I'm off to Spain for a few days for a team kickoff. I'm luck enough to have an employer who still believes mixing socially with the people you work with is important. Long may it continue and I may even get a tan.

Right let's deal with last night. England didn't play as well as they did a few days before, they couldn't pass and no one apart from Owen wanted the ball. Campbell's disallowed goal was a low point for a referee who was inconsistent and seemed to be overseeing a different game to the one I was watching. If he had trusted the linesman the England squad wouldn't be on the way back to their faux tudor mansions today. And penalties…what is it about bloody penalties?

09:30 I write this at 18,000 feet somewhere over Birmingham on my Pocket PC whilst watching the cabin staff attempt to serve everyone a coffee and a baguette in less than thirty five minutes, Manchester airport is only fifteen minutes away and they've only just gone past me in row fifteen. Why on such short hops do they insist on having an in-flight service apart from of course for it's comedic value? When I fly back the afternoon they undoubtedly do the same thing again. 15:30 Actually they can’t as the flight back is rather bumpy. The danger of someone throwing hot coffee over themselves is considered too great and the way this plane is moving around I tend to agree. Makes using the transcriber on the Pocket PC interesting too. 16:45 In contrast the Heathrow Express is super smooth and a very quick way to get from Heathrow to the centre of our fair capital. Now if only they had a wireless hot spot in the train I could upload this blog entry but it’s going to have to wait until later.

A little while ago I mentioned that Formula One is now the motorsport equivalent of watching paint dry. But if you insist on watching some german bloke in a red car win yet again 'cos the other teams are rubbish and you want some excitment in your life...look no further.

Every now and again you need something a bit highbrow, a trip to an art gallery, a visit to the theatre or as I did last night an evening of opera at Hampton Court. Not the usual arse numbing sixteen hours of Wagner that most people associate with such events but one of the more popular ‘gala’ events where they belt out a few hours of opera’s greatest hits and chuck in a few show tunes if appropriate backed by a full orchestra, in this case the London Philharmonic Concert mob. The main man was the Welsh baritone Bryn Terfel, who’s real surname apparently is Jones, but as you’re unlikely to stand out with a name like that in Wales he dropped it and sensibly uses his second moniker, Terfel. Ah…I know what you’re thinking but don’t forget Tom moved to Vegas. Mr T was joined by the equally talented Joseph Calleja and the wonderfully named Desiree Recontore and they too have more talent that is right for one person to possess. So a great evening and some great tunes, but it had me thinking though as not a few hours before on the way home I had been accompanied by The Darkness at HSE worrying decibels levels. What a wonderfully eclectic world we live in. Bryn Terfel singing ‘Get Your Hands Off Of My Woman…”, now I’d pay to see that.

Yesterday was interesting for two reasons. Firstly the English football team proved once again that the only problem they have is belief in themselves. They are arguably have one best all round squads in the competition and for ninety one minutes showed the rest of the Euro 2004 teams that the French are not too be feared. At this level the teams that win are those that believe they will, maybe someone should tell Beckham and Co that. Secondly and on a related note the British prove once again that when it comes European politics they couldn’t really care. In the UK only 39% of the voting public could be bothered to wander down to their local polling office or fill in a form; which is I suppose better than last time. Interesting our European chums are equally dismissive with only 44% bothering to vote. If you want it change anything you have to do is mark a small cross, they even provide the pencil…not much to ask is it?

Yesterday Mrs C had her first experience of gliding, it was a birthday present she got from a friend of hers earlier in the year. Although I stayed on the ground I had a great time as the people at the Southdown Gliding club were very friendly. Mrs C's pilot for the trial lesson was a test pilot for a commercial airline, he flight tests airliners after they have had major services or significant work carried out, and he just happens to be a glider pilot as a hobby. This is Mrs C coming into land after a 45 minute flight. We might have a glider pilot in the making.

I pray to dear god that this never happens.

We all know that Estate Agents are capable of Orwellian Doublespeak that would make Oceania’s Ministry of Truth wince and it’s was good to see that skills of ‘MiniTru’ lives on. Just round the corner from where I live is what is reputed to be one of the Henman (as in Tim) family homes, which is now up for sale. It’s a grand old pile that’s had a lot of work done recently and is on the market for the thick end of £4 million. Now I know if the Estate Agent is probably going to get a tasty 2% for doing the square root of sod all they feel honour bound to do something even if it’s just taking a few photos and sticking a sign up outside. But the sign is interesting as it claims the house is able to provide “16th Century Contemporary Living”. Now surely you can have “16th Century Living” or “Contemporary Living” but not both, unless of course you’re in the 16th Century which even the most cretinous of Estate Agents will realise we’re not. Oh hang on...

If you do nothing else take a few moments to remember what happened 60 years ago today.

George Bush Jr has done some pretty shameless things in recent times, getting his little brother fix the Florida vote last US Election for one, but to compare the situation in Iraq with what happened 60 years ago and the upcoming anniversary of D-Day landings showed just how feeble a grip he has on reality. Please America in November; do yourselves and world a favour.