Weekend supplement

My weekend back in the UK was a change from the norm in that I had quite a bit of down time, i.e I didn’t have to be here, there and everywhere. I had a great few days and got some quality time with my son and my parents and even (whisper it) got some long craved for sleep!

Saturday my son and I were at The Valley but only for around 110 minutes – we embarrasingly missed the academy parade – because we were in the pub. We started with friends at our regular haunt, The Bugle and then popped into the Royal Oak before we got to the game. Afterwards we went back to the Oak to meet Dave and his lovely wife to discuss the game in more granular detail. Those grains mostly consisting of beer. Then Miso in Bromley solved our Chinese food cravings.

Another real highlight of my weekend was joining the Charlton Live team at their Valley studio on Sunday night to take part in their internet radio show and pick up my ‘Rufus’ prize. Dave, Peter, Deb, Bob and their resident trainee Statto were fantastic company and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

Dave Lockwood and Peter Finch have some great plans for the show including a podcast and call-in’s but there was passionate debate and a very steady stream of emailers and Twitterers joining in the 2-hour show (every Sunday from 7-9pm). Driving back to my parents in East Sussex afterwards made me realise once again what a truly committed and loyal bunch of supporters the club has.

Ask any expat Brit the 10 things they miss most and one of them will be the country pub, and I went to a cracking one on Friday. It was the Beachy Head high on the white cliffs of the same name. It had a roaring log fire, tremendous food, Harveys beer and from the cosy inside looking out onto what could be described as a grass covered moon slowly undulating until it disappeared into the galaxy like sea.

When I actually think about it, I spent a fair bit of time in pubs this past weekend because I was also in The George in Trottiscliffe at the foot of the North Downs in Kent for Sunday lunch where a roast dinner would have fed an army.

Before that I watched my son play football for his club away at Ditton. As Dads will know watching your son play any sport is a cause for great pride. His team lost, we got soaked but he played well and we both loved every minute of it.