#I would not go back to Maccas given the choice

[takamoris]

[silver-maxwell]

Mclennon fluff: John or Paul falls of the stage during a concert and breaks an arm...

word count:1108

Paul would have liked to think that their days of sketchy stages were over.

No longer would they have to stand on thin plywood boards or barrels with planks of wood laid on top of them. Just securely built stages with nice sound systems and lots of room to move as they see fit.

So when he walked across the stage of their current venue he immediately became nervous of the loud creaks it made with every step.

They were supposed to go do a quick run of the setlist for the afternoon before the concert that night, Paul reminded himself as he watches Ringo jump in place as he dared to test the stability of the boards, the boards seemed to protest the action as they creaked madly.

The stage was already supporting their instruments and the many people moving about; it had even supported Mal, 6’6 Mal who had gotten tangled amongst some wires while he had been carrying one of Ritchie’s drums and had fallen hard onto the floor.

So when rehearsals pass by without a single problem Paul’s fears quelled themselves.

The concert starts without a hitch, the girls scream every time they shake their heads and harmonize. The songs go by fast and Paul watches his friends enjoy themselves from the corner of his eye.

Speaking of enjoying- From Paul’s spot on the stage he can see the way the lights overhead illuminate John’s features as he sings, the way his eyes crinkle with joy and against the bright lights, the way he smiles wildly between verses.

John had seemed to notice the staring, as he turned to Paul and gave him a small wink before turning back to the crowd.Paul hopes the audience thinks his reason for turning red was due to the hot lights.

after their fifth song the lights dim low, George and John leave the stage while Ringo remains at his drums due to the fact he sat in a rather tall podium.

Mal hands Paul his guitar while another person sets up his mic near the edge of the stage.

Paul strums a few chords to ‘yesterday’ and the crowd screams before him and he shoots them all a charming smile.

Paul takes a deep breath and leans forward.

He falls.

He falls down 8 feet into the orchestra pit.

Paul’s left-hand hits the ground first, as it had stretched out in a feeble attempt to catch himself. The guitar is thrown away from him, he doesn’t know where because the air is knocked out of him and he’s lying dazed on the ground.

It takes a minute for Paul to recognize what's going around him. The loud sound of a drum making contact with the ground is heard, there are high pitched screams above him and a set of feet running across the damn stage, the creaking somehow louder than ever before.

“Macca!” John’s voice yells down at him.

Paul doesn’t even bother to open his eyes (when had he closed them?) because as soon as John yells for him a sharp pain begins to develop underneath him. It takes Paul a moment to realize it’s his arm pinned beneath him. He hisses at the feeling as his mind clears up.

Paul can here Eppy’s voice yell out, though he couldn't make out what he’s saying due to the other voices.Paul does recognize the loud thump of someone landing close by.

A hand gently touches his cheek (the one that isn’t pressed up against the carpeted floor) it’s a soft touch that Paul relishes in.

The hand slaps him.

It’s not a hard slap but it’s still a slap, it forces Paul to flinch and open his eyes to see a worried John looking down at him.

“You alright there, Paulie?” Paul almost doesn’t catch John’s question due to the noise above them.

“Yeah, yeah..” Paul answers back automatically as he moves to stand up. John grabs him by the sleeve of his right arm and pulls so that Paul’s sitting on his knees.

Compared to the stage the orchestra pit is darker, but enough light floods in for him to notice his guitar a few feet away and the people that are running down the stairs further up.

“Paul!” a voice calls up from above them. The duo looked up to see George peering down at them from the edge of the stage.

“You alright, lad?”This time Paul actually decided to check himself over; which was really him finally looking down at his arm.

“Holy shit” John reacts first.

Paul is certain that his forearm isn’t supposed to be bent that way.

The pain finally hits.

The next few hours are a blur.

Paul is pushed into the car by Mal and driven to the nearest hospital and the doctor checks him over to confirm that, yes, his arm is broken.

They had attached a splint to his arm, as they had yet to set him up for a cast.

Throughout these hours John had remained close by, watching over him like a hawk while others approached him.

They finally get some alone time when the doctor leaves the room. Paul’s lying on the hospital bed, tired from the day's events and the morphine is given to him to lessen the pain.

As soon as the doctor steps out John places himself down next to Paul, who welcomes him by immediately snuggling himself into John’s side.

John’s hand gently runs through his hair and Paul could sleep right then and there.

“You’re lucky this is was the last show” John laughs after a brief silence. Paul simply hums. “What happened to the others?” Paul asks as he shifts slightly. John thinks for a moment.

“George and Ringo stayed behind with Eppy to deal with the fans, George didn’t want to at first and Ringo had no choice since he was stuck on the bloody podium”, John pauses as he recalls another thing “He knocked over his drums when he saw you fall, I think he was ready to jump too, I beat him to it though”

Paul cracks a smile before the realization hits him.

“I won’t be able to bloody play anymore!” He sighs rather dramatically, his head falling back against the crook against John’s neck.

“We still got the songwriting to do” John reassures him.

Later the others start pouring in, George and Ringo telling Paul how happy they are that he isn’t hurt, Eppy rants on about having a serious conversation with the owner.

(John steals a kiss when the doctor isn’t looking)

Paul leaves with a light blue cast and before he even exits the car there’s writing already decorating it.

Ringo leaves a small smiley face near his wrist, a small note from George that says ‘hope you had a nice trip!” near his elbow. John’s is the largest, his name stretched across the top of his forearm with the smallest of hearts.

[ahwhite2208-blog]

Tranmere Rovers: No Longer The Bridesmaid

IT’S June of 1991, and Tranmere Rovers are celebrating promotion after a playoff final at Wembley. John King and Chris Malkin hold aloft the prize, blissfully unaware that it would be almost three decades before anybody else in Rovers colours would share the same honour. 

At the time, my old man was living in the States. The LA riots were brewing after the Rodney King tape, Nirvana were about to release Nevermind and I was some six years off existence. Since then he, along with every other Tranmere fan, has had to wait twenty seven years for another taste of success. He’s gone through three houses, had two kids and a divorce along with countless jobs. At fifty seven years old, he finally got to celebrate promotion with his football team for the first time since he turned thirty. To put things into perspective, there would have been a significant percentage of the crowd at Wembley yesterday that have never seen us win anything. No cups, no trophies, no leagues, no finals. The “millenials”, Gen Z, whatever - no memories of glory with Tranmere Rovers whatsoever. 

It’s hard to explain what impact that has on you, both emotionally and spiritually. You can swing violently from pessimism and a defeatist, almost nihilistic attitude about football (I’ve sat in Prenton Park on a cold Tuesday night contemplating my existence more times than I could ever count) to uncontainable excitement when the smallest chance of a major victory comes our way. Sure, there’s been good times with Tranmere - Everton, Southampton, several games at Oldham, Stockport 2010, the first half of 12/13, Cooky’s winner at Chester - but none of those victories compare to yesterday. Saturday 12 May 2018 was perhaps the most important test this club has ever faced. It wasn’t a derby, it wasn’t a league game, it wasn’t a cup replay. It was a final. Not just any final, but he second consecutive winner-takes-all fight to the death for the privilege of playing league football again. Twelve or thirteen thousand loyal troops of the Super White Army marched down to Wembley, again, to lay their lives metaphorically on the line in the hope that the players would do the same. Last year we all got caught up in the occasion, taking photos on Wembley Way and enjoying the sunshine in the Green Man beer garden. It was a celebration before the whistle had gone, an occasion in itself rather than a do or die affair. In a way, I was glad it was raining this time around. No messing about, no distractions, just get the job done and get back to Birkenhead as winners. 

In typical Rovers fashion, we made it ridiculously hard for ourselves. Liam Ridehalgh seeing red after 50 seconds was a Tranmerian suicide attempt that should have surprised absolutely no one, given our almost impressive ability to shoot ourselves in the foot whenever we get the opportunity to do something great. But surprise it did, as jaws dropped and people slumped in their seats. I looked at my da, as surprise turned to dejection and made its way to anger. “Why the fuck do we always do this?” was the general sentiment. What could possibly be so hard about not letting us down every single time? We barely had time to contemplate the necessary tactical changes before Andy Cook crashed in a header at the far end and sent the travelling troops into a confused and unexpected state of elation. After it had settled down, we looked at the bare facts. 82 minutes to hold onto a 1-0 lead with a man down was not going to be pretty, but it was what we had to do. I’m sure Micky and Jacko had millions of thoughts racing through their heads about how best to see the game out, but one thing was clear: Do. Not. Concede. 

I was in the toilets when they scored, in what I’m told was the eighth hour of added time at the end of the first half. Having seen it back, it was the one ball that had been causing us trouble out on our right hand side. Neither Manny Monthe nor Jay Harris could claim to be right backs and Boreham Wood exploited it, cutting it back to find the excellent Bruno Andrade who was never going to miss. Operation Do Not Concede was out the window, and the concourse underneath our end was tense throughout half time. Wembley’s overpriced piss in a plastic cup was not settling my nerves and I began to get flashbacks of Forest Green last year. The one redeeming factor, as I told anyone who would listen, is that we had enough quality on that pitch to score. Connor Jennings, Andy Cook, Jeff Hughes, Ollie Norburn and of course Lord Norwood were all capable of that magic moment that could get us through this ordeal. To tell you the truth, I don’t remember much about the second half. It passed by with me praying that Scotty Davies would have magnets in his gloves and we could miracle our way out of this place. 50, 60, 70, 75... the minutes ticked by and you could feel the dread. I’m not sure if we even touched it for most of the second half, but Boreham Wood weren’t peppering the goal and we were seeing glimpses of a breakaway. 

I still don’t know how it managed to get over the line. The looping, deflected cross from Jennings hung in the air for an eternity and Norwood was between their centre halves, leaping early - too early! - to place a downward header straight at the keeper except it wasn’t straight at him, it had spun away and he’s saved it no he hasn’t where’s it gone ITS IN YEEEERSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!

That was my thought process before my mates tackled me to the floor. I’d barely seen it nestle in the back of the net before the burst of jubilation from the West stand spilled into full out celebrations. Perhaps it’s bias for the club and the fans that I love, but nobody does limbs quite like Tranmere Rovers. The pure emotion that goes into celebrating a goal so important is unmatched by any team I’ve seen in a long time. It has everything to do with the long wait for glory, the character of the Birkenheaders in the stands and the sheer unpredictability of this football club. The joy, the hugging of strangers and the punching of the air is common in every football ground, but you feel something special attached to Tranmere. It means so much because the opportunities knock so rarely. Yesterday’s win was the first time in almost three decades we seized one properly, got a good grip of it and claimed it for ourselves. This was our time, our day, our fucking moment. My old fella was too nervous to watch, but in the final 10 minutes, Boreham Wood barely threatened to equalise. How could they? Norwood’s sucker punch of a header had deflated all five of their fans, and their long balls into the box were meat and drink for Manny and Macca. Yet as ever with The Rovers, we don’t celebrate until the final whistle goes. Only then did the outpouring of emotion begin, a cavalcade of white shirts racing to the front of the stand to be near their heroes. Some cried, some cheered, some screamed. I hugged my dad and told him it’s all been worth it. The ten men of Tranmere made themselves heroes, valiantly breaking a near 30 year curse that has haunted this club and its loyal fans. They’ll never have to buy a pint in Birkenhead again. The players have said all season that they’d die for each other, and on that big Wembley pitch they proved it. 

Tranmere Rovers were the nearly men. The second choice. The unlucky loser. Always the bridesmaid and never the bride - but this weekend that changed. We’re getting married to our childhood sweetheart and our best friend, the Football League. I can’t wait for the honeymoon. 

Alex White

[mondorock]

If you live in Melbourne, you’ll know that the name Eliza Bingham, is synonymous with elite fitness. Having spent over fifteen years working with the body through Remedial Massage and Personal Training, Eliza is now at a level in her career and life, where the value of her experience’s lifts other women to find their true wellness potential.

Like any successful entrepreneur, Eliza has had her fair share of struggles in the past, but has NEVER given up on pursuing her dreams and living the life of her wildest imagination.

In 2010, she was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune condition where the body attacks the thyroid, slowing down her metabolism and often left her feeling exhausted, full of aches and pains. She spent THREE years visiting Naturopaths and doctors, trying EVERYTHING they suggested to get into the best shape of her life – despite the fact they told her she should give up her dreams of competing in the fitness arena, and perhaps consider a career change.

Aside from running her successful PT business out of Fitness First Richmond, Eliza offers Online Coaching Programs, Corporate Events, Fitness Retreats and has just released a brand new book “BOSSWOMAN: Take back control of your body and life”. While that is her main focus, she’s always working hard on new collaborations, workshops, competitions, retreat planning, up-skilling and being a bad-ass brand ambassador for Eden Health Foods organic protein supplements!

Eliza in a relaxed state during her Bali #BOSSWOMAN retreat last year

In this interview, I talk to Eliza about her journey out of sickness, uplifting others, and what she has in store for the next 12 months.

M.E. “You’ve had an incredible journey in the health & fitness arena so far, including sculpting your own body despite having an autoimmune disease. How did you manage to find the strength to rise up to where you are now?”

E.B. “I felt constantly tired as my body tried to fight the illness. Originally I went to see the GP, who told me that the best solution was to stay on medication for the rest of my life, reconsider my career and accept the fact that I was going to continuously GAIN weight. They also told me I should give up my dream of wanting to compete [in body sculpting] as my body wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure. My intuition told me that I shouldn’t take that for an answer, that I shouldn’t ACCEPT that, so I looked for alternatives.

“Being in the health industry, there are always ways that you can improve and turn things around. Who’s to tell me what I can do with my body and my life?” – Eliza Bingham

When the GP told me that, I thought to myself, this is Bull****! I’m such a driven person, and I’m used to just go go go; I didn’t want to give up then and there and I searched for answers. I saw a Naturopath, and was then put onto an integrative specialist who I worked with for two years and constantly tried new approaches to fix it.  During my research, I came across a book on Adrenal Fatigue and felt like that aligned so much more with what was going on in my body, so I took matters into my own hands and came out on top.

“Though not a medical practitioner, I became the CEO of my own body and was able to reverse my illness and the impact it was having on my lifestyle and freedom to live to my fullest potential.” – Eliza Bingham

One of the many competitions that Eliza has gone on to compete in

M.E. “You’ve obviously been through a lot in your life, is there anyone in particular who inspires you to keep breaking new ground? ”

E.B. “To be honest, I feel like it’s a continuum of people that come into my life that I’m inspired by. It’s not like I actively go out and look for these people, but we just seem to cross paths in some way of another.

Some of the people that have inspired me most have been my business coach and my competition coach, but I guess my inspiration for continuously going and never stopping; that would be my parents. My Mum and my Dad. The inspiration comes from their belief in me.

 “My inspiration for continuously going and never stopping; that would be my parents. My Mum and my Dad. The inspiration comes from their belief in me.” – Eliza Bingham

I’ve fallen over, and made some ridiculous mistakes, (money mistakes, business mistakes) that have cost me a lot in terms of either finances or where I was headed, and done some things that were completely wrong for me and it’s been great to always have their support. We have a very open relationship, so they know exactly who I am and what I’m all about.

They’ve never stopped being excited for me, they’ve never stopped believing in me, they’re always there for me when I need them. If there are ever times I doubt myself, they will help remind me who I am and where I came from, and remind me of how much I’ve done and achieved already. That kind of love and support just motives me.”

Eliza with her Parents who continually offer their unconditional love and support

M.E. “Having been in the personal training industry for over a decade, from your experience, why do you think most people don’t go on to achieve the results they have set out to?

E.B. “Most people don’t spend enough time focusing on what they want, and might like their life to be, or what they want their body to look like. They don’t spend enough time getting specific with that, and when you don’t know where you’re going, you can’t map out the plan to get there.

“A lot of people talk about a want of being healthy and fit, but how can you get there if you don’t know specifically what that really means to you, or what it looks like in your life. Instead, so many people whinge, or b**** or moan about what they DON’T have in their life, or why they’re not where they want to be, yet they haven’t figured out exactly where they want to get to. ” – Eliza Bingham

I find some people just have lack of self-awareness of what they actually want to achieve. They might have a physical goal they want to achieve which is great, but often it goes deeper into the emotional and mental reasons behind that goal that are the ones we work on to truly achieve the first part.

The better you know your goal, the more you say it out loud; the more focused you can be. If you can become not only focused on WHAT you want, but WHY you want it – then you will be a lot more successful. Women are mentally and emotionally stimulated, so to just have a physical body goal, is often not enough.”

M.E. “What holds them back?”

E.B. “A lot of the time it comes down to self-love, self-worth and self-respect. Once they have figured out what they want, there’s often a massive gap between SAYING what they want, and then putting those steps toward it into action. People can often know what they want, SAY what they want, but prefer just talking about it and watching it grow further and further out of reach by not taking action – myself included!

M.E. “What is your best advice for achieving goals?”

E.B. “My best advice for achieving goals is to become self-aware of what you truly want, then get specific about how you’re going to get there, and TAKE ACTION.

“Its time to change, and I need someone to help me do this.” – Eliza Bingham

If you need help, don’t be afraid to seek it out or ask it. If the goal was easy, then you would have achieved it already. My personal training clients have ups and downs, and we get real with each other. We talk about things they are doing right and wrong, and I give them honest feedback in a supportive way. If they decide one day they want to have a chocolate bar, or stop in at Macca’s on the way home, they need to own that and not regret it. There’s no point in beating yourself up on something small like that, because tomorrow is a new day and you must have down’s, and setbacks to enjoy the success of a win. The roller-coaster ride is important.

“You can choose to focus on the one bad thing you did wrong and let it run your days, OR you can chose to own your s***, let it go, and move on. There’s a lot of power in owning your choice” – Eliza Bingham

Sometimes you just need to simplify your s***. You have to OWN all of your decisions and then let them go – good and bad. Think about ONE thing you can do in the day that will help towards your goal when it starts to overwhelm you. It might be to go for a ten minute walk, to eat well, or to drink more water. It’s better to simplify the whole process then to get into that negative cycle of beating yourself up over one little thing you did wrong.”

Self-love, Self-respect and Self-Awareness are KEY elements of Eliza’s Success

M.E. “You’re currently training PT clients out of Richmond Fitness First, but I see you also offer corporate events and retreats; where do you see yourself progressing in the next 12-18 months?”

E.B. “My Queensland retreats are something I definitely want to blow up more. I’ve got two this year, and am planning for six next year. From there, I want to increase them by two each year at a minimum. I want to grow and expand, but keep true to the driving force of the #BOSSWOMAN escape retreats. A huge element of the retreats, is that I include a surprise at each retreat. As I grow, and learn more and unfold my self, I can add new dimensions to each of the coming retreats. I’ll always be adding something new, something that hasn’t been done at the previous one. The retreats are a great opportunity to bring women together in a fun, supportive environment, and learn powerful methods to enhance their lives, grow their minds and challenge their bodies.

Aside from the BOSSWOMAN escapes, I’ve got my self made body project which is a six-week coaching system I offer women that can’t come to the retreats or aren’t based in Melbourne. Through this, I educate women how to manage their own bodies from the knowledge and experience that has shaped my life and career.

“It’s an investment in yourself, like any course of study or education.” – Eliza Bingham

You walk away not only with enhanced knowledge of health and fitness, but also a greater understanding of YOU.”

M.E. “When you have free time; you’re not training, teaching or being the #BOSSWOMAN that we all know and love you for, what do you do to unwind and refocus?”

E.B. “Journaling is a massive part of every single day, and I also like to hibernate sometimes. I’m such a giver, and spend so much time around people, that sometimes I just need time alone to recharge completely, allowing myself to give my all again.

It’s also a chance where I like to date myself. It’s a super important part of what I do, and what I teach. I like to do things for other people, but I’ve got to do things for myself as well.

“It doesn’t matter what happens in the world, I’ve always got me”

I’m always telling people how important self-love and self-care are, and when that’s lacking for me, I can’t give my all. I always practice what I preach.

I also love to travel and eat. Food is a big part of who I am. I think everyone knows how much I love Hunky Dory sweet potato fries and Messina ice cream. I get tagged [on Facebook] in a lot of posts at these places. Competing has taught me a lot about discipline, but when I’m not training for that, I enjoy people, and self-love, stepping through my own fears and of course – food.

Life is meant to be enjoyed, and you don’t know when your time is up; so if you don’t LOVE what you’re doing daily, then what’s the point!”

“Did somebody say sweet potato fries?” Eliza about to devour one of her fav treats

M.E. “Lastly, if you had ONE piece of advice to share for other budding entrepreneurs in the wellness sector, what would it be?”

E.B. “Stay true to YOU. There’s nobody else that can be you, there’s only ONE you. Be honest, stay real. You can listen to everyone else’s opinion in the world, but in the end, you have to listen to yourself.” – Eliza Bingham

Hope you enjoyed the read, and are feeling inspired the path of this dedicated Personal Trainer. If you are in Melbourne and looking to reach YOUR health and fitness goals, contact Eliza through her Facebook page for a private chat. Additionally, she is running a FREE workshop this Saturday at Richmond Fitness First, and has a #BOSSWOMAN escape coming up in July.

Love & light,

Monique Elouise xx

      EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: PERSONAL TRAINER If you live in Melbourne, you'll know that the name Eliza Bingham, is synonymous with elite fitness.