Carn the Tigers

I'm not going to whinge about sacrifices I'm making to enlighten you all to my squalid little existence over here on the dark side of the world, because frankly, I'm not making any. Fuck me, what is it - at least a few weeks since I updated this?

Actually, I'll be honest. When I first conceived this notion of doing a travel blog, I never thought it would last this long. 12 months - Max. And yet I find myself still in England some 15 months after I first set out, and with just under 3 months left to go on this adventure. That's right folks - I booked my flight home today. 9th October I leave Heathrow behind, and shall arrive back in Australia on Wednesday 10th October at 7:25pm local time. For good.

However, between the time when I turf work on 24th August and 9th October, I plan to visit Eastern Europe, Gibraltar, Scotland, Paris and Ireland. Got my work cut out for me, but we'll see how we go. I've worked out I can fit in everything I want to do - there's also a ton of stuff I'll be doing over the coming weekends here in England, so now that I'm going to be travelling again, we might actually see some regular updates.

To the weekend just gone.

I went down to the Twickenham Stoop - not THE Twickenham Stadium, but rather a smaller stadium next door, which houses Rugby League. I do think it's a disgrace when the proper rugby has to spend time in a pokey little stadium while this so-called gents game gets the big stadium, but nonetheless.

I went there with a bunch of blokes from Wests Tigers to see the Huddersfield Giants take on Harlequins. Basically, a couple of ex-West Tigers players signed for Huddersfield, so they're like the unofficial home of Wests Tigers fans in London. So, I went to see John Skandalis & Shane Elford play, and also to drink with about 20 odd crazed Huddersfield fans who'd come from the deepest dales of Northern England.

Fuck Me.

I died the death last Saturday. I managed to leave the pub, fall onto a train to home and was staggered to wake up in my own bed having no recollection of getting there. I was even more astonished to see perfectly, until I realised that I'd left my contact lenses in overnight.

The hangover was crippling, and the day was magic. Here's the photos.


This is Sincas, Jason and yours truly respectively. Taken at the JD Wetherspoons bar in Twickenham, prior to the game.


Me, amongst all the other boys from Huddersfield and Leichhardt. It was a difficult experience to try and understand the Yorkshire accent after I'd had a skinful - I'm pissed to begin with, and so were they - once they started slurring the odd word it was almost impossible to pick it up.

Now for some shots from the game.


Harlequins on the attack - not that it did them any good.


A bit of cheerleader action.

The final score. Sorry 'Quins - better luck next year.