The Best Goalkeeper We Ever Had

The only thing that got me out of another day in London is that today is my friend’s funeral but not exactly the reason you want to get out of a work’s engagement.

I drive over and pick up my other friend from school, the one that was part of our drinking threesome in the Brunswick. My brother comes to join us as he also knew him very well. We were all part of the same six-a-side football team and he was the best goalkeeper we ever had.

There is a huge turnout and standing room only in the church. He was a popular chap. In the Lawns afterwards there is even a photo of the football team up on the wall and many of the old team are there amongst a reunion of school friends. Most of whom I don’t remember and some I haven’t seen for years. It was good to talk to and get back in touch with many of them as email addresses are exchanged.

I get home to find that L has apparently been shopping in Orlando. Either that or her credit card has been cloned. The latter, I think.

(Thursday 16^th November)

A Sad Day

It’s a very sad day today with L’s brother’s funeral. We visit him at the funeral parlour in the morning and then the service itself is at the crematorium in the afternoon. Then afterwards everyone heads to the Great Northern pub.

He is cremated resplendent in his Rammstein t-shirt. Sadly his beloved Rammstein don’t make the playlist for the funeral elbowed out by another of his favourite bands the more socially acceptable Queen and he is played in by Bohemian Rhapsody.

All the family are of course gathered for this, along with plenty of old friends of his and even his old teacher. 

(Wednesday 5^th October)

Peacemaker

MD jumps up at someone on his walk this morning, so now L and MD aren't speaking. I have to try to act as peacemaker again.

The preparations for L's brother's funeral continue albeit slowly and expensively. It all makes you think that taking out one of these funeral plans might be a good idea or is that simply what they are trying to scare you in to doing. The alternative, I suppose, is the weigh me down with a few rocks and chuck me in the river option. That might not be legal though.

I’m on my bike and L’s in the gym. It’s always good to have a competition to see who can come home the sweatiest.

(Friday 30^th September)

A Cheeky One

L picks me up from work at 1.30 as I have the afternoon off for the unhappy occasion of the funeral of L's mother's sister at Bretby Crematorium. Which is somewhere near Burton.

After the service a few nibbles are served locally at a place that seems to specialise in post-funeral entertainment and not much else. It certainly doesn’t have any beer which is probably no bad thing. We save ourselves for later on both the beer and food fronts, forsaking the buffet in favour of the traditional Friday Thai Curry.

Later arrives earlier than expected on the beer front as we nip for a cheeky pint of Damson Porter at the Devonshire Arms. As we’re in Burton, it would be rude not to. It is also my first chance to try a half of the new Draught Burton Ale. This was a beer that was one of the few real ales around locally when I started drinking but it was axed recently by its current owners Carlsberg.

This is not an official version but a new version brewed by the Burton Bridge Brewery, who should know what they are doing because two of their directors were involved in the development of the original brew at Ind Coope back in the day. You what, it’s not bad at all.

Then it's a post funeral Friday night, I'm not sure if that's the done thing or not.

(Friday 15^th May)