Saturday, 14 March 2009



Cheltenham
Festival
2009
****
The Cheltenham Festival is over for yet another year. Four days of fabulous racing watched by around 230,000 spectators. You have to go to Cheltenham to understand the depth of the atmosphere that surrounds this wonderful festival of racing, the Olympic Games of the racing world. The final day saw Kauto Star prove himself to be a true champion of champions, winning his third Gold Cup to add to his three King George wins, a feat never before achieved by any other racehorse. Yesterday he was supreme and our 'best bet' selection Denman, a stable companion of Kauto Star, could only chase him up the Cheltenham hill in second place. It was a great run by Denman, who was coming back in his first race since being treated for a heart disorder. We have to deduct another point off the profit/loss account, but at least we were beaten by a great champion. As for our 'other bets' selections, we had a winner Zaynar (Won 11/2), whilst Pride Of Dulcote (2nd 3/1) was beaten just 1/2 length at the end of the 3m. Novice Hurdle. Hopefully, with the ground now drying out, we should be able to find some nice winners during the coming weeks and get ourselves out of the red and into the black.
Profit/Loss -4.75

Return To Skegness

Left to Right: Me, Mother, Mirry, Barry



Mother relaxing by the paddling pools


Me in the caravan



Barry left, Me right, with new found friends


On 27thFebruary I published an article recollecting going by bus on day trips to Skegness. A year or two later, probably because we were a bit better off, my mother and I, together with my mothers best friend and her son Barry, went to Skegness for a one week caravan holiday. The caravan site was a little way out of Skegness at a place called Winthorpe. It was around 1950 and I would be nine or ten years old at the time. This was our first seaside holiday, previous holidays had been visiting either family or friends. To me it meant great excitement and from knowing we were going, to the day we finally set off, seemed an eternity. I cannot for the life of me remember how we got there. I don't remember going on a train and neither family owned a car, so I presume it was arranged that someone who did own a car would take us. To me, living in a caravan was a great adventure and the fact it was near Skegness made it even more exciting. Early morning was filled with the chatter of holiday maker's as they made their way between the rows of caravans to the communal ablutions blocks, several radio's could be heard playing in the distance and the smell of frying bacon rashers wafted through the air. Between the caravan site and the sea was a busy road that ran past Butlin's and down to Ingoldmells. Just over that road and opposite the site was a corner shop, which apart from the usual beach items also sold essential groceries. Most days began with a with a walk to the shop to get needed items such as milk, bread and tea. In no time at all Barry and I made friends with other boys of our own age, and most mornings we would spend our time on the caravan site playing football, cricket, hide-and seek or maybe flying some ones kite. In the afternoons we would catch a bus that stopped outside the caravan site and go up to Skegness. Once there we would spend time on the beach before doing the usual rounds, the paddling pools, the boating lake, the putting greens, the pier, the arcades and shops. Then it was back to the caravan for tea, usually cold meat and salad. Immediately opposite the caravan site, over the main road, there was another road that led to the beach, about 300 yards. On the edge of the beach was a small arcade and cafe where we could buy ice cream, candy floss and milkshakes. most early evenings were spent there. At the entrance to the site was a pub, the Royal Oak, and most evenings around 9.30 mother and her friend Mirry, presumably short for Miriam, used to go there for a social night out. Barry and I, and some of our new found friends, would sit outside with the obligatory glass of pop and packets of crisps. Outside the front of the pub was a stall selling seafood and most nights my packet of crisps was supplemented with a bag of shrimps. When the holiday was over it was back to Metheringham to continue the school summer holidays. The old routine seemed rather flat and boring after the bright lights of Skegness, but during the ensuing weeks I relived that holiday many times over in my mind.

Brainteaser - Friday's Answers

I hope readers enjoyed doing yesterday's brainteaser. It was called 'crazy trivia' because it was trivia with a difference. The answers to our 10 questions were as follows:

01 Five to one
02 Andrew
03Eleven seconds
04 Take seven apples from the bag and give them to seven of the children. Then give the bag containing the eighth apple to the eighth child
05 Arm, ram and mar
06 Saturday also
07 Red
08 Because their hands are always in front of their face
09 Horned
10 A pin

9/10 Excellent 7/8 Very Good 5/6 Good - Below 5 (you're probably the only one not crazy).

Two Little Pals