Roger that

If you ever get the chance you should listen into our radio channels on a busy day! It's like the busiest air traffic control tower! Messages flying between mission control, beach HQ, water's edge, and the shop - and of course there's lot of banter.... oh on second thoughts, whatever you do don't listen in!

Honesty is the best policy

"Argh, that was a double hit!" My golf playing partner had just hit the ball twice on a very, very simple 6 inch putt. It happens very rarely. I saw it, but he called it. That's the way it is with golf - it's a sport that demands that you don't cheat. That you call the rules.

This declaration of the double hit that wasn't seen by our playing opponents got us talking about the world cup and that goal that wasn't. Thing is, it was a goal. The rule is that you score a goal by getting the ball to cross the line. We did that. The fact that the ref and linesman didn't see it was pretty irrelevant. The players should have called it. At half time, having seen the replay where there could be no doubt, the German manager should have crossed into the English one and told him that they would let England walk the ball into the net at the start of the second half. Would we have done that? Probably not. But that's what should have happened. I'm just surprised more wasn't made about the integrity of the game. Technology would help for sure on closer calls, but this wasn't one of those occasions. It was a goal - so call it. What's so difficult in doing that?

We have some German students staying with us at the Beach House. The topic of football has come up! (Don't mention the....... footie!). Despite our history anyone else finding themselves drawn to wanting them to win the world cup. Does that make me bad?

Wait 'til you see the whites of their eyes!

One of the busiest weeks of the year starts this morning. I think we average about 300 students a day - but I'll check that because it might be more. As we say to the junior instructors "this is not a dress rehearsal!" oh and " wait 'til you see the whites of their eyes!" and "this is what we've trained for!" Plenty of quotes to bring out of the bag. It's a good team, some great characters. Plenty of new blood. We like new blood - mixes well with the old. The weather hasn't completely deserted us - few days of cloud and the wind's gone onshore. No complaints.

Not another sunset piccy!

Did a bit of car swapping last week. In our efforts to save the planet (actually to cut down on bills) the Landy Defender had to go. Janey was very sad! But we've replaced the beast with an Audi (which moves us into the up echelons of society!), my brother in laws old one in fact. It's an A6 estate. The good news is that it runs on air! Unless the gauge is broken I came back from London on quarter of a tank! It would have a been a tank and a bit in the Landy. Happy days. The boys have been so excited - who needs a playstation when you've got a car with knobs and pop out cup holders. And they've been busy polishing it! Now they've never done that before!

Saturday - all guns blazing

Billyman won the Redruth Triathlon yesterday - he was firing on all cylinders. Not only did he win his own age group but his time would have won the group above as well. He gets really nervous before races and then just before the off he gets in the Billyzone. County Track champs coming up on the 12th - 800m - which will be his biggest event to date. Be interesting to see how he gets on!

The junior elite squad have been training hard this weekend. When there's no competition on the weekend they've been making the most of some intense Kelly sessions. They're having a fantastic season.

Not so much a celebration

I've been up to the big smoke! And would you believe it I happened across one of my best mates - Mike. He lives in Cambridge and never goes to London. And I very rarely make it up to London. Unbelievable that we should bump into each other walking through Selfridges! I say, walking through, as there was no way I was going to stop and make any purchases at those prices. Looking for a suit to wear, this was well out of my league! Really great to catch up with Mikey - fate.

The suit was to be worn at the remembrance service for my old school mate Andy. He took his own life just over a week ago. With his nine year old triplets in attendance this was a very sad affair. And one that no-one could quite comprehend. Here was one of life's great achievers, great men of faith and great father - a really good man. And yet he we were gathered together to celebrate his passing. His son had been asked what he'd like to say about his dad. He said "that's easy. I can sum him up in three words. Dad was everything." When the brother in law read this out, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. The whole service was incredibly moving - bewildering. Although the family did an amazing job in celebrating his life, it was not a day for celebration. Some things simply cannot be explained.

The only positive was that I was able to meet up with some of my old school buddies - and that was great. What a shame it took such an occasion to bring us all back together.

Mistaken identity

I knew they were okay, that group of guys staying the weekend weren't the 101 Dalmations seen walking up the road! No, they were the Hula girls!

Not much to report back here - surf 1ft, light onshore - great for beginners and improvers!

Stolen Swellies

What's going on? Fourteen swell boards were stolen on the weekend from Busty Moos Magic Surf Hire - sounds like a well planned scam. The boards were hired as normal but the credit card was not legite, and they never came back. Very hard to sell on as they're like gold dust second hand - especially as these were all reskins, ie look like new..... e-mails are flying around the surf industry, and I'm pretty sure they'll be tracked down. Just a matter of time - and when the culprits are caught we'll stick 'em in the slammer and throw away the key. Not really in line with the surfers spirit.

No word from Tesco as yet!

Shock horror - wet stuff has fallen from the sky overnight! Good for the hay! Local farmer boy was telling me that all this dry weather is bad for the hay, no moisture in it! Think we'll need a bit more than the light dusting we've had! Good for our black lab - she's enjoying a day of cloud cover - I thinks she's felt like a solar panel over the past few weeks. She's been panting like a one-legged man in an arse kicking competition.

Tesco - beware!

Quiz time - see if you can answer this maths teaser! At my local Tesco store, one 400g pack of McVities Digestives costs £1. Q. If I buy two packs how much would that cost? A. £2 - correct. Sitting next to the single pack is a special offer - 2 x 400g packs, package into one pack bearing the name, BIG VALUE PACK. Q. Do you think the BIG VALUE PACK costs more or less than the 2 individual packs. A. less - wrong!!!! No you see the BIG VALUE PACK costs £2.50, that's 25% more than if I buy them separately. Evil marketing ploy to hit the vulnerable looking for better value during these tough times? I've written to head office - I'll keep you informed. In the meantime, in the words of Shaw Taylor "Keep em peeled!" And if you come across any other BIG VALUE items that are not, please let me know.... helps keep the points up on my Clubcard!

Which reminds me, earlier today when I was at Tesco I saw Fabio Capello wheeling his shopping trolley across the supermarket car park. Being kindly he noticed an old lady struggling with her bags of shopping. He stopped and asked, “Can you manage dear?” To which the old lady replied: “No way. You got yourself into this mess. Don’t ask me to sort it out!”

As you'd expect a full and thorough discussion re. the England non performance has taken place on the beach today. One thing that occurred to me when playing footie this evening with Findog was that we don't see the players smile enough on the pitch. You know, like they're actually enjoying what they're doing! I'd like to see some smiling and laughing from now on please.

Aussie Mick has advised me that I've gone too long! So I've swapped the mother ship for a 6ft 8 - which was a good deal less cash! Probably wet the babys head tomorrow.

And finally, very disappointed that we have to say goodbye to Sharapova's grunt. Serena's grunt is formidable, just somehow not as pleasing as Maria's. Having said that I'd take Serena's grunt over a South African horn any day - those vuvuzela's have got to go!!

Rain today? Nope - I counted 15 spots on the windscreen, but that doesn't count!

Surf's still hanging in there - head high, light onshore. Forecast for some rain this afternoon - not a cloud in sight as we speak!

Oh Dear

Oh dear indeed! Bit depressing being an English fan sometimes! Here's my three pennies - 1) would like to see an English manager - I'm sure Capello is great but I can't understand a word he says! 2) why play players out of position? Don't get that at all. 3) none of our star players performed - I think they play too much during the domestic season. You can't play at the top of your game all the time.

And we have to see a change in the technology - we were well beaten in the end, but going in 2-2 at half time....... well we're never know!

Now we can put all this aside because I have some exciting news! I've bought a new surfboard!! Aussie Mick and I were both paddling back out to the line-up last night. Mick must have seen my last wave and decided to offer up some well received advice. "Hey Pete, I know a board that would suit you. It's called a McCoy - nice and fat in the tail, sits up out of the water, it suits a different style of riding." I took that last bit as a compliment!! To be fair I've really struggle for years trying to find something that suits and I've surfed the Swellies far too much as a fall back. It's been a source of real frustration, real frustration. I got straight onto the internet to do my research the moment I got home and then this morning headed down to Hayle to check out the only dealer in Europe. I've come back with a 6ft 10 Nugget, wide and thick in the tail - I can see how this might work. Will wet it's head very shortly, particularly as the surf is pumping.