Willie Carson and Katherine Jenkins
I had to laugh at the racing on BBC this afternoon.
Willie Carson was cuddling up to Katherine Jenkins, whilst they were commentating on the racing. He just about reached up to her bust.
I suspect the picture will make the papers.
Appropriate Advertising
Just watching the British Motorcycle Grand Prix, which is taking place in the rain. Lots of adverts for Visit Spain.
How appropriate!
Ryan Giggs Again!
According to the Daily Mail, Ryan Giggs is good at playing away.
I always remember meeting a First Division star in about 1990, at a lunch at Newmarket Races, where we were all guests of a company, who transported racehorses to races abroad. He was with an attractive lady, who was a few years younger than himself, but the name cards showed that they shared a surname. He explained to C, who was sitting next to him, that his wife was ill and that he’d brought his younger sister instead. But he also told her, that he hoped the photographers didn’t get a picture of him and his sister, that they used inappropriately. C jokingly said she was a divorce barrister and he joked that if he ever needed one, he’d give her a call. A few years ago, we met them again at Newmarket and they were good enough to recommend us to a friend, who needed a stud to board a mare.
This footballer played before the high salaries of today, but it does show how worried some are about getting ensnared by those who want to make a quick killing.
Is This Really the Most Read News Story on the BBC?
Look at the BBC News web site today and this is the most read news story.
I think this says just as much about the general public, as it does about Vane Rooney and his hair transplant!
A Day At The Races
It was a good day, despite the fact that we didn’t win any bets, but we had a good place sitting in the sun, with a good view of the course and a big screen.
It was a pity too, that the Queen’s horse, Carlton House, didn’t win, but then she would have said something like. “That’s racing!”
The only problem we had was that the train had to stop at East Croydon, so we had to change there for Tattenham Corner. So the train was rather crowded and we were fifteen minutes later than we should have been.
If I go again, I’ll also plan the picnic better and probably take a rug.
Off to the Derby Today
I’m off to the Derby today to give my support to the Queen. Just as her judges have given Kieren Fallon a handicap. Is he riding? If not, this must help Carlton House.
I’m taking the 11:45 from London Bridge, which is free as Tattenham Corner station is in zone 6, so that’s Freedom Pass territory. It’ll be just £25 an adult to get into the cheap enclosure with atmmosphere. I will probably put my returns from William Hill on the Tote Placepot.
Murtagh Nicks The Oaks
I have just seen one of the great pieces of riding by Johnny Murtagh to win The Oaks on Dancing Rain.
It reminded me of Steve Cauthen in his pomp, who won so many great races in a similar fashion, by dictating the pace from the front. He even did it for C and myself on our horse Golden Panda at Nottingham in very much an inferior race.
The irony of Dancing Rain’s victory is that a couple of month’s ago, the filly broke her trainer’s wife Maureen Haggas’s leg in a freak accident. Maureen was at Epsom hobbling around on crutches.
Etchings in the Evening Sun
This picture shows the decoration on the new sewage pumping station at the Olympic Park, highlighted by the evening sun.
Decoration on the Olympic Park Sewage Pumping Station
The images are taken from the original drawings from Joseph Bazalgette’s Abbey Mills pumping station.
I hope that when the Olympic Park is fully open, buildings like this won’t be hidden behind excessive security fences.
How To Handle Enquiries
Horse racing often gets a certain amount of negative publicity.
On Saturday, I am thinking of going to the Epsom Derby, as if the Queen’s Horse, Carlton House, should win, it will be one of those truly I-was-there moments, that only happen once in a century.
So I phoned the enquiries number at the course, got straight through to a real person and the conversation went like this.
Q: Can you buy tickets for the Upper Tattersalls Enclosure on the day?
A: Yes! We hope to have lots on the gate.
Q: Will I be able to get into the centre of the course to the fun fair and the market from there?
A: Yes!
Q: How far is the enclosure from Tattenham Corner Station?
A: About half-a-mile.
I then decided I was going, especially as there is a direct train from London Bridge at 11:45.
So why sometimes do simple questions about events sometimes take hours?
Sepp Blatter is in Favour of Women Wearing Stockings
The following paragragh is from this page on Sky News.
One of his stranger roles was as president of the World Society of Friends of Suspenders – a male group that wanted women to give up tights and return to wearing stockings and suspenders.
Doesn’t that say a lot about the Great Administrator. Rumour has it, that Fred, Max, Peter and Dominique are also members of the same society.
The Anonymous Widower 