MalcolmW

Is your partner nominated to receive any pension if you die first? Don't just assume so!

JFK invaded Cuba but the result was the Bay of Pigs disaster.

My partner's 18yo grandson is currently playing a season in a minor league in Melbourne, (her daughter and family are going there for a holiday starting Sunday and taking in the test there). His current batting average is higher than anyone on either side in the Ashes (but maybe not by tomorrow). But the thing is he is a bowler who bats at 11 or occasionally 10 at home in the North Staffs and South Cheshire league. His scores so far have been 10, 30, 31*, 25* and 12* fir an average of 54. Last out on 25 October. I think maybe 4 x 2 hours in the nets each week is rediscovering his batting technique

Home to Gillingham or Stevenage next (they meet on 17th).

The determination to try and score as quickly as possible left the hosts with over 3 days to reach 205 - at less than one run per over. Giving Head his, erm, head enabled the other end to take anchor in casr they needed to work on days 3, 4 or 5.

Christmas has come early with that insane set of results (and scores).

No. Friday - Salford Saturday - Sutton plus Chesterfield Sunday - Slough, Boreham Stiff, Gateshead and Blackpool Monday - Brackley.

and they hadn't thawed out when they came to Bolton 3 days later.

Gudjohnsen jnr scored for B'burn.

I've watched the draw many times. and that is how it is. After the third round numbers are for the order drawn in the previous rond - first out number 1, and so on.

In the first round the EFL clubs are numbered 1 to 48 alphabetically. In the third round the EPL and Championship clubs are 1 to 44. The teams coming from Round 2 have the sum of 44 and their draw number in R2. So the winner of the last pair drawn in R2 would be number 64.

400/800 doubles used to regular options. In the 1948 London Olympics Arthur Wint (Jam/RAF) won the 400 and was second in the 800 to Mal Whitfield (USA), the latter having been third in the 400. Herb McKenley (Jam) was second in the 400 and fourth in the 200. Rudolf Harbig (Ger) held world records for both events in the late 1930s but died in the war. Nina Otkalenko (USSR) broke both women's world records on successive weekends in 1954. (Juantorena before your time - HELP)

Not so. She ran 1:57.86 in April. Her only defeat this year was by KH in Poland. Btw Hunter-Bell also beat KH when it really mattered.

Tomorrow's Grimsby Town v MU features one team who played in front of the record OT crowd (and it's not MU) 1939 FA Cup semi Wolves v Grimsby.

My problem is not that Reform is more National than the Conservatives, nor that they are more Socialist than Labour, but that they are a combination of the two.

Put on 43 with Jimmy for 10th wicket. JA scored 2* off 3 balls.... Then Hartley took 6-116 and opened with Jimmy in the follow-on.

10 weeks on.

It's the hope that kills.

By beating Bromley today Port Vale re-established their record of having beaten every other club in the 92 in a league match.

McAtee's brother scored again for Mancity.

I think they must be under £30k in aggregate to qualify for commutation to just a lump sum.

All British final in the men's doubles. Draper beat Berrettini (who had beaten Djokovic the previous day) and now into final set against Lehecka (who beat Alcaraz yesterday).

Crimea has passed back and forth between Russia and Ukraine many times. It was part of Russia in Stalin's time, and he drove the Tatars out. When Khrushchev took over after Stalin's death he transferred Crimea to Ukraine in an attempt to encourage them to return (but they did not anyway). Putin repossessed Crimea in 2014 and there was a lot of hand-wringing from the West, but nothing more. Putin invaded further in 2022 as detailed above and Zelensky did not fall and has survived. He wants the full border restored including Crimea. Trump (or a competent spokesperson) should privately say to Putin that the options are : 1. keep Crimea and give up all other land taken, 2, allow the UN to organise voting in each Oblast, etc. with the results binding. (TGhis may well have the same result as option 1 anyway), or 3. remain a pariah state for the rest of your time.

From 1953 until the switch to the summer season Wigan v Warrington always took place at Central Park on New Year's Day. This year the fixture is on 1st March in Las Vegas.

In getting annuity quotes see what you can get for one rising at a fixed % each year. From my SERPS opt-out I had a £51k pot (after taking maximum lump sum). I was able to get an 8.5% annual increase. I reasoned that if long-term inflation exceeded that then we were all going to hell in a handcart. Five years later I had a smaller pot (£5k) for which I managed to get a 10% annual increase (obviously that is a relatively trivial amount anyway). With two defined benefit scheme pensions (the larger of which is currently paying over £45k p.a.) I am fortunately placed.