Results

The safari was in the club having a pre match beer with great expectation of a good result. Banter was focussing on wether or not the new stand would eb ready in time for the local derby at the end of the month. Probably not but the ground is looking good now the South Stand is almost ready to be filled by passionate supporters.

The new Armfield stand is named after the legendary Jimmy Armfield

The players take the field

The first half was a waste of time with too much possession and teritory given to the opposition who were giving a good account odf themsrelves. If, and footy is full of ifs, our 90th second strike had gone in rather than stoat off the cross-bar then the game might have been a very different one.

Scunthorpe came out with vigour in the second half perhaps sensing an upset. They scored...aaarrrgggghhhhh. But an equaliser came before too long. Note how the light had gone in about an hour.

A reactive, superb save by their keeper was out of the area and he was duly sent off. Then the rout started...4 - 1 final score...Excellent stuff...keep it up boys, soon as you get to 50 points as soon as you can and then enjoy the rest of the season.

After the match straight uop the motorway to my mates' new place. Nice gaff. Following morning we set off for a leisurly stroll through the woods and came across the Fairy Steps. A rather narrow fissure in the rock face which in times gone by was the route of the coffin trails from nearby villages to the churrchyard - I'm sure they could have found an easier way down or up we did and it wasn't far. Don't fancy squeezing through here carring a coffin.

That's wifey peering round the corner at the bottom. We had to send Frank down - he tried to barge past me and nearly came a right cropper on the slippery rock.
View from the top is worth the squeeze. You can see the top of the 'steps' on the right of the picture and in the middle of the pic is the Armnside viadduct a quality piece of Victorian engineering

The woods were picturesque but mostly empty of animal life. Wifey picked up 4 Roe Deer in a field but too far away and skittish to get a shot off. A Buzzard just cleared the treetops and a Raven honked in the distance.

We only came across a couple of winter tit flocks. Marsh Tit(s) were present in the final flock of the day.

Frank was on a roll, in his element out sniffing in the wilds. A Jay launched a considerable verbal attack on him.

Not much exciting in the vegetation line but lots of Hazel catkins were out. Despite the very wet weatehr and recent mild spells we didn't find any fungi which is rather strange considering the excellent woodland habitat.Back on the outskirts of the village we came across this huge Oak tree. Couldn't get to it for a close inspection but a reasonable guess we be about 36 feet around, maybe more like 40...a veritable, venerable tree.

By now our friends will have assembled their feeder gift and tomorrow it should be full of visitors and hopefully they'll get hooked. In the few minutes we spent looking out of their windows we saw a great variety of birds viz. Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Marsh Tit, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Fieldfare, Blackbird, Redwing, Robin, Jackdaw, Starling - but no House Sparrows, although we did hear some in another part of the village. That little lot should keep em busy for a while. In the meantime I'm expecting dodgy pictures taken through dirty windows on a phone camera being emailed for me to identify...can't wait.

Where to next? Patch 1 and Patch 2 beckon...almost been missing them.

In the meantime let us know what you've been seeing in your mates' outback.