Peter Johnson

🇫🇷 Being reported that Dax’s Noah Nene is going to be called into France’s 42-man Six Nations squad tomorrow! Dax are currently 5th in the PRO D2. The English equivalent would be a Cornish Pjrate being called into Steve Borthwick’s squad. Nene is a 20-year-old centre who has played 12 games and scored 3 tries this season. What a story!

@stephenjones9 That is awfully sad news. Steve and I joined Celtic Press in 1973 and did our NCTJ together . Later , I went broadcasting . But he stayed on to grace the sports pages, a one- man assault on the cliche. A fine writer and a very fine fellow. Condolences .

The worst-news story, which will sadden people through rugby across the world. Steve Bale has lost his battle with illness; only saving grace is that Owen and Lara, who both live in the USA were with him together with Fleur. He wrote beautifully for a galaxy of newspapers, was dearly loved throught the sport and way beyond. My dear mate on decades of touring

@nickwebb2017 Nick .I hope you remonstrated with the bowling side skipper about his oppressive and intimidating close fielding setting.

🏏Finally got out to the middle on a Saturday this season… umpiring 🤷🏻‍♂️

@julieannbarton Hiya J.B. Doing 456 in the mid 80s, I once interviewed a very shirty Roy Hattersley about an anti Labour story in that day's papers. He said this.'Just because it's on the front page of the Daily Mail doesn't mean it's true.' No change there then.....

It’s turning out that everything the Tories and right wing media have been saying is just lies.

@PontypriddRFC Farewell to the very best of men. Stan was a marvellous and genuine companion in my time as reporter and supporter at Sardis. Never failed to ask about the family, always welcomed my daughters Passionate,personable and Ponty to his bootlaces. Thank you Stan .

IN MEMORIAM – STAN THOMAS We are extremely saddened to learn of the recent passing of former player, committeeman, secretary and chairman Stan Thomas 💔 A tribute for Stan, who served the Club with distinction for more than 60 years 🔗👉 ponty.net/in-memoriam-st… 🖤🤍

@RC_Garrioch Rachel, my grandmother who was a teenager then repeated many times when she came home that day there were 'seven empty pairs of boots' in two houses of the family. She had a gift for melodrama, but it was true. All their names are on the monument.

110 years. 439 men lost to coal at Senghennydd.

@garethboxing @mrmarksteel Parkie wrote a lovely spoof sporting almanac for the year ahead in his Sunday Times column announcing the elevation to the peerage of ‘Lord Wooler of Stoke Poges’. Wooler’s response quoted as ;Mr Parkinson should go far. Australia preferably. Which of course he later did !

@mrmarksteel After opposing sporting fixtures with the apartheid regime, he was famously sent a letter, on Glamorgan CCC headed notepaper by county secretary Wilf Wooller, asking him whether "he is or has ever been a member of the Communist Party". Not Glamorgan's finest hour.

Amongst other matters, Michael Parkinson was one of few sports writers in 1968 who opposed apartheid South Africa banning black sports players. And he was a founding member of the Anti-Nazi-League. And he did an insurance advert that offered a free pen. Bless him all round.

Wow .What a treat . Expecting Simon Reeve in the Med on BBC 2 , but got the repeat of The BBC Wales Works Band and the wonderful veteran (3 yrs older than me ) Tadaaki Otaka doing Beethoven's 5th and more at the Proms . Truly splendigedig ....

@jamesenglish0 Hopeless quest. Personal bias and rates of participation of individual sport involved . Stats do not tell the whole story. Football athletics and tennis as global sports suggest names . But the inescapable minority elephant on the doorstep is The Don. Bradman for me.

Who’s the greatest sportsman of all time????

In this month of anniversaries, 75 yrs of NHS etc, I have just had an email about one which had escaped my attention. The University of Exeter congratulated me on becoming a politics graduate 50 yrs ago this week . Like most of what I learned , I'd forgotten it.

Two historic events today. Unseeded woman wins Wimbledon singles title. And more unlikely my wife, 42 year NHS veteran, senior nurse cardiac care, nursing officer intensive care and all round Nightingale, watched Casualty for the first time this century.

@markhutchings1 Sounds like the ever sympathetic style of John 'Capability 'Humphries to me .Chris Stuart reviewed a production of Waiting for Godot .As the copy came in,J.H. grabbed the phone." What do you mean nothing happened. You've been out of the office for 2 hours."

@markhutchings1 Well Hutch I commend you to a possible twin town. Hell. It’s in the Virgin Islands. Tim Richards sent me a postcard from there 30 years ago.

@lookoutwales2 @MattRosser @PoppyDog08 @BBCRadioWales Well well Gareth. No one has seen that for decades. It was March 1988.Chris went to Radio 2 and I sat in for 6 months - which turned into 12 years. In a rare gesture of thanks the Beeb later gave me the artwork ... Lovely

@MattRosser @PoppyDog08 One from the 'lost @BBCRadioWales promos' files (c.1988) Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus! @Peearrjay

@markhutchings1 How about 'sensible' Mark?

@philsteele1 @BBCRadioWales @IndigoPrem And I'll be there about 2,15 Phil. 😀

I’ll be there now in a minute - for @BBCRadioWales updates and @IndigoPrem roundup. #LoveClubRugby

@tasminlittle So right Tasmin. I did foreign languages and English at A level. But Maths was a foreign language to me. Failed three times at O level, with consistency- Grade 8 .

I was never good at maths and just scraped an O level. Two more years of the subject would have done my head in, taken me away from developing my other talents and been an utterly depressing waste of time.

@markhutchings1 You're right Mark. Young Aled and I did a lot of our London training courses together light years ago. Funny kind and smiling and like his Dad T Glynne, a class act.Fond memories of ordering in Welsh in an Irish pub in Shepherd's Bush, where the barman thought Aled was Polish.

@ApsmRugby Terrific stuff. I've never seen match footage of the Kiwis tour before. Is there any more to be had APSM ? My father played against them twice for Newport and Monmouthshire, a draw and a win , lots of newsprint hand , but no moving pictures. I wonder?

1945 Swansea RFC vs New Zealand Expeditionary Force St Helens Ground, Swansea

@carolyn_hitt Thinking of you and the family today Carolyn. Bill was an absolute pleasure to know and great company. Sad news about a fine man. Love and best wishes Pete and Jean Johnson.