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An update on this one. Went to Kwik-Fit this afternoon, asked them to do the valve, do the tyre pressures on the other three, give me four plastic caps to replace the idiot metal ones with the fancy BMW logo on them, stick a litre of oil in and give the brakes a once-over while they were fiddling around with the wheels. Cost: £0. Litre of oil top-up was free for customers doing other things. Once over is always free. Valve was simply wheel off, depressurise, replace valve, repressure and refit so they felt it a bit much to charge for it. Still, 20-ish minutes of their time and their equipment, plus the oil, valve and caps. They were insistent there was no charge. I donated £10 to their tea-fund and fully intend to go back there when I need new tyres. It's nice getting service where you walk away happy on all fronts.

Good to see that sort of service still exists in some places. I'm currently working in retail, and various fellow staff members' attitudes to their customers varies widely. If I can generate goodwill, a smile, a "thank you", and repeat visits from some initially grim-faced customer, I am happy with my work.

1. In the piece I did say that it was being implied that the game was football as this was traditionally played on Shrove Tuesday in, as you highlighted, many places all over the country. I don't know if it was the case that everyone treated it as a holiday, in my quote it talks of the wealthy, elders and fathers coming to watch, that sort of implies not everyone had "the day off". 2. I was trying to use a term that would sort of cover it without having to go into a lot of detail about what a livery was. 3. That was the only place I found that fitted the bill and I presume, as I said that there has been some sort of corruption. The Council website for Caunton does actgualy lay claim to it being the placed referred to in the manuscripts. 4. Thank you.

Just a quick reply before I look at your other points, and I always welcome corrections/alternatives on this stuff. The St.Ives one is known as Hurling the Silver Ball and I have been there when it happens, in early February. I have pictures of the start of the 'game' here. In the third pic you can see the Silver Ball as the mayor launches it to the youths on the beach. The lad in the black shirts gets it and sets off with everyone else in pursuit.

Official snottiness about paid sport extended further than that. Jim Thorpe's records are still not officially recognised by the IOC. The magnificent Daley Thompson only did the Decathlon. Thorpe won the Decathlon and the Pentathlon, at the same Olympics. As well as that, he excelled at other sports. And he was hounded out of the history books, in a manner at least as vengeful as any Twickenham whitewash of a "non-person".