Major Hangover
Trip Start
Feb 03, 2008
1
23
30
Trip End
Apr 14, 2008
Wellington,
New Zealand
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Oh and just to set the record straight on Napier, so as not to paint a bad picture of the place
McLean Park day before 3rd test
. The locals were fantastic yesterday. Most of the England fans (a few hundred of us anyway) went to the RSA club (their version of the British Legion) after the end of play yesterday, and the locals put out food for us and the head of the club put out an announcement on the speaker thanking us all for our visit. We even had a chat with the local vicar who said it'd been one of the best weeks he'd ever had in Napier. The Barmy Army were even making a killing on selling their T-Shirts to the locals!!! Quite a few of the fans headed off later in the night to celebrate with the players in a bar on the other side of town. But unfortunately due to the fact that I'd been staying in a town miles away and because we were having too much fun playing Test Match Cricket on the dartboard (I'll teach it you all when I get home, its a great game!) and disco dancing to some pretty shocking tunes from a DJ whose most upbeat tune was Abba!Anyway the cricket tour has been absolutely fantastic and certainly will not be my last one. I am already seriously considering heading over to the Caribbean next February for a couple of test matches. The main reason why the tour has been so good really has been the people you meet along the way though. So here's a mention for the mainstay of our crowd, some of whom are already back home in England. Adam - hope you had a good time in the states mate, we nearly sold out yesterday but held firm just about in the end, you'll be pleased to know that Jimmy Saville missed the conclusion of play cos he had to catch a bus somewhere!!
McLean Park day before 3rd test 2
! Dave - thank god I never saw your "friend" again in Napier, I hope you are having fun distributing your Istanbul business cards in time for Huddersfield's big game!! Chris - Hull are doing pretty well still mate you must be well chuffed, I still have your camera memory card and will stick it in the post when I get back - some fine "Well Batteds" were seen in Napier mate you missed out. Tom - your poor thing missing the rest of the test series to go to the Australian Grand Prix, and fancy having your photo taken with Michael Slater (shocking!!!). Rupert - we've enjoyed your fleeting visits throughout the series, I bet you had a good time celebrating with the team last night over on the West Quay, photos on Facebook look good anyway. I particularly liked the fact that when I found you round the other side of the ground on the 1st day in Napier you had strategically positioned yourself next to Pietersen's missus! Frank - well what can I say, what an absolute legend, the mans been everywhere, seen everything and is a walking Lonely Planet guide. Keith - I hope you didn't try and sneak a bottle of Pepsi onto the flight home! Shep and Becks - great meeting you both even if Shep has been wearing a rather offensive shirt for most of the series. I hope the wedding goes well and hope to catch up with you guys and Ted and Simon down in Stratford for a drink or two some time in the summer. Ted and Simon - similarly to Keith, I hope you didn't try and sneak any of them Gin bottles onto the flight home today
McLean Park day before 3rd test 3
! The Warwickshire Contingent, Martin and Veronica, Chris and Roy, I hope to see you all in the Ryder bar at Edgbaston over the summer - You Bears!!!! And it was also great meeting Julian, Sharon, John and Bev over the last few days as we've been having fun betting on the score and sending Johnathon Agnew text messages to get a mention on the radio, which we achieved on several occasions. And there were probably a few other people I've met along the way since Hamilton, sorry if anyone else reads this and I've forgotten you already!!! And for everyone else at home, you can get the picture of how many great people and what a laugh you can have on tour. There were times yesterday when I laughed so much I was crying. In the words of Vinnie Jones once more, its been emotional!!! Here's to Vaughany and the boys for sealing the victory for us - despite Tim Southee's effort to conserve consumption of Export Gold in the afternoon.Anyway back to being a backpacker not a cricket fan - and I'm off now to get an early night before I get on the ferry at 8 in the morning.
Keep in touch, keep warm and have fun, the end of the winter is surely in sight now as I will be trying to pack as much of the superb Indian summer we are having in New Zealand into my rucksack for the flight home.
