The beginning of the end...

Hello readers,
It has been a while since I wrote last and it has been an absolutely jam packed time with plenty going on, so look forward to an extended read.

I left you last after our week at the Olympics and showing Aaron around Bovey. Since then I have held two summer holiday cricket courses for the children around bovey interested in cricket for three days, 9am-3pm. As tiring as these days were, they were a great opportunity to spend some time forging a relationship with those who turned up and spend three days teaching them the basics of cricket. This also presented many challenges which I was to work through, with another coach in the first course, and by myself in the second. Coaching has always appealed to me and therefore to have such an intense period of coaching was fantastic and opened my eyes to what exactly is required. The enjoyment and improvement seen in the kids was reward enough for the effort put into it.
In between these two courses, I travelled to Brighton and then further on to Eastbourne to experience some of what Aaron's life had been like, living, working and playing in this area. This was fantastic to see another part of England and meet the people that he had previously talked about. I was shown around Brighton on the monday and tuesday before heading to Eastbourne for a training session and a day of exploration; seeing the boarding house where he had lived and the cricket ground as well as the surrounding area. We made a rather impromptu decision to travel up to london at the end of this week. I saw Thriller in London's west end with James, Eliza, Adrienne and Aaron before living a childhood dream on the friday, watching a test match at Lords Cricket Ground, the home of cricket. This is a particular highlight of my entire trip and to spend a day in a sold out Lords watching high quality cricket is something I will never forget.

This past week I travelled to Scotland. It coincided with the end of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where Matthew Barker and his drama colleagues in Gravity Boots performed. Unfortunately I was unable to see their performance but the place was absolutely buzzing and I was able to see a show at 12:30am on the last night. Edinburgh is up there as one of my favourite cities seen on this trip so far. How the city is planned with the old and the new town separated was brilliant as you were able to experience either the relatively untouched old town or the modern new town separately. After a walking tour of the old town on the first afternoon, James, Eliza, Aaron and I hired a car and travelled out to St Andrews; the home of golf with 7 golf courses, the beach from Chariots of Fire, and a beautiful ruin of a cathedral and castle, before heading further on through Cairngorms and Loch Lomond National Parks on our way to Loch Ness and returned to Edinburgh via Stirling. Done instead of a bus tour, this day was great as it allowed us to do what we wanted and wherever and whenever we liked and allowed us to experience more of the phenomenal Scottish Landscape than would have been possible on a bus. After some shopping and visits to friends James and Eliza were off and Aaron and I did some further exploration of the Royal Mile, Arthur's Seat and Edinburgh castle in the sunlight before boarding a plane back for our final days in Eastbourne and Bovey.

Unfortunately when it comes to Cricket Bovey has not finished the season as we would have liked. We suffered 3 straight losses in the league, effectively killing off our chances of winning the league and also lost in the Devon Cup Final to Sidmouth. With one game left tomorrow however, there is still the opportunity to finish off what has been a great season on a high note. Irrespective of performances, I have still thoroughly enjoyed playing with the boys in the 1st XI, Sunday XI and the Devon Senior Cup team and will be very sad to leave them behind. I have a lot to be thankful for from the last 6 months, and the way that the cricket club, its players, supporters, volunteers and parents have looked after me has made this trip so incredibly special and memorable. I only hope that my presence has made it a worthwhile experience in return.

As I said, I have my last game tomorrow and a celebration at the club after the game before leaving Bovey on the Sunday to meet Aaron at Gatwick Airport to start the rest of our travel first thing Monday morning with a flight to sunny Santorini. This next month is poised to be an incredible month and no doubt the sights, experiences and people we meet will provide a great finish to what has been an amazing trip. After travelling to Greece, Croatia, Spain and Germany I will be returning to England for 4 days to regroup, watch an EPL match (Arsenal v Chelsea), visit family and tour Oxford and the Cotswolds with Sightseeing Tours London (http://www.sightseeingtourslondon.com/) before boarding a plane home to Adelaide.
Look forward to more regular blogs over this next month to keep you in the loop on my travels.
Until then,
Watch this Space,
Dillon

London 2012

Well it is the olympic year and isn't the UK alive with excitement. In case you aren't up to scratch with the world around you the Olympics are being held in London this year bringing millions of people into the UK, supposedly providing an economic boom, sending accommodation prices through the roof as well as the price of transport, food and drinks. The underground becomes packed with anticipation and people filled with the olympic spirit. Road lanes are closed for 'the olympic family' to arrive 2 minutes before an event starts rather than the suggested 2 hours due to the international flight like security. No aerosols, liquids more than 100ml and the typical firearms, grenades or knives. And don't even think about bringing a mastercard, bottle of pepsi or burger king product as they'll all be rejected at the gate or at time of purchase due to Visa, Coca Cola and McDonalds major sponsorship. Most people choose to steer clear of this event but we (being Aaron and I) braved the cues and ventured on a day trip up to Stratford to experience this once in a lifetime event.

It all started with a 6am train from Exeter to be up in London by 9 and meet Aaron at 10 outside the gates before heading into Olympic park for the morning. Being able to walk around the park was fantastic, buying some olympic paraphernalia and taking advantage of the freebies from the sponsors as well as see where the arenas for different sports are located. We were also able to hold the Olympic Torch for a picture in front of the Olympic Stadium; a great feeling. 

After this we headed off to the Excel Centre where we witnessed 3 hours of non-stop boxing. I still don't know how it's scored, let alone how some men maintain a weight between 47 and 49kg, but this was still an amazing event. A couple of aussie aussie aussies later to help an Australian get pumped we were off to dinner and to Earl's Court for an evening of Volleyball. 

Aaron and I were particularly looking forward to this event with our involvement in volleyball in Adelaide both through PE at school and for the infamous Coil's Dodos Volleyball Club. Not only were we blessed with a night of high quality volleyball but we were also able to see the Aussies beat the Brits followed by the top two teams in the world, Brazil and Russia, go head to head. This was a particularly special night as I felt momentarily normal surrounded by tall people, both supporters and players. I even felt a little sorry for a 7 ft 2 participant from Russia, a full 17cm taller than me. He must live with a permanently sore head if I struggle not to hit my head repeatedly around the UK.

A midnight train trip back and we were back in Bovey. The next couple of days I was able to show Aaron around Bovey and the surrounding areas. Considering it was in the first week of June that I saw Aaron last it was great to spend a couple of days with him again before he headed home. It was also good for him to experience what my life has been like for the last 4 and a half months.

I now have less than a month left in Bovey before heading on my last month of travel with Aaron. One of these weeks will be spent with Aaron in Brighton and Eastbourne and one in Edinburgh so no doubt this team will absolutely fly.

Until next time,

Watch this space,

Dillon

Love an English Summer

Hello family, friends and procrastinators,

Another month has passed since my last blog and Wow hasn’t time absolutely flown. It’s so hard to believe that the last time I blogged was at the conclusion of my trip to Ireland.

I have returned to the relative normality of life in Bovey Tracey between trips and with the hectic months of August and September ahead I’m not exactly complaining. A usual week generally involves coaching on a Monday and Friday night and working on a Tuesday and Thursday. Interspersed sporadically is of course, cricket, either Twenty20’s or league matches.

Unfortunately, it seems the change in atmospheric climate caused by a 6 ft 7 giant meandering around the South-West of England has led to an unseasonal amount of rain. This is not only particularly inconvenient for the consistency of cricket but has led to a significant increase in the likelihood of the ‘damn weather’ arising in any daily conversation. Risking backlash I’m going to throw it out there and say that the weather is on the slight improve with the 25 day forecast having significantly more cloudy days than rainy days compared with the last month. Fingers crossed this means plenty more cricket to be played! But then again, when are English weather forecasters ever right?!

This being said we have found a way to get some cricket in recently. The Bovey Tracey 1^st Eleven are currently top of the Devon Cricket Premier League and through to the semi-finals of the Devon Senior Cup. In addition we are also through to the quarter final in the Devon Twenty20 Regional Competition. The 2^nd Eleven have won their way through to the final of the Naracot Cup Twenty20 Competition which will be played this week. So of the cricket being played Bovey Tracey have been going particularly well.

On top of my work at the health centre I have also picked up a couple of 1-1 coaching sessions with colts from the club who are looking for some additional coaching. It has been fantastic to see the improvement already in such a short period of time in boys that have a lot of potential. It has been really rewarding to see the improvement of not only these boys but also the two colts teams that I’m coaching throughout the summer. It makes it seem like the effort you put in is worthwhile.

I’ve also moved house for a short while due to a shortage of beds as my previous family doubles as post-op recovery centre for a fortnight or so. This has meant that I’ve moved in with the Roberts Family. I know this family quite well and they have been fantastic in taking me in despite already having 4 children of their own and have made me feel incredibly welcome.

The next couple of months are going to be very hectic as Aaron and I look to take advantage of our time left over here. We made a last ditch effort to get to the Olympics, and have a day trip to go and see the boxing and men’s volleyball which we are very excited about. Furthermore, Aaron will be coming to visit Bovey and I will be visiting Brighton and Eastbourne for a week. I also will be running two summer coaching courses in August, each 3 days in length, for young cricketers around the area and this is all before our last month of travel which includes, Edinburgh, Santorini, the Croatian Islands, Barcelona, Madrid, Berlin and Munich for Oktoberfest! So much to do, so little time!

Until next time,

Watch this space,

Dillon

Ireland

Wow what a week it's been since my last blog. The first week of travel since the conclusion of Contiki and it didn't disappoint living up to my expectations and more. First stop was Belfast, flying out on Sunday afternoon before the Queen's jubilee celebrations kicked off around the UK. Despite a delayed flight nothing could dampen my excitement for the week ahead. After a flight shorter than that between Adelaide and Melbourne I had landed in Belfast and had arrived at the hostel we would be staying at in the centre of Belfast, much to the excitement of Kathy, Adrienne and Aaron who I would be sharing the next week with.
That night was spent catching up on recent events before our first day of sightseeing the next day. We started the day with a black cab tour through West Belfast, the area of Belfast where the Catholic and Protestant communities are located and the place famous for the start of IRA troubles throughout the 20th Century in Northern Ireland. As a spare of the moment decision to take this tour it was certainly one of the highlights. It was a real shock to hear stories of civil unrest based almost solely on a minor difference in religious preference. Yet there is a wall which separates the two communities similar to that located in Berlin topped with barbed wire at times, a no mans land and barricades which are closed for a period each night to prevent any traffic between the two areas.

A memorial in the Catholic area of Western Belfast to those who have died
as a direct result of IRA troubles.

It was also particularly interesting to see the difference in English patriotism between the Catholic and Protestant neighbourhoods. In the Catholic area there was not a union jack to be seen, but cross over to the other side of the fence and the area was covered in English flags and Union Jacks as well as Queen Elizabeth paraphernalia. Other highlights in Belfast was the Belfast Cathedral which was housing a wedding at the time, as well as the Town Hall and the port.

After a game of king of beers and a late watching of Despicable Me we were off on our 7 hour bus trip through the Irish Midlands and into Galway, a city of 85,000 in the west of the Irish republic. In itself it was a beautiful city but it was just a place to stop for the night before heading out to the Cliffs of Moher and Burren National Park. In Galway itself there was again a very nice Cathedral and a beautiful walk along the river to get to it as well as a busy pub and club district. The highlight of the trip though was the bus tour we took to the Cliffs of Moher through Buren National Park. In my opinion, these cliffs were the most at awe I've been of nature, along with the Swiss Alps covered in Snow. The coach drive through picturesque surrounds in Burren was nice in itself but our arrival at the cliffs was simply breathtaking and the weather made it even more amazing, with sun and minimal breeze making it a perfect sight. 

Our final stop on our travels was Dublin and unfortunately this stage was slightly tarnished by some poor weather. This was a real shame because it seemed like a city with so much to see historically and from lots of different periods throughout history. It is most famously known as the home of the Celts who were a race which originated from the time of the Romans. This being said we still had a great time, exploring Dublin castle and the Temple Bar district as well as the Guinness Storehouse, one of Dublin's most famous sights. Our last night was spent exploring the bars and pubs of the Temple Bar district. Not only was this our last night together as a group but also the last night out that Kathy would have as she heads back to Australia after 3 months of travel.

Anyway, Im now back to the 'normality' of life back in Bovey Tracey. Unfortunately the weather of late hasn't been great and this is expected to continue for a little while longer. Our game on saturday was rain reduced but we won retaining top spot. I am also entering my second week of work at the Mt Pleasant Health Centre and have an expected 4 games of cricket in the next week, weather permitting.

As hard as it is to believe, I am almost half way through my stay overseas! The time certainly has flown but both Aaron and I have quickly realised how much we have to take advantage of our remaining time left over here. Can't wait to see what the next couple of months have left in store for us.

Until next time,
Watch this space.
Dillon

Life in Bovey Tracey 3

It's been nearly 3 weeks since I last updated you on the happenings of Bovey Tracey and in that time so much has happened. One note that must be made is that I hope this post lives up to the significant hype created by the men that I'm lucky enough to call my team mates so here you go boys!
Apart from the never ending excitement of life around Bovey Tracey Cricket Club there have been two significant events in the last 3 weeks which will dominate this blog being; Aaron and I's trip to Greenwich, London to watch the finals of the Premier League Darts and my trip to Bath to visit two friends, Kathy and Adrienne, from Contiki.
About a week after my last post Aaron and I met up in Greenwich, London for a night to visit the O2 Arena (also known as the Millenium Dome) to go and see the darts. Some might say, "What is the point in spending so much money to see something so pointless?". This would seem well founded in Australia, but in Europe, darts is massive! There were between 5 and 10 thousand people in this arena, most of them dressed in some hilarious costumes, drinking and supporting their darting heros. We were no different (minus the costumes). Australian Simon 'The Wizard' Whitlock made it into the final against international superstar Phil Taylor. The aussie started slowly but as can be expected never threw in the towel and fought back to 7-7 only to lose 10-7. A valiant effort. For anyone who has watched the darts on TV the theme song which is played is probably the highlight of the night as all those who are intoxicated or just having too much fun get up and dance and sing. Aaron and I joined in on these antics and the results can be seen on facebook. All in all, a very very enjoyable night and one that was worth the effort of going to. It was great to be able to see Aaron and talk face to face about how much he is enjoying Eastbourne and what his impressions are as well as plan for the future of our trip. Sad to say goodbye but we would be seeing eachother soon.
The second highlight of the last couple of weeks was my trip to Bath. This trip has come highly recommended by a lot of people who have travelled around the UK, including Mum and Dad and it certainly didn't disappoint. After a week of 25 degrees and sun I was wary that the fantastic weather might end but it only got better, highlighting the fantastic architecture of the rounded Royal Crescent and the sheer history of the Roman Baths which had only relatively recently been uncovered. Futhermore, I was able to catch up with some friends who had continued travelling since Contiki and it was great to hear so many of their amazing travel stories including their recollections of ANZAC Day at Gallipoli. I would definitely recommend the trip to Bath as it is just such a beautiful place with fantastic architecture mixed with very picturesque parks and rivers. Well worth the trip.
The other advancement that has come in the last three weeks has come on the work front. I have been gifted some work at a GP practice in Exeter with a family from the club attending to general administration work for the remainder of the summer. The hours of work fit in perfectly with cricket and the money I will be earning saves me from delving into my savings for week to week spending which is ideal. I am very grateful for the leg work that Dr Colin Roberts did for me in lining up this work and it is great to start thinking again rather than just going through the motions of day to day living. Welcome to the life of normal people who have to work everyday :)
It would be naive of me not to mention cricket as clearly this is the purpose of my trip. Bovey Tracey have played 4 games and are currently undefeated in the league and sit top by a game after being the previous top team last week in a very exciting game. This led to some thoroughly enjoyable celebrations as this tied in with the birthday celebrations of two boys at the club and the infamous Bovey Boot was dusted off and drunk after being on the shelf for the last couple of weeks. Personally, I have had a good start to the season with runs in every game and have also had the chance to bowl, which allows me to still contribute to the team if I fail with either the bat or ball.
Tonight I have a Twenty20 match, weather permitting, and another match on Saturday before the Queen's Jubilee celebrations start on the sunday. Most seem more excited about the 4 day long weekend than the purpose of the holidays but are happy none the less. Should be an exciting couple of days around Bovey with a street party and other ceremonies. However, I will miss most of these as I am off to Ireland on Sunday for a week to explore Belfast, Galway and Dublin! I can't wait.
Look forward to hearing that recap in my next blog.
Until then,
Watch this space,


Dillon

Bovey Tracey 2

It's been two weeks since my last post and in that time there have been a couple of requests for another post to keep updated.
My last post ended after my 3rd trial game in the Bovey Tracey Pre-season. There were another two planned trial matches on the next weekend and the season proper to start the weekend after that (i.e last weekend). Unfortunately, preparation for the start of the season was interrupted significantly with rain, and not just a light drizzle. It poured for nearly a week non-stop leaving the pitch, square and outfield of Bovey Tracey recreational ground underwater and therefore unable to host our last two trial games. As a consequence of this rain there was also some localised flooding as was as broad cancellations of other sports across most of England. Luckily the weather started to fine up early last week and a pitch was able to be prepared for the first game of the season against Sandford. We won this game making 186 to their 123, a good win to start the season placing us at the top of the table after round 1. The second game, a friendly against a touring side, ended in a loss in the second last over.
My own performances in the first weekend of the season weren't fantastic with 20 runs and 1 for 21 off 8 overs. However, I am getting more and more confident the more time I spend actually playing cricket rather than just training in the lets. My progress has been good since arrival and I have no doubt this will continue with more cricket being played so no panic stations :)
Outside of cricket, colts training has begun where myself and the other international cricketer from New Zealand run a cricket session for 8 to 15 year olds on a friday night. This generally results in close to 100 kids rocking up for an hour and a half which was initially quite overwhelming but we are settling well into this role. Unfortunately, again the weather hasn't been kind enough to let my coaching of the Under 11 and Under 15 junior sides start yet but no doubt this will start in the near future.
On the work front, the job at the adventure park has fallen through but since then I have had a couple of job interviews for admin work in a GP's office as well as work in a department store so waiting anxiously to hear back from them. I have also set up my own one on one coaching program for kids around the club so hopefully that is up and running in no time.
I am starting to feel somewhat like a local with people seeing me around the streets of Bovey and talking to me about cricket or Australia or the weather which is nice. I am still having a lot of fun and settling nicely into a routine which has been made easier by the improving weather. All in all, I'm looking forward to what exciting things the season has in store.
In a week and a half Aaron and I will be reuniting in London to go and see the final of the darts at the O2 arena which no doubt will have an amazing atmosphere as well as visit Bath and a week long trip to Ireland with friends from Contiki. So look forward to hearing all about those in my next installment.
Until then,
Watch this space.

Dillon

Bovey Tracey

It's been just over 2 weeks since I blogged last and in that time I've settled into the life that will be taking up the next 4 and a half months of my trip.
The family that I am staying with is brilliant. The first week that I spent in Bovey the whole family was home, a 21 year old daughter and two boys 17 and 15. It's almost as if I have slipped out of my family and into theirs. They are incredibly active taking part in tennis, hiking, mountain biking, cricket and hockey just to name a few. This is fantastic as it gives me a chance to get off the couch and outside. Since then they have dispersed back to school, uni and work leaving me time at home by myself.
Unfortunately the weather has been a little bit temperamental and as a consequence it's been difficult to get any routine established as cricket has been interrupted and I've been stuck up inside for a majority of the days.
I have had 3 games since arriving here. One was rained out after 20 overs without getting a bat or bowl. The second game I was drafted to the opposition to make up the numbers and even out the competition in which I made a second ball duck (not a great start!) and took my first wicket. The 3rd game, played yesterday, went a bit better as I scored 49 not out and took another wicket. We have another week of trial games this weekend before the official season starts on May 5 which I can't wait to get into.
Bovey Tracey the township is rather small with a main street which has most of what I need, a gym and the cricket club. There are 3 larger towns within 10 to 15 minutes as well as Exeter, the capital of Devon which is the size of Adelaide CBD within half an hour. Torquay, the nearest beach city is only 3 quarters of an hour away which will hopefully come in handy when the weather starts to slowly warm up and the rain becomes a little more rare.
The job search is going slowly as the original pub work fell through. At this stage I might have work at a local adventure park about 15 minutes away which I understand to be similar to Greenhills adventure park where I might be working behind a bar or in a cafe. This is still yet to be confirmed.
All in all I've settled in well and as colts training and cricket gets into full swing I will hopefully have the chance to get into a routine making life a little bit easier.
Until next time,

Watch this space :)
Dillon