Hockey

No, not ice hockey- field hockey! We were trained at the naval college to be able to play a wide variety of sports, because when we were "showing the flag" around the world to expatriate Brits, we would often engage in an informal game. I can only actually remember one game of hockey, and I don't think I distinguished myself in anyway. However, I do remember that one would not need a playing field of grass: field hockey could be played on any reasonably level pitch. I don't remember that we ever brought our own hockey sticks with us, instead relying on borrowed equipment.

Croquet

It has been many years since I last played croquet. A sport in which I performed quite well. Some croquet players indulge in a practice I deplore. When they succeed in striking their ball to touch an opponents, they pick up their ball, place it next to the one they have hit, and plant a foot on their own ball while striking it hard enough to send the other ball a long distance away. This eliminates the skillful tactic of sending the other ball far away, without picking up one's own ball. One advantage of croquet is that it can be successfully played on a small lawn, perhaps as small as a quarter of the space between the lines of the tennis court. We no longer have any of the equipment: mallets, balls, hoops, and the stick which is the final target in the classic form of the game. I miss it all.

The Four Seasons?

It amuses me when someone writes that a certain day is the "official" first day of summer Who is the official who ordains this? I have never understood why (in the USA, at least) Midsummer Day is considered the first day of the summer season. In the northern hemisphere, for example, Spring arises earlier in Italy than in Norway To me, seasons are not governed by the calendar. "Spring will be a little late this year" shows the better usage. Tulips and daffodils, for instance, don't make their appearance on a given calendar day. I like that cheeky ribald rhyme, which goes like this: Hooray, Hooray, the First of May: Outdoor (bonking) begins today!

Encounter: Peter Kelly

I met Peter Kelly through Ed Howell and for many years, we were close friends. At the time, in the early 80s, he was finance chair of the DNC. He served as senior political advisor to Al Gore, Bill Clinton, and John Kerry. As a lawyer, he was an active lobbyist, particularly interested in international relations. His home was in Hartford, CT, but he also had a second home at the mouth of the Connecticut River. Barbara and I were invited there for a meal, and he had forgotten to tell his wife, which caused some embarrassment when we arrived.

Encounter: Keith Murray

When I went back to Oxford in 1949, Keith Murray was the director of Lincoln College. He had an unusual career, in that he had begun his association with the college (at the time one of Oxford's poorest) as Bursar. It is most unusual for someone whose university career begins in looking after the finances, and ends up being elected as the Head of the college. Keith was an agronomist who received a Commonwealth Fund Fellowship to spend three years at Cornell, where he obtained his PhD. In 1953, after retiring from the Rectorship of England, Keith was appointed chairman of the university grants committee. He had a distinguished career in various fields until his death in 1993 at the age of ninety.

Gluten

It was common knowledge years ago that those suffering from celiac disease needed to have gluten-free food. It seems that calling for gluten-free food has become fashionable, even for those whom have never suffered from celiac disease. I know of several people who insist on gluten-free food and say that they "feel much better" by eliminating gluten from their diet. Is this just a fad? Personally, I do not have a problem with gluten, or with eating gluten-free alternatives. I can't readily taste the difference.

Encounter: Sir Maurice Shock

Sir Maurice Shock became the Rector of Lincoln College in 1987, and we became good friends in the annual visits that Barbara and I were making to the UK in those years. Maurice had been knighted when he was Vice-Chancellor at the University of Leicester. (In the British system, the Chancellor is usually a figurehead, and the Vice-Chancellor is the effective academic head of the university.) On one occasion, Barbara and I stayed with Maurice and his wife at the Rector's lodgings, quite a privilege. Maurice visited us in Berkeley one year