Diamond Geezers

On Sunday Miriam and I went to Birmingham to the Aviva Diamond League Athletics meeting. I'd tried for tickets a few times since the Olympics had finished and the website always said sold out. I had though registered my interest in other events which paid dividends when I recieved an E-Mail saying that returned tickets had gone back for resale and was I interested. Five minutes later and I was talking to Ticketmaster and booking our places.

We set off at 8.30am to beat the traffic but as it was very quiet on the M5 we arrived at the Alexander Stadium in plenty of time. At 11.45am the gates were opened and we found our seats right in the front row.

The action got underway at 1pm and we were treated to an afternoon of high class Athletics with many of the London 2012 medal winners on show including four of the five track and field winners from Team GB.

Shelly Ann Fraser-Price Winner of the 100m Gold in London

There were 43 medalists from London including Mo Farrah the double Olympic Champion in the 5,000 and 10,000 mtrs who was running a 2 mile race.

Christine Ohuruogu who won silver in London and who came second again at this meeting.

Robbie Grabarz who won Bronze in Mens High Jump in London but today won the competition beating the Olympic Champion Ivan Ukhov of Russia,

Greg Rutherford who became the first English Olympic Long Jump Champion in London and the first GB holder of the title for 38 years.

Beer Tick, Bird Tick

Yesterday afternoon Andy G and I had planned to go down to Weymouth to try for the Woodchat Shrike at Wyke Regis. We left at 12.45pm but by the time we got to Axminster the heavens had opened and we decided to give it a miss and go to the pub instead.
We turned off at Raymond's Hill and went to the newly reopened Bottle Inn at Marshwood. They had three ales on with two of them from a new brewery for me Flack Manor in Romsey, Hampshire.
We both went for the Double Drop at 3.7% which was an amber bitter with slight smoky aftertaste. Whilst we were there I checked the Internet using the pubs free wi-fi and saw that the Spotted Redshank was still at Black Hole Marsh so we waited for the rain to ease off and headed over there.
We picked up the Spot Shank straight away along with at least 5 Common Sandpipers, 2 Green Sandpipers and 2 Ringed Plovers. There were also at least a dozen Dunlin and 2 Shelduck along with the usual Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. We then decided to call it a day as the weather was showing no signs of improving and headed home.
In the evening Andy and Nigel picked me up for our monthly 'Ale Trail' night out. We called round to pick up Matt and then set off for the White Lion in Broadwindsor.

This evening it was quite full and seemed to be a popular place for meals. The last time we had visited we had found the pub closed at around 10pm on a Thursday night so we were happy to see it open for business tonight. As is usual in this area its a Palmer's house and had two off their beers on, Copper and Best Bitter. I went for the Best while the others all tried the Copper.
We then moved on to our next port of call, The Shaves Cross Inn. The pub claims to have the oldest Skittle Alley in the country dating back to the 10th century and there can't be many pubs that advertise a helipad.

The ales on offer were two from Branscombe and a new one for me the Quay Brewery. I tried the Marshwood Vale at 4% but it wasn't in the best of 'nick'. We didn't stay too long and then went to the Bottle Inn again (for Andy and I anyway !) . This time I went for the Flack Catcher at 4.4% which was OK but not as good as the Double Drop which was my next choice (and my second of the day).
Last beer of the night was one I've tried several times, Bay's Devon Dumpling.

Chard Road Gravel Pits 20th August

Last night I paid a late evening visit to the gravel pits. It was very quiet on the bird front apart from a nice group of Mandarin Ducks on the East Lake.

Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata)

They were a mixture of eclipse males and females. There was also a single Green Sandpiper on the far bank and the usual Mallards,Coots and Little Grebes.
A walk down to the West Lake produced a group of three juvenile Grey Herons and a few Hirundines skimming over the water.

Orb Web Spider (Araneus diadematus)

There was more to see in the way of 'bugs' with quite a few Dragonfly's and Damselfly's on the wing and a few early moths flitting about.

Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerium)

Tiger,Tiger Burning Bright.....

The early evening sunshine last night prompted me to make a visit to the Gravel Pits. There were the usual Coots on the East Lake with a couple of late Swallows skimming the water.
On the far bank were a small group of Mandarins and a single Green Sandpiper. A green Woodpecker called from a nearby tree but I couldn't locate it in the foliage.

As I walked into the reserve I flushed a large moth from the path and was delighted to see this Jersey Tiger Moth.

Jersey Tiger (Euplagia quadripunctaria)

The under wings flashed a brilliant orange as it flew to the other side of a ditch and settled. I then carried on up the path and had a brief view of a Jay and this Green Woodpecker.

Green Woodpecker(Picus viridis)

The rest of the walk was quite uneventful and I headed off home, stopping briefly on the bridge by the Creamery to see a couple of juvenile Grey Wagtails.

The Donkey Sanctuary

This morning Miriam and I paid a visit to the Donkey Sanctuary near Sidmouth. It was started by Dr. Elizabeth Svendsen in 1973 and is home to around 500 Donkey's.

It was a very hot day and it was quite pleasant to wander around the various paddocks.

One of the paddocks though was empty of Donkey's but was the most interesting for me as it had several Pied Wagtails, one White Wagtail and few Goldfinches feeding on the ground. On the wires above were quite a few of this years young Swallows and a single House Martin.
I spent some time trying to photo the Swallows as they zoomed around the field with varying results.

After a bite to eat at the cafe we made our way home via Tesco's at Seaton so that I could stock up with beer's and then had a quick look over the estuary. There was too much disturbance from Canoeists though for much birding to be done so we came home.

GBBF 2012

                                              As I was going to St.Ives,
                                          I passed a man with seven wives


Well change St.Ives for Olympia and seven wives for seven Somerset CAMRA members and you end up with our trip to the Great British Beer Festival 2012.
We arrived at Crewkerne Station in two groups at around 8.00am on Thursday 9th August for the three hour journey to Kensington Olympia station.As usual we met up with some of our Hampshire CAMRA friends at Basingstoke and our group now numbered eleven.
The station is opposite the venue so we didn't have to go far once we arrived but as we were around 50 mins early we decided to forgo the queue and have a 'whistle wetter' instead. We walked a short way up the road to the Hand and Flower, a large open plan free house with large picture windows. There were 10 hand pumps serving real ales, mostly Fuller's but with a few ales from further afield. I went for a Caledonian 'Top Banana' at 4.1% a golden fruit beer with a sharp caramel taste that also has the distinct banana aftertaste that gives it its name.

A few of the guys in the Hand and Flower

Around 11.45am a few of us walked over the road to start queueing and as it got near to mid-day the queue suddenly moved forward at pace and we soon inside picking up our glasses and programs.
Andy and I made a beeline for the seating area and had soon secured a table and chairs that would accommodate all eleven of us. As soon as enough of the group had joined us I went off in search of my first beer of the festival. As in previous years I had searched website in the days before and chosen some beers that I wanted to try. This sometimes works out but more often than not I will either find that the choices are gone or haven't even made it to the racks.
I headed over to the Matthews bar and was pleased to find my first choice was there. It was the Marble Brewery's Lagonda IPA at 5%. It had very fruity aroma and was sharp and crisp with a nice bitter aftertaste. A good start and a 9/10 for me.
Next up was the overall silver winner at this years festival and was Green Jacks 'Trawlerboys'. This was also the Gold winner in the Best Bitters section. It was a full-bodied copper coloured beer at 4.6%. It rated a 7/10 from me.
There was much excitement at the table when the Hampshire guys discovered that Bathams 'Best' was at the festival. I'd heard a lot about this beer and it always gets a mention whenever we're at a beer festival so I just had to try it. Its a pale yellow and hoppy 4.3% ale with a refreshing finish and was very drinkable so it got a score of 8/10.
Number four was Woodfordes 'Once Bittern' a copper coloured ale at 4.0%. The guide said that it had a distinctive aroma of spice and citrus but I really couldn't get it and found it an unremarkable beer so I scored it with a 4/10.
I now decided to try one of the bars upstairs and when I went up was surprised at how large the area was, it felt like another festival was going on up there.

View from the Balcony

I had gone looking for Bird's 'Black Widow Stout' but It was between casks so I took the barman's suggestion and tried a Bridestones 'Dark Mild' instead. This was a dark brown strong mild at 4.5% with complex flavours of roasted nuts and rated a 6/10 from me.

Full House (for once)

My sixth beer of the festival was from the Fat Cat Brewery and was 'Marmalade Cat' at 5.5%, this was a well balanced complex beer with malt overtones and a hoppy aftertaste. I quite enjoyed this and gave it 8/10.
On to number seven and one of my favourite Brewery's and Adnams from Suffolk. This was 'Explorer'  at 4.3% and was a golden bitter with grapefruit aromas and a fruity bitterness in the aftertaste. I gave it 7/10.
My eighth beer was from the Millstone brewery and was 'Tiger Rut' at 4.0%. This was a pale and hoppy beer with a distinctive citrus aroma. I gave it 6/10.
My ninth beer was another winner at this years festival and took joint bronze in the Bitters section. It was Flowerpot's 'Flowerpot's Bitter' at 3.8%  It had dry and earthy flavours with a crisp finish. I scored it 6/10.
The afternoon was drawing on now and we were due to catch our train home at 6.50pm,there was still time for a couple more beers though but before that Ken arrived at the table with a tray of Toffee Vodka's which we all downed in one.
Back to the beers and my tenth was from the Bristol Beer Factory and 'Sunrise' at 4.4% a golden ale using traditional malts and hops. It had a biscuit flavour followed by a lemony aftertaste.I gave it 7/10.
Last beer of the day and I went for Crouch Vale's 'Yakima Gold' at 4.3%  a very pale but drinkable ale. It scored 6/10 from me.

It was now time to make our way back to Somerset and we headed over the road to the station. The trains were quite busy with Olympic Games goers and we had to stand as far as Andover. We said our goodbyes to the Hampshire crowd at Basingstoke and arrived back at Crewkerne and our lifts home at around 10.30pm.
I had enjoyed the day and the company immensely and reflecting on the way home had decided that my beer of the day was the first I had tried and the Marble 'Lagonda IPA'
Roll on the next Festival and Minehead  on the 8th September.

The Greatest Day

Another chance for me to experience the Olympic Games as I was off to Cardiff and the Men's Football Quarter Final. I had bought the ticket a few months ago in the hope that Team GB would qualify top of their group and so play in this match. They didn't let me down ! and were drawn against South Korea.
I left home around 2.15pm to drive to Bristol Temple Meads to catch the 4.21pm train. I had intended to go from Taunton but realised that the last train would terminate at Bristol so had to modify my plans. The traffic on the M5 was horrendous and I left the motorway early to drive up the A38 but the congestion was just as bad in Bristol so I ended up missing the 4.21pm and catching the 4.53 instead.
Once on the train it was so full that I had to stand the whole way. I arrived in Cardiff (along with several thousand others) around 5.45pm and found the the organisation for getting into the Millennium Stadium was just as efficient as I had experienced at the Rowing event earlier in the week.

The roof was shut and the noise in the Stadium was terrific with the match very nearly a sell out crowd.

Warm-Up

When the GB Team came out for the warm-up there was a huge roar and much Union Flag waving. There was a real party atmosphere with several Mexican waves.
Once the game started though the mood changed as the Koreans proved themselves to be much superior outfit and kept the ball well. The Koreans took the lead in the 29th minute with a powerful shot from the number nine Ji. The GB team were lucky to be awarded a penalty in the 36th minute and Aaron Ramsey stepped up to level with an unconvincing spot-kick. Shortly afterwards GB were awarded another penalty but this time Ramsey's weak shot straight at the 'keeper was saved easily and the teams went in at half-time equal.
The second half saw the GB team come into the game a bit more and the Koreans were on the back foot but they could not convert their possession into a goal. The second half was meandering to close when the GB coach Stuart Pearce introduced Ryan Giggs into the fray with a huge cheer from the crowd. Although he brought a calming presence to the midfield the game finished on 1-1 and we were faced with extra-time.
The extra time play produced few chances and again ended with the two teams locked at 1-1. We were now faced with penalties, a dread thought to the British supporters. We started well though with the first four penalties from both teams being confidently scored. When Daniel Sturridge of Chelsea walked up though I felt that he didn't look keen and I was proved to be right when he tamely shot at the 'keeper for an easy save. The Korean next up scored easily and it was all over.

Penalties

During the evening I had been listening to my small radio and taking in the amazing events that were unfolding at the Olympic Stadium and when the crowd heard that Jess Ennis, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farrah had all taken gold their was another huge outpouring of National fervour and most of us I think wished that we were at home watching that instead of where we were !
The organisation in getting us back to our correct trains was again superb and soon I was on my way home, Standing all the way again.
And that concluded my Olympic experience, one which I will never have again in this country but one which I will forever remember. Some of my enduring memories will be of the fantastic atmosphere, the Games Makers who carried out their duties with cheerful efficiency and my pride at the performances of the GB team.

2nd August 2012

Day three of our break and the main event ! Today was the day the we experienced the Olympic Games for ourselves. Over a year ago we had applied like everybody else for tickets to London 2012 and were lucky enough to get allocated tickets to a session of the Rowing at Eton Dorney.
This was the reason we had based ourselves at Bracknell as it was just fifteen minutes away from the rowing lake. We were up at 6am as we had to be at the event early to get shuttled from the car park (at Windsor Race Course) and then get through the airport style security.
The organisation though was superb as we had no trouble at all getting in with the 'Games Makers' helping all along the way.

The Friends & Family Stand

We were soon in position for the first of the fifteen races in our session. The Women's Single Sculls C/D semi-final which was won by S.Puspure from Ireland.

The races came thick and fast every ten minutes, including the Semi-Final of the Men's Four which was won by Team GB and will hopefully bring home a Gold Medal for Team GB on Saturday.

The also rans !

 

Eventually we got the the three finals of the day starting with the Men's Double Sculls which was won by New Zealand with Team GB coming in a very creditable 5th. Next up was the Men's Lightweight Four which was the best race of the day and ended with the South African team pipping the GB boys by 0.2 of a second, Heartbreaking !!

The GB Lightweight Four

 Whilst the racing was going on I noticed a bird of prey going over and switching my 'bins from the boats to the sky was pleased to see a Red Kite.

Red Kite

This was one of four I saw during our time at the regatta and also had a Common Tern that passed up and down the lake constantly.
The last final of the day was the Women's Eight which is the closest event to a sprint in rowing. Unfortunately the GB women never featured in the race and came in 5th with the USA winning.

Team GB( On the Left)

When it came to the medal ceremonies the partisan crowd were cheering for the GB Men's Lightweight Four as they received their Silver Medals.

Yay Silver Medals !

 

 

They then got back into the boat and rowed to our side of the lake to receive the appreciation of the crowd.

Didn't they do well

A Silver Medal

 

They were followed by the Women's Eight winners from the USA.

USA Women's Eight Winners

Gold !

We now hung around and let the crowds filter away before we made our way back to the car with the same level of great care and organisation as before.

All in All a fantastic day at the Olympics and one we will never forget, it would have been nice to have visited the Olympic Park and Stadium but we are grateful that we did get to experience 'The Greatest Show on Earth' in our own country !
We now went back to the hotel for a rest before heading out in the evening to a local 'pub'. Using my Good Beer Guide App on my phone I chose the Victoria Arms at Binfield which has the longest standing Guide entry in the area and was CAMRA Branch Pub of the year in 2009.
Its a small village Fuller's Pub which was pretty full when we arrived but we managed to find a table and get a meal. Ales on offer were the usual Fuller's beers like ESB, Chiswick and London Pride but I went for a seasonal, Wild River at 4.5% and was a nice refreshing ale with a crisp finish.

And that was our mini-break, tiring but a great three days away.

1st August 2012

Day two of our break and we were up early to drive up to Watford Station to meet Lydia again and for all of us to go to the 'Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour' at Leavesdon.

We arrived for our 10.30am time slot bang on time and soon were entering the Great Hall.

The Hall is filled with costumes from the movies and the only thing missing (apart from 400 Hogwarts students) is the magically created ceiling.

From here you pass into a huge room that is filled with props, costumes, scenery and secrets behind the making of the movies.

Gryffindor Common Room

Gryffindor Dormitory

Dumbledore's Office

The Goblet of Fire

Ice Sculpture from the Goblet of Fire

The Weasley's Home - The Burrow

A Corridor from the Leaky Cauldron

We spent around an hour wandering around this vast space and then moved on to the next area which was outside. This has the larger exhibits such as Harry's Home number 4 Privet Drive, His parents house, and the Knight Bus.

The Knight Bus

Number Four Privet Drive

James and Lily Potter's Cottage

The Riddle Family Grave

Next up after we had sampled some 'Butterbeer' (which tasted like neither !) it was back inside to the Creature Shop. This was where all the masks, animatronics and fantastic creatures that inhabit the Potter world were.

Aragog

Mermaid

The book of Magical Creatures

Dragon

 

 

We now passed through a series of rooms which held the technical drawings and paper model mock-ups and art work that help bring the movies to life. The next and last room though took our breath away because it held the model of Hogwarts that was used for the movies. Every time Harry flew his broomstick or Hippogriff over the castle this was how it was done. It took eight weeks just to relocate the model in its new home so goodness knows how long it took to actually make it.

Three Happy Harry Potter Fans