If the shoe fits. Ballet Cymru.

Cinderella at the LPAC.


Normally an evening out watching Cinderella would entail shouting “he’s behind you” and “oh no your not” but it was the ballet this time, a genre well received in Lincoln and it was another virtually full auditorium at the LPAC on Sunday to see Wales’ finest prancers.

This was a relatively minimalist production, fairly traditional but with a stripped down musical accompaniment and quite a small troupe so no big finale which you usually get with a ballet but charming all the same and very well received by the audience of mainly mums with young daughters, mums with older daughters, culture vultures like us and a good smattering of ladies of a certain age with very well defined calves, worth it just for those calves.

There was a bit of a twist to the usual Brothers Grimm tale in that there was an ugly sister and a brother, he provided some good comedy in the scene where the ugly sisters try on the glass slipper, except it was a ballet pump and there was only one sister and I have to say if she was ugly there must be some damn good looking girls in Wales.

It’s a sign of a good night that it seems to be over before it’s begun, that’s certainly how it seemed at the LPAC as the production rattled through. There were ice creams at the interval and only £2, Theatre Royal please note. Of ice cream there were none at the last ballet at the Royal, we had to hoof it round to Tesco Express and when there are they’re certainly not that cheap.

So all in all a very good nights’ entertainment. We saw an old school friend of my wife’s at the show and she said she couldn’t get her husband to go, well that’s his loss. Good looking ugly sisters, ice cream at £2 (Dennett’s as well) and those shapely calves. What’s not to like?

Spent three hours at Sincil Bank and loved every minute – it was Madness!

As regular readers will know I spent a very soggy few days last summer at Glastonbury. Once you’ve done that it’s easy to get sniffy about smaller gigs. So it was to Sincil Bank the other Friday evening to see the opener of Madness’ Grandslam Tour. Our wives commented on how big the stage was to which of course my Glasto friend and I said, you ain’t seen nothing. I do have to say, in terms of entertainment and energy there was nothing at Worthy Farm to top what we saw and heard on Friday.

Lincoln must count itself as fortunate indeed to secure such a prestigious gig and the profit that went with it. Previous attempts by the football club to promote performances have proved to be money losers but City were on to a winner this time with a venue hire fee and a cut of ticket sales.

I don’t know whether the university has had an effect or we’re all feeling better off but such enterprises seem to be met with much more enthusiasm in Lincoln these days and so it was that something approaching 10000 were in place on the pitch or in the stands to see the 80’s sensations Madness.

I’m not going to list the numbers but all of the hits and some new stuff was heard. Not however my own favourite which I keep trying to introduce to Lincoln City FC whenever they ask for suggestions as to what the team should run on to, “In the City”, which I think would produce just the right blend of up tempo and humour. Come to think of it that describes Madness to a tee and they ripped through their programme to the delight of the audience displaying a professionalism and musical excellence that have kept them in the public’s mind for over thirty years.

This tour, taking in some of the lesser lights of the nation’s sporting venues will give people who do not normally have easy access to an evening of top line entertainment especially when you consider the main support was Scouting for Girls, a top line act in themselves, and hopefully those of us who don’t get such a prestigious gig on our doorstep will snap up the opportunity. Lincoln did and I hope the rest of the tour is a huge success.

Hopefully also Lincoln City might be encouraged to put themselves forward for similar opportunities in the future. Not to do so would be, well Madness.

Arrivederci Roma.

Well that’s another one off the bucket list, our trip to Rome is over and we did everything we wanted to do.
We decided not to book a city centre hotel, having checked the prices and realising we could have a full week in the Rome area for the same price as two or three nights in a hotel, by booking through Eurocamp who are our main holiday providers. They gave us a substantial discount on a second holiday. We duly found ourselves at Gatwick Airport, a three hour trip in the early hours and flew to Rome.

We’d booked a car transfer from Rome Airport and this proved very grand with a suited and booted driver holding up a card with our name on it in arrivals, we’ve always wanted to do that. We sat back in the luxury of our big black Mercedes getting the holiday off to a fine start.
We stayed at Camping Fabulous, just outside the Eternal City and whilst not entirely living up to its billing it was a very restful and comfortable alternative to city centre accommodation. The pool was closed until our last day but that didn’t matter and there was a decent if understated restaurant. There was a shop on site, bar and all the usual amenities of a continental camp site. The mobile home was top of the range and all in all it was a good choice.

Travel in to Rome was by way of bus, stop right outside the camp, followed by the Metro, the camp site were able to sell us tickets that provided for all our travel needs, for less than a bus ticket in Lincoln. We also visited the coast and a shopping centre.

The first gobsmacking feature of our holiday was exit from the Metro stop for the Coliseum, the huge monument was right outside, towering above us in a memorable and spectacular setting. We were immediately set upon by selfie stick sellers, sunglasses and scarves, followed by touts for tours around the Coliseum. We resisted all of them and settled for a stroll round the monument and a look at the Forum and Palatine Hill.

Next day we visited Ostia, on the coast and the site of the ancient port serving Rome. Like most of the Italian coast this was occupied by private beaches, bars and sports clubs and there is very little access to public beach but in any event the sand didn’t hold a candle to Mablethorpe even if it was a lot warmer.

Next it was back to the city for a look at the Spanish Steps and the adjacent Keates/Shelley house, Trevi Fountain, which unfortunately was scaffolded up, Pantheon and another wander during which we discovered a lovely deli and

gelateria which we visited later on too.
By way of light relief (I must have been in a really good mood) we then visited a shopping centre which kept us occupied for the day given that we were generally at the point of collapse come 5 o’clock. That evening we visited the Roma Tourist Office on site to buy tickets for the Vatican. We got a bit of instruction what to do which, if we’d stuck to the brief next day might have saved us quite a bit of time.

One thing about Rome is you are absolutely besieged by people who insist they are official guides and who can save lots of money and time. Well they may be guides and they may be official in some sort of fashion but their role is to relieve the tourist of money. So it was that we were led quite a merry dance by a very talkative man who almost persuaded us that a tour guide, on top of the money we paid for entry, was essential. It was only the fact that our tickets were not tickets or at least needed to be stamped and a sticker attached to us to gain access to the Vatican had to be sorted out first. We were thus released and told to return but we didn’t.

We were directed to the ticket office in St Peters Square (see instructions from the Roma Tourism Office on camp) were we were informed that they would be taking us past all the queues and we could arrange a tour guide or hand held guide device, once in. So that’s what we did.
Words can’t describe the sheer wealth of artistic embellishment on the walls, ceilings, paintings and frescoes unfolding before your eyes as you pass through not to mention the views of the inner workings of the Vatican. There’s far too much to take in at one go. The tour reaches a crescendo in the magnificent Sistine Chapel with its ceiling by Michelangelo. To be honest I was suffering with sensory overload at this point and felt ever so slightly underwhelmed. As an art lover I’d expected almost to be in tears at the experience but some of the earlier rooms impressed me more although the thought of this great artist on his back week after week, month after month painting away was mind blowing.

As if the Vatican was not enough on the Friday we returned to the Coliseum, armed with our recently acquired experience we swept past the ticket touts and presented ourselves at the queue where we were approached by a young man who really was an official guide and he told us that if we wanted to book a tour or rent an audio guide we could go straight to a separate desk which we did and once again we were straight in. The Coliseum reminds me a little of the old Wembley but bear in mind this structure was erected 2000 years ago. It’s lasted a lot longer although the only excruciating experience Wembley offered was watching England fail to perform. The Coliseum’s purpose was much more grisly. The ticket also allowed entrance to the Forum and Palatine Hill, the most ancient part of the city. Up there looking down I could imagine Lincoln in its time as a Roman Colonia

Once again I can’t begin to describe the sights that awaits the intrepid tourist, I hope I may have put the idea in your mind to visit this wonderful city. Like Italy itself it’s chaotic fervent frantic restful manic and civilized. Put it on your bucket list.

Back on the rails, in Wales.

It was on to the radio for me last Tuesday after BBC Radio Lincolnshire invited me to take part in the phone in preceding the away game at Alfreton. You get the impression that the callers are selected at random from people who call in and calls are encouraged during the programme and the ones before. The reality is that at least some are arranged previously and those “callers” are in fact phoned by the BBC at a prearranged time. That’s certainly the case with me. In fact I’m the last person to call in to a phone in.

I don’t get home till after six so I usually request a call at about 6.30 and, once called you have to turn your radio off to avoid interference but that’s not a problem as you get put through to the studio and you can hear the program though the phone. The only problem with that timing is that all of the previous callers have had a good go at the subject although the time before last, which was the ill-fated previous go at the Alfreton game, which was also a rearranged one studio anchor man Rob Makepeace led me in with a quote from this blog so that was quite gratifying and gave me a subject but this time the question was what was my take on recent events?

On before me was a very depressed sounding Steve from Skegness who I’m guessing was prominent fan Steve O’Dare who I would have thought was also canvassed by the station to go on air rather than a casual caller. Steve once took me to task for being too downbeat when I was writing for Give me Football, the online magazine of the Professional Footballers Association after I had suggested that City fans were getting nervous at the prospect of City slipping out of the league as they were painfully aware of what a long and tortuous journey it would be back. I think I’ve been proved right on that one.

On to my comments and I must admit I got into my stride at this point and my wife said it was my best radio performance to date. I think some of the previous callers believed the Imps would not garner any further points at all this season and I said I refused to believe that. I commented that this was not Chris Moyses’ team and we should wait until he has had a chance to assemble a squad before jumping to conclusions. I repeated Moyses own assertion that already City were not in a relegation battle which was in itself a welcome relief. Talking of relief my comments were fully endorsed and agreed with by studio guest Mark Hone and no one else rang to say I was a fool so my radio career goes on, or at least will do so if Radio Lincolnshire e mail again.

As we know City got a draw that night and followed up with another draw on Saturday so there you go. It’s a wonder I don’t win more on the lottery with predictions like that. Two draws are hardly world beating but for me it does show that the manager is capable of turning round a bad situation and I’m certainly not writing him off yet. Home form does need addressing though, you don’t need to be Gary Neville to work that one out so Saturday will be another testing day for our management team.

Another dismal match prompts the question where do we go from here?

Last week’s Echo headline, as far as us City fans are concerned was “Moyses aiming to salvage Lincoln's season with top 10 finish”. After Saturday I’m afraid anything salvable from the Imps season will be heading to the incinerator at North Hykeham rather than the recyclers, it was that bad.

It’s very hard to be positive, mystified is more the emotion and that seemed to be shared by Mr Moyses in his post-match interview where he declared that the players had been sent on to the pitch with a strategy to win the game, given the ground conditions and everything else considered. They did not fulfil the coaching staff’s instructions. That much was obvious after Welling scored, completely against the run of play. They, up to that point had been chasing shadows but the goal put a spring in their step and derailed City completely. Another goal in quite similar circumstances followed. Even with half an hour to go a win was still well within City’s grasp but they didn’t even get close to grabbing it.

I’m quite prepared to accept Moyses explanation but the problem is the manager is supposed to impose his will on the team. Can you imagine John Beck offering such an explanation? There would have been blood on the pitch. I also question the roles of the support staff. David Preece seems to enjoy a very cosy and carefree existence and the results since John Schofield joined are redolent of, well the last time John Scofield was manager. I like the management though and still hope for success. City are safe for this season as the manager pointed out. He’s entitled to say that and it is an improvement but what if these results are replicated next season? It will be back to the old merry go round which brings me to what I consider to be the most salient point. What is the one constant in City’s recent existence apart from the fans? The board of directors. They have presided over this malaise. Again, I’ve got no axe to grind with them either, I know how difficult it is but the fact is all this has happened on their watch. Now I hear voices, quite credible voices telling me that inward investment, or at least the persons wishing to make investment, have been rebuffed.

City’s problems over the years have been poor management appointments and lack of cash. You could say that about many of the clubs. I’ve made poor decisions and suffered from lack of cash, I’m sure you have and I’m certainly not pointing the finger at anyone for that but I think if there had been anyone out there willing to come in and see if they could make a go of it I’d have snapped their hands off.

On to tonight and another Echo headline. Moyses will pick players he can trust. I just hope there are enough for a team and a couple of subs.

Keith Alexander.

It’s five years since Keith died. I was motivated to write a few words after reading a tweet from Scott Kerr. I replied to the tweet saying I thought it did him credit that he remembered Keith. To a lot of players Keith would be just another manager along the way but there again Keith wasn’t just another manager and neither, for that matter was Scott just another player.

It’s not that Keith was a particularly successful manager although not only keeping City in the league but making the playoffs and then keeping them there or thereabouts as the great man would say certainly was an achievement that I hope gave him great pride. Judged by what has happened to the club since he left perhaps I’m being too harsh in my judgement, I certainly don’t mean to be.

I met Keith once and I also know, or used to know Matt, his son. I think Keith was at Peterborough United at the time and he was, of all things, opening a block of flats here in Boston. I asked Matt, in a jokey way if he was going to get round to introducing me which he did.

Keith said he didn’t know whether an Imp would want to talk to him. He was very humble, not at all like someone who made his living in one of the toughest professions. I was glad he said that as it enabled me to tell him that to us the fans he was a hero and a great man, that we wished him well and hoped he would get a long way in management. He didn’t as it happened but I suppose merely keeping going in the lower leagues and staying in a job as he did takes some doing.

The fact that we all remember him and his former players remember him with fondness in an uncompromising business is genuine testament that he truly was a legend.

No excuses for woeful City.

There was plenty to discuss on Saturday as the Imps, formerly so solid and entertaining at Sincil Bank, imploded once again at home so instead of the team matching the home performances away to put in a determined bid for the playoffs they have conspired to replicate their insipid away displays at the Bank and now are all but out of the play off race. Indeed, on Saturdays display it’s hard to see where a goal is going to come from let alone a win.

There was much talk of Woking’s first goal being well offside and a string of poor decisions from the officials not least in the referees handling of the spat beween Paul Farman and Woking player Payne where Payne perhaps should have gone off, probably Farman too for that matter. Needless to say the reprieved Payne scored a wonder free kick to compound our grief. Matters were balanced up in a wholly unacceptable way when Woking had a goal chalked off for offside despite City having a player on the line. It was that sort of a game.

Referees however do not win or lose matches whatever we the fans may think and, poor though they were the architects of City’s downfall were of course themselves and not the officials. Quite what has happened to the team lately is anyone’s guess. They have lost Newton and Miller was out on Saturday so that line of attack has been denied and replaced with no line of attack at all. Tomlinson and Sam-Yorke were on the bench and didn’t come on till later. I’m going to reserve judgement on Cranston, he did improve later on but my initial impression, untutored as it is, was to wonder how this player has found himself on the books of a League One club.

The journey home was in the company of the usual experts on BBC Radio Lincolnshire one of whom was calling for a “proper” manager to be appointed. This caller was obviously choosing to ignore the evidence of the last umpteen years when we have had a proper manager with a familiar lack of success. Manager Moyses did have the guts to come out and face the media but he could shed no light on City’s slump other than to wonder whether some players desire to succeed for City matched that of himself. Expect substantial changes come the summer.