The passage of time in Wellington and elsewhere
“[Christian] has found a place where he feels confident to take the next step in the fight to get back on to the field. I’m super-happy that he is safe and happy and looking forward to playing football, and that we can all see him play again” – the Denmark coach, Kasper Hjulmand, on Christian Eriksen finding the right club in Brentford. Read his Q&A with Bart Vliestra here.
Christian Eriksen in action for Denmark against Finland at Euro 2020, before his cardiac arrest
Christian Eriksen has made an emotional return to football with Brentford after the trauma of the Euro 2020 finals last summer when, in his words, he “died for five minutes” on the pitch. The Denmark midfielder suffered a cardiac arrest during his team’s opening game of the tournament against Finland in Copenhagen on 12 June and received life-saving treatment from medics
Eriksen has been motivated by the dream of returning to the highest level and playing for Denmark at the World Cup finals in Qatar at the end of the year. He has taken another step towards it by signing for Brentford until the end of the season. If things go well, he could be offered a deal for the following season.
Johnson has been in the firing line for few weeks. This week he stood up in Parliament and gave a fulsome “apology’. One of those non-apology apologies.
Cartoons give an idea of feeling in the country at the moment. Even the usual supporters are less supportive, though, there remain plenty of others who are happy to keep pumping him up to protect their own arses.
Last week ( the bog as been inaccessible- host changing)
Anyway nice walk with EQ from Putney to the Tate Gallery along the river bank. Of note, it was the first time I have been up close to Battersea Power station.
It has been close and then under re-development ever since I was doing my daily trips to Bridge Lane. It has been developed for high-end accommodation and of course has the run of shops just by. This is where we sat for coffee and bun. The whole area is a construction site. Seems a concrete desert to me, with so many blocks going up- all the same.
I read an article of the stories of why people have become British citizens in 2021. I found this paragraph in the introduction pertinent:
The most rewarding part of the citizenship process is not only gaining British nationality. It’s all about the courage to leave your country of origin, the initial struggle, the hard work and resilience. It’s about the cultural exchange and appreciation of a new way of living. It’s all about the journey.
A Wednesday evening trip to the stadium against one of the best teams around.
A 0-1 loss was, in the end, not surprising. Considering the recent form of City it could gave been an avalanche. Some fine players on display but at the same time plenty of modern footballer antics with feigning injury and complaining to the referee to make one mad.
After the game, in the pub, the lads were pragmatic.
A suite of activities with chats EQ and JQ who is of course in Wellington.
The activities included watching London Scottish play in Richmond with IQ and Anthony. It is good to see ‘real rugby’ or maybe old-fashioned. The players are not all uniformly the size of houses and subtlety seems to play a bit more of a role.
Next it was a trip to Kew Gardens to see the light show. A team of three this time with Shaz and IQ.
Next after that fun ti was off to the pub to watch Brentford play BHA. Not a good performance and not a good result.
A few pictures to show the day, which, as well as the fine feast, included Mass at St. Peter and St. Paul, Northfields, video chats with EQ who was and remains marooned in Glasgow because of Covid.
Along with the food and alcohol there was the annual viewing of ‘Love Actually’ plus the 1971 Morecambe and Wise classic Christmas special.
