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Instilling the Spirit of Southampton - a bright new dawn (a positive thread)...

Gordon Mockles

By Gordon Mockles,
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Gordon Mockles

Gordon Mockles

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Posted (edited)

Well, not one to tempt fate but I think we can rest assured tomorrow morning will confirm the good news most of us have been tearing our hair out to hear - our club has not died, the disastrous decade is behind us and we can look forwards towards a bright new dawn thanks to the faith of our new owner - Markus Liebherr.

 

I have no idea on the management ideas, level of funding and set-up they plan to install but i have faith these intelligent business people will do the right thing for our once great club and bring back some joy to the hallowed faces of the forlorn Saints fans. The tide has turned.

 

As just confirmed (further to the more prepared reports tomorrow morning) by South today and Tony Husband, our club looks to have finally found a new owner.

 

Let's get right behind the Swiss (of German descent) and roar our club to great things once again, starting with a feel good thread. What are you views? I am relieved. A bit too ground down and mentally shattered to start dancing a jig but I am quietly confident we finally have some good, solid foundation to push from, COMPETENT leaders (probably a new management team assigned to SFC operations with football/sport business knowledge) and financial muscle to help propel us onwards and upwards, driving us to success.

 

COME ON YOU SAINTS! Season tickets, Tickets, Support. Hopefully some wise transfers, Good Crowds for League One and we're soon be back in the Championship. New songs, Happy times and a feel good, thriving fan community roaring the team on to many victories. YAYYYY!!!!

 

What are your emotions? It's been a roller coaster, unbelievable on most occasions but we, Saints fans, sooooo deserve this good fortune.

 

Let the good times roll...

 

southampton-fans_9253591-300x225.jpg

Edited by Gordon Mockles
Gotta spell your beloved leader's name correct!
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Saint Billy

Saint Billy

Posted
Posted
Well, not one to tempt fate but I think we can rest assured tomorrow morning will confirm the good news most of us have been tearing our hair out to hear - our club has not died, the disastrous decade is behind us and we can look forwards towards a bright new dawn thanks to the faith of our new owner - Marcus Liebherr.

 

I have no idea on the management ideas, level of funding and set-up they plan to install but i have faith these intelligent business people will do the right thing for our once great club and bring back some joy to the hallowed faces of the forlorn Saints fans. The tide has turned.

 

As just confirmed (further to the more prepared reports tomorrow morning) by South today and Tony Husband, our club looks to have finally found a new owner.

 

Let's get right behind the Swiss (of German descent) and roar our club to great things once again, starting with a feel good thread. What are you views? I am relieved. A bit too ground down and mentally shattered to start dancing a jig but I am quietly confident we finally have some foundation, COMPETENT leaders (probably a new management assigned to SFC operations with football/sport business knowledge) and financial muscle to help push us forwards, driving us to success.

 

COME ON YOU SAINTS! Season tickets, Hopefully some wise transfers, Good Crowds, New songs, Happy times and a feel good, thriving fan community roaring the team on to many victories. YAYYYY!!!!

 

What are your emotions? It's been a roller coaster, unbelievable on most occasions but we, Saints fans, sooooo deserve this good fortune.

 

Let the good times roll...

 

southampton-fans_9253591-300x225.jpg

 

Absobloodlylutely!!

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Gordon Mockles

Gordon Mockles

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Good man! No more Lowe this, Lowe that, Wilde did this. It's a bright new dawn. Put the past behind us and look towards the sunrise.

 

Good times are a coming, I feel so positive tonight. It's how we react and begin this new season that will set the precedent. We need to be firing from the starting blocks on all cylinders! COYS. ::smt038:smt038:smt038

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Cascadia Saint

Cascadia Saint

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Posted (edited)

Agree 100% mate. I can't wait to feel good about saints again, even in league 1. When I was a kid we were always fighting relegation but it didn't matter one bit. We played attacking football, the ground was full and matty helped to make me feel good about my team.

 

Let's hope the next generation of kids get to feel the same way, regardless of where we are in the league.

 

COYR!!!

Edited by Cascadia Saint
Spolling mestike
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batterseasaint

batterseasaint

Posted
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I like this post; it sums up my feelings exactly. I've spent too long feeling miserable about Saints, one of only four real passions in my life. The fact that I feel so ground down over the last 3 or so years prevents me from feeling absolutely over the moon about this, but **** me its a good starting point for me to re-gain that passion. Its enough for me to get the season ticket, and its enough for me to get one for my daughter as well. Hell, she's never been to see the Saints and she may hate it, but at least I can say my little girl has a season ticket at Saints, and equally the club and Mr. Liebherr will know that I am committed to this new cause. He has shown a lot of commitment to us by following through with his bid even though someone else was given exclusivity, so he will get the same in return from me.

 

Goodbye all the ****e... at least if I have something to moan and whinge about now, it will be because of the ****s on the pitch, not the ****s in the boardroom.

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chrisobee

chrisobee

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Indeed but though I'm not generally one to let my heart rule my head I truly hope that there is a role for Mark Wotte at the club. Despite his only association with Saints being in a managerial role he's exemplified the true spirit I think we all believe in. I believe 99%+ of people in his position would have walked, the kind of loyalty he has displayed demonstrates to me a real belief in the cub. So whoever decides on the various appointments should bear that firmly in mind. I'm not sure if that will be a popular belief but it's mine, you cannot put a price on loyalty.

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NickG

NickG

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I will go to the two games in August that occur when I am in the UK. Brentford and another one I cannot remember.

 

Cant do any more than that at the moment, but I will cheer the team on and I will support the new owners unequivocally for the time being.

 

Alps - i had a warm feeling inside until I got to the ominous "for the time being" ;)

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Saint Fan CaM

Saint Fan CaM

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I truly believed that administration was the only way we would rid ourselves of Lowe, Wilde and the rest of the Board that helped destroy a successful club. I am extemely pleased and relieved to hear that a buyer has been found to save the club from oblivion, although I was reasonably confident that it would be sold (not so confident in Fry's capability though). I will certainly renew my ST - may even buy a 2nd - and will support the team as always.

 

HOWEVER! I reserve the right to be critical of the owner, the management and the players. The first big test for me will be the decision on the manager and any new playing staff coming in. If Wotte is kept in place, I will immediately be concerned about the strategy and policy of ML - primarily because it will not signal ambition to me. And that is the major reason I disliked Lowe.

 

The jury is out - honeymoon period about to start. Good luck Markus.

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Daren W

Daren W

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Good thread Gordon, watch it descend into the usual farce in no time... ;)

 

Hopefully the new people will invest in Saints' most valuable asset... Its fans.

 

Far too often, under previous regimes, the fans have been taken for granted and, for want of a better word, abused.

 

When we were first relegated Season ticket holders gave their money in advance only to see people who paid game by games getting better deals. Since then there have been numerous instances of the club treating fans like absolute crap.

 

It's been a bugbear of mine for many years, since the Taylor report clubs have milked fans for all their worth. As soon as grounds became all seater ticket prices have reached obscene levels and families have priced out of the game. The championship gave the club a real chance to bring families back and give the club some moral centre. And they failed.

 

Instead the club continued to milk "customers" as such a lot of people stopped going not because the club was in a lower league but because football just wasn't fun or fan friendly. You're over charged, treated like cattle, shouted at, spoken to (on many occasions) as if your the **** on some steward's shoes...

 

You're paying top dollar for tickets. Apart from football, where would you pay that sort of money and be spoken to like that? It must be the only consumer market where fee paying customers can be treated so appallingly. If you were spoken to like that at a night at the theatre what would you do? Go back next week or complain? Just because we're loyal doesn't mean we should accept such bad customer service.

 

Clubs should bear in mind this, that if you want to talk to us like we're crap the fine, charge us proper football prices and even it out. If you want to charge top dollar then increase your customer services and treat the "customers" with respect!

 

Open Staplewood up more, allow fans to watch training a bit more. Get the players into the community more, get kids into the ground more, price family tickets (get a family ticket adult and any one kid under 12 go free) drop season ticket prices or give them more benefits. Just give the fans something back and treat them with some respect and not do as previous regimes have done and think they're so much better than the fans who pay everyones wages..

 

The club is the heart of the community. Lets hope the new owners go out into the community, talk to the fans, be more open, more fan friendly and give this club back its heart.

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Ian the Red

Ian the Red

Posted
Posted

Well whatever happens Makus Liebherr cannot be as bad as the likes of Lowe, Widle and the two Neanderthals Hoon and Dilieu.

 

Herr Liebherr will undoubtedly instill good business practice within the club and hopefully have a director of football to look after the football side. As stated by the first poster we should all look forward, get behind the team and fill SMS!!

 

Come on you Reds!!

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dellgirl

dellgirl

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Posted

RE,Wotte as far as I know he was being paid,so where is the loyalty factor..he loves the limelight and the more interviews he can give the happier he is,I have never thought he was the right manager for us and I for one want him gone as soon as possible, we can do without smarmy and vain,we need ruthless and respected by the players and the fans. After he has gone no moans until at least Christmas..come on you reds!

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stthrobber

stthrobber

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Posted
Good thread Gordon, watch it descend into the usual farce in no time... ;)

 

Hopefully the new people will invest in Saints' most valuable asset... Its fans.

 

Far too often, under previous regimes, the fans have been taken for granted and, for want of a better word, abused.

 

When we were first relegated Season ticket holders gave their money in advance only to see people who paid game by games getting better deals. Since then there have been numerous instances of the club treating fans like absolute crap.

 

It's been a bugbear of mine for many years, since the Taylor report clubs have milked fans for all their worth. As soon as grounds became all seater ticket prices have reached obscene levels and families have priced out of the game. The championship gave the club a real chance to bring families back and give the club some moral centre. And they failed.

 

Instead the club continued to milk "customers" as such a lot of people stopped going not because the club was in a lower league but because football just wasn't fun or fan friendly. You're over charged, treated like cattle, shouted at, spoken to (on many occasions) as if your the **** on some steward's shoes...

 

You're paying top dollar for tickets. Apart from football, where would you pay that sort of money and be spoken to like that? It must be the only consumer market where fee paying customers can be treated so appallingly. If you were spoken to like that at a night at the theatre what would you do? Go back next week or complain? Just because we're loyal doesn't mean we should accept such bad customer service.

 

Clubs should bear in mind this, that if you want to talk to us like we're crap the fine, charge us proper football prices and even it out. If you want to charge top dollar then increase your customer services and treat the "customers" with respect!

 

Open Staplewood up more, allow fans to watch training a bit more. Get the players into the community more, get kids into the ground more, price family tickets (get a family ticket adult and any one kid under 12 go free) drop season ticket prices or give them more benefits. Just give the fans something back and treat them with some respect and not do as previous regimes have done and think they're so much better than the fans who pay everyones wages..

 

The club is the heart of the community. Lets hope the new owners go out into the community, talk to the fans, be more open, more fan friendly and give this club back its heart.

 

Good post Daren, nice of you to take time off watching Jeremy Kyle and GMTV to post it :D

 

The problems you describe though, are not just restricted to our own club, it's rife throughout football.

 

A Clark's pie at Ninian Park last season was £1.50, still overpriced for a pie you can get for 60p in a chippie. With the move to the new Cardiff City Stadium, the Bluebirds hiked the price up to £2.70.

 

The fans have complained, and the price has been reduced.

 

We need more fans to step up to the mark and stop buying stuff until the prices for tickets, food and merchandise is more realistically priced. All clubs have been reliant on fan loyalty.

 

In our case, under the last 3 regimes, the fans have become isolated from the club and despite attempts by people to get them to reduce prices, it didn't happen.

 

If this takeover does finally end our misery today, then I honestly hope, that club and fans together can stop looking back and move forward. It won't be easy, we still have only the barebones of a squad and we still have to win 3 matches and draw 1 to get to nil points, but Leeds have done it from further back, so have Bournemouth, and so can we.

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Scudamore

Scudamore

Posted
Posted
Good thread Gordon, watch it descend into the usual farce in no time... ;)

 

Hopefully the new people will invest in Saints' most valuable asset... Its fans.

 

Far too often, under previous regimes, the fans have been taken for granted and, for want of a better word, abused.

 

When we were first relegated Season ticket holders gave their money in advance only to see people who paid game by games getting better deals. Since then there have been numerous instances of the club treating fans like absolute crap.

 

It's been a bugbear of mine for many years, since the Taylor report clubs have milked fans for all their worth. As soon as grounds became all seater ticket prices have reached obscene levels and families have priced out of the game. The championship gave the club a real chance to bring families back and give the club some moral centre. And they failed.

 

Instead the club continued to milk "customers" as such a lot of people stopped going not because the club was in a lower league but because football just wasn't fun or fan friendly. You're over charged, treated like cattle, shouted at, spoken to (on many occasions) as if your the **** on some steward's shoes...

 

You're paying top dollar for tickets. Apart from football, where would you pay that sort of money and be spoken to like that? It must be the only consumer market where fee paying customers can be treated so appallingly. If you were spoken to like that at a night at the theatre what would you do? Go back next week or complain? Just because we're loyal doesn't mean we should accept such bad customer service.

 

Clubs should bear in mind this, that if you want to talk to us like we're crap the fine, charge us proper football prices and even it out. If you want to charge top dollar then increase your customer services and treat the "customers" with respect!

 

Open Staplewood up more, allow fans to watch training a bit more. Get the players into the community more, get kids into the ground more, price family tickets (get a family ticket adult and any one kid under 12 go free) drop season ticket prices or give them more benefits. Just give the fans something back and treat them with some respect and not do as previous regimes have done and think they're so much better than the fans who pay everyones wages..

 

The club is the heart of the community. Lets hope the new owners go out into the community, talk to the fans, be more open, more fan friendly and give this club back its heart.

 

In fairness i wouldn't expect to be able to go to the theatre and shout at the actors that they're sh:t if i didn't like the performance either though...so it's a fair bit different...

 

In general the stewards will be fine with you if you're doing what you should do...in my experience...

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John B

John B

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Good thread Gordon, watch it descend into the usual farce in no time... ;)

 

Hopefully the new people will invest in Saints' most valuable asset... Its fans.

 

Far too often, under previous regimes, the fans have been taken for granted and, for want of a better word, abused.

 

When we were first relegated Season ticket holders gave their money in advance only to see people who paid game by games getting better deals. Since then there have been numerous instances of the club treating fans like absolute crap.

 

It's been a bugbear of mine for many years, since the Taylor report clubs have milked fans for all their worth. As soon as grounds became all seater ticket prices have reached obscene levels and families have priced out of the game. The championship gave the club a real chance to bring families back and give the club some moral centre. And they failed.

 

Instead the club continued to milk "customers" as such a lot of people stopped going not because the club was in a lower league but because football just wasn't fun or fan friendly. You're over charged, treated like cattle, shouted at, spoken to (on many occasions) as if your the **** on some steward's shoes...

 

You're paying top dollar for tickets. Apart from football, where would you pay that sort of money and be spoken to like that? It must be the only consumer market where fee paying customers can be treated so appallingly. If you were spoken to like that at a night at the theatre what would you do? Go back next week or complain? Just because we're loyal doesn't mean we should accept such bad customer service.

 

Clubs should bear in mind this, that if you want to talk to us like we're crap the fine, charge us proper football prices and even it out. If you want to charge top dollar then increase your customer services and treat the "customers" with respect!

 

Open Staplewood up more, allow fans to watch training a bit more. Get the players into the community more, get kids into the ground more, price family tickets (get a family ticket adult and any one kid under 12 go free) drop season ticket prices or give them more benefits. Just give the fans something back and treat them with some respect and not do as previous regimes have done and think they're so much better than the fans who pay everyones wages..

 

The club is the heart of the community. Lets hope the new owners go out into the community, talk to the fans, be more open, more fan friendly and give this club back its heart.

 

From a piece from Rod Liddle in the Times

 

 

The best clubs ensure that the supporters don’t have to pay too much to get in and are decently treated while watching their team, but otherwise ignore the demands from the terraces.

 

 

Which I think I agree with as there are so many different views from the fans

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St Marco

St Marco

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Unlike the guy who says "the fans are to blame for everything, the fans bankrupted us blah blah" the truth is the fans are this club. Without us there would be no club, there would be no football community.

Each and everyone of us chose to follow this team for their own reasons, some were born here, some admired the spirit the team showed, some saw us as the underdogs etc etc. We all support the club and we all want to see the club back where it belongs which is the premier league. We don't expect much but we expect better then what we have had to endure for the past 6 years.

 

We have all been let down by those who ran the club, the club did not and does not deserve what has happened to it.

What i want most from this takeover is not pot loads of money to buy the best players in the world, not going to champions league games, hell not even CCC games. What i want is the identity of the club to return, the players to show the pride and passion of wearing the historic red and white kit.

The fans arguing over football things like players we have, players we had and players we want, talking about the games we played and looking forward to the future games.

 

No more politics, no more agendas of people arguing cases of why their man would be better in the board room then the current ones, it really is like a voting campaign sometimes....

I don't see how anyone can not be positive about today, even people like nickh somewhere inside them must be happy that at long ****ing last we can start a fresh and start knowing that we simply do not have to make do with what we have anymore, we expect better. The players,manager and everyone else must now show the ambition to match the fans.

We can finally get back to talking about the football and talking about the future without the shadowy scythe of the grim reaper above our heads waiting to fall.

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RonManager

RonManager

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Posted
Unlike the guy who says "the fans are to blame for everything, the fans bankrupted us blah blah" the truth is the fans are this club. Without us there would be no club, there would be no football community.

Each and everyone of us chose to follow this team for their own reasons, some were born here, some admired the spirit the team showed, some saw us as the underdogs etc etc. We all support the club and we all want to see the club back where it belongs which is the premier league. We don't expect much but we expect better then what we have had to endure for the past 6 years.

 

We have all been let down by those who ran the club, the club did not and does not deserve what has happened to it.

What i want most from this takeover is not pot loads of money to buy the best players in the world, not going to champions league games, hell not even CCC games. What i want is the identity of the club to return, the players to show the pride and passion of wearing the historic red and white kit.

The fans arguing over football things like players we have, players we had and players we want, talking about the games we played and looking forward to the future games.

 

No more politics, no more agendas of people arguing cases of why their man would be better in the board room then the current ones, it really is like a voting campaign sometimes....

I don't see how anyone can not be positive about today, even people like nickh somewhere inside them must be happy that at long ****ing last we can start a fresh and start knowing that we simply do not have to make do with what we have anymore, we expect better. The players,manager and everyone else must now show the ambition to match the fans.

We can finally get back to talking about the football and talking about the future without the shadowy scythe of the grim reaper above our heads waiting to fall.

 

Spot on - this will all fade in time.

 

I for one tried to ignore it all, but then again I was not going to every home game because of where I lived (Scotland). I have seen more Saints away games in the last 10 years than home so I got a different perspective of it all ie emotionally one step removed. I am now back in the south and in a position to once again go to home games on a regular basis, so I will be buying a ST for the first time, even though I have supported Saints for 41 years. Coincidentally, my ability to start attending regularly at SMS actually coincided with the exit of Lowe, and seeing the significant upsurge in crowd figures for the last 3 home games showed the real underlying support waiting to return.

 

You can say what you like about RL, whether or not he was wholly responsible etc etc, but his arrogant and condescending PR style is not up for question and it is, IMHO, that, more than anything which drove many fans away, albeit temporarily, from the club.

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Gordon Mockles

Gordon Mockles

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Sticking to the positive and the facts, don't get influenced by this insidious Harris talk and Worldwide financial b*llocks 11th hour cr*p and blatant lies on this forum and in our local rag.

 

According to more credible sources than the Echo (South today, Solent and reporters that had heard directly from Fry last night) nothing has changed since the news the deal was done late last night. We should have new owners announced very shortly.

 

To dignify this 11th hour sulky paper talk from Seymour Butts with a response:

 

I question this Harris backed group and their priorities if they're whining to the media & talking of offering more money in a disgraceful attempt to destabilize and gazump what seems a rock solid and prosperous bid for our club. We have a bid which is reported to be signed, sealed and soon to be delivered. It involves well respected, competent and successful Swiss/German backers (The Liebherr family - namely Markus) who have conducted themselves discretely, with little fuss, in a dignified and professional manner.

 

On the other hand, we have the British businessmen rocking the cart, unable to tolerate losing face, sulking and b*tching and doing their best to gazump the current bid and create potential problems at St Mary's. In a word - W*NKERS!! Obviously, they're all about the Football Club eh?!

 

Let's keep the thread in the vein of good feeling and ignore these insidious little t*ssers who have spat (and drop kicked) their dummy all because they haven't got their own way. After all, it's not as though Harris and co have not been aware of the club's desperation to find a buyer. I also question who may be involved with Harris' group. Still...

 

Move along please, nothing to see here!

 

Oh, and as a polite request to keep the thread positive and about nice, happy things (me included), let's try and refrain from the words "Lowe, Askham, Wilde, Hone, Dulieu, etc." (in fact, most past board members and shady share holders!) Parasites will suffice.

 

COYS - Let's get this deal announced, a few choice players in and a new coaching set-up (with hopefully a new manager & Wotte reverting back to the academy)...we need it!

 

Oh, and to cheer you up (as I inferred to keep the faith)...

 

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/4481187.Swiss_deal_virtually_complete/

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Gordon Mockles

Gordon Mockles

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a new manager like KK, a couple of inspired surprise signings perhaps beyond what we think is possible at this level and who knows the fans might actually start coming back.

 

We'll be back. It may take time but a feel good feeling performances, some coaching staff appointments to make a difference and a few shrewd signings (I hope Murty plays well and can join as he could be just what we need!) and even a new manager or a well known fan favourite returning (Matty Le Tiss, who knows?! Oldknow's been chatting with him) and St Mary's will suddenly become a vibrant sanctuary of harmony...we can wish!

 

I'm soooo happy today. Let the good times roll. See you @ Bournemouth Saturday!

 

182918817_82ada2c3d8.jpg

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