Saturday, 15 December 2012
Sunday, 2 December 2012
Wednesday, 21 November 2012
Sunday, 28 October 2012
Saturday, 6 October 2012
Friday, 21 September 2012
Friday, 31 August 2012
Tuesday, 14 August 2012
Sunday, 12 August 2012
OLYMPIAN MEMORIES
What a truly great day out at the 2012 Olympic Games we had on Wednesday this week. I was one of the many people in this country who were that glad that we had been awarded The Games but suggesting that we would mess it up in a number of predictable ways. Indeed, Trish and I visited Stratford International Station last year, looking primarily for a place to pee and also for a look at the stadium. We were unable to facilitate either of those things, as at the station there was no one around to ask and no signposts either.
Contrast that with yesterday. Upon arriving at St. Pancras International with Andy and Trish, there were staff falling over themselves to offer help. I had never in all my life seen five, yes five, railway staff in a row, pointing the way to the Javelin Train which arrived promptly and transported us to Stratford in seven minutes, where again we were assisted to our destination by a phalanx of volunteers and helpers, all desperate for us to achieve happiness at The Olympic Park. And this continued all day.
It took me a considerable time to recover from this exposure to American style customer service and I was not helped in this by the vastness of the Park itself which required a map and some patience to negotiate, neither of which I had. So I was soon ready for a beer and luckily there were green suited Heineken pushers scattered amongst the crowds. They were dressed like moon hopping astronauts waving half pint bottles. I noticed immediately that they were not surrounded by customers. Small wonder as a bottle of the 'not brewed in Holland' elixir cost a mere £4.30, making a pint of the slop £8.60. Needless to say, I didn't see any drunks in The Olympic Park.
Speaking of The Dutch. We were soon on our way to watch the semi final of the women's hockey which featured the Oranjeeboomers against New Zealand. This was played out in a purple and blue arena where the orange of the fans supporting the eventual penalty shoot out winners, clashed violently with the surroundings. What a shame Denmark were not in the final as the whole Park reminded me of some vast Lego model constructed only to be deconstructed and used again, with the exception of the Stadium itself which radiated class against its temporary siblings.
The match was a thriller and the first hockey match I had ever attended, although I had played for Bedford College many moons ago, as emergency stand in and stoned goalkeeper. Our Captain that day was indeed Andy, who was, he reliably informed me, a respectable County player. We were subsequently thrashed by St. John's Cambridge thanks mainly to our team of half arsed hippies and the various amounts of differing intoxicants we had consumed on the day.
I thought it would thus be a boon to have Andy sitting next to me in the Riverside Stadium, if only to explain the vagaries of the rules of hockey. No such luck. About all he could remember was that the ball was round. I think his mind was seriously affected by that day in 1973 and by the sight of the Dutch ladies running around in very short skirts, in a very masterful fashion. Too much for the Kiwis as well, although the match, finishing level at 2-2 was decided by a penalty shoot out which gave both taker and keeper an equal and entertaining chance of success.
The whole day was an experience which I was so glad I didn't miss. There won't be another opportunity in my life time and in the lifetime of a small child aboard the Javelin train on the way home, who confidently informed his dad that he too expected to be dead before The Games returned to our shores.
The success of the Olympics has been remarkable as was the atmosphere inside The Park, on the hill above the giant screen, inside the Riverside Arena and even on the transport to and from the event. There was a feel good factor which for a while made me forget I am still trapped inside Chav Britain, regularly fighting for bike space on our roads, enduring another murky damp winter, and that English really is a second language in our purple and blue Legoland.
Wednesday, 1 August 2012
SCALEYRADIO 3 "The Olympic 60 Show'
Monday, 23 July 2012
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
SCALEYRADIO: BROADCAST ONE
Follow John Scales on Mixclou
I have just uploaded my first online radio show. I'm going to try to do this every week or so and I hope very much that you will like and follow it. Remember,it's designed to be played through your hi fi, not through your laptop or PC speakers. Enjoy!
Just click on the 'follow' link then click on the 'play' icon.
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