So where was I before I had to go and pour myself another Bundy & Coke? Ah yes... back to the Morris household after Sunday's training session with Mitch Shirra (the keen buggers with speedway bikes that is - not I who propped up the bar!)
Well on Monday morn is was off to work / school for most of the Morris household except mum Wendy who offered to drop me into Townsville when I was ready as, despite being there over a week, I hadn't seen much of it with everyone out during the day.
She offered to drop me off at "The Strand" - a piece of coastline in Townsville that has been landscaped with walks etc and really is pleasant. She pulled up at what proved to be the end of The Strand furthest away from the main shopping area in Townsville and asked, "do you want to be dropped a bit closer to the shops?" "No this'll do," I quickly responded. "It's a fair old trot from here!" she warned. "No I'll be ok," said I - twit that I am! She was right, it WAS a fair old trot - about three to four flipping miles! Jeez I've never walked so far for donkey's years, besides which the old arthuritis wouldn't allow me to in the UK but out here? Well I struggled on slowly but surely, stopping for a cooling beer in a pub halfway of course as it was damn thirsty work in the heat I can tell you with the temperature in the mid-thirties - celcius that is NOT Fahrenheit!
Eventually, and I MEAN e_v_e_n_t_u_a_l_l_y (!) I arrived at the pedestrianised shopping mall, walked to the far end and phoned mein host Lee to see where I could meet him for a beer and a lift home. Guess where he suggested? Yep the pub at the OTHER end of the street where I'd just come from!
Anyways I met up with him, we had a couple and then it was off home via the bottleshop to pick up some Bundy, beer and vino for the evening as Mitch (Shirra) was coming around for dinner.
The meal was superb, the booze flowed, Lee and Wendy retired early as they had work in the morn but me and Mitch..... well we carried on! God knows what time we packed up but I confess to being somewhat Brahms which, when my alarm clock went off at 6.45am on Tuesday morn I decided was NOT the best of ideas! Packing was done somewhat hastily, Lee came home from work to drop me off at the airport as I was now off to Melbourne (via Brisbane) to stop with another mate (Sir Lunchalot of BSF fame!) for a fortnight. I lkeft Townsville at 10.05am - arrived Melbourne 6.25pm! BIG country is Oz! And guess what? Jeez it was cold - temperature only arounbd 23c NOT the high thirties I've been used to! Where's my overcoat I cried to myself!
Thankfully it's been up to about 32c today (Thursday) - MUCH more acceptable! Lunchy's oft to work in the morn (poor sod!) whilst I'm gonna laze around the house and watch the start of another test match tonking for the Poms!
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Blimey it's cooler here - well it was yesterday! (Part 1)
Well it's about time I brought you another update because a lot has happened since my last one.
As I told you on my last update, former Oxford rider Keith Pilcher and wife Marg came around to the Morris household for a couple of drinks and keep me company last Friday whilst Lee and Wendy went to a works booze up. It was a good night at the Morris Household AND at the Works booze up judging by the grin on Lee's face when he and Wendy arrived home! Naturally of course, we carried on drinking when they got back!
On Saturday we headed up to Ayr and the meeting at Pioneer Park for my latest methanol fumes fix. Tad warm it was but, as ever, I had a thoroughly enjoyable time and trust me, Shelley and Rhino Ryan who run the circuit ensure that EVERYONE has a good time!
Now the meeting itself saw Veteran Kiwi Mitch Shirra, the old bugger, show that on occasions there's no substitute for experience as he recorded his second successive victory at the North Queensland venue.Having seen young Mitchell come over to the UK as a teenager, and ride last Saturday night, tis hard to believe he'll be 48 next birthday! Now if HE'S 48 next Birthday....bloody hell I AM old!
Anyway Mitch dropped just one point in the heats when beaten by John "Shags" Oliver who was having his first meeting at the track since returning from his successful season with King's Lynn. The final proved a disaster for "Shags" who was left stranded at the tapes when his engine dropped a valve and that led to Shirra leading from start to finish. Considerably more on 'young' Mr Shirra follows - trust me!
After the meeting, as you do at Pioneer Park, we all congregated by the bar (er...where else?) and celebrated the imminent 40th birthday of sidecar speedway legend Gary Moon in style and then it was back to Townsville, watching in awe as the burnt the sugarcane (somebody did tell me why they do it but blowed if I can remember!) - quite a sight for sure, before arriving home at some ungodly hour! BUT there was no lie in on Sunday morn - oh dear me no! Yes we were up at the crack of dawn (nineish!) for brekkie - DO remember I allergic to mornings people - and then back to Pionerr Park as Mitch was running a training school. 'Twas hot on Sunday - that I can vouch so the Bundy went down well whilst the young 'uns, including Nick Morris son of Lee, benefitted from Mitch's experience! To be continued in Part 2.....
As I told you on my last update, former Oxford rider Keith Pilcher and wife Marg came around to the Morris household for a couple of drinks and keep me company last Friday whilst Lee and Wendy went to a works booze up. It was a good night at the Morris Household AND at the Works booze up judging by the grin on Lee's face when he and Wendy arrived home! Naturally of course, we carried on drinking when they got back!
On Saturday we headed up to Ayr and the meeting at Pioneer Park for my latest methanol fumes fix. Tad warm it was but, as ever, I had a thoroughly enjoyable time and trust me, Shelley and Rhino Ryan who run the circuit ensure that EVERYONE has a good time!
Now the meeting itself saw Veteran Kiwi Mitch Shirra, the old bugger, show that on occasions there's no substitute for experience as he recorded his second successive victory at the North Queensland venue.Having seen young Mitchell come over to the UK as a teenager, and ride last Saturday night, tis hard to believe he'll be 48 next birthday! Now if HE'S 48 next Birthday....bloody hell I AM old!
Anyway Mitch dropped just one point in the heats when beaten by John "Shags" Oliver who was having his first meeting at the track since returning from his successful season with King's Lynn. The final proved a disaster for "Shags" who was left stranded at the tapes when his engine dropped a valve and that led to Shirra leading from start to finish. Considerably more on 'young' Mr Shirra follows - trust me!
After the meeting, as you do at Pioneer Park, we all congregated by the bar (er...where else?) and celebrated the imminent 40th birthday of sidecar speedway legend Gary Moon in style and then it was back to Townsville, watching in awe as the burnt the sugarcane (somebody did tell me why they do it but blowed if I can remember!) - quite a sight for sure, before arriving home at some ungodly hour! BUT there was no lie in on Sunday morn - oh dear me no! Yes we were up at the crack of dawn (nineish!) for brekkie - DO remember I allergic to mornings people - and then back to Pionerr Park as Mitch was running a training school. 'Twas hot on Sunday - that I can vouch so the Bundy went down well whilst the young 'uns, including Nick Morris son of Lee, benefitted from Mitch's experience! To be continued in Part 2.....
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Well another day dawns here in Townsville wth blue skies, temperatures predicted to reach 30 plus and the Aussies are still wacking that little red ball around the Gabba against the Poms. The peace and tranquility is only interrupted by the Aussie Airforce fighter planes playing silly monkeys above practising their aerobatics I presume - noisy buggers.
Anyway en route to do some shopping last night, we naturally called into the pub first and downed a couple (still reckon the Aussies serve their beer ice cold to kill the taste!) and mein host's missus Wendy decided to invest a few dollars on the Pokies. That's slot machines / one armed bandits to you and I! Rather than watch her I felt it would be rude not to join her and so I put a ten dollar note in the slot, the machine swallowed it and I quickly worked out which button to press to set the reels rolling.
Guess what? After a few spins, lights started flashing, bells started ringing and the upshot was that I walked out of the pub with 200 bucks for my 10 bucks investment. Naturally I spent a chunk of my winnings on a case of Bundy & coke!
Anyway on to what I'm primarily out here for - apart from the sun, booze, food etc - and that's speedway. I can assure you that no one is best pleased that there's been a big switch around in the dates / venues for the Aussie Champs rounds! Rather than start over in SA / Victoria, the series will now start in NSW! Can you imagine the outcry if this had happened in the UK? Ah well - just gotta rebook one flight so it hasn't affected me that much.
Soon be time for me to grab some lunch so better go shower / spruce myself up. Tonight former Oxford rider Keith Pilcher and wife Marg are coming around for a couple of drinks. Tomorrow, as I said on my first post, it's up to Pioneer Park in Ayr for my latest methanol fumes fix. Hope you lot in Blighty are not suffering too badly from the old withdrawal symptoms!
Anyway en route to do some shopping last night, we naturally called into the pub first and downed a couple (still reckon the Aussies serve their beer ice cold to kill the taste!) and mein host's missus Wendy decided to invest a few dollars on the Pokies. That's slot machines / one armed bandits to you and I! Rather than watch her I felt it would be rude not to join her and so I put a ten dollar note in the slot, the machine swallowed it and I quickly worked out which button to press to set the reels rolling.
Guess what? After a few spins, lights started flashing, bells started ringing and the upshot was that I walked out of the pub with 200 bucks for my 10 bucks investment. Naturally I spent a chunk of my winnings on a case of Bundy & coke!
Anyway on to what I'm primarily out here for - apart from the sun, booze, food etc - and that's speedway. I can assure you that no one is best pleased that there's been a big switch around in the dates / venues for the Aussie Champs rounds! Rather than start over in SA / Victoria, the series will now start in NSW! Can you imagine the outcry if this had happened in the UK? Ah well - just gotta rebook one flight so it hasn't affected me that much.
Soon be time for me to grab some lunch so better go shower / spruce myself up. Tonight former Oxford rider Keith Pilcher and wife Marg are coming around for a couple of drinks. Tomorrow, as I said on my first post, it's up to Pioneer Park in Ayr for my latest methanol fumes fix. Hope you lot in Blighty are not suffering too badly from the old withdrawal symptoms!
It ain't half hot mum - luverly jubbly!
Well my first posting on my newly created blog where I'll be detailing all the goings on as they happen during my latest trip to the Antipodes. Afterall I can't let my darling daughter be the only "blogger"in the Williams household now can I?
Those that know me will be fully aware that I'm somewhat allergic to cold weather so hence my trips each winter out here to Australia. Trouble is this time, every bugger has seemingly got in on the act as there's some sort of cricket matches going on out here I believe!
Now to me as a proud Welshman apart from Glamorgan winning, which doesn't happen too often I confess, I've no real interest in this particular sport especially as from what I've read there's a South African and and Australian (at least!) out here representing England, or rather the Poms.
Trouble is with all these cricket wallahs out here, cheap flights via Blue Virgin and Queer and Nasty Take Another Service are harder to come by that on my previous visits!
Anyway I'm here to watch a proper sport i.e. Speedway Racing - no NOT silly cars but men on 500cc motorcycles with no brakes racing each other around a loose shale oval going from 0 to 60mph (sorry kids as an old git I haven't got a clue what that is in kph) in a flash.
I'm also here for the beer - well no not the beer actually as I've yet to be able to find a pub serving a decent pint (well ANY pint!) of bitter out here - can't abide lager BUT there's the nectar of the gods that is Bundy (I'm slurping one now in between paragraphs!). Those who've ever tasted it will I'm sure know why I rate it so highly.
I'm also here for the warmth as I've alluded to earlier and it's been a pleasant thirtysomething here in Townsville, Nth Queensland today with the promise of even warmer temps over the weekend.
Can't wait, nor can I wait to be at my next speedway meeting at Pioneer Park, Ayr on Saturday. I'll update you on all the details next time.
Those that know me will be fully aware that I'm somewhat allergic to cold weather so hence my trips each winter out here to Australia. Trouble is this time, every bugger has seemingly got in on the act as there's some sort of cricket matches going on out here I believe!
Now to me as a proud Welshman apart from Glamorgan winning, which doesn't happen too often I confess, I've no real interest in this particular sport especially as from what I've read there's a South African and and Australian (at least!) out here representing England, or rather the Poms.
Trouble is with all these cricket wallahs out here, cheap flights via Blue Virgin and Queer and Nasty Take Another Service are harder to come by that on my previous visits!
Anyway I'm here to watch a proper sport i.e. Speedway Racing - no NOT silly cars but men on 500cc motorcycles with no brakes racing each other around a loose shale oval going from 0 to 60mph (sorry kids as an old git I haven't got a clue what that is in kph) in a flash.
I'm also here for the beer - well no not the beer actually as I've yet to be able to find a pub serving a decent pint (well ANY pint!) of bitter out here - can't abide lager BUT there's the nectar of the gods that is Bundy (I'm slurping one now in between paragraphs!). Those who've ever tasted it will I'm sure know why I rate it so highly.
I'm also here for the warmth as I've alluded to earlier and it's been a pleasant thirtysomething here in Townsville, Nth Queensland today with the promise of even warmer temps over the weekend.
Can't wait, nor can I wait to be at my next speedway meeting at Pioneer Park, Ayr on Saturday. I'll update you on all the details next time.
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