it must be the football

I hear England beat Andorra 3 - 0. This isn't a great achievement. Given England's recent form, there was a certain amount of anxiety. I fear some epeeists might have been watching.

I was the only epeeist for most of the evening. I fenced foil - very unsuccessfully. How does anyone cope with those little, light fencers with their tiny target areas? I lost my first bout 10-1, after which my opponent helpfully pointed out that she had found it very easy to hit me because I was using an epee en garde position. I corrected this in my next bout and did quite a bit better, losing only 10-6.

I hadn't expected to do well at fencing since the tiredness is getting worse - it's that stage of term. I started to ache half-way through footwork practice and wondered whether fencing at all was wise. But even foil is better than nothing. (Meanwhile, the number of sabreurs is increasing - but I'm really not a sabreuse.)

Luckily the evening ended with an opportunity for epee against one of the newest foil coaches, who was happy to get some epee practice in after his pupils had departed. The coach started fencing when I did, didn't really enjoy competitions, but he's become an excellent coach and is on the way to being a good epeeist too).

Switching from foil to epee was terrific. Suddenly I could manage the occasional wrist hit and my point control was improved. For a little burst, I was landing hits with ease ... before the tiredness hit again. Still, it's left me with little achievements to remember - and some preparation for next week. We're having another one-hit epee competition - there's an Easter egg for the winner. Given my previous form in one-hit epee, I think my best hope is one hit. One hit in the whole competition, that is. It's amazing how well other people fence when ownership of a chocolate egg is at stake.

Meanwhile, I'm relaxing with half a glass of wine (Gewurtztammer, from the Alsace). I'm drinking to Jim's new job and to wish Beth a stunning and deserved victory over B.C. Victoria Transit . It's time Victoria Transit realised that their passengers include human beings who use wheelchairs, who have the right to be treated as human beings. I'm very cross. I want Victoria Transit to know that this story has reached Europe and at least one British woman with a sword is very angry indeed.. On a happier note, I'm also celebrating because a friend has just got out of hospital earlier than expected. That half glass of wine is doing a lot of work ... Cheers!


P.S. I've added the blog my friend Kate has started to the side bar. It's called "Kate's blog". It's worth reading, even though Kate doesn't fence. She sails and does archery, as well as blogging on a wide range of subjects and taking pictures, mostly in Wales. I hope that one day Kate and I will be companions in non-violent, radical piracy.