I THINK I'VE GIVEN IT A FAIR CRACK OF THE WHIP...

... but I had to confess to Mr. HCB this afternoon that after trying for almost 58 years, cricket isn’t really for me!  It was good to be out with him for the day, but after my little sortie down into the town to do some retail therapy - and coming back with nothing, I might add - I have to confess I was a little bored with proceedings and it must be said that he wasn’t very talkative either - but I guess he was concentrating on the cricket!

The occasional “thwack of leather on willow” didn’t really do anything for me, so I decided to “fess up” and let Mr. HCB enjoy his cricket days on his own.  I don’t think he was at all surprised, but I felt I couldn’t go on pretending that I was as enthralled as he has been for all these years.

He took it very well, and I said the best part for me was the ice cream I bought for us from Anna, who remembered Keith with fondness.  I guess when two like-minded people go to cricket together, there is that bond, and you all know that Mr. HCB had that with Keith, but my knowledge of cricket is nothing like Keith’s and never will be, so we have agreed that I won’t be going again.  It was just a good job that Mr. HCB is a Life Member and could get me in free - I would have been rather upset if we had paid £20 for my ticket!!

We are back home now and you can see from my collage that I got some reasonable shots, mostly of the team he follows, Gloucester County Cricket Club. Anna of the famous ice cream is down at the bottom right, smiling all over her face - and Mr. HCB was happy to have one of her ice creams and says it the best ice cream he has tasted.    

The shot of the Golden Retriever was taken almost at the end, when Paris, as he or she was called, looked as interested as me!  Apparently, the dog was a re-homed Guide Dog, after its owner could no longer look after it, so it was more interesting for me to chat to the new owner than watch the cricket - and I apologise to Mr. HCB because he always reads my Blips, bless him.  

I put in the man in the yellow bucket hat just to show you that not everyone at cricket wears a Tilley Hat.  He is obviously an avid cricket fan, because he was wearing a “Barmy Army” shirt, and Mr. HCB tells me these people go all round the world supporting the England Cricket Team.  

We did leave earlier than Mr. HCB would normally, but he assured me that he wanted to leave then and it wasn’t because of me!  Phew, that’s a relief, wouldn’t want to deprive him of his cricket!  However, he may or may not be going tomorrow - he says he will make his decision in the morning.  M xx 

P.S. Forgot to say I've walked 9,400 steps today so it must have done me some good and hopefully walked off the effects of the 99 Ice cream!