HAPPY CRICKET BIRTHDAY, MR. HCB!

I had no problem deciding what or who should be my blip today - because it is Mr. HCB's birthday - and he even agreed readily - he must be getting mellow as he gets more mature - much like a good wine!! I think he is looking very good for someone who is (Psalm 90 : 10) + 2 (and I do mean the first part of the verse!)

Now we are retired, I did think we might go out somewhere for the day to celebrate his birthday, but silly me - the cricket season for Gloucester County Cricket Club started last Sunday and it's a four day match - so guess where he is going today? The hat is a bit of a giveaway too, I guess. So, here is a song especially for him - and what else could I choose but We Don't Like Cricket, Oh No, We Love It!

We spent many happy hours on a Saturday afternoon, when our boys were younger and Mr. HCB played cricket, visiting various cricket pitches in little villages - for the men it was serious cricket, for the mums it was chatting and for the children it was re-creating the game - and of course, the cricket teas were wonderful and Mr. HCB still remembers where the best lardy cakes were served!

Today Mr. HCB has gone with a friend and left the car for me, I think I might take myself off to do a bit of retail therapy - and also find something to make him a nice meal when he gets home tonight about 8 p.m. Happy Birthday to my lovely husband - I hope you have many more - oh and I hope you have a great day at cricket - love from your "third-in-line" wife (remember, now the cricket season has started it's this order (1) Cricket (2) Greenhouse and garden (3) me!)

CRICKET: As explained to a foreigner...

You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side thats been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who stay all out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have been out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game!