Massimo Osti Archive

Damn fine Russian site freizeit were granted a visit to MOA earlier this year. Well worth a look for their glorious, and numerous, photos. Click here for archive blog.

York City Away

Finally York City as a proper fixture, not some meaningless kick around in July. And 1699 other Poolies felt the same as nearly two thousand Pools fans snapped up tickets for Yorks partisan away end.

There's 365 pubs in York, one for everyday of the year, but there's only one that matters to me and me pals. The Stone Roses bar. Blogged about it before, it's my personal favourite drinking hole by the Ouse. However it loses a certain charm on a matchday. Not from the boisterous drinked up Poolies, don't mind that. Been there, done that. No, but from the over zealous bar staff who called for quiet and turned anyone away they didn't like the look of. In that respect, we were lucky to get in. The polis were in and out like the place was Sun Hill, eyeing up anyone and everyone who wasnt wearing a STAFF tee, and removing anyone who dared to sneeze. Still a few pints supped and a few boss tunes listened to, nice to get my biannual fix of this boozer.

Too quick though it was time for the match. I was anticipating this game highly, it was like Christmas eve, and hadn't felt this excited for a Hartlepool match for a long time. Although I think more of it was to do with the large away following, not the promise of good free flowing football. And with the excitement of Christmas Eve...

Christmas Day turned out to be an utter let down as usual. The open terrace packed with bodies was a fine sight, but unfortunately the absence of a roof meant no reverberations of sound from the singers leading to a disappointing quiet bar a few hundred. I'd also put that down to the torrential rain and the fact we were watching Hartlepool United. No wonder we were subdued.

The game may as well have been the meaningless friendly (at least we'd have had the weather) as both sides were crap. Pools started with James Poole and Steve Howard up front, both with a measily handful of goals between them last season, and never looked like scoring. No shots on target. But then York didn't have any either. Two hopelessly toothless teams playing out a stalemate in England's basement division. £17 pounds sounds a lot when you put it like that.

The full time whistle eased the pain but not the rain. Nil nil. Time to check the other scores. A twenty pound free bet seven line accumulator failed to respond due to one result. Had Wycombe won £2.5k would have been in my pocket, but alas no. So had to scrape around in my pocket for enough change for more petrol in the tank, point the car north towards the north and the purple/black clouds gathering there...

Watching Hartlepool United away. Joyous.

Autumn Casual

Few bits and pieces I've picked up for the autumn, but shrewdly got during the summer so they nice and cheap.

First up a pair of shoes I've had on my radar for awhile, some long since deadstocked Clark's Minster Moors in tan. Love the design of these and they're perfect for dressing up or down - example worn for a posh meal with the wife the other night and shall be gracing my feet at Bootham Crescent tomorrow.

Next another nice bit of shirting from my favourite French fashion house Faconnable. In a pleasing shade of pink (for late summer) and brown (autumn ticked off too) check with the usual high quality detailing. Smart.

From the sublime to the faintly ridiculous. Vintage St. Michael grandad shirt in very typical 'your grandad' shades of brown, beige and grey. Lose fitting and linen, this will become my gig shirt the next time the Mondays roll into town.

Another bit of 90s vintage next. An old school Stone Island over shirt. Very lightweight and baggy with a simple design, has been thrown on over a polo when strolling down to get the Mirror. Been ages since I bought some Stoney but this was available for peanuts so couldn't resist.

Next up some cult badges. First a soon to be sold out blue (Hartlepool!) Stand against modern football pin from distant echo. I was online purchasing issue five of the mag when I spotted these, and red ones, fresh in. Purchase had to be made. After that we've got a pin from North East based A Casual Man blog. Those of you who haven't marked my words and visited his site, please follow link elsewhere on this blog. Love the simple yet classy nature of this pin, words which could also sum up the blog nicely.

Thrifty Beatnik

Thrifty? Yes most definitely. I love a eBay pennies pick up and sifting through mothballed clobber in charity shops. Beatnik? Not quite up on hippy ideals, although I do have a scruffy goatee on the go at the minute...

If you're the same and you enjoy your vintage one offs and your forgotten 90s labels, then Thrifty Beatnik could be for you. Based in wor very own Newcastle-upon-Tyne, they specialise in gentleman's garments unique as they are original and pieces of fine clobber that are "individual as you are". Nicely put.

Stumbled across them via fleabay and immediately checked out three inexpensive old school Chaps shirts for under a tenner. With combined postage this trio of shirtings arrived at my door for 12 of the Queen's.

They have thousands of lines and I'll certainly be sifting through them again for more thriftily priced gems maaan, and if you want to do the same visit www.thriftybeatnik.co.uk