Maximus Decimus

The opposite can be true as well. I used to quite like Wolf Alice until I saw them once at Glasto and they were incredibly dull and pedestrian.

Saw Shed Seven in Scarborough recently and they were awesome. They seem to be having a new lease of life. So often a lot of these older bands look bored as doing their same hits again and again. I never get that feeling with the Sheds.

What. A. Final

The World Cup of Darts is something that fans enjoy and definitely a bit different. However, for some reason it is held in Frankfurt with a significant number of empty seats, and it has been for a few years. They must have a deal because surely they could host it somewhere where they would appreciate it more.

One of those situations where technicalities and protocols end up with a ridiculous situation. Oceania has a fully pro-league but because they enter the Asian Champions League they can only qualify through that route. The end result: a semi-pro team called Auckland FC with crowds in the hundreds enter the World Club tournament when there is a full-time Auckland club with crowds of nearly 20,000 not eligible.

Talking of favourite archaeological places, I was really fortunate in my undergraduate degree to go on an archaeological trip to Turkey, where we went round a multitude of sites. By far the most impressive was Oenoanda which was not a tourist site and at the time was completely unexcavated. Our professor led us on a trek up a mountain to what was a completely abandoned ancient settlement. I've never experienced anything like it. There were crumbling walls, half an amphitheatre coming out of the ground, numerous statues, inscriptions and masses of broken pots. We were the only ones there and were free to explore. I could've stayed there for days. This was 20 years ago, and I'm not sure whether it is more accessible now but people have visited with video cameras.

One of my favourite ever visits, was when I went to Naples museum on a day from a cruise. I had no idea it was where they kept a lot of the Pompeii stuff. The thing that struck me the most was seeing the medical instruments and how precise they were but also how much they looked like modern examples.

Earlier in this thread they mentioned the classic Oldham-Hull KR 2nd division Premiership game. My memory is it from 1990? This was one of my earliest RL memories and I can remember it being pretty full towards the end of that game. When they first said about bringing the 1895 cup to the CC final, I presumed it would be about boosting attendances and having it before the final. I remember when Widnes got there and took a fair few. It was frankly just bizarre seeing a 90% empty stadium with one section rammed. I doubt had we got there again the year after we'd have taken as many. I get the whole thing about promoting the women's game, but in reality I doubt more than a few hundred made the trip purposely for that game.

Is it just me or has it been raining a lot this season in the NRL. Every week it seems to be a washout.

I'm lucky enough that my undergraduate degree was in Archaeology. My stock line is that it isn't as glamorous as Time Team makes it look. I helped to excavate Rushen Abbey in the Isle of Man, and found a goat skull that was hundreds of years old. I was talking with a friend the other day about what we'd actually do if we won the Euromillions. After the year of holidays, you'd need something to get up for in the morning. I suggested I'd help fund archaeological digs on the proviso that I could help out. I wouldn't want to run it, just be there helping out and seeing what was found. Somewhere on the continent of course...

Never seen him do any actual archaeology .

At least that's a guarantee he'll start well...

Alan Partridge voice on: I used to be indecisive but now I'm not so sure...

On a slightly separate issue, I've always been interested in the Scottish system where they have 'not proven'. Whilst I think it is a good qualifier in comparison to a not guilty verdict, I wonder what effect on the number of guilty verdicts. It gives jurors an extra option, and one where they can sit on the fence. I'm so indecisive I'd probably take it every time.

So Erin Patterson has decided to take the stand which is huge news in this case. Personally, I can't see the logic behind it. From what I've heard, I don't think the prosecution has proved their case. A lot of their evidence about when and where she got the mushrooms and why she might have had it in for her in-laws etc is flimsy at best. We're still where we were at the beginning, with a dodgy looking scenario but essentially no proof. Her taking the stand is very risky because she both sides agree that she has seriously lied to police during this trial. Therefore, any explanations she comes up with will be torn apart by the defence, who will just be able to keep repeating how she lied before. All I can think of is two possibilities: either Erin wanted to speak against her counsel's wishes, or they believe she has to convince the jury that she lied because she was scared and mortified rather than trying to cover up a murder. After all, a lot of people I speak to about it still think her disposing of the dehydrator and then lying about ever having one is essentially proof of guilt. I think it can be explained if she was trying to avoid everybody thinking it was her fault, and maybe they've decided she needs to convince them of this.