Sue is a really Perky character
CAN'T believe who I ended up speaking to last week with the 2010 Ryder Cup looming up on the Welsh horizon at Celtic Manor, Newport.
For all you local golfers now hanging on for every word, I will just drag it out a little longer while giving you a clue that he could well be vice captain to Colin Montgomerie for the European team.
With Philip Price being the local boy from Pontypridd, some 20 miles away from Newport, the bookies reckon he stands more chance than the other two in the frame, Thomas Bjorn and Paul McGinley.
The reason I was talking to him over the telephone was the fact I was that day wearing my rugby league hat and wanted some information off him. He was very pleasant and forthcoming and told me that he was brought up on the famous Pontypool front row as immortalised by comedian Max Boyce.
However, Philip switched his allegiance to the 13-a-side code some 20 years ago when the likes of Jonathan Davies, Alan Bateman, John Devereux, Paul Moriarty and Kevin Ellis had come north.
He has watched the game closely since then and informed me he had bought a season ticket for Celtic Crusaders 2010 season under Brian Noble at Newport's Rodney Parade ground.
He also went back last Sunday to Sadaris Road, Pontypridd to watch Wales beat Ireland in the European Nations RL event and is completely hooked on the game.
l LAST Saturday I went over to Wigan to watch England take on the Australians in the Four Nations RL event and who should I come face to face with but someone who I feel is a natural talent and one of the entertainers of the next decade.
Sue Perkins, who chairs Channel 4s The Big Food Fight with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, co-presents The Supersizers on BBC2, won BBC 2s talent show Maestro, conducted Proms in the Park and conducted at this year's Last Night of the Proms, was there to conduct the Dinnington Brass Band from south Yorkshire.
I had just met my good friend Martin Toal and Northern Ireland female singer Redd, the duo having come to sing the national anthems when she arrived to go through the music with them.
While the BBC were covering the match live, another section of the corporation was filming Sue and the band for a documentary on brass bands for showing in 2010.
She is an absolute scream and besides being a good presenter is now a comedienne you are going to see a lot more of on chat shows and various programmes on the old box.
I also understand from renowned world tenor Martin that his manager is in talks with the Old Brodleians president Guy Standeven about a midsummer concert at Woodhead. He would pack it to the rafters along with his back up team.
He told me that he has been booked on the first Saturday in June next year to close the old Saltergate ground at Chesterfield as they move to a new stadium next season. It will be a black tie event for 600 under a marquee on the pitch and their former goalkeeper Alan Stevenson, who also played locally at Burnley and Huddersfield Town, is working on the End of an Era project.
In the past two decades Alan has worked as a commercial manager at Hartlepool where his career as a keeper ended, then on to Middlesbrough and West Brom before Leeds Road again, and Huddersfield Town. He then closed that and moved them into the McAlpine Stadium (now Galpharm) before his next project at the Reebok Stadium from Bolton's old Burnden Park ground. Since then he has closed the old Wembley, moved to Hull City and taken them from Boothferry Park to the KC Stadium, then Coventry City's Highfield Road ground to the Ricoh Arena, Doncaster's Belle Vue to the Keepmoat Stadium, Shrewbury's Gay Meadow to The Prostar Stadium and now each day he looks at the leaning church spire of Chesterfield as he heads to work from his west Birmingham home.
A busy man who just keeps on performing as he did on the pitch for over 700 appearances with his very professional approach at wherever he turns up.
l FINALLY, fireworks and a bonfire this evening at Brighouse Sports Club and then on Sunday evening at Broad Fold (6pm) we have Brighouse Juniors annual disco inferno with president Dou Tait on the turntables.
For the always very popular Juniors event tickets are on sale from Kershaws Garden Centre until 5pm on Friday and then at the Juniors clubhouse Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 4pm each day. Adults are 4 and children 1 for the superb firework display plus all the fun of the Guy Fawkes celebration.
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Weather for Halifax
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Today
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Temperature: 8 C to 16 C
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