Watched/listened to the England-France match yesterday. Cracking game, with 90 points on the board at full time. England were within a gnat’s crotchet of achieving the required point difference to win the championship, but didn’t quite get the ball over the try line in the closing play. France then booted the ball into touch to end the game (in rugby union, unlike football [soccer] (and, I think rugby league) play doesn’t end until the ball is out of play).

I was listening on the radio while cooking, rushing in to see the telly when anything exciting seemed to be happening. I found that it isn’t possible to watch (on telly) and listen (on radio) at the same time like in the old analogue days, as the radio was one or two seconds ahead of the telly, so you knew what was goiug to happen before it happened.

Listening on the radio also meant that I heard the football results. This was the first time I’d heard Charlotte Green playing the part of the late James Alexander Gordon - yeah, I know, she’s probably been doing it for about five seasons. But the main thing I noticed was that there seemed to be a lot of clubs that wouldn’t have made the cut back when I used to see the results towards the end of Grandstand / World of Sport. This could be that there has been quite a change round in the lower end clubs, or there are fewer clubs at the top (or fewer matches playing on a Saturday) so they have to include more at the bottom end to make up the required number for the Pools (which used to be 52 or 55 but I think now is 49 in line with the National Lottery).

And today’s odd closing thought is: who invented the music stand and did he/she get any recognition? It is pretty much a design classic. It can hold several sheets of music (with flick-up things to hold it in place); it is sturdy; it is height adjustable – anything from sitting to standing height, with everything in between (and a bit beyond). Yet it is very light and folds up small enough to be easily carried around.