Suffice it to say after a very long 2 year battle the campaign group, the Local Council and Camra were successful in telling the developer to Foxtrot Oscar and never darken our doorstep again!
Pubs like The Dodford are becoming an increasingly rare commodity. It's a proper pub, with a proper bar which serves proper ale and which is a credit to the Landlord Richard Scott and the good home cooking should make Richard's Missus Min very proud indeed. Indeed the Camra Head Shed were on hand Friday evening to dole out a couple of awards to them.
This weekend which coincided with St Georges Day was used as a celebration not just to mark the first anniversary and our Patron Saint's Day but in my opinion was also a celebration to common sense, which just like the pub is also a rare commodity these days. St Georges Day was also an excuse for Richard the Gaffer to dress up as the Dragon Slayer himself and run around scaring the kids with a lifesize replica of an Old English Broadsword that was a long as Fay is tall! I just regret not getting a photo of him as I was too busy pissing my self laughing!
Edit, found this photo on The Dodfords Facebook page. Richard and Min getting their Camra award thingies.
Richard had also organised got a hog roast, a BBQ, a beer festival, a few bands on, a new ale launch and some Morris Dancers. All in all a very busy weekend.
If you are a regular reader of this missive, then you'll know that we always go to the Dodford of a Friday tea time, stay an hour or two then bugger off when The Spawn of Satan kicks off. This Friday we were able to stay for the duration as the weather was great and we were camping in the big field surrounding the pub. Dan could run around to his hearts content without pissing everyone off and when he finally crashed we could sit around the tent and carry on enjoying ourselves.
A few piccys below.
The pub from the back field.
The bar with Chris doing the honours.
View from my bivvy, 0600hrs Saturday morning.
Fay and Dan awake...
Fay last to be ready, as usual!
I slept outside in my bivvy and doss bag. I was absolutely fine and slept the sleep of the just! I'd forgotten just how much I enjoy sleeping out. I had to disappear into the bushes at about 0245hrs for a comfort break and when I got back into my bag I just lay there staring at the stars until I drifted off again. Fantastic!
As you may or may not recognise, I managed to hang on to my Army doss bag and kip mat. My Goretex Bivvy bag was purchased by me, like a lot of other squaddies back in the day as the bashas they expected us to sleep in were crap! Just remember servicemen, the kit you use is made to the lowest possible budget!
Today I'm off coaching, it's our lads very last game as an age group as they progress to Colts and adult rugby next year. I know it'll be an emotional time. There's a BBQ and bar afterwards and a bit of a get together with everyone who has been involved over the years.
And finally onto bikes, Phase 2 starts tomorrow with a 20 mile east side pedal. I suppose if I'm realistic, I needed to lose around 8 stones to be back to my youthful most fit weight. It's about 9 or 10 months into this thing and I'm roughly half way. I wonder if the last 4 stones will come off in the same amount of time?
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Looks like a cracking weekend, been a long time since I was asleep in a pub garden...mind you look a lot more organised than I ever did!!
ReplyDeleteYour bit about cheap army gear, reminded me of a quote from Armaggedon "You know we're sitting on four million pounds of fuel, one nuclear weapon and a thing that has 270,000 moving parts built by the lowest bidder. Makes you feel good, doesn't it?
Good luck with starting phase 2 tomorrow :)
Having lost 4 stone in such a short time is fantastic. However, there are some downsides to loosing weight fast. Your skin will have stretched slowly over time to accommodate the new body fat. Loosing weight too quickly can leave lots to excess skin. One of my friends has done this and there's nothing you can do to get rid of the excess skin is to have it removed by surgery. Keep going but don't try to loose it too quickly from now on, however tempting it might be.
ReplyDeleteI could make some pun about it being wrong that a landlord chases kids round with his broadsword - but I wont :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great pub - unlike the one our house back onto, that has now closed. Good thing you might think, until you realise that teenage assholes have burnt it out and flooded it and broken into it 6 times in two days.
Luv the pics Clive, sounds Spawn ad a great time which meant Mum,Dad,Sister, ad a great time to.
ReplyDeleteGood luck wiv phase 2, I am sure wiv ure determination u will get to the weight u desire matey,
Joby, Ure rite mate that jus sounds so wrong lol
I did know that the usual suspects would fill their boots with the gaffer and the broadsword sentence. Thanks for not letting me down!
ReplyDeleteI think everyone except me is off bivvying!!!- Grrrr.
ReplyDeleteNice One Clive what batt was you in mate?
ReplyDeleteseems like a good time was had by all and i think ive been to the dodford in my time,
And the governments response about our troops being fully equipped i know there economical with the truth.
ITS NO EXCUSE.
Good luck with phase 2 and i think youve done exceptionally well,
Is it all our vision to be back to how we remember ourselves as lean mean fighting machines.
Simon, I was a Scaley, (Royal Signals) for the civvies out there!
ReplyDeleteWas that because of the lithium batteries leaked or because of your pay band Clive..Lol
ReplyDeleteNice one.