More Croquet in the Rain

As I said in yesterday's posting Croquet is a game played in any weather when the Lawns are playable. Thursday was touch and go. Yesterday was just miserable. Today (Saturday - this happened today, is being written today and will be posted today!) was quite unbelievable. I woke to constant heavy rain and a pretty sodden area round the cottage (of which more in another posting). What would the Lawns be like? When I arrived at the Club it was obvious that two lawns were unplayable. However the Tournament Manager decreed that play would take place on the other four - we would just have to get wet and miserable and enjoy ourselves!

That was until the lawn my opponent and I were playing became flooded. We ended the game playing a hoop with a good centimetre of lying water. What fun.

We start again at 0800 tomorrow - weather permitting!

The pictures are of the Lawns as we came off them.

So it's not always sunny in Hawkes Bay!

The Problem of Time

Well it's not exactly time itself that is my problem (except for the fact that there never seems to be enough of it) it's the fact that when I do things, when I write emails and Blog postings and when I send emails and post the postings themselves an all occur at times which can be separated by 24 or 36 hours.

Yesterday (Friday 7th) I posted something I wrote on Thursday evening after having played the Doubles in the N Z Croquet Nationals. In the postings I referred to today (which was true when I wrote the posting on Thursday evening). However at the start of the third paragraph I decided to clarify when 'today' was and managed to say that 'today' was Wednesday. It doesn't really matter but it is an indication of the fact that my mind a) is always trying to be in different time-zones at the same time when writing, b) is always conscious of the fact that something may not be sent or posted for ages after it's written and c) has just lost the plot.

Croquet in the Rain

Well I never thought I'd see the day when I'd spend from 0800 until 1830 on a Croquet lawn (or several of them to be exact) in rain which varied between a-tad-less-than-heavy to torrential in wind which varied between Lewis light and almost-gale in temperatures which varied between mild and cold.

Today that is exactly what I did and walked about 5.5k in the process. In fact, until today, I'd never played Croquet in the rain. If it had been a Club day it wouldn't have mattered because only a few die-hards would have turned up. But Tournament Croquet is a game played regardless of the weather until (as happened at Te Mata 15k away where the other half of the Nationals were being played) the lawns flood or become unplayable.

Today (Wednesday) was Doubles and Joyce (my partner for the day) and I had to battle it out to the bitter end. We won three of our six best-of-nineteen games (games are usually best of thirteen). Obviously we didn't win but where we ended up in the rankings I have no idea. Despite the weather we did have a cracking time and all but one of the games were very close. I have to say that most of that was due to me having a partner who played exceptionally well whilst my play varied, like the weather, starting from a base of woefully inadequate. A lesson to people timid of 'big' Tournaments (my partner not I) - never be afraid to play. You may play the game of your life and if you don't then wotthehellarchiewotthehell.

A Sobering Experience

I was at Petanque today (played passably and had a thoroughly good time).

There is a Netherlander and a Frenchman in the Club amongst those of many and varied Countries of origin. There is a generally a lot of French banter but today there was also some German to which I replied. I was asked how I knew German and mentioned that I had spent many Octobers in Berlin.

The Frenchman said that he'd been born in Berlin.

And now for the sobering bits. I was asked if I'd been involved in Berlin when the war ended! Not when the wall came down or anything like that but WW2.

It had been assumed that I was the age of the Frenchman - assumed by him and by me as it happens. The differences in our understandings of each other's appearance is that I thought he was 63 (my age) and he thought I was 74 (his age).

I feel rather deflated. I think I shall have to apply for one of the TV programme that seeks to get you looking younger (or less ancient anyway).

Bummer.

Spirit of Napier

Most days at one time or another whether I am cycling along the Marine Parade foot/cycle path or driving along Marine Parade I see the Spirit of Napier.

This monument, which is said to represent the rise of Napier from the ashes after the earthquake, was erected in 1971 on the Gilray Reserve at the South end of the Parade. It was sculpted by Frank Szirmay and funded by a bequest by Dr Thomas Gilray.

The Gilray Reserve was developed in honour of the said Doctor who died in 1971 after having begun practice in Napier in 1911 and been Superintendent of the Napier Hospital in 1921-22.

Phone. Progress?

Well the chap from the electricity provider came yesterday as promised and we now have orange lines right down the drive showing where the electricity cable is. For the most part it goes right down the centre of the drive but. of course, it has to cut across the verge where it meets the junction boxes at the side of the road. As the telephone cable has to be a minimum of 30cm from the electricity line (50 cm for comfort) it's going to be hand digging and rather tricky in places. It is not helped by the fact that the ground is so hard Martin bent his spade trying to get it into the ground. I'm not sure that a pick-axe round electricity cables is a good idea either. Ah well.

My Bedroom

Motoring

Motoring in New Zealand is, generally speaking, a real joy. There are a few motorways round Auckland and Wellington and there can be real congestion getting in and out of the latter. But everything is relative. I have no idea of the statistics but I suspect more people drive on the M25 each day than get into cars in the whole of this Country.

There are two sorts of motorists in New Zealand: drivers and hoons. The hoons are the amateur Clarksons of this Country causing a nuisance, doing donuts in the road and generally being a pain. On the other hand the majority of the drivers around Napier at least are far more considerate than drivers in the UK. Speed limits are, on the whole, adhered to much more than they are in the UK. That's not to suggest that there isn't speeding it's just that it's much less obvious. Drive into Napier on one of the main roads and anyone who exceeds 50 (kph) is very much out of step. Mind you the Police make a fortune out of motorists who don't stop at Stop signs.

Rather oddly I've noticed that when I'm here I don't try and translate anything into miles or gallons. When I drive in France I translate all the time. How many mph is 50kph? How many mpg is 10kpl? Here there are, generally, three speed limits 50, 70 and 100. The latter is the fastest speed one is permitted to travel on any road in the Country.

We drive on the left and many of the rules of the road are the same as in the UK. However there are some very significant differences and the one which catches visitors from the UK all the time is the one which states that when a vehicle is turning left at an intersection it must give way to all vehicles coming towards it and turning right.

TV and Being Comfortable

One of the comfortable things about New Zealand is the TV adverts (which appear on all channels). Some are very much like they are in the UK and some are definitely not. But what is so comfortable is that many of the adverts which were on when I left here last March are still running.

It's not just the adverts either. TV3 Weather's 6pm principal presenter, Toni, is still there. None of your staid UK presentation. Glamorous (not that UK TV lacks glamour in its presenters) and very competent (ok so no difference there then either) but above all completely part of the nation to which she belongs. For example if you get a really brilliant day coming up in a period of less pleasant weather she may describe it as "just the day for you to throw a sickie". Other descriptions of the weather include 'informalities' which just wouldn't be seen on UK TV. Shame really.

Apart from the adverts TV seems to be 'reality' shows, soaps, lots of US/UK crime programmes but very few films. Although SKY has a UK TV channel with lots of old (and possibly not so old) UK programmes. In other words TV is even less varied and interesting than it is in the UK.

So far apart from Boston Legal (a programme I happen very much to enjoy) I've been reduced to watching old Judge Deed and House episodes on UK TV (most of which I saw last time I was here but on a NZ channel). As you will have guessed, therefore, I watch very little TV. I do watch the News and occasional DVD though. Ah well.

A Job Done

The Marewa Croquet Club has six of the best lawns in New Zealand looked after completely by its own Members under the watchful eyes of Frank Wharton and Noel Charteris. Until now I, like most of the Members I suspect, have taken for granted the quality of the lawns and the fact that they are always there and in tournament condition even for our Club games. Having joined the group of volunteers charged with the responsibility for mowing them (the band of Moas) I suddenly have a new perspective on that which I have so far been accepting as the norm.

Today was my first mow. Now I am not of a nervous disposition but as I started up the mower which certainly qualifies as a big boy's toy capable of wreaking terrible havoc in the wrong hands, a sudden fear came over me. What if.....?

As you sit at the wheel and look down the massive expanse of lawn the enormity of the task strikes.

Having managed after the first run to forget to lift the blades before I stopped the mower (which can have serious consequences for the lawn) I began to wonder if this was really more than I was cut (sorry) out for. But after about five lengths of the area I started to feel more confident.

By the end of the afternoon I was beginning to enjoy it.

Postscript: This morning when I looked at the results it became obvious where I had missed a few wee strips where I'd not quite overlapped. Oh dear.