So this weekend, having committed myself in print to moving forward, it came, that when a dear pal, said, ‘come and watch the footie’! I determinedly, if not entirely enthusiastically accepted the invitation.
Now ‘watching footie’ is not something I have willingly done since my early 20’s, when I dated a goalie, you’ll understand the interest was not wholly focused on the finer points of the game. So the prospect of watching football on TV, was only mildly acceptable, especially as I am in essence much more of a rugby lass. However the FA cup semi final was the event, Tottenham Hot Spur V some ‘other’ team, who shall not be named, you can however identify them in the final as Spurs rather lost the plot in the second half!
As a wee girl, recently arrived in London, I used to get taken to White Heart Lane, Home of Tottenham Hotspur and saw both FA cup final wins in 1980 & 1981, the matches washed over me in hazy cacophony of sound, the roar of the crowd, the smells, beer and fags with a tart overtone of ketchup and hotdogs and so many people, all about me, yelling their heads off, I had never ever seen grown-ups behave like this before! I do remember jumping up and down in the stands, caught in the moment, shouting Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy, Oi, Oi, Oi (reference Osvaldo Ardiles). It was a big deal to one with little legs and it felt very, very special indeed.
So it was that our weekend invite, triggered all these memories, a real past blast, so it was decided, by mummy (that’s me), that we would go. The venue, a neighbour’s house in the Glen, a beautiful, tranquil hillside home, some 3 miles from the Castle offered us the exciting opportunity to bicycle there and back again, This immediately provided an appropriate level of interest to the girls, so we were all in.
I make a special mention of these neighbour’s, they are both very dear to Charles and I, and part of the Castle story. In 2003 when we first arrived in Glendaruel, in a white hire van and a Suzuki Jeep respectively, stuffed full of, well, ‘stuff’, plus 2 Basset Hounds. These kindly neighbours hired us their wee holiday cottage, by the side of the local Hotel which they were at the time running, plus very generously threw in the use of their cow byre, to store our worldly chattels in, until we had erected our big red flat packed shed.
Having not seen them for an age, well in reality not seen anyone in an age (reference previous post ‘into the light’), we all became quite enthused. Number 1 daughter because she really likes sport, and number 2 daughter, who is quite open about her limited enthusiasm for said subject, because she likes visiting!
Duly bicycles were inspected, rusty but working, helmets dusted off, dusty but useable, Daddy was prized, reluctantly, out of his office so off we set. 6 mile round trip, excellent company and a great afternoon had by all. I think we might do this again, once the pain in my thighs has subsided. Be warned Michael, Liz, Fiona & Tat. We will be back and Thank you xx
