One happy licence fee payer

Colindale, London, England // 5.08 pm // Mostly clear 4ºc / 39ºf

Last night Celtic played Dundee United in the Scottish League Cup semi-final. I knew about the game in advance and it was due to be screened on BBC One Scotland, which I don't have at home. Usually, therefore, I'd go to the Celtic pub in Kilburn, but it wasn't really an option last night as I was due to be in bed by 10pm, and it takes me a good 45 minutes to get to (and from) that pub. So I resigned myself to the fact that I'd just have to listen to it on the radio.

A few minutes before kick-off I had a sudden thought. On Freeview, which is the service that I get my TV from, the BBC has a service called BBC Red Button which is effectively a few video streams "hidden" behind the red button on BBC TV services. I thought I would check it out, just for the very small possibility that those lovely people at the BBC decided to let us ex-pats in England watch the game too. I went to Channel 301, which is one of the streams, and was presented with the most beautiful of sights:

"Coming Next: CIS Insurance Cup Semi Final, Celtic v Dundee United". How happy I was!! I actually couldn't believe it.

So I got to watch the game, although it did disappear a couple of times during extra time and penalties as the game moved from BBC One Scotland to BBC Two Scotland and back again, meaning whoever was in charge of playout at BBC Red Button had to try and keep up! It was one of the best cup ties I've seen for years, really intense towards the end of normal time and throughout extra time. And the penalty shootout was something else! It lasted for ages, over 20 penalties, including goalkeeper vs goalkeeper twice! Thankfully, we won in the end but it meant going to bed a good 45 minutes later than initially planned!

On the way back from work tonight I saw two kids playing kerby in the street. For those that don't know, kerby is when you stand at the opposite sides of a road, and you take turns at trying to bounce a football off of the opposite kerb. Every time you get it, you then stand halfway in the middle of the road and keep doing it until you miss. Every time you hit the kerb, you get a point. So simple but soo much fun. I used to love playing it when I was a kid, and was almost tempted to join in, but quickly decided against it before I was reported as being a "strange man" (!)

So, one of the main things I was looking forward to when I moved to London was going to more gigs, and being able to stay later, not having to rush for the last train back to Reading. Since moving here 6 months ago I have been to this many gigs: 0.

But that will change this weekend, as I'm going (for the first time) to see Talc perform live tomorrow night in Kilburn, followed by Joey Negro and The Sunburst Band at Cargo on Saturday night. I might also be seeing Tremain, a band involving my friend Lee (ex-Kaldera) at indigO2 in a couple of weeks. And then I'm hoping to see Incognito perform at the Camden Centre sometime in, I think, April.