After the disappointing Test series and the Twenty20 wash-out, England head into a five match one-day series against South Africa, starting at Headingley on Friday.

It is less than 12 months ago that England embarked on a World Twenty20 tournament in South Africa with a squad supplemented by one-day specialists like Darren Maddy, Chris Schofield and Jeremy Snape.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Matt Prior damaged a finger in the course of the tournament and was then replaced by Phil Mustard who was given an extended run behind the stumps before giving way to Tim Ambrose

All of that in less than a year so no wonder England's one day form has been so erratic...

Would we pick those specialists now? No, we would not - and while 'the Colonel' had his moments, Prior is surely the best pick for a one-day game.

England's selection policy has lurched between the aim of choosing all-round cricketers - i.e. those who play Test cricket and one-day cricket - and then packing a team with one-day specialists who 'do a bit of everything'.

Now the selectors have deliberately taken the step of appointing Kevin Pietersen as captain of both codes, it seems that they want to steer the formation of the team back to the former.

The instability has shown in the results - and especially in the brittle level of confidence the players have in their own game.

In both of the recent series against New Zealand, England had the opposition there for the taking, but contrived to lose them.

In New Zealand, England hammered the Kiwis in the Twenty20s, but managed to win only one - and tie one - thereafter.

It was a similar story here earlier in the summer where England won the Twenty20 by 9 wickets and then rattled up 307-5 in the first ODI. The result? 3-1 to New Zealand.

I am delighted that Owais Shah is to be given a proper run at number three.

Yes, this does displace Pietersen, but he seems happy to bat at four and needed firm persuasion to move up in the first place.

My pleasure is not based necessarily on a belief that Shah is the best number three - he can be brilliant coming in with 15 overs of an ODI remaining - but on the fact that he is now being given a chance to prove himself.

Shah has an outstanding eye and, I believe, should have been given considerably more opportunity to prove himself at Test level than merely two games.

Now he can establish his credentials in one day cricket - and improving his disappointing average of 27 from 42 games - Shah might get his chance.

I believe, incidentally, that his low average can be explained by coming in low in the order and throwing his wicket away in the search for quick runs.

There has been a fair amount of comment since the news was announced that Mike Selvey was not going to be part of the Test Match Special team and I thought it was a good opportunity to explain the thinking behind this decision.

Firstly I would again like to thank Mike for his outstanding contribution to the programme. The decision was not an easy one, but we felt that the time was right to introduce some more recent Test cricketers into the commentary mix.

Over the 51 years of the programme TMS has always evolved and occasionally a new voice has arrived. It is important for the commentary team to have a blend of experiences, backgrounds and voices.

The mix is the crucial part of the success of the programme and we felt that a couple of more current names would bring listeners a different viewpoint.

We believe a team which includes for example the wisdom and wit of Vic Marks, the strong opinion and great historical knowledge of Geoff Boycott plus more recent perspective from the likes of Angus Fraser, Phil Tufnell and Alec Stewart is a really strong line up going forward, complemented by popular overseas names like Jeremy Coney, Viv Richards and Shaun Pollock, who has made a very encouraging debut this summer.

I would like to set the record straight on a couple of things that have been suggested. There seems to be a concern that TMS is being "dumbed down" or turned into "Radio 5 Live".

I can state categorically that there is no pressure or desire to change what is distinctive about Test Match Special. It is a unique programme which has always blended outstanding commentary with great humour and strong journalism and appeals to listeners from different backgrounds and different age groups. It is loved equally by cricket obsessives and by those with only a passing interest in the game.

A lot of the talk about TMS "becoming like 5 Live" seems to have come about because a couple of the newer commentators have previously done most of their broadcasting on 5 Live. However any talk of a "5 Live" takeover is simply not true.

This summer for example only ONE Test match out of seven has actually featured one of the newer commentators with Mark Pougatch part of the team at Lord's. Mark was joined by TMS stalwarts Jonathan Agnew and Christopher Martin-Jenkins. The core commentary team were on duty for the other six games.

Mark Pougatch is an outstanding broadcaster with a great knowledge and passion for cricket who has been involved with the sport throughout his career including reporting for BBC Radio on tours to New Zealand and Australia plus commentating on Cricket World Cup games and one day internationals.

There has been some comment about newer commentators not knowing enough about the game. I go back to my comment earlier about the importance of a mix within the TMS team.

The programme has always thrived through its combination of excellent broadcasters and experts who played the game to the highest level.

John Arlott, Brian Johnston, Henry Blofeld and Christopher Martin-Jenkins are four of the programme's most popular ever commentators who did not play the game at the top level.

Equally popular is Jonathan Agnew who of course was a former Test match player and he can bring a different perspective to his commentary. I believe the mix of former players and excellent broadcasters is critical.

Obviously the majority of our audience do not play the game at the highest level and sometimes the queries they have can be echoed by a broadcaster with a journalistic curiosity who, whilst having an excellent knowledge of the game, does not know all the answers.

Some have asked why there is a need to find new voices at all. Well the answer to that is that we have to! The growing amount of cricket that the BBC covers simply cannot be covered by the core team.

For example this winter alone features tours to India and the West Indies, the Champions Trophy, the Champions League, the Stanford series and the Women's World Cup. A team of three commentators can simply not do all of this.

One of the most exciting parts of the job is trying to develop the broadcasters to augment the core team. Not surprisingly some names will inevitably come from the BBC Sports Room as that is the home of some of the countries most outstanding broadcasters.

Of course the likes of Christopher Martin-Jenkins came through that route. However we are also working with others from a different background, for example Simon Hughes will be part of our commentary team for the India Test series.

Finally I would like to strongly dispute any suggestion that there is a desire to "dumb down" TMS. The programme is and always will be a mix of intelligent debate, brilliant commentary and great humour.

One of my favourite memories of listening to TMS was hearing Brian Johnston discussing the latest goings on in "Neighbours". There were no remarks about TMS "dumbing down" then. It was simply part of the rich diversity of the programme.

This summer I believe this mix has been as strong as ever. We have had serious debate about the influx of "Twenty20 Leagues" and the resignation of Michael Vaughan, gripping commentary such as the thrilling climax to the Oval one-day international against New Zealand and moments of great humour such as the great Christopher Martin-Jenkins "fishing" incident.

When I took over as TMS Producer I stated that it was an honour and a privilege to be involved in a national institution. It is a job which carries great responsibility and I take it very seriously.

The game of cricket is evolving at a great rate so we should also be looking to evolve our coverage of it.

However there has never been any need for major change to the programme and major change is not going to happen.

It is essential that Test Match Special remains a national institution, and it will.

Welcome to Ask Bearders, where Test Match Special statistician Bill "The Bearded Wonder" Frindall answers your questions on all things cricket.

Below are Bill's responses to some of your questions posed at the end of his last column and if you have a question for Bill, leave it at the end of this blog entry. Please do include your country of residence - Bill loves to hear where all his correspondents are posting from.

Bill isn't able to answer all of your questions, however. BBC Sport staff will choose a selection of them and send them to Bearders for him to answer.

Q. During the recent Test series against New Zealand I remember one of the commentators asking you to find out which county had produced the most England Test captains. Sadly I was on my way to the airport at the time and missed your answer! Boredkentjames

Bearders' Answer: Kevin Pietersen is England's 78th Test captain. Middlesex has provided the most with 12: G.O.B.Allen, J.M.Brearley, J.E.Emburey, M.W.Gatting, F.G.Mann, F.T.Mann, T.C.O'Brien, R.W.V.Robins, G.T.S.Stevens, A.E.Stoddart, P.F.Warner and A.J.Strauss. Distribution for the other 17 counties is: eight - Surrey, Yorkshire; seven - Lancashire, Sussex; six - Kent ; five - Essex, four - Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire; three - Hampshire, Somerset, Worcestershire; two - Gloucestershire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire; one - Derbyshire, Glamorgan; none - Durham.

Q. The other day I noticed that Robert Key's one and only Test century was converted into a double. Have any other Test cricketers done this? Phil Hopton

Bearders' Answer: Nine others have registered a solitary Test century in excess of 199. Kuruppu and Lloyd failed to reach another fifty. The full list is: England - R.E.Foster (8 Tests, 14 innings, HS 287), R.W.T.Key (15, 26, 221), D.Lloyd (9, 15, 214*); Australia - J.N.Gillespie (71, 93, 201*), B.J.Hodge (6, 11, 203*); New Zealand - M.P.Donnelly (7, 12, 206); West Indies - S.F.A.F.Bacchus (19, 30, 250), D.St E. Atkinson (22, 35,219); Pakistan - Taslim Arif (6, 10, 210*); Sri Lanka - D.S.B.P.Kuruppu (4, 7, 201*).

Q. Is there a Stats site you can recommend that does not include the farcical Australians v ICC World XI match played in Australia in 2005-06? Cricinfo insists on including these figures despite the ICC definition of Test matches not being met by the match in question. Phasla

Bearders' Answer: Ric Finlay's Tastats site allows you to exclude all matches involving multinational teams (except West Indies!) from its Test and limited-overs matches. Another Australian, Charlie Wat, compiles and updates Test records excluding that match. You will not find it included in any figures published under my name. Hopefully the ICC will soon see the error of their ways and revoke its phoney status.

Q. There was a friendly between England U19 and Canada U19 in Loughborough in 2006 or 2007 - I am trying to find the scorecard for it but haven't has luck yet, please advise if you any details of that match. Baz

Bearders' Answer: Sorry, I cannot help you. The Cricket Archive website's only record of Canada U-19 playing in England was in 1989 when they were involved in an International Youth Tournament staged at Radley College, Oxford. England U-19's opponents from 2004 to 2007 were Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan. England U-19s have played only two matches in Loughborough - on the Haslegrave Ground - and neither featured Canada.

Q. A friend and I were discussing hat-tricks and the likelihood of the same batsman being dismissed twice within the same hat-trick. Has this ever occurred at first-class level? Andrew Bak (Bradford)

Bearders' Answer: I don't know of such an instance but, as hat-tricks can extend over both innings of a match (but not over successive matches), it is certainly possible.

When Australia's diminutive leg-spinner, Jimmy Matthews, took his two hat-tricks in separate innings at Old Trafford in the Triangular Tournament on the afternoon of 28 May 1912, his victims twice included wicket-keeper Tommy Ward. Apart from being the only batsman to feature in two hat-tricks on the same day, Ward is also the only Test cricketer to have been electrocuted while working in a gold mine.

Q. 'Freddie' Flintoff became the bowler with the least amount of 'five-fors' to take 200 Test wickets recently. Which player has the most Test wickets without ever having taken five wickets in an innings? Fink

Bearders' Answer: Andrew Flintoff has taken 199 wickets in his 69 Tests for England.

England's Mike Hendrick's tally of 87 wickets, average 25.83, is the highest by a bowler who never took five in an innings. His best analysis in 30 Tests was 4 for 28.

Q. There is always much discussion about how wicket-keepers hate conceding byes. Has a table of the biggest bye-conceders been produced? Could one produce a keeping average, based on byes conceded divided by the number of dismissals they have taken? Antony Hopker

Bearders' Answer: Yes, tables of byes-per-wicket-keeper are available. Mark Boucher, who has made most dismissals in Tests (447), has also conceded the most byes (771). His average of byes-per-wicket is 1.72. Adam Gilchrist (409 dismissals and 602 byes) has a superior byes-per-wicket average of 1.47.

Q. Thank you for the answer to my previous question on the number of overs bowled without a wicket in a Test match. Atkinson must have been at the other end when Sonny Ramadhin bowled all his overs at Cowdrey and May. As you may know Sonny still claims to this day he had both LBW a number of times without success from the umpires' fingers. This leads on to another question if I may. I noticed in the recent Yorkshire v Notts match that Yorkshire had 11 lbws against them in the match. Is this a record number of lbws in a match? Friarmere111

Bearders' Answer: It may be. No one has scoured nearly 50,700 first-class matches to find out.

The Test record is the ten inflicted on New Zealand by Pakistan at Lahore in 1996-97. The most involving both sides in a Test is 17 (West Indies (8) v Pakistan (9) at Port-of-Spain in 1992-93. The most in a Test match innings is seven (Zimbabwe v England at Chester-le-Street in 2003 and New Zealand v Australia at Christchurch in 2004-05).

Q. Recently Mark Ramprakash scored his 100th first-class hundred. How many players have achieved 100 limited-overs (either 40 or 50 over matches) hundreds? MontyPanesar

Bearders' Answer: None. Sachin Tendulkar has scored the most - 53. The only other batsmen to have scored 40 or more are Graham Gooch (44) and Graeme Hick (40).

Q. On which overseas ground have England won the most Test matches?
My guess would be Sydney, or another Australian ground. cabbagehead

Bearders' Answer: Your guessing ability is far superior to your choice of an alias! England's most successful overseas grounds are Sydney (21 wins) and Melbourne (19). England have played 53 Tests on each. Five of the six English grounds on which 30 or more home Tests have been played have not surprisingly produced most England victories: Lord's (43 wins, 115 Tests), The Oval (36, 91), Headingley (30, 68), Old Trafford (24, 72), Edgbaston (22, 43). The exception is Trent Bridge where England have won only 17 of their 54 Tests.

Q. A good-humoured debate with an Australian colleague as to the most logical way to quote a cricket score (wickets first or runs first) has resulted in us 'agreeing to disagree'. Is it known how or why the difference came about? Matt (Croydon)

Bearders' Answer: Apparently it came about because of the different layouts of scoreboards. Australian ones tended to have the wickets preceding the totals, whereas English one had the totals first. Commentators read the scores in those respective orders.

Q. Other than in first-ever Tests for each Test-playing nation, has any Test team been comprised of eleven uncapped players? nigel-in-upper-hutt

Bearders' Answer: No. The only instances of all eleven players making their debuts in the same match have been by Australia and England (Melbourne, March 1877), South Africa (Port Elizabeth, March 1889), West Indies (Lord's, June 1928), New Zealand (Christchurch, January 1930), India (Lord's, June 1932), Sri Lanka (Colombo, February 1982) and Bangladesh (Dhaka, November 2000).

Zimbabwe had ten debutants in their inaugural Test at Harare in October 1992, A.J.Traicos having played the last of his three Tests for South Africa some 22 years and 222 days earlier.

Pakistan had only nine debutants when they played their maiden Test at Delhi in October 1952, Amir Elahi and A.H.Kardar having previously appeared for India.

South Africa had ten debutants when they played their first Test (Bridgetown, April 1992) after being re-admitted to full ICC membership, K.C.Wessels making his debut for the country of his birth after 24 Tests for Australia.

By Simon Mann at Lord's

Grant Flower, the oldest man on the pitch, transformed a tense final into a comfortable canter for a buoyant Essex team as Kent paid for their careless batting.

Flower was not the obvious match-winner coming into the game but he has played more one-day internationals than anyone on either side and he used that experience to wrestle the match away from Kent.

Alastair Cook's bizarre downfall against Robbie Joseph had put Kent on top for the first time in the game. Flower immediately took his only liberty, driving a good length ball over extra cover to get off the mark.

But from there he reigned himself in, reasoning that if he batted through to the end Essex would win. It was not spectacular but his ruthless professionalism contrasted sharply with Kent's earlier indiscipline.

Justin Kemp and Darren Stevens will not be proud of their dismissals but neither can compete with Azhar Mahmood's preposterous stroke against Danish Kaneria - a tame, lofted drive against the spin straight to Flower at long off when judicious retrenchment was required.

It was the sort of shot that makes a captain scrub your name of the team sheet for the next match. Think Kevin Pietersen at Edgbaston and double it. Azhar though has the all-rounder's luxury of making up for it with the ball and his dismissals of Mark Pettini and Jason Gallian at least gave his team a chance.

It would have been worse for Kent if umpire George Sharp had given out Martin van Jaarsveld leg before to Graham Napier from the first ball he faced. It looked plum. Sharp had an undistinguished day, also giving Ravi Bopara was out lbw to a ball that was going over the top.

Many players have been picked for England on the basis of a good performance in a Lord's final. The selectors try to do it a little more scientifically these days but the big match in front of a large crowd does test a player's temperament.

None of the England qualified players on display significantly improved their international chances although James Foster took a good catch standing up to the new ball and played a sensible supporting role in the vital fifth wicket stand with Flower.

Foster's wicketkeeping is very much his strongest suit. His one blemish was watching Ryan McLaren's edge fly between him and Gallian at slip. It could have been costly with McLaren, who top-scored with 63, on nought at the time.

Another England hopeful, Joe Denly, played two sweet strokes before receiving a decent ball from Napier that defeated his ambitious shot. He was bowled through the gate by one that came back down the slope.

The charm of these occasions lies in the unexpected success of an unsung player. Flower did the job with the bat while seam bowler David Masters bowled a fine spell with the new ball to set Kent back at the start of their innings. A match against a former county - Masters once played for the men from Canterbury - has a habit of inspiring players .

Kent, probably a stronger team on paper, lacked the same edge. They played well in losing the Twenty20 final; here they let themselves down.

It seems rather strange that we have now finished this year's Test summer as early as the second week in August.

But don't worry, we have plenty more cricket coverage to keep you entertained over the next few weeks.

This Saturday we will bring you commentary on the final of the Friends Provident Trophy from Lord's. It promises to be an exciting match between two of the in-form sides this season in Kent and Essex.

Kent's Rob Key, who was close to being named as the new England captain, will have the chance to impress again on the big stage while Essex boast the likes of Ravi Bopara and Graham Napier who have already produced two of the season's most amazing batting performances.

Bopara scored a thrilling double hundred in the quarter final victory over Leicestershire while Napier will be hoping to bring his Twenty20 heroics to Lord's.

Napier's brutal 58-ball 152 not out against Sussex at Chelmsford in June contained 16 sixes and will not be forgotten by those lucky enough to see it.

Joining our commentators Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Simon Mann and Kevin Howells on Saturday will be summarisers representing both sides.

For Essex we have Graham Gooch who will be joining us in-between his coaching duties on the day and Alex Tudor who has been part of the Essex side this season including playing in that quarter-final win at Grace Road. Representing Kent will be their former wicket keeper Paul Nixon who had a successful time at Canterbury including helping them to a one day trophy back in 2001.

We also have a neutral voice in Lancashire and former England all-rounder Dominic Cork who also be joining us in the TMS commentary box.

Our coverage of the Friends Provident Final starts on Saturday at 1030 BST on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC Radio Four long wave and online.

Then the TMS team travels north to Edinburgh to bring you commentary on the one day international between Scotland and England on Monday.

Kevin Howells and Arlo White will be joined by Radio Scotland commentator Geoff Webster for the game with summaries provided by former Scotland all-rounder Dougie Brown and former England bowler Angus Fraser.

You will be able to hear that game on Five Live Sports Extra and online from 1030 BST on Monday.

And then the NatWest Twenty20 and one-day international series against South Africa gets underway with new captain Kevin Pietersen hoping to transfer his Test success to the shorter forms of the game.

The series begins with the Twenty20 international at Chester-le-Street in Durham where Pietersen first entertained us with his outrageous switch-hitting earlier this summer. Who knows what KP has planned for us on Wednesday.

Our commentary gets underway at 1615 BST with Jonathan Agnew and Arlo White being joined by Shaun Pollock who will know plenty about the conditions in Durham having played for the Dynamos in the Twenty20 Cup and Friends Provident Trophy this season.

And I am delighted to say that joining TMS for the first time at Durham and then for the first one-day international at his home ground of Headingley will be England's sixth highest wicket taker of all time, Matthew Hoggard. Part of the 2005 Ashes-winning team, Hoggard is one of England's most popular cricketers and will be able to offer a fascinating insight into the England side.

After Leeds, the NatWest series travels to Nottingham, the Oval, Lord's and finally to Cardiff where we'll have the chance to see how the Swalec Stadium is shaping up ahead of next summer's Ashes.

Jonathan Agnew will be joined by Henry Blofeld, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Simon Mann, Arlo White and Mark Pougatch to provide commentary on the one day matches with contributions from South African broadcaster Neil Manthorpe.

Joining Shaun Pollock and Matthew Hoggard providing expert analysis will be the likes of Alec Stewart, Phil Tufnell, Graham Thorpe, Angus Fraser, Vic Marks, Dougie Brown, Graham Gooch and the former Glamorgan and England bowler Steve Watkin, who will be part of our team in Cardiff.

It should be a really exciting climax to what has been a very eventful international summer. And talking of exciting finishes, BBC radio will have plenty of coverage over the next few weeks of the concluding matches in this year's LV County Championship.

Kevin Howells and the team will have regular updates on BBC Radio 5 Live from the key matches while Darren Gough's Thursday night cricket show will bring you interviews with the top players.

And keep an eye on bbc.co.uk/cricket for details of the ball by ball commentary you can get on the remaining county matches via BBC regional and local radio stations.

Welcome to Ask Bearders, where Test Match Special statistician Bill "The Bearded Wonder" Frindall answers your questions on all things cricket.

Below are Bill's responses to some of your questions posed at the end of his last column and if you have a question for Bill, leave it at the end of this blog entry. Please do include your country of residence - Bill loves to hear where all his correspondents are posting from.

Bill isn't able to answer all of your questions, however. BBC Sport staff will choose a selection of them and send them to Bearders for him to answer.

Q. In a recent county match, a hit to long-on landed on the sponsor's triangular cover placed over the boundary rope. I thought that to be a six a ball has to clear the boundary rope, not hit it. In this case the third umpire ruled it a six. Was this correct? Simon (Colchester)

Bearders' Answer: Yes, the umpire was correct. Law 19 covers boundaries in great detail. The boundary is part of the line or rope that is closest to the umpires. As soon as the ball touches any part of it a boundary is scored. The allowance of four or six runs depends on whether the ball touches the ground before reaching the boundary (4) or lands on or beyond it (6).

Q. What is the highest second-innings score recorded by a Test team that has followed on? Barrie Street (Canada)

Bearders' Answer: Having mustered only 171 in their first innings in reply to Australia's 445 at Calcutta in 2000-01, India claimed that record by amassing 657 for 7 declared. They then dismissed the visitors for 212 to gain a 171-run victory - only the third by a side following-on in Tests.

Q. In the first Test match v South Africa Monty Panesar bowled sixty overs without a wicket. What is the record number of overs bowled in a Test innings without taking a wicket? Friamere111

Bearders' Answer: Barbadian off-spinner, Denis Atkinson, bowled the most wicketless overs in a Test innings - 72 (72-29-137-0) for West Indies v England at Birmingham in 1957. Panesar's 60 fruitless overs ranks equal-ninth in the list, with three England bowlers above him: Jack Young (48 eight-ball overs, the equivalent of 64 six-ball ones) v South Africa at Port Elizabeth in 1948-49; Maurice Tate (62 v Australia at Melbourne in 1928-29); and John Emburey (61 v Pakistan at The Oval in 1987).

Q. I have recently finished reading a dusty copy of Wally Hammond's 'Cricket - My World'. The book is full of anecdotes and tales from back in the day, though one story towards the end was beyond my comprehension. While discussing the workload placed on bowlers at all levels, Wally speaks of his concern about individuals being over bowled and injured as a result. He then gives the example of a chap referred to only as 'Shaw', who once bowled over 100 overs in a day - as a result of this he injured his foot and never played again. Now I don't want to accuse Wally of being liberal with the truth, but how is this possible? Does any record exist of this incredible feat of bowling stamina? Unfortunately no first name or county team/fixture is given. Roland James

Bearders' Answer: Fascinating question, Roland. Hammond was referring to Alfred Shaw, the renowned right-arm slow-medium bowler who appeared in 404 first-class matches for Nottinghamshire, Sussex, the MCC and England between 1864 and 1897. His 2,027 wickets included 177 five-wicket innings hauls. On 44 occasions he took ten or more in a match. In an era of four-ball overs, he bowled a grand total of 101,967 balls - the equivalent of almost 17,000 six-ball overs. He sent down over 10,500 balls (1,750 six-ball overs) in 1876 and 1878. However, on only one occasion did he bowl 100 four-ball overs in an innings (100.1 for Sussex v Notts at Trent Bridge in 1895) but they were not all on the same day. Yet he may have sent down 100 overs when the opposition batted twice on the same day.

Q. In this summer's Twenty20 match between England and New Zealand, Ravi Bopara was making his debut in this form of the game and neither batted nor bowled. Have there been any other players that have had a similarly inactive international career, in any form of the game? I recall mention of a poor chap some years ago who was called up for his debut Test, only for rain to intervene. The match finished without him either bowling or batting and he was never called up again, can you shed any light on who this might be? William

Bearders' Answer: Bopara has hardly had an 'inactive international career'. Prior to the limited-overs phase of South Africa's current tour, he has played in three Tests and 26 fifty-overs internationals. He is likely to play in their imminent 20-overs game at Chester-le-Street.

John Crawford William ('Jack') MacBryan, a stylish Somerset and Cambridge University batsman, was the cricketer you mention. Selected for the Fourth Test against South Africa in 1924 in a contest involving just 165 minutes of play, his Test career fell victim to Manchester's notorious climate and he remains the only Test cricketer who did not bat, bowl or dismiss anyone in the field. He did field for 66.5 overs and subsequently became England's oldest surviving Test cricketer before being summoned by the Great Scorer when eight days adrift of his 91st birthday.

Q. Regarding the number ways that a batsman can be out, you didn't mention Absent. I recall poor Abdul Aziz being "retired hurt" in the first innings of a match, and "Absent Dead 0" in the second. If a batsman was Absent I would record it as such in the scorebook, or would that now be classed as Timed Out? Bill Benton (Nutley Hall CC, Surrey)

Bearders' Answer: Timed out (Law 31) applies to incoming batsmen, who must be in a position to take guard, or ready for his partner to receive the next ball, within three minutes of the fall of the previous wicket. It does not apply to a batsman who, for whatever reason, is absent from the ground, or unable to bat through injury. If a batsman is absent he cannot be out because he was never going to begin his innings. A posthumous 'absent' is just a footnote. Incidentally, 'retired hurt' counts as a 'not out' innings in batting records.

Q. What constitutes "hitting the ball twice"? In a game I played in last season, a batsman played a short ball that then began rolling back towards his stumps, he then proceeded to hit the ball away from the stumps, which we thought meant he had hit the ball twice and should have been dismissed. The umpire (one of their players), said that the batsman was not out.
Was this the correct decision? Bhav (London)

Bearders' Answer: Yes, it was correct. Law 34 allows a batsman to hit the ball a second time in order to guard his wicket or return the ball to a fielder.

Q. During the First Test of the England v South Africa series at Lord's in the final session of the first day Kevin Pietersen scored 91 runs. How rare is this? Has any batsman scored a hundred before lunch on the first day of a Test match? Tom B (Suffolk)

Bearders' Answer: Four batsmen have scored a pre-lunch first-day Test match hundred: Australians Victor Trumper, Charles Macartney and Donald Bradman, plus Pakistan's Majid Khan. There have been 15 pre-lunch hundreds on subsequent days, 20 middle-session hundreds and 27 in the final session.

Q. I am a freelance journalist in Durban currently doing a series of articles in a local newspaper on cricketers who played in the UK during the apartheid era. How can I find some data and stats for Mustupha M. Khan who played for Hampstead CC (London) and West Bromwich Dartmouth (Midlands) between 1972 and 1975? Feroz Shaik (Durban)

Bearders' Answer: Cricket Archive lists an M.M.Khan who played for Natal (1971-72 to 1988-89) but has no personal details. I suggest that you ask the secretaries of those two clubs - you should find contact details on their websites: Hampstead and West Bromwich Dartmouth.

Q. The England selectors have over the years included a long list of players born or raised in another country, including Ted Dexter (Italy), Tony Greig, Allan Lamb and Kevin Pietersen (South Africa) and the latest, Darren Pattinson (raised in Australia). Have other Test countries picked as many players born or raised beyond their shores, and which are the best known names? James R. Hobbs

Bearders' Answer: Apart from several Australians who played for their home country first and a host of recent players born in the Caribbean, you could add 'Gubby' Allen, Tim Ambrose, Jason Gallian, Adam and Ben Hollioake, and Geraint Jones (Australia), Freddie Brown (Peru), Andrew Caddick (New Zealand), Donald Carr and Paul Terry (Germany), Phil Edmonds and Neal Radford (Northern Rhodesia), Colin Cowdrey, Duleepsinhji, George Emmett, Errol Holmes, Nasser Hussain, Robin Jackman, John Jameson, Douglas Jardine, Norman Mitchell-Innes, the Nawab of Pataudi snr, Min Patel, Ranjitsinhji, Neville Tufnell, Bob Woolmer, Edward Wynyard and Richard Young (India), Graeme Hick and Paul Parker (Southern Rhodesia), Derek Pringle (Kenya), Dermot Reeve (Hong Kong), Basil D'Oliveira, Ian Greig, Chris and Robin Smith, and Andrew Strauss (South Africa), Lord Harris and Sir Pelham Warner (Trinidad).

No other country has approached this tally, although Australia's early Test teams included many players born in England and Ireland. Their most famous imported player was leg-spinner Clarrie Grimmett who was born in New Zealand at Dunedin.

Q. A player at my club, Shepley CC, recently took a hat-trick where all three batsmen were out caught and bowled. How unusual is this? We can find no other instance in the record books. Townian

Bearders' Answer: It has not happened in a Test match. The closest to achieving it was T.J. ('Jimmy') Matthews who caught and bowled the last two victims of his second hat-trick (one in each innings) for Australia v South Africa on the second afternoon of the Triangular Test at Old Trafford in 1912. I have no record of a caught-and-bowled hat-trick in first-class matches.

Q. Relating to a previous question about the number of ways that a batsman may be dismissed, is there a cricket equivalent to football's "Red Card"? AsleepAtThirdMan

Bearders' Answer: In soccer, the referee's award of a red card ejects the recipient from the game and he may not be replaced. There is no equivalent in cricket. Umpires can report a player's bad conduct to his fellow umpire. They can then jointly advise his captain of the offence and instruct him to take action. In extreme cases the captain has then ordered the offending player off the field. Umpires can also report a grave offence to the Executive of the player's team and any governing body responsible for the match.

England duly achieved their victory with only an occasional hiccup or two, lifting morale in a dressing room that was in real need of a boost.

As we all expected, South Africa have proved a much greater challenge than New Zealand and in order to gauge where England stand in the scheme of things, we should all pay close attention to the forthcoming series between Australia and South Africa.

England remain frustratingly unpredictable and inconsistent. Bear in mind that they should have lost the Manchester Test to New Zealand - and yet they could have forced an overwhelming victory over South Africa at Lord's.

Indeed had they fielded this side at Lord's, with a strengthened attack including Steve Harmison and Andrew Flintoff, they almost certainly would have done. The balance of the team - whether to play four bowlers or five - continues to provoke debate, particularly because of the effect it has on the wicketkeeper.

Matt Prior must be strongly favoured to return to the Test team - but he will be praying that he doesn't do anything to blot his copy book during the one-day series which starts next week.

Harmison's recall has had a dramatic effect - not necessarily in terms of wickets here, but he bowled menacingly and England's future looks a good deal more optimistic with him back to his best.

When he and Matthew Hoggard lost their places in February, Hoggard looked the more likely to return one day. Now, even the Yorkshireman himself accepts that his international career is probably over.

It is good news that the performance squad will gather in India one month before the Test series gets underway in December.

That ensures that Harmison will have every opportunity to be in the best possible shape, and this could also be an opportunity for Simon Jones to continue his carefully monitored return.

I thought, generally, Kevin Pietersen made a good start as captain here, given that he has so little experience and he will learn lessons every match. India might be especially tough, but valuable at the same time, and whether Michael Vaughan is there to support him remains very much up to Vaughan.

He needs to score heavily for Yorkshire, but has the time to do so before the end of the season. Personally, I think it is unlikely that he will return quite so quickly, and it might also do him good to follow Andrew Strauss's example last winter, and take time to play some cricket overseas with a view to challenging for a place to the West Indies.

These are my ratings for the England players who were involved in the Test series against South Africa.

Andrew Strauss: 6 Has kept all his shots in his kit-bag this series, finished with a good half century at The Oval to keep his doubters at bay.

Alastair Cook: 7 Consistent, and still a big part of England's future but will be frustrated that he can't get rid of the "60 man" tag. He knows that hundreds win matches.

Michael Vaughan: 6 Led England in his normal calm and assured manner and in my opinion should have carried on to the end of the series. His batting sadly has lacked authority and purpose, but if he can find the style he showed as an opener when he started with England, he could regain top spot in India.

Ian Bell: 7 Out of the blocks early with a superb 199 at HQ, needs to add presence to his game if he's to be a dominant player at first wicket down.

Kevin Pietersen: 9 Big on numbers and style, hopefully the captaincy will help and not hinder him.

Paul Collingwood: 6 Possibly saved his Test career with a fighting hundred at Edgbaston, good guy to have in the side and if you were judging on character he'd be a 10 out of 10.

Andrew Flintoff: 7 England are a more formidable unit with him in the side, adds menace and presence to the bowling attack. Still needs to improve his footwork with the bat and learn to mix defence with attack.

Tim Ambrose: 5 Tidy with his glove work throughout the series but I'm unconvinced by his batting technique off the front foot at Test level.

Stuart Broad: 6 Improved in final Test, but his bowling still needs work. A chip off the old block with the willow, should progress to be a genuine all-rounder for his country.

Steve Harmison: 8 Impressive on his return, would like to carry the pitch used at The Oval around in his bag.

James Anderson: 7 Continues to improve his consistency having been given the responsibility of taking the new ball. Increasingly will become a match-winner for England.

Monty Panesar: 6 Still to learn the value of variation at the highest level. As for his appealing, less please.

Ryan Sidebottom: 6 Played two Tests. A willing performer but looks weary after heavy recent workload.

Darren Pattinson: 5 Like the famous Three Degrees song of 1974, it's a case of "When Will I See You Again?" - but not his fault that England's batting failed at Headingley.

Although recent experience suggests that their batsmen might make hard work of it, England appear to be on course for their consolation victory.

However, it sums up the level of cricket that England have been playing for too long now that South Africa were able to recover from a situation that at lunch looked hopeless.

It was also the case under Michael Vaughan's leadership that England, in my opinion, are far too quick to give established batsmen a single when a lower-order batsman is also at the crease.

On the fourth afternoon, Kevin Pietersen showed what a confused tactic this is when, with AB de Villiers batting with Paul Harris, he took the second new ball. But he did not use it as an attacking option to de Villiers, who had 62 at the time, and South Africa's lead was only 119. Immediately, de Villiers edged to second slip - but there was no one there. The fielders were scattered in the deep and the chance went begging.

The point is that de Villiers was still playing cautiously and responsibly. It is a different matter if an established batsman goes on the attack with a tail-ender at the other end - but Pietersen should have looked to take the initiative. After all, the ball has swung throughout the match, and there was always the possibility that de Villiers would edge it.

Bizarrely, when de Villiers had reached 94, Pietersen set an orthodox field of two slips and a gully, with only a deep square leg and long leg in the outfield. That is the field that should have been set some 70 runs earlier.

England also bowled badly at Harris. They either peppered him with short balls, or fired in attempted yorkers - but nothing in between. It is a perfectly legitimate tactic to give lower-order batsmen a bouncer of two - but they are as likely to edge a good length ball as anyone else and England got it wrong.

Harris gritted his teeth and showed admirable bravery and determination, but it was not until he had made 34 in a hugely valuable stand of 95 with de Villiers that Stuart Broad found a good length and Harris edged to Collingwood at third slip.

Conversely, Pietersen got it absolutely right when Monty Panesar bowled at de Villiers on 97. Going over the wicket and aiming into the rough, the tantalising target of deep midwicket was deliberately left open. Down the pitch came de Villiers, aiming for that spot to bring up his hundred and was bowled.

It was unnecessary from his point of view - but showed good research in that England know he is jittery when approaching a century. Six times in the last three-and-a-half years, de Villiers has fallen in the 90s.

It's been a really frustrating day at The Oval with less than 18 overs of play due to the poor weather on Saturday.

However, a visit from celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott helped to keep us entertained with a very enjoyable "View from the Boundary". The Ready Steady Cook presenter is a huge cricket fan and told us how he is related to former West Indies wicketkeeper Jeffrey Dujon.

Although Ainsley was modest about his own cricketing achievements, Graham Gooch joined us to reveal that he had faced the bowling of Harriott in a charity match and was impressed with his speed.

His other cricketing connection is that he used to be head chef at the Long Room at Lord's where he was famed for producing the perfect bacon buttie much loved by the likes of Gooch, Ian Botham and not surprisingly Mike Gatting.

And the weather may be poor but it did not dampen the enthusiasm of Phil Tufnell. When the conversation bizarrely turned to "The Merchant of Venice" and a speech by Portia, Tuffers turned to Christopher Martin-Jenkins and said "Portia... What a great set of wheels." Only on TMS.

As the rain fell we did have time to work on a very special feature for the lunch interval on Sunday which you really should not miss. From 1300 BST we are going to be looking back on the captaincy of Michael Vaughan a week after his emotional resignation.

We will hear highlights of Vaughan's 51 Tests in charge of England which included a record 26 victories including, of course, that dramatic Ashes victory in 2005.

We have assembled an impressive cast list to talk about Vaughan's achievements. You will be able to hear a special interview with former England coach Duncan Fletcher who admits he was "surprised" at Vaughan's decision. Fletcher also offers some fascinating views on Kevin Pietersen's elevation to England captain.

We will also hear from former England skippers who played with Vaughan including Alec Stewart, who was part of the team in 2003 when Michael was thrust into the job after the shock resignation of Nasser Hussain. And there will be a view from Australia to see how Vaughan's decision has gone down ahead of next year's Ashes.

Some of the players who worked under Vaughan, including his great friend and now England selector Ashley Giles, add their views.

And of course we want to hear from you. If you want to share your memories of Michael Vaughan as England captain then please contribute to this blog, e-mail tms@bbc.co.uk or text 84040.

Listen out at tea for our special preview of next week's Friends Provident Final, which you'll be able to hear on TMS on Saturday. We will be joined by Kent captain Robert Key, who should be a lively listen after his "muppet" comments earlier this week about the ECB pitch inspectors.

We will also be joined in the TMS Box by the new Essex superstar Graham Napier fresh from his amazing exploits in Twenty20 Cricket this summer.

So, with a better weather forecast and a match which could go either way, there is no excuse not to tune in from 1045 on Sunday morning!

The Author of This Liberated Article Is: Dan
O'Connor

ARTICLE SUMMARY: Planning a perfect fishing trip isn't as easy as loading
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some tips on how to plan a sucessful fishing trip.

Tips For Planning A Perfect Fishing Trip

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Author Resource:- Lee Dobbins writes for
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www.fishing-around.com/fishing-trip.html

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Cricket and beer, two topics I know NOTHING about!!

While the inhabitants of England are famed for their love of drink try not to match them, they drink at a fast pace and those on tour often fall foul to the odd hangover when overindulgence occurs. For a true slice of English culture however, there is no better way than to visit the local pub and sample the unique regional tipple.

The Barmy Army Skulks into Wellington Looking for BEER!

England won by 126 runs

Ripped Headline Image

http://www.teamusk.com/images/camel-headlines-burnt-blistered-bugger.gif

Phil Long's blog (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tms/phil_long/) makes depressing reading for any English cricket fan with the fifth day Seddon Park massacre still fresh in their memories... It seems that not only were the team under prepared, the supporters were also woefully lacking in basic self preservation:

"The sunburn to the shins and feet of one supporter (who shall remain nameless!) on that first day were so bad he had to be taken, hobbling, to A&E at a Hamilton hospital to have the burns dressed and then redressed on subsequent days."

As Phil might say, "It's not the first time England have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory".

The Tea Musk Times confidently predicts a comprehensive victory for England at Wellington. After all; the English (barmy army) HAVE to be "burnt, blistered and buggered" before they really try to win!

England won by 126 runs

A Tour Of The Pubs Of England

ARTICLE SUMMARY: Vacation ideas for tourists visiting England including a tour of the many historic public houses.

By : Thomas Pretty
Submitted 2008-04-10 13:35:22

Drinking and socialising is a large part of the culture of England and a tour of the various historic pubs and breweries is the perfect way to sample this culture. Many may think that beer in England is purely warm flat liquid that only the locals would be mad enough to sample. This however is a common misconception; while on your tour it would be criminal to miss out on the fine ales, stouts and bitters. They may taste flat to the uneducated, but the acquiring of the taste for the beers of England will definitely add an aspect to your tour.

A pint of good beer is a thing to enjoy and savour, thankfully for those who appreciate the tipple there is such a wide and diverse base of beer types that the drinker is thrown in a 'Willy Wonka's Factory' of delight. On your tour you will see bitters and milds, porters and stouts whilst not forgetting the cider that makes the West Country so appealing. The drinks however should only form a small part of your pub tour of England, after all it is the location as much as the pint that makes a good drink.

The pubs of England are some of the oldest in the world and this history is evident as you sup on your tipple. The ale houses of England that you will see on your tour let the traveller step back in time to a simpler period where the roar of an open fire and the clink of glasses is one of the greatest delights in life and a must for the weary traveller. While chain pubs may be encroaching on the traditional pub market, do not fear; there are still plenty of historic pubs to quench your thirst.

All regions of England have a wealth of historic establishments that will amaze the tourist. While you are on your tour you will see names such as the Royal Oak, The Black Bull and Ye Olde Fighting Cocks; all giving some indication of the pub's heritage. It must be noted that these pubs have been at the heart of their communities for centuries and are still play a major part in modern communities. Nearly all villages will have a pub and stopping off while on your tour for a quick drink or even a spot of lunch can make the journey all the more enjoyable.

In terms of the beers you will see on your tour of England, they generally fall into five categories. The most numerous are the bitters or ales, this are generally very 'hoppy' and low in carbonation, an adjunct of the bitters are the 'mild beers' which are generally sweeter and usually darker in colour.

Dark colour however is dominated by the stouts; of course most have tried Guinness but there are ranges of stout that vary immensely from the taste of Ireland. Porter can be seen as a happy medium between stout and mild and has experienced resurgence in recent years. Cider is becoming evermore popular but for the true 'scrumpy', the West Country is the place to head, this apple based drink can be extremely strong so remember to drink responsibly

While the inhabitants of England are famed for their love of drink try not to match them, they drink at a fast pace and those on tour often fall foul to the odd hangover when overindulgence occurs. For a true slice of English culture however, there is no better way than to visit the local pub and sample the unique regional tipple.

Article From The Laughing Camel Tickler

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Another on-target ripped headline. Just why DID the PM go missing??

Gormless, Spineless Gordon Goes Missing at Windsor Castle Piss Up!

The News - Latest Articles

Headline Image:
http://www.teamusk.com/images/camel-headlines-gormless-back-benched.gif

Headline Text:

In television footage, the Queen can be heard saying to Princess Anne: "The prime minister got lost. He disappeared the wrong way...(up his own arse?) at the crucial moment."

Conservative leader David Cameron and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg were also at the banquet in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle. The prime minister and French President were among 150 guests binging out on a four course meal washed down with vintage wine and champagne. The wine list included a Chateau Margaux, Premier Grand Cru Classe, 1961 and a 1982 Krug champagne.

There's been no comment (yet) from "Health Britain" (an exclusive pressure group determined to destroy any joy left in living) regarding the damage to the livers and possible alcoholic tendencies of the three "great" leaders of the main political parties.

Who Stole MY Spine?
Spineless, gormless and pissed is this really a sober Britain?

I "stumbled on" some unusual news headlines just now and thought one of the headlines to be very apt:

Raining Fat Cats, Dogs and Politicians

Tea Musk Time's ripped headline for today:

Headline Text:

THE GREAT BIG BRITISH FAT CATS AND GREEDY SCANDAL

For once, it seems individuals in parliament cannot be blamed for the way British pet owners overfeed their animals to busting point. "Pet obesity in the UK, you could say, is at epidemic proportions. Nearly 50% of dogs and cats in this country are overweight, and 15% of these are clinically obese." Andrew Wilson, Orchard Veterinary Centre.

The Pet Health Council recommends the following action:

1. check the ideal weight for your pet with your vet;
2. take action if your pet is heavier than its ideal weight by 15%.
3. check for a sagging stomach and bulging sides;
4. if you can't feel your pet's ribs, this may be a sign that they're overweight;
5. breathlessness and reluctance to take exercise are good indicators of an overweight pet.

OBESITY IN HOUSES
OF PARLIEMENT?

Heavyweight politicians, many of whom may have visited the "trough" of their free meal allowances a little to often, have refused to take the new "FAT PET" test. The general feeling among MPs is that; "A few tasty treats never did anyone any harm"!

"Throw me a BONE sometime", seems to be the reply from the Great British Public.

Gormless Gordon says;
"I eats, I drinks, I gets fat
and I falls over; I'm awright
JACK".

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Over feeding pets is very common and this headline makes the point by using a bit of humour.

Vicar Water Hand Sculpture

Frosty Lane Sherwood Forest

360° panoramic image showing the Silver Hand located at Vicar Water Park near Clipstone, North Nottinghamshire. This amazing sculpture gives the appearance of a hand being thrust out of the ground by a giant buried deep underground. The 360 image was taken on a very cold frosty day with low winter sun causing the lens to flare. Probably not the ideal conditions for photography, but it's my first panorama outing this year and it seems a waste not to publish it.

360° panoramic image showing a very frosty lane in Sherwood Forest, part of the New English Woodland. It was a VERY cold and foggy day, so there's quite a bit of over exposure where the sky forms the main part of the background. However, the crisp smell from the pine trees and damp sandy ground was indescribable... a quite exceptional experience. I like this one

These are two out of many photos taken while walking around my local area. I only took the 360 photo equipment because it's light to carry and "now" I know how, it's very easy to set-up and use.

Good light is the key, with a high sun in the sky... looks like a holiday is order to more southerly climes!!

Back at work full time, so my posts to the blog will not be very regular, probably weekends or when I have some more photos to share.

Just think; only another 6 months and you'll be 54... you "owld git". LOL

I liked the three free bundled photo tip articles you posted over at AskJack earlier today.

Anyway, have a good day and take things easy.

The Laughing Camel's Virtual Road Trips & Destinations

The Laughing Camel Virtual Road Trips & Tours combined with in depth destination & places of interest information has been a concept FOUR long years in production. Basically, a start and end point are sent to Google Maps. The route map is then used to research and highlight place of interest along the route. Users can pick 'n mix or follow a road trip all the way to the final destination.

Latest Destination Information From The Happy Road Trip Camel

Stratford-upon-Avon, the Birthplace of William Shakespeare

Written by Passepartout

ARTICLE SUMMARY: A visit to Stratford will take you to the heart of the area known as the Cotswolds renowned for its rolling gentle hills and distinctive Cotswold stone buildings. To quote the bard, I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.

Arrival and Information

Stratford's train station is on the northwestern edge of town, ten minutes' walk from the centre. Now the end of the line, it receives hourly services from Birmingham and frequent trains from Warwick, except on Sundays, when there are only a couple of services all day. Local bus services arrive and depart from the central Bridge Street; National Express services and most other long-distance and regional buses pull into the Riverside station on the east side of the town centre, off Bridgeway.

The tourist office (April-Oct Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 11am-5pm; Nov-March Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm; Tel 01789/293127, ) is located a couple of minutes' walk from the bus station by the bridge at the junction of Bridgeway and Bridgefoot. They have oodles of information on local attractions and operate an accommodation-booking service, which is very useful during the height of the summer when rooms can be in very short supply. It also issues bus timetables and sells bus tickets. General tourist information is available from the Guide Friday office in the centre at 14 Rother St (Tel 01789/299866), but they basically exist to flog tickets for their bus tours of the town and environs. The tourist office will sell you an all-in ticket for all five Shakespeare Birthplace Trust properties, or a Three In-Town Shakespeare Property Ticket for the three Trust properties in Stratford - both tickets are also available from each of the sites themselves.

Stratford-Upon-Avon This is England at its Finest

It was in 1196 that Stratford-upon-Avon was first granted the right to hold a market and recognised as a town. Its name has become synonymous with its most famous son - William Shakespeare who was born here in 1564.

The town remains mostly unspoilt with fine examples of Elizabethan buildings in a picturesque setting. The river Avon runs through this pretty town and the marina harbours an array of brightly coloured boats providing a holiday atmosphere to what has become the most popular tourist attraction outside London.

Shakespeare's Birthplace
Shakespeare was born of middle class parentage and his home has been lovingly and authentically restored. It provides an insight into life during the Elizabethan period. The actual birth room has been recently refurbished revealing a less austere look.

The room is 'decorated' with some interesting graffiti of the many famous visitors. Robert Browning and Walter Scott are just two of the literary giants that have scratched their names into the walls, ceilings and windows of this room.

Ann Hathaway's House
At aged just 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway who was many years older than him. Ann lived in a house situated two miles from the centre of Stratford. It was occupied by the Hathaway family up until 1892. Here you will be fascinated by an Elizabethan kitchen and beautiful English country garden. There is a seat by the great fire place where Shakespeare is said to have sat whilst courting Ann.

Hall's Croft
In 1607, Shakespeare's daughter Susanna, married local physician Dr John Hall. This impressive Tudor building was named after him. Here you will find a collection of sixteenth and seventeenth century paintings and furnishings typical of a middle class family. Also, there is a collection of medical paraphernalia. Outside in the walled garden, you will find varieties of herbs and trees used in medicines of the time.

Holy Trinity
Dating from the thirteenth century this is the final resting place of William Shakespeare. Alongside him rest his wife and daughter Susanna. If you happen to be in Stratford on the Sunday closest to St. George's day you will witness a grand possession of people, including school children from Shakespeare's old school, coming to honour him and lay flowers at his grave.

Harvard House
There are many other attractions to entice you to visit Stratford-Upon -Avon. Harvard House may be of particular interest to American visitors. Amongst the interesting exhibits you will find the walking stick of Thomas Davis the Southern leader in the Civil war. This house was the home of John Harvard whose legacy is that of Harvard University.

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre is the centre of activity for the royal Shakespeare Company famous the world over. The theatre was designed specifically for the performance of Shakespeare's plays. Set on the banks of the river Avon it is best viewed at night when floodlit. Here you will find many artefacts from the theatre on view and a picture gallery of famous Shakespearian thespians.

A visit to Stratford will take you to the heart of the area known as the Cotswolds renowned for its rolling gentle hills and distinctive Cotswold stone buildings. Steeped in history and folklore, dotted with quaint villages and churches, dry stone walls and village greens, this is England at its finest. To quote the bard himself, 'I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.'

Article Republished From: Liberated Press Releases a web site that DOESN'T use Google Adsense text links in or around articles.
Author Resource:- Ann Coveney is a freelance writer and part time school teacher. She can be hired to write articles on a wide range of topics. The web site she uses the most for Stratford low cost travel and hotel bookings is http://www.AskVicki.co.uk

More information about Stratford-upon-Avon:

Despite its worldwide fame, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON is, at heart, an unassuming market town with an unexceptional pedigree. A charter for Stratford's weekly market was granted in the twelfth century, a tradition continued to this day, and the town later became an important stopping-off point for stagecoaches between London, Oxford and the north. Like all such places, Stratford had its clearly defined class system and within this typical milieu John and Mary Shakespeare occupied the middle rank, and would have been forgotten long ago had their first son, William , not turned out to be one of the greatest writers ever to use the English language. A consequence of their good fortune is that this ordinary little place is nowadays all but smothered by package-tourist hype and its central streets groan under the weight of thousands of tourists. Don't let that deter you: dodging the multitudes is possible by avoiding the busiest attractions - principally the Birthplace Museum - and the Royal Shakespeare Company offers superb theatre. Moreover, Stratford still has the ability to surprise and delight, whether in the excellence of some of its restaurants or by the gentle river views beside the lovely Holy Trinity Church .

The Town
Spreading back from the River Avon, Stratford's town centre is fairly flat and compact, its mostly modern buildings filling out a simple gridiron just two blocks deep and four blocks long. Running along the northern edge of the centre is Bridge Street , the main thoroughfare lined with shops and chock-a-block with local buses. At its west end, Bridge Street divides into Henley Street, home of the Birthplace Museum , and Wood Street, which leads up to the market place. It also intersects with High Street. This, and its continuation Chapel and Church streets, cuts south to pass most of the old buildings that the town still possesses, most notably Nash's House and, on neighbouring Old Town Street, Hall's Croft . From here, it's a short hop to the charming Holy Trinity Church , where Shakespeare lies buried, and then only a few minutes back along the river past the theatres to the foot of Bridge Street. In itself, this circular walk only takes about fifteen minutes, but it takes all day if you potter around the attractions. In addition, there are two outlying Shakespearean properties, Anne Hathaway's Cottage in Shottery and Mary Arden's House in Wilmcote - though you have to be a really serious sightseer to want to see them all.

Destination Guides > Europe & Russia > Europe > England > West Midlands and the Peak District > Stratford-upon-Avon

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Nottingham to Edinburgh, Calling in at York and Newcastle - A Unique Online Road Trip

Written by The Laughing Camel

The Nottingham to Edinburgh online drive is an ideal place to start exploring online places to visit; particularly if you have never taken a "virtual road trip" before.

Our journey starts in Nottingham, aptly named the "Party Capital of the Midlands" due to the many pubs and clubs opened in recent years. Following the A1 north bound leads to the first waypoint at York Minster where we explore Viking history and the cathedral.

Back on the A1 we continue north until we see the signs for Newcastle, which is our second waypoint.

Then it's onward to EDINBURGH , the showcase capital of Scotland.

FOLLOW SIGNS FOR YORK - WAYPOINT ONE - PLACE OF INTEREST

7. Continue on A1 7.6 miles
9 minutes

8. Continue on A1(M) 10.5 miles
10 minutes

9. Take the exit onto A1(M) 3.6 miles
4 minutes

10. Continue on A1 5.4 miles
5 minutes

11. Continue on A1(M) 16.2 miles
16 minutes

12. Continue on A1/Leeminutesg Ln 4.4 miles
4 minutes

13. Turn left to stay on A1/Leeminutesg Ln
Continue to follow A1 18.7 miles
21 minutes

14. Continue on A1(M) 34.5 miles
34 minutes

15. Slight left at A1 (signs for A1/Newcastle/Gateshead)

FOLLOW SIGNS FOR NEWCASTLE - WAYPOINT TWO - PLACE OF INTEREST

Go through 1 roundabout 70.3 miles
1 hour 24 minutes

16. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit and stay on A1
Go through 7 roundabouts
Entering Scotland 55.9 miles
1 hour 10 minutes

17. Turn left at A1/London Rd
Continue to follow A1
Go through 1 roundabout 1.7 miles
5 minutes

18. Turn left at A7/North Bridge 0.2 miles
1 minutes

To: Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh