I love the idea of book crossing although it might seem a bit stupid. My Mrs is always going on at me to get rid of some books as she reckons we don't have space for more bookshelves. Well, although it seems to be a U.S thing, I'm going to register and give it a go, see what happens. I will leave some of my Laurence Shames books at St Andrews come the new season hoping they will find a deserving home.



"Le Tour" starts on Saturday. The greatest and most arduous sporting event there is. It has something for everyone, beautiful photography, bucolic images of France, mad and dangerous mass sprints, the solitary suffering of racing against the clock in time trials and the glorious savagery of the mountain stages, not to mention the gut churning descents. And that's just watching.
Two recent articles in the Guardian by William Fotheringham provide a brilliant overview of what it's all about.
The first is really a travellogue; an account of the author undertaking a stage, along with thousands of others. The second is an interesting account of the infamous Ventoux stage and the death of Tom Simpson.

Play battleships