A visit to the UK

Phillip & Charlotte at Matt’s birthday sports afternoon © Ricky Yates

On Friday 16th July, I set out to make my first return visit to the UK since moving to Prague nearly two years ago. The five day trip was part holiday – spending sometime with my son Phillip in Derby; and part work – fulfilling a promise made earlier in the year to undertake a deputation visit for the Intercontinental Church Society (ICS) who prayerfully and financially support the work of the Prague Chaplaincy.

As usual, the wonderful Prague public transport system got me from the bus stop, five minutes walk from the Chaplaincy flat, to the front entrance of Terminal 1 at Prague Airport, in little more than thirty minutes. Much more surprisingly, my Easyjet flight was taxiing down the runway at 10.45, exactly the time it was meant to be departing from . . . → Read More: A visit to the UK

Playing Cricket in the Czech Republic

Bruce and Rod unrolling the pitch © Ricky Yates

Yes I’ve succumbed! Further to my earlier post entitled ‘Coming out of retirement’; I have started playing cricket once again for Prague Barbarians Cricket Club ‘B’ Team. Since the pre-season warm-up game that I described in that post, I’ve played in two Saturday League matches, the first on 8th May and the second on last Saturday 29th May. And last Saturday, I finally remembered to take my camera to the match to try and give some indication as to what is involved trying to play cricket in the Czech Republic.

Bruce and Rod unrolling the other half of the pitch © Ricky Yates

With the exception of the team from Dresden in Germany, (two hours driving time away), all the other teams in the Czech Cricket Union League play their matches at Vypich . . . → Read More: Playing Cricket in the Czech Republic

Coming out of retirement

Me in my cricket gear on the balcony of the Chaplaincy Flat © Sybille Yates

Over a period of thirteen years whilst I was Rector of the Shelswell Group of Parishes in North Oxfordshire, I had a most wonderful time playing cricket for Finmere Cricket Club. The ground was directly opposite where I lived meaning that a straight six often landed in my front garden. My fellow players used to take great delight when they could say that they were ‘bowling from the Rectory end’!

For nearly all my time playing for the club, I was first choice wicketkeeper, a position I enjoyed enormously. However, as a wicketkeeper one is always in the line of fire and taking bangs and bruises from a hard cricket ball were always part and parcel of being behind the stumps. The little finger on my left hand will be crooked for . . . → Read More: Coming out of retirement