It started off so well: they said we made a perfect blog meet location. Historic Heidelberg, an Irish pub, Super Saturday. Three nations with a chance of vying for the title. Then the nasty wee bugger cancelled some matches, participants dropped off like superannuated flies, and – with 24 hours to go – the one remaining scheduled match was nixed.
Some of us, made of stronger stuff, were undaunted by the prospect of a pandemic along the lines of Stephen King’s The Stand. We, the strong, the proud, the possibly foolish: Boanova, DropTheClaw, Meades, Xan, the mister and me, and of course our noble, gracious and hard-working hosts, Mister and Missus Iks.
We’d all arrived by Friday evening, so got down to business immediately at Vetter’s. Boa and Xan had arrived a couple of days before, and had some important information to impart.
Boa and Xan’s Top Tourist Tip for Heidelberg: What Not to Visit
As every fule kno, Gurgle is your go-to site for local attractions. Imagine our heroes’ excitement when they found something called the Königstuhl. The King’s Stool! It must be an ancient throne (or something): off we go!
The way was long and weary, 13 km straight up a mountain, but our intrepid adventurers persevered, battling off trolls, Nazgûl, plagues of locusts and football fans. At last, weary and wiping the sweat from their brows, they reached the summit, and found … a construction site.
And a bus stop.
The Plans
Given that there was no rugby on the morrow, a discussion ensued on what to do. The decision was taken to meet at the Irish pub as planned, so the poor buggers had some business, footfall in pubs and restaurants being noticeably down.
MissusIks also promised to find a rugby ball. Our bits perked up.
The Big Day
We all congregated at The Dubliner, only two hours late, and obviously much hilarity ensued. Which shall mostly be hush-hush. But I have previously reported that some of the lads disappeared down an alley-way with the rugby ball, which subsequently suffered the sad fate pictured above. But it remained unpunctured, as you will see.
The next port of call was the Bar Centrale, which was sadly neglected by other customers, but which did serve the greatest G&T ever experienced, and also had a square opposite that was perfect for ball-wanging. It was an unfortunate pass that hit me in the face, bloodied my nose, and sent my glasses clattering to the floor. Fortunately the glasses were uninjured except for the imprint of the ball’s pattern on the lens, discovered in the morning.
Such is the stuff from where dreams are woven.
Then off to dinner, with an enormous bottle of wine courtesy of MissusIks.
Vowing to the rugby gods to return in happier – or at least, less contagious – times, we said our goodbyes.
Ovally Balls 
“I’m just about to learn that teaching primary school children while working full time is a doddle.”
My cousin does that. She’s a primary school teacher.
LikeLike
Thanks, Thaum. It’s amazing how quickly things can change, oh and that boar running down the street was brilliant, they are such shy creatures, the most I usually saw of them was their arses as they disappeared into the undergrowth.
I’m going to go the optimistic route and think people will sit up and take notice of the positive side effects of this situation
LikeLike
Ticht..
It’s past the end of hunting season for all but Sangliers (wild boar) here now and with current legislation, hunts are stood down.
Yesterday afternoon our garden was visited by two largish boars – who have clearly read the news – not a care in the world and untroubled by us or our dog.
Nature reclaiming etc………………………
LikeLiked by 2 people
If you like books from our places, here’s a list of 50 that are free to download:
https://archipelagobooks.org/2020/03/our-free-ebook-library/
I’ve read the Ivan Vladislavic, he’s a very very good South African writer, and the Agualusa, an Angolan novel. Also, Hector Abad but not the one on this list.
LikeLike
Nice interview with Rory Best in the Graun today. Not sure why they had to put the last word in the link though.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/mar/22/rory-best-ireland-played-hard-partied-hard-change-protestant
LikeLiked by 2 people
Just drove into London to avoid the tube and because the local bus service has been helpfully reduced to be a few minutes late for the reduced train service. Practically no traffic or people out. Reminded me of this:
LikeLike
My favourite Specials fact: Jerry Dammers’s dad was the Canon Residentiary at Coventry Cathedral and then Dean of Bristol.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Craigs, Have seen some pictures from trains going into London this morning. That’s where everybody was.
LikeLike
Perhaps someone can explain this to me as I really can’t follow the logic at all, we are not in lockdown, the Prime Minister says that we are a couple of weeks ahead of Italy in terms of the spread so we don’t need those precautions.
So, are we waiting for huge death tolls before acting to keep people apart, is that what he is saying?
Why not act now, so we don’t get to that situation?
LikeLike
Well quite. I’m no epidemiologist but surely a lock down now would help flatten the curve.
Saying that I think it’ll be with us before long.
LikeLike
@ticht
That was the argument for acting in January on the basis that buying insurance is cheaper than paying for the cure. But you will remember people saying “it’s just like the flu” and calling Donald Trump racist for banning travel from China around that time.
LikeLike
OT – “Reuters could not find evidence of major media outlets or Democrats calling the “Proclamation on Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and Nonimmigrants of Persons who Pose a Risk of Transmitting 2019 Novel Coronavirus” racist, xenophobic or bigoted. This line of criticism has been widely used to condemn the travel ban (Executive Order 13769) and its later iterations ( here ), but this travel ban never included China, supersedes the coronavirus outbreak, and its latest iteration issued in January 2020 was not part of Trump’s coronavirus response. ”
https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-trump-executive-order/partly-false-claim-president-trump-signed-executive-order-13769-temporarily-barring-foreigners-from-entering-the-us-if-they-had-been-to-china-idUSKBN21739V
However, Dr Anthony Faucci is part of the Whitehouse task force involved in the crisis, he is the guy who was caught on camera facepalming behind one of Trump’s announcements, said this in an interview
“The way it happened is that after he made that statement [suggesting China could have revealed the discovery of a new coronavirus three to four months earlier], I told the appropriate people, it doesn’t comport, because two or three months earlier would have been September. The next time they sit down with him and talk about what he’s going to say, they will say, by the way, Mr. President, be careful about this and don’t say that. But I can’t jump in front of the microphone and push him down. OK, he said it. Let’s try and get it corrected for the next time.”
LikeLike
‘Six ambulances have had their tyres deliberately punctured in Kent, in what must be one of the more depressing acts of mindlessness during the outbreak.’
What the hell is wrong with some people?
LikeLike
Talking of twats
‘But Bolsonaro has resisted such drastic measures, dismissing media “hysteria” over coronavirus and calling the illness “a little flu”.’
LikeLike
On the positive side, firms who are involved in manufacturing for motor sport have used their down time to make respirators, raising the number available from five to twelve thousand in a very short space of time
LikeLiked by 3 people
Chimpie – Kent is a lawless place. Wild and vicious in fact.
LikeLike
@ticht
First ventilators should be be in production later this week, been a fantastic effort all round. We just need to make sure the aerospace and automotive component manufacturers (very used to making very precise, safe-critical components) can do the same for medical devices. The project is an absolute pleasure to play a tiny role in.
F1 has fantastic PR, makes them look like they’re in the lead on this, whereas it’s really a joint effort with loads of other manufacturers. The company that appears to have stuck it’s neck out and has put itself at the centre of it all, and therefore includes any negative fall out is Ford.
LikeLiked by 1 person
OT, I just saw an article on BBC news on a company called Prodrive who are involved in this, as you say they have directly transferable skills for this.
I was just thinking this morning that Amazon could use their brilliant supply chain resources to help out.
It really needs to be a “all hands to the pump” effort
LikeLike
@ticht
The number of parts needed and new ventilators is quite small in comparison with other sectors, so it’s quite manageable at the moment. Amazon may well come in handy when it comes to problems in much higher volume supply chains, such as if the food supply chain gets disrupted. I’ve got my eye out for that one…
LikeLike
Tomp – there is one other person on my floor (of 400 desks). It’s very strange.
Those people might have been essential workers. The trains are reduced so even though there are less people the crowding is still the same.
LikeLike
* fewer. Ffs Craig’s.
LikeLike
If you’d been a Tory, you’d have called them lesser people.
LikeLike
More Kent crime news:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/mar/23/ram-raiders-use-digger-to-steal-atms-from-tesco-extra-in-kent
LikeLike
A local shop was ram raided a few months back. Pretty much standard procedure.
Or, ‘popping out to buy some fags’ as it is known around here.
LikeLike
It’s a refreshingly 90s style crime is ram-raiding.
There was a rash of these atm robberies in the North of Ireland a while back: theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/apr/07/eighth-atm-ripped-from-wall-in-northern-ireland-in-spate-of-raids
LikeLiked by 1 person
Craigs
Ghost Town, good call.
The Iain Duncan Smiths version
LikeLiked by 5 people
Regular hot bed of crime, Kent
LikeLike
Have these incidents increased in correlation with craigs’ free time? I wouldn’t like to speculate, but I’m sure that won’t stop others.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Craigs has been too busy trying not to build himself into his new extension/garage/whatever.
By the way, will your extension be ready for the OvallyBaller meet next year?
LikeLike
BB – possibly. My new pizza oven will definitely be finished.
I extended my garage top floor a few weeks back BTW. Didn’t get stuck.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m feeling inordinately pleased with myself, I just refilled my ink cartridges.
The cabin fever is creeping in already.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The France – England 1991 replay was an interesting watch! France were all over England but just couldn’t break down the defence at crucial moments. Very violent game, in some ways, but looked a lot less dangerous than the modern game in many respects (though certainly not all – Heslop knocked out and carried on playing). It was interesting how quick scrums were, and how few scrum penalties were given. Just get the ball in and get on with it! Also players running to lineouts, which happened way quicker than now. While there was an awful lot of kicking and restarts, it felt like a faster and more fluid game than what we have now, especially with defences so much less structured.
LikeLike
BB, extension is done. Even got the central heating in. Air source heat pump seeing as you didn’t ask, working well so far.
I’ve got a shed to build I’ll fling some pillows in there for everyone.
LikeLike
Pizza oven. Now there’s an idea.
LikeLike
“I just refilled my ink cartridges.”
You filthy dog.
LikeLike
Dang, there goes the NRL.
LikeLike
I knew we should have tried harder to keep Chek occupied.
As Warren Zevon almost put it, “that dainty-handed gent, who ran amok in Kent”…
LikeLiked by 2 people
After lunch today me and the lad went out for a walk, played a bit of football, he chalked the footpath with some scrawls. On the way back we saw a parked car with an 8-pack of toilet roll in full view on the shelf behind the back seats. Just been out for a post-dinner cigarette and the pack is still there.
i definitely don’t live in Kent.
LikeLike
Tomp – it’s glorious in Kent. The Hatton Garden Heisters were from here. Heroes, absolute heroes!
LikeLike
I know people who knew a couple of those HGHers. Those ones were from Islington. Not that my people are crims but they work in criminal justice.
The man with the plan was from Kent. He was a mate of the Brinks Mat robbers, that was a Kent/SE London heavy mob.
LikeLike
The Czech government is trying to repatriate quite a number of Czechs abroad by sending buses around Europe and planes further away. They’re working with the Germans and Austrians especially to get as many home as possible. Some Czechs are stuck in Egypt and on twitter one asked the Czech foreign ministry to delay the flight picking them up as the weather was really nice and they wanted to catch some sun.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Looks like we’re in full lockdown mode now.
LikeLike
Lockdown it is then
Good
LikeLike
Yeah, probably a day or two later than it should have been. Mind you, I’ve got to go out tomorrow morning for a blood test, then at some point this week I’ve got to pick up medication. Just hope I don’t get arrested when I’m out!
Mind you, at least I have plenty of my medicinal whisky left…
LikeLike
ticht
-music………………..you heard of this lot?
LikeLike
I’ve got the scrapings in the bottom of a Glenfiddich bottle, and then only a couple of expensive rare bottles.
I suppose this is the rainy day.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I do know of them, Slade. Derek Trucks used to be in the Allman Brothers Band, he even looks like an Allman, he has played with a lot of my favourites – JJ Cale for one
LikeLike
Got some gin. Everyone stand down, it’s ok
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hmmmm…. I think I still have a case for going to work for one more day being ‘essential’. Does anyone know what that means?
LikeLike
……i have never heard derek trucks before…………………….silly me
LikeLike