APAT are running another 'National' event in August, this time with the added twist of a Team Challenge element to it as well as the individual prizes (included the added value of a GUKPT seat & package for the winner, worth a few grand in itself).

For a bit of fun, BlueSQ who are the sponsors of APAT this season (it was PokerStars last season when I was lucky enough to win the English APAT event and a seat to the EPT in Copenhagen), have put a book on the individual players and the teams competing.

For some strange reason, I'm currently one of the second favourites at 66/1 - which isn't particularly good value.  There is some good value on some other players though, some who are sitting at 125/1.  An each-way bet is for anyone reaching the final table and pays 1/8 of the odds.

The odds are here.

I'm captain of the blondepoker team.  We're currently 3rd favourites and this might be a good bet, depending on how seriously we take the poker rather than enjoying ourselves in Blackpool! 

A good few years ago, (18 to be precise) I gave up playing cricket to spend more time on other sports. But for the past couple of years Anna has been trying to get me to take up the bat again.

Her reason is mainly that she likes the idea of coming along - sitting on the veranda of a pavilion, eating sandwiches, sipping wine, and reading.  In other words: coming along, but not to watch the cricket - more to get some peace and quiet and keep an occasional eye out for me.

This got me thinking… I suspect that in the same way most parks have benches on which parents sit to keep an eye on their children at play - so cricket pitches have pavilions. The polite applause, when a cricketer deftly sweeps the ball for four - equates to the "well done dear" when a young child swings from the climbing frame and shouts "Mummy look at me!"

I struggled to keep this "play-pen" view of cricket out of my head last night when I participated in my first game for 18 years. It wasn't easy - I was rubbish and the other boys threw the ball harder, hit it further and made nasty jokes about my shoes and bowling action. I wished Anna was there to give me some support - especially as I scraped my knee which could have done with a magic kiss to make the nastiness go away!

As you may already know, I met the queen earlier this year. It was such a great experience that last weekend I took the opportunity to spend a day at the races in her presence at Royal Ascot!

An article in the Sunday Times described the socio-economic demographic of Ascot visitors as a blend of the 'Haves' and the 'Chavs'. Although not obviously belonging to either of these groups, I can see what the Times was getting at.

Ascot is no longer the place to take Eliza Doolittle in pursuit of good grammar. Pursuit of a good gram a' coke is more like it. Most of the patrons of the "Silver Paddock", where we spent the day, had their tickets tattooed on their arms…

But I digress - the experience was brilliant fun and a great day out no matter whether you're a "Have" or a "Chav" or somewhere in between (and to my mind the two groups aren't mutually exclusive). A flutter at the races, in the presence of the queen, is the quintessential 'English' experience.

Here's the good, the bad and the ugly…

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Just returned form another cycling trip - this time in Poland around the Tatra mountain range and border with Slovakia.

We flew into Krakow and stayed in the city for one night at the beginning and at the end of our 1 week stay. It's a pretty city; not too dissimilar from other Eastern European cities in so much as the city-centre squares that, over the years have witnessed such political, economic, social and religious turmoil, now fall victim to Britain's latest export - "The Stag-do." And whilst the purpose of this blog was not to rant, can I just say that it's bad enough that "booze-britain" is a recognised anti-social phenomenon in this country; so let's not take a perverse pride in turning that into a global reputation. "Stag dos should stay in Britain!", subject for a future blog no doubt.

Krakow, was interesting, but the remote Tatra Mountains and their surrounding countryside were worlds apart.The countryside at this time of year is simply breath-taking - and the strip farming regime using horse drawn ploughs and carts, transports you to a time a century or so ago when cars, electricity, and cycling helmets weren't even dreamed-of. It was strange to think that although I felt I was looking at scenes from a past era, this sustainable, environmentally friendly, self-sufficient approach to life could also, quite easily, be a glimpse of our future.

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Funny is subjective, and what tickles one person might not make another even smile.  This is probably the piece of TV I laughed the most at, it's absolute genius. 

 

What do jalapeños, fajitas, Majorca and Juventus have in common?

I was in Subway getting a sandwich the other day, and someone in front of me in the queue was asked if he wanted any jalapenos on his sandwich.  Oh "ja-lapenos" (he said stressing the J at the start of the word so that it was pronounced the same way as in 'jam'). 

The girl behind the counter said "yes, jalapenos" (pronouncing the word correctly), whilst rolling her eyes.

I heard someone order fajitas as well not so long ago, again insisting that the 'j' should be pronounced as in jam.

They must hear people pronounce these words correctly, and then choose to ignore the correct pronunciation.  Surely no one says Majorca with a hard 'j' anymore, although it wouldn't surprise me?

Andy Gray often refers to Juventus with a hard 'j', and he's not the only one.  Kevin Keegan does exactly the same.  Again they must hear people pronounce Juve or Juventus correctly and choose to ignore that they are the ones who are wrong?

The same people who insist on the hard 'j' incorrectly, also seem to be the same ones who insist on calling José Mourinho - 'Hosé' as it would be pronounced in Spansh, but not in Portuguese.  Do they take delight in getting it wrong and making themselves sound less intelligent?  Is it something they work hard at?

Talking of 'pronunciation' I am hearing more and more people mispronounce it so that it sounds like pronounce-iation. It isn't even spelt like that, so why do they insist on mangling the English language so?