Lazy Sat all day

What a week 3 mornings in the gym, played golf, worked and then went on the Tenterden steam Railway Friday for a charity do. The charity was Dave Lee's children's charity always one I try and support given the chance.

Incidentally The Dave Lee Classic Amateur celebrity golf competition plays again this October the 4th which is a Sunday at The London Club near Brands Hatch http://www.londongolf.co.uk/. In fact "The European Golf Open" was recently played their so you may have seen some of the course on Television. The course is split into 2 18 hole courses designed by Jack Nicholas and will punish the golfer who doesn't hit a straight shot.

This day is a chance for the amateur golfer to sample as near to playing a pro competition as practical, there can be 8,000 people on the course on the day. From experience this is not a day to be wayward or to forget how to hit the ball. If you can imagine a par 3 green with 300 spectators literally sitting on the banks around it, then you can imagine how nerve racking it can be for the ordinary person.

If I remember correctly we have done 5 Dave Lee Classic days, enjoying the company of Jack Shepherd (Wycliffe) Peter Duncan (Blue Peter) Butch (Barron Nights) & John Pratt (ex Tottenham & England Footballer) twice. Poor John still not sure if he has recovered, what he'd done to deserve to play with us twice?

We have had some fantastically memorable days at this event and always had a good time. From the year where the following happened :

1. A flock of birds flew across the road in front of the car on the way to the course (Chart Hills).
2. A dog in the road
3. I uttered the comment that with our luck we'd go round the next corner and a cow would be in the road and it was.
4. A sign I said, I know where we'll start and what will happen I said.

We'll start on the 17th an island green surrounded by water as it was to be a shotgun start, everyone tee's off together but all on different holes. I bet I put my ball in the pond go to the drop zone and chip to 3 foot across the pond and sink the put for a 4 in total (not too bad).

We arrived checked in and sure enough we were off on the 17th, the ball went in the water and I chipped to 3 feet from the drop zone. I sank the put for a 4 and we had a good days golf but the power of thought is fantastic and sometimes spooky.

Another time one of my team members asked me to tell him the distance to the nearest ditch off the tee and to club him (not what you think). I suggested a 5 iron as he couldn't possibly put it into the ditch. However sure enough he hit a screamer which did indeed go in the ditch. He recovered the ball and hit his next shot into some trees on the right. The next question was what was in the trees. I explained it dropped down to a dried lake bed, he would find his ball but wouldn't have a good shot.

Team member was wearing white trousers,went into the trees muttering the ball would come out, get onto the green and he would get a point which it duly did. The ball flew out of the trees from off the lake bed and the Team member materialised covered head to toe in mud, dried lake bed was not so dried. Team morale for 2/3rds of the team went up. for 1/3rd went down and the crowds thought it was amusing as well.

Wondering what the next few weeks hold for the world as the events in Iran will effectively destabilise further the area. The regime in charge are desperately trying to hold onto power but I get the feel it is slowly slipping away from them. It's a shame that people have to die to achieve freedom for the many. A big thing on Twitter is to change your twitter picture green in support of the opposition parties in Iran, a small enough thing to do I hear you say, I'm not sure as I think I'd sooner donate to the humanitarian relief that will be needed if and when it all goes wrong.

Gordon Brown says he has had a bad week, wake up and smell the coffee Gordon, the people have been suffereing for years because of you. A bad week indeed I hope you have many more all centered around thinking what a wasted opportunity the last 12 years have been and how sad that at least something couldn't have been achieved.

Up early tomorrow to drive to Woodall Spa for a two day golf competition, the same one where I ended up last year being carted off the course due to knee ligament damage caused when my dog ran into the back of my right leg. I couldn't walk more than about 250 yds for nearly 3 months without anti inflammatries and even now if I overdo the gym I have to spend time taking it easy,hence the title of the blog today.

I woke up this morning which is always an advantage, could you imagine not waking up, don't go there. Knee was telling me it was 80 years old which was not good as the rest of me is only 5o and I've rested it and taken anti-inflammatries all day. Its finally settling down. I remember as a 10 year old thinking in 1969 that I'd be 20 in 1979 and 30 in 1989, come on you can do the sums.

In 2009 I'd be 50 but no one prepared me for bits that drop off and joints that ache.