On Saturday Rosie and I went to a Charity Polo Match in aid of Hope for Tomorrow and the Prince’s Trust. I had been invited as a guest of the charity Hope for Tomorrow because of the volunteer work I do maintaining their website.

We arrived at midday to a champagne reception followed by a short explanation of the game of polo. We were then treated to a lunch of crayfish tails with lime mayonnaise followed by roast saddle of lamb and a summer fruits pudding to finish.

After lunch the charities held an auction. Hope for Tomorrow is trying to raise money to purchase a pioneering mobile chemotherapy unit that will operate in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire bringing life-saving treatment to patients in the area where they live. Most items in the auction went for well over £1500 with the majority of opening bids at £500. The most expensive item, two tickets to any sporting event up to and including the 2008 Beijing Olympics, went for over £10,000.

The first polo match began at around 3.15 in the afternoon with two teams of four players per team. The teams were captained by Prince William and Prince Harry respectively. It was quite a surprise to see both of the young princes on the field at the same time.

At half time (after 15 minutes of play, seven and a half minutes per ‘chukker’) the crowd was invited to go onto the polo ground and push in the divots. We walked around laughing pushing in divots and then I took a picture of Rosie divoting.

The match ended with Prince Williams team winning overall. They were presented with the Vodafone Cup by Lord MacLaurin of Knebworth. The event had raised £55,000 for the two charities.

After the polo we had a cream tea and then drove back to Bristol.

All my photos of the polo are on my gallery.

This weekend #exeter went on an outing to Joust at Berkeley Castle.

Nick gave me a lift and we followed James who was driving Roz, Becky and Dave. Duds was already there when we arrived, while Andi and Rosie met up with us later in the day.

When we arrived we had to drive down a thin dirt track to get into the car park which was essentially a field. As soon as we stepped out of the car we could hear the sound of cannon fire in the distance.

After going through the ticket barrier with our pre-purchased tickets we were astounded by the number of tents that had been set up on midsummer meadow. There were hundreds of small traders selling all sorts of medieval styled items from swords and bows to tunics and tables. In the centre of all the stalls was a large jousting arena.

We set off to find Duds who was watching a demonstration of medieval cannons at the seige area. By the time we arrived the cannons were being packed away. However we stayed around and watched a demonstration of armour piercing archery.

Once the archery had finished we went to look at the programme to see what else was on. As there wasn’t going to be any jousting for about an hour we went and got some food. I had an organic beef burger with mustard and tomato relish. I washed that down with a pint of cider. Becky bought a cup of mead which we all tried. It reminded me of cough mixture.

The jousting started at 12.45 when six knights on horseback entered the arena. I didn’t manage to get any pictures of the jousting itself since there was a post in the way, however I did manage photos of the knights and also when they were hand to hand fighting in the arena.

After the jousting we went to look around the stalls to see what was for sale. Becky was rather interested in buying a sword and had a look around a number of the arms selling traders. When we had exhausted the first batch of stalls we went back to the main arena to watch a falconry display. At one point the falconer asked members of the audience to lie on the ground in a line. He then got the hawk to swoop low over them to his glove at the other end of the line.

The falconry finished after half an hour. Becky, Dave, Nick and I went to look around the second lot of stalls. We then watched a mock siege before meeting up with everyone else. Nick had to leave us as he was off to another part of the UK. We said good bye and then went to look around Berkeley castle itself.

The castle is not huge but it does have all the requirements of a real castle such as battlements, thick walls and being called a castle. We left a quick note in the visitors book before heading home.

I heard this passage at Jed and Rose’s wedding last weekend.

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, p. 281, by Louis de Bernieres, Secker & Warburg (11 April 1994)

Dr Iannis, is talking to his daughter, Pelagia, who is betrothed to Mandras, but falling in love with Captain Corelli.

And another thing. Love is a temporary madness, it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion… That is just being ‘in love’, which any fool can do. Love itself is what is over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two.

After recent events I am in need of a plus one to attend a charity polo match with me. You will receive, for free, the following:

• Champagne reception
• Polo demonstration
• 3 course lunch including wine
• Grandstand seat at the polo match
• Afternoon Tea

The day will really not cost you anything at all. I can even collect you from Bristol or surrounding and take you there.

The match is being held at Beaufort Polo Club on Saturday 29th July and is in aid of a local cancer charity who are raising money for a mobile chemotherapy unit.

The day starts at noon and should be over by 5.30pm.

If you would like to come with me, I only have one place spare for one, then please email me on my usual address (available from www.durrans.com) or leave a comment with your contact details. I would love to go to this event and would really like to take someone with me.

Oh, I need to know really soon – the end of this week.

Thank you,

Daniel

Friday morning and I was heading to work, safe in the knowledge that by the evening I would be almost 190 miles away in Canterbury with my friends from University. Our mission for the weekend was to get Jed, the stag, completely and totally leg-less and give him the time of his pre-marriage life. Continue reading →