Symi International Football Tournament

There’s an International Football Tournament taking place on Symi at the moment, 21^st to 24^th of October with two teams from the U.K., one team from Rhodes and two teams from Symi – the Under 11’s and Under 12’s teams are taking part. Gary Shaw arrived this morning to present the medals at the end of the Tournament. Gary Shaw is a former Aston Villa player and winner of the European Cup in 1982 when Aston Villa beat Bayern Munich 1-0. Aston Villa then went on to win the Super Cup beating Barcelona 3-0 at Villa Park in January 1983 with Gary Shaw scoring one of the goals. There are games at 5.00 p.m. & 6.00 p.m. both today and tomorrow, and our teams need local support. Have a look at A.O.Symi Facebook page for full details of the matches to be played.

As you might have gathered, that football detail didn’t come from me. That was a message kindly sent by Jean yesterday. By coincidence, we bumped into some of the players at the Rainbow Bar on Sunday night. Rather, they didn’t bump into me. I was heading back from Yianni’s salubrious outhouse when I found myself standing like a rock in a river as around 20 boys and girls poured into the bar. They were after the Someone Vs Someone Else match that was streaming in from the UK. That first, soft drinks second.

One of the teams met our team when they were at Camber Sands, in East Sussex earlier in the year. It’s great to see things like this, giving the youngsters a travel adventure, a different culture to see, and new friends to meet with a common interest. There was a positive, party atmosphere at the bar, some of the boys and girls discovered the square (and probably a football) and Renos (star of film and football) acted as the translator when talking to Greek children. Well done to everyone involved.

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More Saturday Photos

Here are a few more random images from Symi to keep you going over the weekend. The weather is still playing fair and warm, calm and without any wind to speak of, but next week promises something different. That’s if we can believe the forecasts which show rain and high winds for the middle of next week. I must get the bathroom roof sealed and painted before that happens, and dig out the door curtains (for drafts) and the old towels (in case of leaks around windows, which only happens if I forget to close the shutters). Meanwhile, have a good weekend and enjoy these photos that were taken during the summer.

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Where are we?

Just a few photos today – but where were they taken? I can tell you that they were taken earlier in the year, or maybe even last winter, but how many places can you name or recognise?

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Films News and a Thank You

We received a postcard the other day, from Alonissos. I just wanted to say thank you to Anschi for sending it, and for your good wishes. Keep reading the blog and the books!

As for the film news, if you haven’t already seen the news, ‘The 13^th‘ has won ‘Best Feature Film of the Year’ at the Lake View Film Festival in South Africa, and the award has arrived with the director/producer at 1066 Productions. Bravo to everyone involved, backers, actors, crew and local Symi children (and adults) included. Let’s hope that this award helps the company find a distributor and the money needed to get the film released to the public. Here’s a photo of the award. (Other photos today are random, as per.)

Also, if anyone is in London on 31^st October and fancies seeing the film at the Hen & Chickens Theatre, Islington, where the Unrestricted View Horror Film Festival is taking place, 1066 have five free tickets for backers or interested parties. The tickets include 20% off all drinks at the bar all day/evening. If you do want to go, you won’t have to make a speech or anything, it would just be good to have an audience and someone there who has a connection with the film even if you haven’t – if you see what I mean. (The connection would be that you’re a Symi Dreamer, that’s good enough for anyone.) Contact me if you are interested. (Email address at the bottom of this site.)

That’s the news and thanks done, now back to the writing but I will say it again, if you’ve seen the film and want the full story, or if you’ve not yet read the book, ‘The Judas Inheritance’, you can find it on Kindle and in print right here. Symi isn’t named as the island in the book, but it’s pretty obvious where it is set, at least, it will be to anyone who reads the book, knows the island and the village in particular.

Also, a quick note: at the moment, if you order a print copy of ‘The Saddling’ (my currently best selling mystery/thriller) you get a Kindle version copy for free. Sounds like a Christmas present for a friend, with a bonus for you kind of deal to me.

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Definitely autumn

Delightful weather, all rather peaceful, quiet in the village in the afternoons and yet busier in the evenings. There are several homeowners here at the moment, coming for an end of season holiday and to check their properties before preparing them for the winter months. Checking the weather-proofing, tidying up, putting things away and making sure everything is in place so that their houses are looked after during the coming months.

There are also several long-stayer preparing to head home after a summer on Symi. That must be a very difficult thing to do, to say goodbye to your second home for a few months. But, as I always say, you have to leave in order to come back.

As for us, we’re falling into the pre-winter routine: up early still (a huge array of stars from the balcony at 5.30 this morning), work in the morning, and afternoon actually, a pause for lunch, Neil still guarding the bar for a couple of hours, a drink or two there before home for a film, or friends for a dinner, that kind of thing. The shorts have gone back into the wardrobe unless we’re out in the sun in the mornings, but we’re not yet in full winter garb. That will come later. The courtyard is tidy, the flat roof cleaned ready for a coat of waterproof paint, the barbeque still needs to come inside to go into hibernation in the spare shower room, but other than that… Oh, the chilli plant has now decided to flower, so we’re hoping it stays warm enough for those buds to turn into chillies. Seems a bit late, but then, what do I know?

The day boats are still coming in, though numbers of day visitors may be falling. A couple of tavernas have closed for the season, but I still see taxi boats heading out. The Poseidon is finishing its trips this week unless the weather holds, the licence runs on, and there are enough takers for a trip. So, you can safely say, it’s definitely autumn here on Symi.

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