ENGLAND LIFT THE CUP!

After a nerve racking penalty shoot out this afternoon in the Olympic Stadium Berlin, England finally lifted the World Plastic Cup! The rejoiceing that followed was slightly marred by a head butting incident during the game as captured in the photograph.

GUTEN MORGEN BERLIN

“I am a donut” President Kennedy proclaimed to the people of Berlin, so this morning I skipped the sausages and ate donuts in his honour! Berliners indeed! The stadium that hosted the recent World Cup Final looked splendid at dawn when I arrived. As the dawn light rapidly lit up the stadium, memories of failed penalty shoot outs, eager given red cards and Portuguese formation diving flooded my mind. Gennyworld is parked close to the Olympic flame pedestal at the open end of the Stadium and today is going to be another hot one. The heat wave is following us around Europe!
It was only a three hour drive from Hannover to Berlin, they charge trucks to use the autobahns these days and last nights journey cost 30 euros and with diesel costing 5 euros a gallon trucking in Europe is a costly business. Anyway to more important matters, us Englanders or as the Germans say Island Monkeys have decide to hold our very own penalty shoot out later this afternoon, more to follow, fingers crossed!

HANNOVER

The heat wave in northern Europe continues! It hit 40 degrees in Gennyworld yesterday but at least it cools down during the night. This morning Hannover is basking in early morning sunshine and clear blue skies. The Machsee, a lake that skirts one side of the stadium, is looking good and for a city the size of Hannover it is surprisingly quiet, anyway I can hear the sausages sizzling, it must be fruhstuck (breakfast).

Munchen to Hannover

After another breakfast of rost bratwurst mit senf und brotchen (sausage sarny) I drove the remaining 30 kilometres to Hannover and the AWD Stadium, I am sure it used to be called the Knicker-Knacker Stadiom or something like that before its World Cup spruce up. I had arrived in Hannover around mid-day after leaving Munich at 1:00 AM. It had been a pleasant drive through the cool of the night, the temperature dramatically dropped to a welcoming 11 degrees as I drove along the autobahn that runs alongside the Czech border near Wackersdorf and the Oberpfalzer Wald.
Well it’s Monday and another German Stadium car park and yes the temperature has soared to 30 degrees, air-condition trucks are a blessing!
Today I am posting some great shots of the Munich Olympic stadium taken by a fellow driver called Rommel aka Ronnie with his new camera. He must have parachuted out of a plane to get these! (Actually he rode his bike up to the top of a big hill!)

DINGLY DELL

After the show in Wien “Vienna” it was an overnight drive straight to Munchen “Munich” and the Bundersliga redundant Olympiche Stadiom. The forty plus production trucks snaked their way out of Austria and into Deutschland for a busy four shows in eight day schedule. The tree lined roads around the stadium soon became a temporary truck park for the emptied trucks as the production crew got to work clambering over the oil-rig looking skeleton of the stage. The Genny’s are perched in the usual position at the top of one end of the stadium next to the scoreboard that triumphantly displayed, in the not too distanced past, “England 5 Germany 1” With the retreat of Munich’s finest football team to the new Alliance “dunlopillo” Stadium the crew can now use the home and away teams dressing room for showers, I decided to use the one Michael Owen used for old time sake! After my victorious shower I decided to park my unit “truck, the bit that attaches to the trailer” at the entrance to one of the lanes we christened Dingly Dell quite a few years ago on a previous tour and this morning it is a gloriously cool blue skied summer morning in the capital of Bavaria. I expect its sausages for breakfast!

Italy

The journey began on June 2nd 2006.We picked the Genny trucks (units only)in Suffolk England and then bounced across to Amsterdam to couple upto the generator trailers and headed for Milan Italy. Down through Belgium,Luxembourg and France, then through the Mont Blonc tunnel into Italy. We where met by Alpine thunderstorms as we descended down to the flat plain of Northern Italy and soaring temperatures. The next few days were spent parked up on the expansive carpark of the San Siro stadium. The Heat became oppresive and hit 42 degrees! There is this strange fenced off waste land next to the stadium, rumours of it being an ancient Milanese bubonic plauge pit abounded, it was also obviuosly the breeding ground of the most ravenous blood sucking mosquito's in Europe. After the show on the 11th the 42 production trucks escaped to Austria and the relatively cool of Vienna and the Ernst Happel Stadium.

WE ARE BACK !

Steel River Blues

LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE AT THE RIVERSIDE

After two fantastic results against Basle and Stau Bucherest lightning struck twice at the Riverside!

EINDHOVEN HERE COMES THE BORO

After another miracle game at the Riverside Stadium Middlesbrough FC 1986 reached the final of the UEFA Cup final after beating Stau Bucherest 4-3 on aggrogate!!!! Is there anybody out there that can help me get a ticket!!!!!!!!!!!!

BORO BATTER BASLE

Last Thursday saw the Boro beat Basle FC of Switzerland 4 - 1 to reach the semi finals of the UEFA Cup. Massimo Maccarone scored the fourth and vital goal in the last few minutes of the game. MACCARONE CHEERS!!!!

Gennyworld 2 The Return!

In the not to distance future it could be the return of Gennyworld.

GOALS AT THE MILLENIUM CARDIFF

During the U2 concert I took this photo of the goalposts stored in the alleyway backstage at the Millenium Stadium. I waited a long time for the BORO to get their first major trophy so these goalposts are very special!!!

BORO 3 Chelsea 0

BOROBOROBOROBOROBOROBOROBOROBOROBOROBORO etc etc etc...............

The Marquee Club (A slice of music history)

These images are of a programme I picked up at the Marquee Club situated on Wardour Street, London in April 1968.

Robert Johnson.

It was the summer of 1965 and I was fourteen and decided to hitch-hike to London, a distance of 250 miles from my home town. It was to become a pilgrimage that would unknowingly at that time have a great influence on the rest of my life. Sleeping rough for two weeks I discovered the sights of central London and even visited The Beatles fan club and the offices of Private Eye in Soho.I took the train to Richmond and The Jazz & Blues festival, at The Auberge coffee bar in the town I remember someone telling me to listen to Robert Johnson, the rest is history and The Who and The Steam Packet were great.

 
 

Homage to Frank Meadows Sutcliffe

Just thought I would post a photo of a painting I completed 25 years ago. It was painted with oil and acrylic on canvas 4 feet by 3 feet. I guess I painted it as a tribute to Whitby!

Steaming!

There is something about steam trains!

Those were the day's!

 
 

Roll on Spring!

It's the end of January and yes, I too am bored of winter and the long dark nights. To liven things up I have posted a view of my local pub and a "O.Winston Link" inspired shot of a nearby Feed Bin!!! These shots were taken with my cell phone.

People have been taking photographs, while on the road for years!

It was thirty years ago!

Thirty years ago I drove across the states and during a stop over in Arizona I hired a horse and came across this ranch!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

WISHING YOU A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

IMAGINE

Twenty five years ago I was sat in the Comedy Store on Sunset Strip, West Hollywood and a waitress approached my table with a drink for me, she was crying. I asked her if she was alright and she replied, "John Lennon has been shot dead this evening in New York!" I downed my drink in one and went straight home and watched the television news in disbelief. Innocence was driven much further back into my memory.

Tour Digital Images

I thought it was about time I posted a few more snaps on Ye Olde Blogge!!!!