I'm in Belfast with the Scotland U21 team, competing for the Peggy Bayer trophy against the other home nations. Scotland is also represented in the U26 event, called the Junior Camrose.
In my Peggy Bayer team we have captain Kevin and old-hand Alexander, who will be playing most of the matches. We also have three 15 year olds making their debut - it's a learning experience for Niamh, Rachel and Isla.
We'll aim not to lose 20-0 to England, and to be competitive with everyone else.
As the non-playing captain it's been a good day so far for me, as we have all made it successfully to the hotel. The bridge doesn't start until tonight at 7 pm, which is when the players do their bit. There were a few issues affecting the other Scotland team with missing passports and not realising there are two airports in Belfast, but I think they're all here now too.
Two of the youngsters in my charge are just back from a school trip to Iceland, where they said they didn't have too much free time. With their free time this afternoon they declined to play bridge as they didn't want to fog their minds before tonight's matches, and instead settled in on a sofa by reception. I asked if they had the WiFi password (silent nods) then went out to explore the local area.
Turns out the local area is a busy road and muddy tracks where I wasn't welcome. Much like Alan Partridge (also from Norwich) I angered a local farmer, and he came out to talk to me. "Where exactly are you running to? There's liability issues with you being here you see." I apologised and went back to the hotel.
La Mon Country House Hotel seems nice, but I get the impression that all the managers are off this weekend and the junior staff don't quite know what's going on. Hopefully they'll have dinner ready for us at 530. I'll be on high alert for dishes containing nuts as one of our team is allergic (she is well-prepared with three EpiPens).
Practice at the airport
Single room
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