This Sunday's Match

Today I met with the opposition's High Command; we discussed the options, examined feasibility studies, read through detailed reports commissioned by C.O.B.R.A., but could not come to a consensus of opinion.  Then someone looked out the window and announced that it was still raining.  It is clear that, unless a sirocco blows from midnight tonight right through to 2.30 on Sunday, our best hope would be to hold a re-enactment of the Somme. So, our decision made, it is now my sad duty to relay to you all that there will be no match this Sunday.  In fact there will be no match this year and the earliest we will get the chance to retain the cup will be 2013.

Mum & Dad are keen that the lunch should still go on.  Tom K has offered to shoulder the responsibility of coordinating the numbers.  Can everyone let him know, either way, if you are planning to come.  You can email him on tomkeeling1@aol.com or he will be at Jacobs from Thursday 19th at lunch time.

(not the pitch by the way)

Comment
Trust the Village to brush up on their Jet stream manipulation tech just to prevent another smashing. Shame shame!!!

Posted by: Harry | July 20, 2012 at 12:43 AM

7 Days to go

Having made contact with the Sedlescombe High Command today, there has to be reasonable cause for doubt about next week's crucial fixture.  We have agreed to discuss the matter again next week before Wednesday, at which time I will update you all.  There was one telling statistic came out of the conversation and that was that they have yet to play a match on the ground this year!  I went round to Jacobs today and decided to take a small detour and review the pitch for myself (see below)......

It's clearly not looking that healthy!!  Infact the football goals they have up all around the square look altogether more suitable for the conditions.  It is quite clear that they require unrelenting, Saharan like sunshine from now 'til then, but I will update later this week, so watch this space.  Currently, and amazingly considering the Noah like weather we are having, the match is still on.

Cricket match lunch venue

Everyone,

I was chatting with Dad last night and it became obvious that it would suit Mum and him if they did not need to cope with lunch before the cricket match. Therefore I spoke to Paul about this and he suggested we arrange an alternative venue and offered his house or finding a pub. Paul then spoke to Dad and they agreed that the Brickwall Hotel would be a good option and Dad generously offered to stand everyone lunch.

I spoke to the Brickwall this morning and they are available, so I have made a booking subject to confirming numbers with them.

Please can everyone who wants to have lunch before the cricket match let me know by Thursday this week and I will let the hotel know what the numbers will be. Either reply on the blog or send me an email on tomkeeling1@aol.com

Many thanks, Tom

Comment
Well done Tom! I'll let you know our numbers asap xP

Posted by: Paul & Van | June 19, 2012 at 09:17 AM

Van to swim the Solent

I'm fundraising for Maggie's Centres, Samaritans Of Isle Of Wight and St Giles Church, Bodiam.

Please help me make a difference by making a donation to my Virgin Money Giving page.

To find out more about what I'm doing and why, please visit http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/VanessaKeeling where you can also sponsor me online.

Don't forget to tick the box to reclaim Gift Aid on your donation if you're a UK tax payer. Virgin Money Giving will pass this on in full to charity, making your donation go even further.

Thanks for your support,
Van

8 brothers (and 2 sisters)

We happily announce that yesterday LOLA gave birth to 10 puppies over five hours from nine in the morning. Even Mum didn't try that. They don't have names yet, but eight are boys and two are girls. When she had pups a couple of years ago she was quite shocked by the experience, that was quite evident in her behaviour and demeanour, but yesterday she emerged pretty and unscathed, keen to leave the blighters alone for a bit while she went out to play with a ball and murder a bone. Here they are:

Comments
haha "even mum didn't try that!" love it
Posted by: Archie | June 02, 2012 at 09:37 AM

WOW! that is amazing - think she needs more than a bone after all that - enjoy! lots of love Van xxx

Posted by: Van | May 31, 2012 at 07:05 PM

Hip hip hooray

Dad / Grandpa arrived home at 11.30 this morning after his hip replacement on Friday. Here he is, getting out of the car, from where he made a beeline for his cigars.

And here he is puffing away.

Comments
hurrah!! bring on 'keeling skiing 2012/13'.
Posted by: Archie | June 02, 2012 at 09:54 AM

Dad looks ten years younger. David
Posted by: David | May 08, 2012 at 11:31 AM

Good on George! Mum.

Posted by: Jenifer Keeling | May 08, 2012 at 10:58 AM

JV Night - Henning Wehn at the 606 in Lots Road

Comments
He's really funny! Try him up on iPlayer. See you there? David & Camilla

Posted by: David | April 25, 2012 at 12:08 PM

A Call to Arms (again!)

The Keelings v's Sedlescombe - Sunday 22nd July 2012

We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long weeks of practice and of fitness training. You ask, what is our strategy? I will say: It is to play total cricket, by bowling, batting and fielding, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage cricket war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark and lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our strategy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: victory; victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival. Let that be realized; no survival for the Keeling name, no survival for all that the Buddha has stood for, no survival for the urge and impulse of the ages, that Keeling kind will move forward towards its goal. But I take up my task with buoyancy and hope. I feel sure that our cause will not be suffered to fail among the men of Sedlescombe. At this time I feel entitled to claim the aid of all, and I say, "Come then, let us go forward together with our united strength”.

Put your names forward bravely (and quickly!), after our great victory last year you must all be gagging to join the team - see our celebrations from last year below:

Been trying to load a photo - dead funny one too - but been defeated by the technology!

Comments
After a gap of some 34 years I am due to attend the annual Keeling cricket match in July, though this time, wisely from everyone's point of view, as merely a supporter, not a team member. I have Tom to thank for my invitation and I expect nothing less than a fine, easy, Keeling victory. My recollection of playing in about 1978 was that I acted as runner to my father. Sadly this was an unsuccessful duo as I managed to run him out; he was not best pleased. I much look forward to the day and seeing many Keeling cousins, some perhaps for the first time!
Posted by: James Petri | May 06, 2012 at 01:33 AM

I am to old and weak of eye and limb to join you on the battlefield. Let fitter men do that and let me be John Maynard Keynes - the scoreboard operator - to Paul's Churchill.
Posted by: George | March 26, 2012 at 04:55 PM

sorry I can't help! Mum

Posted by: Jenifer Keeling | March 26, 2012 at 11:42 AM

Grave matters

Being at Jacobs it was time to revisit the grave of my grandparents. Mum and Dad gave me directions and twice I failed to find the flat grave stone 'slightly to the right of the path from the lychgate and behind the church'. The third time I walked from Jacobs, met my Mum there and she showed me. Better directions would have been 'Walk down the path on the left of the church, continue after it ends over some grass and between some very old graves and it is just after the next path you come to'.  In case anybody else is seek-disabled, here is a map. The yellow dashed line is the clue to 1) Sir John and Lady Keeling's resting place. Their oldest son is also in a much better marked graved at (2). It took me 40 minutes to walk from Jacobs via the park field, Hurst lane, Churchland lane, then right after Killingan wood across some fields. You can enter the cemetery by Jacobs gate, apparently so called because the people from Jacobs always walked that way to church.
George
PS you can click the pic if you want a bigger view. And google map here.

Detention for Grandpa

Grandpa had to attend corrective driving school today, due to a bit of accidental speeding a month or two ago. It set him back £80 and four hours in a 'very boring' lesson on the perils of driving too fast. The lessons were conducted by (according to him) Mr Jimmy and Mrs Jemima Knowall. Mrs Knowall strutted about on her platforms as she spoke and, as the floor was loud, he could not hear a word she said. There were only two ten minute breaks and poor grandpa couldn't even get out for quick puff at a cigar. To his credit, he did not fall asleep. The photo is for illustrative purposes only.

Comments
George has been here for a few days and we have laughed all the time. I am laughing again as I write this, but he had the last laugh by telling Mike on the way to the station that he had left his jacket in the games room. Whether he wanted to make Mike worthy of another speed awareness course or not I don't know. They got the jacket, caught the train and hopefully no speed trap
Posted by: Jenifer Keeling | March 22, 2012 at 01:15 PM

Brilliant! LoL Jim
Posted by: Jim | March 22, 2012 at 10:40 AM

Hahaha. I'm sorry grampa but I find this hugely funny.
Posted by: Archie | March 22, 2012 at 09:04 AM

George is a genius

George is a genius
George has put up a calender on 8brothers so we can all see when it is good to go down and look after Granny and Grampa!!
Well done George!!!
Rob
Comment
How do I look at the calendar to know who is coming when?

Posted by: Jenifer Keeling | February 17, 2012 at 01:27 PM

This calendar fell into disuse, Editor George dec 15 2017

Imo the Winner

On Saturday Imo ran in the South West Schools cross country Championships at Exeter, in a 3 km race. She was in the U15 girls race (she is still twelve, for four more days). There were 70 runners and she finished 19th. She was the second fastest in the Somerset team. Next month she will run in the national competition.

A week ago she had another great race and made history at her school. In the Kings Hall cross country she finished first, beating all the boys and finishing one minute ahead of everyone else. Cool!
Comments
MARVELLOUS!!!!! Keeling grandpents
Posted by: jenifer Keeling | February 07, 2012 at 10:27 AM

Beat those boys!
Posted by: David | February 07, 2012 at 10:25 AM

Go Imo go

Posted by: trev | February 07, 2012 at 09:52 AM

The Master and Margarita

Also - now I've embraced my inner blogger -

I've been working on a new stage adaptation of The Master and Margarita, which will be on at the Barbican in March. It's going to be brilliant and tickets are very nearly sold out.

More info here: https://www.barbican.org.uk/theatre/event-detail.asp?ID=12872 [old URL]

Come and see it!
xxx

NEW YEAR IN BERLIN

NEW YEAR IN BERLIN - a little snippet
With thanks to the delightful staff at Gasthaus George's Gorgeous Flat. We had such a great time....
xxxx

Poppy says: ps. If you drag the speedy snippets onto your desktop you can enjoy the slideshow at your own pace xx
And I stuck some glue in the works too ...
Comment
HEY! slow the movie down!

Posted by: David | January 31, 2012 at 10:46 AM

come and blow away any January blues ......

Comments
Saw them in meribel and they are brilliant!
Posted by: Kate | January 23, 2012 at 10:57 PM

Good Luck! I hope it is a sell out! Love from Mum and Dad.

Posted by: Jenifer Keeling | January 22, 2012 at 10:48 AM

Congratulations Rob

Happy Birthday Robert Michael Keeling, born 19 January 1952.

Letters home 1914-1918

Paul and George got a bit excited over a year ago and decided to get a beautiful leather bound edition of Captain Arthur Gibbs' letters home. We have given a few copies to Granny / Mum and kept one each for ourselves. Another six are lying in some warehouse printed but unbound. It took us over a year to get the first six copies and we believe it would be up to three months to get more with that lovely leather binding. (We're not Amazon).



Sadly it's not cheap and we would have to ask £250 + postage for each extra copy. (Even if we shift all six we will still be out of pocket). So if you would like one of these very rare editions, e-mail me quickly before they all go! george.keeling@gmail.com.



Stop press: Sold out!


Comment
You know I hope that I have got one for Simon. Rob only wants a photograph, but don't despair, Jim and Tom have birthdays next autumn, David rather an unknown quantity, Trevor like wise, but I shd think they all deserve a birthday present from their grandfather who never gave them one.
Posted by: Jenifer Keeling | January 08, 2012 at 01:35 PM

Fire! Fire!

Last night Frewin Rd almost burnt down! Emma was woken by our smoke alarms (I’ve always cursed them, but no more) and we found smoke pouring from our downstairs loo with flames licking up the wall to the right of the sink. A candle we had by mistake left alight had caught onto its very stupid base (a coconut shell) and thence the wall-paper and wooden picture frame above it, both of which were completely burnt out – another few minutes and it would have required the fire-brigade I’m sure, but as it was we were able to put it all out with a towel and bucket of water! Thank God! It brought back memories of the “Fire in case of Fire in case of Fire in case of Fire in case of Fire” notice that used to be stuck to the wall in Albert Place – and I was glad of the training that had given me. Fire drill in our house will be happening as soon as we are all six back together again in Frewin Rd. With lots of love, Jim xox
Comments
I've always rather scoffed at the rule in our block of flats that we can't have candles. Maybe they're right after all. Well done putting it out. Carrie
Posted by: Carrie | December 08, 2011 at 01:27 PM

Great stuff getting it out so efficiently.....Many congrats Mum
Posted by: Jenifer Keeling | December 08, 2011 at 12:33 PM

Oh my lord!

Posted by: George | December 07, 2011 at 05:01 PM

5 years old

8brothers has just turned five year old! To celebrate I've put up a fascinating optical illusion at the bottom of this post. It may have something to do with the semi conductor current flow. And, apart from the great new banner, a few other things have happened:

I've had a membership drive recently and we've got 8 new subscribers bringing us to 32: Archie, Siobhan, Tom the older, Polly, Issie, Josh, Kate and Dr Trevor. Welcome to the great 8brothers blog! Everybody can post stuff up here to tell us about what you are up to or beg for money etc. It's quite easy, even Paul can do it, just follow one of the links at the top left. Also if you want search for old articles there's a new search box at the top right. For example, type in Barbar, and you can find her diaries again.

Talking of Dr Trevor there should be a new one soon. Trevor the handsome has just started a postgraduate course at Reading University studying the effect of building design on the people who use them. He's already optimising M&S freezer layouts to buoy up the shoppers. I think that's what we used to call Feng Shui, but he's getting fully paid by his benevolent employer for the whole four year course. Result. So assuming he and Archie pass their exams we'll have three doctors in the family soon

Ruth the senior grandchild is getting more famous: She woke up this morning to hear her report for the Local Government Chronicle being broadcast on Radio 2. It was also in  the Mirror, the Telegraph, the Huffington Post and a large number of local newspapers.

And here's the optical illusion that I found on Google+. Look at the + in the centre of the purple dots. What do you see?

You can find out why that's like semi conductor current flow click here.

Bye for now!
George
Comment
Dear George, good news about the updated blog and all the positive info about the up and coming generation. SioBHAN spells her name differently from german roads. It is a widespread error that people make, but I expect you would prefer to know the facts. Lots of love, Tom.

Posted by: Tom the older | November 28, 2011 at 10:04 AM

Tom wants ALL your money

Graffiti Tom put this about his Belfast run on Facebook. For those of you who missed his Facebook post, he wrote:
So I am running the Belfast Marathon next May. Got the flights, B&B and entry all sorted. I thought a [facebook] group would be the easiest way to contact all the Keelings to try and get you to give me all your money, and I mean ALL of it. If you could add all the others to the group as I dont have that many on here right now. the giving page is http://www.mycharitypage.com/t2keeling  and it is a charity in africa that builds schools etc. You can find more info about them on their website. [Ed .. Where's that?]
Comment
Tom, I am getting rid of my oil painting kit and my acrylics. Any interest? Love Granny.

Posted by: Jenifer Keeling | November 10, 2011 at 10:25 PM