CaaC (John)

Aye, same here, make a guy up and push it around in a pram, I was born in Tilbury, Essex, the dock area, it was rough and ready but we would hold our own a push the pram up to the docks yelling out "PENNY FOR THE GUY..." lol, as I said, those were the days, buy penny or threepenny bangers from the local shop or our big sisters use too. Two weeks before Guy Fawkes we would head up to the local woods and start bringing back branches of trees and what not to build our bonfire, our house looked onto a big playing park we called 'The Daisy Field' with houses all around and on bonfire night the whole field would be lit up with bonfires everywhere, rocket flying up, the noise of crackers and the smell of smoke, nostalgic memories for an old man like me.

Our youngest grandson, wee Kaiden, the tank as we call him went to a school Halloween party and a lot of other kids around this area did the same, Guy Fawkes next and even that's not the same as it was when I was a wee nipper, build a bonfire in our back garden and watch our old man letting off the fireworks, even roasting some chestnuts in the bonfire, those were the days.

Nah, 2nd floor flat, talking to some neighbors this morning they said the same, it was very quiet last night.

Well, as I guessed, we had no one knock at our door, that's 3 years on the trot now, no 'Trick or Treaters'

Lionel Messi: Barcelona forward set to make early return from injury 3 hours ago | European Football Lionel Messi could return from injury earlier than expected for Barcelona. The Argentine was expected to be out for three weeks after breaking his arm against Sevilla on 20 October. But after missing only the Champions League win over Inter Milan and Sunday's El Clasico triumph, Messi took part in light training on Wednesday. The 31-year-old forward is not in the squad to face Cultural Leonesa in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night but may face Rayo Vallecano on Saturday. Barcelona v Real Madrid: The curious incident of the pig's head at the Nou Camp El Clasico: What will we miss without Lionel Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46047235

Halloween night tonight and the wife has bags of sweets ready for any 'Trick or Treaters' that may knock on our door but I doubt it, the two previous years at this time of the year we have had no one knock at our door, I think now it all centers around local community kiddies Halloween night and school Halloweens disco nowadays, a bit like Guy Fawkes night (Nov 5th), its all community fireworks displays and bonfires, how times change since I was a kid.

Just me as a United man, he may have had a good season when Ronaldo left but was never the same after that, there were too much contract issues with Rooney and I have always said that if Rooney was that great at the time then why didn't some big European clubs like Barca or Real come in with a mega-buck offers for him? I always thought that maybe Real would have put an offer in for Rooney to play with Ronaldo but that never materialized. Anyway, Rooney is in the MLS now and by all accounts doing quite well, good luck to him. MLS: Wayne Rooney, Bradley Wright-Phillips, Johnny Russell, Josef Martinez https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45961007 Wayne Rooney: DC United striker talks life in the USA, Everton and Mourinho https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46025040

He started off ok but is now very, very injury prone, shame really, he will never be another Ronaldo and I think he will miss him, a bit like Rooney & Ronaldo at Man United, once Ronaldo left United Rooney was never the same.

Juventus would be keen to sign Colombia playmaker James Rodriguez in January if Bayern Munich are willing to cut short the 27-year-old's loan deal from Real Madrid. (Mail)

Wales winger Gareth Bale, 29, came top of a poll of Real Madrid fans asked who the team's worst performing player has been this season. (Marca)

Sir Alex Ferguson paid a personal tribute to David Meek. Sir Alex Ferguson has paid a personal tribute to David Meek, the former Manchester Evening News journalist and friend of the club who has sadly passed away. David covered the Reds for over 50 years and was a long-time United Reviewcolumnist, helping to pen the programme notes for every manager from Sir Matt Busby to Sir Alex, before retiring from his ghost-writing duties at the same time as the latter in May 2013. Everyone at the club is thinking of David’s family at this difficult time and Sir Alex has written the following statement: “I’m very sad to hear of the passing of David Meek, a well-respected journalist who served the Manchester Evening News with great loyalty and dignity. “David was an old-fashioned journalist who relied on the accuracy of his reporting and his connection with Manchester United stretched over decades. “His contribution to Manchester United's programme made my job easier as I relied on his ability to make sure that my words were exactly how I wanted them for every home match. My sympathies go out to his wife Liz and his family.” https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/sir-alex-ferguson-statement-following-the-passing-of-david-meek

Juventus are keen to sign 21-year-old Serbia defender Nikola Milenkovic, who is thought to be a target for Tottenham and Manchester United. Juve are also interested in Italy midfielder Federico Chiesa but Fiorentina are likely to demand in excess of 100m euros (£89m) for the 21-year-old and Milenkovic. (Calciomercato) Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 33, says he left Real Madrid for Juventus because the Spanish club's president Florentino Perez did not make him feel indispensable. (Express via L'Equipe) https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/gossip

I noticed we have a lot of Italian members in here so I hope everything is ok in your neck of the woods? Venice under water as deadly storms hit Italy 6 hours ago Italy has been battered by fierce winds and rain which have left 10 people dead in the west and north, while schools and tourist sites closed in several regions amid fears for people's safety. Winds of up to 180km/h (110 mph) were reported, and two tornadoes ripped through the centre of the coastal town of Terracina, killing one person and leaving 10 others injured. In the canal city of Venice, rising floodwaters overwhelmed many of its famed squares and walkways, with officials saying as much as 75% of the city is now submerged. Venice's central St Mark's Square was closed on Monday afternoon after the water level reached "acqua alta" (high water) of 156cm (5.1ft). It is the fourth highest level ever recorded. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46029302

I remember watching those films and I might dig them up and watch them again. Gangster James 'Whitey' Bulger found dead in prison 19 minutes ago The former leader of South Boston's Winter Hill gang inspired the film Black Mass featuring Johnny Depp, and The Departed, which won the Academy Award for best picture in 2006. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-46036058

I am not much into politics but must be interesting days ahead in Germany. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-45867998

I have always called her 'The Maggie Thatcher of Germany', she has been around a long time. Angela Merkel to step down as German chancellor in 2021 Germany's Angela Merkel has said she will step down as chancellor in 2021, following recent election setbacks. "I will not be seeking any political post after my term ends," she told a news conference in Berlin. She also said she would not seek re-election as leader of the centre-right CDU party in December. She has held the post since 2000. The CDU was severely weakened in Sunday's poll in the state of Hesse, the latest in a series of setbacks. Both the CDU and its coalition partners, the Social Democrats, were 10 percentage points down on the previous poll there - even though they remain in power in Hesse. (More in link) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46020745

Started reading a Sean Slater novel 'The Guilty' (2013), I found it buried underneath a pile of books on a shelf, must have got it from work before I retired 4 years ago, good so far about a bomber nicknamed 'The Toy Maker' on the loose.

Our son's on a high atm, Liverpool are sitting on top of the EPL and his Jambos (Hearts of Midlothian) are sitting on top here in Scotland of the SPL, told him not to get too cocky, Hearts also play tomorrow against Celtic in the Scottish League Cup semi-final.

I know that is an animal killing another animal but that is a bloody awesome video, the way he tumbled down with his prey, again, awesome video.