It's all gone Larry Grayson

Do not adjust your screen - it really is that grey out there. But just look at the fun to be had!!

We had a very good meeting yesterday. It's so important that we keep evolving, especially with all the experience we've accumulated over 16 years. But we feel it's time to have a complete shake up of all the courses we offer - from top to bottom. So we discussed that yesterday, and I think we all came away excited about it. Each year we do a bit of tweaking, but I think we can run with more than a tweak.

Monday Morning Wave

No complaints about the day - sun's out, 2ft glass. Couple of people in having some fun. It's been Polzy at it's best these past few days.

Not that we get to see it! Seems we spend most of our time in the car. Plymouth three times a week for Billy's footie (he played against Bristol Rovers on the weekend 2-2). Fin's footie is also all over the place - Bodmin, St. Austell and Truro. Thank goodness we got rid of the Landy! This week Billy's on a residential school trip up in the London, but I've got to get up there to bring him back early for footie on Thursday. So much for a life on the beach!

Surf's Here

After the last couple of days, where it was as small as I've seen in a long while - literally a ripple, the surf has come in. Bit earlier than expected too. So if you fancy a dip - chest high, not a breathe of wind - some super chilled fun to be had.

Small but perfectly formed

Not much action on the surf front - but we're happy to see the sun shining. Must have reached the heady heights of 70 degrees yesterday! Shorts and t-shirts all-round. Looks like another steamer today.

What's isurf?

As is the way with these things, if you think you're onto a winner you have to keep it close, close, close. isurf - what is it? Is it a bird, is it a plane? No it's a ..hm how much can I give away? It's a website - I can tell you that much - that utilises the concepts of three of the most dynamic social and travel online mediums. That's about as far as I can go - still much, much to do. I think it's got great potential and those who I've asked have said "Pete, most of your ideas I give the nod, but I think this one might actually work!" Thanks.

Myself and Janey quite like the thoughts of Matthew Syed. His book Bounce is about kids and sport - relevant to us at home and at work. Here's his big tip - if a child does well at something, any reward or praise should acknowledge the hard work and effort that brought about the success, rather than any pure natural ability. I think that's pretty cool and encourages a good work ethic.

Janey had me blowing down the fuel line to get the bad dog fired up this afternoon. She makes some noise too - had to shut her in the shed just to get her 'run-in'. The boys have 'invested' in a new Nitro car (reward for hard work!), taken me a week to get that thing going! Two more tanks of fuel on tick over and then apparently we can let her loose!!! This is a job to be undertaken on the Moor.

Chip Paper

So Japan is last weeks chip paper. I can't keep up with it all. And now we're bombing Libya? Everything moves at such a pace. The world's gone mad! Bombing Libya? Feel just a little uneasy that that could all go very pear shaped!

Back on the beach - you'll be pleased to hear that all is calm. Calm, but noisy! With the sound of drilling, hammering, banging etc from all the building, it's anything but quiet. Polzeath is getting a complete overhaul. Seriously, you'll hardly recognise the place in a couple of years. All the older properties are being knocked down and replaced with modern glass fronted structures. Some of them look amazing. Not sure who's going to have the money to buy them?

Speaking of the recession, we've seen in the past two weeks the first real examples of hard times to come. At the end of both the running events that my boys took part in, the organiser stood up at the end and announced that this would be the last time the event was to be run. Cut backs. They'd been made redundant. No more sports coordinators for Primary schools. No more inter school comps at Primary level. Oh dear.

Billy Burners

That was so stressful!! Watching Billy race. Particularly when he's a marked man. "Billy Craske won't win this year" one Dad was overhead to say. And we were aware that one athletics club had trained their team with Billy specifically in mind - running the route several times a week. Everyone, it seemed, was up for it.

So Billy stood on the start line of the Cornish Cross County Championships having won the last two years by a clear margin. That doesn't make it any easier. In fact the weight of expectation was a heavy burden and just before the race he was quite upset.

He waited on the line for the off. Sit in the pack, wait until you hit the end of the slope second time around and then hit the Billy Burners. That was the plan. Billy has many supporters, which is really nice, but maybe even they were concerned when he passed the terraced supporters on the first circuit in fourth place. But as he passed me, I gave him the big thumbs up. Perfect. On the second pass, he'd moved into second (another big thumbs up) and by the time he reached the white house, he'd fired up the Billy Burners and was gone! It was a really great performance. One well beyond his years.

Billyman running through some post race analysis with Findog, who seems to be following in the footsteps of his big brother.

That's a county hat trick - three years on the trot. Which is a very tough thing to pull off. Of course there will be a lot of parents pleased to see the back of Billy as he moves in the summer to Secondary School! But I have some very bad news for them - Findog is following hot on the Billyman's trail - and he quite likes winning too! Don't say I didn't warn you!

Billy's greatest challenge still remains - to get into the Plymouth Argyle Youth Squad! He's there training with the squad twice a week now, and he's doing great. But as the main coach stated, "We don't need good, we've got good. We're looking for something different." I think he gives them that, but then I am his Dad (and running race strategist!) so I would say that wouldn't I? We'll know in a few weeks time whether they think he's different too. Until then, he's just got to let his feet do the talking!.. and hope that Argyle stay in business!

Murder?

I might have looked like a serial killer as I scrambled across the barbed wire fence, my jacket drenched in blood. But the reality was somewhat different! On a walk down near Pentewan we stumbled upon a lamb that had fallen down the hill and was in a bit of state. It couldn't move and was covered in blood. "Do you know where the nearest farm is?" we asked a local. "Up there, but I wouldn't hold your breath. The farmer doesn't have the greatest reputation for being compassionate!" With two concerned young boys in on the mission, that wasn't what we wanted to hear.

With this information logged we picked up the lamb and took it back to the car. Plan A was to take it back to Mike who owns Carruan Farm back here in Polzeath, see what he recommended. We found his number, and I gave him a call. "You need to get it back to it's mum and then let nature take it's course." Sound advice. We headed back down the footpath, over the fence, through the brambles and up the steepest hill! We could hear the flock, and maybe even the bleating of the mum. Up and up we went, the boys excited by the whole rescue adventure.

When we finally arrived at the field, we put the lamb down. "At first the mum may not look concerned, but in time she will come back." Mikey had said. The lamb made a few crys and one of the mums made some noises. We took our leave and watched from a distance, the lamb unable to move. Nothing happened, but our job was done. Three hours we'd been on the mission and with the light fading, there was no more we could do.

After football yesterday down near St. Austell we decided to go and see what had become of the lamb, or 'Dead meat' as Fin had nicknamed him. Bones and skulls littered the field, so we didn't hold out a whole load of hope, but we did care about the little fellow. Back up the field, through the bracken and over to the flock that had gathered by the gate. And there was 'Deadmeat' up and about, dragging one back leg, but alive and well and with mum! Ah! We were chuffed anyway.

Okay, not the greatest story - but it's the best I've got right now!

Where there's a will there's a wave!

There you go - there's me saying the surf was a bit on the small size when out of the water come two familiar Surf's Up! client faces, clutching longboards, having had an amazing time. And why not? Great stuff.

Okay Van Persie shouldn't have been sent off, but what a travesty it would have been had Barca not made it through. We'd have been deprived of watching what is probably the best team ever assembled since someone decided it would be a better game if the ball was round. Poetry in motion. Oh, and Arsenal were rubbish. Plymouth won!! Green Army - of course with Billy now doing Plymouth Trials (have I mentioned that!) the survival of the club has become a little bit more personal. Talking of being signed up - Mahoustic has I believe been booked to play four gigs already this year. Seems that we have a bit of a Tintagel following. Talking of 'followers' - on Twitter, Charlie Sheen (legend) has nearly 2.5 million. I have 100! I'm just going onto the roof of the office to wave a machete around, that should do the trick!

So what's going down? I know - I was chatting to some friends yesterday. They live locally and enjoy a lovely sea view. The people in front have just extended their house, to such an extent that they've lost their view! That's wrong on so many levels (no pun intended). There's no legal right to a view, but common decency would dictate that you just wouldn't do that. They're going to sell their house and presumably buy a house on the front row. Annoys me that kind of thing. Oh and while I'm on it, pot holes!! Caused by ice, snow, and big fat lorries doing all this building! It's my view that a contribution should be paid by Developers to help keep the roads in a good state. As a keen cyclist, my bottom isn't taking to all this bumpiness at all well!

Not good for Beginners and Improvers!

The old surf school adage "Where there's a will there's a wave!" would be tested today. Not a lot happening out there - although it's a stunning day. Can't beat a bit of Spring sunshine to lift the spirits.

Billy donned the green shirt to play his first match for Plymouth Argyle on Sunday. All part of his six week trial. What an opportunity! He's put himself in the mix.... It's really stressful being the parent, that's for sure. But this is exactly where he needs to be.

Wailin is back in the office after returning from a successful Bali tour. Good to see him back.