Winter

After yesterday's short blizzards in London, proper snow came to our neck of the woods today. It could have only lasted about three hours so that was real winter all over in a blink of an eye. Nothing settled as the ground was already damp which was a tad disappointing. Now there is no evidence whatsoever that we even had any.

Just like buses

Spurs 2 Pompey 0

Team: Robbo, Chimbo, Woody, Daws (Bent), Hutton, Steed, Zok, Lennon (O'Hara), Huddz, Berba, Keano



Surely the coldest day of the winter so far, it was bitter at the Lane today with intermittent snow blizzards. Brrrrrr! Despite my usual four layers of clothing, I was feeling the nip. I could have been sitting in my warm home watching the game on Sky Sports but where's the fun in that?!

Spurs had pretty much all of the possession in the first half and a few decent chances but nothing came of it. 0-0 is a surprising score even at half time for Spurs and surely that's not how it would finish. The second half faded a bit from our point of view; Pompey were dreadful the whole game, playing nowhere near as well as they have been of late.

Just as I turned to John and said I would bring Jamie O'Hara on now, he came to the touchline together with Bent. See, I'm after that job! Lennon was quite rightly subbed as his final ball (as always) was shockingly bad. Tactically, a defender off for a striker is always a positive sign from a manager showing determination to win the game.

It really did look as if it was heading for a goalless draw but then the substitutions proved how good they were. It was like waiting for a bus for 80 minutes and then two turned up at once! Firstly Berba volleyed into the ground and Bent planted the header into the corner from eight yards out. One minute and 21 seconds later, Bent became the provider on the left for O'Hara to side foot the ball into the corner. You can see the joy on his face from the pic. A great young talent - just hope he sticks around at Spurs.

So three points in the bag. Hopefully Wet Spam will slip up tomorrow and the gap becomes smaller. We will get into the top half of the table if it kills us!

Another boring night at the Lane...NOT!

Spurs 4 Chel$ki 4

Team: Robbo, Chimbo, Woody, Ledders (Bent), Hutton, Steed, Jenas (Huddlestone), Lennon, Zokora, Berba, Keano

Well again we got our money's worth at the Lane with an eight goal thriller. So far this season, I've been lucky enough to have seen two 4-0s, a 5-1 and two 4-4s. Not bad eh?

It was the usual hate hate relationship between the two sets of fans but obviously there was more of us so we drowned them out most of the time! That same emotion was shown on the pitch as well with tackles flying in, descent from players on each side for what were some useless refereeing decisions. So what's new there?!

I came into this game pretty sure Spurs would lose, basically because of the performance in the last couple of games and also the fact that Chelsea would be looking for revenge after the cup final. We bearly had a chance to settle in our seats before they took the lead but it only took until the 11th minutes before Woodgate climbed high to convert a strong header. I think maybe he likes scoring against Chelsea! However, Spurs being Spurs, they let in another eight minutes later. The crowd were riled up just before half time when Ashley Cole tacked with studs up against Hutton's shin - having watched it back on TV, it could have been a red card; they certainly have been given for other similar tackles this season. Why Cole argued and showed descent to referee Riley I have no idea as it was a clear cut bad tackle (actually the word knobhead comes to mind), and he was lucky to get away with a yellow. Still, a good excuse to give him more abuse - a bit of 'Where's ya missus gone' to the the tune of 'Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep' rang around the ground!

Spurs started the second half brightly but then somehow conceded a third goal. A soft one it was too, bobbling off the legs of the advancing Robinson. We looked dead and buried but needn't have despaired as we should know by now that Spurs are more dangerous when they're behind.
It was game on again on the hour when Berba headed home a Huddlestone corner - one of the few that actually went beyond the first defender! A great chance followed when a brilliant ball from Berba found Keane, he swivelled his body but it was superbly saved. The Lane erupted again after 75 minutes when Huddlestone drove the ball into the bottom corner of the goal. 3-3!
But just when we thought we could go on and snatch the winner, Chelsea scored again through Joe Cole who again got the better of Chimbonda. Talk about up and down emotions all night; I couldn't keep up!

I just have to interrupt this bulletin by mentioning Didier Drogba... it amazes me time and time again how the man gets away with what he does. Even right in front of the ref, he falls to the ground with the faintest of touches and gets awarded free kicks. Why are they fooled by this awful acting? You could blow him over, it's that bad. However, I'm not a total hypocrite as Huddlestone's pathetic effort of a dive on the edge of the box is not something I want to see from one of my players. Cheating does not impress me. He received a yellow card for his acting - the difference between the two is that Drogba does it in every game and rarely gets carded.

So, only ten minutes left of the game which was just enough for Keano to bring the house down once again with an absolutely stunning strike into the top corner. Maybe slightly fortuitous with the ball ricocheting off Carvalio's back but who cares?!!! The icing on the cake would have been Berbatov converting the clear cut chance he had in the last minute of added time, finding himself free in the penalty area with only Cuducini to beat. However, his shot was too close to the goalkeeper and it was saved. You've no idea how agonising that was - of all players, Berba would usually have stuck that away every time. Oh so close to another memorable victory over Chelsea. I think the Spurs fans were more than happy to go away with a point at the end of the night, considering being 3-1 down.

So there you have it. Another dull night at the Lane. Yawn. :)

Abba-tastic!

John and I went to the Cliffs Pavilion last night to see Bjorn Again - the Abba tribute band who are celebrating 19 years together. John only booked the tickets on Thursday so it was surprising there were still seats available as they usually sell out no problem. We were to the left side of the stalls about half way back so not bad at all.

I was hoping it wasn't going to be one of those occasions where no-one stood up and danced. But as the group came onto the stage and opened with Waterloo, everyone stayed on their bums. Ok I thought, maybe it's too early but all the way through the first half, nobody shifted much to my annoyance. John and I made a pact that we would definitely get up and dance after the interval, so when we got back to the seats, we stood firm whilst everyone else sat down. The other girls in the same row asked us if we intended to stand to which we said YES so they were relieved because they had been itching to get up as well. As the music started again, we turned to the row behind and indicated to them to follow suit which they did. Before long almost the entire audience were up on their feet - hooray! See....every party needs a John and Lisa to get it started!! After that, it was so much more fun, dancing, singing and clapping along to the songs. John did his 'dad at a wedding' dance moves much to my horror, but at least he joins in and doesn't have any inhibitions! Although all Abba songs are extremely tuneful and catchy, when the girls left the stage for a few minutes, they performed a bit of Quo's 'Rocking all over the World' and that really got everyone in an even better mood. Ironic eh?!

The two guys portraying Benny and Bjorn were hilarious. As the night wore on, their fake Swedish accents were getting worse and worse and some of their lines were very amusing. The whole evening was extremely enjoyable and I would love to go and see them again.

Something I didn't know, after looking at the Bjorn Again website, is that they use many different troupes, mainly comprising of a pool of British personnel.









Above is the troupe that performed for us.

One step forward, two steps back

Man City 2 Spurs 1

Frustration frustration and more frustration. Spurs just can't achieve any consistency whatsoever.
Another game of two halves - ours was the first albeit still an average performance. However Robbie put us one up after a City mistake and a common sense pass from Chimbonda. Ironically, Chimbonda was our best player of the first 45 minutes - was he trying to make up for something?

However, it all went pear-shaped in the second half and I have to criticise Juande Ramos for his tactics. Firstly Huddlestone strangely replaced Lennon from the offset and then what I thought was a ridiculous substitution, he took Keane off and brought on Bent! My queries are:

1) What the hell is the point of doing a straight striker for striker swap when the player you're bringing on hardly scores and who is simply not as talented.

2) Keane was having an okay game. Not his best BUT he had already scored and he was (as always) working his socks off.

3) Do the management team not keep stats? ie. the amount of times they substitute Keane and then it all falls apart.

The latter is true of today. Not much time had passed and surprise surprise, City equalise! Granted, it was marginally offside and shouldn't have counted but decisions aren't always going to go your way. City then scored again and the defence was left floundering. What made it worse was that Spurs put it into the back of the net but the linesman ruled it offside. The replay showed it clearly wasn't. It could have been oh so different and I think a draw may have been a fairer result.

I will finally mention Robbie's reaction when he was subbed. Yes, he was angry and showed it, but I don't blame him one bit. He'd be the first to admit if he'd played below par and on 66 minutes, the game was still in the balance. He's well known for his passion and will to win and I feel this was a display of disappointment for the team, rather than a personal gesture.

Spurs oh Spurs, what a rollercoaster ride it is being a fan of yours. They face Chelsea in mid-week, a game I will be attending and it certainly won't be easy with the opponents wanting revenge for the Carling Cup defeat. I'm so looking forward to it....NOT!

Raindrops and roses & whiskers on kittens

At last the Saturday arrived when John and I got to see his Christmas present: The Sound of Music at the London Palladium.

Things didn't get off to a good start as when we arrived at Shoebury station, we discovered there were no trains and a bus service was in place to Leigh On Sea, but there was also no service between Barking and Upminster. The next bus wasn't going for another 30 minutes so we decided to drive all the way to Upminster, then get the train from there. It put us behind schedule by about 25 minutes but having reached Oxford Circus underground, the Palladium was literally a couple of hundred yards away. We walked into the first pub we saw (The Argyle Arms) for something to eat. That was the scrummiest fish, chips and mushy peas I've had in a long time! Once that had gone down, I shared John's chocolate fudge cake. Yum-my!

Anyway, on to the show....Unfortunately Connie Fisher, winner of the TV show 'How to solve a problem like Maria', was no more; the lead is now played by Summer Strallen who I have just learnt from the official website, used to be in Hollyoaks. Her opening night was on 5th March. However, she was more than competent, as were all the cast. Margaret Preece who played the Mother Abbess (the lead nun) was absolutely superb - her voice made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. The set and scenery were very well done indeed and the whole production was very professional - what you would expect from Andrew Lloyd Webber. The only criticism I would make is that the second half was a bit short and perhaps the whole story was condensed a little too much.

A thoroughly good night despite the trains, the pouring rain and back ache. :)

Spurs pay the penalty

PSV Eindhoven 0 Spurs 1 (6-5 on penalties)

Spurs certainly paid the penalty for what you can only call two lousy legs. You can't really forgive losing at home against quite an average looking team and knowing they had to win in Holland, you would expect them to come out all guns blazing. But oh no. Dire, slow, boring. It took until the 81st minutes before someone finally got the ball on target, and that man was of course Dimitar Berbatov. A great cross from Chimbonda and a volley from just outside the box from the Bulgarian.

Well at least we had a chance now. It could have been won in normal time and even extra time but that wasn't in the script - you kinda knew in your bones that it would go to penalties. Good entertainment for the neutral but the most agonising time for any fan watching their team. I was literally shaking and really didn't want to watch but an unknown force just makes you. All was going well with the first four penalties converted and Robbo having saved one of theirs. It all rested on JJ's shoulders to score one more and that would be that. However, when are things that straight forward? I wasn't surprised to see Gomes save the perfect height shot, and so into sudden death. I would have had money on Zokora missing - after all he has never scored for Spurs but he managed to convert it. Chimbonda wasn't so lucky. In fact, he missed the goal completely! So out Spurs go in the worst possible manner. It's harsh but someone had to lose; shame it had to be Tottenham. :(

With automatic qualification for next year's UEFA Cup, let's hope we can make it third time lucky.

Back to winning ways

Spurs 4 Wet Spam 0

Team: Robinson, Chimbonda, Woodgate (Tainio), Dawson, Hutton, Lennon, Huddlestone, Zokora, Malbranque (Gilberto), Keane (Bent), Berbatov

Seems like ages since I've been at the Lane what with Wembley and the recent UEFA games, but it was great to be back. As usual, the Spammers fans got a roasting from our lot especially as they only seem to have one song; they might be forever blowing bubbles but they are still forever failing to win stuff!

You can usually tell what's in store by the first few minutes but thankfully the tide turned pretty quickly. Robbo spilled the ball in the fifth minute which West Ham should have buried, and that was easily their best chance of the match. Thankfully Spurs responded in an enthusiastic manner, looking to put aside the disappointment of the last two games. To everyone's delight Berba notched up two headed goals within the first ten minutes, both from Huddlestone free kicks. Joy oh joy!

All through the first half Spurs played great football, passing, moving well and making surging runs with the ball. Berbatov - well he's in a class of his own. His touch, skill, vision, and dinky little passes were so pleasing to watch. When he gets a lot of the ball, Spurs generally play much better. If a couple of his skills don't feature on Soccer AM's 'Showboat' next Saturday I'll be most surprised.

Things got better for Spurs when Boa Morte was sent packing for a second bookable offence in the 44th minute.

The second half went a bit flat despite playing against ten men. Spurs sat back a little and as the game went on, let West Ham have more possession. However, they weren't on form this afternoon and made very few chances. Our defence is looking very solid these days. Hutton and Woodgate have proved very good signings already, and Dawson was in fine form as well today having just returned from injury.

Spurs had plenty of chances to add a third but it didn't come until the 85th minute when Gilberto notched up his debut goal in only his second appearance. Despite only two minutes of added time lit up on the board, the referee allowed play to go well beyond this and the icing on the cake came on 92:50 when Darren Bent headed home a Hutton cross to make it a sensational 4-0.

A bonus was that John placed a £2 bet for that scoreline and took home £68 in cash. That paid for his ticket with £7 in change. Nice!

The underdogs win through

What a great day for the neutral football fan! Who would have put a bet on Manchester United AND Chelsea being beaten today in the quarter final of the FA Cup?

Even if Manchester United didn't get the refereeing decisions where they should have, who cares?! The luck has to turn against them some time. So well done Pompey for beating United for the first time since 1957. A different scenario at Oakwell saw Barnsley work their socks off and want it more than their opponents. They clung on in the last 20 minutes of the game and defended for their lives. A thoroughly deserved win, finished off with good old-fashioned celebrations with the fans running onto the pitch. What makes it even better is that it wasn't a fluke, having beaten Liverpool at Anfield in the previous round.

It's pretty much anybody's now and the semi-final draw on Monday will be very interesting. At last, for the first time in 12 years, one of the big are NOT going to win the cup. Hoorah! I look forward to a much more exciting final - let's face it, there have hardly been any memorable ones in recent times.

Cup hangover

Birmingham 4 Spurs 1

I can't say I'm surprised and to be honest, I'm not even disappointed. Having won the cup last Sunday, I still feel on a high from the success and prospects for the future. We have already qualified for Europe for the third year in succession (when was the last time that happened?) so the league is not quite as important as it was. However, Mr Ramos will not let things slip I'm sure; he is not the type to just sit back and be satisfied with what has already been achieved. There are still just over two months before the end of the season and we have to get back on the horse and carry on winning. We are at home to PSV on Thursday and we need a good result if we wanna set our sights on winning the UEFA Cup as well.

So we'll let this one go, and put it down to a severe footballing hangover!

What a waste

I learned on Saturday that Jason Priestnell, who worked at HSBC up until a few years ago (in the same building as me), was killed on the A13 whilst riding his motorbike on Friday. Ironically, he had just passed his test a week previous. Apparently, there was no other vehicle involved and his bike was untouched. He was airlifted to Romford hospital but was dead on arrival. Without any further info, you would assume he had maybe been travelling too fast and had lost control of the bike, however, there were rumours today in the office that as Jason was diabetic, that may have had something to do with it or even that he suffered a heart attack. The autopsy will hopefully determine the cause.

I wasn't going to write about this tragedy as I didn't know Jason very well, but I got quite choked up today when I saw his photo in the Evening Echo. I don't know what it is about seeing someone's face after their death, but it really makes me emotional. Jason was always bubbly and pleasant to talk with, and pretty much everyone in the building who was working there at the same time, would have known who he was.

Although the report of Jason's accident was mentioned in yesterday's paper, this was the update which appeared today:

Family's grief for crash victim by Nicola Fenn



The family of a man who died while riding his motorbike home from work for the first time have paid tribute to their "loveable rogue".

Jason Priestnell, 36, a father-of-two, died when his blue Honda motorcycle smashed into the central barrier of the A13 as he rode home on Friday.

His wife of ten years Anita, 41, is trying to come to terms with the tragedy with their two daughters, Amber, eight and Miah, five.

Speaking at their home in Brendon Way, Westcliff, she said: "He was just loved by everyone. There wasn't anyone who didn't love him.

"He had a wicked sense of humour, was always joking and was rarely in a bad mood.

"He was a loveable rogue."

Mr Priestnell bought the motorbike to ride to and from Westcliff station, to get to his job in London as a project manager for Johnson's Control, a contractor at the BBC.

However, on Friday last week he decided to ride into work because he feared the trains were delayed.

Mrs Priestnell said: "He just never came home.

"He was a big bloke, but he was the softest person. If we watched a film on the telly he would be in tears.

"But he was a great dad. The girls adored him and they are both little daddy's girls."

Mr Priestnell grew up in Rochford and loved rugby, fishing and enjoying a pint with his friends.

He also leaves behind his twin sister Lisa, mum Jeanette and dad, Iain, who still live in Rochford.

Mrs Priestnell said: "They are absolutely devastated. We all are.

"He was their only son and his dad was more like his best friend."

The funeral will take place at Southend Crematorium, in Sutton Road, at 11.20am on March 7.

Everyone is welcome to attend and the dress code is casual in respect of Mr Priestnell's wishes.

Flowers should not be sent to the family home.

Police are still appealing for witnesses to the crash. Anyone who saw the collision happen just before the M25 sliproad, on the eastbound carriageway, at 3.30pm last Friday, can call Laindon Road Policing Unit on 01268 541312.

Anyway this is my personal tribute to the big guy and my heart goes out to his family and close friends. Such a sad loss of life.

R.I.P. Jason.

GLORY GLORY TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR!

CARLING CUP FINAL Spurs 2 Chelsea 1 (aet)

Team: Robinson, Chimbonda, Woodgate, King, Hutton, Lennon, Malbranque, Zokora, Jenas, Keane, Berbatov Subs used: Kaboul, Tainio, Huddlestone

I can hardly believe it. Spurs have done it. It's about time we won some silverware again; the first time this century and didn't we deserve it?!! It's only been five short months since Juande Ramos took over as manager, and despite the uproar at the time, this is the best thing that could've happened to the club. His record speaks for itself.

I'm absolutely ecstatic. Before the game I was picturing in my mind our boys sitting on the pitch with their hands in their hands and imagining how gutted I would feel - I know I'm pessimistic but you just have to look at Spurs' record against the Blues in recent years; it's bloody dreadful. Thank God I didn't have to go through that. The only sadness I feel is that I wasn't there to savour the glory. I wasn't at the Lane when we last beat Chelsea, and I wasn't there again today (I will really have to bump up those loyalty points coz I don't wanna miss out again).

Well, I guess I should summarise the game. Just 24 seconds into it, a mistake in Chelsea's defence gave Keano a great chance but it deflected for a corner. From that corner, Ledley also had a chance. In fact, Spurs got off to a very bright start and had four efforts on goal in the first ten minutes; Chimbonda hitting the bar from a header and Berba also heading wide. Steed had another shot on 28 minutes which forced a good save from Cech. Tottenham were dominating.
Chelsea didn't have a shot until half an hour gone and were not having any joy at all. However, totally against the run of play, Chelsea took the lead. It came as a result of an accidental foul on Drogba whose time would be better spent in a drama school. He took the free kick and beat Robbo comfortably into the corner of the goal (the side he should've had covered). Again, a lack of judgement on his part. Keane had an immediate chance the other end but shot straight at Cech. This followed quickly by a good run into the box by Berbatov but unfortunately he slipped on what turned out to be a very greasy surface.

All those efforts on goal and nothing to show for it. Usually when Chelsea take the lead they go on to win the game even if they're not playing particularly well. So, it was scary times in the second half. Chelsea certainly upped their pace and Spurs weren't able to keep as much possession. However, in the 69th minute, the referee's assistance quite rightly flagged for a penalty when Bridge handled in the box. As cool as a cucumber, Berba passed the ball into the net, wrong footing the goalkeeper. Ten minutes later, it could've all been wrapped up from a brilliant move involving a pass through the middle from Berba to Zokora (of all people) but he ended up one on one with Cech and made a mess of it, firstly hitting it at the onrushing goalie and from the rebound, putting it over the bar. Never will he have a better chance than that to score his first Spurs goal! Spurs pressed again and again and Berba's beautiful footwork in the box lead to him turning and having a shot right at the end of the 90 minutes, unfortunately straight at Cech.

And so it was extra time. This would indeed be a test of how Spurs' fitness has improved under Ramos. We didn't have to wait very long before Spurs went ahead 2-1 and it was bizarre the way it went in. Woody met a fantastic curling cross from Jenas - the Chelsea defence was nowhere to be seen but Cech came to punch the ball. Lucky for us, Woody's header came off Cech's glove and again ricocheted off Woody's head and bounced over the line (almost in slow motion). Now I was jumping up and down!

Having to defend that lead for 27 minutes was excruciating. What firstly nearly caused me heart failure was Keano being subbed for Kaboul. Does Ramos ever learn? I was in disbelief as if the game went to penalties we'd certainly need him on the pitch. However, I later found out that he felt a slight hamstring strain. Ok, fair enough. Oh but Spurs were really pressed back into their own half after that. Berba up front on his own wasn't working as every time he won a header, there was no-one there to collect it. There were some very hairy moments and I found myself pacing up and down the room; it was unbearable to watch. Robbo redeemed himself and pulled off a couple of great saves. John took my blood pressure in the dying minutes of the game and my pulse rate was 106! It's about the same rate when I run on the treadmill LOL.

Eventually the final whistle came. I have never felt such a huge relief in my life! I dunno what the Chelsea players were complaining about - just because the ref blew just as Kalou took a shot!
He missed anyway. Bad losers. Just accept you were second best on the day.

As I'm typing I'm watching the highlights on Sky and have tears running down my face. Delayed reaction I think. Seeing Ledley our club captain who has been plagued with injuries, lift the cup was a dream come true. I'm also chuffed to bits for Robbie who is Mr Spurs to the core, and who works his socks off game after game. He said he'd been dreaming of moments like this since he was a kid. That's what it's all about: the passion and desire.







GLORY GLORY TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR!

Change of plans

Well it seems we won't be having a lodger after all. John's brother Paul has secured a good job down south and will now be living somewhere near his girls in Hampshire. So we still have a room going spare for any other waifs and strays!

A huge relief

My little tabby cat Sweetie or 'Midge' as she is more commonly called these days hadn't been herself for about a week now. She spewed up her food about 8 days ago and didn't eat anything for 36 hours after that. She then perked up and seemed okay. However, she's been picking at her food every day and today I noticed how she was feeling unwell again, just sitting on the window sill in the kitchen above the radiator, and not looking comfortable. I had it in mind to take her to the vets if there was no improvement by Monday. However, a couple of hours later (approx 3:15) I noticed she was licking her bottom area rather tentatively and I managed to get a quick look. What I could see was some sort of lump or blockage so I immediately rang the vets in the hope in squeezing her in that afternoon. They close for the afternoon at 4pm but luckily they told me I could bring her straight away.

I saw Toni, a young South African vet who was very nice. She thoroughly checked her out and suspected it was an abscess, and so took Midge out the back to see if it could be lanced. It was an anxious wait, hoping that it wasn't anything malicious like a cancerous lump. Five minutes later, Toni returned with Midge, and told me the good news that it was indeed an abscess and she had successfully lanced and drained the puss out of it. It was such a relief. She just has a week's worth of anti-biotics and then will have a check-up next Saturday. Midge has already perked up and has eaten some turkey breast which I'd cooked this morning. Awww, bless. That must've been painful and I now know why she didn't look comfy sitting on her backside!

A bit hairy at the Lane

Spurs 1 Slavia Prague 1 (UEFA Cup 2nd leg)

So Spurs go through 3-2 on aggregate but rather than being the fairly easy game everyone was expecting, it turned a tad hair-raising in the second half. In all honesty Spurs were lucky it didn't go to extra time, and THAT would have been a disaster considering the cup final on Sunday. Not one player shone tonight but I'm sure they will up their game massively to face Chelsea; it's a case of having to. Well done to Jamie O'Hara for getting his first Spurs goals and although it took a massive deflection, he couldn't have cared less!

I was surprised the fans were so quiet tonight; no atmosphere whatsoever - were they all saving themselves for the big one?

PSV Eindhoven are our opponents in the next round which will be a test, but we have to expect that every game now will get tougher and tougher. A trip to the Netherlands may be on the cards for me and John perhaps?



Just before I go, I just wanna wish Gazza all the best for a speedy recovery. Illness, drinking and depression over the years have lead to him being detained under the Mental Health Act. Once a genius on the pitch is now such a tormented soul.

Brits 2008

The Osbournes were front of house this year. They were a tad cringeworthy, especially Sharon, who I like in the X-Factor but not as a host of a show that's for sure. Too O.T.T. for my liking, and too much swearing and shouting. Hardly professional. Kelly and Jack weren't too bad and Ozzy had minimal amounts to say (which was clearly intentional). Why oh why the organisers don't stick to personalities who know how to present a show and address an audience I'll never know (*thinks back and cringes at Mick Fleetwood & Sam Fox*).

A few other guests presenting the awards were an embarrassent. Chris Moyles tried to crack a joke which went down like a lead balloon and Vic Reeves was clearly pissed. Apparently the autocue died on him and he tried to ad-lib which made me wanna hide behind a cushion! Why on earth one of Britain's most talented actors, Sir Ian McKellen, was there God only knows - stick to the Oscars Ian!

Woop woop for Take That winning Best Single for 'Shine' and Best Live Act, which they certainly are, having experienced their show in December. I've gotta say I really don't 'get' the Arctic Monkeys; year after year they get nominated and always seem to win something - tonight it was Best Group and Best British Album. I was disappointed Leona didn't get a look in despite being nominated for four awards. I guess her time will come.

The visual effects of a couple of the performances were amazing. Rihanna singing 'Umbrella' accompanied by the Claxons produced a fantastic laser show and Sir Paul McCartney's 'Live and Let Die' with pyrotechnics galore looking as though the stage had exploded. He, after collecting his well deserved Outstanding Contribution to Music award, performed a compilation to end the show in style, finishing with the ever popular anthem Hey Jude. It must've been a nice escape from the courtroom. I suppose I should mention Amy Winehouse who appeared in a Mark Ronson compilation and also performed solo. She got through it okay but the way she was jigging about, it looked as though she'd had an accident in her pants!


The winners list in full:

Live Act - Take That (yay once again!)

British Album - Arctic Monkeys

International Album - Foo Fighters

British Group - Arctic Monkeys

International Female - Kylie (well done girl!)

British Female Solo Artist - Kate Nash (can't stand her music)

International Group - Foo Fighters

British Male Solo Artist - Mark Ronson (considering he doesn't even sing, this was a surprise)

International Male Solo Artist - Kanye West

British Breakthrough Act - Mika (I like fun music, so well deserved)

Critics Choice - Adele (I love 'Chasing Pavements')

Outstanding Contribution - Sir Paul McCartney (a true pro who will probably be around forever)

Waifs and strays

Waifs and strays Yes, everyone wants to come and live with John and Lisa! The latest 'lodger' will be John's next youngest brother Paul, who may arrive sometime next weekend. He currently lives in Derbyshire, right on the border to Sheffield with his girlfriend and her two children. A few years ago Paul split with his wife Hazel and it was a rough divorce with her trying to take him for everything he had. Obviously I don't know all the ins and outs but it sounded a real mess and really unfair on his part. He also has two children, Yasmin and Ellis who live with Hazel in Hampshire. You can imagine the nightmare travelling to and from Derbyshire to see them, and this is partly the reason why he's decided it's just not working out up north. Paul used to be a very successful businessman in highly paid positions. That all went to pot after his divorce and he couldn't find anything suitable up there. He ended up being a bus driver which is such a come down. He is also involved in the Colour Guard competitions but has to travel long distances to get to venues. For anyone who doesn't know what I'm talking about, here's a link to explain!

click here

I don't know whether his relationship with Nicola fell apart as well but anyway he's decided to return down south and try and sort out his life. I've no idea how long he'll be staying with us but we're always happy to help the homeless!

One of John's other brothers, Chris, and his wife Sandy lived with us for eleven months during 2005, three months before they went on a round the world trip and eight months after they returned. On that occasion, they had moved to England from Florida where Chris was working. Prior to that they lived in Holland, as Sandy is Dutch. Anyway that worked out okay and there's no reason why Paul's stay won't either. I get on really well with all his family so hopefully it'll be a pleasant experience.

3 men and a corner flag

Slavia Prague 1 Spurs 2 (UEFA Cup)

It was like a saunter in the park in the first half for Spurs, and they really should have been three or four goals to the good. Instead they went into the break 2-0 ahead courtesy of Berbatov and Keane. Berba scored in the 4th minute with a bit of a shot to nothing but the goalkeeper failed to scramble across quick enough. Robbie grabbed his 20th goal of the season when Jenas put him through on the left and he finished past the onrushing Vaniak. The celebration for the second goal was a classic. Robbie took the corner flag and gestured for others to join him - Berba and Chimbo did so and all three straddled the flag and rode it like a horse. Giddy up! I've no idea what was behind it but it made me giggle anyway! (see pic)

Spurs started the second half the same as the first but it all got a bit pressurised after Ramos made the decision to take Keane off. Cerny made an error, dropping the ball on the line and it was poked in making the score 1-2. To be fair, they could've equalised as they had several chances, one of which hit the bar from a header. Ramos has got most things right so far, but I think he has to learn that Keano is such an influential player and substituting him does have an impact on the game. Thankfully, they held on to win the game but instead of being comfortable going back to the Lane in a week's time, they will now have to work hard to ensure of no silly slip ups.

Valentine's Day

The last two years have seen some strange Valentine's gifts: a plant called a dragontree and a cactus! What is it he's trying to say I wonder? Anyway, Johnny got it right this year and stuck to tradional roses. One multi-coloured bunch that he bought himself and another large bunch of dark red ones left over from his depot (he is a operatons manager at a parcel delivery company). I even received a card which is most unusual. I'm not being inappreciative but the message on the card was most inappropriate - it says 'I've known you this long'....and in a thought bubble it has pictures of three calendar months...and then inside it says ' but I love you this much'...with a picture of a cat with wide open arms. I'm not sure I described that very well but as we've been together for 18 years, it goes to show that men don't take much notice of the wording on cards!

Ho hum.

Gutted big time

Didn't get my Wembley ticket. As a Lillywhite member, I was 19 loyalty points short of the required amount. Can't believe it; I'm devastated and will now have to resort to watching it on the telly. What gets my goat more than anything else is the 27,000 tickets that will go to the bloody corporate lot. They're not even interested in the game - it's just a day out to them; a few prawn sandwiches and a glass of wine. To real fans like myself, it's a dream to go to Wembley and support your beloved team in a cup final. Apparently, even Chelsea can't sell all their allocated tickets! SO GIVE THEM TO US! I'm just so upset; it's grossly unfair considering I'm at the Lane on average every 2-3 weeks and spend my hard earned cash on tickets and other merchandise.