This Sunday was reserved for the annual Oxford - Cambridge boat race which is basically a euphemism for “monday morning hangover”.
After a 4 in the morning bender on Saturday night we gathered at Simon and Carla’s house prior to the short walk down to the Thames. We got down to Barnes bridge only to find the place busier than the home supporters end when India are playing a test match in Calcutta. I have watched the race before from Hammersmith and although Barnes was crowded it is a lot better than anywere else.
We found a cosy over crowded spot on the balcony of the pub next to the bridge and only just avoided being thrown out by the owners for consuming our own alcohol on the premises. Over the years my blagging skills have become so finely honed that I am confident enough to get myself and others out of (or into if need be) the most trickiest of situations, this was one of them where my skills were tested in full.
Myself, Jason, Russell and Phillipa, being the most inebriated of the group decided that we were going to wind up the majority Oxford toff crowd watching with us on the balcony. We gave them countless renditions of songs I adapted to fit the Cambridge (light blue) team. We did it football hooligan style as well……….Who’s that team they call Cambridge, whos that team we all adore, they’re the boys in light blue and they beat the Oxford Crew….And the Oxford Cox mother is a …… They did see the funny side of it and decided to retort with a few songs of their own!
Cambridge lost the race.
Oxford fans to us “You’re not singing anymore, you’re not singing, you’re not singing, you’re not singing anymore, you’re not singing anymore.”
Us back to them “We forgot that you were here, we forgot, we forgot, we forgot that you were here, we forgot that you were here!”
We put the rivalry to bed and continued to enjoy the day with them. So much so that we almost forgot to go back home and get ready for the official Cambridge afterparty for which we had tickets in the centre of London. The rest of the night is a bit of blur albeit that my blagging skills were again tested when I successfully arranged for four girls whom we’d met earlier to get in without paying AND without tickets!
Woke up the next morning with a monstrous hangover and 2 hour monday morning drive up to Birmingham in front of me. Next year I am going to make sure they organise the race on Saturday. This Sunday malarky messes with my church routine!
4 comments
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11 April, 2006 at 8:33 pm
Pingback from Chateau Toby » Johns bday party - suprise!
5 April, 2006 at 9:33 am
Peksta
Could you get them to move the GPs as well? I would also appreciate it if all Super 14 games could be played in SA so that I could sleep in every now and then.
5 April, 2006 at 10:09 am
David
I’ll see what I can do!
6 April, 2006 at 12:16 pm
truman
Peksta, I wouldn’t bother watching the Super 14 or the Cricket for that matter.