PHILINFRANCE

I am ‘glad’ you recall the Sheffield United ‘hatchet incident’. My recollection is that it happened just before kickoff in the East End, when a City fan was screaming that he had been hit on the head with an axe. Whilst I witnessed the almighty fight, I didn’t see the actual incident itself, although I saw the immediate aftermath. What I do recall is nobody believing me after when I told them what had happened. A very similar incident occurred a few seasons later after an evening match against Portsmouth. There was a big fight in the road crossing over to where Portsmouth’s coaches were parked and, again, a City fan was screaming he had been hit with an axe.

True, but if local weather conditions were the sole interest, a quick glance at the weather forecast would suffice and the thread would not have reached a second page. Black pudding is also very popular over here, served as a whole sausage with mashed potato and onion gravy.

I have no idea whether chitterlings are still served in the UK, but they are readily available over here, where they are known as andouillette (often with veal intestines, rather than pork), and served with mashed potato and a mustard Source.

I did a bit of research in my photo archive and found the name of the tapas restaurant I mentioned, Postiguillo. It is well worth a visit if you are in Sevilla, although best to make a reservation or get there early as it gets very busy.

Many years ago, I was on a flight from Johannesburg to Durban, flying through quite a violent thunder and lightning storm. Obviously, the seat belt sign was on and nobody, cabin crew included, was moving, as we all tried to think of anything but the lightning we could see that appeared to be almost adjacent to the plane. I thought I was being quite calm, but when I looked behind me I could see two hostesses crying their eyes out! Not the most reassuring sight.

4-0 down after the first end, bring it back to 4-3 second and now 5-3.

I thought that was Ed Miliband.

So; a wonderful dinner eaten, digestif in front of me. Wordle completed in three, still yet to complete quordle or nerdle....

Apart from a very pleasant experience several years ago when they (Casamia) were located in W-o-T, I have not had the pleasure of eating at Casamia or Paco Tapas. I agree with you entirely that the whole point (for me) of Tapas is that it is a tasty, 'nibbly' sort of thing that is generally eaten at the bar, accompanied by a sherry or a glass of wine - the Andalucian version, if you like, of our crisps or peanuts. Nevertheless, I once enjoyed a very long evening in a tapas restaurant in Sevilla; what finally turned out to be a 'sit-down' dinner of eventually, what must have been ten or more (small) courses. We had intended to stop for a quick apéretif; enjoyed the first tapas, were tempted to have a second, and then a third and just never left. I can't for the life of me recall the name of the restaurant, but anybody who has been there will recognise it; wood panelled with stuffed bulls' heads on the walls. Indeed. Often served free and made freshly - I remember some years ago I popped in to a small bar in Granada, where I ordered just a glass of wine, and they cooked a small omelette with smoked ham, onion etc in front of me and refused to accept payment! OK, perhaps a good marketing ploy, as I was 'obliged' to stay for another glass or two of their lovely wine, but....

I mentioned in an earlier post that we (Team GB Women's Curling) go through on 'draw ranking', but I didn't really know what it meant. Apparently, Before each match in the competition, each team delivers a single stone and the resulting distance from the centre of the target is measured. This Last Stone Draw (LSD) determines which team has the choice of delivering the first or second stone in the opening end of the match. But an average of all these Last Stone Draw shots is taken in round robin competitions and, if teams finish with an identical record, this is used to decide who goes through. With Great Britain, Japan and Canada all finishing with a record of five wins and four defeats from their nine matches, GB and Japan progressed to the semi-finals as a result of a better draw shot ranking by the finest of margins. How interesting.

You got there with your second word, I was there in my third. Like you, I was left with a choice of four for the fourth letter and, purely by chance, obviously, got it in five. I have yet to complete a quordle, though ?.

All's well that ends well. The girls beat ROC and go through, thanks to 'draw ranking'.

You are quite correct that we don't hear too much from our Chairman, and that is how it should be and why we appointed a Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Richard Gould is his name, and we hear from him quite frequently.

Basque country. Very nice, but comparatively expensive (to Andalucia) for both accommodation and food, although, if you avoid the obvious tourist areas and the numerous Michelin starred retaurants, the local fish restaurants are wonderful. I hope you haven't booked the last weekend of May, though, as that is the date of our play-off final ?.

I have just got today's WORLDLE in three! I shall now, for the first time, try QUORDLE.

Better still, get a flight to Sevilla or, if need be, to Malaga. Both are cheaper than Barcelona and, in general, Andalucia is extremely good value for money, both for hotel accommodation and food/wine. I daresay, a long weekend for two in Sevilla, including flights, accommodation and excellent meals and wine, would not be more expensive than dinner for two at Casamia - probably nicer weather as well.

My (typo) mistake, and you are, of course, quite correct. As you say, the hammer is dependent on the previous end, hence the reason teams sometimes fail to score intententionally in order to have the hammer in the following end.

But there is also the very important factor of qualifying first in order to ensure they have the hammer in the last end; in both the semifinal and, should they win that, in the final.

WBA are certainly slipping of late, and I am not convinced Steve Bruce is going to get them to/through the playoffs, let alone automatic promotion, so you may be lucky. Best get there (The Vine) early, though, as it gets packed.

Sorry about the source, but perhaps this answers your query. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10514539/Wordle-glitch-TWO-different-solutions-depending-site-used.html

Of course, but I was thinking specifically of The Vine, within walking distance of The Hawthorns.

But can you have a BBQ or nice Indian meal on the way to St. Andrews or Molineux?

It will certainly be interesting to compare him to his opposite number, Maguire.

Perhaps. I sometimes reminisce about matches I attended and incidents, some violent, I experienced, although I wouldn’t say I look back upon them (the violent incidents) fondly. They are but memories. I can laugh about them now because, for the most part, I escaped them without injury, but I can say quite clearly that any nostalgia is not rose tinted.