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Hi, Rusty!
Yes, I thought when I last saw Rafa playing, that he looked very "drawn".
I know he has had a wrist injury but perhaps there is more behind it?
His hair also appears to be thinning? so perhaps this makes him look older, too?
BB starts school full-time on September 12th, but goes in for a day the week before to "meet" his teacher, and the other new pupils in the Reception class.
He is very excited!
Yes, Matthew (ten year old Scottish relative) went back to school mid -August, but your schools break up so much earlier in the Summer than do ours.
Our schools do not finish till mid July, and usually go back during the first or second week of September.
Why will there be a scarcity of top riders for the Tour of Britain?

Hello, Elle!
Drawn? What mean you by that?
To me he looks as if he has lost muscle all over.
Unless I saw his name on screen I would not know him.
I have looked at the teams for the Tour and there are 10 WorldTour teams plus 7 British teams, so there should be a bit of quality, more than I thought. I still think it is a second tier event though.
Go online and you can see the route.
I hope BB gets on fine at school!
I plotted to escape from the day I started.
I detested school!
Not proud of it, but that's a fact.

Hi, Rusty!
"Drawn" means (to me) strained, tense, looking ill.
I think your description of Rafa having lost muscle also fits the bill.
I wonder if he has some underlying health problem?
I will look up the route for the Tour of Britain tomorrow, as you suggest.......I shall be interested to see it.
I think I quite enjoyed school on the whole - except exam times!
I did ok, in fact, but never thought beforehand, or during, that I would! - so it was always a stressful time for me!
I didn't have a lot of self - confidence when younger.
You must have started school almost as soon as you moved to Scotland?
I don't suppose that helped... a new school, in a new place.
You must have found it very hard.
Cooler here, I think - we might have a better night's sleep!

Good morning, Elle!
Nadal has had a problem with a wrist, but other than that I've not heard anything else about his health.
I think he looks leaner though.
"Cycling Weekly" is a good site for Tour of Britain.
It is a fine morning here.
Hope it continues!

Good morning, Rusty!
Yes, we have a lovely morning here, too, and a tad fresher than of late, so very pleasant out walking this morning!
I have just looked up the "Cycling Weekly" site.
One or two areas of the Route are familiar.
I know the Lake District well from visits in my "youth"!
Have you been there?
A group of us used to go Youth hostelling in Cumbria - walking and climbing, and rowing on the Lakes!
Goodness, it is many moons now since I last rowed! I wonder if the knack remains?
I shall hopefully get to see other more unfamiliar parts of Britain as the race develops.
I have hung out the washing.......
Time now for a coffee and the crossword........

Good afternoon, Elle!
Beautiful day here!
I am looking forward to the Lakes, and Wales.
Should do well for the scenery, whatever about the cycling!
I've been to the Lakes, but many years ago and that was only for a couple of days.
I remember Cockermouth, too.
Somebody well known lived there?
Wordsworth? Byron?
Anyway, whoever it was, was not there the day I was there.
Is the London stage passing anywhere near you?
And the washing is on the Hill's hoist?
A fine morning's work!

Good afternoon to you, Rusty!
It was William Wordsworth who was born in Cockermouth.
I vaguely remember our staying there once, when our son was about three years old. He is now 38!
It poured with rain all the holiday!
Mostly I know the lower regions of the Lakes....... Keswick, Coniston, Ambleside, Windermere and Kendall.
But mostly from earlier times, before I was married.
As far as I can gather, the end stages of the race in London take place up in town.
Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square ( where the National Gallery and the National Portrait Galley are; you will have heard me mention them many times).
Westminster with Big Ben.....and of course The Mall.
We live at least 10 miles out of London, so no, not coming near us.
It has become very hot again here.... the 'freshness' has disappeared!
Have you been out?

Hello, Elle!
Ah, it was William W!
I knew it was someone of note.
Still a fine day here.
I was sitting outside cleaning shoes.
Heather Watson got beat in New York.
Let us hope there are few crashes in the Tour de Britain.
You don't like them!

Hi, Rusty!
There is a rather strange clue in this morning's Times QC.
8A: Green colour I have noticed on Circle Line (5)
The answer is "olive" = green (def)
O - circle
l - line
ive - I have
Okay so far........ but is this meant to be a reference to the Tube's Circle Line?
Because that is yellow!
Green is the District line.

And I have learned something new from the Times 2 xword........
7D: Towed barge; sandwich
I never knew that a "butty" - (remember chip butties?) - could also be a towed barge!

Good evening, Elle!
I give way to your superior knowledge of Tube Line colours!
But, to me the clue is OK.
The setter is using his wiles to set you off at a tangent.
Olive is the green colour.
The rest of the clue sends you to the answer.
The capital starts to Circle Line are irrelevant, I think.
Just a ruse to confuse you.
And remember, there will be folk doing the puzzle who do not know of the Circle Line, or what colour it may or may not be.
"Butty" is not a word I use. I know it, though.
But, I certainly did not know a butty was a barge!