SKITTLERS - Chappers blog
 
 
 
Chappers Blog 7/12/2006

Back home after far too long. Guaranteed decent beer from the ever-ready Henrys. Butcombe or 6x on standby and who knows what on guest ale. Guaranteed big tables for card playing. Guaranteed friendly welcome from the effervescent Becks behind the bar. Well two out of three aint bad. Bond is driving his own mini Aston Martin tonight to pick us up. Russ and Sticker onboard plus the kind Mrs Clark to spirit the car away once we have arrived. No Hyder or Rob so Russ gets to make his league debut. Dex arrives and he to is happy to have the wondrous array of beer before him. As I’m no lager drinker I’ve never appreciated that even in this less manly beer drink there are 4 options, Fosters, Carling, Heineken & Stella for those crazy nights and crazier mornings. Coll arrives berating his lack of cooked meal on the table for tea. Sounds like he had to fend for himself and couldn’t make his mind up so cooked the contents of his fridge with a curry sauce. The bus from the Beehive arrive and the pub is full of skittlers.

The Corinthians are sort of a local derby. They only hail from across the Tesco’s bridge to far. Not a bad bunch including the stalwart of the Stoke league Terry Sainsbury. Terry is one of those rare individuals who is good enough to give up his spare time to the benefit of the league and respect due for that. He has roped in big Rich the ex bar man from the Armoury as a ringer. Rich is cool in my eyes as he could keep and pull a decent pint, if only I could understand his Sahara sense of humour. They aint a bad side either. We toss and are on second.

Bod has yet to arrive due to the Bad traffic on Preston Road so although we skittle well with a nice spare from Dex we don’t know exactly how we have faired. Russ is looking like he means business on the alley doing his Dorset flop and lazering us all with those hungry AA eyes. It doesn’t take long before he knows who each of us uses for emergency breakdown and is trying to mop up those who don’t.

Back to the bar and still no sign of Bod. Russ is the only one brave enough to drink the Wicked Witch guest ale that is a very dark heady brew. The opposition seem to be giving it a bash though so lets hope it dulls their senses quickly. They aren’t hanging around though and before you can say quiet without Hyder its time to go back.

Bugger me they have gone large. 62 hand and a big 50+ so we have our work to do. Bod finally arrives moaning about his rotating cuff and if he is fit to skittle. He gets a spare to win us the first hand and so that’s that question answered. Im having one of those nights where I have to work for everything. Neil is having won of those nights when he gets everything he ever asked for. Another spare this time and although we lose both hands we are only 10 down half way. I have to buy scratchings which Dex says is justices for my cheating last week. 

In the bar I purchase some new Willy Wongas sweet and sour pork scratchings just to find out what they taste like. Bod has the beers in and cards are being dealt. Dex wants dry roasted which I choose to throw Australian Cricketer style at him. They skim his head and smack into Bod’s full pint which fly’s across the table. Bod is gutted and Dex seems to think some one is watching over him as he would have had concussion if it had landed full on. I fork out for replacement beer and whomever Neil prays to delivers him the card money. Before you can say less hair without Brit we are on.

Back to the alley for Bod to do Mr T impressions and we discover that he has one leg longer than the other; we put this down to all those years scootering that has worn one leg out. The opposition are not making it easy for us and we don’t win either of the next two hands. We are not skittling badly just they are doing better. We cant do enough and so go get more beer. 

We talk about who would be best to get dirty with and Christina gets our vote over Britney who has gone down hill. We would probably all have a go given the chance but Christina is highly unlikely to ever come to Yeovil. Venus fly traps & Polly pockets are my lessons for this evening. Neil wins more jingles at cards.

Back in the alley we realise that our fight out of the relegation zone must wait another week and collapse for the fifth hand in a row. Neil picks up the roll over tote as the jukebox plays The Verve Lucky Man. We give three cheers and great fully snaffle pie and chips. Dex disappears to catch his nippy bus where he meets Christina Aguilera waiting for the same Nippy bus. Now even he’s not that lucky.
Thursday, 7 December 2006
Chappers Mind - Blog 07-12-06