Separated at birth

We saw the Third Place play off this evening - Germany vs Portugal. Good result! I think we are both rooting for France tomorrow, but I will actually be in Malta by the time of kick-off, and I suspect that given historically close ties between Malta and Italy, I will probably be in the minority and so should best watch the match in my hotel room. It was 32 degrees today in Malta today. A tad warm for BW I have to say, but I'll try not to be a wilting flower all next week. Hope to blog from there, but who knows.

And no, I'm not on holiday. Will be very very busy.

Anyway, returning to the football, further similarities emerged between a certain player who got his chance tonight because of the 'generosity' of a fellow squad member and a certain fairly famous "knight of the realm". See it for yourselves.

On another matter, I didn't report on the fact that Sakchai Makao, the Thai facing deportation from the Shetlands, had been given bail in the context of the deportation proceedings against him (under the "clear 'em out" initiative aimed at former foreign prisoners by the beleaguered Home Office). That was already good news. Even better news is that the deportation proceedings themselves have now been dismissed by a three judge panel sitting in the North East of England, and Makao has now returned home to Shetland for good. All I can hope is that there have not been similar cases to Makao's which have gone unnoticed because the beneficiaries of the Home Office's attention have not been part of such a close community, willing and able to mobilise effectively to defend one of their own.

And since you insist on asking, yes, my hat is very well thank you very much. It is currently residing on top of the bookcase. I cannot predict when its next outing might be. It could, I suppose, be a while.