Forest Glade Fives 2017

This weekend was the annual Forest Glade 5-a-side tournament which has been really busy for us. Tina and Holly were down the club most of Friday helping gear up and get ready for the 2 day event. Then Saturday we were over there all day as Brandon's U8 Tigers team were playing. Then today we was all back there again as helpers for day 2 of the tournament. The U7 Lion's were missing their goal keeper today so whilst me, Josh, Tina and Holly were helping out, Brandon went on and played another 5 games as goal keeper to help them out.

 

On Saturday morning we just about missed the morning thunderstorms and then the day was glorious sunshine. The winds picked up a little late afternoon and with FG being so open we had to pull down the team gazebo. As Brandon has nine players on his team we split the Tigers and Pumas in to 3 teams for this event so that we only had 1 substitute and all the kids got to play a lot more football. Brandon's team did really well only conceding 4 goals all day and drawing 3 games and winning two games. So no defeats.

 

On Sunday our job was mostly litter and runners however we pretty much got roped in to everything including the BBQ right through to helping pull everything down late in to the afternoon. Joshua and Holly were amazing and worked their socks off all day long despite the weather being even hotter and muggier than Saturday. Unfortunately some of the kids got to see the ugly side of football on the Sunday as we had two incidents with parents getting very rowdy and aggressive almost to the point of fights breaking out and this was on a pitch which Brandon was playing on in goal at the time of it kicking off. So from about lunch time onwards I was tasked with keeping an eye on one particular pitch to ensure there was no more trouble. Its such a shame to see things like this at exhibition kids mini soccer and it upset quite a few of the kids.

 

Overall it was a great weekend and Brandon got two nice medals from it. Unfortunately for Joshua this was the first FG Fives event that he has not played in due to the issues we have had on his team this season and the fact that we were forced to pull him from the team.

 

 

Holly helping get things set-up on the Friday.

Holly, Tina and some of the girls enjoying the sun whilst setting up.

 

Me with Brandon, Josh, Connar, Kye and Ashton. Undefeated on the day.

Brandon taking a corner kick.

Brandon showing good pace breaking away from the bigger Daniel.

An unfortunate incident against Essex Royals where Brandon got a free kick and a bloody lip for this blatant foul.

Is Holly loving or hating this Brain Licker sweet?

Me presenting Brandon with his medal. Photo bombed by Joshua!

The Forest Glade Tigers, Wildcats and Pumas with coaches, me, Nick and Ritchie.

All the boys pulling a silly pose.

 

A fab shot of Brandon taken by the pro photographer taking a free kick.

My little dude working very hard and getting very sweaty.

A shot of me barking orders at the team from the side lines!

Another action shot of Brandon on the ball.

Brandon nicely dribbling with the ball and keeping his head up to look for options.

Joshua's Wat Tyler School Trip Updates



Last week Joshua was on the Year 4 sleep over trip to Wat Tyler park. He has been getting so excited about this trip and last Wednesday just couldn't come around quick enough for him. Once he was gone the house seemed empty and everyone was missing Josh heaps and couldn't wait for him to return on Friday.

 

We have managed to obtain a few pictures from his 3 days away courtesy of the school website. However I have very little other information or stories about Joshua's few days away as he seems to have forgotten everything they did!!!! We know they had a mud slide, a BBQ, a night walk, a bug hunt and a camp fire, but that's about all we got out of him. Still hopefully at least having these pictures in the blog will allow him to remember the what a fab trip he has had when he looks back on this in years to come.



 

All the Year 4 boys on their trip to Wat Tyler Park. The girls all went in the first half of the week.

Getting their cases and being told where to go.

Joshua's little clan settle in to their dorm and decide on who is having which bed.

Out exploring Wat Tyler Park.

All the cool dudes.

Dinner time for the boys.

 

Camp fire time.

 

 

All packed up and ready to come home after 3 busy days, early mornings and late nights. Some very tired boys.

 



Brandon's Farewell Goodbye to Beavers

Brandon was taken on at Beavers at a very young age of 5 (normally they start at 6). So he has been there for circa 3 years and as such has pretty much completed every badge possible and done most activities at least twice (if not 3 times over). So needless to say he was starting to get bored with Beavers and wanting to quit for some time as he was more than ready to move up to Cubs.

 

The group leader, Kirsten Holland, has been really good to Brandon though by allowing him to continue at Beavers beyond his 8th birthday until a space was made available for him in the Cubs. Anyway finally his place in Cubs was confirmed for 1st of June and therefore Tuesday night was his very last session at Beavers which also meant my last day as an assistant leader/helper.

 

Its been a really good, fun and rewarding 3 years working with the Beavers and I will certainly miss it. Although the extra time I now have plus not having to rush out of work every Tuesday will be a blessing in disguise. I thought it was quite fitting that Brandon's last night was "The Chip Shop Walk" night which was also one of his first. I remember the first time we did this and he actually ended up crying as he was walking back so slowly and Dave (aka Eagle) threatened to eat his chips. This week was very different as he woofed down all his chips, a large sausage and a can of Tango.

 

As it was Brandon's last night at Beavers he was allowed the honour of finishing the group session off with the "Who are we........" ending. We took a look a leaving card and a loud of cupcakes to say goodbye and they had bought me some Guinness and a Thank You card which was signed by everyone. So as one door shuts another one opens and Brandon had his first Cubs session straight afterwards with den building over in Norsey Woods.

 

Brandon with all the Beavers enjoying some chips down Nevedon Rd.

Brandon's final chip shop hike.

Tucking in to a rather large sausage. No dinner for him tonight!

All the Beavers and helpers in a farewell picture on our final night.

Brandon getting the honour of finishing off the session in his final night at Beavers.

Year 4 Wat Tyler School Sleep Over

So today we said goodbye to Joshua for 3 days as he has gone away for a 2 night sleep over at Wat Tyler Country Park with his school. Obviously he has slept away from home on several occasions before with Beavers Camps and friends sleepovers, so this shouldn't be any problem for him. It looks like the school have timed this trip perfectly as the kids are destined for the hottest week of the year so far, so I think that cooling mud slide they have planned will be very welcoming!!! I look forward to hearing all the stories, hopefully some pictures and getting our Joshua back on Friday.

 

All packed with his suit case and off for his first overnight school trip to Wat Tyler Park.

Just about to board the bus, so last time we will see Joshua for 3 days. Good luck.

Joshua's Intex Challenger K1 Maiden Voyage

Probably over 2 years ago I promised Joshua his own single seater canoe once he stopped sucking his thumb. Amazingly this incentive didn't seem to work even once Brandon had given up his cloth and got in own canoe last year. However given that he has now not sucked his thumb in around 4 weeks, I am a man of my word and he finally has his own canoe. So today we took it up to Papermill Lock for its maiden voyage.

 

I have to say that setting up my big 3 seater plus two single seaters is a bit of a workout. But I think I managed it all in somewhere between 20-30 mins and we were on the water. Both boys were absolutely fine in their canoes and rowed all the way from Boreham to Papermill Lock. Holly came with me in the big boat and unfortunately after 4 years and lots of use it is showing signs of wear and once we entered the water I noticed one side was deflating!!!

 

We had our very first puncture which made for an interesting row as I had to lean my weight on to the good side and stop Holly leaning on the bad side. The Sevloy Hudson did well though and we still made it safely to Papermill Lock. Once there we deflated the big boat though and packed her up ready for a repair job at home. Fingers crossed my repair will be OK for our next outing. So Brandon and Joshua played around in the Lock for a while and we also enjoyed some of the lovely chocolate cakes and scones from the cafe. With Josh and Brandon I was playing a game where I threw a bomb in to the river and then timed them at canoeing out, retrieving it from the water and then canoeing back. We even had a few spectators so maybe we have started a new sport!

 

Joshua finally gets his own single seater canoe.

The maiden voyage for the latest vessel to add to our fleet.

Off go the boys as me and Holly debate whether our leaking boat will make it to Papermill Lock or not.

A perfect day to be out on the river.

Off we go under a bridge at Boreham to head up river to Papermill Lock.

Practising some donuts on their boats.

The King Armada all rafted up. Fortunately me and Holly are still afloat!

I love being out on the water with the kiddies.

Brandon arrives at Papermill Lock.

Who needs to pay for a boat ride down the Chelmer when you can take your own.

Holly enjoying some strawberries in the sun.

Joshua and Brandon at the Lock.

Every time we go here the kids want the chocolate cake and me and Tina go for the strawberry cream scones.

This makes the canoe up the river all the worth while.

Other then my little puncture I think it is safe to say that today was a successful day on the river and Joshua likes his new canoe.

Arena Essex Banger Racing

For years I have been promising to take the two boys to watch the banger racing especially as we live so close to Essex Arena. I have very fond childhood memories of banger racing in Norfolk from watching Dad stripping out old cars in the front garden and preparing them for racing, to actually going to the races and listening to Status Quo music. Anyway last weekend we had a rare Sunday with no football, the sun was shining and there was racing scheduled at Arena Essex. So finally we got to go.

 

We had an absolutely great day out and pretty good value as well at £40 for a family ticket. There was something like 13 race which lasted from 1pm to around 5pm, however the gates opened to the public at 11am so that you could walk around the pits and look at some of the cars. The actual banger racing has changed a lot from what I remember as a kid and like most things these days its a bit of Health and Safety gone mad, but we still saw some spectacular racing, some good crashes and even a few cars rolling over.

 

The micro bangers were by far the best and some of the action here was absolutely savage. The first round had something like 30 cars and by the final destruction derby only about 11 made it back to the track and to be honest its a bit of a miracle and full credit to teams for getting the cars patched up and back out on the track.

 



 

On the pit walk we got to see the Arena Essex pace car that takes the winners around the track.

Joshua and Brandon with one of the bangers in the pits.

Brandon looking cool with the 999 car.

The Denace the Menace cars were probably the best painted cars, but they were not very menacing and didn't cross the finish line in any of the races.

All show and no go.......

Learning all the flags as we enter the race track.

Having a picnic in the sunshine whilst the cars tear around the track.

Lots of action in the Micro Bangers with cars getting spun and flipped.

We bumped in to some friends from Beavers and Cubs, so the kids all played together which was nice.

Holly getting a good view of the action from off the top of my shoulders.

The significance of this picture is that the Mini passing behind Joshua was driven by a racer called Josh King. If you zoom in on the picture you can see his name on the windowscreen.

Micro Bangers getting red flagged again as a car ends up on its side.

Holly enjoyed the racing but she did cover her ears for the first race as the noise caught her off guard.

Some of the Micro Bangers were unrecognisable after a few races yet somehow they still kept getting back out on the track!

I think this one as with many other bangers was just too far damaged and destined for the scrap heap!