Jingle Bell Block - packing the camera one last time

It’s time to pack the bags for one last time, put on the Santa hat and head down to London once more. Jingle Bell block, London Rockin’ Rollers versus Malmo Crime City Rollers is the last one for me this year. It should be a good one, with an end of year drinkies to wrap up the season. My hotel is close by to enable me to stagger, the worse for wear, to an abode in which to collapse and reflect on the year. A year that has seen me cover, god this is a long list:

London - London Rollergirls – Championship Opener
London - London Rollergirls – Round 2: Double Trouble
London - London Rockin’ Rollers vs Hot Wheel Roller Derby - March Nemesis
London - London Rollergirls – Round 3: Triple Impact
Leeds - Leeds Roller Dolls, Rebel Roses vs London Rollergirls, Brawl Saints and Leeds Roller Dolls, Whip-Its vs Sheffield Steel Rollergirls, Crucibelles
Sheffield - Sheffield Steel Rollergirls, Steel Panthers vs Death Leopards
Guildford - Anarchy in the UK III
Day 1 – London Rollergirls, London Brawling vs Windy City Rollers and  Auld Reekie Roller Girls vs Berlin Bombshells
Day 2 – London Rollergirls, Brawl Saints vs Auld Reekie Roller Girls and Windy City Rollers vs Berlin Bombshells
Leeds - Great Yorkshire Showdown featuring, Big Bucks High Rollers, Leeds roller Dolls Whip-Its, Furness Firecrackers, Bruising Banditas, Rainy City Rollergirls Bet Lynch Mob and the Birmingham Blitz Dames
London - London Rollergirls – Championship final
London - UKRDA Roller Rumble featuring, Brighton Rockers Roller Derby, Kent Roller Girls, London Rollergirls Brawl Saints, Central City Rollergirls, Bristol Roller Derby, Crash Test Brummies and The Inhuman League
Manchester - Manchester Roller Derby vs Granite City Roller Girls and New Wheeled Order vs South Wales Silures
Leeds - Leeds Roller Dolls Rebel Roses vs Dublin Roller Girls and The Black Rush’ems vs The Milkshakers
Green Bay – Polkadotties vs Quad City Rollers (spectator)
London - London Rockin’ Rollers vs Paris Rollergirls – Moulin Bruise
London - London Rockin’ Rollers vs Rollin Heartbreakers – Copenhagen Roller Derby – Danish Pasting
Leeds - Leeds Roller Dolls Rebel Roses vs Middlesbrough Milk Rollers and Leeds Roller Dolls Whip-Its vs Liverpool Roller Birds
Leeds - Leeds Roller Dolls vs Rollin Heartbreakers, Copenhagen Roller Derby and Leeds Rolelr Dolls Whip-Its vs Kent Roller Girls
London - London Rockin’ Rollers vs Go Go Gent Roller Girls – Autumn Equiknocks
Sheffield - The Inhuman League vs Southern Discomfort Roller Derby
Halifax - Happy Birthday 40 – Naughty North vs Sexy South
Sheffield - Sheffield Steel Rollergirls, Steel Panthers vs Death Leopards
Leeds - Leeds Roller Dolls A/B vs Tiger Bay Brawlers A/B
Leeds - Leeds Roller Dolls Rebel Roses vs Glasgow Roller Derby IRN Bruisers and Leeds Roller Dolls Whip-Its vs Glasgow Roller Derby Maiden Grrders
Sheffield - Sheffield Steel Roller Girls vs Central City Rollergirls

Then it’s time to take a break, eat my body weight in chestnuts and drink as much Port as is humanly possible. Good training to get in to shape for next year. I like to keep fit.

Why do I do it? Well to quote Kandy Diamond aka Cyndi Slaughter on the release of my book ‘WOW!!! That is brilliant, it captures so much, it's AWESOME!!! Makes me love Roller Derby even more'.

Until then, for those I won’t see before Christmas, have a good one, and I’ll see you trackside in 2014. For those I will, see you at Newham.