WHY is it that hotels in British cities are so hot? This week, I had occasion to go to the fine city of Bristol. The BBC sent me on a course, old dogs and new tricks type of thing, the course I have to say was very good. But the hotel I stayed in was so hot. Why?

In the days of global warming would it not be too much to ask for some air conditioning. Instead, I had a fan on the ceiling, which I decided to start up.

It was like a Spitfire engine firing up, in fact a Spitfire would not have flown with this fan, as it looked as if it would shear off from the ceiling any second and dive on me.

So I had to turn that off, why not open the windows, which I did, in the middle of Bristol, busy street below and group of builders who decide to start knocking down the rest of the city at five in the morning!

As I checked out, the young lady on the desk asked me if there were any problems during my stay. I stated that I was sorry I had not brought my geranium cuttings with me, as they would have flourished in the heat of my room. Sadly, I suspect she was a Latvian and my remarks may have been completely lost on her. Not that the Latvians do not have a sense of humour.

By the time you read this, the last test of the summer will have started, and let's hope England are in the ascendancy.

I love cricket, have played it for more than 40 years, and enjoy it when it becomes something that everyone talks about, cricket on the front page of the papers.

But this summer it has really gone mad, to the point where people who know nothing at all about the game, are suddenly experts comparable with Boycott and Benaud.

Talking of cricket, I had Ritchie Benaud on the show this week as he's done his last commentary in the country. I have always had a high regard for Benaud who seems to be not only a knowledgeable man, but as a very green cricket reporter, I was covering the Aussies at Worcester some years ago, and approached the great man with some trepidation to ask if he would do an interview.

He did, and was superb, putting me at ease and chatting away for a long time about the game, the tourists, the world and anything he thought would be of interest.

So I hope Ritchie enjoys putting his feet up.