Fussball Uber Alles

The beers have been bought and I’m all set to watch the final of the euros tonight. Just to add a bit of a spice to the proceedings myself and a friend will be supporting opposing teams. I’ll be cheering on the diving cheats as I once lived in Germany; while my mate will be using an extremely tenuous Iberian link to support Spain. With five quid riding on the outcome expect things to turn nasty!

Record sale for Monet masterpiece

I see that someone has splashed out over 40 million quid for one of Claude Monet’s paintings of water lilies.

This is one of my personnel favourites. For an impressionist the attention to detail is just superb.

Norman Fay

It's with great sadness that I learned of the death of Norman Fay. Norman and his late wife Marion were two of the founding members of South Tyneside Friends of the Earth. Norman and Marion were very much hands on environmentalists and would get stuck in to all sorts of campaigns - anything form picking rubbish off beaches, to protecting council estates' playing fields from greedy developers.

Of course Norman will be best remembered in the cycling community for his brilliance as cycle engineer. What Norman didn't know about bikes just wasn't worth knowing. We'll all miss him at Friends of the Earth and our thoughts are with him and his family.

Happy solstice

I did hope I would get a few more blogs in this week, but once again not enough hours in the day or regular access to a computer. Catch you after the weekend.

Splitters!

Yet another councillor has quit the Independent Alliance Party after political infighting and an angry exchange of words.
One councillor was heard asking “Excuse me. Are you the Judean People's Front?” To which he received the reply
“Fuck off! We're the People's Front of Judea.”

Councillor Biggus Dickus was unavailable for comment today.

The independent alliance turns against Tom Defty

Ta very much

Vielen Dank!

Those Crazy Dutch

I’ve lost count of how many goals Holland have knocked past Italy and France. They may not be quite up to the total football skill level of the past, but they are brilliantly entertaining.

Their level of fitness and commitment should help counter some of the racial stereotypes that would have you believe the Dutch are a nation that spends most of their time totally mashed in Amsterdam coffee shops. I ask you, what could ever have given folk that impression…

I’m back!

I’m back after the half term holiday and a few relaxing days in Liverpool …although I’m not sure many people would consider running through the Mersey Tunnel relaxing.

Just glancing at the blogs I can see that loads has been happening since I last fingered a computer keyboard and I’m sure I’ll be leaving a few comments… but first, Football!