I'll catch up on all the Glasto comments next, together with my best Glasto '25 memories, though might not be today as I am pokering at 3pm & I need a nap as I never got home until beyond 3am, this morning. This retirement lark is not easy y'know.

I'm not sure we have too many avian enthusiasts here, but in addition to Ralph's excellent spot, my best memory of 5 rounds of golf this week has been watching at close quarters some Oystercatchers at Breadsall Priory GC on the series of ponds between the 15th & 16th holes.  

Trevor Pearson (aka Moany Trev, aka typhoon13) first alerted me to them some weeks ago, such a thrill, not sure I've ever seen any up close before, certainly not inland.

The excitement stepped up this week as there appears to be two Oystercatcher pairs on the same nursery pond (a bit strange as they are very territorial) both of whom are now accompanied by 2 or 3 chicks.

Bit of a surprise too to find inland Oystercatchers, although Wiki suggests it's not that unusual. More surprising, perhaps, is that as far as I can tell, they don't eat Oysters. Probably just as well, as the only Oysters in Derbyshire are in Waitrose.

Really beautiful little birds, about the size of magpies, & like magpies are predominantly black & white. Big long gangly legs (for wading I suppose) & a long, bright red bill, which reminds me of Pingu.

A memory forever.


PS - not my photos, I'm worse at taking photos than playing golf.


    

Ralph explained that they are Egyptian Geese who typically have a clutch of half a dozen chicks but most fail to survive a week, usually leaving just one who then gets all the dinner he or she wants.  

Nature sure works in weird & wonderful ways.

Excuse cumbersome uploading, struggling with file sizes.

Ralph (karabiner) sent me some lovely photos from Wollaton Park Golf Club where's he's been a member for a very long time I believe.

The Course sits is overlooked by the beautiful Wollaton Hall & is famous for the herds of Deer that roam around freely. 



 

A month into retirement and it's all going rather wonderfully so far. I thought I'd struggle to fill my days but so far it's been non-stop, Paris last weekend, then golf every day this week & poker last night.

Seems to me that a variation of Parkinson's Law is in play here. 


"work doing nothing expands so as to fill the time available for its completion"

Look who I bumped into on the 14th tee at Wollaton today.

Blonde wouldn't let me upload the pics but hopefully his teekness will oblige later..

Just seen this Ralph, am out at the moment (pokering) but will upload those photos soonest.

Good grief....


Diogo Jota, married just 10 days ago, killed in a car crash.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c5y7p6pw5gyt

Struggling to read that? No problem, here's Moulty's version.

What a comedian

Piss off please

Well that's not very nice.

At the time I posted "BET ACCEPTED"  I was well on the way to my worst round of 2025, but I just thought I'd be generous & give you a freeroll. Instead, you tell me to piss off.

And yes, you WOULD have won the bet. You know, the one you rejected.

So, technically, I owe Typhoon Bloke £5.

Today it's the much much tougher Priory Course.

Sensible bets will be considered.

Not so sure about today, calm, no wind, plenty of run

That fiver you don't break 101

I need a reply within 50 minutes or bets off

Ideally I don't want Bookie chalking either

Bet ACCEPTED

I really have to go now due to my new "no rushing" policy, which I must say is a thing of beauty & I'm loving.

I WILL reply to all the replies from yesterday, especially Glasto, soonest.

For full (& embarrassing) transparency, here's the Handicaps we currently play off in our regular gang. They are compiled by Neil Giblin (JAKALLY) who, I might add, & for those that know him, has lost FOUR stone since March.

Neil is Neil Giblin (JAKALLY), Jamie is Jamie Moult aka bookiebasher, Trev is typhoon aka Trevor Pearson, & Tom is Tom. Don't think anyone here knows any of the others, but they are a mixture of dodgy second-hand car dealers, mortgage brokers & general itinerants. Oh, & "Bozz" is a Jacket Potato bloke, who runs "James Jackets" in Beeston Shopping Centre.

So, technically, I owe Typhoon Bloke £5.

Today it's the much much tougher Priory Course.

Sensible bets will be considered.

Must congratulate Tom, especially his approach on the 11th from 80 yards, which he thinned so badly it went through the green at the speed of light, and hit a stone wall 50 yards behind the green "on the full" at such speed that it bounced back on to the green.