Pigs 'ere

Pig Racing Grand National

The usual option of Crayford bags was this week forsaken for the local offering.

Round Wiltshire, you just close off the main road through the village, put up a few barriers and upturned brooms….

….waylay the nearest trailer that was heading off to slaughter…

…set up a suspiciously looking professional Tote…

…and race the little buggers.

Yes it’s a bit unprofessional that a bloke with a woodern board has to walk behind them to stop them running backwards…

…and the water jump is seen more of a drinks break than a hazard…

…but it is still a great way to promote your charcuterie business.

PS I also won more money at this than I have ever won at the dogs.


PPS The 20% of the Tote went to Swindon Alzheimer’s.

Falling on a Bruse

Patro Eisden v Eindhoven 

Differdange 03 v Trabzonspor 

Bruse Boys v Volendam

Early Eurostar over to Brussels for a jaunt round the diesel lines in Northern Belgium. Plan was to go to the Patro Eisden v Eindhoven friendly but on arrival, the gate on the track to the ground was firmly locked and a check of the club notice board informed that the game was the following Wednesday. Soccerway were duly informed

Bus back to Genk where a night out in a western Belgian industrial town was exactly as imagined. Nearest guide pub was in Hassalt. Next morning, early train down to Liege.

Then headed across to Narmur for the scenic route down the Semois valley to Luxembourg. Last did this route when it used to be SNCB 5500s on kayak specials. Stations have been taken over by small Carrefours, which surprisingly had reasonable Leffe, mimolette/bruge cube mixes, and pickled onion crisps. This was my diet for three days.

Heading for Luxembourg for the Differdange 03 v Trabzonspor Europa League game. Stade Parc des Sports is a winner as I’d only previously seen Red Boys and 03 at Stade du Thillenberg. Passing the stadium on the train, something did not look right…

….nor was the station a haven of activity…

…and finally confirmation at the ground, that the game had been moved to the national stadium in Luxembourg City, due to the demand for tickets from the away supporters. I did find an e-mail from the club in my trash folder, as I had gone to the effort of getting a ticket in advance.

Back to the closer Oberkorn station and some consolation with a CfL 3000 standing in for a 4000 on the Tisch push-pull circuit. I got back to the capital and headed for the stadium. However, the ground was awash with police as there had been a lot of trouble at the previous evenings Fola Esch v Dinamo Zagreb game. With Differdange losing, and only ten minutes left, I couldn’t be bothered to carry on, which was a shame as they then equalised and only lost to a 93rd minute goal.

Next day was one of the through SBB services to Bruxelles, for the service train to Rotterdam. Since the Fyra farce, these have operated with Traxx 186 locos and runs on the conventional lines.

And so tonight’s game, Bruse Boys v Volendam.  Bruse Boys provides some very dubious Google results, but eventually they were found to play in Bruinisse in Zeeland, which is the collection of islands to the South West of Rotterdam. No trains, so a very convoluted metro/walk/bus journey.

Outbound from the delights of Rotterdam Zuid bus terminal.

The route was mostly on causeways and bridges that connected the islands.

Finally arriving at the strange fishing/towage port of Bruinisse. The football ground was part of a newish complex right on the coast…

….immediately next to the towage quays (the fishing port was further round the coast). The bus journey had taken us past the Dutch national Tug museum, which was noted for a future visit.

Rather than a perimeter fence, the club instead had gone for a moat. I for one wish there were more moats in football.

Bruse Boys 0 v Volendam 7, pre-season friendly

Bruse Boys were founded in 1955, having previously having the brilliant name of Perseverance. In the 1970s, the club moved up to the KNVB and were promoted to the 2nd class division.  In 1999, they were promoted to the first class, winning the league in 2003, although they then droppend down to the 2nd.

Volendam were founded in 1920, originally as Victoria, by local fishermen. They joined the Catholic Football Association, winning it in 1935 and 1938. In 1955, the club joined the professional football league, where they are currently in the Eredivisie.  Their most famous products are Wim Jonk and Arnold Mühren.

The ground had one stand on the far side, a changing room/clubhouse behind the goal, hard standing on all sides…

…and a rather ornate carved wooden bench on the remaining side.

Bruse Boys are slaves to 1970s clip art, both for the club badge and most other artwork around the ground.

Unexplained was an exhibition of Volvo cars through the years behind one goal, until a wayward warm up shot wiped out the wing mirror of a p1800, hence the empty space infront.

Good to see the warm up balls were classic black and white hexagonal panel.

The club declared a number of partnerships with Feyenoord, but the only kits seen around the ground were three Messi Barcelona offerings.

The teams coming out through a myriad of bikes…

….accompanied, again unexplained, by a bride….

….who also kicked the game off.

Which lasted for about thirty seconds before one of the benches complained about a drone that was filming the game, and amidst much pointing, was eventually grounded.

Volendam are in the Erste (second) division, whilst Bruse are in Tweede klasse (fourth level of amateur leagues). Volendam seemed to consist solely of players who were 6 foot 2 and 10 stone, except for the goalkeeper, who was 5’8”. Games was all Volendam, mostly the left winger who soon gave up playing overlaps with his fullback as he would play the ball through, turn, and still reach it before him. The Volendam forward seemed to have the sole purpose of looking perplexed when yet again he was flagged for being five foot off side.

Eventually Volendam scored, and then scored six more. Scoreboard looked like it should be displaying the price of unleaded.

Headed back to Rotterdam where the rest of the evening was spent avoiding Cardiff supporters who had been playing Sparta and were now just trashing bars.


Next day, it was the ferry back to Harwich, though not after a visit to Meyer & Blessing Hobby B.V, Southern Holland’s premier model supplies.

A Piko DB Autozug liveried 215 and a Rivarossi Silberling push-pull set was purchased for the office railway. A quick examination in the hotel...

…and back at work today, so a chance to give it a run out on the office train set, which is allegedly a learning age to teach controllers hand signalling, but becomes more populated each day.

Rhino Time

Eastern Rhinos 22 - Wests Warriors 8, London Men’s Premier Rugby League

Most of the south rugby league competition are drawing to a close and for once, the South Premier (or London Premier as it is renamed this season) looks to be a close call. Colchester’s (nee Ipswich) Eastern Rhinos top the league by a point from South West London Chargers, who have a game in hand. In effect, it is exiled northern squadies versus exiled Aussie bar workers. This game saw the Rhinos take on Wests Warriors, who as the name suggest, are actually Kiwi bar workers from Acton.

Anyway, prelude to the game was a day/night in Norwich, in a heroic attempt to clear all 20 of the Guide pubs the city is blessed with.  

A trip to Norwich is like the West Coast Main Line in the 1990s, class 90s and un-refurbished Mk3s. The locos have at least had local names bestowed on them, Skoda 7 took me on the down leg and is now named “Sir John Betjemen”, on the right is perhaps the biggest transformation, 90012, which was once “The 'D' Oyly Carte Opera Company” is now “Royal Anglian Tank Regiment”.

However, some locos aren’t as lucky. Chuntering away infront of the football ground was what used to be Duff 47 607 Royal Worcester and is now 47786 Roy Castle.

Anyway, a valiant attempt was made at all 20, with 18 seemingly the end total, confirmed with vague memories and almost complete beer notes. Good mixture of Woodforde’s, Lacons, Fat Cat and Humpty Dumpty.  Most notable find was Golden Best on this far from Ingrow.

Next morning was the second reason for visiting Norwich. The Saturday Yarmouth’s have reverted to loco hauled and now use DRS (the rail division of BnF) class 37s, so a quick spin was had to the coast and back. Atomic Tractors 419 and 059 bask in the East Anglian sunshine.

Next was the pleasant hop down to Colchester (90003 - Raedwald of East Anglia). Rhinos play at the Colchester RUFC which is a huge complex on the east of town, which is fortuitously on a company run bus route so could use passes.

Centrepiece is a fairly brutal bar/changing room/amenities block.

And so to the game. Advertised as a 1430 kick off. Got there at 1420 to find only one side present and no referee. Was this to be the third week in a row with a no-show?

Ground backs on to the Colchester Community Stadium or whatever name it goes by, so time was wasted having a look at that, watching cricket on the adjacent field, and having my genitals continuously sniffed by a boxer dog called Chav.

But low and behold, the away side did arrive. And then we waited some more and a ref arrived. And then we started. Rhinos were well organised as ever by ex Bronco Peter Le Marquand, who has been with them since their Ipswich days. Soon went 12-0 up. Rhinos got another couple before Wests pulled one back to make the final score 22-8.

Back to Liverpool Street where the big news is that the International Cheese Centre has re-opened just round the corner from its previous location, which has become the worlds biggest Boots (fucking Tory loving Swiss tax dodgers). A Shropshire blue roll, 6 for the price of 5 pick and mix, and a sheath of saucisson sticks were purchased for the journey home.

Pedal Pushers

British Pedal Car Grand Prix

Exciting news this year in British Pedal Car circles, with New Milton taking over from Pont-Audemer as the alternate year location for the British Pedal Car Grand Prix, Ringwood being the other venue.

Today was the big event so an HST/Turbo/Desiro move took me to the fringes of the New Forest.

Course is in the town centre, with the High Street acting as the pit lane.

Standard of Entrants vary, the Police are a mainstay…

….as is the Fire Brigade.

Women’s Institute (this started off with a basket with a live dog in it but it was soon removed)

The local church (number 35 behind has the eventual winner)

And the desperate local cycling club with the wind tunnel tested carbon fibre chassis.

Anyway, on to the starting grid…

….and they’re off. Course starts with a long downhill down the high street…

…before a tight hair pin amongst the flower beds….

….then heads uphill, via a dog-leg to another hair pin (notice the car in the background having a one minute stop-go penalty for undertaking in the pit lane)

The peloton…

…and the leading pack. After 2 hours, and 60km of racing, the 35 car was declared the winner.



And another bit of German kit to get me home.