Here comes the sun or it’s coming home

11th June 2021

There was something for everybody this weekend. Whatever you are interested in, whatever puts a spring in your step there was something for us all to enjoy.

So, what is it that we all had to look forward to?

Firstly, the second test match between England and New Zealand continued from Edgbaston. Even though you may not particularly like cricket you will be heartened by seeing and, most definitely or ‘deafenly’, hearing around 18,000 supporters in the ground. This represents about 75% of capacity but those of you who have listened to or watched some of the coverage from the ground will feel that it sounds more like there are around 50,000 people at the ground. The crowd seem to be enjoying the cricket and, more importantly, enjoying the live sport in the flesh. If you aren’t interested in cricket but you do want some fun, just watch some of the Sky coverage and have a look at the utter madness of the fancy dress combos.

If it’s not cricket that turns your head, how about football? The Euro 2020 tournament kicked off on Friday. For the first time since 1958 England, Scotland and Wales will be in a major tournament together. It’s a shame that the Irish aren’t there as we’d then have a full house and whatever your personal family history there’d be someone for you to support. The football should be fantastic but, again, even if football is not your thing, the prospect of live sport offering life support, in every venue, will suggest that we continue to turn the pages of this crisis period. In Britain there will be two venues which will host games; Hampden Park, in Glasgow, and Wembley in London. Both venues will be able to accommodate tens of thousands of supporters, even though neither will be allowed to be full. The atmosphere in both those grounds should be amazing.

And if none of that turned your head the easiest thing for you to have done would have been to sit out in your garden, on your patio or in the local park and to have enjoyed some of the fantastically warm sunshine that was forecast for the weekend. We’d had a warm week at work and it can be irritating when we then have to face a weekend of wet, cold or windy weather. The weekend didn’t disappoint – it seems our hard work was rewarded with some lovely warm weather. At the risk of sounding overly paternalistic; can I just add that we all need to be careful out in the sun at this time of year? The summer sun is nearly at its highest elevation and the UV rays are at their strongest. Whatever your skin tone please take suitable precautions.

Some sunshine is good for the soul, but I always make sure I wear a big hat. Miranda Kerr

 No cricket team in the world depends on one or two players. The team always plays to win. Virat Kholi

Football is a simple game. Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win. Gary Lineker

I’m not looking ahead to Monday, the 21st of June. That will be what it is. I’m just looking forward to the pleasure that cricket, football and Summer sun can bring. It’s a full house for me