Birthday Blog

Squashed Fox awoke after a testing nights sleep for all of the team. The heat that generates within this particular Travelodge made one of the contingent quip ‘its like a sauna in here.’ With this in mind, this blogger woke up on the day of his birthday miles from home and feeling rather flat. After putting on a dashing Squashed Fox black polo and a dash of Brut, it was off to see Maureen Bateson MBE, councillor of Ewood ward. We arrived eagerly yet anxiously to Maureen’s house as we knew we had to go through the notorious Bolton Road that we have found to be a magnet for traffic. The temporary traffic lights have been a nightmare for all those involved. A lesson in life that has been ingrained in the memory of ex Shenfield High School students, are the words of the schools ex head teacher John Fairhurst who became synonymous with the five P’s – ‘Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.’ The five P’s were more than useful in counteracting the demands of the Bolton road as we planned ahead to give us enough time to breeze through the traffic whilst diminishing the threat of being late. We made the scheduled meet with time to spare, which was of relief to all involved.

The interview with Maureen was an absolute cracker and her passion for Rovers was clear for all to see. The painting of Alan Shearer scoring against Newcastle in the premier league winning season, stood proudly in her hall way and her knowledge of her beloved club was rather impressive. Maureen offered all the crew a cup of tea, which was a nice touch, and we appreciated her hospitality. After a successful interview, it was back on the dreaded Bolton Road but a beautiful rendition of the late great Bob Marley’s ‘Feel all right’ seemed to obliterate any sense of anxiety due to the roadwork’s. However local radio station The Bee played a Shakira number about her hips not lying and the presenter mentioned about her partner Gerard Pique that made the blogger come crashing back down to reality after the brief high of Bob Marley. The blogger reflected that everyday must be a birthday for FC Barcelona’s cultured centre back.

We had to entertain ourselves during the couple of hours between our first interview of the day and second with Sir Bill Taylor. We decided to have some Baguettes in the local shop under the Travelodge and quite frankly, the waitresses heart was undoubtedly not in it. The temperamental waitress gave off the impression that the customer was wrong to contemplate ordering some food or to ask about the menu. We all thought that she must be in a long expensive legal dispute with the charm school. The experience of the day was greatly improved when Louis the ever-reliable soundman gave this blogger a balloon from Mcdonalds and it was greatly appreciated. A box of Cherries from the co-op, which was at a bargain half price, put a brief smile on the face of the blogger.

Our second interview of the day was with Sir Bill Taylor who was ever so welcoming and he and his wife, like Maureen offered us all a cup of tea or Coffee, which was rather nice of them. Another good interview and Sir Bill was in fine form with many good anecdotes. One about Mike Newell was particularly riveting and involved Sir Bill buying pints of liquor on the sly for Newelley to consume. Sir Bill Taylor’s hospitality was extended in an email to out producer recommending the ‘Oyster and Otter’ for a lovely little meal. However we decided to go for a cheaper option and went to the Italian restaurant Mangiano’s, which was a good choice in the end.

After the interview, we came home and travelled up the hill of all hills in Heys lane. The motor was purring up the road with all the excess weight (people and equipment) and she managed it in the end. Ford should be proud of their durable Focus. Our final interview of the day was with Rovers fanzone commentator Benedict Pirraglia at Ewood Park and the visuals were cosmic. Benedict was passionate about his team and we enjoyed his input within the interview.

We then went to the aforementioned Mangiano’s that was a lovely little set up with superb enthusiasm from the staff. After the main course, this blogger became slightly suspicious when all of the teams deserts appeared apart from his. His suspicions were confirmed when his ‘Chocolate Brownie Sensation’ appeared with a candle on top. The staff sang a heartfelt rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ that was very nice to see despite the embarrassment caused. When the blogger thanked a member of staff for the meal and the staff’s singing, the waiter claimed ‘I should be on X factor’ which lifted the jovial nature of the occasion to an even higher level. After this meal, it was back to the Travelodge. Another day, another blog!

Sid Perch

Squashed Fox Team