AFC Bournemouth - A New Beginning

I am not, repeat not, a football fan.

I live in Manchester; but I'm not Red or Blue.
Liverpool is at the end of the motorway, to the west.
Rochdale, Oldham, Bolton are all within striking distance.

I'm from Bournemouth.
Down there, on the sunny south-coast.
I love it there.
I've written about it before.

The sun, sand, sea, fresh air.
AFC Bournemouth..........

Er? Yes! AFC Bournemouth.  Known locally as "The Cherries", at the end of last season they won promotion to League Division 1.  Not top flight, but a long way from Division 3, and considering their financial difficulties, this is like Premier Division stuff.

So, I will be following The Cherries as they begin their campaign on 7th August (does the season start earlier each year?) away to Charlton.

The juicy game comes 3 days later, as they meet Southampton, for the first time since the late 80s, in the Carling Cup.

Football mad, I am not.

But, I have to admit I'll be following Bournemouth's progress over the coming months.
In future posts, I'll write more about the club, their history and who they are.

Finally - it's quiz time.
Why are AFC Bournemouth called The Cherries?

Answers on a postcard. Oh, alright then, in the comments below.

The Bickerton Poacher

It's another review, but this time it's not gadgets but food.

At the weekend, we went to visit family who decided to pitch their tent for the night, next to a pub. Now, let's be honest, what could be better than a beautiful, sunny, afternoon, in a field, with a nice cold beer?

Well, that didn't happen! The beer had to wait until later.

I digress! The Bickerton Arms is situated in Bulkeley, between Wrexham and Nantwich. It's a delightful place which caters for parties of all sizes. They offer bed and breakfast accommodation which, although I only saw a photo, based on my experience, I think would be quite nice.

The pub also owns the adjoining field, on which they are happy to accommodate tents, caravans and motor-homes. Camping facilities aren't bad, including showers (although only a couple) drinking water tap, on-site shop (in the pub!) Childrens play area and much more.
At a very reasonable £8 / night for a 5-man tent, you really can't go wrong.

The restaurant is "designed for those who want to spoil themselves." It's also possible to dine in the bar area or lounge. Whether for a romantic meal, family day out or a group of friends 'slobbing out', this is a terrific venue.

In the evening, we commandeered a couple of tables in the pub garden and enjoyed a really lovely meal. The food was fresh and beautifully served. A childrens menu is also available.

It's just over a one hour drive from Manchester, and if you're looking for good food in a friendly atmosphere, then you should give this place a try.

It has to be said that I liked this place, and whilst there are plenty of other good eateries, closer to home, I felt I had to write about it.

Check out their website here.

Red Bull in Parliament Square

As many know, in the world of Formula 1, I'm a McLaren fan.  However, this video is inspired from the Red Bull team.

As a pre-cursor to the British Grand Prix, next weekend, they set up a pit-stop in Parliament Square, in London, and Mark Webber drove his car around a very short circuit, at 6am one morning last week.

What's more impressive, is that this took place after his death-defying crash in Valencia, last week.

This is a great promo, from the team the really does "give you wings"!!!

Roll on Silverstone....

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Look out for this year's offering with Nicholas Cage.  I quite like him in films such as "Gone in 60 Seconds" and "Con Air", not to mention "National Treasure".  Once again, he dons a rather strange hairstyle.  Here's the synopsis, as posted on IMDB.com

A new live action comedy-adventure loosely based on the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment of Disney's Fantasia.

In modern day Manhatten, the master sorcerer Balthazar Blake (Nicholas Cage) attempts to protect the city from his arch-nemesis, Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina), an evil wizard with nefarious plans.

Horvath is determined to claim New York City for his own evil purposes, and enlists an illusionist (Tony Kebbell) to help him toward that end. Given the formidable forces working against him, Blake does not feel that he can accomplish this mission alone.

To help in his venture, he seeks out a seemingly average guy, Dave Stutler (Jay Baruchel), who is recruited to be Blake's apprentice. Stutler is initially skeptical, and reluctant to get involved, but eventually is convinced by Blake to help in this cause.

Blake gives Stutler a crash course in magic, and mishaps invariably ensue. There is also a love interest in peril angle to the storyline that provides additional motivation for Stutler. 

Together, Blake and Stutler take on Horvath in a classic good versus evil struggle.

Extracted from IMDB.com





It's due to be released in the UK on 13th August, and it looks like a lot of fun.

In The Summertime

Summer songs continue with this smasher from Mungo Jerry

Just look at all that hair!!!