Kmflett's Blog

Another summer of Test Match Special: the times they are changing

Ive been listening to Test Match Special since the 1960s and I’m still listening.

It has its critics, inevitably, but I think it’s done well to keep up with the times.

Sky have ended their relationship with Ian Botham and David Gower and one hears (not for the first time) that the commentary is male, pale and stale. Maybe that is a point although I do wonder if the current owners of Sky, Comcast, are taking a hard look at costs as well.

Jonathan Agnew who is probably the broadcaster most associated with TMS certainly can be classified as male and pale (despite constant urgings from the Beard Liberation Front to grow a beard) but stale, never.

Like his mentor Brian Johnston, who also presented the Radio 4 programme, Down You Way, Agnew’s fascination with people and what makes them tick as it were takes TMS sometimes way beyond cricket, but not in a bad way.

A letter writer to The Times (14^th September) complained that TMS now talks too much about cricket. It certainly does talk about cricket and there is a lot, ever more, to talk about in the modern game.

The big advance in recent times has been regular female broadcasters with a deep knowledge of and/or background in international cricket. Alison Mitchell I think was perhaps the first but there is also Ebony Rainford-Brent and Isa Guha. This summer Natalie Germanos also commentated for the World Cup period.

It is very different and in a good way from the rather grumpy ex-players I recall from the 1960s although unsurprisingly it has never been possible to find another John Arlott.

Isa Guha is reported by the Times and the Guardian to be switching to the BBC from Sky to commentate on the 100 (I’m not an enthusiast but as with everything we’ll see no doubt) but hopefully she will also feature significantly on TMS in future too.

An issue may well be how the BBC balances its resources between its TV coverage in 2020 (not just of the 100 but some T20s and nightly Test highlights) and TMS. To my mind however TMS remains the jewel in the crown of cricket commentary and one hopes it will continue specifically to champion Test and County cricket as the classical forms of the game

The TMS times are clearly changing but I think the programme continues to balance tradition with change very well

The Campaign for Real Conkers

Media Release. Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

15^th September

Conker Campaigners offer guide on how to play real conkers 2019 style

Conker collected 14th September 2019 by Fullers Brewery in Chiswick

The Campaign for Real Conkers, that opposes bans on conker playing and unnecessary rules and regulations in games has provided a simple guide on how to play conkers.

Campaign Organiser Keith Flett said, we are pleased to see that seems something of a resurgence of interest in conker playing this year, with new contests notified to us, many using our free-form approach to the game.

Guide on how to play real conkers 2019

1] Select your conker. Do this yourself. DO NOT use a conker provided by someone else who may give you a poor specimen.

2] There is no specific kind of conker that makes a good game winner. Large conkers may more easily splinter for example. Some prefer conkers with flat and sharp edges

3] You may use the conker ‘as is’ known as ‘organic’. Alternatively you may seek to harden it by baking it, soaking it in vinegar etc. There is no guarantee that an artificially enhanced conker will perform any better than an organic one.

4] Drill a small hole through the conker. A nail will often achieve this

5] Thread the conker through the hole you have drilled. A strong chord, perhaps a shoelace is best

6] You are now ready to play.

7] The stance taken is up to each individual player. Some may prefer a long swing, others a short swing.

8] Players take alternate turns to try and hit and destroy their opponent’s conker

9] Those with poor aim may hit the knuckles of their opponent more often than the conker so you may wish to wear gloves

10] The winner is the player who determines their opponents conker unusable in further rounds, usually by causing it to splinter into two or more pieces

World Conker Championship details

https://www.worldconkerchampionships.com/info.php

Before the Independent Labour Party was formed in 1893, working-class radicals and socialists in the main focused on influencing the Liberal Party, the Lib-Lab period.

One of those who did was William Morris who later became a socialist and revolutionary socialist.

By 1881 there was a National Liberal League (a successor to the Labour Representation League) which was designed to pressure and influence the Liberal Government.

William Morris was briefly Treasurer and in early 1881 a programme for reform was issued*. The demands included:

Electoral reform

Shorter Parliaments

Abolition of paid canvassing

Reform of the Land Laws

An elected House of Lords

In his utopian novel William Morris noted that Parliament had been replaced with a (more useful) dung heap but in the light of the current debate and protests around Parliament and prorogation perhaps the demands of the 1880s still have interest

• See E P Thompson. William Morris from Romantic to Revolutionary

The Ambridge Socialist

Reporting on the class struggle in Borsetshire

15 September

Jonathan Agnew set to be coach of Ambridge cricket team

Veteran BBC cricket commentator Jonathan Agnew revealed on Test Match Special on Saturday that he and his partner Emma Agnew had had dinner with Charles Collingwood and Judy Bennett amongst others on Friday evening in central London.

The Ambridge Socialist understands that as a result discussions are underway for Aggers, as he is known to millions, to coach the invariably indifferent, Ambridge cricket team. Top of the agenda is to retire any players over 80 and make sure the team don’t drink more than six pints of Shires each in the Bull in the evening.

The Bull misses out on Good Beer Guide 2020 entry

With the Bull in perpetual crisis led by manager Kenton Archer there was a fresh blow this week as the pub missed out on an entry in the Campaign for Real Ale’s 2020 Good Beer Guide. While the cask Shires bitter is served traditionally and keykegs appear to have been heard of in Ambridge, the Bull didn’t make the grade it seems

Abattoir crisis in Ambridge. Pt2

Vince Casey has been declared persona non grata and David Archer and Brian Aldridge have agreed to press for the Hassett Hills co-op to by brought out by Crowthers so that the despatch of lambs remains a seamless operation (except for the lambs obviously)

The Ghost of Grey Gables Pt 2

Tracey has suggested Murder Mystery evenings at Grey Gables. Host: David Archer…

In Other News

The Flower & Produce Show looms. Jill is set to be a judge

Beard Liberation Front

Press release September 15th contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

Ben Stokes named Beard of the Ashes 2019 as he shaves Australian opponents

The Beard Liberation Front has said that England’s Ben Stokes has shaved Australian opponents to win the Beard of the 2019 Ashes Award

The campaigners say that Ben Stokes is the face of the 2019 Ashes series and that his iconic beard is a central part of that. No other player comes close

The campaigners say that things have moved on significantly since the last Home Beard of the Ashes poll in 2015.

Then former England captain Sir Alastair Cook and fast bowler Mark Wood tied for the coveted accolade of Beard of the Ashes 2015.

The highest ranked Australian player in 2015 was Nathan Lyon. His beard while adequate was inconsistent in terms of impact and delivery over the Five Match series.

However in 2019 Lyon maintained his beard for the entire series and was the highest ranked Australian player after Warner made the error of shaving his beard, to no obvious impact on his performance, halfway through the series.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, Australia may have won the Ashes but the Beard of the Ashes Award goes to Ben Stokes and England. He has well and truly shaved the Australian side

Beard of the Ashes 2019 Shortlist

Ben Stokes, England

David Warner, Australia

Rory Burns, England

Matthew Wade, Australia

Jonny Bairstow, England

Moeen Ali, England

Nathan Lyon, Australia

Beard Liberation Front

press release 14th September

Contact keith flett 07803 167266

Beard Friendly Party Conference 2019: Can Liberal Democrats win for first time since 2014

Liberal Democrat Julian Huppert, former winner of the Parliamentary Beard of the Year poll

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that with the Party Conference season underway as the Liberal Democrats meet in Bournemouth this weekend the battle has been well and truly joined again in the poll for the ‘Most Beard Friendly Party Conference’.

The LibDems are the traditional party of beard and sandal wearers but their conference last won the Beard Friendly title in 2014

The BLF has observers watching each of the main conferences, LibDems in Bournemouth, Labour in Brighton and the Tories in Manchester with the winner announced on October 2nd the final day of the Tory conference.

The title looks set to be Labour’s to lose again with its first bearded leader since Keir Hardie stood down in 1908, as Jeremy Corbyn marks the 4^th anniversary of his election as leader.

There is an on-line poll which closes on 2nd October.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett underlined, it looks like the title of Most Beard Friendly Conference is Labour’s to lose again this year. The Tories in Manchester could yet surprise us, particularly if Johnson grows a prorogation beard, but it would a major shift in political style and appearance from recent conferences

Recent winners of the Beard Friendly Party Conference

2013 Liberal Democrats

2014: Liberal Democrats

2015 Labour

2016 Labour

2017 Labour

2018 Labour

Was David Cameron the worst British Prime Minister ever?

Some argue that Theresa May, was the worst Prime MInister ever. There is however stiff competition. After all, then came Boris Johnson

David Cameron is publishing his ‘memoirs’ this week where it is reported that he blames Gove and Johnson for everything. Some may think that Cameron himself was also in the frame

The Worst PM?

Lord Liverpool, a Tory, (1812-27) who presided over the Peterloo Massacre in 1819,introduced the repressive Six Acts that cracked down on democratic political activity and introduced the 1825 anti-union Combination Acts is a serious contender for the title.

Earl Grey who was a Liberal (1830-34) is also up there. He was PM when the Tolpuddle Martyrs stood trial and he introduced the Poor Law and the Workhouse. On the plus side he abolished slavery (as it was then).

Ramsay MacDonald (1924;1929-1935). First Labour Prime Minister; Later First National Government Prime Minister. An idea that has recently reappeared but still means Tory Government under another name.

Margaret Thatcher, Tory, (1979-1990) Falklands War, miner’s strike, poll tax. An impressive record

Tony Blair, Labour (1997-2007) not perhaps an obvious contender compared to others but features primarily because of the Iraq War.

David Cameron (2010-2016) Lost Referendum on Europe he was supposed to win. Then resigned.

Theresa May (2016-2019) Called an Election to increase her majority and ended up with a minority Government (at best). The spent years trying and failing to ‘save’ the Tory Party

Boris Johnson (2019-). Unelected hard right politician

It is fair to say that a knighthood for former cricketer turned pundit Geoffrey Boycott in Theresa May’s Resignation Honours List proved to controversial.

‘Sir’ Geoffrey Boycott, Old Corruption & the Honours System

There were calls for the knighthood to be withdrawn from domestic violence campaigners and some Labour activists. There was also I note some support for Boycott although anyone who has the idea that he is universally popular in Yorkshire or indeed Yorkshire Cricket Club perhaps needs to pay a visit to the County.

It is possible to withdraw an honour. Details are here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honours_Forfeiture_Committee

It will however be noted that this seems to occur due to something an individual has done or not done after they received the honour.

Perhaps it is time to focus on getting rid of the Honours System itself

More detail on the Court Case

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/13/judge-who-convicted-geoffrey-boycott-i-stand-by-my-verdict

The Ashes & a market society

Ive been to three days of Ashes cricket this year. I was at day two of the first Test at Edgbaston (£90) where I thought good competitive cricket was played. I was at day one of the Lords Test and got very wet (£150 ticket was refunded). I was at the first day of the final Test at the Oval on Thursday (£100). There were things to enjoy and Cummins bowling in particular was impressive but the overall quality of cricket wasn’t great.

An issue is that the values of a market society have permeated cricket to an extent where the impact is significantly negative.

We live of course in a market economy. We can debate whether this is a good thing and whether it works for the many as opposed to the few.

A market society reflects a world where the values of the economy start to rule in wider society. Is there a profit or a loss taking place? If the latter why is something happening? Since time is money, best to crack on with the things.

Yet a 5 day Test match that may produce no result at all is the antithesis of all that. It is like slow food or cask ale. Something that cant and should not be hurried

Action must be and is taken….

So in an English summer where we have had the magnificent World Cup it was also felt that a 5 Test Ashes series had to be shoe horned in with only a small break in-between

The Guardian has reported that England Test captain Joe Root has played 24 international matches since May and frankly it shows. Likewise the current Oval Test is the latest in the year that an Ashes Test has ever been played

The impact of the market society in cricket starts to be felt by the players. Several England players who were out at the Oval on the first day were playing one-day cricket shots as if there was a hurry. There wasn’t. Similarly several sixes were struck. Good entertainment of course, but what kind of mindset does a player have who is doing that on the first afternoon of a 5-day game? Perhaps not one that is really attuned to a lengthy match.

Time is money indeed. Perhaps its time to provide public funding for the infrastructure of cricket, as the national game, to make sure, as far as possible, that it continues to exist as a game rather than a profit centre.

Beard Liberation Front

Media Release 12^th September

Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

Beard Friendly Pub of the Year, Cock Tavern, Hackney makes it into 2020 Good Beer Guide minus the beard

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that it is pleased to see that the current Beard Friendly Pub of the Year, the Cock Tavern in Hackney, is in the Campaign for Real Ale’s 2020 Good Beer Guide published today.

The Guide remains an indispensable record of some of the best beer and pubs in the UK.

Unfortunately the Guide entry, perhaps for reasons of space, notes that the Cock is friendly but misses out the word ‘beard’.

The campaigners say it is a regrettable omission particularly as the Cock’s beard friendliness is of almost legendary proportions.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, we’re pleased to see the Cock in the 2020 Good Beer Guide but please don’t forget the beards alongside the excellent beer.