Just a quick post tonight, as the usual writing time was spent entertaining. We had Howard over to dinner. We were hoping his husband Gordi could make it as well, but he hurt his back and could not make it. Hope you’re feeing better soon, Gordi.

Today I dragged Paula into downtown Rugby, which she was delighted to find had lots of thrift stores (UK: charity shops). We also visited the William Webb Ellis Rugby Museum. This is a museum owned by Gilbert’s, makers of rugby balls since 1842. In most museums the exit is via the gift shop, but in this one the you had to enter and exit through the store, which had more floor area than the museum. Here’s Exhibit A, the oldest rugby ball in existence.

It dates from 1851, when it won a prize in the Great Exhibition. I guess people were more easily impressed back then. The leather is pigskin. Originally the inner lining was a pig’s bladder and the ball was inflated by lung power, but these days a rubber lining and a pump are used… yet there are still people who say there is no such thing as progress.