October 2026
💦 Hosepipe ban, and where the water goes
We’re very lucky here in Essex, Thames Water is only tasked with removing our sewage, water supply comes from Essex and Suffolk Water. So when we developed a leak in the pavement outside, a man arrived in under a day. He thought a lorry had caused the fracture whilst performing a three-point-turn. The man put in an official log for repair and marked the area with blue paint. That was the month before last; now it’s much worse, and we’ve been promised a repair team will arrive on the 16th November.🏏 Indoor cricket
My grandson, whose cricket team won this season’s local league, now plays indoor cricket. I went to watch it. The bowler gets four strides before launching the ball, whilst the boundary and beyond is determined by what wall or ceiling the ball makes contact. Perplexing. Team and Match Format • Players: Each team has six players, and everyone must bat and bowl. • Innings: Each match consists of one innings per team. • Overs: An innings lasts a maximum of 12 overs, with six balls in each over. All overs are bowled from the same end. • Bowling Limits: No individual can bowl more than three overs per innings. Batting and Scoring • Batting Pairs: Batters often play in pairs or follow standard dismissal rules where losing a wicket deducts runs. • Running: Batters score physical runs by running between the wickets. • Wall and Net Scoring: Hitting the ball into specific zones or walls scores extra runs: • 1 Run: Hitting a side wall or the ceiling. • 4 Runs: The ball hits the floor first and then hits the back boundary wall. • 6 Runs: The ball hits the back boundary wall directly on the full (without hitting the floor first). Dismissals and Penalties • Outs: Batters can be dismissed by being bowled, caught, stumped, or run out. • Wicket Penalty: A standard penalty of losing runs (often 5 runs) is deducted from the team’s total for every wicket lost. • Extras: Wides and no-balls award extra runs to the batting side and usually count as extra deliveries.🦅 An astonishing sight
Walking around our estate, I heard a squeek. On a roof was a crow attacking a squeeking toy, every time it made a noise which only encouraged the bird to attack it more.✈️ Roundabout route
Recently my grandson went to Iceland. On his flight home the plane appeared to perform a dog leg. I wondered just what the pilot was trying to avoid.
📖 The Day of the Jackal it’s not
I’ve been given an opportunity to read an early proof of Frederick Forsyth’s last book, publishing on 5th November. The Odessa Assassin written in collaboration with Tony Kent has all the hallmarks of Forsyth’s fast paced style, along with his meticulous attention to detail. Unfortunately for me the story arc just didn’t work, still in a crowded genre it’s still in the top rank.📅 October’s posts and pages
Most read post – Ten things Londoners never do
Most read page – Taxi Tales
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I really enjoyed The Day Of The Jackal novel, and the film adaptation with Edward fox was true to the book. The Crow with the squeaky toy was probably just having fun. They are intelligent birds.
There is still a hosepipe ban in Norfolk, despite numerous rainstorms recently. We are told it will remain in force until April, but most of my neighbours are ignoring it. One day last week, the bloke across the road washed three cars (all his and his wife’s) with a jet wash.
Cheers, Pete.
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