Textbook

My admiration of Magnus Mills is unbridled. Show me a better writer and I can see we'll be looking for the nearest branch of Burtons.

His new novel, The Forensic Records Society, landed on the doormat yesterday; I started it this morning after breakfast and already it's shaping up to be a classic. When a couple of music buffs decide to start a record listening club in the backroom of their local pub on a Monday evening, it's not long till a counter group forms - meeting in the same pub on a Tuesday; textbook Mills.

Did I ever tell you that he once wrote me a postcard? I've just dug it out of my copy of Mills' The Scheme For Full Employment. Nesbitt is a character from same, in case you were wondering.

Dirigible

The fourth day at Trent Bridge and another battle of wits will be fought on a baking hot wicket in Nottingham. I used to live within earshot of the ground and would often duck for cover if some Fancy Dan batsman slogged a six over the Fox Road stand.

My abiding memory of Trent Bridge tests, however, has nothing to do with leather on willow; like Henry Blofeld I'm fixated with the dirigible that hovers above the field of play. For anyone out there who isn't quite sure what a dirigible is, or has always wanted to know what the difference between a blimp and a zeppelin is, take a look here.

And even though I can't see it from our new gaff, Blowers will be keeping me up to speed with its movements together with regular bus updates - red (on the Radcliffe Road) and green (Loughborough Road). And if there are any crazy pigeons who stray onto the crease I'll be the first to know. Me and the millions of other TMS listeners in whichever hemisphere they find themselves in.