Blood, Sweat And Beers

Two weeks remain on my training course.

I've been on placement locally for the last fortnight, but return to the course on Sunday.

I'm really enjoying it. It has been intense, challenging and, above all, thoroughly interesting. We've covered all manner of things from fire-fighting to plain old fighting, use of pepper spray to use of a verbal spray.

In addition we've also undergone much extra-curricular 'training' in the local pub.

That's one area where I'm excelling.

Celtic Band

It's been a hectic couple of weeks.

I'm home for the weekend after completing week two of the seven week training course for my new job. The course is heavy going, but very, very interesting.

Last weekend young Neil and I had a big weekend on the sauce down in Melbourne. We went down to watch England take on Australia in the Rugby League World Cup. Even though the poms got flogged, we had a thoroughly good time. We spent Sunday afternoon in Melbourne's best known British pub, The Elephant and Wheelbarrow, which felt even more homely as it was full of poms doing what feels right on Sunday afternoons - getting full. We also caught up with former Miss Albury, Jen, and her fella Matt and had a good old catch up with them. They told us all about their recent excursion to Europe.

We'll be spending the majority of this weekend in the lovely town of Beechworth at their annual Celtic Festival. It's a great event and this year our daughter Robyn will be performing on the stage accompanied by fellow Welsh Wodongian Glyn on guitar. You can read Robyn's 'festival profile' here.

They'll be performing on both Saturday and Sunday and Robs will be singing in Welsh. It's a big event but she doesn't seem to be nervous at all. I'd be bricking it.