Welcome Back (Again!)

Clearly it's been a long time since my last post: what with my work commitments - six flights in a 20-day period - and the run-up to Christmas I've just not had the time or, more tellingly, the inspiration to post.

Going forward I've got a new plan for posting on the blog - I'm planning one 'digest' style post every week.

I'll publish at the start of the week - to be clear that's Sunday or Monday, not a Friday - and I'll include all the stuff that's caught my attention in the week gone and the week ahead.

Sports Personality?
One of the things that did catch my eye before Christmas was the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards. As a child this award really mattered to me - we didn't have 500+ channels to watch and as such it seemed everyone with even a modest interest in sport would watch and I'd go into school on the Monday morning and everyone would be talking about it. A bit like snooker.

In recent years the importance of the award - to me at least - has been reduced to the point where I don't think I've watched the award show for more than 5 years. I tuned in this year hoping to see either Jenson Button or Mark Cavendish win the award.

I couldn't believe it when it was announced that Ryan Giggs had won. I'd say he's been one of the great footballers of the last 20 years, has had a magnificent career and continues to perform at the top level. But the 'stand-out' performer of the year.

If the award is quite literally presented on the basis of 'personality' or charisma then again, as nice a guy as he is, it's not Giggs.

Compounding my surprise, the Team of the Year award went to the England mens crickets team rather than either BrawnGP or, my own choice, the all conquering England womans crickets team.

I won't bother again.

Celebrity Birdwatching!
Just when you think there are no new ideas in television ... this week sees the start of a new television series Bill Bailey's Bird Watching Bonanza which is described as a fun and fascinating series in which 'birdwatching shakes off its anorak image as celebrities go head to head in testing twitching tasks'.

I've seen a trailer for the show, the highlight of which features wild laughter as one of the 'celebrities' remarks they can see a 'tit'.

How do they come up with these ideas? Quite remarkable.

The Comeback
After six months out of the game I'm making my 'long awaited' comeback to the football field tomorrow night after breaking my ankle last summer (leading to what is now known as 'the happiest two months of my life'). I'll let you know how it goes next week.