Recent Posts

On the topic of blondes from back in the day, I had a lovely surprise over the weekend when I bumped into redsimon (Simon Lawler) during the APAT do at DTD.

I'd not seen Simon for 10 or 15 years. He used to run with "Old King Cole" (?) who I think has now sadly passed, & they were a fixture in Vegas every summer, especially at The Orleans. He had a smattering of cashes at the old-style Rooms - Binions, Nugget, etc & more lately I gather he's an APAT stalwart, with a dozen money finishes over the years.

It was no secret that Simon was unwell, right back to the Gala Notts days, with kidney issues. Well somehow, 20+ years on, he's still doing fine & does not look much different. He's on the transplant list, but it does not seem to be getting in the way of enjoying life, although it can't be much fun being a Forest fan.

It's so good to hear from, or bump into, poker pals from back in the day. I'm not sure why it's so pleasing, but it is. Similar with golf really, it's helped me to re-connect with the original poker crew from 20-25 years ago, including Tom, Ralph, The Moany Twins Jamie Moult & Trevor Pearson, Mr Giblin, Jac & many others.

Meanwhile, not long ago I was chirping about playing golf every single weekday. Guess I tempted fate there, the incessant rain means that I doubt I've played 3 rounds so far in 2026. Every day I wake up hoping, & every day the rain just keeps on coming. Meh.

  

apropos nothing really, but many of you will remember long-time blonde GreekStein, aka Cos, aka PaperTits. We never quite knew what line he might take in the numerous blonde scandals & money affairs, but he feared no one & he "spoke his mind", to put it mildly. Fair to say he caused the Mods more than his fair share of headaches, whilst at the same time oiling the blonde wheels. In fact it was him who came up with the idea of "crowd-funding" me into the WSOP Main about 15 or more years ago.  

Anyway, we try to keep in touch, not as often as either of us might prefer, but now & then, & after writing to him over the Christmas/New Year period, he replied today. His excuse was that it's hard to post on blonde on a 'phone, which is abso right, but now he's invested in a Lappie, so we may seem him on blonde a little more now.

I won't go into any personal stuff, but it seems he's sort of normalised himself, almost like a regular person, judging by this...

"I'm a calm dad now. My daughter is 8 and my son 5."

"I've just spent the last 2 years working on a passion project centred around dogs. Its a cafe, dog swimming pool, park, dog hotel, wellness clinic, pet shop and training facility all rolled into one."

 
Isn't that lovely? And who'd have thought that one day he'd become almost normal?

Not quite sure why, but it pleased me to bits.

I've always wondered how Trump was so good at golf, he's using your eclectic scoring, oh that and just plain cheating.

I'm going to take up golf again when I retire, after a sabbatical of nearly 40 years (barring one Top Golf adventure in Vegas, but that doesn't count, surely?)

I'm aiming to turn pro within 12 months using this method.

Ha, don't think that Vegas Top Golf affair counts, unless we are measuring it by the fun we had. I'm very socially uncomfortable in "alcohol-fuelled" environments, despite which I really enjoyed that night.

You take up golf again? Let me know when you do, I'd love to come down & have a round or two with you for old times sake.

PS - it suddenly occurs to me - you could build a golf course in the grounds of Tune Hall, your Sussex Estate. Water hazards & all sorts.

Thanks for that always wondered what an eclectic was when I see it on our HOWDIDO app. If you need a hand keeping it Tony I'm a plus handicap with excel just send me your card everyday and I'll send you a monthly automated update

Been getting out at least once or twice a week during all this depressing weather and playing a load of winter greens at times as it's raining so much up here. Been playing ok, Had a remarkable round couple of weeks ago. 13 normal greens 5 winters just in front of normal greens. Tees are up to the  front of yellows and a couple of the longer ones on the reds. Turns what is par 71 of white, 69 0f yellow to a fairly easy 68. Shot 70.

Lovely, thanks James, I may just take you up on that.

"Shot 70".

Blimey, proper golfer. The limit of my ambitions - realistically - is to shoot mid to high 80's. The most Pars I've ever had in a round is 6, & I'm at the age where I'm highly unlikely to improve much. Having said that, the Golf Handicap is a thing of beauty, & even high handicappers can compete with proper players like you. Just need to remember when having a chirp that I'm getting double figures shots off most of my golf partners/opponents.

It's a beaut Tom. What are you going to do with it? Leave it where it is or re plant it?

Amazing to think it could live to 800 years+

It's funny you should ask that Kev, I've been wondering about it myself.

Of course I'll never get the pleasure of sitting beneath it, but it would be nice to think that in a couple of hundred years, someone will.

When we first came here 25 years ago, the loss of our son was still raw, and I thought about planting a tree in his memory. For various reasons, it didn't happen.

Perhaps serendipity has taken a hand.

❤️❤️❤️

It's a beaut Tom. What are you going to do with it? Leave it where it is or re plant it?

Amazing to think it could live to 800 years+

It's funny you should ask that Kev, I've been wondering about it myself.

Of course I'll never get the pleasure of sitting beneath it, but it would be nice to think that in a couple of hundred years, someone will.

When we first came here 25 years ago, the loss of our son was still raw, and I thought about planting a tree in his memory. For various reasons, it didn't happen.

Perhaps serendipity has taken a hand.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Oak galls, sometimes known as oak apples, are caused by specialist, "Gall" wasps, which lay an egg on some part of the tree and when the larvae hatches it secretes a chemical that causes the oak to produce these growths. The larvae lives and feeds inside the Gall until it is an adult, then it eats its way out.

Incredible eh?

On close inspection, it turns out that the tree that sneaked up on me is an oak.

Click to see full-size image.

At first I wasn't 100% sure, I'm not that good with leaf ID, it still looked a bit copper beechy to me, but then I saw these....
(Pauses for dramatic effect)

It's a beaut Tom. What are you going to do with it? Leave it where it is or re plant it?

Amazing to think it could live to 800 years+

Teenage flicks?

Too good.

[by Eck]

As a Yorkshire man, new posts from this person always jump out at me.


 Re: The blonde Golf thred... by Eck