They’re Coming Home, They’re Coming Home, They’re Coming, England’s Coming Home, They’re Coming Home, They’re Coming Home, They’re Coming… The Newly Renovated Winstanley, Han Gets Soaked and So Do I...Son of Gut-bucket!!!

Well at LAST it’s over, the England team go down 4-1 to Germany; yes, I agree, it should have been 4-2 but in the end the disallowed goal made no difference. Won’t comment on the game because I know SOD all about Football and I'm happy for it to remain that way. However, it was rather an interesting day, Han wanted to go to the pub to see the match (she really wanted to meet up with Donna and family to see if she could swim in their newly filled pool today) so we watched the first half at home and then, during half time, walked to the Winstanley* to watch the second… Nat having gone to Jacob’s for the PM to share in their barbeque and watch Bruce (Jacob’s dad) melt-down during the football; Bruce LOVES all sport and Nat reported that the swearing he directed toward the TV, was very “adult”! 
OMG! WHT! One Coke and One Pint of cider £5.00!!!!!!!! Well, after I’d pulled myself off of the floor Han and I went looking for Donna. I spotted a few people whom I hadn’t seen in years and managed to say a few quick hellos. Everyone was very friendly, but, already, there was an underlying feeling that the writing was on the wall for England. We eventually found Donna, Jonathon and her Dad (John) in the bar and sat with them there to watch the second half; shortly after it had started Han went outside and played with some friends  and that was the last of the football for her!  I watched the rest of the game and looked on as the pub crowd became more and more despondent as ENGLAND PROVED THEY DIDN’T DESERVE TO GET ANY FURTHER; even a know-nothing like me could see that they were completely outplayed by Germany.
WE THOUGHT IT WAS ALL OVER, it was, so we left during the 2 minutes of extra time to avoid the fighting mobs in the car park…actually everyone was very friendly if somewhat gloom. We walked to Donna’s where the kids played happily on the trampoline while I “helped” remove and replace the pool cover, on the now full pool, so that the chemicals could be added.  I’d already explained this to Han but whenever has even a little knowledge of advanced chemistry ever filled that void that’s created, in a young girls heart, when she realises that pool time is still 24 hours away? Afterwards I sat on the patio, on the new patio furniture no less, and chatted with John.  This is always a little awkward because John’s a smashing guy but he’s 80 years old and virtually deaf; he only seems to catch every other word! This can lead to some hilarious “at cross purposes conversations” but it also proves to be a bit of a strain at times. After he left us I somehow ended up giving  a long explanation of deficit funding, pension underfunding and sundry other riveting economic topics until both Donna and Jonathon’s eyes glazed over. Afterward I laid them out, comfortably, on the patio where I knew they would eventually regain consciousness I walked home. Han had already left to go to the park with the other kids, including those of her new Fujian neighbours (lovely girl the one I met), and came home about an hour later. Nat returned from the barbeque shortly before she got home.

* The newly renovated Winstanley is very pleasant. The structural changes aren’t enormous but make a huge difference to the place as a whole. It looks like it would be rather nice to go there one evening for a reasonably cheap meal.

Before the football started Han and I had been having “Water Fun” in the garden with the hosepipe and trampoline; see below:

I HAVE GOT TO GO ON A DIET AND START EXERCISING.  I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW HUGE MY STOMACH IS IN THESE VIDEOS!!!! SON OF GUT-BUCKET