Arcticterntalk.org

The blog of a travelling psychiatrist and football lover. Who happens to be a halfway decent photographer. Takes a cynical view of the world

Archive for the month “October, 2015”

Molesey 1 Didcot Town 0. FA Trophy


A good game of football. A single goal separated the two teams but in relaity it could have been 3-3. The football was good. The cheeseburger was too. Am not sure of the FA rules after a player is sent off but not sure he should be watching from the touchline even if he does take his shirt off! the crowd was 95, so he made it 96.

Having checked the rules. This is what it says  “A player, substitute or substituted player who has been sent off must leave the vicinity of the field of play and the technical area.
Read more at http://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/laws/football-11-11/law-12—fouls-and-misconduct.aspx#7B9Jzt2xM5bxoOlT.99

So I guess it depends on the interpretation of what constitutes the vicintiy of play.

Molesey v Didcot Town FA Trophy

Molesey v Didcot Town FA Trophy

Goal.Molesey v Didcot Town FA Trophy

Goal.Molesey v Didcot Town FA Trophy

Molesey v Didcot Town FA Trophy

Molesey v Didcot Town FA Trophy

Molesey v Didcot Town FA Trophy

Molesey v Didcot Town FA Trophy

Molesey v Didcot Town FA Trophy

Molesey v Didcot Town FA Trophy

Molesey v Didcot Town FA Trophy

Molesey v Didcot Town FA Trophy

Craig Lewington

Craig Lewington

Molesey v Didcot Town FA Trophy

Molesey v Didcot Town FA Trophy

Molesey v Didcot Town FA Trophy

Molesey v Didcot Town FA Trophy

Molesey v Didcot Town FA Trophy

Molesey v Didcot Town FA Trophy

Brentford 1 QPR 0. A view from the cheap seats


The last time Brentford beat QPR was in 1965 and not so many of the capacity crowd last night were even born then.  This game was thus a time for celebration. A capacity crowd of over 12,000, some useful money from Sky for live coverage, and the fourth consecutive victory in a season when 2 weeks ago some wondered if we would win 4 games all season. All achieved with eseentially the same players. There is no need to give a match report and all Bees fans were there or watching on TV. A high tempo game, maybe too scrappy in parts. If I were a betting man i would place good money, and lots of it, on QPR not only failing to gain promotion this season but also failing to get in the play offs and sacking their manager certainly this side of xmas.

Some of the peripheral things around a capacity crowd caught my eye last night. How good does Griffin Park look under lights, how scary burger sellers can look ( a lovely man actually and a nice burger too) and the strange things one finds on top of cars parked in the Watermans car park .

The firework or whatever incendiary device it was certainly lit up Griffin Park after the goal. A great night. What price a second victory at Loftus road later on in the season?

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The Hersham Caterpillar


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There is only one real car park in Hersham and this is where this caterpillar decided to try and cross, luckily saved from a squashing demise by the good eyesight of a 15 year old. Rescued and placed on a leaf. These humble I Phone photos try and capture the brave if impulsive caterpillar.

Hersham Caterpillar Hersham Caterpillar

Hersham Caterpillar Hersham Caterpillar

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Homemade Scones. The Great British Bakeoff


An amateur contender but excellent scones. Is there any better smell than homemade baking? These photographs were taken some time ago and have been sitting on my desktop computer. The TV series has clearly rekindled excitement in baking again and even Nigella Lawson has said that the creations on TV are beyond her skills. Enjoy.

Homemade Scones copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Homemade Scones copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Homemade Scones copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Homemade Scones copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Homemade Scones copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Homemade Scones copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Homemade Scones copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Homemade Scones copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Shendish Manor


Shendish Manor is not what one expects to find in Hemel Hempstead. A gorgeous hotel set in great grounds. A few photographs to set the scene. A good place to stop for lunch, coffee or a drink. And maybe a short walk.  I was impressed.

It is set in 160 acres of gardens and parkland.

Shendish Manor. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Shendish Manor. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Shendish Manor. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Shendish Manor. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Shendish Manor. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Shendish Manor. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Shendish Manor. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Shendish Manor. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Shendish Manor. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Shendish Manor. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Good food – Bad Food? Defibrillators may be a more immediate answer. And may be free.


In a week when we have learned that red wine, 150ml/day increases our “good” cholesterol HDL, well in Diabetic patients anyway, and 150ml/day of white wine might reduce their blood sugar level, we also can read a lot about Blueberries being a super food, that will potentially also reduce cardiovascular disease. We have also seen at Copenhagen airport demonstrations of resusciation being given to children as young as 4 years who were able to follow the instructions quite simply. There is however a huge disconnect here with the major tool for heart resuscitation having been rarely available. A defibrillator. to the non-medical readers,  provides a localised electric current when applied to the chest wall, that with some good luck can start a heart rhytmn going, if the heart has stopped, or altenatively correct a “bad ” heart rhytmn that is causing the heart to have a poor output of blood.

Defibrillators are cheap. In New York one finds them alll over walls of even sma  cafes, and in UK , many years ago, Brighton football club became the first football club to have them in the ground for potential resuscitation of spectators. They are visible at some airports too like Arlands airport in Stockholm. They are cheap costing as little as 792£ online and require surprisingly little formal training from

http://www.direct365.co.uk/supplies/first-aid/equipment/defibrillators/defibrillator-units?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=defibrillators&utm_campaign=Supplies_Workplace-Safety&gclid=CjwKEAjwho2xBRD0mpzUvsya6SgSJAAkRepS79n2EgTaZ_loGVLI6LXSNDc3t-izy8PYI6diLjP2iBoCL5Hw_wcB

If we take a look at the British Heart foundation website, this is what they say:

About defibrillators
DefibrillatorsA high energy electric shock, given to the heart in some types of cardiac arrest, may restore a more stable rhythm.

This is called defibrillation, and it’s an essential lifesaving step in the chain of survival.

Public access defibrillators (PADs) can be found in public spaces like your local shopping centre, gym, train station or village hall. That briefcase-sized box on the wall contains a PAD. It’s there for anyone to use on someone in cardiac arrest.

Simple to use
They are simple and safe. The machine gives clear spoken instructions. You don’t need training to use one.

Once in position, the defibrillator detects the heart’s rhythm. It won’t deliver a shock unless one is needed.

The good news is that they are becoming more widely available and many organisations can apply for one and this is how to do it:

https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/nation-of-lifesavers/about-defibrillators/apply-for-a-defibrillator-in-england

The Department of Health has awarded us £1 million to make public access defibrillators and CPR training more widely available in communities across England.

Applications open on Thursday 1 October 2015 and close in March 2016.
The packages
There are three packages available:

A free public access defibrillator, CPR training kit and a cabinet
A free public access defibrillator and CPR training kit
A cabinet to improve accessibility to a current defibrillator

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What else is there in Brentford apart from the football club?


Brentford is a town in middlesex not really known for anything but over the last year became fairly well known in the media for their football related antics. The Warburton issue reached the media followed by the discussion over Matthew Benham and his vision of football being matched with mathematical modelling to replicate the success of his own company SmartOdds.

However what else is there in Brentford? Brentford might be regarded as the gateway to the M4 motorway, or local even to Kew Gardens. However not so many are aware that Brentford sits on the River Thames. Fewer will be aware that the Watermans Centre provides a venue for cinema and drama. Even fewer are aware that the graffiti that covers the walls of the car park in the Watermans Car Park must rate as some of the best in London.

Graffiti Brentford in the Watermans Car Park Brentford. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Graffiti Brentford in the Watermans Car Park Brentford. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Graffiti Brentford in the Watermans Car Park Brentford. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Graffiti Brentford in the Watermans Car Park Brentford. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Graffiti Brentford in the Watermans Car Park Brentford. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Graffiti Brentford in the Watermans Car Park Brentford. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

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Graffiti Brentford in the Watermans Car Park Brentford. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Graffiti Brentford in the Watermans Car Park Brentford. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Was Brentford 2-1 Rotherham one of our most important games ever? A few thoughts and photos


This might sound ridiculous to the casual football observer and critic but this game rates up there with play off finals in order of its importance. The increasing turbulence and mutterings of discontent against the owner, manager,players and no doubt the programme sellers has been assuming absurd proportions. Last season was a one off. A group of committed players, playing well beyond their potential at times, a few good slices of luck  and importantly a relatively injury free season allowed the stars to align and Brentford to achieve an outcome almost undreamt of.

This season has been a disaster so far this is true. Some of the more worrying elements come in almost forgotten metrics such as a significantly reduced number of travelling fans, less vocal support from the home crowds and most worryingly for me, the reduced tempo and work rate that has been the norm this season. Of course the results are important but the manner of the performances are what dictates the pleasure or displeasure levels of the Brentford faithful.

What we saw yesterday was a spirited performance that maybe deserved the 3 points despite being at times the weaker side. The work rate was high and the effort cannot be faulted. The performance of Jake Bidwell was one of his best in a Brentford shirt.

There can be no doubt we were lucky to win and the neutral observer would have scored this as a draw. An exciting game played by two teams who found it difficult to defend well.

The three points are like gold dust. They give us some breathing space, introduce a winning mentality confidence and importantly consign Rotherham to at least another week below us in the relegation zone. That we are beating the weaker sides is actually very important. All the three sides we have beaten represent sides that will be in bottom 8 places come the end of the season. Relegation for Brentford would herald another difficult mountain to climb to escape League 1 and we can see how difficult that is for large clubs such as Sheffield United. However this season ends we need to end it in the Championship and one can argue that the re-building process can now resume. I personally think some of the new signings will be successful at Brentford and some will not. I also think based on yesterday that Lee Carsley is moulding a unit in his style of play, more rugged and physical than maybe we have been used to. Let us see how that works out.

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Molesey 2 Carshalton 1


A few photos from an entertaining game that really might have been a draw. The floodlights were the poorest I have personally ever photographed under and their variability of light meant the pitch was in essence a huge chessboard where only some areas could realistically be used to get photos from. A crowd of 96 souls braved the chilly evening to watch the game.

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Luke Colquhoun

Luke Colquhoun

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Luke Colquhoun

Luke Colquhoun

1K4A5017 1K4A5018 1K4A5021 1K4A5025 1K4A5033 1K4A5034 1K4A5035 1K4A5036 1K4A5037 1K4A5038 1K4A5039 1K4A5040 1K4A5045 1K4A5046 Bad Hair Day best.JPG Bad Hair Day best best2

Craig Lewington

Craig Lewington

No goal

Pete Wentz meets fans before Fall Out Boy concert Wembley SSE Arena 2015


Pete Wentz is the 36 year old bassist and backing vocalist for the American band Fall Out Boy , currently in the middle of a UK tour. By all media accounts a decent guy with two children with interesting names.Bronx Mowgli Wentz, Saint Lazslo Wentz. On sunday Oct 1th Fall Out boy play SSE Wembley venue in the evening and last week on some twitter account it was advertised, though quietly that Pete Went would be holding a “meet and greet” with a limited number of fans sunday lunchtime. There was little said on Twitter about this probably because on each of friday, saturday and sunday, the wristbands for the “meet and greet” were only available each day to the first 40 people who each bough at least £25 of “merch” from a pop up shop in Camden town called ” Rock and Roll Rescue”. Hence on each of the last three days there have been queues with some people queueing all night for the prize of being in the first 40 people in the queue. The shop is an unassuming shop not far from Camden Underground station that is run as a charity shop however for the 3 days they have packed their merchandise away to turn it essentially into a shrine to Fall Out Boy filled with various T-shirts, hoodies and other “merch”.

Driving up sunday morning and arriving at 7 am on a cold and slightly foggy morning the sight of precisely 33 people in the queue was a welcome sight to the two 15 year olds hoping to get their wristbands. The girls at the front of the queue had been there since 2 am and most likely were students from near by University College. Others too had camped out on cold UK nights previously . A few funny stories emerge of guys finding that the shops facility to take credit cards had broken and dashing off like Usain bolt to the nearest cashpoint in order to get the needed 25£ minimum for the wristband. At 7.30 am on friday there were maybe only 10 souls in the queue, on saturday by 7 am there were 27 and by 7 am sunday there were 33. It is also worth observing that the first underground train into Camden on a sunday does not arrive until 7.30 am and one imagines a fair few disappointed fans on that train well outside of the magic number of 40 . An excellent idea that was attributed to the girls at the front of the queue was to mark hands with the number one was in the queue. This prevented queue jumping, and indeed two people thought this was an acceptable thing to attempt. They failed. It also meant that those outside the top 40 were not waiting uncessarily for 3 hours or more.

Why do rational and intelligent teenagers do this? Clearly a focus on the band and the music, but there is an ever increasing market for the merchandise (“merch”) that all bands purvey. Is this a pure commercial thing to meet the fans only if they bought merchandise or is it an attempt to give something back to those genuine fans who follow the band ( as maybe proven by their purchases)? I favour the later. That Pete Wentz will take the time to meet individually 120 predominantly female teenagers and sign an item for them, and no doubt pose for a photograph, cannot be cost-effective if that is the pure motivation. Again if only 40 lucky souls get their wristbands each day it cannot be an attempt to drive custom to this temporary pop up shop.

This “meet and greet” here is for me mainly altruistic and other bands like All Time Low have done a similar thing at a small record shop in Kingston , surrey recently. There is also another kind of more commercial activity where for a far higher price one gets ” temporary exclusive access” to a band or their members, before a concert. These are often labelled VIP tickets or similar, or sometimes access to soundchecks. For example 5SOS did this recently.

However the best “meet and greet ” I am aware of is by the band Hey Violet. Where the day after their concerts they do free acoustic sets, and OK, they play a single song, but they then allow everyone to meet them and have their photograph taken all free. I got the opportunity to take some photographs a while ago of their London acoustic set at SSE Wembley

Signed Pete Wentz Drawing. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Signed Pete Wentz Drawing. Copyright Chris Bushe 2015

Pete Wentz and Fans

Pete Wentz and Fans

Fall out boy SSE Wembley 2015

Fall out boy SSE Wembley 2015

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