Still hypnotised...

The mood in the air around us changed abruptly yesterday, when one of those teams that kick the ball around lost their match. Apparently this was a very disappointing thing for the country.

But I've found something better on a different TV channel. It involves one person, or sometimes two, at either end of a big patch of grass, hitting a ball over a net with a big flat round thing, often grunting loudly as they do so. The idea, I think, is to place the ball in such a way that the other person can't get to it. Now and then a man sitting to one side says "Fifteen love". (I know what cupboard love is, but still draw a blank on this one.)

This game is more hypnotic than the other one. The ball makes a lovely light 'pock' sound when the players strike it and it goes back
and forth
and back
and forth
and back
and forth
and
oops. Fifteen love.

And they start again.
Forth
and back
and forth
and back
..............