My First Year in London: Get Sporty.

Here I am again – only sportier.

Saturday Morning Football Snow

Over the past week I’ve played three, yes THREE netball matches. I’ve also joined a football team and been to my first training session in sub-zero temperatures!

Last Monday I headed to the Globe Academy (school’s are pretty swanky these days eh?!) at Elephant & Castle where our netball league, Go Mammoth, plays on a Monday evening. Our game started at 7.40pm but we got there pretty earlier to sign a waiver (if we die, it’s not their fault blah blah blah…), get out league t-shirt freebies, and warm-up – which was no easy task at -4°c.

We lost 22-2.

But, bearing in mind that some of the girls had never played a netball match before I didn’t think that score was too bad. I stayed for an extra game because the teams on next were missing a couple of players.. knackered.com!
This week we improved loads. Well, we still lost… but we managed to score 6! 13-6, not bad at all. And, as a rather cringey side-note and in an ‘Ode to Chippy’ [I tried to link to the page, alas they've made their group 'private']:

Match 1 – Player of the Match: me.

Match 2 – Player of the Match: me.

[For anyone who doesn't know Chippy/didn't see her CRINGE post that won't mean much..] So that’s nice.

Back to last week... I have been getting stuck into work and was busy catching up with my project managers to make sure there was nothing I was supposed to be doing that I wasn’t and everything was progressing smoothly with their projects. I was also preparing for my 6 month probation meeting with the Grad Scheme sponsor. It was my chance to discuss my progress so far and my plans for the next 18 months. The good news is my sponsor wants to keep me on the scheme, pheuw! And that’s usually followed by bad news but…I have none! How can there be with only FIFTY, 5-0 days until New Zealand!

I’ve been in touch with Connie and Jenny and an itinerary is in the process of being arranged – hopefully we’ll also be able to meet up with Heather and Jimmy while I’m there before hopping over to Sydney to see OB and Joe. Incredible. I absolutely can’t wait.

On Friday, I had a pretty early night knowing I’d be up early to get to football and preparing myself for a big night out on Saturday when Cam and Gemma came to stay for the night. I woke up early doors and headed out in the fresh snow(!) and still sub-zero temperatures(!!) and headed for Clapham Common. Yes, I know I was taking the piss out of all the keen beans running around the Common on a Saturday morning last week – I have become one. Football was great! A good group of girls and a great coach – we did some fitness (which nearly killed me), skills and drills (where I made a tit of myself by into a mound of snow and face-planting the ground) and finally a good long game (where I scored a cracker!). All in all pretty great.

Candy

Guard blates
fancied Cam

I quickly made my way back to the house to spring clean, scrub off the mud, and put the wine in the fridge and headed back out to Euston to meet Cam. We headed to Borough Market and Straford where we met Gemma and came back to the house and prepared for the night out with crap TV, some TOP DRAWER gossip and lots of booze. Lots of giggles later we got to the (still horrific) Candy Bar after a brief stop by G-A-Y Bar to collect our wristbands for Heaven. After a cheeky Jagerbomb and a rather long wait in the queue we finally made it inside and what are we rewarded by?...Emeli Sandé on stage! Her voice is a-mazing and it set us up for a good ol’ boogie for the rest of the night on the stage. At 4.30ish (and near closing time) we called it a night and headed for the night bus (via McDonalds and an early morning wake up call to JenLa obvs..). I may or may not have fallen off my seat as the bus took a corner rather sharply – but I kept hold of my BBQ sauce so all was well with the world. We strolled home in blissful unawareness until, during the tea and toast come-down, we saw on the news that Whitney had died. And I thought it totally appropriate to call mum to tell her – sorry mum! Really, really sad news.

Sandé

After a few hours sleep (for me, on a rather uncomfortable couch) we thought the best thing for he hangover was a walk around London in the fresh air. We visited Buckingham Palace, strolled up the Mall, around Trafalgar Square, down Whitehall and past Downing Street, Westminster, Big Ben until we decided on a late lunch at Wagamamas on the South Bank. Lovely.

Cam and Gem

We said our goodbyes as we went our separate ways at Euston. We’ll definitely be doing all of that again sometime soon – a brilliant 24hrs.

This week I’m out of the office on a course Monday – Wednesday doing my ITIL Foundation and on Thursday I’m helping with the Q&A session for the next Grad intake’s assessment centre – I can’t believe it’s come around so soon!! I’m also meeting up with Traum and Calla after my exam tomorrow who’re in London to see Lion King. I’m 100% sure I’m playing my classic role of third wheel in what is probably their Valentines date…sorry girls – Can’t wait to see you though!! And the Brennan sisters arrive on Friday.... messy times.

Until next week,

Bren x

PS, **Depressing Moment of the Week (and my life to date)**: EBay sending me an email advising I buy myself a Valentines gift. Fuck you, EBay.

PPS, If you’re sat at home alone this evening whilst housemates/siblings/parents/EVERYONE ELSE is out doing something romantic…… go ahead, treat yourself…