Where time slows and cricket flows: an idyllic English afternoon awaits
Ashes Tests and T20 games are often nail-biting, but a personal favourite of mine is the County Championship, which is staged in chunks between April and September and offers a (mostly) chilled-out ambience and respite from the fast-paced buzz of modern life with sporadic bursts of excellent cricket. Matches typically span four languid days, but popping along for one is usually enough to appreciate the county game's mellow charms and quintessentially English quirks and chatter. Ticket prices are reasonable ($30-$40) and you can more or less perch yourself where you like.
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West Australian
11 hours ago
- West Australian
On the stepping stone between home and away
I've flown on a lot of airlines recently, but flying to India and back with Singapore Airlines has been a reset. The speed, charm and professionalism with which the faultless cabin crew look after the cabin has always been a benchmark. In their elegant uniforms, they think and act fast. It's brilliant. On the first leg of the four flights, I learnt a lesson. The company that had booked the flights for me sent me the details and I went to 'manage my booking' online and chose seats for each leg, and logged my preference for the Asian vegetarian meal — which, for my taste, is the best meal on an economy ticket anywhere. The booking company changed the outbound flights by a day. When I checked in for the flights, I found seats weren't allocated, and there were only middle seats left. So this is just a warning to others that if you change your flights, check you don't lose your preferences (as I stupidly did). Middle seats? A third of the passengers have to sit in the middle, so why not me? On the first leg of the four flights, I found myself in the middle of a party of 100 students from Japan going home from a school trip. They were all dressed in uniform (white shirts, ties and blue jackets for the boys, blue skirts for the girls). And there was me, in row 66, in the middle of this sea of them. And what a refreshing experience. What a polite, well-organised, sensitive and well-supervised group. Those sitting next to me didn't speak English, but we exchanged polite greetings through the translation app on our phones. + The nice thing about the Singapore Airlines flight is that I'm not the only one wearing a mask. Yes, I'm still wearing a mask in planes. + Just a little tip: the earphones on the first flight can, of course, be used on the following flights. So I roll mine up, slip them back in their little resealable bag, and take them with me. I do like the electric buggies in Singapore's Changi Airport which carry the less mobile to their gates. They have a flashing light on top, play a cheery tune and (rather than a beeping horn), and have a recording of someone politely saying: 'Excuse me. (Pause) Thank you.' Others (with different, jaunty music) announce: 'Vehicle approaching. Please give way.' It's midnight at Changi and the shops are shutting. Travellers are looking for places to perch. The place is slowing down. And I settle down, too, on a seat opposite Chow Tai Fook and Victoria's Secret, to wait for my flight, which boards at 1.35am. I am in transit, and that gives me time to think . . . . . . I'm in transit, in every sense. Physically, I'm just at the waypoint, waiting for a flight. I'm precariously on the one stepping stone between home and away. I have my passport and boarding pass close to hand. But I'm in transit internally, too. Emotionally. Spiritually. I'm on the way to India, to a place known, and (unusually for my journeys to India) I do not have a group of readers with me. I am not responsible for anyone or anything except myself, my wellbeing, and the stories I will write for you. I will write 2000 words a day. I will file and caption every picture I take, every day. I will be awake, seeking, absorbing, processing, reacting and writing for 18 hours a day. And that feels, frankly, gorgeous and self-indulgent. All I ever wanted to do was to be a writer and work hard. And here I am, heading for a place that's comfortable for me, doing it. But for now, I'm in transit. In transit: the action of passing through or across a place. The passage of a celestial body, in astronomy and astrology (both of which are alive and busy in everyday life in modern India). Perhaps we are one person at home and a slightly different person when we are away. That is one of the attractions of travel. We are cut loose and liberated. We are freed. We miss home and family (we long for home and family), but we are footloose and there's a lightness to that if we just embrace it. My carry-on bag is heavier than when I left home. I believe in the serendipity of airport bookshops, which leads me to WHSmith at Perth Airport. And there on the shelf is William Dalrymple's latest, The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed The World, published by Bloomsbury Publishing. It is, I know, the book for this trip. I had an unpleasant experience with Mr Dalrymple and Perth's writers festival some years back, and haven't read his books since. So it's a big moment when I tap my phone and pay the $39.99 for his book. I have moved on. I am the better off for it (and so, in this case, is Mr Dalrymple). (A reminder of the advice once given to me that the only thing left after they cremate a human body is the grudges.) PS The book is excellent and I do recommend it to readers interested in India, and how it has very much had a hand in shaping today's world. I read The Times Of India online several times every week (as I do French, German, British and other online newspapers). A lot of stories are insightful from a different perspective, which I find healthy and refreshing. Some stories show the pattern of the world in a different way ('Russia says India to get remaining S-400 systems by 2026'). I am engaged by its local news (''Wait, is my matar paneer safe?' Inside the Indian cottage cheese controversy'). I remain rather enchanted by some of its quirks. It has a whole astrology section ('The most loyal zodiac signs: who stands by you no matter what'). And so, as you see, with time to pause comes time to reflect, absorb and expand. And that is one of the treats of travel.
Sky News AU
13 hours ago
- Sky News AU
‘Forever connected': Ange Postecoglou pays tribute to Tottenham Hotspur after shock sacking as decision sends shockwaves throughout football community
Ange Postecoglou has been sacked as Tottenham Hotspurs manager after a controversial two years at the club, with players and football greats lauding the Australian coach for bringing the club glory after an almost two-decade trophy drought. Postecoglou was sacked as Tottenham manager overnight Friday, a decision the club insisted was not based on 'emotions'. His efforts in delivering the club its first piece of silverware in over 17 years to claim the Europa League title and launching the team into the Champions League was not enough to safeguard his position, paying the price for the Spurs worst domestic season since their relegation in 1976-77. The 59-year-old, who was two seasons into a four-year contract, reiterated he was filled with pride and would be 'forever connected' to the north London club. 'When I reflect on my time as manager of Tottenham Hotspur my overriding emotion is one of pride,' he said in a statement after the sacking. 'The opportunity to lead one of England's historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime. Sharing that experience with all those who truly love this club and seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget.' He also said the Spurs 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the Europa final was the culmination of 'two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream'. In its statement announcing the axing, Tottenham confirmed that 'following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties'. The 368-word statement added it was 'one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have made lightly, nor one we have rished to conclude'. The sacking however will come at an eye-watering price for Tottenham, with the beleaguered club reportedly having to pay the departing manager £4 million (AUD$8.3m) in compensation for ripping up his contract two years prematurely. The Greek-born manager also paid tribute to the club's fans and said the hardest part of exiting the franchise was leaving its supporters, admitting there are 'difficult times' ahead for the team. 'And finally, I want to thank those who were with me every day for the last two years,' Postecoglou said. 'A fantastic group of young men who are now legends of this football club and the brilliant coaches who never once doubted we could do something special'. The football community, both in the United Kingdom and around the world reacted to the news with fury, sympathy and applause. Former England striker and icon of the game Alan Shearer posted on X saying, 'what a stupid game football is!!!!', while another English great Chris Sutton said 'to get someone in who wins them silverware, then straightaway get rid of him, that sums up modern football'. Renowned English manager Thomas Tuchel, who himself was sacked from Chelsea a year after the club secured the Champions League title in 2021, said 'it just shows that it is not only about titles'. "You can survive seasons without titles if your connection, the support and the belief and the trust between the coach and the club is strong. Then you can overcome seasons without titles," he said. Tottenham defender Pedro Porro also came out in support for his manager, stating: 'Thank you for everything, boss. I'll always be grateful for the way you led us, defended us, and kept us going through all the highs and lows.' 'Above everything, you gave us one of the greatest moments in the club's history and for that, you'll always be celebrated.'' Postecoglou had consistently received divided opinion from the English football community during his two-year tenure, with his prospects seeming bleak before the club stunningly won the Europa League. Two weeks ago whilst participating in the clubs jubilant victory parade, Postecoglou declared atop a bus to 220,000 adoring fans that 'season three is better than season two'.
Sydney Morning Herald
16 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
David Beckham's knighthood: a symbol of reinvention and quiet service
He played for some of the sport's biggest clubs: Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain. He was part of Sir Alex Ferguson's fabled Class of '92, a boy from working-class east London who rose to global fame through United's dominance in the late '90s – winning six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and the Champions League in 1999 as part of the club's historic treble. He then pioneered a new phase of football's international expansion by becoming the marquee star in Major League Soccer with LA Galaxy. That move would later define the US league's modern era – and Beckham's own transformation from player to sporting statesman. He was, quite simply, the face of English football for a generation. For England, he earned 115 caps, captaining his country 59 times and featuring in three World Cups. He scored 17 goals, none more memorable than the curling free kick against Greece in 2001 that secured England's place at the 2002 World Cup. It was pure Beckham. Technically precise, dramatically timed, and delivered when it mattered. But his road to knighthood has not been smooth. He was first nominated in 2011, but his name never appeared. In 2017, a cache of hacked emails appeared to show him venting his frustration in crude terms – not only criticising the honours committee but questioning the merits of others who'd received them. His PR team dismissed the messages as doctored and out of context, but the damage to his reputation lingered. There were also tax issues. His links to an avoidance scheme reportedly blocked his elevation for years, despite his growing portfolio of charitable and ambassadorial work. It wasn't until 2021 that tax authorities cleared the way, and even then, his name was conspicuously absent from the following honours lists. But Beckham is nothing if not patient. His public journey has always followed a particular arc: early acclaim, a fall from grace, and then redemption – not through reinvention, but through endurance. Perhaps no moment better illustrated that than September 2022, in the wake of the Queen's death. When thousands queued for hours – some through the night – to pay their respects to the late monarch as she lay in state at Westminster Hall, Beckham joined them. Quietly. At 2am. In a flat cap and black coat. He waited 13 hours. Politely refusing offers to skip ahead. Chatting with strangers. Accepting sausage rolls. And when he reached the catafalque, he cried. Not for show – but because it mattered. In a nation that mythologises queuing as a democratic act of respect and stoicism, Beckham's choice resonated deeply. It wasn't just grief. It was gratitude. For the Queen, yes, but also for a country that had embraced and challenged him in equal measure. It was a moment that rewrote the public narrative – or perhaps reminded people why they'd ever cared. Last year he was appointed an ambassador to The King's Foundation, Charles III's charitable initiative focused on education, sustainability, and opportunity for young people. In many ways, Beckham's life since football has become a study in careful evolution. Loading He's still, at 50, recognisably Beckham: tattoos, tailored suits, Netflix shows, global campaigns. But beneath the surface is a man who's quietly chosen to tether his name to causes larger than his brand. Soccer may have launched him, but it's his afterlife – as a father, philanthropist, ambassador, and steady presence – that now defines him. There will always be those who raise eyebrows at celebrity honours, questioning whether star power overshadows more traditional forms of public service. But Beckham's story should resist such cynicism. He is a product of the media age, yet somehow a figure of old-fashioned values: family, service, perseverance.
