Tag Archives: gloucester

i-team.cc Mark Brookes Memorial Ride

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Two postings in a day – you lucky people.
Well, I say “you lucky people”, but does anyone actually read this blog?

Today was the i-team.cc (my cycling club) Century Day – the aim is to get as many of the club as possible riding 100 miles on the same day. It also ties in with a ride and meet at Gloucester Docks in memory of i-team member Mark Brookes who died too young a few years ago.
Not having ridden my bike since November, I wasn’t riding, but fulfilled my role as unofficial club photographer.

This is the full bunch of reprobates who met in Gloucester. Most of them are from the Portsmouth branch of the club, who drove to Hungerford and rode from there. Special credit to Jon Skidmore and Phil Freeman who rode solo from Bristol and Shrewbury respectively.

The Portsmouth branch then headed back via Birdlip Hill, which is a bit of a beast – particularly near the top with a nasty 1:6 section. Congrats to Howard and Andy who got to the top first.

There was a bit more suffering as the rest came in…
Well done to all of the riders. Must get back on my bike, and I really must do this ride one day. Without Birdlip Hill, anyway!

Saints v Gloucester

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Is it really 3 months since I’ve posted on here? Oops.

I’ve not really taken much other than rugby since then – and there’s been nothing hugely exciting in those either.
Anyway, a lovely sunny day on the terrace at Franklin’s Gardens in Northampton as the Saints took on Gloucester in the Premiership. The two teams met recently in the LV= final – that was a cracking game, and so was this. And we won both of them!
The pick pick of the pics:
Stephen Myler gets an uncomfortable boot

This one is more out of historical interest than because it’s a particularly good photo – Phil Dowson is a back-row forward, not a hooker, so why is he throwing into the lineout? Dylan Hartley was in the sin bin, and there hadn’t been a scrum so we hadn’t brought on a front row replacement. Up steps Dowson, he throws to Juandre Kruger in the lineout and promptly joins the maul to get back on with his day job. No problem.
And finally, Bruce Reihana – his break led to our bonus-point try, with less than a minute on the clock. He could and should have scored himself, but he gave the ball to Chris Ashton for him to finish off his hat-trick. The Saints are very much a team if nothing else.