Ouch! Got up this morning after a poor night’s sleep. Intense headache. True to a morning ritual, turned on BBC morning TV. Straight into a shot of what looked like the beach we were on* – and getting sunburned (!) – last week in North Cornwall. An item about a people-science jellyfish survey. Coincidence or what? We actually visited the Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay and my favourite tank there was the one with the moon jellyfish circulating – and the neighbouring tanks with different stages of jellyfish development.
This item was followed by one on the Commonwealth Games; the opening ceremony is on Wednesday. “The friendly games”. Fifty three nations and territories from what started off as the Victorian British Empire meeting and competing in Glasgow. Earlier this week there was a rather stunning and pictorially brilliant programme titled The seven Wonders of the Commonwealth. Dan Snow, Denise Lewis (former gold medallist turned presenter), Reggie Yates, Anita Rani and Claire Balding variously in the Sundarbans, Papua, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, New Zealand’s fiordland, Victoria Falls (“the Smoke that Thunders”), the Namib Desert and Fingal’s Cave … Funny I have been to Namibia, but hadn’t realised it was part of the Commonwealth. Of course during these games there is no Team GB, we have teams from each of the states and nations: anybody here from the Isle of Man?
Also on the news: more about the crashed Malaysian flight disaster. Overflying the Ukraine it may well have been shot down by Russian separatist or loyal Ukrainian forces. Or something more innocent altogether. But at the moment the separatists who occupy the crash site area will not let investigators in to find out more. The Palestinian Israeli conflict continues to worsen: neither side seeming to be able to accept even the shortest of cease-fire arrangements. Genuine political grievances aside this is another example of ordinary people (on both sides) suffering for an intangible greater good.
While we were away the F.I.F.A. World Cup Finals came to a close. Brazil looking poor and needing sympathy. Germany beating Argentina and Holland taking third place. But, being on a seaside, family holiday there were other priorities.
Oh, and we watched the intriguing sagas in the Tour de France as one by one those who started as favourites literally crashed out: Chris Froome, Mark Cavendish … and being away with a couple of serious cyclists has that must-watch effect on me.
Meanwhile Walsall’s low-budget publicity machine made much of the signing of – is he a winger or a striker – Jordan Cook, from Shrewsbury and a lot of hype around “the youngsters” coming through the ranks (Reece Flanagan and Amado Bakayoko); only for Cook to turn an ankle in a friendly game (which we lost 2-1) and put himself in doubt for the start of the season. Local paper, the Express and Star quotes Dean Smith as saying, something like “I will be looking at strikers over the next couple of weeks.” Not really a surprising reaction.
Smith has been very good in the past at getting quality/overlooked players to Bescot on loan. It is to be hoped he can continue to work that kind of magic. I am looking forward to the season beginning but sense we need some firepower and some experience to go with it.
Need to stop typing now, that headache is starting to return.
*Actually, for accuracy, it wasn’t the same beach (Constantine ) but one nearby at Perranporth.
Trials and Trails: life and times of a Walsall fan 