I arrived in Glasgow on Sunday 30th July. This was my first trip to Scotland. I had umpired a match the day before in Manchester - Manchester Mosquitoes v Nottingham Scorpions. This was the last match of the regular season for both teams. Manchester won the match convincingly and just failed to make the finals. I got up early on Sunday and caught the train from Manchester to Glasgow. I love train travel, it's very relaxing and you have much more leg room than on the dreaded bus. Andy Butler has been involved in trying to grow the sport in Scotland [View Full Entry]

---

---

The land of Robin Hood. I travelled to Nottingham to umpire a match between the Nottingham Scorpions and the Reading Roos. Both teams play in the British Australian Rules Football League (BARFL). Train travel is very expensive in the UK and it cost me £45 to get from London to Nottingham! They really encourage British people to see their own country. [View Full Entry]

---

---

The annual Cheese Rolling festival is world famous, and rightly so. Crazy, deranged people run down a hill so steep that their head overtakes the rest of their body almost immediately. The object is to chase a large round cheese, that hurtles down the hill at lightning pace, although sometimes it is stopped when it takes out a member of the crowd. If you come here, don't read the paper whilst the race is on! I thought about going in the race but decided I was rather fond of my unbroken bones. So I ended up going in the uphill race [View Full Entry]

---

---

Easter was fast approaching and I had no plans. So at the last minute I decided to go to Cornwall for four days. London is a great city but you go crazy if you don't get out now and then. And I needed to smell the sea. [View Full Entry]

---

---

A good mate of mine had a spare ticket for the Boxing Day Test at the MCG. Australia were playing South Africa and there was no way I was going to miss this. So I brought my flight forward, leaving London at 10.30pm on Christmas Eve. I spent Xmas Day in the air, arriving back in God's own at approx 7am. After a bus ride home and a quick shower it was off to the MCG, where I promptly fell asleep. It was good to be home! [View Full Entry]

---

---

Rain, rain, rain. My first trip to Wales was very wet. Despite the conditions I enjoyed Cardiff. [View Full Entry]

---

---

The inaugural EU Cup was held on Sunday 9th October, 2005. It was a fantastic event, with 10 teams travelling to London from all over Europe. The venue was Chiswick Park, home of the West London Wildcats. Belgium defeated Sweden in the Grand Final. [View Full Entry]

---

---

Growing up in Australia, Stonehenge seemed so far away. I had wanted to go there for such a long time, so it was a pretty special day. It's a shame you are not allowed to touch the stones, but a great experience nonetheless. Apparently the Druids had nothing to do with Stonehenge. Whenever I think of Druids the image of Getafix from Asterix & Obelix pops into my head. Why am I telling you this? I have no idea. Salisbury Cathedral is nearby, so I stopped off to have a look there as well. [View Full Entry]

---

---

I travelled to Stockholm to umpire the Grand Final of the Stockholm Australian Football Federation (SAFF). This was my first trip to Stockholm. Stockholm is a beautiful city and I had a great time there. [View Full Entry]

---

---

This was not my first trip to Paris. I have been to Paris a few times now and it is a great city. [View Full Entry]

---

---