Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein

I love the film based on this book by Paul Verhoeven and will be honest that I was pointed in the direction of this book after over hearing a twitter conversation about a possible remake and a hope that it was closer to the book. Up until this point I had never heard that it was based on a book thought that it was a satirical look at war and American society but the book is a slightly different look from the film.

The book still has the same lead characters with you following Johnnie Rico who signs up for Military service and ends in the Mobile Infantry I think that the book gives a different impression as the main idea from the book is that they do not want you to sign up for service and make it as hard as possible for you to make it but  they do it with a smile and a no regrets if you do not make it.

The big difference between the film and book is that in the book there are no women in the infantry they are all pilots as women have better brains and quicker reactions and you therefore get to meet Carmen Ibanez, Carl is in the book but does not have the same storyline but all the main characters from the book are covered in the film and I have to say that I love the film but the book as is usually the case was a book that I could not put down, very enjoyable and very worth reading, especially if you liked the film, it does not have the satirical take the film did but works on a totally different level.

Car Issues

So 5 years ago I bought a brand new Fiat Punto and on the 20th December I get to pay an extra 50% on my monthly payment so that the car will finally be mine. My plan was to keep the car for another couple of years and save the £160 a month, however in April I figured this out, what hapened?

Well in July my Dad was driving my car randomly, he had his own and it worked fine and he ran into the front of another car, there did not appear to be to much damage so he settled with the other driver for their damage, however there was more damage than first thought. I gave my Dad a hard time and then sitting at the lights some tube ran into the back of me, being in a hurry I looked at it and did not think there was any damage so let him go, kicking myself for that one. There is now front and rear damage to the under carriage but there is no issue it is cosmetic plastics that are broken.

So anyway it was due an MOT and I took it to my mechanic who is a friend and the springs are gone, the rear suspension is leaking and the oil tank has sprung a leak, the headlight needs to be replaced and I need 2 new front tires, with a service and MOT the cost was going to be over £700 but I thought well it will be road worthy and safe to drive for at least a year so a good investment. It was due to go in to the garage on Saturday Morning for the most pressing stuff to be completed. Sitting at the lights I glanced up and saw a dark shape in the mirror then bang I was rear-ended again in almost the same position as last ime just pointing in the other direction.

This time however I took their details and was on the phone to the insurance company in the morning, however on my way to the garage KRUNK my car died on me, it would appear that a pipe has gone and
it caused my engine to overheat and blow the cylinder gasket head has gone. So here I am sitting having had to take a day off work to get my car collected and a courtesy car dropped off. Hopefully the insurance from the person that hit me will cover all of the damage to the rear and the engine issue. Apparently the recovery driver that picked me and the car up on Saturday does not think that it was caused by the impact but we will just have to see, could be another £300, so in all it could cost me £1,000 just before Christmas, the joys of being a car owner.

Overall though I have to say to this point that I have been helped greatly by the insurance company who were happy to help and listen, my bank account that supplied the free recovery service and the recovery driver that got me home in time that I could catch the bus and still get to the Football (which was not worth it). So overall it has not been a great weekend for me.

SPL review after 10 games

All of the teams in the Scottish Premier League have now played 10 games with the exception of Celtic and Dunfermline but so far there are a
few points to consider. With the first stages of European football also completed and the league cup at the quarter final stage it is a good time to see if teams are matching their expectations.

Rangers

With Ally McCoist in his first managerial post this was always going to be an interesting season for Rangers, after falling at the first hurdle in both European competitions there were early calls for the managers head and after they lost in the last minute to first division Falkirk in the league cup without the league McCoist could have enjoyed a very short tenure as Rangers manager. However after drawing the first game of the season at home to Hearts, Rangers have won 9 straight keeping 8 clean sheets, including a win in the first Old Firm game of the season. Super Ally is enjoying the best League start of any new manager since 1920 when Bill Struth started his reign by not losing in his first 23 league games in charge. I think at the moment rangers despite some off field issues with the Inland Revenue remain the favourites to win the title, which will be 4 in a row.

Motherwell

The surprise package of the year so far, they got off to an impressive start, winning 3 of their first 4 and they have only lost 3 games in the league Celtic, Rangers and St Johnstone. They went out of the cup on penalties to Hibs but if they can maintain the results then they will be in the challenge for the title of best of the rest they have to maintain their consistency as the defeats this year have been 3-0 to Rangers, 4-0 to Celtic and 3-0 St Johnstone. But with 6 wins they are showing the rest of the teams that they are there to compete.

Celtic

They have lost 3 games in the league this year already, in comparison last year coming second by 1 point they only lost 4 games all year, with a game in hand they are currently sitting 10 points behind their biggest rivals Rangers and in third place behind Motherwell. After being knocked out of Europe by Sion and being re-instated when Sion were kicked out of the competition they are the last Scottish team in Europe, they are in the quarter finals of the league cup but face a tricky away tie to an improving Hibs team. While there has been little talk of Lennon being under threat unless he can start to get some better finishing from his team there may start to be talk of him being under threat.

Hearts

The enigma that are Hearts, after losing their first home game of the season to Dundee United 1-0 they have won the last 4 home games without conceding a goal and yet away from home they have not won since February. Continuing the up and down form they lost to first division Ayr on penalties in the League cup and in the battle of Britain they were demolished by Spurs in the Europa League qualifier 5-0. If they can continue the home form and figure out how to play when the home support is not there to cheer them on, they will be challenging for the Europa League spot again. This will be a good result for Paulo Sergio who was brought in after Jim Jeffries and Billy Brown were surprising sacked after only 2 games of the league campaign. A long way to go for Hearts whose owner believes they should be challenging for the title and European glory, high aspirations.

St Johnstone

The Perth based team are currently the opposite to Hearts, struggling to find consistent form at home they have won 3 games away from home, including beating Celtic at Parkhead and Motherwell at Fir Park. When Hearts visited them they got their first home win of the season and the draw they got at home came against Dundee united when they were 2 goals up at half time and they lost it in 3 minutes near the end of the game. So another team searching for consistency but if nothing else if they can maintain their impressive away form they will surely make top six and will be in a position to challenge for third place. They lost to St Mirren in the League cup therefore have time before Christmas to concentrate on the league.

St Mirren

Sitting in the 6th spot that will see them at the end of the season joining the top half of the table when the split happens they are surely happy enough to be there. The only teams they can beat this year are those teams sitting below them with their wins coming against Hibs, Aberdeen and Kilmarnock. However on Saturday they lost to bottom side Inverness which was their opportunity to create a gap early on between the top and bottom halves. As they lost it keeps it real tight across the bottom with there only being 4 points between St Mirren and the bottom of the table. They are still in the League cup so there is still some chance of glory for them as they have a home tie against first division Ayr.

Kilmarnock

Kilmarnock started the season quite strongly by not losing their first 4 games, however there was only one win with 3 draws, their problem has been the last four games when they have not won any and have lost the last 3. They are still in the cup and face first division East Fife so have a good chance of making it to the Semi final and with several of the other SPL clubs already out they could have a real chance at a final. They need to stop the rot and with it being that tight in the SPL a couple of wins will propel them up the table and quite quickly they could be in the hunt for top six and possibly Europa League but they will need to find the consistency that all of the clubs in Scotland seem to lack.

Dundee United

As beaten finalists in the Scottish Cup last year they were granted entry to the Europa League at the earliest qualifying round but failed to make it past the first stage unlucky to lose on away goals. They are in the last 8 of the League cup and face a tricky tie away to first division Falkirk the conquerors of Rangers but as with Kilmarnock if they can negotiate that and get a good semi final draw they could be looking at a possible final in a cup. Their League form is poor and it currently comes down to the fact that they concede too many goals, they have already conceded 19 goals and while scoring 3 in 3 games, 2 of them came in 3-3 games against Hibs and St Johnstone. They have always had the ability to score goals and if they can stop conceding then they are close enough to the top half that a few results like at the end of last year will see them move up the table.

Aberdeen

While they sit 9th they are only 1 point off the bottom and are yet to record an away win or even to score a goal away from home. And after losing to first division East Fife in the league cup it looks like it is going to be another long season for Aberdeen who have struggled in recent years to achieve the expectations of fans who saw their club climb the heights of Europe in the 1980's. While only 1 point off bottom they are only 3 behind 6th and therefore like everybody else a couple of results and they will be back in the hunt for top six and where their fans think they deserve to be. There is hope as their position is better now than after 4 games when they had only recorded a solitary point after 3 defeats and a draw, so if the improvement continues they may yet make the top six and challenge for Europe.

Hibs

Another team on the rise after a poor start to the season that saw them bottom a couple of weeks ago, losing to Hearts in a lacklustre game which they never looked like challenging for they are in need of the improvement they have slowly been making. With Gary O'Connor returning and scoring 10 goals already this year they would be in desperate trouble without these goals. However at Ibrox on Saturday they could have pulled off a result against Rangers and were actually unlucky to lose 1-0, they are still in the League cup with a difficult home tie to Celtic and with Celtic struggling to achieve the league results they want perhaps there is an opportunity for Hibs to get a result. If the performances continue under Colin Calderwood and some more players can start to find the back of the net Hibs could yet still make top six.

Dunfermline

The first division champions and newcomers to the SPL are finding it difficult to fit in, they have lost their last 2 games 4-0, against Rangers and Aberdeen, their star player was the September SPL player of the month, the goalkeeper Paul Gallacher and he has not yet had a bad game but some very poor defending has put them under real pressure. There was a confident start to the campaign when they started with 2 draws and 2 wins, however they are yet to get a home win and have now conceded 20 goals in 9 games with a trip to Parkhead the 10th game of the season. They also went out of the League cup to first division opponents and as with all newly promoted clubs their main aim this year is simply to stay up.

Inverness CT

A the bottom of the table they sit on 8pts which is 1pt behind 3 clubs and 2pts behind 2 clubs they are 2 wins away from the top half of the table. This indicates what a wee run of form can achieve. They have not had the best finishes to game with a 92nd minute winner from Hibs and a 90th minute equaliser from Dundee Utd costing them 3 points that would see them 7th in the league. However like so many of the SPL clubs out of the League cup it was lower division opposition that put them out.

Overall while there is a gap at the top to Rangers the bottom 9 clubs are only separated by 7 pts and therefore there is still a lot to play for and a lot that could happen in the final 28 games of the season.

Hearts V Spurs - 1st Leg Europa League Play-off

So I was at Tynecastle to watch Heart of Midlothian take on the might of Tottenham Hotspurs, it was billed laughably as the battle of Britain but what it brought in to stark contrast was the difference between the English Premier League and the Scottish Premier League, by the league standards these teams are of equal standing. They are not the best teams in their league but have aspirations to go further and for the last few years have been best of the rest after the 2 or 3 clubs that are going to win there respective leagues.

And while there is a slim history to the two clubs with the World Championship being played between the clubs in 1901/1902 and the long association of Dave MacKay with both clubs there is actually nothing to link these two clubs in anyway. As a Hearts fan I have no doubts that we are not brilliant, we are barely better than the rest of the clubs outside the Old Firm in Scotland and will have a fight to secure third place but the winner of that position will be the team that makes the fewest mistakes and Hearts have a big enough and good enough squad to get third but nit much more than that. We came in to the game tonight as underdogs but the eternal optimist in me thought well if they have a bad night and we have a great game we might be able to sneak a draw get them worried and sneak a freak result in London (I must be allowed these wild fantasies at times). However what happened was that the whole of Britain was shown the gulf in class between English football and Scottish Football.

Hearts actually played quite well over the whole night, yes there were questions of unfit defenders and wingers being picked and they could have been at fault in the first half but in the second half for 15 minutes we dominated Spurs and actually created a few chances and while they were 3 up and cruising and we got that window we showed we were capable of making the chances. However Spurs were sublime on the night, they cruised the game and while it ended 5-0 it could have been 10 and we would have had no complaints, they sliced our defence open at will and gave Marion Kello our star keeper no chance with all 5 goals. None of the goals were stunning strikes but they were expertly taken from a multitude of players that would get bored in the SPL as it would be far to easy for them. The first touch, the passing and the finishing was of a level that I have never seen at Tynecastle even from the George Burley team that won their first 8 games convincingly or from any of the other teams that have visited Tynecastle in recent years.

Even when Barcelona came in a pre-season friendly and played in front of 58,000 at Murrayfield the level of skill was not on display that evening. Now I do not think Spurs showed a level of skill that will bring a Premiership title back to White Hart Lane but they showed enough that they will go far in the Europa League and will be challenging fro the Champions League places again this year. Hearts were shown how to play the game, one touch passing great control, press when they have the ball and move when your team has the ball and you don't. I do think that if Hearts play against the rest of the SPL as they did for 15 minutes tonight they will cruise to third and may be in a position to challenge Rangers and Celtic but really they will have to up their game from teh start fo the season.

All in all it was a privilege to watch Spurs demolish the team I love and I was proud of the support at the end standing defiant knowing that the better team came and showed us what football is all about. Yet we were still singing and asking what they would do when we win 6-0 in London, realistically I know that the tie is dead and I hope that the players that make the trip to London enjoy the experience and make the most of it and when Spurs bring out the 19's team I just hope we can match that team

Water of Leith first sixteen

I got to skip this week as my skip was on holiday. After a first end which I burnt we ended up 4 down and then we managed to get ourselves a head it came down to the last end.

We were a head with 3 ends to go and lost a big end to go behind with 2 ends to go. Lying a single shot I managed to draw a brilliant shot to get a 2 so we were level going into the final end.

My front end who had been fantastic all night decided that the last end was to much for them and had the worst end of the night. So playing the last end with my 2 bowls to go o was 4 shots down and boom I managed to draw an almost perfect shot so we managed to win by 1 shot.

The club lost 4-1 so while good that I won not good for the club, we are yet to win as a club this season.

Pairs 1st round

I played the first round of the club pairs with my long term partner Derek, we came up against past winners Tam and Sammy, we played really well with a start turn by Derek.

We managed to win by 14 shots and did not need to play the last end, so onwards to the next round.

Championship

Played my second round tour this morning and I made it difficult for myself. I was well behind to begin with and had to come back with some good bowls to win the game but I managed to.

I am now in the third round and play Colin Anderson by early June there are no easy games from here.

Championship

I am through the first round when I beat Brian Telford 21-13. I played quite well but Brian stated that he was terrible that day but still I am through which is the main thing. Play the second round on Sunday the 22nd of May against Tony Caird, see how that goes.

Test

So I can part from my phone soo wondering if I should post small updates from my life.

I am back bowling outdoors so could start posting updates on that, would anyone want to hear about that?

We wil have to see how I get on with that as I am loving the swype technology on my phone and could get used to this will just have to proof read my posts.

Semi Final

As an update to my recent application for the Scottish Slimmer's Slimmer of the year award in association with the News of the World, I have been selected as a Semi-Finalist and have been invited to an event in Glasgow in a couple of weeks. It is all very exciting and in being selected it has made me consider what it actually means if I was to win anything in this competition, my competitive nature makes me want to win it all.

So what am I being rewarded for, losing weight encouraging and inspiring others to make a change to their lifestyle and improve their health. This is the ethos behind the award and it is all very well, but I look at where I had to be to actually want to make that change. I was sitting at 21 stone or 295lbs in weight I was unhealthy and to perfectly honest disgusted with myself and well done to me for deciding that I needed to make a change, however whose fault was It I was there? Well that would be mine, I am man enough to accept that I was the person that ate and drank myself into the state I was in. So what am I being rewarded for if I win? Well getting myself into a state where I was putting myself at risk and then deciding that I needed to change.

What I have achieved is as surprising to me as it is to anybody else, I have turned my life around this year starting with the changes to my diet and health regime and I applaud myself with everybody else, however what about the people that did not make the mistakes I made to get myself in to the state I was in? I suppose it is human nature that we are in a position in society where we reward those people that make the changes in their lives, even though 9 out of 10 times it is their own fault. I applaud everybody that chooses to change their lifestyle and make a change to their lives for the better however the true winners are the people that do not need to be in a state to make that change and to them with envy I applaud them even more.

Final Application for Slimmer of The Year

So there it goes, my final application has now been submitted for the Scottish Slimmers: Slimmer of the Year 2010 award, has now been handed over to my class manager, with my before and after pictures, thought I would post them on here for posteriety.


As you can see I am quite chubby in this picture, it was taken a couple of months before I started trying to lose weight but is pretty much me at my heaviest. Below is a shot I took of myself a few weeks ago it shows the contrast quite well, different angles but you get the idea.



By the way have you ever thought man wish i could find pictures of me looking fat and ugly? try losing weight and then you will wish you had kept them., the joy of digital cameras.

Second draft of my application

I have now received some support in completing my application and it is basically the same story but with better structure and more flowery wordings.

Again any comments greatly appreciated.

Slimmer of the Year Application

I have been over weight since I was a teenager, it stems from my first paper-round when I’d buy a bag of chips on the way round and then still go home and have my tea, this habit then developed into a bag of chips on the way home from a night out drinking. I knew I was over weight but being quite tall always convinced myself I ‘carried it well’. I’ve been coming to Scottish Slimmers on and off since my first class at 19 when I chummed my Mum. I don’t remember what I weighed, but I remember losing 9lbs in my first week. The trouble with such a big loss at the start was that the novelty wore off as the weight loss reduced to 2 or 3lbs in a week so over the next 12 years I have been a recurring member – joining, losing about 2 stone, leaving, putting the weight back on…

Having turned 30 in 2008 and following a very difficult year personally in 2009, I woke up on the 2nd of January 2010 hung-over and disgusted with myself. I decided there and then that life is too short and this would be the year I would take action. I went to a Scottish Slimmers class on 11th January run by Morag who I already knew from previous weight loss attempts, I was almost the heaviest I’d ever been at 21 stone 1lb.

I’m fortunate enough to live with my Dad who enjoys cooking and has provided me with exceptional support. We plan our meals together and he prepares most of our meals – trying out different recipes and an approach that really helped was making free soup in large batches for me to take to work for lunch. This has resulted in my Dad losing 2 stone 5.5lbs and reaching his own target weight.

I was an active child and have always enjoyed sports although recently it was more watching than participating. I have used exercise to help me maintain my weight loss, and am now noticing a difference in my performance and have found that my energy levels have really picked up due to the weight loss. I have started playing five a side football weekly and squash fortnightly. I am a grass bowler and losing the inches has allowed me to improve at that - I can bend to pick the bowls up without putting pressure on my lungs. My biggest physical achievement so far has been a sponsored run in June where I ran 1 mile (5 laps) in each of the 12 SPL football grounds. It was physically exhausting but I know that had I attempted this carrying the 4 stone I had lost by then there is no way I could have completed it - in fact I wouldn’t have had the confidence to take part.

I have been posting weekly updates on Twitter and Facebook regarding my weight loss, which has resulted in some really motivational feedback from family and friends. Not only has it kept me focussed, I have inspired other people to take action, which has given me a huge boost and enabled us to develop a network of support.

The biggest change on my life has been due to the increased confidence due to the weight loss which has enabled me to put myself out there more and take more risks without being afraid of the consequences. I had been single for a number of years following a long term relationship and had not really contemplated dating however, in March I met up with an old friend for a drink and, due to my increased confidence this has developed into a relationship.

Slimmer of the Year Application

Okay so i don't like my application i hate talking about myself and struggle to blow my own trumpet. Here is my application for the Scottish Slimmer of the year award. I really don't know what to think I want the success and the recognition of my hard work. But if my class manager was not so keen for me to go for it I would never think to apply myself, I need to be reassured that it is worth going for.

So would really appreciate any thoughts anybody has to say on the application. It is not just about losing weight, it is how has the weight loss improved your life, have you become more active and have you inspired anybody else with your success.

This is simply my first draft that I am sending to my class manager tomorrow for her thoughts, it has to be submitted by 9th July, all comments greatly appreciated.


Slimmer of the Year Application

I have been over weight since I was a teenager, I joined my first Scottish Slimmer class when I was 19 when my Mum took me along, I have no idea how heavy I was back then all I remember is that in my first week I lost 9lbs. In the following 12 years I have rejoined and usually lost 2 stone and then given up.

This year I woke up on the 2nd of January hung-over and I looked in the mirror, I was disgusted with what I saw and decided that I was going to try again and lose weight. I rejoined on 11th January with Morag who I have worked with before and had success with. I weighed in at almost my heaviest ever at 21 stone 1lb.

I have stayed on the diet religiously with exceptional support from my Dad, he is helping by organising breakfasts for both of us and he has been making free soup in large batches for me to take as lunches. He has also lost weight and has reached his target weight with a loss of 2 stone 5.5lbs.

My success this year has been fantastic, I have used sport as exercise to help me maintain my weight loss, but have really stepped it up as the weight has come off. I now play five a side football every Monday, I have found that my energy levels have really picked up with the weight loss and that allows me to last the full hour. I am playing Squash a couple of times a month and again as the weight has come off I am lasting the length of the game and have really found my mobility around the court has greatly improved in the last few months. I am a bowler and losing the inches has allowed me to improve at that. Even though it is not an energetic game I am feeling better even through games that are lasting 3 hours, also I can bend to pick the bowls up without putting pressure on my lungs.

My biggest success through the weight loss was a sponsored run over the weekend of 5th and 6th of June where I ran 1 mile in each of the 12 SPL football grounds, we did 5 laps of each pitch. It was physically exhausting but I know that had I attempted this with the 4 stone I had lost by then there is no way I could have completed it, as I just would not have been physically able to keep going.

My life has totally changed since I started losing weight in March at 3 stone off I was asked out for a drink by a girl that was unaware of my weight loss endeavours, without the success I would never have agreed to meet her and now we are very happily together as a couple and things are going really well.

Part of my routine and as a motivation to myself to keep going with the weight loss I have been posting weekly updates on Twitter and Facebook, the comments I have been getting back have been brilliant and they have kept me going. There are many comments that include the fact that people are willing to give it a go based upon my success. At work I have been getting comments and questions about my success this has lead a few people to start trying and to keep going because they are trying to emulate me. This has also resulted in a friend from work now joining Scottish Slimmers after years of being overweight as he has seen my success and would like to try and get some for himself.

My Family Story

So my family on my Dad's side was always straight forward until a discussion with Auntie Annie brought about some questions.

My surname is Neill which we obviously get from my Father, his father however was Alexander Westwood Neill. Now it turns out that he was raised by Janet & George Neill but he was not their son he was brought into the family after his mother died in Child birth. He was not legally adopted by the Neill family but was raised as their son and took their name, possibly for school and so as not to raise any questions but there was no secret within the family.

So the situation was that that we discovered that we were not infact of the Neill clan we were Westwoods and with no legal adoption there was some slight discussion about whether our name should have been changed. Legally I cannot take the Westwood name as I am second generation Neill registered and therefore it is my family name. But it raised the question of "Auntie Annie" and our cousins Willy and David, while "family" were we actually related and why was my Grandfather taken in by the Neill's.

Well this weekend I found out the truth, we were in Dingwall and we met up with Cousin David, he has become the family historian and has been tracing the family tree, he has got some branches back to 1630, he has found family in the states, Canada and New Zealand, family that has gone to England and Ireland, all over the world, some very tenous links but family that seperated within the 1700's but we are all linked in the ether.

So the discussion was around the family Neill and further back and while it was fascinating there was always the question does this actually apply to my family? were these people from the 18th and 19th centuries anything to do with me all. (this was not really going through my mind but it was a thought I had in the past).

Then David came out with the most recent revelation he had discovered, John Fraser born in 1810, John had 2 daughters Fanny & Margaret.

Margaret Fraser married Adam Moffat in 1871
They had a daughter Janet Moffat (1883 – 1943)
Janet Moffat Married George Neill (1880 – 1971)
They had a son George Proudfoot Neill
George Neill married Annie Dick in 1943
They had 2 sons Willy Neill & David Neill

Fanny Fraser married Alexander Westwood in 1875
They had a son Robert Westwood (1883 - )
Robert Westwood married Catherine Ballantine in 1908
They had a son Alexander Westood
Alexander Westwood married Roy Low in 1941
They had 4 children, Alexander, George, Robert & Margaret

So what happened in history was that Robert Westwood's wife Catherine Ballantine died in childbirth when Alexander Westwood was born (My Grandfather). Robert could not look after the new born baby for whatever reason and his cousin Janet Moffat took him in and raised him.

So George and Alexander were raised as brothers however they were in fact second cousins, my Dad and his cousins Willy and David were raised as 1st cousins but in reallity they were 3rd cousins. So we are still familynot as close as how everybody was raised but closer than suspicions might have been with the partial stories we were told when we were younger. So possibly I should not be a Neill but I am still a branch on the family tree that I have always known.

The connection is my Great, great, great Grandfather John Fraser, born in 1810 nearly 200 hundred years ago.

Bowling Update, week commencing 09/05/09

Have decided to update the Bowling on a weekly basis rather than after every game, as I can play quite a few and do not want to bore anybody that may be interested in reading these posts.

Saturday 09/05/09 - Geddes Round 1
The Geddes is a singles competition first to score 21 shots, I won 21-17 a good competitive game, i was in a commanding position half way through and then my opponent pulled it back and it was a close finish. Round 2 has to be played by 08/06/09

Wednesday 13/05/09 (Afternoon) - Championship Round 1
The championship is the premier singles competition in the club, the winner of the competition gets, their name on the honours board where it will stay forever. I won the first round, I was never really winning the game but i dominated the last 3 ends and managed to win 21-16, my opponent had 2 bad ens which allowed me to card 4's at the 3rd last and last ends to sneak the win. the second round has to be played by 08/06/09

Wednesday 13/05/09 (Evening) - Water of Leith 1st 16
Forth league match of the season and we lost again, as a rink we have only won 1 of our first 4 games, we have played quite well but not good enough to win. As a team we got beat 3-2 and currently sitting mid table, we must do better. Next game vs Juniper Green 20/05/09

Thursday 14/05/09 - Edinburgh & Leith Bowling Association (ELBA) Rink Prelim Round
We qualified for this competition as we were beaten in the final of the club competition. There are 6 rounds and we went out in the first round. We were drawn against Portobello at Fountain Brewery, the green was terrible very difficult but we managed to scrape through by getting a shot at the last end and we made it through to the next end. the next round is played on Thursday 21/05/09

Friday 15/05/09 - West of Edinburgh 2nd 16
Second league match of the season for the second league we are part of. We won the match as a team 6-3, as a rink we lost by 2 shots, however this was probably my best performance from a personal level and yet we still lost. Always good to play well but would have been nice to pull off a victory from this performance, next game 22/05/09

Well until I have played next week's games.

Pain, the first part of making a change

I was at the dentist today, this is the first treatment I have had in about 7 years. I did not have a problem with Dentists just moved a couple of times and then never did anything when i moved, just lazy. I decided it was time to bring my life to some sort of order, i have been working on my debt and credit cards, cleaning up my finances and looking into my health. My teeth hurt so i thought about getting that sorted first.

I was there last week, i needed 1 filling and a new crown (lost it about 5 years ago) so the work started today and man I am in pain, the numbness sucks as a whole, the work itself was fine however my gums have been drilled to hell and the ache makes me feel terrible.

But i go back on Friday the 29th and my teeth will be fixed and all for the lovely price of £418.00, so while I have now got to the position of sorting my Teeth, my finances are again screwed, life goes in circles.

Water of Leith 1st 16 vs Colinton

Well it is a Friday night and we have been out in the League again tonight, third game and as a rink we won, yayy, we managed to win by 3 shots, we were struggling to stay in the game until the last few ends when we managed to make it past the opposition. The team were 3 rinks up one down, however they had a better shot difference in the one rink up so the final score was 3-2 to Currie.

We have now played 3 won 2 and have 8 points from a possible 15, not a terrible start but we must get better if we want to challenge.

Anyway better go on that short note as i have the first round of the Geddes trophy, a singles competition see how i get on in that i do feel that I am getting better as the games progress but i must be careful and concentrate.

10am on Saturday We will see how this goes.

Bowling an explanation

I will probably be posting a lot about bowling and as marius has asked for an explanation, I will see if I can explain for the non-player.

Bowling is played on a green which is a square of grass which is flat (or supposed to be). The version I play is known as Lawn Bowls, there is a slight variant known as crown bowls, the real main difference to crown bowls is no rinks, a rink is explained below.

A bowling green

http://northendensocialclub.co.uk/images/imag0002.jpg

The square is surrounded by a ditch, which is usually about 2 inches deep and lined with stones or carpet.

The object of the game is to get closest to the white or jack, usually a small ball about 3 or 4 inches in diameter and the bowls are about 7 or 8 inches in diameter you have between 2 and 4 bowls depending on the format of the game. The bowls are round and have what is known as a bias, this means that one side is weighted and the weights can vary. This means that the bowl is thrown out so that it will bend back to the jack. and travels in an arc, this again can vary depending on the flatness of the green.

Image of bowls and a jack.

http://www.kclsport.com.au/admin/editor/assets/service/bowling%20greens/img_0641.jpg

You place the mat, a rubber mat about 2 feet long 1 foot wide which you must throw from. You throw the jack to the preferred length there are minimums and maximums but the minimum is 23 metres. maximum is 2 metres from the ditch which can be different depending on the green you are playing on. So the jack is set to the middle of the rink and you then take turns throwing the bowls to try and get as close to the jack as possible. After all the bowls have been thrown the closest bowl wins the shot and you get as many shots as bowls you have closer than your opponent. e.g. 2 bowls closer than your opponent 2 shots and so on.

When all the bowls have been thrown and the shots decided this is called an end, you can play to either a shot total or a prescribed number of ends.

Singles - one person v another person usually you have 4 bowls each and you play ends until somebody reaches 21 shots.
Pairs - 2 people v 2 people, 4 bowls each you play 17 ends.
Pairs - 2 people v 2 people, 2 bowls each you play 21 ends.
Triples - 3 people v 3 people, 3 bowls each you play 15 ends.
Rink - 4 people v 4 people, 2 bowls each you play 17 ends.

Sometimes games can be different such as 2 bowl singles, 2 bowl triples, 3 bowl pairs and 21 ends in the rink game.

League format, the leagues I play in is 4 Rinks, 17 ends 1 point per rink and 1 for the overall team score. Therefore you are playing for 5 points and the score can be split such as 3-2. Another league i play in is the same format but 2 points for a winning a rink and 1 for the aggregate so playing for 9 points.

The green is usually divided in to 6 rinks, this means it can be played north to south or east to west. The rinks are measured to mins and maxs but can vary per green. If a bowl goes outside the rink then it is a dead bowl and taken off, if a bowl goes into the ditch at the end of the rink then it is also considered dead. If the bowl touches the bowl then it is considered a toucher or chalker as it is marked with chalk, either a stick or spray. If this bowl then goes into the ditch it is still considered live. If the jack goes into the ditch it is considered live, if it goes out the side of the rink then it is a 'burnt' end and in most cases has to be replayed.

Therefore your league team is 16 players, divided into 4 rinks of 4, there is a prescribed order that is played in, always you bowl your opponent bowls, in the rink game there are 16 bowls on the rink in play.

The Lead - He is responsible for setting the mat, in the middle of the rink minimum 2 metres from the ditch and 23 metres from 2 metres from the opposite ditch. He also throws the jack to the preferred length a skill in it's own, he then plays first.

The second - he throws second and is also responsible for keeping the score card and responsibility.

The third - Can you guess when he goes? Of course after the second, he obviously has 8 bowls on the rink before he plays so has to be a more skillful player to navigate the bowls that are perhaps not that close to the jack.

The Skip - Last to bowl and usually the best player in the rink, he has 12 bowls to navigate and as he is last if not holding the shot might have to take action to sort this out, they are usually considered the capt of their rink. It is also up to them to tell the first three what they should attempt to do with their bowls.

As you can see it seems like quite a lot to take in, essentially it is a simple game about being closest to the jack at the end of the end you are playing and scoring more shots than your opponent. tactics can come in at the end of the game as you might be losing but your team is winning then it is important to make sure the aggregate score comes in your favour.

Bowling is played by men and women from 10 years to 80 years, but no maximum if you are fit enough to play. We will play in any weather as long as the rain has not flooded the green or that it will cause damage to the green. The leagues i play in are male leagues, but i am representing my club in the mixed pairs Scottish qualifiers, i am essentially 10 games away from being the Scottish champion in that game, but we will not get carried away still have to win the first game.

Bowls is played at club level, you can proceed to county when you are selected to play for your area, then there is the international level.

I have played bowls since i was 13 and as I am now 31 i have been playing for 18 years and I love it, my dad and 2 uncles also play, so a family game and the club is a community where you know people, there are fights and good times but it is a place to socialise, which is a big part of the game, usually a couple of drinks are taken during the game and a couple after where you and your opponent celebrate and commiserate together.

The best part for me in the league i a in I have played and beat Scottish International players and county players, they are better because they have the consistency to play well all the time, but sometimes you can beat them, everybody has an off day.

Bowling has for a long time been a game for the older generation, some of the babes that play bowls.

http://www.chelmsford.gov.uk/media/image/p/o/bowls_(o)_large.jpg


You also play indoor bowls which is played in the winter, same basic rules but you have no weather to contend with and you play on a carpet, which is like playing on a snooker or pool table sometimes, same game different sport altogether.

Well writing that was harder than i thought it would be but there is the game of bowls, i hope you now have an understanding of what i do every Wednesday and Friday fro 16 weeks every summer and will celebrate with me when I win and commiserate when I lose.

Any questions please feel free to comment and i will try and answer them.

Yours in bowling Andrew

Bowling, Water of Leith 1st 16

To try and get my head into more regular blogging i am going to give an update on my bowling exploits and usually give excuses for why i failed to win.

Tonight we were playing against Slateford a good solid team always there at the end of the season and they have won the league 5 of the last 7 years. We were at their green it was windy and raining for the entire game but it was an enjoyable social experience, we got thumped as a rink and as a team. We lost 4-1 over all, 4 rinks = 1 point for each game and a point for the aggregate score. We lost by 14 shots and this was probably a fair result, they were superior through out the match but they did have a touch of fortune when it mattered.

My rink is now 0 for 2 for the season and I have decided to step down to third and allow my third to skip on Friday, just something different see how we get on.

Next game - Water of Leith 1st 16 v Colinton Bowling Club

New begining

Well I have not posted recently, pretty much since my 4am dream experience and re-reading that just seemed stupid.

I seem to have a lot of ideas about what to post when no where near my computer, then when i get here always something more pressing to do, but no more going to try and post more frequently, so if you read this and want to follow you might find some random short posted but i will see how it goes.

I do not want to be just putting randomness on line, but you never know, will probably stay away from reviews but might start recommending things i like, books, movies and podcasts and see how that goes.

I also have to decide what i want from my blog so expect a post about that in the near future.

Well step one taken put a claim out there and see how long it is before it fails, lol.

Speaking to you soon

Andrew