Chalk Springs Guide

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Letter to England Rugby

Dear RFU

I apologise if this letter expresses some degree of insight and intelligence that you are unable to comprehend, however if you are able to gather even the gist of the message there may be hope for some of you yet.

Watching the recent England performances has been a distressing and depressing experience. The team for all its individual talent has not taken a step forward in the last 7 years. Instead you have been happy with mediocrity and stagnation.

The downfall of english rugby is solely down to yourselves and the management who you employ. They have shown they have a superb talent for actually removing player skills and making sure that they are poorer players. Every single England player goes back to their clubs in poor form and it takes time for them to get back to where they were before England duty. Does this not make you wonder what happens when they are with England?

Rob Andrew appears to be the biggest waste of space imaginable, he has implemented very little and all his selections have been poor. Please tell me what he brings to the international set up. I have more intelligent germs crawling around my anus than this washed up fly half who is way out of his depth.

Martin Johnson, the all time England great. Top class player, poor manager. If he has not got the balls and the foresight to see how bad the management team is, then he has to go. Sticking with his current coaches is ruining his image.

John Wells, has to be one of the most overhyped coaches that has ever graced the game. This man is a cancer for the English game and he deserves to be shot for treason. His ideas and methods are archaic and his jug ears frankly repulse me.

Mike Ford, actually not as bad as the others as our defence has been consistent if unimpressive. However he has not produced anything worthy in his time with the RFU so I see little point in you continuing with him.

Overall since 2003 we have gone backwards with poor managers, Ashton and Robinson, (Ashton should have been allowed his own coaches) and we have been undermined with coaches who have destroyed our beloved team.

Please find time to stop polishing your leather arm patches, and do something for the good of the game and sack all of these utter cunts.

Kind regards

An England Fan

Films that you can never watch again

These are the films that are great but that you never actually need to watch again.

For me the top few would be:

Letters from Iwo Jima
Platoon
Full Metal Jacket (Second Part)
When Did You Last See Your Father?
Deer Hunter
Flags of Our Fathers
Schindlers List

Most of these are depressing films in some or most parts for me. Iwo Jima if you havent seen it is one of the most harrowing bits of cinema you will ever see, and I am quite happy to never ever watch it again. That said it is also one of the best pieces of cinema you will ever see. The same goes for When Did You Last See Your Father, Jim Broadbent and Colin Firth are incredible in this. Its a simple film with no special effects but the acting and portrayal of the characters provides you with a very reflective view of your own life.

GR20 Corsica - Toughest Walk in Europe

If you are thinking of a major hiking challenge, the GR20 is often regarded as the toughest walk in Europe.....and I am inclined to agree. I completed this during the summer of 2008.

Aside from the rotting feet due to sweat, the aching legs, and your general odour, the completion of the Grand Randonee is really quite satisfying.

The biggest challenge is believing the guide book. If you are fit the timings are way off. However the description of the "slopes" is never as easy as it sounds. Short climb is often a 1 hr slog.....and gravel is often boulders. Paddy Dillon the author is a lying little arsehole and makes the route sound mild!! He must know that his name is swore at by many brits over the whole route.

That said, 180km, 40,000ft of ascent, and 2 weeks in the sun is still something I remember fondly.

6 Nations

England will lose :-(

France will win

Scotland will lose

Its sad to say it but I hope england do lose, its the only way we can get rid of the god awful management team that are currently in place.

Lechlade Trout Fishery Tips

Well lets give this a try......

My guide to fishing at lechlade, all on a nice map!!

Lechlade Guide

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January Lechlade Trip

Cold and bright, north westerly breeze.............you could have been mistaken for thinking that fishing would be good today.

I arrived at the lakes and there were two rods bent over....a good sign you would say....

Then a boat returned to the shore....someone had bagged up already and it was only 9.15.

I started the day confidence high, ice formed on the rod, but continued to work my way around my favourite swims......

Alex H turned up and started to giggle at the lack of the fish on the bank, however as time went by it was obvious that the fish had gone completely off. In true Lechlade style the odd fish was caught, but the fishing was really really tough.

We decided to set about using the boat, working our way from buoy to buoy. This did not work......to well.....Alex managed two fish but the struggle went on. We then tried every method and fly under the sun.....boobies, lures, bloodworms, muddlers stripped deep, gold head daddies......even some odd flies never fished before were used.

We moved back to the buoy near the house, and after another hour of whipping the water to a foam, i got my first fish, a nice 6lber.........A blank day avoided, always the first task of any fishing adventure.

Alex left for the day and I continued until dusk, this is where the fun started.

I fished from the bank near the house, and within 10 minutes had a fish on......could this be my first ever double rainbow (despite fishing at lechalde for 3 years)??

5 casts later.....this fish took me down to the backing twice, after a huge fight, this fish was finally landed.....and was bigger than the last, surely I had broken my double duck.

Then 10 minutes later on the same fly again, another huge fight, and it was difficult to see in the dark, however into the landing net popped a 6-7lb brown. Safely returned I called it a day after losing another. The light went altogether and I finished the day very happy with a 6lb, 10lb 6oz and 11lb 8oz rainbow and a 6-7lb brown.

Awesome

hmmmmm so this works?

No idea what this blog will contain but we shall see how it goes....there will be fishing, frisbee and also anything else exciting