Well, for those of you who follow my blog (I’ve often wondered whether anyone apart from my mother does?!) it has finally happened. Just at a time when it was the most inconvenient I managed to get a puncture! I guess I’ve talked about the state of the roads so much that it was bound to happen. For those who don’t know me, I live out of my car, and because of the varied applications of my job I carry various wardrobes for different sports, exercise equipment and also an array of scientific gadgets. So there I am, emptying everything out of the boot to get out the spare tyre. Hmm, only one problem: there doesn’t seem to be one. Now, thinking I’m being a bit stupid (the car is only a couple of years old and I’ve not had a puncture in this one before), I ring the assist people who tell me that it has a repair kit and no spare tyre!
I don’t know about anyone else, but this evokes memories of sitting with a bucket of water between my feet, watching for bubbles on an inner tube, before sticking my fingers together attempting to fix a hole in my bike’s tyre using the world’s smallest plaster! However, these days there seems to be clever stuff that gets put in the tyre and seals it. One snag: you have to wait for the patrol guy to get there. Cue frantic phone calls rearranging my week as I wait because the day is a "write off"! He arrives, does his stuff and I’m left with the task of getting a new tyre. His parting shot is "Don’t go too far on that". I’m thinking, he doesn’t read my blog!
Ah, now, if only it was that simple. No, it appears that the tyres on my car are as rare as the Dodo bird, and I have to wait until the next day for one to be delivered (tyre not bird). Brilliant! Cue a repeat of all the phone calls to rearrange again. One question: what the hell is wrong with a spare tyre?
Back in the horse world everyone is gearing up for various competitions and aims. It will be very interesting to see this season whether all the work that people have been doing through the winter results in improvements as we go along. Alex Hua Tian forgot that I was dropping by, so if anyone has any spare pink jodphurs in a medium men’s size could you please let me know. These will be making an appearance at an event coming soon!
We had a really good group of amateurs at the British Racing School: two nutters from abroad who threw themselves into the fall training with a little too much zest but thankfully no injuries! I did have to make them wear their hats and body protectors mind you! I also met up with eventer Paul Tapner last week, and he has had an impressive rise through the ranks in recent years. For a big chap he is quite well balanced and very fit now, so hopefully he will have an even better season this year.
This coming weekend sees a break from the routine for a stag do in Bournemouth. It involves dressing as retro golfers (Plus Fours and the like) on the Friday night. Should anyone be out in Bournemouth this Friday night I might not be too difficult to spot! Fore!!