Some call it Veterans Day. Some call it Rememberance Day. Some Call it Armistice Day. The Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month. Soldiers both old and current of every nation remember this day with pride, sorrow and loss. This is THEIR day. This is the day that both old and new memories come back and haunt our minds. Of lost friends and places. of humour and sorrow. Of grief and laughter. I'm a former soldier who has lost close friends in combat - many of them. A...
Friday Dawns early. It's not the alarm clock it's the sound of hoof against door. I twitch and then groan as the previous night's excess hits. The after tournament drinking competition was a great sucess untill about 2am then Silke opened her flat window and shouted at all the knights to shut up and bugger off home! So we did. I duly stopped singing the dirty song about goblins which I only can somehow remember with a skinful of alcohol inside me and staggered off to the house and all the ...
The kids in the school get a grandstand view of things today as the school overlooks the outdoor training arena. They are aware that something is going on by the sucession of Horseboxes pulling in to the stables at school run time, the lack of our horses being on the road at that time and the arena has been fitted out with the dividing fence for tournaments and also lance and weapon racks are being assembled. Faces constantly appear at windows and then dissapear to report on what's going on.
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Back to work this morning after my sojourn to Hamburg. Morning stables went normally.... as far as normal goes for this place but the morning excersise turned out to be an excersise in futility and after 10 minutes of getting nowhere we pulled off to a safe area and just sat in the saddle and watched the schoolrun and rush hour, letting the horses see what's happening. On one side of the coin it's frustrating as we have to get these horses as fit as racehorces and 3 day eventers, while on ...
Yes... how to dish the dirt on a poor defenceless animal! Right.. like he is that alright..... the only thing missing was 666 tattoed on him somewhere and if you look under his top lip at the tattooed army number there are three sixes in that number! He's a livley, comitted (several times) active, boisterous large beast who would never refuse alcohol in any form, search people for mints and food and also go out of his way to cause mayhem, chaos and embarrasment whenever possible. He's...
This morning saw us all pack up our stuff for the transfer to Hamburg airport, our KLM aircraft and return to England. The coaches are certainly packed full of Christmas shopping of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic stuff. Once the coaches are packed there's just one item on the agenda and that is a boat tour round the harbour. We get to hear all the history of the harbour and see the re-development of all the old warehouses into housing. There is a U-Boat museum with a real U-Boat in it - ...
We're still in Hamburg, but this is our final day and we return to England tomorrow. Music is still much in evidence round the hotel with individual practice going on in hotel rooms but no complaints being registered to my knowledge. I pass a room where a flute can be heard ripping up and down scales at warp factor 9 and then going through a very quick technical solo piece. We've 2 concerts today one for underprivilaged and orphaned children and an evening Classical "Last Night Proms" Spec...
Got to bed about 8am, up again at 1pm for a 2.30pm rehearsal. Went downstairs to the bar and ordered a schnapps and a beer. when asked about the drink all I replied was "lunch!" Today is a special day. We're performing Handel's Messiah live on a couple of floating platforms in the harbour and the afternoon will be spent getting ready, sound checks and topping and tailing the score. The soloists were "volunteered" by the Hamburg State Opera and lots more volunteers have comforward to per...
A free day for us here in Hamburg with only the big evening bash for the big band and singers. Tomight Will be added a small string section and will be playing everything from Miller, Goodman, Dorsey and friends to Sinatra etc. I'm glad that the Hotel has an internet connection as this allows me to post this and keep up with other things (my email for one!)! After breakfast most of the group expressed a wish to go shopping for christmas and themselves. Prices over here are lower than th...
For a few years now I have been posting an annual "Christmas rant" on a different site. It takes the form of a letter to Santa detailing the previous christmas. Let me explain a little more. It's a work of fiction in which the usual innocent christmas present, no matter what size, type etc causes havoc, mayhem, chaos destruction etc. Santas little helpers turn into the demons from hell and use these presents to cause the destruction etc. So far every year something has got out of control l...
just a breif post today. This morning started out just like any other - with the horses. Morning stables were ok and the first excersise was quiet and easy. nobody kicked, bitten, dumped or dragged. An Early appointment with the Doctor saw my blood pressure down "just a little - but we'll keep this dosage of tablets. Four Weeks please." It's alright him saying four weeks - but they never have 4 weeks on the computerised appointments system! After that it was off to the airport where ...
Well.. I was out late so I'm logging this a day late as I couldn't keep the old eyelids openeany longer. Not much to post for today except to say that Dona and Lucy are getting the idea of combat teamwork. This afternoon they circle round me like predators looking to ke the killing stroke in and I had to use all my combat skill to take them on sucessfully. It's hard to keep track when they are circling you and they've got the idea quickly enough. It's getting close to the Christmas Tour...
Dear diary? is that the way to start? Naaa... so here goes! Police turned up after morning stables to take statements about the pitiful burglar who fell foul of the secuity watch Gander. Billy in turn hissed at them and spread his wings and the both male and female copper stopped dead and wouldn't move until Billy was tempted away with a promise of an extra breakfast and threat of a yardbrush at point blank range... bristle side up! After statements were given they got a tour of the yard a...
Morning stables was a quiet uneventful day today as was the morning excersise. No-one was squashed, bitten, trampled, eaten, scratched or shouted at. Days like this make me nervous! Let me expand on this. The possible reason why everybody (animal and human) behaved themselves is that last night we had an intruder on the stables. Yes. The poor ba***rd tried to break in and met the ultimate in deterrants... Billy The Gander. This 24lb Gander is a one goose army. He has an attitude problem...
Monday 6th December 2004 December starts with an incredible amount of concerts, dances, work and of course the Christmas Tournament traditionally held in a soggy field somewhere in Europe! Already over this weekend saw 2 concerts with local bands. This morning starts with the customary "Morning Stables". A Daily tradition all over the world where Humans and Equines test each other to see who's awake first. At this time of the year swear words hit the morning air long before dawn yawns...