The Weekend

With the Dons playing away at Mansfield, it was a weekend on home turf. On Saturday morning the free local paper dropped on the mat, with the headline "Election Fever hits Brentwood" Well I hadn't noticed it, but what was apparent was that the article mentioned and featured quotes from all the candidates except Jess Barnecutt, the Green candidate. Quickly firing off emails, there's a strong chance we'll get more coverage next week, if a complaint goes in.

While the Dons were securing an away win , a Danny Kedwell goal and two saved penalties from Seb Brown. I was at Love Lane, Ongar to watch Ongar Town take on Faces FC. A one sided affair where Town were always on top and probably should have scored more, but 5-1 ensures that Ongar continue to climb the table. Meanwhile at home, tree surgeons ( a strange term) were at work, trimming and pruning in our back garden. Not a job for those fearful of heights, that rules me out.

The weekend saw the Green Party secure excellent TV coverage, Caroline Lucas was featured on BBC's Campaign Show, Andrew Marr Show and The Politics Show, and she also squeezed in a Sky news appearance too. In an election where a shortage of money is a disadvantage, and where media coverage centres on the "3 main parties" this amounted to a tremendous coup. Some of the questioning was hostile but Caroline handled all the interviews really well. My only concern is there are still over 3 weeks to go, and we may have been given all our "slots" too early in the campaign.

Sunday afternoon saw the last basketball game of the season for the Leopards. A hastily arranged Essex Challenge Cup fixture against the Essex (Southend) Pirates. Leopards dominated the first quarter and anyone walking into the Brentwood Centre would have thought that the Big Cats were the BBL side. However the Pirates eventually wore us down and ran out winners by 14 points. Certainly no disgrace.

This was Jon Burnell's last game as coach, so big changes are to be expected over the summer. The day finished with a Sporting Charity Auction and end of season presentations. The POY award to Carl Latham Henry was much deserved; I was surprised to be given a bottle of wine as a thank you for my work behind the microphone this season. Finally the auction took place, normally I'm cautious at these type of events, however the lure of a signed Arsenal pennant (authenticated by the Club) was too great. Knowing that the funds are going to Children's Hospice can help me justify the winning bid.

I must admit that for part of the auction my attention was elsewhere. On the side walls were TV screens showing the FA Cup Semi Final between Spurs v Portsmouth. Oh Happy Day Spurs lost. I have little sympathy for Portsmouth, believing that they won the Cup two years ago through financial doping, buying players without the funds to pay for them, but the sight of Redknapp and co walking dejectedly off the sub-standard Wembley pitch was a wondrous thing.

Bits & Pieces: Mark Ramprakash scored his first century of the season against Derbyshire at the Oval (102)

Reading: The End of the Party by Andrew Rawnsley . Read the sections post 2005 elections and the deteriorating relationship between Blair and Brown. A story of ego and the lust for power. Unpleasant yet compelling reading.