Gav’s Blog – Gavin Hudson’s Blog

Cheers to Dan for this one!

Check out these looneys in London doing a courier’s race.

The secret appears to be direct drive pedals, superb fitness, timing, vision, perception, balance and cojones the size of watermelons.

Just because I’ve heard these two lately inbetween listening to Tiesto on my iPod. I blame the fact we’ve had Heart FM on the radio at work on the other side of the office.

Firstly, we have the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens, now Yousuf.

And thinking about people who have died early, bearing in mind Heath Ledger’s death, here’s Jeff Buckley with his version of Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen.
Watch Jeff Buckley on YouTube
Simply haunting.Oh, and while you’re here – a few more photos for you on the right in my Flickr stream. They’ll get better when I get a camera in Hong Kong!

Well, I’ve got 13 days before I clear off now, and plenty of stuff to do!

A big thanks to Mum and Tony for taking us out last night. We went to Chaophraya Thai restaurant and very nice it was too. I’ve got to say my Massamam curry was simply amazing. It’s always a great choice, no matter where you have it, but last night it was fab. Speaking to a Geordie lad in there (in the toilets, as you do) he said the last time he was there Thaksin Sinawatra and Sven-Goran Ericsson were there!

We had a right laugh, loads to drink (see photo!) and a generally a really nice night – all topped off by the most extravagant liqueur coffee making you’ll ever see. (With Amaretto, naturally).

I’ve still got to sort my house out, get a tenant, get the wall plastered, get the electrical safety and gas checks done and register as a landlord with the council – I’m starting to wish I’d have just sold the bloody thing!

Unfortunately me going for a Thai didn’t help Hyde overcome the Thai national football side (currently ranked 107th in the World above such footballing giants as Estonia and Kazakhstan who have caused England problems in the past)- in what seems like a very good game, they lost 4-2 at home.

Great, so got burgled last week.

Luckily Jenny came to my rescue and let me stay at hers as being in a house with someone else’s footprints all over the chuffing place just feels a bit strange.

So, I’m stood there in the morning, the morning after waiting for my bus, it’s a really grey day, pissing it down with rain the way it can only do in Manchester, and to cop it all – the only bit of shelter was the bus stop. Alright, fine you think, but then this was the view at the bus stop on a busy road…

I took the hit and got soaked by the rain, unlike the woman in the bus stop who got soaked from the puddle by a passing minicab driver. (Intentionally, oh yes). Oh, and then Jenny’s bike was nicked from my shed too. Grr.
In some good news, Hyde United are playing Thailand on Monday! I know – mental, basically the Thai national team are over here for a few friendlies and to see Thaksin “Frank” Siniwatra over at City. Should be a good fun event anyway, so long as we don’t play the same shite as we did today. It’s a fiver to get in if anyone wants to come down, and a 7pm kick off.

Happy Christmas everyone! Eh? Oh yes – seeing as my Dad’s half of the family were scattered around the globe in December (poor Dad and Tom had to go Skiing in Whistler), Vicky was on duty on Christmas day, Amy was looking after her Mum (96 and still going strong!) and I was in bed with flu, trying my best not to argue with Mum and Tony (failing, though); we had a ‘Christmas Day’ yesterday.

I went down to London on Saturday, and went to the football at Stamford Bridge with Vicky and Tom, as a siblings day out. Chelsea beat Tottenham 2-0, so they were happy, and as a Man City fan it was good to get a glimpse of our old players Nicolas Anelka and Shaun Wright-Phillips again. My usual visits to the Bridge are usually not so happy, as they usually seem to involve City being on the wrong end of a good beating, so it was good to watch a London game with a bit of needle and just enjoy the match. Anelka looked awesome – he came on for the last 30 mins, to a tumultous reception, and it looks like Chelsea have got their money’s worth at £15m. He seems to have filled out a bit since I last saw him at City, and not in a bad way. He looked assured and full of that Gallic swagger we’ve seen before on Cantona, Zidane and Henry, to name but a few. I think that could just be the signing that keeps them in the hunt for the title.

In the end the game was won by a great Balletti 40 yd screamer in the first half and a deserved second from SWP in the second. Spurs never really had a sniff, and Alex had Berbatov in his pocket for the whole game. Anelka had two ace chances, but there was to be no fairytale debut. I must say, London’s alright – travelling through the underground with golf clubs was an ‘experience’ but real Londoners are a good bunch. THe load at Chelsea are a right laugh, plenty of ribbing for me being a City fan, and their accents do nothing but make me laugh. It’s like a bunch of Chimerney Sweeps from Mary Poppins! “Cor blimey!” “Faaaarkin’ ‘ell ref!” and “You’re ‘avin a bubble mate” were all to be heard on Saturday.

So Sunday was Christmas day. Up early and a walk on the beach and a bacon butty with the family and the dogs, weather – “bracing”. A quick nine holes of golf at one of the best courses in the country, windy but sunny. I wasn’t rubbish, so that equates to being good. Then I was heartened to see that we’re all as rubbish as each other – we all went shopping for our Christmas presents for each other about 3pm on Sunday! A nice Christmas dinner, with less flu, more booze and less arguments than the real one. Oh, and I got my first taste of the amazing Mario Galaxy on the Wii with my bro – wowzers! It was really nice to see everyone, and I’ll miss ‘em while I’m away. Vicky’s back on board soon, going gallavanting around the world on the Ark Royal – she’s actually handed her notice in now so she’ll be leaving the Navy. Not soon though – her notice period is a full year!! I thought 6 weeks was bad. She’s thinking of being a copper – I’m not sure I what to think of that, but I can actually imaigine her making a good Police Officer somehow – she certainly wouldn’t take no crap from anyone!!

Right – onwards!

Thanks very much to the scumbag who broke into my house yesterday, stealing my Xbox360, Nintendo DS, digital camera and a few other bits and bobs.

He’s solved a few dilemmas for me.

1. Do I want to move back to Gorton ever? Sadly the answer is now no, I’ve fallen out of love with it lately. I’m going to rent the house out while I’m away, can’t see me moving back in, but it’s daft to get off the property ladder once you’re on it – might as let someone else pay my mortgage off for me!
2. What to do with my Xbox360? Lend it someone? Store it? Sell it? Ah no, let it get nicked by some scrote who will flog it for £50 in a pub somewhere to some other lowlife
3. I’m going to Hong Kong – land of cheap electronics, so should I stick with my pretty new, and nice digital camera, or should I buy another one in HK? Oh no, someone has stolen mine, so I need to buy one now. Any ideas for what to get, by the way?
4. Ditto DS Lite. Great. No brain training for me!

Anyway, I’ve now sorted a load of stuff out, and getting on with emptying the place. I’m getting there, but I can’t wait to go away now.

Get organising the leaving party, and buying the presents, if you’re so inclined!

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Now playing: Coldcut – If There Was No Gravity – Air Liquide

Yes, it’s 28 days exactly until I go away.

I’m very excited, but starting to get a bit nervous now too – loads of things to sort out, I’m sure it will all come together…