Day 134 - Lady Captain's Day

Ouch...

Definitely Off Games today with my left hand doing its own Michelin Man impression after yesterday's fall.

Have been grateful for all the advice: rest, ice, raise arm, ibuprofen gel, exercise by squeezing tennis ball - and have spent the afternoon watching the tennis doing all of these in the hopes that they will assist a speedy recovery.

Today must be the hottest day of the year: Wimbledon talking of 41degC court-side (that's 106F) and the talk is of even higher temperatures tomorrow.  This meant that my fellow Lady Captain had chosen a scorcher for her Captain's Day: very different from a few weeks ago - see http://burhillcaptain2015.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/day-119-captains-day.html

It was fun to meet Diana and her family, and to see all the hard work she had put in to make the day a success. I thought that the Pimm's was a particularly fine idea - though at my Captain's Day, hot soup would have been the order of the day had we but planned a bit better!

Thence home to watch Andy Murray and his first round match; as ever, it involved a couple of scares, but he came through. Six more rounds to go....

P.S. Hope that you aware that we get an extra second's sleep tonight!

Day 133 - Beware the Injured Golfer

Up bright and early to play a Vets match at Worplesdon. Glorious day outside, everything fine and dandy...until calamity struck: water and bathroom tiles do not mix.... and I slipped and fell heavily. I knew something wasn't quite right with my left wrist, but it seemed to move ok, so decided not to let anyone down and headed off to the golf club.

Worplesdon was looking splendid and the course was in excellent condition. At least we were playing St Andrews Greensomes (both players drive after which players alternate with one taking the second shots on the odd and the other on the even holes), so I wouldn't have to play a full round.

My partner Andrew and I lost the first hole and all looked a bit bleak. We won the second however, using our shot, and then halved every hole until the half way point. Up to then I had been driving very well (but always within myself to protect my left hand) and indeed this carried on. By the time we got to the 15th hole, we had recorded a score of just two over par (with 3 birdies), as indeed had our opponents... but as they were giving us 5 shots this meant that we had won by 5&3!  Beware the injured golfer indeed...

After lunch, my left hand started to look increasingly swollen, so my next stop was the Accident & Emergency department of St Peters (back there again....). A series of XRays followed, which thankfully showed that nothing had been broken. The hand though is looking seriously inflated, so I am not sure when I shall next get a golf glove on it...

The evening was dedicated to a cultural pursuit: a lecture on the works of Inigo Jones and his buildings. This was given by a certain Dr Laurence Shafe, who clearly knew so much on the subject that he struggled to fit his talk into the time allotted...  Now where is the Ibuprofen gel?

Day 132 - Junior Golf

Today was the occasion of the Men vs Juniors Club match. Due to an overlap with the June Stableford, it had been decided to limit the competition to four pairs, so it was always going to be close.

The format was 4Ball Better Ball and my partner was playing off 19. As Captain, I was paired against the Junior Captain (Lizzie, who plays off +3) and Junior Vice Captain (Malcolm off 5) - giving them a combined handicap of 2 against our 29.  I think it is fair to say that Jonny and I approached the first tee with a degree of trepidation...

But we needn't have worried: the handciap system is there for a reason... We received a fair amount of shots and put them to good use. Despite the fact that Lizzie and Malcom played very nicely (including birdies on 6, 7, 12, 14 and 16), we too managed to play very tidily. By the time we came off the 16th, our better ball score was around +4 which meant that we were actually 2 holes up with two to play.

At this point though the Junior showed their mettle and Lizzie holed an excellent 20' putt on the last, to win the hole and halve the match.  Back in the Clubhouse, we soon discovered that the other two matches which had finished had been split, one win either way, so that all depended on the final group. That too turned out to be All Square, meaning that the match itself was tied. This was the first time in 5 years that the Men had not lost, so we could walk away with some satisfaction.

Lizzie and her team tried to persuade us to settle the match with a play-off on the 18th of the New, but we were far too old and wise to fall for that one!  Now, let's see how Paul Csey is getting on...?

Day 131 - Peachy Day

Summer seems to have arrived: another glorious day for golf, with the courses in splendid condition. Today was the date for the 4th Captain and Pro Challenge. We played on the New Course against Ian and Brian, both of whom are good, steady players.  We had to give them 10 shots so it was always going to be tough...

Mike and I started off unusually well: we have in the past lost the first one or two holes and have had to claw our way back. This time, in contrast, we got off to a very solid start and soon found ourselves three holes up, two at the turn.

All went well until the 12th when the Captain missed a short putt then we had balls behind trees, hit into the rough, found the water on 15 and then disappeared into the trees on 17 to mean that we lost the match 3&1.  Not our finest performance!

After lunch, my son contacted me asking if I wanted to play another 18, given the fine weather. We compromised and managed another 10 holes before heading back home to provide some assistance in the preparations for our dinner this evening.

To accompany the blueberry cheesecake dessert, I made first use in ages of our ice cream maker: it produced a very passable peach ice cream.

We sat outside until well gone 11 o'clock: a first for this year: an early English summer at its best!

Day 130 - Effingham and Cheeseandham

Friday and one of the few days in the year when both the courses at the Club were unavailable this morning due to a large corporate golf day (today it was Berkeley Homes' turn...). There was though an upside to this inconvenience as the Head Pro had arranged for members to be granted courtesy rounds at a number of other local golf courses.  I had put my hand up for a morning start at Effingham Golf Club.

This is why I found myself on the tee there just before 9 o'clock this morning. I had arranged a fourball with fellow members Chris, Brian and Jon.  In time honoured fashion, the balls were thrown in the air and it turned out to be Captain & Former Captain vs the rest.  We ended up having a great game. By the time we got to the Half-way Hut (excellent sausage sandwiches!) the game was evenly poised.  After that Chris and I established a three hole lead only for it to be reined in gradually until we halved the match on the final green.  Excellent stuff!

By then the sun had truly come out and it was time for beer and sandwiches on the terrace.  And there we stayed for quite a while, enjoying the pleasant weather and good company.  Back home to prepare dinner: discovered that we had a somewhat depleted refrigerator.

As a result, I was set a Masterchef type challenge: Produce a supper from these ingredients!  Well, I did and it was delicious: took this recipe and adapted it for what we had - http://www.food.com/recipe/ham-and-cheese-crepes-190683

Day 129 - 32 years

My last golf-free day for a while (playing that is: I have been following Paul Casey's first round at The Travelers - looking good so far!). This will mostly be spent up in London at a monthly Board Meeting. London is hot and full of Google Maps-toting tourists: not a good combination!

Today is our Wedding Anniversary (32 years, thanks for asking!) and we are going to celebrate this with dinner and then a play. We ate tonight at the Archduke, underneath the train tracks from Waterloo to Charing Cross.  This location was a bit if a throw-back as we first frequented it when I worked in Shell Centre, on the South Bank, in the early 1980s. At the time, it received seed funding from Shell, in a bid to boost local businesses in what was then a pretty dreary part of London. They must be doing something right though as it's still going, offering very much the same sort of fare as all those years ago. And the whole area is buzzing!

It was only a short walk to the National Theatre, where we had tickets to see the Beaux Stratagem. I was a little apprehensive about this production as the last period piece we had seen there had been largely incomprehensible and quite hard work.

I needn't have worried! The language was easily understood and the production kept moving space with a mixture of humour, music and song. As always at the National, the sets were excellent and the cast as good as ever - and so numerous! Very enjoyable - and all the more so as we managed to stroll gently and walk straight into our train home. Now I get to see the new hob...

Day 128 - Very Intelligent Golf

Morning spent doing errands and then to Burhill for lunchtime. First job was to assist a member with PayPal problems and then I met with Jamie, the head man at Intelligent Golf. He had spent the previous hour and a half in discussion with BGL about some of the issues that need resolving: basically, the Club is running two separate systems (IG for the Golf and ESP for the membership/catering side of things) and that is never a good place to be - just think about the fact that members' dates of birth need to be kept in both....

Without a link being built between the two, members stand no chance of tracking their MDC card spend on IG and the Club stands no chance of keeping members' email addresses up to date in ESP.  Watch this space... but it won't be quick!

Rather than sit down with Jamie, I opted instead to play a 9 hole round with him: and what a great decision! The Old Course was quiet (and its greens quick!) so we meandered through the front half, chatting on the way. Early on, we discovered that we were both Tesla aficionados so the conversation flowed easily. I shared with him some of the ways that we are using IG ("you guys are pushing the limits!") and he talked through some of their ideas for the future.  I hope that we can work closely together to the benefit of both.

A quick trip to a possible wedding venue for 2016 (that's for my daughter, not us!) and then back to Burhill for a Club Committee Meeting. The first with the new acting General Manager, so it took a bit longer than usual, but the discussion was good and I think we all agreed that it was a step in the right direction.

Day 127 - Day of Rest

After 4 days of solid golf, today was time for a break...and to catch up on some of the many admin duties that are building up in my study.

One of my jobs was to make dinner tonight.. which turned out to be a problem!  We have an electrician coming in to install a new induction hob on Thursday and had therefore arranged for the existing gas hob to be taken out one day earlier. Then he called at 09:45 this morning saying that he was in the area and could he come by immediately. Which he did. And now we have no hob which makes cooking dinner more of a challenge...across to a combo of Steamer, Oven and Microwave!

Another of the things I wanted to do was to cut the grass. The lawn mower though was out of petrol, so I had to run down to the local Esso garage to fill up the small plastic container that we have for that purpose.  Unsurprisingly, it was the first time that I had been to a petrol station in the Tesla..and also the first time that my petrol bill has ever come to the princely sum of £3.69!

A dental check up (all clear..) and then back home to watch the final act of the England-NZ cricket series of the early summer: the Twenty20 at Old Trafford. And what good fun it was too: England seem to have uncorked a genie from a bottle this summer... I wonder whether or not it will continue to grant their wishes against the Auld Enemy over the summer....

Day 126 - Whose Line Is It Anyway?

The joints were creaking this morning when it was time to get up... my 5th round in 4 days... Not easy getting up and I was soon behind the clock. Fortunately the American School in Cobham must have started its summer holiday break, as the roads from home to the Club were much emptier than they have been of late. This meant that despite the tardy start, I arrived in time for this morning's match against Blackmoor.

We had been soundly trounced in the away fixture and the team was therefore well motivated to deliver a victory. My playing partner Phil and I had a classic match: never was there more than one hole in it either way and our win was delivered by the last putt on the final green. We therefore managed to sneak through by 1 hole and were also delighted that the team overall was victorious also, by a margin of 5 to 3. The game itself was punctuated by constant drizzle: something not seen for a while but fortunately the temperature remained mild, so it wasn't too bad. 

Lunch upstairs in the Barnes Room was as delicious and filling as ever and it wasn't until 4 pm that I got back home. Just in time to leave again to catch the 4:27 train up to London!  As part of a belated birthday treat, we were to meet les enfants at Jamie's Italian in Covent Garden for dinner before going to the theatre. 

The food was excellent and we were in good spirits for Whose Line Is It Anyway? at the Adelphi in the Strand. This was a stage version of the long running TV show, originally started in the UK but then taken over with gusto by the US. This performance was hosted by Clive Anderson and had four regulars from both countries' versions. It was a cracking evening's entertainment - it's only on for two weeks, so book your tickets now!

Day 125 - Father's Day

Here a depressing thought: today was June 21st and from now on in the days start getting shorter and the nights longer...and we haven't even had our summer yet!  That being said, the weather these past weeks has been very temperate and the garden/course are looking parched so maybe we need some of that rain that will surely come!

Today was also Father's Day. If I understand it correctly, this holiday's genus is very different from that of Mothering Sunday, which goes back a long way. Father's day appears to have been thought up at the turn of the last century in the US, helped no doubt by commercial pressures from the likes of Hallmark et al.  Despite all the schmaltz, as a father, I must admit that it is something special to hear from your children that they appreciate your efforts.

Fathers' Day is also very often the date upon which the Coronation Cup falls at the Golf Club. This is an Honours Board competition and is a prize which is well earned, as it is a one day, 36 hole tournament. For this reason, 66 doughty souls were at the Club for an early tee-off (many of them Fathers!).  It is a long slog and by the end of the day, around 7 pm when the final groups crossed the line, there were a few weary faces around. Because it's a Medal competition and every hole has to be played out, it takes longer than normal but this year there were no drop outs (a first?) and the pace of play wasn't too bad.

My scores are best passed over, but I did had great company and it was fun.  And as a special treat, my daughter came home for dinner: a grand Father's Day it was!

Day 124 - Two Mohameds

A morning of preparation for Saturday's Charity Day beckoned. I have had A3 sized posters made for display on the tee boxes of the sponsored holes. These have been printed and laminated (and look very professional, I must say!) and Diana and I stapled these to the excellent boards that former Captain Chris made for the Cub a couple of years back. 

I had hoped that the green-keeping staff might be able to assist me in malletting them into the ground, but that was not to be. As a result I had to disturb the Vets Texas Scramble as I buggied around the course hammering the posts into the ground. Everyone was in good spirits though and nobody seemed to mind too much.

A quick trip to Laithwaites to pick up a wine order also helped with a donation for tomorrow's raffle (thanks!) and then on to Wentworth. A friend is returning to Canada with wife and family after 15+ years in the UK and this was the last chance to play some golf together along with host, Benoit. 

The weather was very kind to us and we played a Skins game on the Edinburgh Course. I always enjoy a visit to Wentworth (it has a certain style!) and this was no exception. A bit of celebrity spotting (Brucie is looking old..), some fun golf and I even managed to win our very casual game.

When we stopped in the Halfway Hut, the attendant there greeted us with surprising warmth: "was one of our party really called Mohamed Mansour?". On hearing a positive response, he greeted said individual as a long lost friend, for it turned out that he too had exactly the same name and also came originally from Egypt.  We had clearly made his day!

Day 123 - My Waterloo

A new experience last night. When I got the new car home, I noticed a message on its screen: "please log into your WiFi and upgrade your car's operating system", or words to that effect. Fortunately I was able to schedule exactly when the download was to take place, as the car was to be immobilized during the hour+ that was required. So, this morning, I have an upgraded Navigation system (that  now remembers the chargers that I have used in the past) and the crash-avoiding automatic braking has apparently been improved too.

Today was the 18th June - the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. This year made all the more interesting by being the 200th such.  My Belgian upbringing makes this one of the more interesting dates in UK military history and we have enjoyed our trip(s) there in recent years. The combination of a few interesting museums and the opportunity to look at the essentially unchanged battlefield from the top of the Lion monument makes it an excellent tourist stop.

When I was thinking through this Blog entry, I was going to make the link between Waterloo (meaning great victory in English, and something rather different in French) and our second round Flitch match at Burhill. Unfortunately, one of our opponents was feeling under the weather so that we didn't get to play today. So the link doesn't work....

We did though get the chance to watch some of the first round from the US Open: how about that course!? And it's only 8 years old...

Day 122 - Train Trouble

An Ofwat meeting up in Town at 0930: just take the 0827 from Cobham and Stoke d'Abernon and the Tube to Bloomsbury ... simples.  Or so it would seem: arrived at station to be greeted by "Train Cancelled Due to Train Fault" notice and had to do a rapid rethink.  Off to Esher (not an easy drive at that time of the day) to catch a train that got me there only 15 mins late: now I remember why I didn't enjoy the life of a commuter!

Fortunately, my meeting finished in plenty of time to allow me to get back to Burhill for my 2 pm match. Today it was a Jubilee Goblets fixture: the top six pairs from the main competition in May get to play against the Captain and Lady Captain, with the pair who record the best result winning a bottle of champagne from the Captains.  Today our opponents were Xenos and Kika: two very strong players who hit the ball a long way.  We were soon under the cosh: 5 down after 9 is not a platform for success!

A purple patch followed though and we got them back to 2 down, but we couldn't maintain the momentum and the game finished on the 15th hole: a loss for us by 4&3. But will that prove enough to win them their champagne? Watch this space...

Time for a shower, then on to the next engagement: the June meeting of the Social Committee.  Our Chair had a brainwave and instead of repairing to the stuffy Hospitality Suite upstairs we instead took up residence outside on the Terrace. I am sure that it made for a more efficient, and certainly more pleasant, meeting!

A quick check of the 4th ODI cricket score: yikes...time to rush home to see what happens...

Day 121 - Where was everybody?

Started the day off with a return trip to Hampton Court Palace Golf Club to recover our shoes, which had been locked in the Clubhouse on our late return the previous evening; yes, they were still there!

Then followed a marathon session at Burhill. 

First, I had a friendly game at 12 o'clock. Maybe the golf wasn't of the highest quality (though Hugh and I managed a fine birdie each!) but what a splendid day...  The course was in immaculate condition, there was little of no breeze, the sun was shining and we were the only ones out there!  Thank heavens that somebody is doing some work to support the rest of us, but a where was everyone?  No complaints though....

A quick drink followed by a meeting with the General Manager to discuss a whole raft of issues: amazing how much there is going on. 

Then it was time for the quarterly Handicap Committee Meeting: we decided to take advantage of the fine weather and hold it out on the Terrace: a great idea!

A rushed post-golf shower and a Sandwich Of the Day and it was time for the monthly Men's Committee. This time inside, upstairs in the Hospitality Suite. 

Amazing how we can find things to talk about for 2+ hours, but we managed....

Day 120 - Royal Golf

Lunch at the Club today with Guy Riggott and Mike O'Connell to help them understand better what Intelligent Golf is and how it has been implemented at Burhill. We had lunch in the Green and were delighted to be disturbed by a loud round of applause emanating from the terrace: member Mark Britton had recorded a Hole in One on the par 3 18th of the New Course!  He was very generous and treated us to a glass of the champagne with which he was toasting his success.

In the afternoon, it was off for a match at Hampton Court Palace Golf Club.  This was the first round of the Nike Championship Knock Out. We had been drawn away and the only time that we had managed to find to play before the deadline was today with a tee off time at 6 pm. 

It was always going to be tight as to whether we could finish in the light: last year in the same fixture we had finished the 18 holes all tied and opted to decide the tie with a putting competition in the dark...

This time around, our opponents got off to a fast start and were soon 2 holes up. We got them back to level pegging by the turn, but they managed to get ahead again and we lost the match on the 17th hole, by which time it was getting very dark...

Hampton Court is an interesting course: set in the grounds of the Palace, there are lots of deer roaming around. They largely ignore the golfers, but some of the bird life were otherwise minded: a crow pinched our opponents ball on the second fairway...  luckily we spotted him doing so and he was able to replace it with another ball...

Day 119 - Captain's Day

One of the main days of the calendar for the Club Captain is Captain's Day. This is when he gets to organize a competition, in a format of his choice, to compete for the Captain's prize. For those taking part, this is an opportunity to win a Board Competition - this means that the winners get their names emblazoned in gold leaf in perpetuity in the Honours Bar. A much sought after honour.

As well as choosing the format of the competition (I went for Greensomes Stableford), it is also the Captain's job to purchase the prizes and to feed and fuel those playing. I offered coffee and bacon rolls on arrival as well as a suitably logoe-ed ball stamper.  In addition, there was a half-way gazebo erected to allow the players a choice of drink and snack as they came past. (Here, I shall ignore the member who when asked "What do you fancy?" asked if my daughter was on offer...).

Despite the vaguely positive weather forecast, the morning turned out to be damp and drizzly and actually very cold for those of sitting rather than playing: thank heavens for Tony who came to the rescue of wife and said daughter with the offer of a warm blanket under which to shelter.

The chosen format seemed to go down well with the field and some fine scores were recorded. My son and his partner managed a fine second but were beaten by two points by the eventual winners, who carded a more-than-respectable 43 points. It was great to see the obvious pleasure Andrew and James got from their win - and they deserved it, with a score of 5 over par!

Day 118 - Celebrations

Family and Friend commitments today kept me away from the Old Marlburians match at Burhill. We set off for Uley in Gloucestershire  this morning: our first long drive in the new car. All went well, despite the usual incidents on the M4, which our traffic-aware SatNav managed to avoid.  Best man, Ian, and wife Debs have moved from Surrey to take on a former mill with associated gardens, fields and outbuildings. They are doing a fantastic job and everything looked very much under control - though there is obviously an enormous amount of effort required behind the scenes!

University College Class of 1976

It was great to get together with College friends (yes, it's almost 40 years ago that we arrived in Oxford as naive freshers...) and amusing how everyone reverts to type within a few nanoseconds of getting back together. Enormous kudos goes the to the long-suffering wives...

Home again with nary a concern...well that's not quite true: the car battery was in the "amber" zone when we arrived with "35 miles left in the tank", which gave us a few worries as we have yet to really understand how accurate the on board computer is. On today's evidence, the answer seems to be "very", which bodes well for the future.

Home by 18:30 in time to help in getting an evening BBQ onto the table as we had the opportunity to get together with the in-laws-to-be and wider family. Fortunately, the evening was mild and we were able to sit outside until the late evening, which was a real bonus.  Lots of talk about past weddings and some discussions of the one to be, on which much more anon!

Day 117 - British Beef

Lots of golf today! In the morning was playing in a vets match against the RAC at Burhill. I hadn't played in the Away leg (which we had lost badly) so was keen to do my bit for the eam. As it turned out one of our opponents was feeling a bit under the weather and his game was decidedly off, so that the poor other guy, who played really well, simply wasn't able to carry his side in the better ball format.  We won our match 3&2 and the team triumphed by 1 point.

My heart groaned inwardly when I was told that the lunch was a(nother) carvery... but I needn't have worried. The beef was simply the best that I have ever had at Burhill, succulent and cooked medium rare just the way I like it.

I was due to play again in the late afternoon so decided did not have much time to change out of my jacket and tie and back into golfing gear. This was for the June Twilight Golf and Supper. The weather forecasters had been warning of some Armageddon-like torrential rain during the day, most likely in the evening, so it was with some trepidation that we teed off at 6 pm.  We needn't have worried: there was a small shower as we finished and that was it, though it was humid and warm throughout.

This absence of rain and wind did not help our golf though and neither of our pairs were going to finish in the winners' circle.  The theme of the Twilight was "British" and a dinner of beef had been advertised: not really what I wanted again. So, it was with joy, that I was served my salmon en croute and Eton Mess for dessert. A second excellent meal at Burhill... could this be the start of a trend?

Day 116 - T-Day

After months of waiting, today was T-Day... I had an appointment at the Tesla Service Centre in West Drayton to collect my new car at 3 pm. It was a bit of a slog getting there: train to London, Tube to Paddington, Train to West Drayton and a 15 minute walk...but it was worth it!

The handover process (thanks Emma!) took about an hour: it was just like being in the Apple store and having someone explain how your new iPad Air functions.  And then it was time to drive home.

I then discovered a very disappointing truth: London traffic is desperately awful and it makes no allowance for people whatever type of car they are driving. It took me over an hour to get home, but at least I got to test the Google Maps sat nav app...which kept changing its mind about which was the least bad way to avoid the traffic jams.

But get home I did! And I managed to do so without constantly fiddling with the enormous screen that controls all of the car's functions ... honest, Mrs L...

Day 115 - Compo et al

Again a (very) early start this morning: the challenge being to get to Wentworth for a Vets match at 08:30 without risking getting snarled up in the traffic jam that is the M25. The solution: leaving the house at 07:00 and taking the back roads. This did mean arriving by 07:30 but this is far less stressful than the alternative.

We played our return match against the Last of the Summer Wine (as the Wentwoth Vets are called) on the Edinburgh Course. This was in better shape than I remembered last year, with the large greens posing plenty of problems for those of us not used to them.  We had thrashed them in the home fixture in April and they were clearly out for to level the score.

Ron and I played the same pair as we had in the home fixture and, when one of them holed a 40+ft putt on the first for par, we knew we were in trouble... before we could even turn around, we were three holes down and seriously concerned that the match was going to slip away for us. Gradually though we hauled them back in, arriving onto the 18th tee just 1 down. 

It wasn't to be though: with his partner OB off the tee, the other Wentworther played zigzag golf until he put a ball to within 6 inches from 90yds out.  Revenge is sweet....  if you are the not the revengee that is....

Day 114 - A welcome change

After 4 days on the trot, a day off from golf was due today - which was just as well as my energy supplier had to come by this morning to do one more last adaptation of my car charger and to carry out some final tests... after all, the new wagon is due for collection in only two days' time!

It was also good to get some time at home too to catch up on all the things that do not get done on days when you only return home from the course in the afternoon: lots of things ticked off my To Do list.

That I was not as efficient as I might have been, I blame on the England ODI XI. I started watching the game from the off and was soon hooked as Messrs Root and Buttler demonstrated that it is not only Auatralians and others from the Southern Hemisphere who can take an innings by the scruff of the neck.  I did feel sorry for Jason Roy, out on the very first ball of the game, but after that there were lost of things to get excited about.

As the commentators on Sky insisted on calling them, "New England" performed on all cylinders breaking lots of records, including their highest score ever, together with the most sixes scored in an ODI and, evenutally their largest ever win. 

The bowlers then did their bit and it was a real pleasure to watch an England one day side record a victory. But can they repeat it...? Or is it yet another false dawn: only time will tell!

Day 113 - One more ball...

View from tee box of 5th? at Effingham

Another lovely summer's day and a first for me today: I was playing in a Burhill Vets Friendly match against Effingham Golf Club. I don't think that I had ever played there before (or if I had it was a very long time ago!).  I very much enjoyed the course: it offers some splendid view over London and its environs, as well as having some typically tricky Colt greens and bunkers.

My partner, Michael, and I had a see-saw of a match: up, down, and fortunately up again by the end.  We recorded a 2&1 win, which was probably a fair result. I had some excellent holes, especially a couple of crucial putts - once to half a hole with a birdie! - and some not so good, and my partner came to the rescue on some crucial holes too.

One of the things I collect is a new logo-ed golf ball from all the courses that I play: I added one from Effingham to the collection, which is filling up nicely.  Before long, I shall have to purchase another ball holder!

Over the past 72 hours I had been wearing a heart monitor (about the size of small smartphone), with three sensors attached to the chest. This is essentially a non-stop ECG over 3 days which will hopefully give the docs the information they require. I was delighted to be able to take this off at the end of the game, and also to have my first proper shower for 3 days!  Nobody else complained, but I was very conscious of the fact that the weather has been warm of late... and I hope that I sleep better tonight...

Day 112 - Fathers and Sons and Daughters

Today was the occasion of the annual Burhill Fathers and Sons tournament. Of necessity a somewhat eclectic event as both parent and child need to be members of the Club.  Nevertheless, we had a field of 36 players, ranging across all ages from 70+ to 10+, which was a recipe for a great day.

All the more so as the weather was fantastic and the course in great condition. Brian did a great job of organising and we even had two teams returning scores of 39 points which in a Foursomes format is most creditable.

Unfortunately, my son and I did not appear amongst the winners, but consoled ourselves that we played very solidly with relatively few mistakes and took solace from the fact that playing off a handicap of 8 was always going to be a challenge.  Great fun anyway!

And the fun continued later on, as we were able to return home afterwards for a bbq dinner with my daughter and her fiancé... yes, the happy couple got engaged over the weekend, something which made everybody (but particularly her parents!) very pleased and excited.  The topic of conversation was definitely wedding-focussed for most of the evening.

Reminder for self: need to grab a moment to re-watch Father of the Bride for a few tips...

Day 111 - Why Nelson?

Typing in the title of this blog posting led to my looking up as to why on earth the cricket score 111 is referred to as a Nelson.  Wikipedia was very little help, other than to highlight the fact that nobody else seems to know why either...

I have never heard the same terminology used in Golf...but then I guess anyone returning a score of 111 would probably prefer to keep it quiet.

I certainly didn't score that many today: I was at the Club bright and early for a game that been organised by the Club to help some new members in their integration into Burhill. I was very impressed with the group and am sure that they will fit into the Club well.

This was a great initiative and it was fun to see the course through the eyes of people playing it, in one case, for the very first time. We played the Old Course and with the sun shining, it looked spectacular. 

It was very noticeable how the fact that I know the holes well gives me a real advantage, even against the better golfer: reading the greens and knowing how to approach them must be worth a few shots every time!

Day 110 - An Unhappy Lot

The weather forecast this morning was not very sure of itself: it could rain in the early and late mornings, the latter potentially being particularly heavy; on the other hand, the sun might shine and the temperature might be the hottest of the year...

What to wear for the match this morning: wets or shorts?  Fortunately, I went for the former and this proved to be the right decision as the "rain" we did see was hardly enough to even dignify it with the word. No complaints though: a warm, sunny and at times muggy day which was just perfect to play golf in.  Our opponents today were the Vets from Royal Mid Surrey, a course that I have never played. 

I started the round off splendidly: par-par-par-birdie and before long we were 2 up. unfortunately, class will always tell in the end and their 7 handicapper managed to go around in a gross +4, to which we had no answer. In the end we lost one down, which was actually no mean feat.  Unfortunately, i had to leave early for a doctor's appointment before the total team result was announced, but I have great confidence in my colleagues....

A quick change at home before we were out on the tiles again: tonight it was a late birthday treat visit to the Coliseum to see the English National Opera's performance of the Pirates of Penzance. There performance was directed by Mike Leigh, better known for his work behind the camera.

It was a great performance, with the singing all of the highest quality. The sets were dramatically modern (lots of blocks of colour. Of course, one recognised a number of the songs: "Poor Wandering One" and "With Cat-like Tread" but it was still a help to have the lyrics shown above the stage. And I loved the Victorian policeman sharing their concern about their jobs: a policeman's lot is not an happy one...

Day 109 - HB K!

What a glorious day! This may yet prove to have been the best day of the year...and I didn't even get to the golf course! For today was Mrs L's birthday and there were plenty of other things to do.

Gardening was first on the agenda: no better way to enjoy the fine weather than by being outside. A welcome break was provided by my mother, brother and greyhound who dropped by for coffee. 

Next stop was a trip out to Tescos to get some supplies in for Captain's Day next weekend. This is one of the occasions when I get called upon to provide not only the prizes but also bacon rolls before play as well as a refreshment tent on the golf course. Job done: now I need to find a way of getting everything cooled!

A quick turnaround and then up to London for some birthday celebrations with daughter, boyfriend and son. We started off with a drink on the terrace at Selfridges - a fantastic location for an afternoon drink in the sunshine. 

Thence up to the 28th floor bar in the Hilton on Park Lane. Fantastic views to both west and east combined with a very full cocktail menu. Called up an Uber to take us to our restaurant for dinner: again a very efficient service at only a fraction of the cost of a black cab. 

Dinner was at the Trinity Restaurant in Clapham. Not quite in possession of a Michelin star (yet?) this eatery has a relatively small menu yet I could have happily chosen anything from it. A good wine list too helped make the evening a most enjoyable one - and we got to walk back to the station in near daylight at 10 pm. A frightening thought that the days get shorter in only a few weeks time....

Day 108 - 4-2-0

An early morning start for an 0830 tee off time. We arrived in plenty of time, which was great as this allowed us to get off before the Roll Up; this was just as well because the three of us clearly all liked to play at a decent lick.

We opted for a 4-2-0 game (see here for an explanation), which is by far and away the best format for a three-ball. Whist the golf was perhaps not of the highest standard (says he with a degree of British understatement), it was good fun and the fact that it only took three hours to get round the Old Course suggests that we were doing something right.

All of which meant that we were back in plenty of time for a drink on the Terrace before lunch.  And great entertainment it was too, watching some golfers on a corporate day trying to cope with the very tricky back right pin on the 18th of the New.  Isn't armchair golf easy!

Lunch today was the first such monthly date with the newly installed interim General Manager.  Very different from his predecessor, Mike is all about delivery, transparency and process. And to be honest, I think that the Club could do with a bit of this, so I am hopeful about the next few months.

Afterwards, back home to watch Murray Q-Final versus Ferrer at Roland Garros.  As ever a few ups and downs but he looks good.. now comes the tough one against Djoković...

Day 107 - Uber the moon... not

A sad day today: after 8 true and faithful years, my Saab convertible has moved onto a better place.  In order to make place for the new arrival next week, it was time to make some space in the garage. Accordingly, my younger brother came to collect it today for its new life in West Sussex. I am pleased to report that it has arrived safely and that my nieces approve of their new convertible.

Living without a car in the house for a while is going to be a new experience: I have already been practising by taking the train around and even made use today of an Uber.  This online service is transforming the way taxis operate in many parts of the world, and was indeed the cause of the recent Black Cab go slow in London last week. 

Whilst I would agree that the iconic black taxi is very much part of the London scene and a splendid institution, there is no doubt that the ease and convenience on offer from the iPhone Uber App also has a lot to offer...and anyway the black cab doesn't often venture South of the River, let alone into leafy Surrey. 

All things considered it was a great experience: I could see on the map on my phone screen where the driver was and track his progress, even giving him a call when he appeared to get lost as he approached. On arrival at our destination, I immediately received an email with a summary of the trip and a copy of my credit card receipt. My driver was pretty relaxed about the payment: all he cared about was that I award him the maximum 5 stars for the journey!

Day 106 - Charitable Work

Despite the offer of a game this morning, decided that after 3 days in a row, a rest from golf would be a good idea. Decided instead to spend some time working on the hole sponsorship for our upcoming Captains' Charity Day, which is to be held at the Club on the 20th June. 

It's a 4 person team event and I must confess to being a bit surprised that we haven't filled all the slots yet.  I wonder if it's the cost (£20/head), the poor weather we are having or if people are just feeling golfed-out.  One of my jobs over the coming days is to seek to beef up the numbers as it's always great fun and I know that people enjoy playing team golf for a change.

Working on the posters was always going to be a challenge: getting them printed semi-professionally at a decent price was always my aim but the first place I went to wanted to charge more than £300/hole which is a bit steep - especially as we have only charged the sponsors £200 each!

One of my jobs today was to walk down to the village and, as I did so, I passed a local graphics company that I had never noticed before  - D&A Graphics of Cobham - so I popped in there to see what they might be able to do. Am awaiting their estimate to see if it's more reasonable. 

And if anyone reading this would still like to sponsor a hole, we have a couple left - a mere snip at £200 a go and all for a very good cause...!