Bert’s Horseracing Blog

Moving on

Feb 29th, 2008 by Bert

I’ve finally got myself sorted with a reliable internet connection, and I can get back to my blogging. It’s been a busy week.

Last week I finally moved into my farm - 330 acres in the rolling Surrey countryside. Four woods making 55 acres, one decent sized lake, six ponds and a little brook running through the middle. They haven’t had horses on the land for thirty years, but plenty before then - no paddocks survive but it won’t be difficult to put them back in.

Some of the pasture is suitable for horses now, some will be in years to come, some will probably never be suitable. Lots of wildlife - deer, hares, rabbits everywhere. It’s a very old site - the farmhouse may be two hundred years old or so but previous farmhouses on the site go back to the 1200s and two of the woods are there on the oldest maps.

We moved in last Thursday - I couldn’t be there in the morning as I had to go to court to face up to a speeding infringement. It didn’t go well - I picked up four points and lost my licence for six months as it took me over 12 points. If the offence had been one day later I’d have been alright - I had three points on 30 July 2004 and this offence was on 29 July 2007. Of the four offences on my licence three were on roads where the speed limit has been reduced in recent years. Two were on the A3 where the speed limit goes 70, 50, 40, 30 with the road hardly changing at all until you get to the 30mph section.

I’m not happy about it. I’ve been driving for 26 years picking up next to no points and no accidents. I haven’t changed, it’s the law and the way it’s being enforced that’s changed. Any number of good drivers I know have picked up points in recent times, including my mother-in-law who has just picked up the first points of her life at the age of 75 for driving at 34 mph over Barnes Common, a completely open stretch of land.

I was particularly irritated by the rationale of the ban. I have four children at two different schools - it’s impossible for one person to drop them off at the right times. The farm is well off the beaten track - it’s a ten minute walk to get to the edge of my land and the postman, paper boy and bin men won’t come down to the house as it’s too far. In court they spent a while asking about my business and the state of my finances - I’d hoped they would let me off with a fine, but they banned me because (or so it seemed) I could afford a driver. My lawyer suggested beforehand that they would do this - basically I was discriminated against on account of my wealth.

Anyway enough moaning. I’ve had a few horses run. Ours ran poorly and has become disappointing. Big Paddy ran pretty well all things considered - he’ll be better for a step up in trip and ultimately for a switch to fences.

King’s Head may come out at Newbury on Saturday (ground permitting) - if the ground is G/F he could have a decent chance. Hopefully I’ll make it along, but I’m also hoping to make the Swindon match and it’s going to be tight.

Swindon’s form has been mixed since I last wrote, but on balance I’m disappointed, particularly by the 3-0 home drubbing by Walsall. The play-offs look a long way away now. I think things can and will improve - Saturday’s game against Leeds will tell a lot.

Posted in Berts Horses, Big Paddy, Ours | 6 Comments

6 Responses to “Moving on”

on 29 Feb 2008 at 6:00 pm1The Gambler,

If you do the crime, you have to pay the time.
If the speed limit is 30, if you are doing 34, you have broken the rules.
I am sure Mick “Parker” Stone will help you out, but you may have to buy him a new uniform.
Sorry you lost your licence, and good luck with your horses and your new house. :-).
on 29 Feb 2008 at 7:40 pm2Philip Harfleet

The car driver today is under siege from so many quarters. My brother, who lives in Maidstone, Kent, recently received a fine of £75 in the post for flicking his cigarette end out of his car. A community police support person issued this; earlier, he had been flashed for doing 34/5 mph in a 30 zone and another fine.

In Croydon, the motorists are hammered left right and centre, by parking restrictions, wrong entry to restricted roads and of course the ubiquitous speed traps. It seems to be an easy way to increase income via stealth taxes.

Your new abode sounds quite idyllic and I hope you have a most happy and rewarding family life there. Good luck.
on 29 Feb 2008 at 8:00 pm3The Gambler,

Sorry to be a grumpy old man, but why should someone else pick up your brother-in-laws fag-end. He could at least stick it in his ashtray.

Even grumpier, if he is driving he is meant to have both hands on the wheel.

Grumpy Old Man, formerly known as The Gambler. :-).

P.S. anybody who goes into Croydon desreves whatever they get. :-).
on 29 Feb 2008 at 8:33 pm4Philip Harfleet

Have to agree on both your points, Grumpy Gambler - but how unlucky was he? How many thousands get away with it.

Re Croydon: I totally agree, it is a “cosmopolitan” cess pit in many ways. I used to live there (during the blitz) and moved away to the tranquil Scottish Borders some years ago. Last time I visited Croydon, to see an old friend, I could have wept.
on 29 Feb 2008 at 8:47 pm5Craig Jack

Fully sympathise with the driving ban and echo the comments made by others on here ; I hope the time passes quickly.

I’d like to thank you belatedly for helping to save Swindon Town, I’m sure it will bring you great pride over time - alongside the usual frustration and heartache that’s an inevitable part of supporting a club.

Sadly, it doesn’t look like the right manager has been appointed and he’s already turned the fans against him in a big way with his uninspired media comments, eccentric selections and massively lacklustre team performances. I went to the Walsall game and it was the worst perfomance I’ve seen for 5 or 6 years. I really hope things improve. The team have a track record of motivating themselves for the big games, so I’d expect an improvement against Leeds but the Huddersfield game on Tuesday will be very revealing.

If you’d like a temperature check on how other fans feel have a look at the forum on thisisswindontownfc.co.uk , run by the local paper.
on 16 Mar 2008 at 3:14 am6Robert Giles

Bert I’m really sorry to hear about your driving ban, as you say it’s due to over-zealous enforcement by people who have lost sight of common sense. You gave me a lift home once so I’d be happy to return the favour some time if I can give you a lift some where mutually convenient you are on.
Sorry to hear about the problems at Betfair but I am sure things will sort themselves out.

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