A WINNING START

SATURDAY 2nd APRIL

  The first match of Nick's football season started today at midday in North Epping.  We were all there in plenty of time (before Nick and Jane who arrived seconds before the start), and 'Pa and Bernard (Narni) arrived just in time to see the opposition score the first goal,  And so it remained until half time.  Nick played in mid field and had a bit of a lethargic time there, not getting as involved in the game as he should have been.  The coach got the team together for a half time pep talk, and switched Nick to play upfront as one of two strikers.

It was a much better display from the lad in the second half and he scored a cool equalising goal, and then his clever run down the left wing which saw the ball go across the face of the goal, resulted in the winning goal being scored.  So a good start to the season with a 2-1 victory, witnessed seven members of his family.

Tigers (in yellow) on the attack - Nick crosses from the left

  Afterwards we drove over to Beecroft with Nick and he was able to show his grandmother and great aunt his school.  But the main object of going to Beecroft was to visit the toy shop.  Nick had got wind of the fact that Grandma was willing to buy him a present, and he wanted to inspect all the possibilities.  However he was in one of his "I don't know" moods, the stock answer to any question posed.  In the end he whittled it down to two items but didn't know which one to chose.  The problem was solved by great aunt Ange, who offered to buy one for him and Grandma got him the other.  We adjourned to the neighbouring cafe for a coffee whilst Nick inspected the spoils!  We arrived in Carlingford just about the same time as Jane, and after dropping us off in Eastwood, Robert drove off to see Pav.

  We drove to Oakhurst where Bridie cemented her friendship with Reilly in blood - he accidently scratched her arm with one of his paws and drew blood, in the excitement of the momemt.  Bridie and Angela also

chatted at some length with Jeannette and have a beer or two, until it came time for her to retire to the kitchen in order to cook the evening meal.  And a jolly good one it proved to be too, but what else would

one expect from the Chilean Chef Cacares?

   The night concluded with me driving Bridie and Angela back to the gaff in Eastwood, and then back to the M7/M2 route home to Oakhurst.