Author: Thomas

Another personal milestone this week. Julian Housing have closed my file as I am now established in my own flat and clearly not at this stage in need of further assitance.

England are yet again responding to a setback as they did at Melbourne after the Perth nightmare. Pakistan are now four down in their second innings and have not wiped off the arrears. Stuart Broad in particular is having a superb match – four first innings wickets and a hard hitting 58 which was largely responsible for the first innings lead.

Meanwhile in Melbourne Andrew Murray is giving a very good account odf himself against world number one Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semi final (the winner gets to play world number two Rafael Nadal in the final).

Todays view from the rooftops takes in both the Clifton House tower and the Granaries, under a deceptively benign looking sky. The wind has a definite bite to it, which in January in Kings Lynn is not good news.

A day out in Cambridge yesterday, contributing to some research about Autistic Spectrum Conditions.This entailed a fairly intensive but very generously remunerated three hours with a researcher named Caroline Robertson. Her supervisor, no lesser person than Simon Baron Cohen, had allowed her the use of his office. Overall I enjoyed the day, though the journey back on the 17:39 from Cambridge (a.k.a the 16:45 from Kings Cross) was jam packed.

England are endeavouring to recover from a poor start to the first test against Pakistan in Dubai, having been bowled out for 192. Although Pakistan are already in the lead with six wickets standing, but those who remember Brisbane 2010 (England 517-1 to save the game after being 200 behind on first innings) and Sydney 2009 (Pakistan lost by 38 runs after leading by 200 on first innings) are not yet hugely worried.

There has been some coverage of Saeed Ajmal’s action, instigated by TV Commentator Bob Willis, but this is foolish. The England camp have refused to have anything to do with such complaints, and as TMS’s Michael Vaughan pointed out, it is unlikely that any comments would have been made by anyone had England been 300-4 with Ajmal taking none for plenty. Today’s view from the rooftop is the undistinguished rear view the guildhall. You would never guess that on the other side of this clump of buildings is a section of frontage that is the only one of its kind in the entire country but such is the case.

Keep an eye out for more photos from Holkham/ Wells… 51