Physical wreck

You can tell you're getting old when knocks, bumps and bruises just don't go away like they used to. This week, not only am I suffering with at least heavily bruised little finger and thumb on my right hand from cricket knocks, but my dodgy knee (also a legacy of cricket - 25 years bowling) has swollen like a balloon. I'm waiting for surgery on it which the 'doc reckons should happen within the next 12 months - until then I'll just have to limp.

Picasa

Well then - what about this Picasa photo organising software available via Google? Well, I thought I'd give it a go as I've loads of digital photo's that are getting more and more messy to keep track of. About 2 minutes after installing this piece of software I was hooked! It's brilliant, and considering it's free as well, it'd be stupid not to give it a go. It's better than any other photo album/organising software I've tried so far, and it does all the hard work for you. All you've really got to do is give your files/folders a decent name that indicates what's in there e.g. "Sport". You don't have to but it helps. I love this software, and would recommend it to anyone - and no - here's no kick backs for me.....
Picasa home

I don't like cricket - I love it!

Great day yesterday, as the Tavs beat Tintern, but on a more satisfying personal note I hit 148 not out - my personal best and a new club record - read all about this and the Tavs at Heath Taverners online

The wonderful Pembrokeshire coastline 

Tavs on Tour

Over the weekend of 10th/11th July, the Tavs enjoyed a short tour to the South West. A short trip down the M5 in some fairly hefty weather was eased by some cans of beer and a few Pogues and Tom Jones songs, plus a tricky quiz lifted by Smiffie( see later) off the 'net.
Arriving at the "Rainbow Hotel" Torquay we quickly booked in and set off in search of more beer. Tricky....Torquay (or perhaps more properly Torbay) has no proper Pubs - at least none we could find. Plenty of noisy bars but no real Pubs. Settling for a mock Irish bar we downed several pints of the black gold (Spider & Billy Bach stuck to coke obviously). By this time Smiffie was getting seriously *iss**d off at being called Smiffie (from the John Smiths advert) so we obviously kept at it!
The following morning we all pitched and putted, with Statto leading the way with a fine 32 for 9 holes. Off to the first match where in competition with the local school fayre we played Harptree CC. They batted first and scored 202. We batted second and didn't. To be fair a magnificent double innings (he retired once) of 93* by the skipper saw us needing just 6 off the last ball but it wasn't to be. The defeat was made more bearable by the opposition being a thoroughly good bunch, plus having several pints of Bass at the Drum in Cockington. Back to the hotel and a quick turnaround for more beer and a great curry (for those that can remember by that time).
Next morning those that were able took to the pitch & putt again, this time Slasher holing out with 29. By now Smiffie had become "The cricketer formerly known as Smiffie", and he even smiled a bit.
On to the second match just outside Exeter at Tedburn St Mary. We batted first as Slash had to leg it at 4pm. Going at over 8 an over with Statto the match looked in safe hands, but 121-2 suddenly became 128 all out (beer telling by now?) Smiffie, was by this time known as "Fido" (Logic as follows....."Smiffie" becomes "The cricketer formerly known as Smiffie" becomes (obviously) "Prince" which is a dog's name, as is "Fido"). Anyway, they knocked the runs off for 1 wicket, so we went for some more beer. Then we came home. Great weekend - Thanks to Fido for setting it all up.

Quote of the tour - in response to a quiz question Fido said "the answer is one word - The End"

Champagne moment - Slasher's amazing catch off his own bowling against Harptree

Tour Photos

Great web sites

If you're a sucker for dodgy web sites, how about these two!
Heath Taverners Cricket Club is my cricket club's site. I need tell you no more than to have a rummage through this to assess how good (or bad) you think we are!

DPAB.co.uk is an even more dodgy site, paying homage to the skittles team I play for here in deepest South Wales. We're all Cardiff City fans to boot as well, and take both our skittles and our football very seriously - well, the football anyway!

A more cultured site is the Chepstow Male Voice Choir website, new this spring. I was asked to do this, 'cause my Dad sings in it! It's a little more refined than the other two sites.

Why "The Lentil"?

For those of you not familiar with the Hiscocks Family Newsletter (several billion of you I guess), the Family Newsletter started out under a range of alternative names - each issue had a different, witty (well it was supposed to be witty) title. Then, for some now lost reason, it evolved into "The Diddly", and remained so for a couple of years. However, on the birth of my youngest (currently) niece my nephew derived "The Lentil" from her given name, which is Eleanor Tilly. This seemmed rather clever for a (then) 9 year old, and as I was in mid issue production of the latest tome, I used it, and it stuck - so there you have it.

Disney Trip May 2004

You can read all about our recent trip to Disney World in Florida here too - the first link will take you to our trip report on the DIBB bulletin boards - please note you'll need to register with the DIBB first, but it's not too painful. The DIBB is also an invaluable resource for anyone planning a trip to Disney World in Florida.

The second link will take you to Photobox.co.uk where you'll be able to see all our photos! (again you'll have to register first). Photobox is one of my favourite sites, and if you've got a digital camera, then bookmarking this site is a must.

Enjoy....

Trip Report
Our Disney photos

I'm doing this in my own time -honest!

Now I've set the time zone properly, you should be able to see that I'm doing this in my own time, and not at work!

England to beat Portugal?

Roonmania - come on Engerland!

Maybe - hopefully, tough after 24 years of living in Wales, being married to a Cardiff lass, and having two children that are Welsh, means that I suppose I'm as Welsh, if not more so than English....

Iechyd Da!

The Lentil online?

Here's a thought - rather than going to the trouble of publishing an occasional family newsletter, why not put the whole damn thing online in a "Blog" (weblog). Selected invited individuals can post, it's here for eternity (or at least until the webfalls over) and to boot it's free (relatively).
What do you think?