The Perfect Day

I had a great day yesterday.

Well apart from finding out my powers of prediction are not quite what I had hoped. Only 5 out of 9 right in terms of who would win or draw (55.5%) and none on what the scores would be.

Clearly more practise needed.

I got up about 9.30 and had a nice lazy start. Then my dear friend Phallus (don't ask) came over.

We left my house about 12.30 and headed off across the hilly countryside to arrive at a great pub restaurant, The Halfway House, about 1.45 (about 5 miles away). After an amazing lunch which included my favourite thing in the world, creme brulee, we headed off for The Amberley Inn. They had a TV screen and when I returned from a trip to the loo my companion said "Leicester are 2 -0 up at halftime".

"You're having me on" I said.

"No - honestly. Goals by Stearman and Kisnorbo."

I did attract a few stares as I expressed amazement looking at the scores on the screen. Chelsea 4 Aston Villa 4. That must have been some match!

He had to prise me away eventually to head off to the Black Horse. When we left there it was getting dark and we had no torch. So it was quite interesting finding our way down the hillside to the next one.

The Royal Oak and The Fleece were shut but we eventually climbed another hill to find the warm bar of The Kings Head. There was a TV screen but they were watching darts so we didn't stay long before we headed off again.

After several other closed pubs (The Kite's Nest and The Queen Victoria) and a spell in The Clothiers Arms which included a few games of Connect 4 played on a frame that refused to stand up, we eventually ended up in my local football pub.

Ah relief. The Arsenal/Portsmouth game was on the screen and the results were flashed up. Yes! Leicester retained their lead and won their first match in 8 games. Well done those Foxes!

It was great listening to the various conversations. Basher (remember him?) was celebrating because he had placed a bet with good odds on Manchester United beating Sunderland 3 - 0. There was another guy there who had obviously had a Man U shirt for Christmas because he was sporting it proudly (little red tabs at the neck and bum).

They were having a pub quiz and we decided to join in, even though there were only two of us. We did OK in the circumstances and managed not to fall out over the fact that somewhere from the depths of my mind I pulled out the information that Gertrude Ederle was the first woman to swim the English Channel but my friend persuaded me otherwise. Nor that I convinced him that a rainbow would be seen in the West in the afternoon in the Northern Hemisphere, although sadly it was the East.

We finally got home about 11.45, tucking into a wonderful pizza.

Like I said, I had a great day yesterday.