I've tried a couple of zero alcohol drinks, mostly out of curiosity, sometimes out of necessity: Guinness's was surprisingly quite good, whereas Heineken's is absolutely rank.

Quote from: The Picnic Wasp on July 20, 2024, 11:58:54 AM

Quote from: Matt2112 on July 20, 2024, 11:12:56 AMEx-footballer Geoff Horsfield's career was spring-boarded between 1996-1998 after 70-odd appearances for Halifax Town, when his goals - at a rate for us of 1.6 per game - were a major factor in our return to the football league at the time, but it was only last year when I actually met him: former players from that glorious era were invited to The Shay Stadium for a league game and I was the beneficiary of a pre-match hospitality package.

I was taking a leek in the gents and he came in and used the urinal next to me.  So of course I thanked him for what he did for us and quickly went over some away day memories and he was not only extremely gracious but inquisitive about how the currrent team were playing - the conversation ended with us shaking hands after having a laugh about making sure we'd washed them first. 

I worked with someone who played with Geoff for a while. Maybe at Carlisle, or Scarborough?? Anyway, he spoke very highly of him.

That'll probably be Scarborough, when his day job was brick-laying.

Ex-footballer Geoff Horsfield's career was spring-boarded between 1996-1998 after 70-odd appearances for Halifax Town, when his goals - at a rate for us of 1.6 per game - were a major factor in our return to the football league at the time, but it was only last year when I actually met him: former players from that glorious era were invited to The Shay Stadium for a league game and I was the beneficiary of a pre-match hospitality package.

I was taking a leek in the gents and he came in and used the urinal next to me.  So of course I thanked him for what he did for us and quickly went over some away day memories and he was not only extremely gracious but inquisitive about how the currrent team were playing - the conversation ended with us shaking hands after having a laugh about making sure we'd washed them first. 

In 1996, I was working for a niche travel agency for sports professionals and I was very occasionally tasked with flying down to one of London's airports to assist with group check-ins.

One such occasion was one Sunday lunch time, but as I'd gone out hard on the lash the night before I remember having one of the stinkiest hangovers I've ever had.  Even though I had access to BA's executive lounge at Manchester airport and alcohol was complimentary, I couldn't face having a single drop, so I got an orange juice from the bar.

There was a TV showing an FA Cup match (a dire, goalless game, possibly with Leeds playing) so I placed myself on one of a few sofas near it, where there was a young guy, with two of his mates seated nearby.

Because I was so hungover and my attention was directed on the match, it took a few minutes to realise I was sitting on the same sofa as Mark Owen from Take That, and his two mates on another sofa were Jason Orange and Howard Donald (Gary Barlow was nowhere to be seen).

Take That were #1 in the U.K. singles charts at the time with their hideous cover version of How Deep Is Your Love, so partly with this in mind I made no attempts to engage them in any form of conversation whatsoever.

Finally booked this year's main jolly - off to Paphos next month.

Quote from: dom on July 14, 2024, 09:11:24 PMNot sure what Southgate said at half time!

Whatever it was, it was comprehensively superseded by whatever de la Fuente said.

Spain went from struggling to break England's lines in the first half to cutting through them almost at will from the outset of the second.

Spain had gears that no other team in the tournament had and, ultimately, Southgate was outsmarted by superior opposition - again.   

Fri 9th Feb
STEWART LEE, Leeds Playhouse ****
Sat 16th Mar
SIMPLE MINDS, Manchester AO Arena ****
Sat 13th Apr
PAUL FOOT, Halifax Square Chapel
Thu 18th Apr
STEWART LEE, Bradford St George's Hall
Fri 3rd May
MOVING PICTURES, Leeds Brudenell ****
Sun 5th May
FM, Leeds Brudenell
Wed 22nd May
RICHARD MARX, London Royal Albert Hall ****
Thu 23rd May
YES, Manchester Bridgewater Hall
Thu 13th Jun
SHERYL CROW, Halifax Piece Hall ***
Sun 16th Jun
NILE RODGERS & CHIC, Halifax Piece Hall ****
Fri 21st Jun
THE KILLERS, Manchester Co-op Arena *****
Sat 22nd Jun
GRACE JONES, Halifax Piece Hall **
Sun 7th Jul
RICK ASTLEY, Halifax Piece Hall ***
Fri 12th Jul
TOM JONES, Halifax Piece Hall ****
Sat 31st Aug
BRAVADO, Sheffield City Hall
Tue 22nd Oct
The Libertines, Leeds O2 Academy*
Sat 2nd Nov
FM, Athens Piraeus Academy
Sun 10th Nov
FM, Wakefield Venue 23
Thu 14th Nov
THE SAW DOCTORS, Leeds O2 Academy

2025

Sat 1st Feb (new date)
MICK MILLER, Bradford Tapestry
Sat 10th May
STEWART LEE, Leeds Playhouse

* Chaperone duty

Went to see Tom Jones tonight, mainly because of curiosity, the venue being 8 minutes bus ride away and it was a Friday.

He and his band were superb.

And, just saying, he is 3 years older than Joe Biden. 🤷🏻�♂️

Yes, sad to hear this.

The torrid time she had filming The Shining shows in her performance, which is unforgettable.

Fri 9th Feb
STEWART LEE, Leeds Playhouse ****
Sat 16th Mar
SIMPLE MINDS, Manchester AO Arena ****
Sat 13th Apr
PAUL FOOT, Halifax Square Chapel
Thu 18th Apr
STEWART LEE, Bradford St George's Hall
Fri 3rd May
MOVING PICTURES, Leeds Brudenell ****
Sun 5th May
FM, Leeds Brudenell
Wed 22nd May
RICHARD MARX, London Royal Albert Hall ****
Thu 23rd May
YES, Manchester Bridgewater Hall
Thu 13th Jun
SHERYL CROW, Halifax Piece Hall ***
Sun 16th Jun
NILE RODGERS & CHIC, Halifax Piece Hall ****
Fri 21st Jun
THE KILLERS, Manchester Co-op Arena *****
Sat 22nd Jun
GRACE JONES, Halifax Piece Hall **
Sun 7th Jul
RICK ASTLEY, Halifax Piece Hall ***
Fri 12th Jul
TOM JONES, Halifax Piece Hall
Sat 31st Aug
BRAVADO, Sheffield City Hall
Tue 22nd Oct
The Libertines, Leeds O2 Academy*
Sat 2nd Nov
FM, Athens Piraeus Academy
Sun 10th Nov
FM, Wakefield Venue 23
Thu 14th Nov
THE SAW DOCTORS, Leeds O2 Academy

2025

Sat 1st Feb (new date)
MICK MILLER, Bradford Tapestry

* Chaperone duty

Quote from: David L on July 07, 2024, 09:54:11 AMA great day with some good beers - I recall that Vocation's 'Chop and Change' was a bit of a standout. I like anything hopped with citra, so it hit the spot nicely!

Vocation Brewery is a gem in the Calder Valley crown - Heart And Soul is a particularly outstanding beer of theirs.

Quote from: Thenop on July 05, 2024, 06:59:50 AMBeen watching Gangs of London, I am terribly slow with watching things. Now into season 2 which has a bit of lacklustre storywriting and under developed characters. It's mostly shootin and killing and less intrigue. Shame.

Definitely second album - sorry, season! - syndrome with that one. Still watchable though.

Down the local tonight and, unusually, none of the hand pumps take my fancy so I've plumped straight for Stella instead - they have proper Stella glasses, so obviously that means it tastes better.

Always said it: some of his best recorded guitar work is on this.

Fri 9th Feb
STEWART LEE, Leeds Playhouse ****
Sat 16th Mar
SIMPLE MINDS, Manchester AO Arena ****
Sat 13th Apr
PAUL FOOT, Halifax Square Chapel
Thu 18th Apr
STEWART LEE, Bradford St George's Hall
Fri 3rd May
MOVING PICTURES, Leeds Brudenell ****
Sun 5th May
FM, Leeds Brudenell
Wed 22nd May
RICHARD MARX, London Royal Albert Hall ****
Thu 23rd May
YES, Manchester Bridgewater Hall
Thu 13th Jun
SHERYL CROW, Halifax Piece Hall ***
Sun 16th Jun
NILE RODGERS & CHIC, Halifax Piece Hall ****
Fri 21st Jun
THE KILLERS, Manchester Co-op Arena *****
Sat 22nd Jun
GRACE JONES, Halifax Piece Hall **
Sun 7th Jul
RICK ASTLEY, Halifax Piece Hall
Sat 31st Aug
BRAVADO, Sheffield City Hall
Tue 22nd Oct
The Libertines, Leeds O2 Academy*
Sat 2nd Nov
FM, Athens Piraeus Academy
Sun 10th Nov
FM, Wakefield Venue 23

2025

Sat 1st Feb (new date)
MICK MILLER, Bradford Tapestry

* Chaperone duty