Back and Forth

I can't deny, it's all a bit odd at the moment. Billy's move to Ivybridge has been the right move at the right time for him - and he's thriving in the super competitive sports environment.

Last weekend he took the start line in Exeter to compete in the Devon County Cross Country

Championships and won by some margin. He gatecrashed the party! There would have been local favourites. 'Knowns'. And then this fluff head from Cornwall steals the show. After the race, others gathered around to take a look at the new kid on the block, where's he from, what's his story? Unbeaten, that's his story. He'll represent Devon at the South West Championships in two weeks time where he'll line up against the likes of the best from Millfield, that'll be super tough. And on the football pitch (his very reason for being there), his team are through to the last 16 in the English Schools Cup, a final beckons at Anfield. And Manchester United representatives make there third visit to Ivybridge today, in as many weeks, to take another look at the squad and set-up. So there's lots of amazing stuff going on, doors to open and he's in his element. When he's being challenged, he's alive. We're incredibly proud of him and he's doing himself proud.

The flip side is that myself and Janey are having to work hard to deal with the change. Twenty years we've spent side by side, growing with the family and the business, day in day out, joined at the hip. For many couples, it'd be no mean feat to still be talking to be honest!! But the truth is, time apart doesn't suit us. Not having the whole family together, doesn't suit us. So there's a lot of thinking to be done. We've rented a place in Ivybridge until the end of the summer, and at the moment one of us stays up there with Billy, the other staying at home in Polzeath with Findog. We swap over mid week when the boys meet for Argyle training. At weekends we're all together unless they have matches in different parts of the country. So yes it's a bit odd. Lots and lots of positives, just a few challenges along the way - but no-one said it was going to be easy! Short term pain for long term gain, that's the way we see it.

On the Surf's Up! front there are a few exciting things happening behind the scenes. The most notable is the new booking system that's going on line in two weeks. It's a fast tack option if you want to avoid the queues in the summer. Book on-line, do you disclaimers, payment etc before you get to us and when you get to the trailer, it's wetsuit on and away we go. No need to wait for late arrivals to fill in their paperwork etc. I think that's big step in the right direction.

Other news - Wailin is currently sunning and surfing himself to oblivion in Bali, he's back for the Feb half term (when we're having a huge Swellboard sale - time to replenish our own stocks with new kit). Pretty big swell coming in on Thursday with a big tide, so trailer's off the beach, the transit started first time (huge sigh of relief). Erm, I think that's it for the moment... I know it's been a while since my last update, that's just the winter lull. I'm back on it now. Hello again.

My hotmail account was hacked into over the weekend, not so bad as I don't really use it that much. Turns out the hackers sent e-mails out to all my contacts, in alphabetical order offering either a job, discounted viagra, a gimp mask made of the finest bovine skin or indeed all three. Strangely, there were no complaints!