Well. I appear to have started blogging. Why not? There's plenty to write about. What about the recent riots then, eh? Chaos. Scary times we live in. I'm sure I wasn't the only one watching aghast as News24 ran with seemingly endless stories of major cities - and West Bromwich! - falling foul of anarchic youths anxious to show the country how hard done by they are... RUBBISH. In my honest opinion, there is no single excuse for what happened. Yes, you could pick isolated incidents involving people who should have known better, but the vast majotity of those involved were no-good, selfish thieves. A by-product of gang culture, where ASBO's, chavvy clothing and saying 'D'ya get me, blood?' at the end of every sentence are seen as a mark of status. I almost feel that it was worth it. It wasn't, of course. People died, businesses that had been passed down 5 generations were ruined and the cost to us, the tax payers, will probably run into millions. However, it brought the problem home and it seems to have been dealt with effectively. Communities rallied together. We kept calm. We carried on. It reaffirmed our occasionally questionable faith in common decency. We move onwards and upwards...

...CRICKET!!! What a brilliant summer for English cricket fans. Since 2005, I have taken a much keener interest in the national side. After that brilliant Ashes summer, we've dodged the occasional bullet ( Whitewashed in Oz 2006...KP verses Peter Moores etc) to rise to the very top. Strauss and Andy Flower have clearly got it sorted. Brilliant individuals, a collective team spirit and well organised backroom staff all play a part in it but ultimately you've got to have the players. And we've got them. Can't wait for the next series....