Early start Thursday morning, 24th July, as we are all off to the World Match Play champs in the Winter Gardens building in Blackpool.
We Left NB FireflyNZ moored in Paddington Basin and caught the Oxford Tube ,bus, from Marble Arch at 7.05am to Thornhill park and ride where Spencer picked us up and delivered us to the Racing Ford Focus for our trip up North.
After many days of hot temperatures Oxford was a lowly 8 -10 degrees early on.....
We had to open bags to get some warm gear to put on...
Three hours driving and the temperature had got,n back in the mid twenties up Blackpool way...
Settled in the B&B it was time to sample the onsite bar and try....
Our tee shirts that Bruce had designed and had printed in Aussie.... By The Club of Odd Volumes....
Then it was off down town, 12 minute walk, to the venue.
Before we entered the Ball room where the darts are held there was a chance...
To loosen up the fingers on a couple of 6 strings which would make glass holding more better.....
Nat, & Leonie tried the same but.....
6 stings was way out of their league....
Inside the venue and it was starting to "Pump"... that's young persons talk for "Getting Freak.n Noisy"......
So we went to our table and....
Got our message boards done... Plaques and marker pens supplied in quantity....
All over the world any crowd gathering, concerts etc, and especially sports events it's now all "Dumbed down". Like bag searches, restrictions on alcohol purchased, only 2 drinks a person and they're low volume alcohol, plastic everything so no weapons of destruction can be fabricated, no cameras etc,etc,.
Well at the darts I wouldn't go as far as saying they encourage one to drink but it's real beer in like 2 litre jugs, there's a full range of alcoholic drinks and buy what you need.
The atmosphere with the "Walk on Music" and flashing lights as the players enter and also when 180's are scored is electric and for 35 quid for 4 hours entertainment is gotta be great value..
Compare that with a football game. 80 quid for ninety minutes to watch overpaid, 300,000 quid a week, Soft Cock sports men lay down at the slightest opportunity and throw a "Howly" cause someone's taken their Cuddly.....
Most people wore the 180 hats as hats, mine.....
Helped to hold my arms on.....
Leonie and Nat, went over to where the players enter the stage... A railed off walkway......
Their signs were seen around the world... even by those intended....
They wanted to touch MVG, world No,1..... and because they missed the Bay City Rollers tour in NZ, pregnant, they still had that, I wanna be a "Groupie" thing......
An early game saw....
"The Wizard" from Aussie, Simon Whitlock against James the "Machine" Wade....
Wade won the first 4 games but ended up losing, well you can't play against a "Spell", 16 -10.....
Our seats were awesome close to centre stage but there's big screens so it's easy to follow the action...
When a player scores a max, that is 180 scored, no not three chicks in one night, up go....
The crowd with the 180 signs etc, accompanied by the music...song and dance.....
Some people put in great effort on their costumes....
This Dude......
Would "Take the Cake".......
Another game and....
Took twice as many steps to walk the same route home with next days play, Friday, to look forward too....
Decided to check out the Blackpool scene so Fri, morn, sun blazing again, we headed off...
Walking along the concrete beach from the centre pier toward the other pier down by the roller coaster...
For water so close to the Arctic I was surprised how warm it was...... Although....
Nats, first splash seemed too much.....
Time to walk on.....
Stay inline and we won't lose anyone......
Then out of the blue Nat, got......
A wave that soaked her "Crutch"... A quick talk and a unanimous corporate decision was made....
(a) leave the shorts on... would save her from being as popular as MVG...
(b) the salt water would kill any germs anyway........
Looking toward the roller coaster end...
It was good thinking that I wore my "Saltwater Crocs" eh?...
Looking Toward.......
Where we had come from.... totally unsuitable footware.....
Then Nat, started....
The old "Splashing" game.... you just gotta stand and take it cos, you'll never win against her....
Finally made the big ride.....
Bruce is some what a "Roller Coaster Affishiado" so to add another scalp to his world of rollercoasters ridden list...
Him and Nat rode it.....He did comment that over 200 foot climb to the point of no return is a bit of a "Heart Pumper"....
OHH and the.....
Corners are good two......Trammed back to central boulevard and was walking the "board walk" when out of the blue Nat, decides to.....
Change the colour of her hair.... with some help from a seagull..... she asked Bruce about the colour but it wasn't a "hit" with every one......
Friday evening came around and we were back at the venue. Our seats were not on the floor in front of the players but on the balcony that surrounds 3 walls of the hall.
Once again the....
Coded messages were ready....
And the purchasing of....
More beer was done....
Then on came the greatest player of all time.....
"Phil the Power Taylor".... 16 times world champ...... plus a zillion other titles world wide....
He "Creamed" his opponent Wes Newton .. 16 -8...
Gary Anderson played 2 times world champ, Adrian "Jackpot" Lewis... Anderson won.. 16 - 8....
Did you know why Lewis stage name is Jackpot?... well when he was a teenager he played darts in a tournament in Vegas and stuck a "Jackpot" on a pokie machine... $200,0000... about, but was too young to be able to claim the prize... Gutted??...
Anyway the night was awesome and the 2 days were everything we'd hoped for in having a great time.....
A couple of shots from the balcony seating....
Even at a distance it's good viewing....
Bout the only thing they don't do is put it up in Braille......
Phil Taylor went onto win the final, Sunday, against MVG....18-9... too good....
Drove back to Oxford on Saturday via Llangollan so Bruce and Nat, could walk the Aqueduct. Also called into Chester and walked the Roman wall....
So much to do... so little time...
Had some Beers and food in Oxford with Spence and Karen, caught the bus and was back onboard FireflyNZ at 1.45am Sunday....
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