Santa_Rosa

I'm getting a lot of stick from Mackem mates about Gabby diving for the freekick leading to the second goal. Anything in that?

Found out the sad news via Twitter. I'm almost entirely an occasional lurker on VT these days, but just had to break my silence to express my sadness at the loss of Paddy. Never met the lad but, like so many on here I felt like I knew him. RIP mate.

Great spoiler, thanks Bloody oath - I thought you'd kopped it. Where have you been, mate? Lurking, mostly. Being the step parent of a two year old for the rest of it. Summat had to give, and I chose being a smartarse on here. Still tune in for most match days though.

Great spoiler, thanks

Grr, beat me to it Mike, I was trying to find that and get an edit in It was that bit of wingeing when he gave away the foul. Looked to me like a man who wanted his bath. Good job I'm not ever likely to get anywhere near making any decisions for Villa innit? All over. You beauty

Heskey's had enough now I think

I'd wager most premiership managers in the UK today could manage to do well i the French league. I don't expect the reverse is true. Theres some severe claret and blue specs on tonight on this board. Honestly, speak to neutrals, most I'm talking to are pissing themselves laughing at this appointment. I'm surrounded by neutrals and not one has shown any evidence of soiling themselves. They all think it's a good appointment, particularly given the lack of other realistic candidates.

Welcome Gerard. You look a bit like Gareth Edwards, which is good enough for me.

No sympathy mate if you've "friended" non Villa fans! Me moms side are all Wolves and Baggies, and a couple of nose/baggies mates that I work with. It's gonna be a long season I fear. Cry me a river. I work in an office full of Geordies :cry:

:? Footnote: The majority anyway! I'll take that mate

I'm rather disappointed that you were not in the hall jumping up and down with a VT banner, mate. Spoken like a man who's never been to Silksworth. I'd keep it that way if I were you - they're still smarting about the Carling Cup round these parts

:?

Houghton and Sunderland South is my constituency, and the tennis centre about 10 minutes from my house. A bit weird to be the centre of the nation's focus for a moment. Result not surprising of course. I went Lib Dem btw

My wife raved about this, and I gave it a go a couple of months ago. Couldn't get on with it at all, and gave up after about four chapters. Reminded me of Dickens - her favourite writer, but my bete noir. Yeah, I could see why someone who wasn't into Dickens wouldn't like it. It isn't exactly rocking my world either. I was expecting more. There's much to admire about OTR, but I think 'OK' probably sums up my feelings on it too.

Always worth digging up this thread I reckon. My current, but hopefully temporary, job means the best part of two hours in total travelling on the Metro into the Toon and has meant that I'm ploughing through books at the minute. In the last fortnight I've: - finally finished Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell and it was well worth it IMO - just the concept and that scale of the thing is impressive and to tie everything in to a very readable, and sort of believable story, is mind-boggling really. - polished off Drama City by George Pelecanos. My 3rd book by him and will definitely not be the last. Superb crime writing - set on the streets of Washington DC and, as you'd expect from one of David Simon's collaborators, like reading an episode of The Wire. - got halfway through On The Road by Jack Kerouac, which I'm enjoying, and hope to finish this week. Next up either The Perfect Spy by John Le Carre or one of a couple of Ian McEwans I've recently acquired from the excellent Bookmooch - many of those on my Bookmooch wishlist have come from this very thread. That Le Carre one from Mr Mooney IIRC