THE GREAT ESCAPE...

Don`t know about you but I`m getting a bit tired of the non-stop news going on about nothing except the corona virus thingy.  It`s pretty depressing viewing so I`ve taken to watching other channels;  in particular Sky Cricket which thankfully is showing loads of cricket documentaries and re-runs of famous Test series from way back when.   I suppose it`s a kind of escape from the reality of what is confronting us at the moment.

And I`m not sure why but seeing (again) the 1981 series, ever after dubbed Botham`s Ashes, brought back memories of a family holiday we had during the time that series was being played.  Out of a spirit of adventure we had decided to spend a week exploring bits of north Wales and we hired a cottage in the village of Trefriw, pictured above.  Looks idyllic, doesn`t it?  Loads of empty space to explore and places to visit.

Trouble was, the cottage in downtown Trefriw was a bit `iffy` - it was OK but lacked some home comforts, such as a television that worked properly;  the one in the cottage had a peculiar picture, which was `V` shaped, as the reception in the village was compromised by the surrounding hills/mountains and so it was impossible to see the whole  of the screen.  Very frustrating, especially as the Test match against Australia was hotting up.

Now, after a few days of driving the family around north Wales in my Datsun Sunny, getting back in time to see the last hour of play (well the quarter of it I could make out on the eccentric television screen) and given the fact that that part of north Wales seemed to be plagued by persistent and torrential rain, there came a point when the prospect of being home, watching the cricket on a proper television and enjoying the summer balm of the south-east of England, was irresistible.

So we packed up and drove home a day or two early to enjoy the delirium of being part of the celebrations as Botham and his chums did a job on the Aussies.  Not only Beefy, of course, but others like the sadly departed Bob Willis and Graham Dilley, Mike Brearley and Chris Old, a particular heroic favourite of mine. 

He must be one of the very few England fast bowlers who has run a fish and chip restaurant in Cornwall (at Praa Sands) and who now works on the magazine section of Sainsburys in Truro.   It was a pity that he was hampered by injury and would have played more than his 46 Test matches if he hadn`t been.  The first bowling machine installed at Lord`s was nicknamed Chris Old because it broke down so often.

Anyway, I hope you will forgive my corona virus defying ramble but alternative viewing has recaptured these memories from almost 40 years ago.  And no offence to the good folk of Trefriw but, having made the great escape all those years ago, we`ve never ever thought of going back there.