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Published: April 17th 2006
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I had been looking forward to today for a while now. We were going to the Oxford versus Cambridge rowing race, and catching up with friends from back home. Ravi and Matty said they would come in for a look, but Ravi was a late withdrawal, and said he might meet up with us later. This meant we didn't have to catch the train, and could get a lift in with Kez and Rod. Kez dropped us off right at the front of Canada Water station, and then we caught the tube to Hammersmith where we were all going to meet to watch the race.
The race didn't start until 16.30, and we were early so we went into a pub for lunch and drinks. They had beers that were stored at room temperature, and still come through a tap. A plus is that they don't get exposed to any chemicals in the brewing or cooling process. The downside is that it isn't cold. I didn't mind how it tasted though. Old School English beers.
I rang the others who were still going to be a while, so we decided to make our way down to the river and have a
look. There was already a big crowd in attendance, with many people having drinks and snacks in plastic bags. There were also bars that were proving popular, and even little make shift stalls were selling beers. Fosters seems to be what nearly everyone drinks.
We weren't sure where to base ourselves, and then we saw a sign to the Old Ship pub, which is where Stirlo had suggested. It took us a while to get there through the crowd, and we got caught in a short down pour. The Old Ship was absolutely packed, but after a short wait we got in. Inside the queues for drinks were huge, but we found an alternative little bar selling just herbed wine. With our wines we jostled our way into the marquee where they were playing really loud 'House' music, but the vibe was really cool. It got a bit much though after a while so we headed back outside to wait for the others. Andie was the first to arrive as she is living in Fulham which is just down the road. It was cool to catch up with her, and swap school gossip. Andie has a really good, 'flexible' job
over here.
I had only just commented to Beck that we would bump into someone we know (unplanned), and then that is exactly what Janelle Walker did. Beck also recognised a guy who used to work at Jetty Surf in Eastland, but at first he denied it, until he saw Andie who went to school with him. Small world!
We had a beer with Andie and then the Brixton boys turned up. They had been living it up since Friday, and it wasn't hard to tell. They were drinking long necks of Red Bull and Vodka. Brett was just wearing a t-shirt, and kept saying, "It's my faaaavourite", and "This is bulllllllllshit". Chriso meanwhile, when you could understand him, kept saying, "He's been doing it all day!"
Chriso was wearing his collector's item Merrick and Rosso, "G'day tiger" t-shirt. It has seen better days, and we debated whether the wear and tear would increase it's re-sell value.
Chriso also has a tiny black eye, and scratches on his head that were incurred during his drinking escapades over the weekend with Bretty. Chriso had a white t-shirt underneath that he proudly showed covered in pink and purple blotches from drinking snakebites.
In other words they were both in good form.
Pauly Fraars was also with them, but he was in good nick having played in an Aussie Rules practice match down at Brighton the day before. I think I'll try and play a couple of games with Pauly and the boys, not sure about training though!
It looked like it was going to come down pretty hard again so we jostled our way back into the marquee of the Old Ship. They had changed DJ's, but they were still pumping out the tunes. Somehow we lost the boys, and the next we heard from them they were in a gay bar in Hammersmith.
Luckily we got under the marquee, because it started to pour with rain, and then I saw Stirlo peering through the crowd inside. He couldn't come in because he had a box of beer (Carlsberg) with him in an esky on wheels for him and his Birmingham mates. They weren't letting people out so it took us a little bit to get out there and catch up with Stirls.
Stirlo was in good form (as always), and it sounds like he will be home for next year, before
heading off again. It was a bit bizarre to have your Woori mates in London, but nothing much was different. Stirls and I both had surprise guests for each other, and while he guessed mine straight away (Lukey Davis), it took me a while before I guessed Rael Belterman.
The boys arrived back from the gay bar, and the day was in full swing. We were going to have to move if we were going to see the race, but we just did what the majority of the crowd did - kept talking and drinking. A big cheer went up when the boats went past, and Matty got a textie letting us know that Oxford had won comfortably. Matty and I were both barracking for one or both of the boats to sink, because it was meant to be a distinct possibility due to the choppy conditions. Apparently Cambridge came close to sinking, because they didn't have a pump in their boat, but both boats made it.
At this point the party was at full swing, there was a guy up a light pole, and two other guys had climbed to the top of this huge hedge over looking the
street party much to the delight of the crowd.
Lukey joined us just prior to the race, and so did Rael. It was hard to believe that four guys from the same year at Upper Yarra would be together in London, ten years since finishing. It was the first time I'd seen Rael since high school.
The party seemed to dwindle very quickly, and so we thought we'd head to a pub as it wasn't exactly warm. We said goodbye to Stirls, and told him we'd come up to Birmingham one weekend. At the station we saw off Fraars who was calling it a day, and Lukey who was heading back to Bristol. We are going to work out a weekend we go there as well.
Since Andie was the local we followed her guidance. There was a line for the pub we were planning on going into, so we grabbed some souvlakis and then went into a quieter pub. Chriso and Bretty didn't stay long before heading homeward. That left Andie, Matty, Beck and me. We stayed until about nine before calling it a day, and heading to Canada Water for our lift home with Kez and Rod.
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