Help the Hatters Update 38

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Car Boot 5.

Sunday saw the fifth Car Boot of the year at Booth Street.
Being arranged at short notice , numbers were down on the average with less than 70 booters booked on for the 06.00 start.

 
Gate Crew !
The sun shone throughout, and the reduced numbers eased the pressure on the hardy band of Help the Hatters volunteers charged with the organisation, which made a pleasant change.


 
Gate Crew...Take 2.

Numbers down....no doubt means takings down too, but Angela will be able to make another welcome contribution to the coffers none the less , after another superb piece of organisation.
No,not a Nazi salute, MIAH is just telling people where to go , as usual!

Someone asked me on Booth Street , what HtH did with the dosh? I was on the spot, but a quick think reminded me that last season we facilitated wage deals for Scott Duxbury, Bobby Lofthouse and Chris Churchman, and of course the highly successful Rhys Turner deal that netted the Club a good return, and served the player well. This term Help the Hatters have stepped in to assist with Matthew Todd`s  remuneration ,so the positivity goes on!
 A glance at the later items in this Update gives more clues as to how the money is used for the benefit of the Club. Most recently we have ,and still are, engaged in sprucing up Edgeley Park( 11 Working Party`s so far this pre-season), as we have done similarly each pre season. This has involved heavy outlay in terms of paint and materials to keep this on track, but Help the Hatters have coughed up willingly!
David to fore, troupes rallying to rear!


Working Party`s 10 and 11

The work continued last Saturday when a dozen Help the Hatters supporters were up and about at 9a.m , with a view to continuing work on the Hardcastle Road frontage .

 
Matty,Arron & Ashley.

The objective was largely achieved and an enormous vote of thanks goes out to all who turned out- you were truly magnificent!


 
Neil.

 
Luke.
Special thanks go to Kip Akram who had a difficult morning to contend with in the 


Cherry Picker, and to Mike O`Brien who helped us out brilliantly when the going got tough!Kip earned further kudos by clambering back into another ( different) cherry picker 24 hours later to complete the job!
WP 11

 Before commencing work on Tuesday on WP11, along with WP Gaffer John Gaskin, I took a look at the Hardcastle Road frontage and it looked terrific, so a massive....massive vote of thanks to all who toiled in WP10 !
Tuesday`s effort was mainly focused on the Cheadle End, most specifically on the Upper Tier, which missed out last year, and whilst George H did his Jackson Pollock bit on the Disabled Section logos( joined later by Neil and Luke)

George ...adrenalin flowing !
 
the noisiest part of EP was pretty much finished come 8.30.
Elsewhere Darren partitioned the walkway in front of the Danny Bergara Stand to crack on with the painting there, and Ralph, ignored the odd shower to  top up some fine work on the scoreboard , with more of the same.
There is still stuff to do paint wise...Cheadle End Lower Tiers being the main area, but next week will probably be a clean up with Flynny`s game at the end of the week, so we will need a decent turn out please Tuesday July 15 at 18.30. Painting in earnest will be back on the menu the week after which will hopefully see us nearing completion.
Flags at E.P


.


Flags last season.



Some of you may have seen the recent article in the Stockport Express on this subject where I highlighted the part that Help the Hatters had played in keeping the  flags flying at Edgeley Park .They had agreed with the Club to sponsor the cost of refurbishment and renewal of the iconic collection of pole toppers!
The  five flags in the corner of the Railway End, have for some seasons now, offered a  fine sight to visitors to the stadium. Help the Hatters have kept a regular eye on these popular items and annually taken them down for a clean ( and paint job for the poles), but it was clear, this time, that the rigours of the Stockport weather had taken its toll, and the flags would therefore not stand another season atop the poles.....replacement flags were needed ...cue Help the Hatters who quickly agreed to foot the bill.
So....four of the five......Union Flag......Flag of St George.....Cheshire County Flag, and the Uruguay Flag( in honour of Danny Bergara), were replaced , and the fifth ,that of the Football Conference,  ceased to be....being replaced by a splendid new Help the Hatters Flag! What`s more....all 5 have been increased in size, promising an even more wonderful spectacle for visitors to the Edgeley Park!
I could not let the subject of flags go however without a small....nay a rather large indulgence on my part ......
I have rooted out a couple of poems on the subject for your delectation and delight.......
The first lauds the American Stars and Stripes, and like most of the best poems has the added value of brevity.

                                       High Pride
                                                                  by Roger W Hancock

                                         Our American flag we fly,
                                         vigilance keeps her nigh.
                                         May our liberty never die,
                                         in pride we fly her high.

The second poem is my all time favourite by John Agard, and the poet puts an entirely different slant to bear on the subject.
                                             
                                                Flag

                                                         What`s that fluttering in the breeze?
                                          It`s just a piece of cloth,
                                          that brings a nation to its knees.

                                         What`s that unfurling from a pole?
                                         It`s just a piece of cloth
                                         That makes the guts of man grow bold

                                         What`s that rising over a tent?
                                         It`s just a piece of cloth
                                         that dares a coward to relent

                                         What`s that flying across a field?
                                         It`s just a piece of cloth
                                         that will outlive the blood you bleed
                            
                                         How can I possess such a cloth?
                                         Just ask for a flag my friend
                                         then blind your conscience to the end!   

Two examples there of reactions/ views on national flags and how they are perceived and used . Whilst opinions might vary on the issue, when it comes to flags flown of late at E.P , I find myself wholly supportive of their use- the truly magnificent array of blue /white  flags produced , when allowed, at home and away games by Dave  and his cohorts ,regularly lift the spirits, and the addition of a Help the Hatters original is welcome indeed!


Blog Update.
 
                                        
Page Views ( Hits) have now passed 105000 , and I have listed the data from the first 12 months of the blogs existence ,which I hope will be of interest......

Countries Reading the Blog:-

United Kingdom
                              85509
United States                       
                                9147
Spain
                                  959
Australia              
                                  839
Germany
                                  574
Canada
                                  561
France
                                  535
China
                                  446
Ukraine
                                  396
Russia
                                  383


Most Read Articles :-

Sea of Blue , a Historic March     22 Dec 2013.        1022

Match Off......hmmmm !       11Jan 2014.                    563

Altrincham 3   County 0     24 Aug 2013                     559

Supporters Unite to Save County    28 Aug 2013         392

Man in a Hat Finds Guiseley Closed !  19Jan 2014       386

 Sources ;-

Top source season 2013/14!
members3.boardhost.com    39371

the yellowboard.net               2899

www.google.co.uk                 1661

t.co                                          1011

facebook.com                          1010

countyheaven.freeforums.net  582

www.altyfans.co.uk                 413

www.vampirestat.com              388















































































For the season ahead, the Blog will continue to cover all County matches ,home and away, starting with Saturday`s game against James Gannon`s side Northwich Victoria. Mostly these reports will be same day affairs, and chock full of British rubbish( yes...yes....I have managed to retain the services of Nigel Farago!). In addition there will be  an `Away Ground Guide' going out prior to County`s away fixtures. Guiseley and Tamworth are in the can and will be out shortly. Articles from Pauline , Adrian , Ian W and MIAH will hopefully be in evidence also, so keep visiting!

IO County

Ian Brown

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