not near the coast

Pretty obvious why on the outskirts of Stamford the shiny new sports centre and home of the Daniels is called Borderville ... it's maybe just 100 yards from the county border with Rutland.  On Saturday a clash with a children's party in the hall slowed things down but the track was already laid, the bouncy castle soon packed away and NSOs instructed.  A bunch of friends, relatives and potential derbyists got to see a lively ... more here

The Spectrum Leisure Centre Guildford is a warren with an ice rink, swimming pool and of course a bloody Costa Coffee.  Hosts Surrey Roller Girls had a theatrical element to their skate out of which we much approve but then they were rather overwhelmed 423-34 by Rebellion Roller Derby.  Perhaps in that situation more offence than defence because their jammer is just going to keep on lapping until you get your jammer out ... but then what do we know?  Derby name of the day Hunter Stompson (2 clever by 1/2).

Quite a wait for roller derby to arrive in Suffolk, now we're watching out for junior derby in East Anglia.  There's been mutterings at Norfolk Roller Derby and it's reached Kent.

Just off the north bound A12 at Witham is a Co-op petrol station/supermarket that is so usefully open after 4pm on a Sunday ... or it was, it's now being flattened by builders though the Internet seems unaware of this.  Thankfully the burger van is still nearby on working days.

11:04am: Men's world road race in Qatar live on the BBC red button, if Mark Cavendish wins the rainbow jersey he'll be the first person to win a world championship on both the road and track in the same year.

Last month we saw the Saints beat the Colchester Gladiators to win home field advantage.  On the adjacent pitch there was a motor bike show and such a scorcher that the visiting bench briefly run out of water.

Three weeks later we saw Bury beat the Yorkshire Rams 35-00 in the quarter-finals on another roasting day but this time a black van was serving chicken wings ... more here

Before satnavs and in north Essex we stopped to ask the way and were told Go straight on at the T-junction ... how very Suffolk we thought.  This diversion is in Debenham, pic by Tony Hutt.

The announcer got a penalty at Ipswich Cardinals v Essex Spartans American football Sunday.

Six hours of British American football at Colchester Rugby Club Sunday.  A very rewarding tuck stall, a scoreboard (we do find it hard keeping up with the score especially when it's not clear whether a point after at the other end was good or not) and half time entertainment from twirlers carrying as many injuries as a roller derby league.  Hosts Colchester Gladiator's defence started strongly but the very short handed team faded to a 40-00 whitewash from the Bury Saints.  In the second game Kent Exiles came from behind for a 28-14 win over Herts Cheetahs.  Enjoyed it all and thankfully no overtime.