David Coats Blog

I have just had one of the best weekends I’ve had in many months! Thank you Seany for your motivation - organisation and hospitality! This weekend, Sean organised drinking events, football events and Rockclimbing in Southampton! I feel like i’ve just returned from a proper holiday - it’s depressing to be back!

Friday afternoon, after a session in the pub organising our department’s team building session (more on that to come), I raced home, packed my stuff and jumped on the train. I got to Southampton at about 8 and went straight to Sean’s for some pre-club drinks with Jolyon and Jacko too. We headed off to a bar (can’t remember the name) to see some of the new freshers before going to Orange in Bedford Square. Orange is next door to a similar club/bar called Mono, and the two are very nice bars indeed! We didn’t last long, and were pretty pished so we headed home for some ProEvo and home drinks. The night ended in hilarity when Jacko fell asleep and, like the mature adults we are, we commenced robo-raping Jacko with an electric massager resembling a large penis. I say robo-raped, it was more like photograph us (and Sean’s teddy) in compromising positions undermining Jacko’s hetrosexual masculinity, which is tantamount to rape, but I must stress - only the teddy penetrated

Anyway, the next morning, Sean’s motivation became apparent as, after less than 5 hours sleep, he was up and hankering for some Gym action! I actually felt pretty good so got up sharpish and spent about an hour in Sean’s Garage a.k.a HomeGym. After I’d busted my Biceps, Torn my Triceps and ripped my Pecs, we made our way into town to St Mary’s. Sean had struck a deal with a friend for some Free tickets to Southampton Vs QPR on the proviso we handed out some Flyers for Saints TV. It was easily the most i’d ever been paid per hour - 30mins work for a £30 ticket - £60 per hour - not bad!

The game was wank. No sooner had we sat down but Southampton had scored - great you may think, but Saints have a habit at home of throwing away a lead - which they duly did. First off - Dexter Blackstock - our ex-striker - scored for QPR then our Keeper, Kelvin Davis, made an absolute howler when he fluffed controlling the ball and QPR slotted it home into an empty net to go 1-2 up, which it stayed. Thank god I didn’t pay for a ticket!

That evening we drowned our sorrows with Home drinks (cheap) followed by a trip to the club Ocean & Collins. It was pretty cool in there - with a large bar, dance area, seated raised balcony and VIP strip of sofas behind net curtains. We weren’t really in the mood for it however, and the music was shitty R&B and very load - so no chance of chatting to slags, so we retired back along the High street to Orange again for a quick pint before heading home ready for the big day!

At 12 on Sunday, Sean’s mate Andy picked us up and we drove to Calshot for the rock climbing session. Calshot is quite far out of Southampton, just outside the New Forest on a little spit of land opposite Fawley Power Station. It was really empty when we arrived which was great as we had the pick of the walls. Calshot not only has Rockclimbing, but Snowboarding and a Velodrome - very smart! We started off on the small traversing wall before doing a bit of bauldering and onto the main walls. I can’t tell you how tiring it is on your arms. My forearms still ache now. My left wrist is still weak after breaking it last year which made it even harder, but I think I did really well (if i say so myself!)

I was rubbish at the bauldering - which is basically climbing a small rock feature with an overhang using really small hand an foot handles. It takes some serious upper body strength which I don’t have. I guess its similar to one big pull up after another, so its definately best to use your feet as much as possible. I have very little coordination with my feet as my footballing skills show, so really couldn’t find foot holes very accurately!! I was pretty good at the walls however, and could scale them all really quickly. The walls are grades from 3-7 with +’s inbetween. We started off on a 3, which was inclinded away from you and easy to climb. Then we moved onto a 3+, which was level, then a 4+, which was included toward you. The 4 plus was well hard, but i still reached the top and didn’t fall off - unlike Seany (I like to boast when I get one up on Sean - it doesn’t happen often!!)

After the exertion of rockclimbing, we went for a relaxing pint in The Archers, on Archers Road - which used to be at one end of The Dell. Obviously, it is therefore a hardcore Saints pub and, as Pompey were playing Tottenham, we thought it a perfect place for some Pompey abuse. So good they lost! We hate Pompey! As it got dark, I begrudgingly made the long trip back to Brighton, Via a Bus from Littlehampton - thank you engineering works! At least there was a quality lightening storm which kept me entertained!

Oh and on the subject of storms - while I was away - check out what happened in Brighton on Sunday - a tornado!! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/5396508.stm

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