THIS summer could be one of the all-time greats.
We have the Euro’s, the T20 World Cup, the Summer Olympics, and Wimbledon just to name a few, all in the space of a couple months.
‘Summer 2024’ could be one of them timestamps where we all think back to it in the pub on a dark, wet winter’s night, reminiscing on the British brilliance that took place… if things go our way that is.
Notice how I said ‘British’, because if England win the football and cricket then that’s England’s glory, but let’s say Team GB win a load of gold at the Olympics and Andy Murray wins Wimbledon again, that’s also ours, because we said so.
My predictions? I think that England will win the T20 World Cup and believe it or not, I think England will win the Euros as well… I’m only saying this so us journalists have an abundance of work to do.
But, in typical English fashion, it’s all a bit anticlimactic so far, the weather is bang average, the England cricket team were favourites to win the tournament and only just made it out the groups, football fans hate Southgate again after the first group game for his defensive tactics, oh, and there is a general election soon as well.
That won’t ruin my summer though, and again in typical English fashion, I have been having BBQ’S in overcast conditions, cricket matches in the rain, and shivering in beer gardens watching the nations sport unfold.
Sometimes you have to force the summer, and that’s what me and my family friends did.
A vintage, coal BBQ, a cold crisp bottle (or two) of rose wine, a fully loaded fruit pavlova, summer shirts donned, Birkenstocks on, darts being thrown, grass mown, we will just ignore the dark clouds and chilly weather.
Speaking of being proud to be British, I had two of my closest friends come home from serving for our nation in their respected forces.
Archie and George, cousins of each other, lifelong friends of mine, as well as our fathers being lifelong friends since they were kids.
Both of them have been obsessed with warfare all their life, and now they both work to protect our nation – Archie an Operations Officer for the RAF and George a Warfare Gunner in the Royal Navy.
I am incredibly proud of their achievements and time away from home, but for me, when they are back home, they are my ‘muckers’, and in the limited time we get to see each other, we try to make the most of it.
We do the typical stuff of going out into town and all that, but the most important ritual we have is to all play a cricket game together for our local village team Coombe Bissett.
All three of us have grown up in and around the village, with cricket being at the heart of our childhood.
We have had the same picture taken in the same spot for the last four years, and to me it is an image I value so much.
The comparisons show each of our physical maturity through the years of travelling and experiences, and the fact George (left) hasn’t grown at all, we will always make time to regroup and stand on the same patch of grass, arms around each other, smiling in reflection of our friendship.
We all hope to continue this tradition on for many years and hopefully with children of our own in the frame.
Read my last blog here…
