Last Tuesday, lovely day, so i decided to get the train to Lancaster and cycle back to take advantage of a northerly breeze. Went out to Caton and then over Jubilee Tower and the Trough, then decided to go to Chipping via the Inn at Whitewell for a change (I usually go past the Wild Boar Park). I didn't realise that the road south of the Inn has been closed for some time because of a landslide so i followed the diversion up and over Hall Hill. Just coming over the top I swerved to avoid a big pot hole, went off the tarmaced surface and ended up in a heap in the middle of the road with blood everywhere. With the help of two very kind people I was airlifted to Royal Preston. The injuries looked a lot worse than they were because of the blood - I had a deep gash in my knee and a deep cut on my lip and some minor road rash. Two days in hospital and a session in theatre being patched up and I am now at home recuperating. On reflection it looks like my knee was probably cut on the bike, probably by the chain ring as it was a very clean cut, unlike if I had hit the tarmac. We went up to the Inn on Friday to collect my bike, which they had kindly stored there. The road being used as the diversion is in a terrible state so I would advise anyone else not to cycle up there unless they really have to (and I can't see why you would).

So, how do you all feel about Neil Wagner then - a South African who now plays his international cricket in New Zealand and is Lancashire's overseas pro?

Solita are about to open a new branch in the old Heathcotes Brasserie on Winckley Square in Preston.

For an even more obscure fact he wanted to be known as Joe, but his elder sister is called Joanne and calls herself Jo.

It is if you just spend your time moving between the main stages. But that's not really what Glastonbury is about for large numbers of people, including me. I've been to last 9 Glastonburys and I doubt I have seen more than 10 headliners in total or more than 3/4 acts per year on the Pyramid stage. the really interesting stuff is on the smaller stages all round the site.

According to the Rovers website it's £4 and £2 for concessions -http://www.rovers.co.uk/news/article/blackburn-rovers-fa-youth-cup-southend-united-2856216.aspx

In that case I can recommend both Band in the Wall in Manchester and The Continental in Preston - both fine venues with an excellent range of beers at sensible prices, and you can take them into the gig. Smaller venues of course.

There needs to be a bit of realism here. No away team has ever won a test series against Pakistan in the UAE. Only one team (New Zealand) has ever won a test match. England came preciously close to winning the first test, just being denied by the light and they have been competitive in the other two. I see Al is still banging on about his mate. I see he didn't mention Pietersen's scores the last time England were in the UAE - 2, 0, 14, 1, 32 and 18.

His brasserie in Preston has now closed, or rather has turned into a private dining room for hire. That means he just has the original Olive Press left now as a restaurant. I haven't been to a Ribble Valley Inn for over 12 months but the last time at the Clog the fare was decent and worth the money, although nothing special. Northcote however remains the benchmark for eating in Lancashire (and probably beyond). We went to L'Enclume in Cartmel earlier in the Summer. Whilst the food was outstandingly good I'm not sure it justifies the significant mark-up on Northcote prices. In particular the wine flight offered with the meal was expensive and pretentious.

I know Tris managed to see them in 4 different spots although I don't know whether one of them was Nick O' Pendle. Disappointingly I couldn't get there at all although I will be seeing the final stage in London on Sunday after the Fulham game.

Went for the second half of the game tonight taking advantage of the £25 after 6.30 offer. An excellent evening out, making up for having to miss the cycling yesterday. But I've just realised that I can catch the final stage of the Tour of Britain after the Fulham game on Sunday.

The tunnel at Farnworth is being rebuilt to accommodate electrification of the line to Preston. The line between Salford and Bolton is therefore shut at weekends. It should have been done by now but it's been extended to Dec/Jan. Separately direct trains from Manchester to Burnley have now been introduced via Todmorden so that provides an alternative route.

I've just done the reverse. Just come home from Birmingham for the game tonight then back on an early train in the morning for the cricket.

I think most of the tickets go well before the semi-final teams are known. The ordinary seats were sold out some time ago apart from the few left for each team (800 in Lancs case). As I will be in Birmingham on Saturday I've opted for the cheapest corporate package. On Friday I got one of the last of those.

And all completely random luck. We had landed in Cape Town that morning a day earlier as we had used some air miles for the flight. We were settled in our hotel by 9am and I saw the second day of the game was on and just decided to go. Got a ticket for the equivalent of £7 and saw Australia complete their first innings of 284 and then bowl South Africa out for 96. Then the Aussies were bowled for 47 in exactly 18 overs, 3 balls less than yesterday although it took them a bit longer to bowl them. Then SA batted without trouble and knocked the runs off by early the following day.

I'm sure I've mentioned it before on this thread but I was at the SA V Aussies game in 2011 the day they were bowled out for 46. I think still the only Test match ever when there was some part of all 4 innings in a day.

I've always found the odd dubious character at the bar there myself. I went to Thyme & Plaice a couple of years ago in a large group and it was very good - often not the case with otherwise good restaurants.

I'm actually coming to Seoul next March but sadly only to an airport hotel at Incheon in transit back from new Zealand to the UK (where I will be getting some cycling in). Did the RideLondon again yesterday. Still haven't managed the full 100 mile circuit though as they had to close the top of Leith Hill as a rider had a heart attack and sadly died. I completed the 96 miles i did in 6 hours 20 minutes, so a bit faster average speed than last year. With the better weather many more people than last year - I believe close to 26,000 in the end. It's wonderful to ride on closed roads for a day.

I was there at 1.30. I didn't go in on Monday but the cafe at one end of the Midland is perfectly fine for cyclists to use. Not a cheap option but good quality.

No - we were there Sunday night/Monday morning and the races were on Saturday and Monday. I left about 10.15. We must have passed close to each other around Morecambe.

As it happens I did some of the Bay Cycleway in reverse on Monday. I cycled from Cartmel to Lancaster via Morecambe before my body gave up - probably something to do with the 17 courses and 10 glasses of wine at L'Enclume the night before.

Well Baz, I hope you enjoyed today's stage. A quite extraordinary sprint from Froome from way out. I'll need to take a good look at the route for the TOB, to work out where I can get to see the race to the best advantage. My first thought is to aim to see either the start or finish and a hill top.

You didn't find the uphill finish and the cobbles exciting then Baz? You're a hard taskmaster. If you can knock out 100km on an inappropriate bike without much practice you'll be fine for the big ride on the Trek.

Absolutely Abbs. Yesterday was a bit pedestrian but the days before that were as dramatic as the last few days in the mountains usually are.

We were at Northcote last Saturday in the Louis Roederer Room in a party of 42! Given the size of the group the quality of the food was fabulous. Usually a large function is a challenge to deliver high quality but not last week. We didn't stay over this time but we have few times in the past and the experience has never been less than excellent. We're hoping to go to L'Enclume in the next week or so, so it will be interesting to see how the two compare.