A GREAT adventure has been undertaken. Mrs Light and I have headed to Barbados. Three days of Test cricket and seven days of sea, sun and sand is an exciting formula.

There is plenty to reflect on especially concerning cricket, both local and national.

Sadly, I missed Forest Green’s play-off games in the hope that they would make the Wembley final without me.

That was not to be, but I will have more to say on that on my return.

I have mixed thoughts about the county club. I had a wonderful send-off at the AGM and there was a surprise presentation. At the same meeting, Earl Bathurst was warmly received as the club’s new patron.

Earlier we had seen an astonishing innings. Martin Guptill, a New Zealand star from the recent World Cup, scored a rapid double century for Derbyshire against Gloucestershire.

His devastating hitting showed why, in limited over cricket, England are way off the pace. English batsmen push safe singles. The words safe and singles are not in Guptill’s vocabulary. He aimed for the car park. Reaching his double century with three successive sixes, he destroyed a very moderate attack. The worrying tendency of our players to drop catches did not help but without doubt this was the best attacking innings I have ever seen. It turned the game.

As the new cricket season gets underway I have one major concern and my thoughts are echoed by David Dunn, veteran of local pitches, coaching sessions and committee meetings. We both have noted the changing nature of the population in many Cotswold villages.

The young families have gone. They cannot afford house prices. In their place are the wealthy retired and weekenders. Cricket players are in short supply.

In my playing days there was at Coates a group of Tugwells, Frapes and Allens all living within a few yards of the ground. Drive up the road and there were a multitude of Messengers at Duntisbourne and a whole team of Partridges at Birdlip.

Getting a place in many teams was a problem, now it is getting enough players to make one.

Bibury are the latest club to have problems. The ground is beautiful, Terry Day and his team provide perfect pitches and it is one of the finest places in England to play, but cricketers are hard to come by.

The village game has always been part of the Cotswold culture. There are now marvellous opportunities to take part and I know the game offers so much.

The ladies of the area are showing the men up as the female game is flourishing and growing. Did I notice the name Dunn featuring in last week’s reports? Poulton beat Cirencester so I suspect that David must be very proud.

What good news there is emerging from Cirencester Boxing Club! Success in Plymouth was followed by more victories at Western Counties level in Cornwall.

Some hard work is obviously being done here by coaches, parents and of course the young boxers themselves.

As a headmaster in Plymouth my school worked closely with the local boxing club. They helped with the personal development of many pupils. Discipline, standards, reliability, confidence and so many other words come under the heading of character building.

This is true of any sport if it is properly undertaken, but the Cirencester club’s exploits gave me fond recollections of how Ford Secondary School and Ford Boxing Club worked happily together.

Let's hope Swindon supporters have fond memories of the forthcoming play-offs, firstly against Sheffield Utd.

They have had a marathon season and now face a three-game sprint. Character in sport is never more evident than in the play-offs. Some players will not measure up. Others will shine. Whatever happens they will be great occasions.