Having been hung up on mid-sentence by two cantankerous old women, one after the other, when shortly afterwards I got given a single lady in her mid-thirties that was enough to set my heart racing. Alas, she was out.
Had to work today to make up Boxing Day :(
Midway through the shift I got a middle-aged married couple. The husband was no bother, but the wife was clearly pissed off - whether about having to do the survey or about something else wasn't clear - and was tetchy throughout the whole interview, occasionally hitting me with a full-on outburst. Asking her how many hours she worked in the relevant week really made her get her knickers in a twist. The only time she lightened up was after it was over, when all we had to do was try and arrange a time to call her grown-up daughter. Of course, she said she had no idea when the daughter would be in.
There were no nibbles either, although to be honest I've been stuffed to the gunnels these last four days so didn't mind too much.
Arrived home just before 3.45 so switched on Radio Solent to find out how Havant & Waterlooville were getting on, but Hawks weren't mentioned in their half-time round-up. Logged on to the Non-League Vidiprinter page to find we were losing 2-0. That was how the page stayed all through the second half, but Radio Solent have just announced it finished 4-0 :(((
Walking round the corridor on my way up to the unit this morning, I passed three cleaners. "What are you doing here?" one lady asked me. "You shouldn't be in today."
"In the Telephone Unit it's business as usual," I explained.
"Oh, 'Bah Humbug', are they, your bosses? Ours too," she replied.
After about an hour someone put the last of the Celebrations - about 10 each of Milky Way and Bounty and a couple of Mars - on the nibbles table. Someone else, presumably to encourage us back to healthy eating after the excesses of Christmas, had put a few pieces of fruit there. I went for the tasty rosy red apple.
A quiet Christmas Day yesterday. Best present came from the parents. After years of on-off searching I'd found someone online selling DVD-R copies of Tutti Frutti, one of my favourite television series ever, which has never been officially released and, much to the chagrin of its many fans, is never likely to be because of stupid wrangles over its musical content. This is the show that made stars of Robbie Coltrane and Emma Thompson and was loved by thousands - you'd think they could iron out the problems, somehow. Anyway, a couple of weeks ago this angel suddenly appeared with copies gacked from her VHS recordings for sale for £25 the whole series. As I was flat broke, the parents agreed to let me have the money to buy the DVD-R then when it arrived it would be put away and wrapped for Christmas Day. Watched the first episode yesterday afternoon - as I'm working every day from tomorrow to Saturday, I'm keeping to one a day to give myself something to look forward to after each shift.
The lady asked me to point anyone else who wanted a DVD-R of Tutti Frutti in her direction, so if you're a fan of the show and would like to see it again please e-mail me at thebardofe15 at hotmail dot com and I'll put you in touch with her.
Another gift from my mother was a blue hooded top with a diagonal pattern, prompting my father to quip "You're a hoodie! You'll be getting a hug from David Cameron." I also got a Swansea v Hawks commemorative scarf from Gran, a four-pack of Swedish Christmas lager from Katherine (she took a trip to Ikea a few weeks ago), four Scottish real ales I'd never tried before from Brenda, a novel from Ann and a Burtons voucher from Jade.
Passed the day pleasantly watching telly, listening to my mother's new Eric Clapton CD and my father's new Katherine Jenkins CD and getting stuffed to the gunnels on a full turkey dinner, Christmas pud, Heroes, Mingles, Twiglets, cheesy footballs, nuts and olives. Dr Who was very good though not quite up to last year's standard, though Kylie Minogue made up for that *mwah* <3 Laughed out loud at Harry Hill and Catherine Tate - and BOTH of them included renditions of Fairytale Of New York in their shows! How many other Christmas songs get that honour? Never mind the polls - that just shows what the real best Yuletide single ever is.
To Bognor today to see the Hawks. Simon picked me up at Fareham; we arrived at our usual Bognor watering hole, the Wheatsheaf, at 1.15. Plenty of the usual crew there. Chat with them over a couple of Kopparbergs until half the posse made their way to the ground just after 2. As much as I'd have loved to stay for a couple more of Sweden's finest, I was hoping to meet my mate Steve, a Bognor fan and local journalist who covers their games, so finished the drink I had and went into the ground. I went to the press box at 2.30, but there was only the PA announcer there and he hadn't seen Steve. Steve wasn't in the clubhouse either so I just sat there drinking two Magners and reading the programme until I checked my watch - 2.51 - and, fairly merry by now, went out to join the Hawk support.
The game was a 1-1 draw, which was about fair, though Hawks could and should have created more chances. Home in time for The Terminal on BBC2.
Got to go watch part two of Tutti Frutti.
Fay brought in some home-made fudge for the nibbles table - very tasty, although Marilyn and Christine #3 doubted very much whether she'd made it. There was also a nearly-full box of luxury chocolate biscuits and some leftover Mars and Milky Way Celebrations.
One of my calls was to an elderly lady who was very hard of hearing and, however loudly and slowly I spoke in the opening minute, asked me to go louder and slower. I ended up doing the whole interview practically shouting with a pause after almost every word. At the end Marilyn came up to me with a smile, said "Well done" and offered me a biscuit from the box. Later, after one old man refused on me - he said he'd already done it, and when I explained that he had to do four follow-up interviews, he nonsensically said "Yes. Thank you. Goodbye" and hung up - Marilyn and Heather #2 said "We've been greatly entertained by your oldies."
One oldie was no laughing matter. As I asked her whether this was a convenient time, she cut in with "No convenient time. I'm not interested" and hung up on me mid-sentence while I was starting to explain to her that it was the same survey she'd done before. Then on my last call of the day a bloke interrupted my intro with "Oh, forget it" and gave me the silent treatment.
Peace and goodwill to all mankind.
On a brighter note, I may have made a convert to the Hawk Faith. A guy in my row spotted me reading Non-League Today and started a conversation about football. He was a Southampton supporter but has become disillusioned with the way professional football has gone in the last 15 years. I urged him to come down to Westleigh Park and see a real game of football, promising to stand him a pint if he came to see me in the bar before a game, and he said he might. While he lives in Swanwick, he actually said he'd rather watch Havant & Waterlooville than his local team E*******h because our admission fee is £10 to their £14 (and we're in the same division). Here's hoping I've done enough to win him over.
Havant & Waterlooville v E*******h - but for all the hype about it being a grudge match, the atmosphere was just like any other game. There were Hawks and E*******h fans drinking together in the clubhouse before kick-off with no hint of animosity. Trevor played Under The Moon Of Love as the teams ran out, getting our fans behind the goal singing, but while the E*******h fans managed several chants getting behind their team, it was all no different from any other time we've faced a team with a vocal travelling support. Fitzroy Simpson and Gareth Howells were booed when their names were read over the tannoy, but from the stand, where I was, that was as far as it went.
The game itself was not a classic. It showed all the signs of being a dire 0-0, and Rocky Baptiste had a stinker, missing a couple of clear chances and blazing a speculative shot over the bar from 20 yards out when Gary Hart was wide open. Charlie Oatway played well and was deservedly named the sponsors' Man of the Match. Alfie Potter never stopped running, though he missed an open goal with ten minutes to go.
Then in the 87th minute Chamal Fenelon headed in the vague direction of the goal, and an E*******h defender tried to head clear but the ball still bobbed into the net. Every Hawk in the stadium leapt to their feet and went crazy. Never mind how poor the game had been - we were beating the Spitefires! Hawks held on for the win - more mass celebrations.
Back to the clubhouse for the HawkSupport raffle draw. As we waited I heard a couple of guys say they'd shouted caustic comments to Simpson and Howells after the final whistle. In the bar, though, again both sets of fans mingled amicably enough - several of the E*******h supporters actually bought tickets in our raffle (two won prizes). I had the honour of collecting a box of Tea Time biscuits won by my mother.
Home for the Christmas episode of Porridge from '75, TOTP2 Christmas Special and the film of Hitch-Hiker's Guide.
What fragrance/cologne do you put on when it's your night out?
Submitted by noiq.
1881.
The first hour of the shift really dragged - the one person I got to start an interview with hung up on me after six minutes - but after 10 it got busier. There were quite a few crisps and Bessy's Biscuits left over from yesterday on the nibbles table, and my internal e-mail included a staff newsletter and a lengthy list of changes to the survey that helped keep me off the phones for a whole hour at the end. Can't be bad.
Over half an hour after the bus should have arrived, I was still standing at the bus stop freezing my jacobs off. Salvation arrived in the shape of a nice lady from Enquiry Line - who knew me, and whose name I'm mortified that I don't remember - who beeped me, pulled over just in front of the bus stop and offered me a lift home. When I explained I was going to Fareham station, she happily went out of her way to drop me there. A Christmas angel.
Just spent the evening helping put the decorations up.
More Celebrations today, plus the table at the end of the unit was festooned with various tasty nibbles including caramelised onion and vinegar flavour and salt and cider vinegar flavour crisps, plus little breaded chicken pieces. Makes up for the lack of a Christmas party this year :)
A lot of people aren't working Friday or Christmas Eve, so said their Happy Christmases to me at the end of the shift. "Don't drink too much," Pat exhorted me. Got a lift home with Cathy.
Were your holiday cards store bought, handmade, online, TBD or MIA?
Bought online from the Mind charity.
