Darcey's 2010 match report

All (but especially Cowlers)

“Well, you hate to watch another tired man lay down his hand, like he was giving up the Holy Game of Poker. And while he talks his dreams to sleep, you notice there's a highway that is curling up like smoke above his shoulder…”

I thought by now that the Hookey match report would be in, so could this email be considered a kind of addenda or points to be added to the report when published, etc:

“The last man standing(ish)” - Can I claim the mantle of being the last to attend at Hookey and failing the time trials? The “Peter Mullins Straggler” award (1.50pm on Saturday in the Beer Tent, it must be a record).

“Captain, my captain” – early on Saturday afternoon, I was asked by some very friendly brummies “is your captain here?” I worked out that they meant Steve, which is fair enough as he has “the sneer of cold command” and he wears a beany! But, if he‘s captain, can I be the Sgt of the Hurlers as the uncle I was named after was a Sgt Major during WW2 (and my forename has been a cross that I’ve had to bear ever since). The brummies, as did others, also asked about us doing a pyramid...see below.

“Future Hurlers – the next generation” – Having dragged myself away from the mosh pit (see link below) for a break at about 11pm, two young women approached me asked me about joining the “hurlers”. I told them about the “6 pints”, “long and proud history”, etc and they were still keen, so for next year, it’s a possible chance at world domination and to possibly flog some t shirts. I suppose if we are looking at the “next generation” does that make Steve, our Captain Kirk, our very own William Shatner!

Bands - It was one of the liveliest sets of bands that I‘ve seen at Hookey and one the liveliest/nicest mosh pits, I’ve ever been catapulted into– “Man make fire” and “pencil face” (last two bands for the record). For the confused – for “Mosh pit” – see wiki link below, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshing

Football, Glastonbury and facilities – Firstly - no footy!! In this World Cup year and with only four of us (Cap’n Steve, Tom, Pedz and I) it was not enough, so we need to improve numbers - “buy in” players a la Citeh? Therefore, with too few numbers for footy or aunt sally and so much to see and do in the festival site itself, we didn’t leave the site all day on Saturday, so Hookey is in danger (a joyous or scary possibility) of turning into a mini Glasto though thankfully without the unisex showers and eco toilets. For me, I still bear the psychiatric scars from festivals in the 80s and 90s, sharing facilities with the crusties, apart from that joyous “summer of love” in 1989 – Inspiral carpets, The Mondays and The Roses – what a summer, what a set of gigs – I can still taste the brownies and my baggy dayglo t-shirt is still in my wardrobe.

No pyramid – again like the Footy with only four of us, not enough and we were asked if we were going to build one….previous comments refer and see “captain, my captain” comments, above.

“Slippery Slope” moment/dilemma - After the “Rubicon crossing” moment of having taken our children along for the last two years and her (my other half) hearing about the young women wanting to join the hurlers, my other half now wants to go….hmmm…. We better start work on a game plan to prevent the one weekend that I have away from the fruit of my loins and the love of my life becoming just another family weekend….help!

Mushy pea fritters – one of my personal highlights – they ran out early this year – just an observation.

Beers – good and larger selection (included for us soft southern lager drinking jessies) and some rather nice milds and a separate cider stall. Note: The beer did not run out until about 10.45pm….hurrah!!

World Cup Hurlers Sweep - Les won the award, having picked the Spanish (see attached), muy bien…

Robert Green and The World Cup – leave it out…enough said.

Jude – still lovely, still unhappy and now divorced (and a Deputy Head teacher)…the Marlene Dietrich (or is it Marianne Faithful) of the Hurlers on tour…I’ll compose a Shelley like sonnet or a dark verse a la Baudelaire later in the week, if time permits and the muse visits.

1st Hurlers cap – Tom Priest – a good debut – he held his own and others (pints), when asked – “well played, that man”.

Weather – good most of the day Saturday - sunny spells, etc, and all that bollix and very overcast (grey) on Sunday morning

Next year – three key points - bigger numbers/more bodies (a priority) – the site and the range of beers keeps getting better (a positive) – The Bell (Aunt Sally) not what it was (sad and a mild negative).

Summary – a very good hookey, but nowhere near the best (in my view), as too many friends were absent or had to leave early and if we’d had a full contingent, it would have been a huge ball of disco and beer flavored fudge with Football and Aunt Sally topping, so all of you who were “missing in action” try and make it next year so we can have it large!!. I’ll bring my fondue set, Cheers or Hasta la vista, as we say in Green Street, Darce

PS – BTW - I am not having a pop about anyone not attending, my fear is that next year I’ll be at Latitude with “the boss” and my children or more scarily at Hookey itself with the aforementioned….