Writers of good quality farce the world over could have drawn inspiration this morning from the interview which took place between Evan Davis and Chris Bryant. It will serve for a long time to come as a warning to people wanting to leak little snippets of what they plan to say later on the same day.
Frankly, there is always something preposterous about anyone agreeing to go on radio or TV to discuss the content of a speech they will be making later on the same day. Perhaps my tendency to simplicity has got the better of me but I would have thought it wiser to just say what you have to say in your speech.
What transpired this morning was priceless. The shadow minister had yesterday allowed pieces of his speech out for general consumption. By the time the press had put it through the mangle, Bryant was all but a racist. In fact, he can blame nobody but himself. You can't very well say on one day that you plan to make a speech in which you seek to chastise two of the biggest retailers in the country (Tesco and Next) for their bias toward employing foreign workers and then quickly back track in the middle of a live interview on the radio. This though is exactly what happened. I wanted somebody to cut the broadcast so that Bryant could be put out of his misery. A mere animal would not have been allowed to suffer in such a way.
If there is a learning point from today, it probably runs along similar lines to the decision made by a captain when winning the toss before a cricket match. If you win the toss, elect to bat. If the wicket looks like it might favour the bowlers, elect to bat. If everyone is screaming at you to bowl, elect to bat. Put simply it takes someone very brave or a fool to choose to bowl first and as we all know there exists a fine line between bravery and folly. So too must it be for those seeking to create an impact with a speech. If asked for details of the speech, tell the person to come to the speech and listen. If asked for an interview regarding the content of the speech on the Today programme, explain to the well meaning interviewer that you first intend to deliver your speech and will be happy to answer any questions afterwards.
I make no apologies here for taking the opportunity to repeat the wise words of Mark Twain which I have used many times before. It is sometimes better to stand there and look stupid rather than open your mouth and remove all doubt..
As a final point to Mr. Bryant, he seems to be missing the most important point. An employer be they Tesco, Next or anybody else will invariably give the job advertised to the person who is best qualified and who most wants to do it. If they happen to be foreign workers, that is entirely a matter for the employer because they have to get the best that is out there for their money. The real question appears to be, Why won't British young people apply for some of these jobs? The answers to such a question might not provide the sort of material which tends to earn votes. Probably safer to punt this one in to the long grass Mr. Bryant!
On a more cheerful note, I was able to cast a glance stateside for the latest story of lunacy. It seems a judge has ordered the renaming of a baby. The parents had originally registered his name as Messiah but the judge reminded them that there had only ever been one true Messiah. Where exactly was this judge when the Beckhams decided to name their progeny? On a serious note, although a Christian myself, this story kept taking me back to the Life of Brian. When the crowds gathered outside the house of the one they thought to be the Messiah and called for him, his mother appeared at the window with the timeless reply, "He's not a Messiah, he's Brian and he's a very naughty boy". Only in America...Would he have approved of David Bowie calling his child Zowie or any of the other examples of Rock idiosyncracy? Seemingly Messiah is now becoming rather a popular name among new parents in the States. Why not? The only potential drawback is that you are faced with rather a lot to live up to.....
Monday, 12 August 2013
Sunday, 11 August 2013
One for the road?
In 2010, alcohol concern Wales published a damning report on the consumption of alcohol in Wales. The current trend is just the culmination of a relationship which has been around for about 4,000 years. It was really the coming of the industrial revolution which brought about a new social attitude to alcohol. For the first time, heavy drinking became accepted as a social norm as men were expected to work long hours under oppressive conditions. One historian was even quoted as describing alcohol as "the real opiate of the Welsh".
As the tend toward excess grew, so too did the emerging temperance movement. Up until quite recently, it was all but impossible to buy an alcoholic drink anywhere in certain parts of Wales on a Sunday. This, of course, coincided with the growth of the now struggling Chapel movement.
It is now estimated that increasing numbers of adults in Wales are drinking alcohol at levels so far in excess of guideline limits as to be deemed hazardous to health. At no surprise to myself, large numbers of those who took part in the study did not understand the system of alcohol units used to measure drinking consumption. The current system is great for the doctors who are trained to ask you how much alcohol you drink. It is not so great for a public which just needs to know how much their limit is and how much each drink is. Obviously, not everyone wants to know but the majority do. Those who took part said that they gauged the number of units they had drunk based upon such factors as "whether the room is spinning" or "whether I need to be put in to a taxi and taken home". Not ideal and certainly not very scientific!
Of particular concern is the revelation that Wales boasts one of the highest rates of under age girls and boys who admit to having been drunk. Left to continue, these are the people who will exert a massive financial strain on the already buckling NHS in their later adult years. The prominent association of several brewers with various branches of sport where the Welsh excel is a big concern in desperate need of governmental attention.
During their medical school training, doctors are encouraged to ask people how much they are drinking and mentally double the figure because research shows that people tend to be somewhat conservative when it comes to admitting the true extent of their drinking habits. As such, the findings that 52% of men and 38% of women admit to drinking too much is very worrying.
This week has just seen the National Eisteddfod come to Denbigh and these reports of drinking to excess were in evidence every single night. The amounts drunk have been staggering and even Christmas week would struggle to compete with such high levels. In a way, it's sad to think that people have come to Denbigh from different parts of Wales to do what they probably already do when they go home. It doesn't reflect very well on their thirst for local culture but it does confirm their thirst.
When I was growing up, certain Welsh icons were held up as the heroes of the drinking culture. Of the many I could list, two in particular deserve special mention. At the height of his fame, the late Richard Burton could pretty much name his price for appearing in his latest film. His capacity to drink was the stuff of legend. By 1974, he was reported to be drinking three bottles of vodka per day. This equates to 84 units per day as compared to a recommended weekly allowance of 21 for a man. He was therefore drinking his way through about 28 times his recommended weekly allowance - conservatively speaking. It is said that his liver was palpable before the age of 40 due to the inevitable effects of cirrhosis. Ironically, he had been a noted athlete in his youth. He incurred a stroke in 1984 and died soon afterwards. He was buried with a book of poetry written by the other Welsh icon who I have singled out for special mention.
Dylan Thomas was a great poet and writer. Burton famously narrated his timeless piece "Under Milk Wood" with his highly prized voice. Compared to Thomas, Burton was positively ancient when he died. Dylan Thomas died at the tender age of 39 after having just consumed 18 straight whiskeys by his own admission. Thomas died in New York and Burton in Switzerland. Thus, they both exported this aspect of their Welsh culture abroad. Both born under the star sign of Scorpio both of these Welsh men were noted for their fiery personalities. Their drinking reflected the places which had produced them. Thomas was from Swansea and Burton from nearby Port Talbot. Times were hard in the early lives of both men and drinking was an accepted way of dealing with it. Burton's father was a miner, a "12 pints a night man". This was not abnormal then and sadly, it is not abnormal now.
The young people who came to Denbigh for the National Eisteddfod this week only confirmed the worst suspicions of Alcohol Concern Wales. Drinking for the sake of getting drunk is now the culturally accepted norm. The legacy of this sanctioning will be seen by us all in the years to come unless action is taken now.
That action needs to address education because by the admission of this report, people don't actually know how much they are drinking or whether that amount is detrimental to their health. Sponsorship needs to be taken far more seriously because it is giving the thumbs up to the young. Daily and weekly limits need to displayed more prominently in public places so that people can better understand the implications of their lifestyle choices. Last of all, a minimum price for alcohol needs bringing in - provided it is applied to the supermarkets as well. Only this will signal the end of cut price deals on alcohol. Aside from the fact that the supermarkets are operating on a different playing field to the pubs, they are unfairly getting people through their doors by immoral means and worse still, confining people to drinking unseen in the comfort of their own homes. The latter is very dangerous. Drinking in a pub is witnessed by your peers. Drinking at home isn't. There is an important difference which few people seem eager to address.
As the tend toward excess grew, so too did the emerging temperance movement. Up until quite recently, it was all but impossible to buy an alcoholic drink anywhere in certain parts of Wales on a Sunday. This, of course, coincided with the growth of the now struggling Chapel movement.
It is now estimated that increasing numbers of adults in Wales are drinking alcohol at levels so far in excess of guideline limits as to be deemed hazardous to health. At no surprise to myself, large numbers of those who took part in the study did not understand the system of alcohol units used to measure drinking consumption. The current system is great for the doctors who are trained to ask you how much alcohol you drink. It is not so great for a public which just needs to know how much their limit is and how much each drink is. Obviously, not everyone wants to know but the majority do. Those who took part said that they gauged the number of units they had drunk based upon such factors as "whether the room is spinning" or "whether I need to be put in to a taxi and taken home". Not ideal and certainly not very scientific!
Of particular concern is the revelation that Wales boasts one of the highest rates of under age girls and boys who admit to having been drunk. Left to continue, these are the people who will exert a massive financial strain on the already buckling NHS in their later adult years. The prominent association of several brewers with various branches of sport where the Welsh excel is a big concern in desperate need of governmental attention.
During their medical school training, doctors are encouraged to ask people how much they are drinking and mentally double the figure because research shows that people tend to be somewhat conservative when it comes to admitting the true extent of their drinking habits. As such, the findings that 52% of men and 38% of women admit to drinking too much is very worrying.
This week has just seen the National Eisteddfod come to Denbigh and these reports of drinking to excess were in evidence every single night. The amounts drunk have been staggering and even Christmas week would struggle to compete with such high levels. In a way, it's sad to think that people have come to Denbigh from different parts of Wales to do what they probably already do when they go home. It doesn't reflect very well on their thirst for local culture but it does confirm their thirst.
When I was growing up, certain Welsh icons were held up as the heroes of the drinking culture. Of the many I could list, two in particular deserve special mention. At the height of his fame, the late Richard Burton could pretty much name his price for appearing in his latest film. His capacity to drink was the stuff of legend. By 1974, he was reported to be drinking three bottles of vodka per day. This equates to 84 units per day as compared to a recommended weekly allowance of 21 for a man. He was therefore drinking his way through about 28 times his recommended weekly allowance - conservatively speaking. It is said that his liver was palpable before the age of 40 due to the inevitable effects of cirrhosis. Ironically, he had been a noted athlete in his youth. He incurred a stroke in 1984 and died soon afterwards. He was buried with a book of poetry written by the other Welsh icon who I have singled out for special mention.
Dylan Thomas was a great poet and writer. Burton famously narrated his timeless piece "Under Milk Wood" with his highly prized voice. Compared to Thomas, Burton was positively ancient when he died. Dylan Thomas died at the tender age of 39 after having just consumed 18 straight whiskeys by his own admission. Thomas died in New York and Burton in Switzerland. Thus, they both exported this aspect of their Welsh culture abroad. Both born under the star sign of Scorpio both of these Welsh men were noted for their fiery personalities. Their drinking reflected the places which had produced them. Thomas was from Swansea and Burton from nearby Port Talbot. Times were hard in the early lives of both men and drinking was an accepted way of dealing with it. Burton's father was a miner, a "12 pints a night man". This was not abnormal then and sadly, it is not abnormal now.
The young people who came to Denbigh for the National Eisteddfod this week only confirmed the worst suspicions of Alcohol Concern Wales. Drinking for the sake of getting drunk is now the culturally accepted norm. The legacy of this sanctioning will be seen by us all in the years to come unless action is taken now.
That action needs to address education because by the admission of this report, people don't actually know how much they are drinking or whether that amount is detrimental to their health. Sponsorship needs to be taken far more seriously because it is giving the thumbs up to the young. Daily and weekly limits need to displayed more prominently in public places so that people can better understand the implications of their lifestyle choices. Last of all, a minimum price for alcohol needs bringing in - provided it is applied to the supermarkets as well. Only this will signal the end of cut price deals on alcohol. Aside from the fact that the supermarkets are operating on a different playing field to the pubs, they are unfairly getting people through their doors by immoral means and worse still, confining people to drinking unseen in the comfort of their own homes. The latter is very dangerous. Drinking in a pub is witnessed by your peers. Drinking at home isn't. There is an important difference which few people seem eager to address.
Saturday, 10 August 2013
Behind the painted smile
When Lisa Gherardini agreed to model for Leonardo da Vinci in 1503, she could scarcely have imagined the impact she would have on art half a millenium later. The portrait has hung in the Louvre since its acquisition by Francis I in in the mid 1500s. Da Vinci presented it as a gift to the French gift on moving to France in the sixteenth century - some gift! The Mona Lisa is probably the one piece of art with which almost evrybody is familiar. Her enigmatic smile has inspired reams of newspaper print trying desperately to decipher what she was thinking. Whatever your own opinion, the portrait is undeniably captivating and continues to be the jewel in the crown of the Louvre in Paris.
It is announced today that plans are afoot to exhume the skeleton of the body believed to be that of Lisa Gherardini. Despite there being no concrete proof that she was indeed the subject for this portrait, the exhumation will carry on regardless in what is fast becoming a somewhat pointless and tiresome trend. The exhumation this year of the body believed to be that of Richard III has created more problems than it has solved. Rival factions have become embroiled in a row regarding where he should be buried. Although a supermarket car park has done the job perfectly well up to now, the Yorkists seem keen to rekindle the flames of five hundred years ago. The value of coins dating from the two year reign of Richard III have subsequently sky rocketed such is the fickle way with which the news is exploited for capital gain.
Not to be out done though, another group of archaeologists have now claimed they have located the final resting place of King Alfred the Great in Winchester. Alfred died in the year 899 ad so you have to wonder just how far back these people seem intent on going to unearth another erstwhile resting monarch. Alfred of course is famed for stopping the heathens from invading. If he went out on any given Saturday night near me, I wonder whether he'd be able to spot the difference? The heathen army were principally made up of Vikings and in the end Alfred had to make peace with them. As such, Wessex remained the only Viking-free part of England for some of his reign. In due course he made amends and the remaining Vikings were confined to East Anglia and Northumberland. Our modern day boroughs are a legacy of the burghs created by this early king. Alfred also recognised and rewarded the advancement of learning.
But back to the Mona Lisa. This picture is no stranger to controversy so it should come as little surprise that these plans are being made to confirm her identity. 102 years ago in 1911, the painted smile was stolen thus giving rise to an international incident. Vincenzo Perrugia was an Italian who in 1913 hid overnight to execute the perfect crime. After keeping the painting in his Paris apartment for two years, he returned to Florence where his deed was discovered after he tried to attract the interest of a Florentine museum curator.
Regardless of its history, we may never know the true identity of the lady who gave us that smile. I doubt very much whether she would be smiling now if she knew of these hopeful plans to prove the identity. Some things are best left and this is undoubtedly one of them.
It is announced today that plans are afoot to exhume the skeleton of the body believed to be that of Lisa Gherardini. Despite there being no concrete proof that she was indeed the subject for this portrait, the exhumation will carry on regardless in what is fast becoming a somewhat pointless and tiresome trend. The exhumation this year of the body believed to be that of Richard III has created more problems than it has solved. Rival factions have become embroiled in a row regarding where he should be buried. Although a supermarket car park has done the job perfectly well up to now, the Yorkists seem keen to rekindle the flames of five hundred years ago. The value of coins dating from the two year reign of Richard III have subsequently sky rocketed such is the fickle way with which the news is exploited for capital gain.
Not to be out done though, another group of archaeologists have now claimed they have located the final resting place of King Alfred the Great in Winchester. Alfred died in the year 899 ad so you have to wonder just how far back these people seem intent on going to unearth another erstwhile resting monarch. Alfred of course is famed for stopping the heathens from invading. If he went out on any given Saturday night near me, I wonder whether he'd be able to spot the difference? The heathen army were principally made up of Vikings and in the end Alfred had to make peace with them. As such, Wessex remained the only Viking-free part of England for some of his reign. In due course he made amends and the remaining Vikings were confined to East Anglia and Northumberland. Our modern day boroughs are a legacy of the burghs created by this early king. Alfred also recognised and rewarded the advancement of learning.
But back to the Mona Lisa. This picture is no stranger to controversy so it should come as little surprise that these plans are being made to confirm her identity. 102 years ago in 1911, the painted smile was stolen thus giving rise to an international incident. Vincenzo Perrugia was an Italian who in 1913 hid overnight to execute the perfect crime. After keeping the painting in his Paris apartment for two years, he returned to Florence where his deed was discovered after he tried to attract the interest of a Florentine museum curator.
Regardless of its history, we may never know the true identity of the lady who gave us that smile. I doubt very much whether she would be smiling now if she knew of these hopeful plans to prove the identity. Some things are best left and this is undoubtedly one of them.
Friday, 9 August 2013
Popularity: An endless pursuit
The world today is a lot different from that of 60 years ago and beyond. The coming of teen idols in the 1950s such as Elvis Presley, Tommy Steele, Adam Faith and Cliff Richard changed all that. Seriously though, I don't doubt that the pursuit of popularity has always been with us because history is riddled with examples of people wanted to be loved by their peers.
When Will Young shot to fame in 2002 as the first winner of "Pop Idol", a whole new industry was born which soon spread relentlessly beyond the spheres of popular music. It was at about the same time as this that the Tony Blair government was beginning to master the art. He also learned that you can fool some of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time but never all of the people all of the time. In keeping with his instinct for being in the right place when it was to his advantage, he vacated Downing Street in 2007 when he saw what was on the horizon. Far better to step aside and let someone else deal with that particular tsunami of doom.
Famously, Max Clifford has made his fortune as a publicist for the stars. Many of them have benefited from his ability to garner support for their cause when accused of something unpalatable. This has now assumed an irony of its own as Mr Clifford himself defends himself against accusations of impropriety with girls aged 14 to 19.
Since its election in 2010, the coalition can hardly be accused of courting popularity with the electorate. For reasons beyond its control, it has had to take decisions which they would rather not have taken. These decisions are not vote winners but they are being made with the future of the country in mind. Whether my brief assessment here is correct or not will ultimately be decided by you and I if we can be bothered to exercise our right to vote in 2015.
It is not just at national level that the quest for popularity is taking place. Yesterday, I read with a mixture of disbelief and astonishment the minutes of a recent meeting held by Denbighshire County Council. Last week, they took it upon themselves to explore ways in which they could achieve their stated goal of "being closer to the community". The problem here is that they ought to be concentrating not on their perceived popularity but on the validity of their decisions. If they have to question their decisions, they have very likely made the wrong ones in the first place. The recent decision to close a village primary school has attracted waves of resentment. What intrigues me is why they are surprised?
Last week, they announced their intention to pursue a compulsory purchase order on the former North Wales Hospital. This translates to a fait accompli. Given that they will undoubtedly make millions out of property development, it seems a bit rich to be closing what is after all, only a very small community primary school. It is precisely schools such as this one in which they should be investing. Seeking to close them down is counter intuitive.
The paranoid announcements made by several councillors are truly mind boggling. Should they ever think to stop what they are doing and consider why there are such high levels of animosity against the council, the answer shouldn't be too long in smacking them with the tenderness of an iron girder. Put simply, they could scarcely be doing more to disengage themselves from the people whom they purport to serve. The recent proposal to close St Brigids in Denbigh is just yet another example of their short sighted thinking. Rather then acting to support communities, the majority of their actions seem designed to destroy them. If the locality is to once more become vibrant, local communites will be the drivers because history tells us they always have been.
I would candidly suggest to the local council that instead of debating their unpopularity, they would be better served exploring the reasons for it. Therein lies the answer. Of course, nor must we discount the possibility that their stated aspiration to be closer to the community is just words designed to look good. For their sakes, I hope the latter isn't true because I get the distinct feeling that the people are poised to do battle. There comes a point when constant pushing will invoke a response.
When Will Young shot to fame in 2002 as the first winner of "Pop Idol", a whole new industry was born which soon spread relentlessly beyond the spheres of popular music. It was at about the same time as this that the Tony Blair government was beginning to master the art. He also learned that you can fool some of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time but never all of the people all of the time. In keeping with his instinct for being in the right place when it was to his advantage, he vacated Downing Street in 2007 when he saw what was on the horizon. Far better to step aside and let someone else deal with that particular tsunami of doom.
Famously, Max Clifford has made his fortune as a publicist for the stars. Many of them have benefited from his ability to garner support for their cause when accused of something unpalatable. This has now assumed an irony of its own as Mr Clifford himself defends himself against accusations of impropriety with girls aged 14 to 19.
Since its election in 2010, the coalition can hardly be accused of courting popularity with the electorate. For reasons beyond its control, it has had to take decisions which they would rather not have taken. These decisions are not vote winners but they are being made with the future of the country in mind. Whether my brief assessment here is correct or not will ultimately be decided by you and I if we can be bothered to exercise our right to vote in 2015.
It is not just at national level that the quest for popularity is taking place. Yesterday, I read with a mixture of disbelief and astonishment the minutes of a recent meeting held by Denbighshire County Council. Last week, they took it upon themselves to explore ways in which they could achieve their stated goal of "being closer to the community". The problem here is that they ought to be concentrating not on their perceived popularity but on the validity of their decisions. If they have to question their decisions, they have very likely made the wrong ones in the first place. The recent decision to close a village primary school has attracted waves of resentment. What intrigues me is why they are surprised?
Last week, they announced their intention to pursue a compulsory purchase order on the former North Wales Hospital. This translates to a fait accompli. Given that they will undoubtedly make millions out of property development, it seems a bit rich to be closing what is after all, only a very small community primary school. It is precisely schools such as this one in which they should be investing. Seeking to close them down is counter intuitive.
The paranoid announcements made by several councillors are truly mind boggling. Should they ever think to stop what they are doing and consider why there are such high levels of animosity against the council, the answer shouldn't be too long in smacking them with the tenderness of an iron girder. Put simply, they could scarcely be doing more to disengage themselves from the people whom they purport to serve. The recent proposal to close St Brigids in Denbigh is just yet another example of their short sighted thinking. Rather then acting to support communities, the majority of their actions seem designed to destroy them. If the locality is to once more become vibrant, local communites will be the drivers because history tells us they always have been.
I would candidly suggest to the local council that instead of debating their unpopularity, they would be better served exploring the reasons for it. Therein lies the answer. Of course, nor must we discount the possibility that their stated aspiration to be closer to the community is just words designed to look good. For their sakes, I hope the latter isn't true because I get the distinct feeling that the people are poised to do battle. There comes a point when constant pushing will invoke a response.
Thursday, 8 August 2013
In the footsteps of giants
When the England cricket team announced that the 22 year old Joe Root was to open the innings with Alistair Cook this summer, they continued a proud tradition which arguably started on the 1909 tour to South Africa.
For that tour, the Yorkshire all-rounder Wilfred Rhodes was pushed up the order to open the innings with the legendary Jack Hobbs. As an opener, he was more resolute in defence than prolific in attack but provided the perfect foil for Hobbs attracting favourable praise from Wisden. At the end of his first class career, he had scored a shade less than 40,000 runs and took 4,204 wickets - both figures would be the stuff of dreams today. A career which had started in 1898 following the decision by Yorkshire to dispense with the left arm spinner Bobby Peel was to finally come to an end in 1930 at the grand old age of 43. His impact on the game was undeniable and in some ways he came to represent the dour image of the Yorkshire batsmen whose wicket had to be earned the hard way.
Just outside Harrogate 17 years after the birth of Rhodes, the man who would take up the baton was born. His career was delayed by the onset of the Great War and brought to a premature end by the Second. In between, Herbert Sutcliffe in many ways became the benchmark for all Yorkshire and England openers to follow. He kept good company. He formed a legendary pairing with Hobbs at the top of the England order from 1924 until the retirement of Hobbs in1930. Sutcliffe averaged more for England than his county and was reckoned by the top bowlers of his day to be hardest batsman to get out. With Percy Holmes, he opened the Yorshire innings from 1919 until Holmes' retirement in1934. They famously put on 555 runs for the first wicket against Essex at Leytonstone. Following the retirement of Holmes in1934, the young Len Hutton was chosen to open the Yorkshire innings with Sutcliffe. Sutcliffe's last England match was in1935 but he continued to open the Yorkshire innings with Hutton until the outbreak of war in 1939. It is impossible to estimate the value of that education to the young Hutton. On uncovered pitches, Sutcliffe averaged over 60 in tests for England while accumulating 4,555 runs. He went a step further than Rhodes before him by surpassing 50,000 runs in first class cricket albeit at the slightly inferior average of 52. His career total of 151 first class hundreds was going to take a bloody minded, focused person to go past it. That person would not come until the 1960s.
Hutton became the first professional captain of England in 1952. In 1938, at the age of 22, he scored 364 against the touring Australians at the Oval and his life would never be the same again. Like Sutcliffe and Rhodes before him, Hutton built his reputation on a brick wall defence. Step 1: don't get out - the runs will come later - and how they came. Despite losing six of his best years to the Second World War and incurring a serious injury to his arm, he still amassed 40,000 first class runs. This is all the more amazing given his decision to retire at the comparatively young age of 39 in 1955. He started and ended his test career against New Zealand in 1937 and 1955 and scored 6971 runs at an average of 56 with 19 hundreds. Hutton was just 21 when he first appeared for England and a mere 24 when he set the world record 364 runs in an innings.
There was a lull in the Yorkshire production line between 1955 and 1964. Then came Boycott. Geoff Boycott made his debut against Australia at the age of 23. Arguably the most selfish batsman of all time, he was the very picture of defence and throughout his career it was his cricket which the opposition bowlers prized most highly. His talent was limited compared to his contemporaries such as Jack Hampshire but he compensated with sheer obduracy. As a former opener myself, I know that it can sometimes be a bit of a lonely business consisting of you against them. Boycott took this concept more literally than most but tcicked off the milestones one by one until eventually he scaled the heights of Sutcliffe before his retirement in 1986. Unlike Sutcliffe, his test average of 47 was considerably lower than his first class average of 56. His 48,000 first class runs fell short of the mark set by Sutcliffe but he matched his 151 first class hundreds. Of his hundreds, the most famous was his 100th. He scored 191 at Leeds against the Australians just three matches after his comeback from a self imposed exile from test cricket. During his career, he split the county of Yorkshire in two and the county would go without the championship during his career. A leader of men he was not because the self was more important than the whole. Like Hutton before him, captaincy didn't come naturally to him - despite having an encyclopaedic knowledge of the game and its players.
In November 1999, Michael Vaughan made his test debut at the age of 24. I saw him bat in 1995 against Lancashire in a one day semi final and came away knowing that I had just seen the man who would take up the legendary baton vacated by Boycott in 1982. Vaughan was not surrounded in defence as his predecessors had been although he was a very able opener. What he did have was an array of shots through the covers which left the purists purring with pleasure. I've never seen anyone play the cover drive better than Vaughan although I'm told that Hammond and Cowdrey were the real masters of this shot. While Boycott and Hutton were insular old school openers ill disposed to the demands of captaincy, Vaughan was the exact opposite. He thrived on captaincy as evidenced by his glittering record. Like Sutcliffe, Vaughan rose to the occasion with England such that his England average eclipsed his first class average. His 5719 test runs were scored at an average of just 41 - but he also scored 18 hundreds many of which were big hundreds. If Vaughan got in, the opposition was there to be punished.
Joe Root by definition has the weight of history on his young shoulders. Thus far, he has one big hundred after three tests and that apart, he has hardly set the world on fire. It could be argued that he started the series as the bloke to whom the Australian David Warner threw a punch during the small hours at a bar. At such an hour, Boycott, Sutcliffe et al would have been in bed. Their approach to batting was based on preparation and a good night's sleep was seen to be part of that. Root still has much to prove but his pedigree at least is a good one.
For that tour, the Yorkshire all-rounder Wilfred Rhodes was pushed up the order to open the innings with the legendary Jack Hobbs. As an opener, he was more resolute in defence than prolific in attack but provided the perfect foil for Hobbs attracting favourable praise from Wisden. At the end of his first class career, he had scored a shade less than 40,000 runs and took 4,204 wickets - both figures would be the stuff of dreams today. A career which had started in 1898 following the decision by Yorkshire to dispense with the left arm spinner Bobby Peel was to finally come to an end in 1930 at the grand old age of 43. His impact on the game was undeniable and in some ways he came to represent the dour image of the Yorkshire batsmen whose wicket had to be earned the hard way.
Just outside Harrogate 17 years after the birth of Rhodes, the man who would take up the baton was born. His career was delayed by the onset of the Great War and brought to a premature end by the Second. In between, Herbert Sutcliffe in many ways became the benchmark for all Yorkshire and England openers to follow. He kept good company. He formed a legendary pairing with Hobbs at the top of the England order from 1924 until the retirement of Hobbs in1930. Sutcliffe averaged more for England than his county and was reckoned by the top bowlers of his day to be hardest batsman to get out. With Percy Holmes, he opened the Yorshire innings from 1919 until Holmes' retirement in1934. They famously put on 555 runs for the first wicket against Essex at Leytonstone. Following the retirement of Holmes in1934, the young Len Hutton was chosen to open the Yorkshire innings with Sutcliffe. Sutcliffe's last England match was in1935 but he continued to open the Yorkshire innings with Hutton until the outbreak of war in 1939. It is impossible to estimate the value of that education to the young Hutton. On uncovered pitches, Sutcliffe averaged over 60 in tests for England while accumulating 4,555 runs. He went a step further than Rhodes before him by surpassing 50,000 runs in first class cricket albeit at the slightly inferior average of 52. His career total of 151 first class hundreds was going to take a bloody minded, focused person to go past it. That person would not come until the 1960s.
Hutton became the first professional captain of England in 1952. In 1938, at the age of 22, he scored 364 against the touring Australians at the Oval and his life would never be the same again. Like Sutcliffe and Rhodes before him, Hutton built his reputation on a brick wall defence. Step 1: don't get out - the runs will come later - and how they came. Despite losing six of his best years to the Second World War and incurring a serious injury to his arm, he still amassed 40,000 first class runs. This is all the more amazing given his decision to retire at the comparatively young age of 39 in 1955. He started and ended his test career against New Zealand in 1937 and 1955 and scored 6971 runs at an average of 56 with 19 hundreds. Hutton was just 21 when he first appeared for England and a mere 24 when he set the world record 364 runs in an innings.
There was a lull in the Yorkshire production line between 1955 and 1964. Then came Boycott. Geoff Boycott made his debut against Australia at the age of 23. Arguably the most selfish batsman of all time, he was the very picture of defence and throughout his career it was his cricket which the opposition bowlers prized most highly. His talent was limited compared to his contemporaries such as Jack Hampshire but he compensated with sheer obduracy. As a former opener myself, I know that it can sometimes be a bit of a lonely business consisting of you against them. Boycott took this concept more literally than most but tcicked off the milestones one by one until eventually he scaled the heights of Sutcliffe before his retirement in 1986. Unlike Sutcliffe, his test average of 47 was considerably lower than his first class average of 56. His 48,000 first class runs fell short of the mark set by Sutcliffe but he matched his 151 first class hundreds. Of his hundreds, the most famous was his 100th. He scored 191 at Leeds against the Australians just three matches after his comeback from a self imposed exile from test cricket. During his career, he split the county of Yorkshire in two and the county would go without the championship during his career. A leader of men he was not because the self was more important than the whole. Like Hutton before him, captaincy didn't come naturally to him - despite having an encyclopaedic knowledge of the game and its players.
In November 1999, Michael Vaughan made his test debut at the age of 24. I saw him bat in 1995 against Lancashire in a one day semi final and came away knowing that I had just seen the man who would take up the legendary baton vacated by Boycott in 1982. Vaughan was not surrounded in defence as his predecessors had been although he was a very able opener. What he did have was an array of shots through the covers which left the purists purring with pleasure. I've never seen anyone play the cover drive better than Vaughan although I'm told that Hammond and Cowdrey were the real masters of this shot. While Boycott and Hutton were insular old school openers ill disposed to the demands of captaincy, Vaughan was the exact opposite. He thrived on captaincy as evidenced by his glittering record. Like Sutcliffe, Vaughan rose to the occasion with England such that his England average eclipsed his first class average. His 5719 test runs were scored at an average of just 41 - but he also scored 18 hundreds many of which were big hundreds. If Vaughan got in, the opposition was there to be punished.
Joe Root by definition has the weight of history on his young shoulders. Thus far, he has one big hundred after three tests and that apart, he has hardly set the world on fire. It could be argued that he started the series as the bloke to whom the Australian David Warner threw a punch during the small hours at a bar. At such an hour, Boycott, Sutcliffe et al would have been in bed. Their approach to batting was based on preparation and a good night's sleep was seen to be part of that. Root still has much to prove but his pedigree at least is a good one.
Wednesday, 7 August 2013
Splendid isolation
At the centre of Europe surveying all around them is the country which remains staunchly independent retaining its own currency and identity. They refuse membership of the European Union even though in many ways, they are the most European country of all with German, French and Italian regions. Switzerland has either been very shrewd or very stupid. When the global downturn came in 2008, you might have been forgiven for wondering whether the Swiss had even heard of it.
The country which has given us the technical brilliance of Roger Federer in many ways remains an enigma in international terms. In each of the two world wars, they took a neutral stance in a very loose sense of that word. It is now known that they harboured vast fortunes which had been sequestered from the millions who perished in the Nazi concentration camps. I read today that the Swiss intend to segregate asylum seekers away from public utilities such as libraries and swimming pools to try and avoid growing tensions from local residents.
It is a strange country because in the time I was there, I can't recall ever having seen any litter. To say it is unspoilt is an understatement. In a sense, you can only marvel at their obvious sense of pride in their country. Although you are made to feel welcome as a visitor, you can't help but feel that you are only being made to feel welcome up to a point. As I passed through Europe from one country to the next, the customs check points were little more than a cursory glance at you to be sure you weren't from Mars. The Swiss were rather more direct in their approach. As we arrived resplendent in flip flops, tea shirts and shorts, the gun-toting border guard asked the purpose of our visit. It was a challenge to desist from sarcasm. I chose to spell out that we were tourists because it was not obvious that humour was his strong point.
They were most definitely happy to take our money during our stay and for a good reason. Because they have held on to the Swiss Franc, they will change your Euros without complaint provided of course that the exchange rate works to their favour - and it always does. As reliable as their clocks and trains, their capacity to seek the best deal for themselves is second to none. I would definitely go back in the future if only to remind myself of its mixture of beauty and oddity.
Here in the UK we are considered isolated due to our being an island. To all intents and purposes, Switzerland is no different. They happen to be surrounded by land but not that you would know it. You may pass through but please don't ask to stay since refusal often offends!
The country which has given us the technical brilliance of Roger Federer in many ways remains an enigma in international terms. In each of the two world wars, they took a neutral stance in a very loose sense of that word. It is now known that they harboured vast fortunes which had been sequestered from the millions who perished in the Nazi concentration camps. I read today that the Swiss intend to segregate asylum seekers away from public utilities such as libraries and swimming pools to try and avoid growing tensions from local residents.
It is a strange country because in the time I was there, I can't recall ever having seen any litter. To say it is unspoilt is an understatement. In a sense, you can only marvel at their obvious sense of pride in their country. Although you are made to feel welcome as a visitor, you can't help but feel that you are only being made to feel welcome up to a point. As I passed through Europe from one country to the next, the customs check points were little more than a cursory glance at you to be sure you weren't from Mars. The Swiss were rather more direct in their approach. As we arrived resplendent in flip flops, tea shirts and shorts, the gun-toting border guard asked the purpose of our visit. It was a challenge to desist from sarcasm. I chose to spell out that we were tourists because it was not obvious that humour was his strong point.
They were most definitely happy to take our money during our stay and for a good reason. Because they have held on to the Swiss Franc, they will change your Euros without complaint provided of course that the exchange rate works to their favour - and it always does. As reliable as their clocks and trains, their capacity to seek the best deal for themselves is second to none. I would definitely go back in the future if only to remind myself of its mixture of beauty and oddity.
Here in the UK we are considered isolated due to our being an island. To all intents and purposes, Switzerland is no different. They happen to be surrounded by land but not that you would know it. You may pass through but please don't ask to stay since refusal often offends!
Anything is possible..
It is nearly 100 years to the day since a roulette wheel in Monaco caused quite a stir. At Le Grand Casino, the colour black came up on 26 consecutive spins of the wheel. That night the casino made several million francs. Why? Because after the tenth spin yielded black, there was a stampede towards the table in question as people began to wager huge amounts on the colour red coming up on the next spin. This is often cited as the gambler's fancy. Although the chances of that sequence of black spins was over 1 in 136 million, people foolishly lost sight of the fact that the chances of red or black coming up on an individual spin were exactly the same each time - 18 in 37.
It illustrates nicely the warning which is attached to financial investments "Please note past performance is not an indicator of future performance and the value of your shares can go down as well as up". Perhaps what is even more amazing is the fact that the gambling industry is thriving in Monaco a hundred years later. It must be the uncertainty which people find attractive because all around them, their sense of logic is screaming at them to walk away.
Life is all about risk when we break it down. From the amount of alcohol we drink knowing its downside to the amount of fatty food we eat knowing the price we will likely pay later we all take choices which fly in the face of logic - and quite right too. If we all led lives based purely on logic, the world would become even more restricted than it already feels.
What history does not tell us about the incident in Monaco is whether anybody had the nerve to wait for the 27th spin of the wheel to place a huge sum on red. I like to think so because there is usually that one person capable of holding their nerve better than the next guy. As the saying goes, "everything comes to he who waits".
This seems to be the approach of the new Governor of the Bank of England. He has made the announcement that interest rates will remain at their historic low of 0.5% until unemployment falls below 7%. I don't want to sound like I know what colour will spin next but we can rest assured that we are entering a long period of low interest rates for richer or poorer.
It illustrates nicely the warning which is attached to financial investments "Please note past performance is not an indicator of future performance and the value of your shares can go down as well as up". Perhaps what is even more amazing is the fact that the gambling industry is thriving in Monaco a hundred years later. It must be the uncertainty which people find attractive because all around them, their sense of logic is screaming at them to walk away.
Life is all about risk when we break it down. From the amount of alcohol we drink knowing its downside to the amount of fatty food we eat knowing the price we will likely pay later we all take choices which fly in the face of logic - and quite right too. If we all led lives based purely on logic, the world would become even more restricted than it already feels.
What history does not tell us about the incident in Monaco is whether anybody had the nerve to wait for the 27th spin of the wheel to place a huge sum on red. I like to think so because there is usually that one person capable of holding their nerve better than the next guy. As the saying goes, "everything comes to he who waits".
This seems to be the approach of the new Governor of the Bank of England. He has made the announcement that interest rates will remain at their historic low of 0.5% until unemployment falls below 7%. I don't want to sound like I know what colour will spin next but we can rest assured that we are entering a long period of low interest rates for richer or poorer.
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