Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 8:12PM Here's the link that brings glad tiding!
http://www.bank.barclays.co.uk/Smallbusinesssupport/WinnerintheEasternregion/P1242574337981
Frank Thorogood, Sidearm in cricket, news Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 11:53AM Voting in the one small step competition closed on July 4th and Frank and Alice have had a nail-biting wait for the result. Barclay's Bank plan to make an announcement tomorrow (July 15th). Frank has been invited to appear on the innovations slot on Simon Mayo's programme on Radio 2 on Friday July 16th. Could these things possibly be connected?
;)
Here's a cheery cricketing photo to be going on with - it's Francis and Archie at Lord's - posing ...
Barclays Bank, Frank Thorogood, Sidearm, francis wheen in cricket, news Sunday, July 4, 2010 at 8:17PM 
* From now on please don't worry about the future, stay with what you already know and love. * Appoint the person you most trust as your advocate and ask them to read this book while you get on with your life. * Forget about the diagnosis. You're very good at forgetting now, so use this skill to forget about dementia and get on with enjoying your life once more
These are messages in Oliver James's wonderful book Contented Dementia and, now that I can't any longer ignore the fact that my mother has this condition, I would like to dedicate these wise words to her.
The trouble is that just now I feel rather more daunted and less able to cope than I did when I was trying to row us both up the river aged 2 1/2.
Oliver James, dementia, julia jones in news, recommended reading Monday, June 14, 2010 at 5:19PM I've been following comments on the Barclays website re Frank's Sidearm and notice occasional outraged comments from dog-owners who have been using something similar to chuck balls at their pets for years. BUT, as other commentators point out, wearily, cricketers and dogs are, would you believe it ... different! The doggie chuck gave Frank his idea but the adaptation is all his own (and registered as such with the patent lawyers).
A much more erudite comment came from Barry Kernon (of life-saving accountants H.W. Fisher) who drew our attention to one Nicholas Wanostrocht (born 1804) - who prefered to be known as Nicholas Felix. He was, says www.cricinfo "one of the most remarkable cricketers of all times ... a talented man, being a classical scholar, musician, linguist, inventor, author and an artist. During his life he did much to improve cricket, for he invented the Catapulta, a bowling machine, originated indiarubber batting gloves and, as an author, left behind him several books and small works on the arts of the game." If anyone knows what a Catapulta looked like we'd love to see it - but did c19th century dog owners raise any objections? For the latest on Frank Thorogood's sidearm go to www.sidearm-cricket.com
The Essex Chronicle has now had its say on the 'cricket-mad farmer' - mad farmer would seem to be the executive summary.
B, Barry Kernon, Frank Thorogood, Sidearm, nicholas felix in cricket, news Friday, June 11, 2010 at 6:41PM At long last some of Victoria Morris's innovative designs in recycled cardboard are available to look at and to buy on the web. Click this link http://www.cardboardfurniture.org.uk/products.html
The sit-on / eat-off cube that she made using pictures of Peter Duck from Classic Boat magazine is one of my favourite possessions. A joy to look at, useful and TOUGH. I think Victoria's work is perfect for special occasion presents - give a journalist a table covered with his / her own newpaper, for instance. She's also brilliant at special commissions - the 'Under the Sea bookshelf' was made for my grandchildren and looks even better for real than it does in the photo.
classic boat, newspaper, peter duck, recycled furniture in friends, gifts