Return of the Urn 2013? Poms 1 Green caps 0

Unbelievable stuff in the first Ashes Test in Nottingham, with England squeezing home by only 14 runs.

Australia are now $4.50 to win the series if anyone is feeling brave...

Can't wait for the 2nd Test at Lords!

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UK housing market +3.7% and ready for lift-off

Flicking through The Times this morning, and there are no fewer than six separate articles discussing Britain's housing market recovery.

The Halifax House Price index shows that prices nationwide are up over the past year (+3.7%).

While prices in some parts of south-eastern cities such as London and Cambridge never really stumbled, many other parts of Britain have endured a 5 year slump.

The UK's FTSE share market also jumped by 3% yesterday after the Bank of England's new Governor Mark Carney "went to extraordinary lengths to convince markets that monetary policy will remain loose."

The Bank has left UK interest rates at a rock bottom 0.5%, but markets had begun to price in rate rises in 2015.

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London celebrates

Brits cleaning up this year: Lions win the rugby series Down Under and now Andy Murray takes out Wimbledon over here in summery England. Great stuff! Even the sun is shining look...

Tube will be sweltering tomorrow no doubt, which is one thing I don't miss about London - not looking forward to that. Attending a few property auctions in the morning...

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Lincolnshire

Lincolnshire, England. If it looks flat that's because it is a former sea bed. The Romans began the draining of the region, and it was finally drained in earnest by Dutch engineers in the 1630s. 

Salient features of the region include some very affordable housing, a lot of farms, a large eastern European population (especially Polish immigrants) and many Dutch place names.

After devastating floods in 1928, the Land Drainage Act of 1930 was passed recognising the need for funding for flood defences. Today the land is criss-crossed with large and effective drainage ditches, but it still looks like, well, a sea bed.

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England steamrollered by a vegetarian

Cracking first day of the Ashes cricket series in England. 

After a solid start, England were blown away by chief destroyer Peter Siddle (5-50) for a paltry 215.

In the macho world of men's cricket, where alpha males like to talk about how much steak they eat, us poor veggies are often left to 'feast' on rock melon and Lamington fingers during the interval.

So it was good to see 'Sids' on top form: veggies will rule the world one day, mark my words...

Just like in 2005, though, it was all action (perhaps the influence of a proliferation of short-form cricket) and England hit back with 4 wickets of their own before the close. 

The first Test will be all over in 3 days at this rate, but it stands to be a great series. Now, we just need to see some sunshine in Nottingham...

***

Labour Force data today - we're looking to see if the economy can add any jobs or whether the unemployment rate will tick up a notch.

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England dry...

Seriously, how hard are the grounds this summer? England's cricket pitches are as flat as a tack - not to mention as hard as a cat's head. It's like The Oval 1976 relived (not that I was actually born then, but I've seen the videos of Viv Richards, and all that).

I seem to be hitting 'em pretty well, just quietly, but it takes me about a week-and-a-half to recover from a fielding session. 

How on earth anyone plays until they are nearly 40, I'll never know. Practice, I suppose.

A nice little pic from last weekend...

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