It appears (from Snowmail) that the Jamaican police are to announce they will be treating Woolmer's death as murder: apparently he had a broken neck. Far too early to draw any conclusions, but I can't help wondering if some nasty things in the state of international cricket are about to come to light. Apparently there is already chatter of a match-fixing ring.
Ah well, I suppose Australia deserved a nail-biting finish to go in their favour after last time...
Also lummee.
Spent the weekend with my very old friends J&L and my brand new friends R&H (the latter two being the progeny of the former). They've recently moved to a beautiful village, which briefly revived my occasional twinges of wanting to do the same. This morning was spent watching the cricket heart in mouth (in more ways than one, we were all somewhat suffering from hangovers). Can't remember ever seeing a test match that was quite so exciting. Why, precisely, it went that way possibly leaves questions about England's approach, but hey the Ashes are still open. I went out into the garden for a cigarette at one point: as I lit up a huge yell revealed that Warne had finally gone. When the figure Australia needed went into single figures, the others suggested I might want to go for another cigarette...
And now I'm sitting in my flat saying "meh" and pouring myself "just a small one" at regular intervals in order to face the wreckage. Tomorrow is the heavy packing day: until now I've been concentrating on administrivia and on moving the little fiddly things into my office bit by bit via laden rucksacks. Note to self, travelling on the underground unshaven, worried looking, and carrying laden rucksacks is actually likely to garner you a certain amount of attention right at the moment.
Many thanks to all those who offered homes to books and things: I think everything will be ok (I'm using my office as storage).
Oh, and Robin Cook: a sad loss I think. Regardless of whether or not one agreed with him, and much of the time I didn't, he was principled in his political life, brilliant, and genuinely committed to the importance of Parliament, as opposed to and indeed in opposition to, the executive. I wonder what New Labour would have looked like had he not fallen out with Gordon Brown back when they were at university.
So there went my alternative, avoiding-Piccadilly-Line route home. Plus the BBC ball-by-ball commentary internet stream from Lords keeps cracking up, presumably because of the strain on their servers... Harumph.
ETA: bugger, there goes another wicket.