....but I also remember reading 15/20 years ago about Frances Black, sister of Mary, opening up on an Irish talkshow about her struggles with alcohol.
   Then she explained what she drank and, though I cannot remember the detail, it seemed positively abstinent by comparison with what was consumed in the circles - journalism, folk music, football - that I moved in.

Tony certainly drank for Yorkshire the night he doubled up with Christy at my club, but Ireland gave a pretty good account of itself as well (leaving this Durham lad, well-oiled though he was too, feeling like a cissy). That would have been 1970 or 1971.

We'd already had Hamish Imlach, Guest.zig, and while he also sank quite a bit, I remember his stay mostly - apart from how brilliant he was - for the moment when he leaned forward on a table at home and accidentally pushed it down on to its side at 45 degrees. He was heavy lad. But he was such a gent that he could have smashed the table in two and still charmed my mum.