2007 Dublin Tour

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Day One

We all met at the club in pouring rain but everyone was on time, thankfully,
as the coach left half an hour early. Everyone dressed for the journey, except
for the club chairman, Kelton Scott, who wore a West Brom football shirt!
We all thought it was a Bloxwich Cricket Club Tour not a
West Bromwich Albion FC Tour !!!!!!!
 
As we got under way Hayley realised that the chairman had also left her
packed lunch in the boot of her ‘Dr Who Tardis’ like boot…..
and Ashley’s Bakewell tarts....and the expensive, one off,
no use to anyone else, presentation gifts for our Dublin hosts !!!!!
Good start Kelton.
 
As we continued our journey Gez Payne realised he’d left his cash
card at home…..thank God for Bails !!!!!
 
North of Stafford the rain stopped and as we approached Stoke the sun
shone and continued to do so for the rest of our journey. In Holyhead
the weather was glorious and the sea was like a mill pond. We were
pleased to hear that back home it was still raining.

 

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 After a brilliant crossing we had an arduous coach journey across Dublin in the rush hour
to the hotel but when we got there it’s was a matter of dumping the cases and we spent
our first night in the bar getting used to Guinness and Guinness and Guinness and even
more Guinness.

Ashley turned into Superwoman….

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And off to bed we went………….except Mark who fell asleep on the toilet!!!!!!!

 

Day Two

 

We got up to a dry, bright morning and after breakfast everyone
went to local shops and off licences to stock up for the days
game against Balbriggan CC.

 

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We played two 20/20 games and were completely hammered in the first
game against a very strong side. Pezza top scored with 41 and we managed
to total 103, but they soon knocked that off.

 

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  In the second game we played much better. We fielded first and restricted
Balbriggan to 120 and when we batted we only fell 20 odd runs short of
their total with Jonesy (the only non cricketer to play) top scoring with 21.
 
We spent the whole day in glorious sunshine whilst back home it was still
raining and the Bloxwich CC square was under water.

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After the game we went to the middle of nowhere to the Man ‘O’ War Pub,
Quickpenny Hill, Lusk for a really nice meal including Thom's huge cod
and plenty of Guinness before we climbed back onto the coach and returned
to the hotel and bed………except for Mark……….
who fell asleep on the toilet again!!!!!

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Day Three

 

Wednesday was a free day to sightsee and take in the Dublin atmosphere. Most made for the Guinness Brewery.

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Where free samples were order of the day….

 

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….and a visit to a Porterhouse Bar for lunch and to
keep up the liquid intake.


Then after a wash and brush up we headed for Temple Bar…..

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Then back to the hotel to drink till dawn…..Mark couldn’t
wait for the toilet tonight and fell asleep sat at the bar....
worse still Gaz fell asleep standing up at the bar !!!!
Thankful for a low ceiling which stopped him falling.

 Day Four

 

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Today the women had an evening game so we had a free day to do
more sightseeing in Dublin. After a dawn finish in the bar the first port
of call was breakfast at the Porterhouse bar………..11 am first pint
of the day with Mark shaking like a shitting dog until his
first sip and shudder got him back on track.
 
Everyone again went to local shops and off licences to stock up for
the days game against Pembroke CC, a mixed game,
but they had no ladies!!!!!
 
Ashley helped the women out but got chased Benny Hill style across
the outfield by a little white Terrier….. then got beaten by Hayley for
dropping a dolly off her bowling.

Keenan treated us all to an exhibition on how to NOT fly a kite
on a day with absolutely no wind whatsoever, thankfully, as he
was standing next to an electrified railway line !!!!.

Tom, playing for the opposition, made sure he was housework
king for the next 6 months when he caught Andi on her
cricketing debut. She'd previously shown great athleticism with
her pendulous running between the wickets.

We enjoyed a beautiful evening in glorious sunshine at a great ground
with an excellent new clubhouse and lots of flowing Guinness.
 
Back to the hotel to finish the night off and straight away Mark ends the
Anglo Irish Agreement when he picks up a hurling stick and practices
his forward defensive stroke much to the annoyance of the owner and
team mates from the local hurling side!!!!!!!

 

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 We ended the night in the early hours with Mark again asleep sat at the table in
mid conversation to be woken with Jayne kicking his shins.

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Day Five

 

 Up bright and early for our journey home. First drink of the day…..tea !!!!

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 The weather was again glorious sunshine so we packed our bags, loaded
the coach and set off to the City again for more sightseeing and a liquid lunch.
 
Ashley went shopping and couldn’t resist trying it all on………

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And off we set leaving behind a great week of fun and memories to return to a windy, wet Bloxwich.

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And so we returned to the club for a final few beers and bored everyone with our tales.

And Ashley performed his party piece….

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Here’s to Lampeter 2008 !!!!!