GOFFA FROM THE BLOCK

I know my promised posts never materialised again but I'm going to make a concerted effort to get into some sort of rhythm in August. Plenty going on.  Stockton Riverside Festival blandly renamed  Stockton Weekender  and no longer free!  With that in mind and the fact that it's an outdoor only festival I thought I'd wait until the last minute to get my ticket.  The 5 day forecast for Friday looks good so I'll probably go down and get my ticket for Friday and Saturday tomorrow (Sunday's free, looks average and well worth missing). Actually can't make Sunday anyway because me and S are off to Robin Hood's Bay for a few days and while I'm there Ian, Marie-Luz, Jon and Alex arrive in the Boro.  Really looking forward to them coming and fingers crossed for good weather.

Absolutely no apologies for this late post.  Could have left it but it's too important. I was out having a drink with some friends during the week before the English Defence League's march in Middlesbrough Town Centre on 9/7.   We speculated why the EDL were marching in Middlesbrough?  The National Front failed to get a foothold back in the day and the BNP have made no impact whatsoever, ever. Make no mistake despite their seemingly respectable public face  they are the same right wing thugs that are always milling around waiting for an opportunity to appear part of the political mainstream so they can feed there poisonous hatred en masse. There's no need for me to hyper-link to other articles about them. There's plenty out there if you are inclined We pondered over why they thought it was worth the bother of coming to Middlesbrough.  One thought they might be here because Sham 69 were due to play Redcar Rocks on Sunday,  but we...

Long time, no post.  Will try and catch up on everything in reverse order if that's ok? Cheers for all birthday wishes.  Very nice of you all.  Believe it or not it was the first birthday I'd celebrated since I was 21 when the sum of my celebration was to go down the pub with a few mates and have a game of football over the field when we got back at 11PM.  We used to do that pretty much every Friday night so it wasn't that much of a special celebration.  My unwillingness to make any fuss was/is partly to do with my modesty (far too humble to expect people to come and celebrate my birthday) and was/is partly to do with the lead I took from my parents.  We had lots of wonderful (close) family get togethers which turned into parties where our mam and dad were in their element but they hated the formality and fuss of arranged celebrations. My attitude used to drive my ex-wife nuts, she just thought I was miserable and although Shamila s...

I know nothing is yet proven but I assume it is all true.  Obviously the headline in today's Guardian is upsetting but if you are a masochist like me and want your blood to boil, read the article. And no apologies for today's title by the way, I've been waiting for this day a long time.  How cool would it be if the News of The World imploded and then The Sun and then The Times? Bring it on! P.S.  Well that's ok then !