It was an early start (awake at 5am) but well worth it … well, at least I think so :)

It is our 11th anniversary so I get to be even more spoiled that usual. So up early (5am) and off to Euston Station by cab to catch 3 trains to Horwich Parkway (5 hours) and then a walk to Reebok Stadium (the home of the Bolton Wanderers Football Club) to see the UK Open darts, rounds 3 and 4.



It was an indoor event, with 8 dartboards around the room. The main stage along one wall, the second stage on the next 90 degree wall, and then the remaining boards all along the third wall. Of course the fourth wall was reserved for a bar. It was just like a gigantic pub. Lots of beer, smoke and noisy people filled the room.



I regressed to my teenage years and became an autograph hunter. I managed to get autographs of players such as Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor (10 time world champion), John Lowe (a veteran champion from the time when I first began watching darts), John ‘Darth Maple’ Part (current world champion) and up and comer James West among others. I also managed an autograph from Eric ‘The Crafty Cockney’ Bristow (5 time world champion in the 1980s but now mostly retired) who is my all time favourite who was working for Sky TV.



I was impressed with all the players and the way they conducted themselves. Most mingled with people at the tables at some stage during the afternoon. Even when they had lost, and the body language was ‘not happy with my performance’ they still were available to sign autographs and were very gracious about it. James West is only 20 and made it to the 4th round today. He too, while not happy to have lost, was still gracious and planning to go bigger and better next time.



It was fabulous all round. Save for the smoke it was better than on TV, coz you got all of the atmosphere, the cheers, the ‘180s’ etc. Got to talk to Phil Jones who is the master of ceremonies at the darts events that we see on TV and the referee who you hear (rather than see) on TV calling the scores and the ‘180s’!



Leigh and I now each have a set of darts, mine are Eric Bristow ones personally signed, and Leigh’s are John Part darts, also personally signed (we got them autographed by Eric and John while we were there today)! What a pity we don’t have a dartboard at home. Leigh may have caught the bug from when he played darts (and won) at the pub in Helperby last week :)



It is going to be a long day, I am writing this on the second of three trains we will travel on during our journey back to London. Hopefully we will arrive before midnight. But it has been truly wonderful, expensive, but still terrific.

Well, that is where I thought the interesting bits of this day would end. However, I was wrong. We had signal problems which resulted in being stranded around Milton Keyes Central for ages, and totally confused as to whether we should wait for the next train, stay on this one, will this train continue to Euston (even tho it was scheduled to terminate before then). I don’t know which is worse, the waiting or the not knowing what is going to happen. To cut a long and boring story short, we shuffled ourselves to first class (if we are waiting we are going to do it in comfort!) and ended up on a different train in Euston Station 1.5 hours late.

Virgin handle problem resolution very well as compensation claim forms were handed out as we got off the train, taxi vouchers for those who had missed connections, and free water handed out. We eventually got a taxi to our hotel, arriving about 2.30am. The night porter commented that we had a long day because he had seen us leave earlier that morning.

We slept until 10 the next day ... but what else would you expect :)