for the Team Sports Personality of the Year Award, surely? We'll see.
NB: Hubby is now checking out holidays to Manchester Velodrome - he's hooked!
It's a good job I saw it though, and wasn't idly checking out teletext now - I couldn't find a single report! There probably was something there, but it had to make way for the very important relegation battles in the football league. Grrrrr!!
Congratulations to the whole team - that's them, Taekwondo and Sailing in contention for the Team Sports Personality of the Year Award, surely? We'll see.
NB: Hubby is now checking out holidays to Manchester Velodrome - he's hooked!
And speaking of the man himself...
...check out www.strictlygethinjones.blogspot.com for an excellent interview - a limited offer, one day only viewing, probably!!!
"Confessions of a Tired and Emotional Scatterbrain" ...
is now on www.strictlygethinjones.co.uk (links on left - see 'Fun' then 'GG Reports') for the low down on my Good Friday night out with Gethin's Girls, not to mention the man himself.
I said, NOT to mention the man himself.
**Fans herself briskly**
I said, NOT to mention the man himself.
**Fans herself briskly**
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