Long On Song

Yesterday saw a thrilling football match between Instanta and a Polish eleven. The match was arranged by Craig Mercer and Piotr Cyba who work in our assembly department. At half time the Polish team were 3-0 up but Instanta hit back with a spirited display reminiscent of Liverpool in Istanbul to tie the match at 4-4 with a wonderful looping header from Stuart Long saving us in the dying seconds. My thanks go out to Craig who worked hard to organise the event, employing a real referee and fitting us out with a kit, nets and corner flags. If he had remembered a ball it would have been perfect (just kidding Craig).

Here is the Instanta eleven.Pictured from left Tony Rodwell and Gaz Middleton (ringers)Max (Blackhead)Vidal , Aron "I don't do friendlies" Riding, Craig (Craig Speakin) Buckley, Daz and twin Gaz Rodwell, Stu "S**t on the Villa" Long, Me, Peter (not very interested in football)Barlow and Craig "Likes West Life but isn't gay", Mercer at the start of the match.


And here is the Polish eleven with Piotr in blue on the left at the front. Fortunately Piotr didn't give me a team sheet so I don't have the fun of typing their names.


And I didn't let the fact that I don't own a pair of football boots prevent me from turning out for the cause (I did play a big part in three goals but as they were for the opposition I don't think I featured in the shortlist for Man of the Match). However, as you can see from the following photo even the best super duper football boots kindly lent by football ace Peter Barlow don't help if they are half a size too small.



My metal detecting find of the other day looks pretty certain to date from the Iron Age so I am pleased with that and am busy researching some more fields to try soon. Perhaps I will find something like this next time.

Better not say much about Pick the Score with just two points from the weekend matches although who expected Chelsea to get just a point against Spurs or West Ham to beat Blackburn Rovers?

Here at Instanta Gavin, Jenny and their team have put in a huge effort to get the stock take out of the way by 11 o'clock just 11 hours after our financial year ended. Well done and with the final figure within 2% that's a pretty good effort. Mind you it would be nice if we could be within 2% in our favour one day.



The competition is now closed with no winners. I showed you a clip from the Wizard of Oz and asked you to make a connection with a photograph of a lovely country cottage.I gave an additional clue when I pointed you in the direction of the cottage's chimney.The chimney cowl (in Feizor in the Yorkshire Dales) is a rare instance of a witches seat. These were built to offer witches a warm place to rest whilst out at night flying on their broomsticks. The link was to the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz. A new competition starts tomorrow. May make it easier or maybe not.