The English supporters won’t have minded that I forgot about the rugby yesterday.  However, our Scottish contingent must have been leaping up and down with their earned win at Twickenham.

On the plus side, the England supporters would have been over the moon with the cricket yesterday and a double century for Joe Root and continuing ther confident team play this morning.

AND not only Brenda would have been pleased with the England No.1 Dan Evans winning the first ATP title of his career in the Murray River Open Tennis Final.

Norman C and Ted from Teddington would have been pleased that Chelsea made a win albeit not quite as they had expected on Thursday v Spurs.  Richard H and Ray V will not come to blows as Fulham and West Ham had a no score draw and  all our Brentford supporters – Ray P, David S and many others will be ecstatic at their 4-1 win having been 0-1 down.

For those of you who want a quiet night in with entertainment, Musicals, The Greatest Show will be on BBC1 tonight at 7.40 pm  It was broadcast live on Radio 2 last Sunday night but now you’ll be able to see the performers.  No wide angle tv needed as the BBC will have worked out the top way of filiming everyone on stage socially distanced.  You can hear some absolutely brilliant songs from the shows.  I expect even some of you will be in tears like me at “One More Day” from Les Miserables to finish.  The opening chords have me reaching for the Kleenex (there are other tissue brands!)

For the sporting night owls, you’ll no doubt be watching the SuperBowl with the Kansa Bay Chiefs taking on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 10.00 pm on Sky, 11.30 pm on BBC 1 .  Some of us will be tucked up in bed by then!

Have a good Sunday.  Get out if you can – well wrapped up; and phone a friend if  you can’t.  Both of very good for the mental wellbeing.  I’m off to do my first online exercise class.  Way behind Shirley O and others of you!

Brilliant news on the vaccine front.  10 MILLION!  Is anybody in the club still waiting to be done ?!  It’s also brilliant news that it seems to prevent one from spreading the virus.  That is essential if we’re to get out of this hole.

It made me thing of the song from The Greatest Showman by Pink (also sung by Susan Boyle if you’re not familiar with Pink).  The tune is good and you can end up humming it all day but the lyrics seem quite apt.

Apart from a lot of live bowls from Australia which you can find via YouTube and Facebook, the Australian Open Tennis starts this weekend, but Brenda D has said that the ATP warm up tournament in Melbourne is also viewable online.  If you have Amazon Prime Video,  go to Sports and you can watch it live.  Medeved has just taken the first set against Schwarzman 7-5, so a close game.  I am sure there must be other places to find it – maybe YouTube again?

Jamie Murray should also be making an appearance in the Open, although unfortunately Andy had to drop out due to Covid.

Talking of which, I’m not sure if we have any members in the W7 postcode, but stay safe home (and I realise not getting out for a walk will be difficult) and I hope your test arrives quickly and proves negative.

Our thoughts go out to Captain Sir Tom Moore in hospital with the virus, having been suffering with pneumonia before being taken to hospital.  How on earth did he become infected?

Steve G is off for his jab this morning.  We must be nearly half way through our members as regards vaccinations now.  Good!  The sooner we’re all done, the sooner it will become easier to get back bowling when restrictions are eased.  I’m still waiting my first call up for stewarding at a vaccination centre.  Maybe next week will be the week?

I’m sure Monday was washday or was it Friday?  The mangle eventually being replaced by the twin tub, hauling the soggy washing out of one bit and dropping it into the other.  The machine creeping off its spot due to the vibrations; putting your hands on the lid and talking and it made your voice very funny.  What a difference that made to our parents’ (but more likely our Mum’s) lives!

A plate of left over from Sunday’s roast for dinner or Monday.  I don’t remember my Mum making bubble and squeak but it was and still is very popular by the reminiscences of other bowlers.

How life has changed from then, from 12 months ago to now!  WOW!

Fantastic news on the vaccine stats yesterday.  It is said 2 weeks for it to start being effective from the first dose, then the waiting game for the second dose.

Isle of Wight Ron was looking for some exercises to improve fitness levels.  Most of us want to do that so it’s a good time for lots of people to start getting their bodies ready for bowling again, or even just getting out a bit more and building up the stamina levels.

This is a link that came through via one or two clicks from the sportengland.org website.  Lots and lots of exercises you can do from yoga, pilates, sitting down leg strengethening and more .  Start in small chunks – maybe only 5 minutes a time and build your strength up.  If you live on your own and doing standing exercises, make sure you have a chair nearby for balance.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClEmdVc80h7Gft4olLkwGhw/featured

How did you get on with the Garden Bird Watch?  My list was slightly disappointing compared to the snowy Sunday.

Hope you all stayed dry yesterday although I’m sure Lucy and Merve will have got wet at some point!

I was wrong about the pigeons looking miserable on Richmond Lock Bridge yesterday.  Not one in sight.  They’d all gone into hiding, as had the seagulls!  I saw one goldfinch on the feeder .  Mind you it ws difficult to see anything as the rain hurtled at the balcony doors most of the day.  Very depressing.

Today, it’s chilly, but there are light wispy candyfloss clouds in a pale blue sky and a chance to get out for the daily exercise and back before any rain turns up.

There have been three goldfinches, four starlings, a wren and, er well, a squirrel but he has joined the ground feeding lot clearing up the sunflower hearts carelessly tossed aside by the goldfinches.  Nyger seed is great but the goldfinches are hopelessly messy and it gets everywhere.  The resulting plants do not produce the seeds needed, so Nyger is off the birds’ menu and that has saved a few pounds.

Talking of food, I see Norman is perfecting his Rock Cake recipe.  He is not delivering to any tasters during lockdown, so we’ll just have to wait until we start playing again.  Maybe March?  Is that too hopeful?

Has anyone tried the M&S (there are other supermarkets) Cheese & Marmite Hot Cross Buns yet?  There is no dried fruit in them (which is a relief) so are they really hot cross buns or just another bready/cakey item?

Boy is it wet out there!  We are lucky as most of us don’t have to venture outside our homes today.  Not so for the birds as they have to move from their cosy tree/bush and get some food for them and their families.  The ducks and swans and geese won’t care, but I bet the pigeons who bide their time on RIchmond Lock Bridge will be looking fairly miserable!  I’ll report back.

If the rain eases up a bit at lunchtime, maybe that would be a good time to do your bird count or maybe tomorrow will be better.

Stay safe, warm and dry but just open a window for a short while to get some fresh air in  your home.

Apologies as this is being posted somewhat later than usual.

Here’s the link to the RSPB site.  https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/

This is something we can all do, even if we don’t have feeders, maybe take a look at one in your neighbour’s garden or on the golf course – George H knows the ducks quite well.

I had two robins and a wren on my balcony this morning.  I hope they come back when I’m on my hour’s watch tomorrow!

Let us know what birds you have seen.  Those of you nearer the parks might get more varieties.

So, it’s stopped raining, the sun is almost trying to come out; the daylight hours are getting longer; the hyacinths are breaking free from their green sheaths and I gather the snowdrops are out in Kew Gardens.  We have to battle through another month of lockdown – and February is always a hit-and-miss month regards weather (like November) – but spring is heading our way!

Late spring – Sunday 2nd May to be precise, the Middlesex Ladies Johns Trophy & Walker Cup squad trials will be on the green at Cambridge Park at 10.00 am.  Bacon and sausage butties will be available to purchase beforehand for players, managers, selectors and members.  So, get the date in your diary as it will be a good chance to see other members even if we’re still at 2m distancing.

The Johns Trophy team for Saturday 5th June will be gracing our green again and hopefully, if the Walker Cup team beat Oxfordshire at the end of May, they will be back at Cambridge Park to play Sussex on 27th June.

Brenda D is also looking forward to spring as she will probably have had her second vaccination by then and her garden will be awaiting new planting of vegetables and flowers and, of course, more weeding!  Joan O’N is also planning her planting as she walks the mile around her garden every day.  We all need something to look forward to and housework goes to the back of the queue when there are things to do outside and reconnect with nature.  Reconnecting with the grass of the bowling green along with our family and friends are other things to which are all looking forward to!  Personally I cannot wait!

The RSPB have their Bird Count Watch this weekend, so get those feeders filled and up today or tomorrow so the birds realise there is some food available.  I’ll post more details tomorrow with a link to the form.  It involves one hour in a comfy chair looking out of the window watching and counting the various bird species.  My feeders seem most popular an hour or so before dusk – at the weekends anyway.  I’m not sure what they get up to midweek when I’m at work!