ONE ALL

SUNDAY 19th DECEMBER

  It didn't take Australia long to wrap up the third test and make it one all.  I put down the loss to my personal absence from the match, and I'm fully hopeful that my presence in Melbourne will rectify matters.

  Mark did not bother to watch the last rites and went off to Eastwood, where I subsequently joined him.  We did some shopping and then had a snack and noticed black clouds rolling in from the horizon.  The sun disappeared and we just made it back to the residence before the heavens opened.  Robert turned up in the early evening and drove us down into Eastwood, but declined to join us for a meal.  I was glad I wore a jacket as the evening was a bit chilly. We went to Taste Of Shanghai which is allegedly the best chinese restaurant in town.  It was packed and we had to wait some 10 minutes to be seated.  The food was very good and the portions were enormous and we took a doggie bag to take all we couldn't eat.  We really shouldn't have had the starters and the portion of rice would easily have been enough for three people!  Robert met us at the Eastwood for a drink and then drove us back, and enjoyed some of the contents of the doggie bag!  However there is still plenty left.  We adjourned for a relatively early night.  Although the weather is a bit cooler here (24 degrees), I gather that the weather in the UK is really on the chilly side - we saw a figure of -14 quoted for Chesham.  Are you snowed in Jim?  Apparently Heathrow is closed.  Boy am I glad I'm not there!