A Full House

Today should in theory be Boxing Day but isn’t. If you’re looking for it, you missed it, it was yesterday.

This morning the annual Aston Walk. L and I do it. We skip the bingo number checking, they have numbers tacked to trees and if you get a full house you win a set of clothes pegs or whatever else was on offer at Poundland but it's all for charity so I'm not complaining really.

We just walk it or try to. The congestion is of Pride Park standards and is at first very frustrating but things improve eventually.

We still get to check the numbers later and I actually win something. It’s also not a set of clothes pegs. I win chocolate matchmakers, which I had no idea they still made. Although they are now called Quality Street Matchmakers... which I can't see the relevance of at all!



Then a pub lunch at Packhouse in Kings Newton. The beer is good and the food ok but they took a week to cook it.

Forgot to mention this yesterday. Hardys And Hansons' legendary Rocking Rudolph ale is back, again brewed 'down south' by Greene King and is now down to a watery 4.2%. This once great winter ale was once 5% and 'rocked', it was even briefly 5.5% but last year Greene King sold it at 4.5% and now 4.2%, hardly 'rocking'. Next year... who knows.

It's no wonder it now tastes so naff. I'm not really sure why they still bother with it, not now they have their own Abbot Reserve as a winter ale.

(Monday 27th December)

I Have The Bruises To Prove It

I ought to have run to work this morning but a sore ankle, a sore knee and the icy conditions persuades me to take the bus. My two ailments are on different legs. This makes developing a sympathy grabbing limp almost impossible. I just end up walking like Quasimodo which impresses no one.

As ever on the bus, I am the only person who removes their coat after they sit down. What's a matter with these people? Didn't they're grandmother tell that what mine did? That you won't get the benefit when you go back outside.

Apparently, according to something I found on the internet, the fastest speed achieved by any projectile (such as a ball) in sport is 206 mph and that was a badminton shuttlecock.



This is followed by 204 mph for a golf ball then 188 mph - pelota, 188 mph - jai alai, 155 mph - tennis, 127 mph - baseball, 80 mph - volleyball. I assume they’re not including bullets in this because shooting is a sport... as is archery. Surely though squash should be in there? I have the bruises to prove it.

A squash ball must travel faster than a volleyball? A quick Google reveals several unproven reports of a squash ball travelling at 178mph. I will have a go myself later.

By the way I have no idea what the sport of jai alai is. I thought it was a chilli based dish.

The trick for getting the bus back home is to correctly pick which of the two buses arriving at 5.35 is the one that's come all the way from Chesterfield because this is the 5.20 and it’s always late. Because it’s late you can claim a free ride. Tonight I guess correctly. Bingo.

I think I’m on a promise tonight. L mentioned something this morning about booking me for 10pm... unless that is Mika’s on the TV and she wants me to rehearse before next week’s big occasion. She is cooking when I get home from work which means an early meal which sounds promising... or ominous.



First I have to survive squash which I do and I win my one game, that's three in a row. This year is going well so far. I might have to try and be more ambitious.

No Mika on TV. Phew.