No-one puts Baby in a corner

John, my mum and myself went to the West End last night to see the stage version of Dirty Dancing. My ticket was my birthday present from John, Mum's ticket was a birthday present from me and John's one was just the one he bought for himself. We only just made it in time as we had to make three changes on the tube, but we had good seats eight rows from the front.

I was dreading this show being as poor as Grease but thank heaven it wasn't. Unlike the afore mentioned, Dirty Dancing was produced much better and followed the script and scenes more or less exactly the same as the film. It was a tiny theatre, as was the stage but they made good use of the space with a variety of props and scenery. I said to John before it started, 'I wonder how they'll do the log scene'. Well down came a log from the side of the stage which looked very real, but I doubt it could be bearing in mind the weight. They had a video background of a river and it looked effective. The actor who played Johnny had a fit body (see pic) and he certainly got the girls going! The actress playing Baby was as close a likeness you're ever likely to see. You wouldn't think so looking at her in the programme but with her hair styled like Jennifer Grey's and with a figure exactly the same, it was a very good match. (I don't think the girl in the pic is her). All the songs that feature in the film were played in sequence but maybe a couple of criticisms: not enough live singing and dirty dancing! The end was great. When Johnny returned and said 'No-one puts Baby in a corner' there was huge applause. And then there was the moment when they did the lift.

I wouldn't say it's one of the best musicals I've seen, but it's definitely worth a night out.

Could it get any worse?

Spurs 1 Blackburn 2

Team line-up: Cerny, Chimbonda, Dawson, Kaboul, Lee, Malbranque (Bent), Huddlestone, Zokora, Lennon, Berbatov (Defoe), Keane

It was a wet and dismal day in North London and my third outing to the Lane so far this season. After Thursday's tragic events, I didn't think it could get any worse. A winner in injury time gave Blackburn the points and leaves Spurs still struggling in the relegation zone. The team talk before the game may as well be 'Go one up, have the majority of the possession, get the crowd going then let in an equaliser. Carry on having good possession but then in the last ten minutes let the opposition into the game and don't bother to tackle anymore or close the ball down. Then be patient, wait and wait some more, until the 4th official has held up the added three minutes sign, then BAM let them score a winner'! I can't help the sarcasm; it may as well have been a script as this is the result we have grown accustomed to.

I would like to add some positives (because otherwise I might kill myself). 'STEED MALBRANQUE, YOU ARE A TROOPER'. Always giving 100%, battling, tackling, one-twos, running at players - he is an inspiration and if only all 11 players on the pitch would give their all like he does. Get hin in the middle of the park where he can really play and get rid of Huddlestone who was useless today. Aaron Lennon is starting to look like the player he was last season and at last Michael Dawson had a pretty decent match after a very dodgy start to the season. He was awarded a cheque for £30,000 today for his contribution last season - well deserved Michael.

'Ramos is in the building' as it were. Man, he has one hell of a job to do, I almost feel sorry for him! Blackpool in the Carling Cup on Wednesday should be a formality but hey, we're talking Spurs so hold on to your hats!

COYS....whatever.

I love Martin Jol, Martin Jol loves me

Spurs 1 Getafe 2 UEFA Cup

I don't have the energy or the words about the result. It's only the second time in 55 years of European football that Spurs have lost a game at home.

The resounding news from tonight is that Martin Jol handed in his resignation before the game started. Everyone knew it was coming; it was inevitable the way Spurs have played this season. I'm sitting here having wiped the tears away from my eyes, but thankful at least that he wasn't sacked - although he could've been pushed by the board who have been less than professional and underhand. That smirk by Daniel Levy after Getafe scored the second goal appeared sly and that makes me feel sick to the stomach. Whoever leaked this news to the press wants shooting as the fans obviously got wind of it and the players must have been affected during the game.

I want to pay tribute to the man who brought smiles back to the Lane. Martin joined the club in November 2004 and the last two seasons, finished 5th in the league which ensured Spurs were back in Europe. He is loved by the fans because of his honesty, integrity, sense of humour and being a true gent. This really is a sad day for Tottenham Hotspur, but would like to wish Martin well in his next job, which will presumably be back in his homeland. I don't suppose lined-up manager Ramos will be welcomed with open arms, having never managed a English club and barely speaking the language, but we need the results desperately, so I hope for the team's sake, things will start to come together. It's hard to believe the change in the performance from last season to this, especially having sent £40m on players.

Anyway, just wanted to add some pictures of the great man and say farewell and thanks. Big Martin Jol will certainly not be forgotten.



A priceless moment beating Chelsea 2-1. Remember remember the 5th of November




Addressing the fans on the season finale 2006/07



And finally, you can hold your head up high MJ. You did us proud.

It's all doom and gloom

Newcastle 3 Spurs 1

Team line-up: Cerny, Chimbonda, Dawson, Kaboul, Lee, Malbranque (Berbatov), Jenas, Zokora, Bale (Tainio), Keane, Bent (Lennon)

I'm not going to beat around the bush - it was another terrible performance; Spurs basically failed to turn up. I'm not even going to summarise the game because it's really slim pickings.

I used to get really excited about every match with butterflies in my stomach, but after the dreadful start this season, I just don't feel that emotion anymore. I hope it will return quickly because football is a huge part of my life and I hate feeling like this. At the moment, I can't see any glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel and wouldn't be surprised if we stay at the bottom end of the table all season. As you can tell, all my optimism has evaporated.

The Toon Army were singing 'you'll be getting the sack in the morning' at Martin Jol which is below the belt, but I don't know for how many more games he can hang on to his job.

Le Weekend

With just a day to tidy the house and get organised after coming back from holiday, we had friends Debs and Mick to stay with us for the weekend. They arrived Friday afternoon and we soon settled down to some chat and games on the Nintendo wii and a sports quiz on Buzz, either side of dinner. It was a good laugh. On Saturday, we had a surprise planned for our guests - tickets to see We Will Rock You in London. We got the train and tube to Tottenham Court Road, found the pub called The Tottenham which we'd been in before and is very appropriate for a bunch of Spurs supporters. We had over an hour to kill before the matinee performance and so propped up the bar. Then we crossed the road to the theatre and walked through the doors, which was the point at which Debs and Mick found out what the mystery was. It's the third time John and I have seen it and has become my favourite show. It was a mostly different cast from last time (presumably because it was the matinee) and although I thought the actors weren't quite as good as the others, it was still hugely enjoyable again. It was spoiled a little by the fact that Debs' mobile phone disappeared - maybe pick pocketed at some stage during the interval when we popped over to the pub. She gave her details to the theatre in case it showed up and as there was an o2 shop just opposite, Debs had the phone stopped. Shame.

When we got home, John fixed us a bite to eat and we sat down to watch the rugby world cup final between England and South Africa. Not a very memorable match and unfortunately South Africa beat us 15-6. However, there was a very debatable try ruled out for England where the officials looked to the video playback for confirmation. Mark Cueto's foot was adjudged to have touched the sideline before he placed the ball down but they took ages to come to this conclusion. It was a cruel blow and England failed to recover from that. Despite the loss, we should still feel proud of the lads for getting to the final which looked a hugely unlikely prospect at the start of the tournament.

After another of John's hearty breakfasts (although tamed down a bit upon request) Debs and Mick left for the long journey home about 10:45. We really enjoyed their company and it was nice to spend longer than an hour with them, which is the usual stint before a Spurs match.

During the next few hours, John and I caught up with some TV programmes recorded from Saturday night. Late afternoon, Chris, Sandy and the children popped in. Chris was called upon to look at my laptop which has suddenly stopped connecting to the internet. Seems there is nothing his expertise could do and a new network card is in order. Late evening, I caught up with Paula on msn. I'd missed our chats whilst I'd been away and I didn't get to bed until almost 1am. I like to be busy but tomorrow I will have a day off.

Sicily

Flight - check. Passports - check. Luggage - check. Car hire - check. First 2 nights' accommodation - check. The rest of the schedule was down to us. Eight days in Sicily, home of the mafia.

For the record, Ryanair were virtually on time there and back - amazing in itself! AND....we went to the right airport this time! :-)

Our starting position was the capital of Palermo. Bustling, manic, noisy. You have never seen driving and parking like it unless you have been to places like Cairo and Bangkok. There are tow away signs everywhere but no-one gives a damn; if there's a space you get in it. Even if there's only room for half a car, they park it with the bonnet facing the pavement! Every corner is occupied too. We soon learned that zebra crossings are not for pedestrians because cars just don't stop - it really is scary and you fear for your life.

The accommodation here was cheap and basic but that doesn't bother me as long as there's a bed, somewhere to wash and it's clean. Something else we quickly learned as well, is that breakfast in Sicily is nothing like ours - certainly at 2-3 star hotels anyway. It's pretty much a croissant or roll with jam, and a cup of tea or coffee. I was gagging for some cereal and fruit.

The city of Palermo has plenty of interesting sites but you'd have problems finding them unless you were equipped with a guide book as we were. I never go away without my Eyewitness Guide to wherever - they really are a travel bible. One place that did beat us though (because the guide book didn't give the number in the street) was the Cripta dei Cappuccini which contain catacombs with embalmed bodies and skeletons. The catacombs we visited in Paris were fantastic and full of bones so I was eager to see if this one was any good. Am I weird or what?

Half way through day two, we had travelled along the northern coast to Cefalu. This was an old town with a beach - not a great one but enough to relax on for an hour or so. We picked a large beach front hotel which cost 140 Euro for the night which was by far our biggest single expense of the trip. John got into an argument with one of the staff because the air-con wasn't working and the temperature in the room was 26 degrees. He was trying to come up with a long winded story but ultimately the air-con was broken in the hotel which he did eventually admit to. If they'd just apologised and told the truth you could accept it, so why try and lie? John attempted to get a discount on the room price but they said it wasn't their problem, it was ours and maybe we should find a hotel where the air-con was working!! Nice huh? John wanted to speak to the manager who conveniently wasn't there and was given a number to call. It was answered by someone who didn't understand John and so they hung up! I just opened the windows really wide and the room did cool down after a couple of hours so it was okay but it was the principle of the matter that annoyed us.

After wandering around Cefalu for a while, the storm clouds started to gather and it got very dark. We took coverage in an archway which led to the sea and just sat and watched the lightning. A bit of a mistake really because if we'd left to return to the hotel BEFORE it started raining, we wouldn't have been sitting there for quite the length of time we did! Boy, did it pee down! You don't go to Sicily in October without an umbrella that's for sure - I took mine and we also bought another smaller one in the market in Palermo.

Day three was spent driving to various spots, still on the northern coastline. We always like to take the scenic route wherever we are but I think it was a mistake in this case because the road we ended up on was so windy and hilly, I was feeling really sick. Motorways in future! By the end of it, we had arrived in Taomina which lies on the north east coast. What a beautiful place it was too! So this is where all the tourists are hiding. It's set very high up on the side of a large peak with the beach down below, and stunning views all around. We arrived after dark but you could still see how lovely it was. The hotel which we found in the guide book was full up so they redirected us to one almost opposite which was fine and only 100 Euro per night. We decided to stay two because there seemed to be quite a bit to see and do. Again, a very basic room but very clean and comfortable and it even had a large balcony. This was my favourite hotel as it felt homely, and the staff were so so nice and all spoke fluent English. John even went and bought a bottle of wine for the older guy there as he couldn't have been more helpful.

The Greek amphitheatre in Taomina has a great backdrop: Mount Etna. On a clear day (which we had) it was a great view. The following day however was very overcast and ruined our drive up Etna. It started raining as we were actually in the cloud, and it was freezing. We took a few snaps anyway as a memento of being there and took a few bits of lava rock as well. On the way down, we spotted a house which has been covered in lava up to the roof so we investigated that and again, took a few pics. Our next point of call was Siracusa on the south-east coast. Driving into it, it was like a building site or somewhere that had been involved in the Blitz. There were a few things to do according to the guide book so we did stick around and I'm glad we did, because when we eventually started looking for a hotel late afternoon, we found ourselves in a much better part of the town called Ortygia. Later when we went walkabout before dinner, we discovered some delightful piazzas with gorgeous buildings and fountains. Goes to show you can never judge a book by its cover - there are always treasures hidden away.

On the morning of day six, we went and photographed the places we'd seen last night. Oh and I must say, the hotel we stayed in was an amazing building: 'Palazza something or other' - basically a former palace converted into accommodation, and the lobby area and ground floor looked like a museum. On the road again, we had to head back the way we came for the quickest route on the motorway down to the south of the island. This route took us back towards Mount Etna and as the day was glorious with cloudless skies, the view of it was so incredibly clear. I said John that we have to go back as this would be our only chance (bearing in mind we rarely go return to the same destination). So we did and it paid off as we saw Etna bellowing out smoke. You can drive the car up so far and then there is an option to take the cable car up to the next level, where you can get a tour guide to take you to the summit in a jeep. Unfortunately, this wasn't really an option for me as I didn't have appropriate clothing for the temperature. However, I would have loved to have experienced it as I'm fascinated with volcanoes. One day I hope to see one erupting and maybe fly over it - don't suppose it'll happen though.

Onwards then to one of the other biggest sites of Sicily: Valle dei Templi. This is a line of Greek monuments in ruins, but probably some of the most complete looking ruins I've ever seen. It was a lovely walk as the sun was still beaming down and we were happy snapping away on our cameras.

Day seven was the least enjoyable. We visited some more ruins in the morning which were okay but not a patch on Valle dei Templi. There's not an awful lot to do in the North West of the island so it was a bit uneventful, and we ended up in the largest city there called Trapani. Gawd, what a dump. It's mainly a large shipping port with little tourist attraction and despite wandering around for a couple of hours, couldn't find anything worth looking at. We ended up back at the hotel room at 5-ish and had a bit of a snooze and a read. Three hours later, my tummy said it was time to eat so we set off in search of a restaurant. This was an impossible task as the streets were almost deserted and although we found one place fairly nearby, we couldn't understand anything on the menu and so walked on by. We actually ended up back at the hotel asking reception where we could eat! He pointed us in the direction of the road running alongside the port and we found a strange place that I can't even describe. Again, we couldn't read the menu (I forgot the phrase book) but a kind lady on the next table stepped in and helped.

We were glad to get out of the city the next morning (our last day). A few miles up the road was a small town called Erice. It was set high up on a mountain side and the roads were very windy.
Oh my, what a little gem of a place this was though. Absolutely breathtaking! The castle sat around panoramic views of the coast and also Trapani, which looked so much better from a distance! You could see they took pride in the place; it was spotless not like most of the places we'd visited. Erice has tiny little cobbled streets, cute piazzas and souvenir shops. We sat down for elevenses and with the crumbs I had left I fed the white doves out of my hand; one brave one kept flying up onto my hand which I was thrilled about - well, you know me and animals!

Another few miles around the coast was Golgo di Castellammare and there was a great view point over the harbour and beach in the distance. When we got down to it, it was a fairly nice fishing village and I particularly love taking pictures of boats. We moved on to the beach which was one of the biggest and nicest we'd seen all week, however, they are all spoiled by the litter which is left on them. The Italians really don't give a monkeys about rubbish; it's everywhere. Cigarette butts, plastic bottles and other crap - we even witnessed a driver chucking several bits of rubbish out of his car. It's not even my country but it wound me up big time. It wouldn't take any time at all to clear it up; in fact I said to John that I would volunteer to do it! Anyway we spent a couple of hours on the beach chilling out, reading, having a paddle, listening to music before the sun got hazy and it cooled down. We only had approximately three more hours until we needed to be at the airport so we ended up driving around aimlessly trying to find another suitable town to have something to eat. We didn't want to go right the way back into Palermo so stayed around the airport area; we tried a town called Carini but when we got out of the car and walked around a bit, we discovered it was bustling with locals and there were absolutely no tourists about - we felt very isolated and foreign! I guess that was why it wasn't mentioned in the guide book! We ended up stopping an an New York pizza place which is a bit ironic when you consider pizza is Italian but nevertheless it was clean and somewhere just to fill our faces before leaving for home.

We arrived at Stansted to crisp clear weather but a bit of a shock when you've been lying on a beach a few hours earlier. We got home just after 1am.

All in all, it was a nice break and Sicily had plenty of variety. The weather was mostly warm and sunny (70-75 degrees). However, I can't see me ever going back when there are so many more places to discover.

James's christening

At noon today, we attended St Mary's Methodist church, Benfleet, for the baptsim of my cousin's little boy James. It was a fairly long affair, with two families being dealt with simultaneously. The reverend was female and American and didn't seem to have a clue. Most of the words of the service were up on a screen which she was following as well as the congregation - surely she should know it off by heart? At one stage there was a long pregnant pause while she tried to find a verse from the bible.

This baptism was like no other I'd been to. At one stage, she had three adults and all the children up to the font area, had James's older brother Thomas dress up as a Queen's guard and used it as a metaphor to prevent the children from getting to Jesus; the moral of the story being that Jesus always encouraged children to come to him ??? (but I could be wrong because it was all a bit odd)! James won't let strangers near him (he's a toddler) so the reverend baptised him whilst still in his mum's arms.

Everyone went back to Janet and Lee's afterwards. They had caterers in and we were fed with canapes and finger food on trays, which must've cost them a fortune. Not enough veggie stuff for me though but I don't eat much at lunchtime so it didn't matter. I did need something to soak up the wine though - I don't usually drink it but decided to have a glass of rose which went straight to my head.

The kids had plenty to do. Lee has built a fort in the garden which is brilliant, and as well as slides, swings, bikes etc, the football was well used. Yes yes, I joined in - can I ever resist?! A children's entertainer was also hired which the adults muscled in on as well.

All in all it was a nice afternoon.

Failure to hold on again

Spurs 2 Liverpool 2

Team line-up: Robinson, Lee, Dawson, Kaboul, Chimbonda, Bale, Jenas, Tainio, Zokora, Berbatov, Keane.

Another story of so close but yet so far. How many times do Spurs fail to hang on to a lead? Too many.

I can at least say that the Berba Keano partnership is back - both goals were provided by the Bulgarian for Robbie to score, one either side of half time. I love the photo captured here - is there an invisible trampoline underneath Keano?

Unfortunately, further questions have to be asked about Robinson. Liverpool's first goal was as a result of him not being able to hold the ball when it rebounded off his body. He made another mistake later in the game but Dawson saved his blushes with that one, kicking the ball clear.

Spurs were just one minute away from the end of added time when their achilles heel struck again. A long cross to the far post and Torres lept higher than both Dawson and Chimbonda to beat Robinson with a downward header at his near side. I just knew it was going to happen because Spurs haven't beaten the top four teams away from home in fourteen years. The only positive is that I was certain Liverpool would win so at least we achieved one point. With Fulham losing, that takes us out of the relegation zone! Played 9 Points 7. Oh bugger.

I loved Robbie's attitude after the game where he was asked about Martin Jol's position. He looked peeved with the interviewer and basically said he was fed up with the continued questioning about his manager. Good on ya Rob!

Grease isn't the word

Last night, John and I went to the West End to see Grease at the Piccadilly theatre. On the way, we are pretty sure we brushed past Pete Doherty. If it wasn't him it was a very good impersonator because the clothes and hat looked right, he was definitely drunk, and he had just come out of a record shop. Anyway, nothing to get excited about is it? He's just a druggy pisshead claiming to be a musician.

After having something to eat, we sat ourselves down for the 8:30 performance. This was delayed 15 minutes because someone in the Royal Circle had taken a tumble. I'm not surprised as the seats are jam packed together and there's no leg room at all. To make things worse, it was so so hot in there. I find this is a trend with all the theatres I've been in - I'm not usually a fan of air-conditioning but it needed some desperately.

I had really been looking forward to the show but oh what a let down it was! It starred Susan McFadden and Danny Bayne who won the TV show 'Grease is the word' but they didn't really stand out as the main characters. Of course, you can't help but make comparisons to the film, but even to do that would be a insult. You're never going to get a better Danny and Sandy than John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John anywhere or anytime in the future. I could count on one hand how many lines of dialogue they actually took from the film - what they replaced it with wasn't funny and it wasn't acted particularly well. The actress who played Marty used a really irritating voice and I felt like strangling her but the guy who played Eugene (the geek) was mildly amusing. The story didn't flow and the scenes were all different to the film as well, for example when they performed 'You're the one that I want' at the end, it took place in a diner instead of at the fairground. Just so that it's not all negativity, most of the songs were performed well.

This is not a show I would recommend, unless you've never seen anything else. I certainly wouldn't go again. Never mind; you can't win 'em all.

Dull but through

Famagusta 1 Spurs 1

Team line-up: Robinson, Lee, Gardner, Stalteri, Dawson, Malbranque, Boateng, Huddlestone, Zokora, Defoe, Bent

Unsurprisingly Martin Jol made huge changes to the team, who were already 6-1 up from the first leg. Spurs fans have been calling for Kevin-Prince Boateng to make an appearance for many a week now, and after all the hype, boy what a disappointment he was. The entire game was dull, dull, dull and I could hardly be bothered to watch.

Spurs should have been two or three goals to the good in the first half but Defoe couldn't find the space between the posts.

The home side took the lead in the 54th minute although it was blatant handball, but none of the officials spotted it. Robbo received a yellow card for complaining. Following the introduction of Keane and Bale, suddenly there was a bit more energy and after four minutes of being on the pitch, Robbie converted a move involving Bale and Bent.

Although overall Spurs went through 7-2 winners, the performances are still lacking a great deal. At the moment I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Happy birthday to me!

Well another birthday has come and gone - only one year until the big 4 0. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!
It was quite uneventful for most of the day as I spent it on my own but my lovely pal Alice came round straight from work at 5:30 with cards and presents from her and the office. It was lovely to see her and cheered me up no end. My sis-in-law Tina came round early evening with the three kids and my parents a short time after. Gifts included £35 in cash, a £10 Next voucher, some flowers, a handbag, some makeup, Body Shop stuff, a necklace, 'The Pursuit of Happyness' dvd, a stadium tour of White Hart Lane and a Dirty Dancing theatre ticket.
I had loads of messages on myspace wishing me a good day, a few texts and emails too. I won't be going out until Friday when me and John will be going up to the West End for a meal and then onto the theatre to see 'Grease'.

Proud to be British

This 'information' has been banded about on emails for years and years and always makes me chuckle, so I decided to add it to my blog.

Being British is…

...about driving in a German car to an Irish pub for a Belgian
beer, then travelling home, grabbing an Indian curry or a Turkish kebab on the way, to sit on Swedish furniture and watch American shows on a Japanese TV.

And the most British thing of all? Suspicion of all things foreign!

Only in Britain can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance.

Only in Britain do supermarkets make sick people walk all the way to the
back of the shop to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy
cigarettes at the front.

Only in Britain do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries and a DIET coke.

Only in Britain do banks leave both doors open and chain the pens to the counters.

Only in Britain do we leave cars worth thousands of pounds on the drive and lock our junk and cheap lawn mower in the garage.

Only in Britain do we use answering machines to screen calls and then have call waiting so we won't miss a call from someone we didn't want to talk to in the first place.

Only in Britain are there disabled parking places in front of a skating rink.

NOT TO MENTION BRITAIN IN NUMBERS..

3 Brits die each year testing if a 9v battery works on their tongue.
142 Brits were injured in 1999 by not removing all pins from new shirts.

58 Brits are injured each year by using sharp knives instead of
screwdrivers.

31 Brits have died since 1996 by watering their Christmas tree while the
fairy lights were plugged in.

19 Brits have died in the last 3 years believing that Christmas decorations were chocolate.

British Hospitals reported 4 broken arms last year after Xmas
cracker-pulling accidents.

18 Brits had serious burns in 2000 trying on a new jumper with a lit
cigarette in their mouth.

A massive 543 Brits were admitted to A&E in the last two years after trying to open bottles of beer with their teeth.

5 Brits were injured last year in accidents involving out-of-control
Scalextric cars.

and finally...

In 2000 eight Brits were admitted to hospital with fractured skulls incurred whilst throwing up into the toilet.

The perfect couple?

I just watched back 'Celebrity Wife Swap' from Sunday night, which featured Pete Burns and his husband Michael Simpson and ex-footballer Neil 'Razor' Ruddock and glamour model partner Leah Newman.

You probably couldn't pick two more different people to become a couple but surprisingly there were no really heated arguments. Since giving up football, Razor has become a total slob, sleeping all the time, boozing down the pub and basically doing nothing around the house else despite having a six month old baby.

Pete, notoriously outspoken and set in his ways, was surprisingly willing to take Leah's roll as a mother and general dog's body with no complaints, although he did have to call on the grandparents a couple of times.

If ever this programme was needed to sort out a relationship, this was it. Poor Leah was left with virtually no life and a partner who didn't appear to give a damn. Pete and Michael have the most loving and romantic relationship I think I have ever seen and lessons were definitely learned from their example. They would certainly make good marriage councillors.

Police camera action!

A male and female PC just called round as there were two burglaries in the street in the early hours of 30 September, one next door and one at number 55. They were enquiring whether anyone had seen anything and after advising them that we have CCTV, they asked whether we could check it for anything suspicious. Anyway, in the middle of conversation, my front door slammed shut as a result of the back door being open (I was in the middle of putting some recycling in the sacks at the time the doorbell rang). Oh shit! Not the first time this has happened. I went over to Maria's to see if she was in as she has a spare key. Bugger. No answer. I asked the male PC whether he could get over the side gate and let me in. Bless him - he used the metal barrow that was in the alley to climb over the gate which is really high; there are no horizontal slats on it for your feet. I said to him 'I bet you didn't think you'd end up doing that when you came round'!! Very nice people actually and they took my name/number and I also gave them Maria and John's number and suggested they call there later as they also have CCTV. Hopefully we will find something on there which will be of use to the police. This road has seen quite a bit of crime since we've been here; hence our house being fixed with an alarm, cameras and safes.

Happy 125th birthday!

Spurs 4 Villa 4

After meeting Debs and Mick at the Bell & Hare for an hour before the game, John and I took our seats in the stadium at 7:30. Every fan had been given a special 125th anniversary flag which was nice and when the entire White Hart Lane crowd was prompted to wave theirs, it was a spectacular sight. Fifteen minutes before kick off, a huge amount of Spurs legends ranging from the 50s to (almost the) current day, were introduced to the fans to cheers and applause. These included Pat Jennings, Dave Mackay, Martin Chivers, David Ginola, Glenn Hoddle, Martin Peters, Mike England, Joe Kinnear, Ray Clemence, Gary Mabbutt and Steve Perryman. A few messages were played on the big screen from more legends such as Gary Lineker and Ossie Ardiles, apologising that they couldn't be there. Some of the trophies Spurs had won in years gone by were paraded and brief interviews were given by Hoddle, Ginola, Perryman and Mackay. The match was in memory of the late and great Bill Nicholson who passed away in 2004 and one minute of applause was a fitting appreciation of his dedication to the club. Bill was Mr. Spurs through and through and you don't come across many managers who are in love with their club these days.

Team line-up: Robinson, Chimbonda, Dawson, Kaboul, Lennon (Malbranque), Tainio (Defoe), Huddlestone, Zokora, Bale, Berbatov (Bent), Keane

Seeing that score you might think this was an eight goal thriller, but apart from Spurs' comeback, it was anything but. The majority of the game was woeful - basic passing seemed to be a complicated task and as for Robbo, surely he can't be left with the responsibility of being number one goalkeeper for much longer!

Dimitar Berbatov put Spurs ahead on 19 minutes with a downward header from a corner. However, whenever we go one up it always appears to spell disaster. Within a couple of minutes, Villa equalised after a complete cock up when Robbo dropped the ball and the defence was unable to clear it. The party had a real dampener put on it after 32 minutes when the ball struck Laursen after bouncing around in pinball fashion and he claimed his second goal. It got even worse with 39 minutes on the clock when a long clearance from Carson found its way to the feet of Agbonlahor, who then got the better of Dawson before driving low across Robinson and into the net.

And so going into the break, there was a terrible feeling of doom around the ground. I don't think Spurs deserved to be 3-1 down but time and again they don't learn and continue to defend very badly, especially when the ball is crossed into the box.

Into the second half they didn't play any better and it seemed as though they'd already accepted defeat. Defoe came on 8 minutes later to rapturous applause and had a shot on goal with his first touch. However, on 58 minutes, it was the worst possible scenario when Spurs gave away a free kick on the edge of the area. It was drilled home by Gardner past the wall, which suggested that maybe Robbo hadn't lined them up in the correct position. So 4-1 down and game over...well it should've been! At this stage the Villa fans were singing Happy Birthday to us and loads of fans decided enough was enough and swarmed out of the ground. Those people are now kicking themselves because they missed a fantastic comeback by Spurs - Chimbonda got his first goal of the season (and probably his only one) after the ball rebounded off the post from a Defoe effort. Now they started to have belief but why I ask, do they start playing now? Anyway, a penalty followed when Bent was bundled over and I saw Keane slotting it home though the gap in my hand! 3-4 and still time to equalise or even win it. In the 85th minute, Defoe put the ball in the net but it was disallowed due to an offside decision. In added time it all got very frantic but Spurs' renewed enthusiasm paid off. The ball was pinging about all over the place in Villa's box and eventually Kaboul managed to smash it into the top corner. OMG! The stadium erupted - even the guy next to me started to hug me; it was fantastic! This prompted a song directed at the Villa fans - '4-1 and you f***ed it up'! It may have ended a draw but it really felt like a win. At least the 125th anniversary game will now be remembered in a more positive way as opposed to being thrashed at home.

On the way out of the stadium, a received a tap on my shoulder and that person pointed in the direction of a girl a bit further back who was trying to get my attention. Turns out it was 'Fred', who frequents the Berbatov forum. We knew we were both at the game and in the same section, and although I didn't know what 'Fred' looked like, she knew what I looked like from a pic I had posted on the forum. She said she would say hello if she saw me, but because of the congestion getting out of the stadium, this was reduced to a smile and a wave. It was nice to see her nevertheless.