JEDI July: Day 25 - The one where Saints actually won!

There's now less than a week to go before we draw a line under this month of blogging and, as JEDI days go, this was certainly one of the better ones.

The 'headline' event, as it were, was another trip to St Mary's with Ern, Lydia and Matt - our second in the space of a week - to watch Saints play Hearts. Although I had bought our tickets earlier in the week seats were now unreserved and we elected to sit three rows up in the Itchen stand. This turned out to be both inspired and idiotic as, although we were almost at pitch level and therefore close to the action, we paid the price by having to contend with the warmest sun for several weeks beating down on our faces for the entire match.

Nevertheless, the game was extremely entertaining and, with the roudy Northam crowd (outsted from their usual stand) sitting directly behind us, the atmosphere was electric. From what I could see Saints were all over Hearts for most of the match, though the eventual 3-0 scoreline was still a welcome surprise. The SPL, on that evidence, appears to be of the same level as the Southampton Saturday Football League!

As is to be expected, Ern and I both photographed non-stop throughout the match...that is, until my camera decided that it had had enough and gave up the ghost, just as I was trying to get a picture of the celebrations for Rasiak's second goal.

Upon further examination back home it appears that my three and a half year old camera has finally come to the end of its working life (slow violins please) which, besides being quite inconvenient, of course means further expense that I really could do without. I will try one last attempt to revive it tomorrow morning, and failing that it's off to town (again) first thing on Monday!

Matt and I had arranged the pub for this evening, so after tea and a rest back home, I drove to collect him at 8.30. We stopped off at Tesco on route for me to buy my 'picnic present' (a foody gift for tomorrow's gathering), as well as a huge jar of marmite! At t' pub we had time for a first round, a chat and a couple of games of pool before Lydia and Ern arrived. Ern and Matt sqaured up for a hugely tedious pool match, then we all spent a good hour in jovial conversation, moving from the serious (finances) to the silly ('anatomy' - as usual) with some speed. There was just time for me to tonk Ern at pool once more before convoying home.

Tomorrow holds, for me, one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the year - the family picnic in the forest - and, just as in 2008, the weather prospects are not looking great. The BBC seem to think that we will just about get away with it, and I sure hope they are right! Before that we have church in the morning, so my prayers will be for the Lord to keep the heavens well and truly shut, at least until 5pm - surely not too much to ask?!

We'll see you tomorrow sunshine!