Christmas in the Caribbean

I say!

How wonderful to receive visitors to this blog. I shall certainly be returning the compliment.

And what an unexpected surprise! Mrs M and myself have been invited by some people in the entertainment industry, who must remain anonymous for obvious reasons, to spend Christmas in the Caribbean.

By then, my camera will have been returned from the repairers, and I shall hope to post some snaps of the celebrations. I shall be able to mix work with pleasure - a pitch inspection of the new Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium, close by St John’s in Antigua, for starters. Menzies IV and Henry Morton will also travel there. Does Sir Cliff have a residence there? No, I think that's another island. Our residence will be at Jolly Harbour, on the west coast.

How wonderful. But, if there are any criminals reading this, let me assure them that 'Armed Response' have already been employed to secure the premises at Kalimbuka.

Now - here's a challenge for anyone who might read this. Below is a snap taken on my travels. From this location, many a seafarer embarked on adventures, as can be seen from the engraving. Can anyone locate this monument? You may have to click on the snap for a larger view.


MM III

"Like a virgin"

I say!

I've been rather busy recently attending to functions associated with the visit hereabouts of Guy Ritchie and his adorable wife. What a social round its been! Mrs M has been extremely busy as well, and has much enjoyed the various events.

Interest in the visit has obviously perculated to the staff. I even overheard Cabbage the other day, whilst slashing the outfield which had become quite overgrown, singing "Like a virgin" to himself, in time to his cutting motions. I must say, Cabbage appears to be completely tone-deaf, and he did no justice to the original version.

What a nice chap Guy is! We enjoyed some time, some Greens and some MGTs together at the Government Hostel (will I ever get used to calling it the Hotel Masongola?) one evening, and I must say, he is a font of knowledge about the motion picture industry, Holywood, and such like.

Now, here's a thing. What with his inside knowledge, he reliably informed me that he'd seen an early draft of the screenplay for the 1968 motion picture "2001: A Space Odyssey" which happens to be one of my favourites. According to Guy, the original intention was to produce a film of a somewhat different genre to that which was eventually released.

You will remember one of the early scenes in the film - where the cave-man has discovered the first tool, a bone, and he throws it in the air with glee. As the bone turns over and over in the air, it gradually moves to slow motion and then transforms into a spaceship.

Well, Guy told me that in the early draft, the bone transforms into...a cricket bat! And that the film was originally going to be entitled "2001: The Ashes Tour" and be a futuristic look at a Test Series which was, at the time, 33 years in the future.

Well, I ask you! We'd been discussing my theories about cricket originating in Neolithic times, and he'd 'had a few' by the time we discussed this particular matter. I think he was pulling my leg.

What do you think?

MM III

More proof

I say!

Here is a snap of the cricketers changing rooms at Skara Brae.


And if more proof is needed, here is one of an ancient cricket bat, found lying on waste ground, not far from Skara Brae. Note that it is a different shape from those employed today. The game has certainly evolved.


Only the other day, I was attempting to teach Cabbage how to bowl a doosra. Unfortunately something seemed to get lost in translation. The word 'doosra', as I understand it, is not unsimilar to a Yao curseword, and this appeared to cause him limitless hilarity. His attempts to bowl the ball with exaggerated hip thrusting motions completely negated any spin he might otherwise have put on the ball.

MM III

Skara Brae

I say!

Not far from the Ring of Brodgar wicket is Skara Brae. The purpose of Skara Brae also becomes obvious on further close inspection.


It is quite clear that Skara Brae was where Neolithic man stored his cricket kit. In the snap above one can see four places perfectly sized for a 'coffin' - the popular name for a cricketer's kitbag, and beside it, to the left, a smaller storage place for cricket balls. There are four coffin storage areas - one for each of the top oredr batsmen. One can only imagine the talk of cricketing strategy that must have been common in this room.


Above is another view of Skara Brae.

Neolithic man played cricket many years before the 'Ashes' were conceived, of course, but below is a snap of the trophy which was almost certainly awarded to the winning team.


QED

MM III