Tag: Rugby

T for Telephoning Home

lindamaycurry12 Comments
#AtoZChallenge 2025 letter T

This is the story of Will and his two friends who sailed to England in 1967 to see the world. Aerogrammes. letters, diaries and postcards help to tell of their adventures in this A to Z.

 “I've Just Got to Get a Message to You”   Bee Gees  •.  1968
I've just got to get a message to you
Hold on, hold on
One more hour and my life will be through
Hold on, hold on

Extract from Diary

Monday 9th  September 1968

Back to school class 2C.  33 in class, good kids, a few staff changes.

Tuesday  10th 

Staying with Italian family in Cricklewood, comfy accommodation £1  per night bed and breaky. 

Wednesday 11th

Played squash 

Thursday 12th Saw movie “Wait until Dark”. Gripping. Great! 

Saturday 14th To Southampton with Osterley playing second grade for Magpies. Lost 22-3 Played Trojans. 

Sunday 15th Saw “The Graduate” again- a very good film.

Tuesday 17th Moved into flat 29 B Jeffries St Camden Town. Unpacked. 

Basement flat (below street level) in Camden Town Recent picture from Apple Maps

29B Jeffreys St,Camden Town,London, NW1 06/10/1968

My biggest problem at the moment is that I’m aching from A-hole to breakfast time from yesterday’s game of Rugby, so much so it’s difficult to write. It just shows how out of condition I really am, even after all the squash and one previous game of rugger. We will start training seriously this week though, at the Swiss Cottage gymnasium, so should be fit soon as it was our first game with a new club (Hampstead).

We played down at Greenwich (0° longitude) but our home grounds will be Regents Park and Highgate where Dick Whittington turned and came back to London. 

Have just come back from the cinema where we saw “Girl on a Motorcycle” with Marianne Faithful which to say the least was “broad minded”. Last week saw the film “Nobody Runs Forever” with Rod Taylor, which is about the Australian High Commissioner in London who is to be arrested by an Australian detective (Taylor). It’s a very good show and Taylor does a perfect Australian accent but a lot of the Pom’s missed some of the comments.

Cilla has finished at Essendine and starts next year as an Air Hostess with B.O.A.C.  Meanwhile she is teaching English in Venice and Paris to fill in time.

Flat here is OK and we could fix it up into a great bachelor pad if we were staying but alas I suppose I must leave swinging London someday. Pleased to hear about everyone resigning from the NSW Education Department and the strike might make those silly apes up in Bridge St start treating teachers like human beings. School is all right here and I’m enjoying work. Have a good class and we’re very busy with the project at the moment called “Man, How You’ve Changed’.

Wouldn’t mind joining you in New Guinea, Dad, for the sailing. It’s supposed to be an interesting place to visit too.

29B Jeffreys St,Camden Town,London, NW1.  12/10/1968

Ringing home with kid’s artwork on the wall behind

Well it’s 12:30 am on Saturday morning and 35 minutes ago (Friday night 11:55 pm) I rang you up, Mum and it was absolutely great to talk to you even if for only three minutes. It only took me about 45 minutes to get through and when I heard your phone ringing and you saying hello I was very excited. The line was very clear and it’s amazing to think someone 12,000 miles away could come through so clearly. I can remember the conversation quite well but imagine taking you by surprise like that startled you a bit. I asked you what time it was over there. 9:00 am Saturday morning was it? and how you were but didn’t get a reply. Suppose the surprise was a bit much. Reckon I’d have been the same if you’d have got through here earlier in the week. What’s this about me losing my Australian accent? Not true. I didn’t have any trouble recognising you over the phone. 

Extract from Diary

Rang mum in Australia £1 per minute 12:00 pm here and 9:00 am Saturday morning in Wollongong. Really great to hear mum again. Hard to convince her it was me.

It’s a bit hard imagining Dad going sailing again over there especially since every day gets just a bit more chilly here. Autumn has at last arrived and the leaves are flooding the foot paths now although it’s still not cold enough by any means to wear a coat outside.

Today Phil and I play  “rugger” with the 5th grade side. We play Footscray in Kent which sounds a long way away but is only about 20 miles. England’s a pretty small place. The team we play for at Hampstead are a very enthusiastic lot being a reformed club with well over 100 players. They were first formed just over 100 years ago. They supply us with new jerseys and shorts from next week.

Will is in the back row, 4th from the left

All’s well otherwise over here in Swinging London but reckon on writing to Canada for a job beginning in the new year. Six months only over there should be enough. Had a letter from Keith who has bought a Ford van and is touring the US at Christmas. Don’t know very clearly what he’s up to after that. He seems a bit rapt in some Canadian bird, Miss Port Alberni, he reckons she is, but we should set him pretty straight when we see him.

29B Jeffreys St,Camden Town,London, NW1.   14/11/1968

Thursday night here and I’m just getting a chance to reply to your letter. I was supposed to be going to rugby training tonight at the gym but caught up on some sleep instead. Should have trained I suppose as I got promoted this week to the “A” team third grade side and as we have eight sides plus reserves now the competition is very keen. Played at Luton 30 miles north last week for the 5ths and were beaten 15-3.  I had numb toes all the game as it was a pretty cold day. An Aussie played for us who had just flown over from Brisbane. Great to hear that unadulterated, broad drawl again. The cold weather was a bit of a shock to him. Phil is still playing first grade and going very well from all reports. 

The news report just said Miss Australia won the Miss World Title – something of a surprise! It was live on TV. Imagine! Everyone dashed up after training to see it at the pub. Have been out a few times this week. Took the birds to a play called “The Secretary Bird” starring Kenneth Moore (Douglas Bader) which was a really hilariously good play. An Aussie bird played the title role.

I just discovered that the pub, the Old Bull and Bush about which the song was written is one of our locals, a nice old pub at Hampstead which is a lovely part of London on the hill near a large heath with old houses, shops and pubs but pretty expensive. On Sunday we drove out of London. Car is still running well and inexpensively down to Southend on Sea (Sarfend) for the afternoon and had dinner at the girls’ flat. They sure know how to cook ! Chicken cooked in wine with mushrooms plus three other courses and French wine! Not bad.

Bobbies certainly are a polite breed here. Pulled up outside the bank in the strand on Saturday in a “No Standing” area and the constable said, “Leave it there while you go into the bank, Sir. I’ll keep an eye on it for you”. Makes you want to co-operate with the police.

I did hear of Wollongong’s bushfires. There was a small paragraph in the papers here and a little more about it in the Australian newsletter. Must have been pretty terrible. I wouldn’t mind some Australian magazines, Women’s Weekly and even some Daily Telegraphs. Could you send them seamail? They’re sent reasonably cheaply this way.

Have been to see a few good new films lately and at the theatre saw a new play called “40 Years On” which was quite good, starring Sir John Gielgud who was very convincing. I saw the film “Till Death Us Do Part” and since I hadn’t seen any of the TV series I quite enjoyed it. Alf Garnett certainly got some publicity in the local papers over here over the Marrickville incident. The way it was reported here it made a lot of people round that way seem a bit prudish or something.

It’s the last time I’ll play Alf says Warren

 Sydney Wednesday – Warren Mitchell said goodbye to Australia and Alf Garnett in his farewell appearance at Chequers Nightclub.   Mitchell, the 43-year-old television star who has been the centre of a controversy following his use of four letter words at the Marrickville Returned Servicemen’s Leagues Club over the weekend finished his last show in Australia with three encores from a packed house at the downtown Sydney nightclub.

In a curtain speech he toasted the citizens of Marrickville and announced to the audience that it was the last time he would play the cynical cockney Alf Garnett. Mitchell was close to tears as he said that he wanted to forget the Marrickville incident in which he was barred from completing his contract of four days because of the language he used. Surrounded by admirers in his dressing room after his last show in Australia he said that he was sick and tired of being confused with the irascible Garnett. 

“Alf Garnett is a character that I have portrayed in television. I wish to God that they could forget Alf. Tell them I am a character actor.” 

He was greatly disturbed that the Marrickville incident had been reported to London. “My bloody wife read about the story in Knightsbridge!”

Hope those prints I sent arrived. The other lot looked like they’re lost. I wonder how many letters etc I’ve sent that never arrived? Suppose the Australian Post Office would blame it on that sorting machine which chews up the letters. Well, better get some Bo Peep so that I’ll be fit for school tomorrow.

29B Jeffreys St,Camden Town,London, NW1. 17/11/1968

Tonight I’m “sort of” babysitting. Sort of because I haven’t heard or seen “him” since I arrived with instructions to drink up, so have had a few camparis, gin and tonics, Scotch and tonics and rang up Jean to come around as well. There are some good shows on TV so have been very contentedly relaxing. I’m minding Fred for a young English couple who are friends of ours. They have a Georgian style home with very modern furnishings and very well set up. It’s their au pair’s night off so I don’t mind doing them a favour and enjoying myself too. This should be the last letter you’ll get before Christmas. Received your Aussie Christmas card yesterday. Very nice.

We have the Rugby Club Christmas party on Friday and Rugby on Saturday and Sunday to recover and Monday shopping and on Tuesday Christmas Eve we’re going to St Helens for Christmas with Jean and Beth. Will be up there for a few days and a guided tour of Lancashire and may go to Scotland though have to be back for the rugger. Played last week against Port of London Authority on a frozen rock hard ground – pools of solid ice – absolute punishment if you got tackled. We won 15-3. I scored two tries.

Saw “Hair” last night. What a great show! The best thing that’s happened since Corn Flakes.  Saw three films at Australia House. One on the 18 footers on the Harbour was tremendous and won a prize at Edinburgh Film Festival. They looked great on a screaming plane. 

Extract from Diary

Tuesday 26th November 1968

Record and taping session in flat.  Bought “Hair” (36/9).

29B Jeffreys St,Camden Town,London, NW1 28/11/1968

Phil and I have been taking out two girls from a flat up the road. I have been taking out an English bird from school called Jean and Phil is dating her flatmate Beth. As well we have invites up to their place for the hols. They come from Saint Helens up near Liverpool (rugby league district) so we may go up for a few days if we get a few things done on the car tomorrow.

Phil, Beth and Jean outside our flat

The car’s going quite well really hasn’t cost us anything yet in the 5000 plus miles it’s done apart from the water pump in Spain. Do you know they still make and sell Morris 1000’s the same as ours over here? Stopped making them five years ago in Aussie didn’t they? We went to the 1968 Motor Show the other evening with the girls and we saved 7/6 by getting in as overseas visitors using our passports (the girls had to pay). The man looked very suspicious at the stamp date of arrival February ’67. 

The central heating in our flat is great. Waking up in a warm flat, driving to school in a heated car and working in a centrally heated school is so good you don’t even need an overcoat. You may have the wrong idea from what I said earlier that the teaching standard here is low. It’s just that there’s more freedom from a lot of the window dressing and hypocrisy that goes on in Australian schools so that there’s more time to get on with a bit of work. I don’t really think they’re much better off in Canada for all the extra work. A few people we’ve spoken to have been quite disillusioned with the high cost of living and lack of social life etc there so if and when I get there next year I don’t figure on teaching. It will just be a short visit and if I ever teach there it will be after I’ve been back to Australia. Keith seems to be existing but isn’t too enthusiastic and he’s going to tour Mexico etc at Christmas to miss the winter. Anyway, apparently he’s sending a roneoed sheet out with his Christmas cards so you should get all his news direct. 

Went to a party down in a studio in Baker Street the other night run by Anthony Greenwood’s daughter. He’s the Minister for Housing. What a party – a full rock band, psychedelic lighting, go go dancers, all the birds and the bods in Carnaby St gear but the police arrived half an hour after it started at 11:30 pm and very politely asked if the music could be turned down as the walls and us were vibrating with sound and the neighbours were complaining. 

 We saw this play “Hair” which is without doubt the most amazing and important show I’ve ever seen. It’s an American musical happening and one of the first since all stage censorship has been removed. They took the establishment and tore it apart, politics, sex, religion, race, hate, war, drugs… An amazing show! I’ve bought the LP record and we’ve booked to see it again running to packed audiences and booked out for weeks in advance.

O for Opportunistic Scum

lindamaycurry9 Comments
#AtoZChallenge 2025 letter O

This is the story of Will and his two friends who sailed to England in 1967 to see the world. Aerogrammes. letters, diaries and postcards help to tell of their adventures in this A to Z.

“Even the Bad Times are Good”    Tremoloes. • 1967
There are times in this life of mine
I think that the sun forgot how to shine
But as long as you're always there
It don't bother me 'cause why should I care
When all I've gotta do
Is run to you

14 Oaklands Road, Cricklewood, NW2, London 6th February, 1968

Well, we have a long sad story over here.  When we got home from school yesterday, we found our flat had been burgled and really cleaned out.  I reckon its lost me about £150.  £30 to £40 cash, radio, camera, new electric shaver, £60 worth of clothes including new shirts, sweaters, three pairs of trousers (including bottom half of my suit), jeans, one pair of shoes, my old Lavina watch (not working and with broken glass), alarm clock, even my penny jar, after shave lotion, pens and a couple of souvenirs – nothing INSURED!

Phil lost £45 cash and expensive camera, two shirts and other things.  They even cleaned out the gas and electricity meters, food kitty of £5 and so on.  So I was swearing non-stop for about two hours to let off some steam.  They did leave one new suit, suitcases and other clothes but have made a considerable hole in my budget.  I may have to cut down on some European trips in Spring and Summer.  The detective was sympathetic but couldn’t get fingerprints and we don’t hold any hopes of getting anything back.  Phil’s gear was insured (except money) so he may get something back. Geoff, the other bloke in the flat lost only a suit, clock and a few little other things, so he got out the lightest (me the heaviest) – What a b#%&!

Will’s one remaining suit

Not to worry.  No good crying over spilt milk – so enough of the crook news.

Last Saturday Phil and I resumed our Rugby “career” playing for Osterley RVFC- they have about seven teams and I think we’re playing “B” grade – they read the team out – saying “scrum half Brown, fly half Smithson, two Australian lads in the centres”. We were way out of condition but all they wanted to know was that we were Aussies, drank beer and were either bass or tenor for singing afterwards. Phil and I got big wraps for “fantastic tackling” but the rest of the time all we did was puff. Have still been taking out Cilla on the staff (the one with the car) and doing a bit of socialising.

Extract from Diary

Saturday 3rd of February 1968

Out to Graham Scott’s place to borrow shorts and footy jumper and boots then to bank withdrawal £40  and met Phil at Australia House. Lunched at a Wimpy and snowed as we headed for Osterley by tube. Met the rugby mob at station and by Austin 1100 to Bracknell near Ascot Racecourse. Phil and I played in the centres, freezing cold and of course everyone kicks but we were so far out of nick we were pleased they were doing this. Got big wrap ups for our tackling went down 6-5 after leading 5-0 for most of the game. After to their clubhouse for free food and cheap grog.  Back late, apologised to Cilla for being late. Drove down to OVC about 9:00 pm where we had a few drinks and danced to a good beat band and talked. Back to her flat for coffee and talked with three others till 2:00 am. Bed exhausted.

We’re having a Gay and Hearty next Saturday as we need to cheer ourselves up a little – have about 80 friends coming.

Extract from Diary

Saturday 10th of February 1968 

Began cleaning up and did shopping of grog for party. Good show, about 100 people turned up. I got cheery and forgot to say hello to some people. I didn’t have much time to circulate as every time I left this bird (Cilla) someone tried to con her. A good show and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Renewed quite a few old acquaintances. 75 slept the night.

Extract from Diary

Tuesday, 13th February, 1968

After school tubed into Piccadilly Circus where I insured my luggage. Met Phil, and Graham who is flying out for Washington next week, for a few beers at a pub at Leicester Square 5:30 pm. It rained all night and we had a view of the square through the all glass frontage as we drank halves of bitter and talked. Farewelled Graham and lost Phil at 11:00pm. Caught bus home. Went to sleep at Marble Arch and ended up in Cricklewood Bus Garage with lights out and surrounded by many buses. Ran home 3/4 of a mile.

Thursday, 15th February, 1968

This morning we flashed out to Holland Park and met Lloyd from NZ and bussed to Osterley where we played rugby for the B team, Phil in the centre and I played left wing. I scored a try after Phil set me up in the corner.  We won six nil against Beckenham. Hot bath afterward with fifty others. Was impressive as all sang songs, sober and all harmonising, sounded really good. Afterwards the usual supper and much beer and singing of Rugby Songs followed. An enjoyable evening.

14 Oaklands Road, Cricklewood  18/2/1968

They turned the clocks back one hour last night so we had an extra hour’s sleep as daylight saving time will be in use all year round now not just in summer as before. This means at present it will get dark about 6:30 pm now instead of 4:00 pm as it was in the height of winter. I still have pleasant memories of last summer’s evenings in England when it wasn’t getting dark till around 10:00 pm and we were playing footy in the park at 9:00 pm. How is the move for daylight saving time going in Australia? It’s a great idea. We waste half our daylight hours in bed particularly in summer time at home. 

14 Oaklands Road, Cricklewood  25th February 1968

I’m on hols for a week now as I’ve worked a whole six weeks without a holiday so I need a rest.  The vacation system in English schools is great as the terms fly by in no time – I don’t think too many teachers here have nervous breakdowns.  Phil and I have decided to hire a mini for four days and drive up around the midlands towns and have a bit of a look at a few smaller country towns – it’ll be a change to get out of the city for a while.

We were out the Rugby Club last Friday night when Acker Bilk and his jazz band played – they were terrific, voted number one jazz group in the US last week.  It’s a few miles out to the club but went out in Cilla’s mini. The breathalyser test has everyone over here scared to drink and drive but road deaths have been down 25% since its introduction so it’s having a good effect, even if damned inconvenient.  The standard joke is, “So I’ve blown up the balloon, where’s the party, then?”

No good sending over any clothes.  I’ve bought a few replacement things but the old bank balance is tumbling.  I got a Kodak Instamatic 300 camera up the street – it’s the one with the built in light meter and superseded model as the flash fitting is single bulbs instead of cubes but just as good.  The worst part about losing my other camera was the 16 good shots on the reel, such as one of the four of us playing Roman Soldiers, fighting off the Picts and Scots in the snow on the Roman wall up north and another of us having a duel on the duelling grounds at Hamstead Heath surrounded by the mist.

Tomorrow night we’re going to see “Sweet Charity”, a musical play starring Juliet Prowse (Frank Sinatra’s ex-girlfriend) which is supposed to be very good.

We haven’t heard from Keith for about 4 or 5 weeks – he must be working hard.  I’ll bet it’s a bit of a shock to the system.  Phil sends his regards.  Jack, you owe me a letter.  What’s the new job and send me a pic of the car.  How are you Gail?  Taking it easy I hope.  That’s it for now.  

14 Oaklands Road, Cricklewood, NW2, London 5th March 1968

Did you receive my card from Coniston? (Ed. Will’s parents lived in Coniston, Australia). If you did you will discover Phil and I ended up hiring a Viva for a week and motoring around England exploring a few towns and cities we hadn’t seen.

February 1968 Mid-term Hols. In Yorkshire Dales – end of winter. Phil taking pic. Viva we had for a week.

We were very impressed with the Yorkshire Dales and the sun shone on the snow for two whole days but Lake Windermere and Coniston Waters were shrouded in mist. We found some great walled towns with 10th to 13th century castles, cathedrals, houses, shops and pubs built centuries before, still in use, very atmospheric. The towns of Chester and Shrewsbury were almost completely original and said to be England’s most complete mediaeval cities. Stayed one night in North Wales and then dropped back into Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford on Avon which is very pretty also with many old half timbered houses leaning in all directions but preserved for the future. All in all a very pleasant holiday although not too cheap £7 each for car hire and petrol expensive but hostelling and food costs are quite cheap although we had to stay in a bed and breakfast one night as no nearby hostel was open.

Small store in Yorkshire Mountains

14 Oaklands Road, Cricklewood, NW2, London 18th March 1968

I received your aerogramme last Monday and the letter with the pics and DA label today.  I enjoyed the photos and seeing everyone drinking cold beer and standing around in shorts and short sleeved shirts in the evening sun. – brings back pleasant memories.  I took one of the girls on the staff (Cilla) to see the movie “Endless Summer” the other week and they had some shots of surfing in Australia.  It looked great.  Cilla is giving the teaching away in the summer as she’s in the process of getting a job as an air hostess – about the only way you could afford to see the world as a schoolie in England as you’d never be able to pay your own fare otherwise.

While I’m mentioning pay, a new rise of £75 per annum (30/-) a week is coming through next week for schools classified as “Priority” (such as Essendine) because of under-privileged kids, high numbers of immigrants and above 30% of kids getting free dinners.  This won’t go astray and since the boss has been at me for some time to stay for 3rd term I’ve decided to do just that since I’ll get paid for 7 weeks holidays out of 17 weeks in the term.  This means I’ll spend one week (free board) with the kids at camp in Sussex during school term.

I hope to Christ the Aussies kill the Poms in the cricket, though as the boss is big time in the cricket organising circle and I’ll cop the heckles if we don’t.  Lords is just up the road, so I’ll be able to walk up after school to watch a few overs.

This afternoon I had an appointment at the opticians, and he says my eyes aren’t too good (my left one anyway) and I’m getting glasses for £4/10/-.  The rest, doctors and other fees are all paid by National Health (free). He says I should wear them most of the time but doubt if I will.

Rugby is still enjoyable but only 3 games left now.  I served at the bar after and am quite an expert at serving “a pint of bitter” now.

We move out of this flat on April the 6th and I’ll probably get a small flat for next term, possibly with Phil although he hasn’t decided whether he’ll stay yet or go to Canada.  He’s teaching at a Physically Handicapped school at the moment where they have breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea plus one hour’s nap each day, all free! So he’s on a good thing but doesn’t know if he can get a permanent job in 3rd term.

Send mail via the O.V.C. from now on until I let you know of my new address after the hols.

c/- OVC,180 Earl’s Court Road, London SWS. England, 26th March 1968

Was down the O.V.C. last Friday night – 1st time in a month and casually checked the mail desk for mail, not expecting any as it’s quite promptly forwarded to our flat and was pleasantly surprised to collect your letter, Dad! It made enjoyable reading, so I settled back with an ‘alf of bitter and read it there! Good work!

Phil’s currently down the laundromat – a favourite spot for getting letters written, as I have to knock over 6 or 7 a week and am suffering from a damaged rib – product of Saturday’s Rugby game. Saw the doctor this arvo and have to go to the hospital for an X-ray tomorrow morning.  It may be fractured but I’m hoping its only bruised as there are two games left this season.  I got promoted to the “A” Team last Saturday – (this is really the 3rd side) and had to play centre instead of my usual loaf on the wing.  I got a big wrap for my tackling (around the ankles).  The Poms are rapt as not too many tackle properly but hardly got an attacking run as they monopolized the lineouts.

Enough of Rugby, except to say Phil has struck good form now and has been promoted to 1st grade and had another good game Saturday so should hold his position with ease.  Of course, Saturday night after the game was really sensational- no one had to drive as we had a coach and therefore no fear of breathalyser tests (which have everyone scared to “drink and drive”) so are very successful and we went through a high repertoire of Rugby Songs.  Got home all right though as someone put me on the right train.

Saw the movie, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”.  Make sure you see it.  Very good

Taking Cilla to the theatre tomorrow night to see a play and another of the girls on the staff invited me to a party so social life is looking up.  I’m elected to run the “Grand National” sweep at school and the Oxford-Cambridge boat race is also on next Saturday – great excitement here but I’m not too excited.

c/- OVC,180 Earl’s Court Road,London SWS,England. 26th March 1968

How’s the new addition and the new father, mother and grandparents?  Hope you received my card, Jack and Gail?.  I haven’t collected any mail for the last couple of days as the O.V. are holding it so am looking forward to further news.

I leave tomorrow for Milan, Italy so am just doing some washing tonight and then packing my bag.  Have been staying at a nice bed and breakfast place for the last 5 nights and have the rest of my luggage stored at school.  We broke up today as it is the end of second term and it will be great to get away from the more difficult kids for a while.  Some, however, are quite good kids and one brought me a cake , another a box of chocolates , more cake and some nice birthday wishes yesterday.  I told them I was 21 but they reckon I am 24- a vicious rumour.  Celebrated my 23rd quite well though.  Cilla fed me on Guinness stout and caviar (Danish) on toast round her place in the afternoon and we went into the Rooftop Bar at the London Hilton at 5.30pm for a couple of whiskies.  It’s 25 floors high (second tallest building in London) and overlooks Buckingham Palace Grounds, so you can see Queen Liz and Phil going for a stroll with the corgis, round their private lake and tennis courts etc. But at 14/- for two whiskies and tonic it’s a bit dear even if you do get free peanuts.  Finished the evening at Lord’s Tavern near the cricket ground so was an enjoyable evening if a trifle expensive.

Phil just got his insurance rebate of £100 for the robbery and is happy with that as he didn’t lose anywhere near as much as me.  The rugby is over until next September.  Phil played in the first-grade side last Sunday and was one of the star players scoring two tries.  My rib is 90% now and am just about fit again so had better start swimming or squash to get fit in the summer.