Saturday 4th March 2000

Karen & Dave: "Match day!! As both UK teams were situated along the same corridor, the first noises were heard around 8:00am, when Sarah and Georgina became the first CTDC members to sample the hearty bread, cheese and luncheon-meat breakfast, washed down with either lukewarm hot chocolate or Ribena."

Sarah: "Head feeling OK, just. George suggests breakfast so we potter downstairs to the canteen for what I understand is the standard Studentski Dom fare of bread, cheese, hot Ribena and hot chocolate. Others from the UK join us - everybody seems to be rather fragile. On other tables the teams seem worryingly awake and excited."

Karen & Dave: "One by one people surfaced: the later they surfaced the worse they looked. Martin and Mark, the two UK team captains, headed down to the pool for the captains meeting at 10:00am, the remaining members started to amble down to the pool. A dozen hungover Octopush players in search of high-energy fluids and food for the day descended upon a local shop - 'wot no bananas?'

The Puckaholics raided the next shop and bought all of the bananas before descending on the swimming pool complex."

Sarah: "After breakfast Tracey, George and I set off for the pool. We then suddenly realise that none of us knows the way or even its vague direction (OK, Martin, so I left the Tour Handbook upstairs). George waits for some of the others while Tracey and I decide to follow what looks like a French Octopush team (there actually wasn't one at this tournament).

We find the pool after a rather cross country walk through Kranj, and are rather stunned by its size."

Karen & Dave: "More than one hundred underwater hockey players from the UK, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Yugoslavia and Slovenia loitered in the bar and entrance area. Most of the CTDC had assumed a horizontal sprawl - what a surprise! The captains meet puts CTDC in group A and the Puckaholics in group B. The team then put on their highly visible designer yellow team T-shirts which were clearly visible at 400yds, even in thick fog. Martin immediately went on a shirt swapping crusade which was to last the entire day."

Sarah: "I won't go too much into tournament details, suffice to say we lose convincingly the first of quite a few matches - I feel exceedingly ineffectual. The only thing I do of note is to get the team in trouble for dangling my feet in the water while subbed-out on the side. Things carry along rather in this vein until Doug decides that enough is enough, revs up a gear and storms through the opposition to score a magnificent solo goal.

Various strategies for passing the time between matches:

• Martin: tries to work out what's happening, referees, helps out Puckaholics, buys and sells T-Shirts
• Doug: referees and helps out Puckaholics
• Marion: helps out Puckaholics and coolly reads book on Royal Family
• Tracey, Karen and George: general air of relaxation and calm

The smoking club, now numbering four with the addition of Toby, manages to get away to the bar where we are offered more cherry brandy from the hip flask of a Hungarian film producer(?) in return for offering to put a few UK contacts his way in relation to the underwater filming industry (cue Ben). Cherry brandy is a bit like drinking fire, although the Hungarian chap swears there is scarcely any alcohol in it.

Karen & Dave: "Toby, Dave, Ben and Sarah took a desperately needed (nicotine) break at the bar. A conversation broke out with a Serbian film producer who was there with his company filming the tournament with a particular interest in the Serbian team. There was an obvious conspiracy going on at the match, with serious money being paid by a certain team, individual or organisation to nobble four tenths of the CTDC team. With villainous intent, our heroes were unwittingly seduced into consuming an extremely intoxicating liquor . . . However, unfortunately for Mr Big, the plan backfired and we started to win some games!"

Sarah: "We are now sufficiently fired up to help(?) our team to victory in a couple of matches. OK, so they are against the Slovenia Women and the Slovenia Youth teams, but the embarrassment of coming bottom is now less acute. I manage finally to score a goal."

Ben: "It says something for our team when all we can beat are women and children"

Sarah: "Final match against the Puckaholics. We lose but they do have ace Italian player! So Final Result is Chesham Touring and Drinking Club in 10th place out of 16. Presentations are held as usual in the large room behind the pool bar. I have the honour of going up to shake the organiser's hand and get a big kiss into the bargain. Martin gets whisked away to do an interview for Yugoslavian TV."
Miro goes in for the kill . . .

Saturday Evening

Karen & Dave: "With the minor distraction of the Octopush tournament out of the way, now came the part of the weekend at which we as a team were guaranteed to excel. The infamous Masquerade party or Pust was to be held approximately half an hour away by coach at Jesenice. The coach made a quick stop at the dorms for us to put on our themed costumes."

Sarah: "On the coach outside the Uni, waiting for it to take us to Jesenice, where the Pust/Masquerade is being held this year. Feeling a bit anxious because not too many people in fancy dress yet. CTDC have elected to go as punks."

Karen & Dave: "The crowded coach departed the dorms for Jesenice. En route, entertainment for the Yugoslavs was provided by the leopard-skinned Martin. For the full duration of the journey, numerous chains were attached to various articles of clothing and various parts of the body were re-pierced."

Sarah: "Arrive at destination night spot to find that fortunately a lot of people are dressed up. With a few drinks down us we become a bit more courageous and soon are all decked up in sprayed hair, safety pins etc.

Ben has managed to borrow a suit from his dad which looks scarily authentic (it was). Dave and Karen produce an amazing pink wig. Toby and Tracey look as if they've been time-warped from 1977. Martin is sporting some very dodgy-looking leopard-skin print trousers he claims to have picked up in a charity shop. I fancy myself as Siouxie but missing some Banshees . Very good band - maybe they will do?"

The welcoming party . . .

Karen, Dave, Sarah, Ben, George, Martin, Tracey, Toby

Karen & Dave: "At approximately 10:00pm we arrived at the bar /restaurant/night-club, which was initially weird, as there appeared to be little coordination or seats available for the meal, this was sad as we had eaten very little since the early morning. But we consoled ourselves in alcohol until seats became available (lager, lager, lager . . .). Ben was unfortunately unable to attend the Pust, but he sent in his place an extremely hyperactive Mr Johnny Rotten Esq., who equipped with bottles of beer, the finger and attitude, proceeded to pogo, slam and body-check his way round the dance floor. (Ben is rumoured to have had top level connections within the punk community).

Equally impressive turnouts were made by Karen, Sarah, Tracey, Toby, Martin & Dave, each were equipped with multicoloured hair, revealing black leather garments (punkettes only), ripped clothing and various ironmongery. Aggressive dancing was indulged in by all, accompanied by a great band that sizzled its way through some great rock numbers.

Seats eventually became available for the CTDC's meal, which began with schnitzel, mash and vegetables, washed down with more alcohol. Following the meal, neighbouring tables were subjected to an aerial balloon bombardment, which was then followed by a mass balloon origami session. The locals were also having a wild time and very much into the Pust spirit, dressing up as babies, doctors and nurses etc.

The bus leaves the party at approximately 12:00, with the promise of returning to pick up further revellers until all were returned to Kranj. Dancing and drinking continued after the meal as the numbers slowly dwindled. Reed Scabies was asked to prep the band for Sarah's superb rendition of "What's Up?", by 4 Non Blondes, which was a hit with all, throughout the bar. The day had all been too much for Doug, who retired to his bobo box in the corner for the rest of the evening/morning.
Martin and Sarah entertain the locals

Partying continued until approx 3:00am, when we decided to enquire about when the coach was leaving. "It's not coming back," was the reply from Odd-Job, a Slovenian player wearing a massive curly pink wig, "but we will get you back, don't worry".

Sarah: "Sunday, 3am. Have had a very good evening - highlights include the "Balloon Game" (thanks to Karen and Dave), "Headbutting the Door" Game (Ben's speciality), the "Singing with the Banshees" Game (yes, well...), the "Punks Posing for Photos" Game (making extensive use of Dave's wig), and not forgetting the "Beer, Beer and even More Beer" Game."

Karen and Dave: "Eventually Doug, Marion, Karen and Georgina got an uneventful lift back with a very nice middle aged lady. Dave, Toby, Martin, Sarah and a local were squashed into Odd-Job's father's small 4x4, and Odd-Job then drove us back to Kranj, wearing his bright pink clown's wig all the way. This left Ben and Tracey to get home with a couple of young Serbs whose mates were about to be conscripted to fight NATO . . ." Sarah: "Time to go home. Ben is outside doing strange things with a statue. Odd-Job is organising lifts. Manage to climb into car which Odd-Job is driving. His wig stays on for the entire journey." Karen and Dave: "Once all three groups had been safely reunited back at the Studentski Dom, traditional intoxicated loud whispering passed quickly into comatosed sleep."

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