London Olympics 2012

As a sports enthusiast I may be distracted until 12 August when the games end. I'll be attending the last night of the athletics on 11 August. An event that will rank with my attendance at the World Cup Final at Wembley in 1966 when England beat West Germany.

For me the excitement will begin with the Cycling Road Race this Saturday when the Great Britain Team will attempt to help Mark Cavendish win GBs first gold medal. With 4 out of 5 being stage winners at this year's Tour de France including the First and Second placed competitors in the overall Tour - we stand a great chance!

Old soaps and creams

Don't hesitate if you come across old soaps and creams. I was given some Yardley's soap that had remained unopened since given as a gift in the 1960's. It was superb when I used it a couple of years ago. And I'm still working my way through these old Coates creams that have long ago ceased production. Wonderful creams - as good as anything available today. And no deterioration.

And I thought I'd got rid of nearly all my razors! The survivors include: Gillette Twist, Gillette Tech. Gillette New, Shavex, Merkur 38C, Jagger Chatsworth. Lord, Mach 3 and Hydro 5. So I still have a few options. And a lone straight - somewhere.

B S T

Buy, sell or trade. A term seen frequently on shaving forums. If you are looking for a fair deal, either buying selling or trading (swopping) it's well worth checking out shaving forums. But many have restrictions on who can be involved in BST transactions. Don't expect to just turn up and buy or sell. Check out the rules. Many forums require a minimum number of posts and a demonstration that you are an active member of the forum before you are allowed to buy or sell.If you intend to use a forum to promote your goods as a vendor you may need to pay a regular fee.

Shaving forums are great places to find out and exchange information about shaving products. And to buy and sell. But be warned - before you try - check out the rules.

Comb your brushes

I wince when I see some "Shave of the day" photos of bedraggled damp brushes. Not many women would like to be photographed soon after leaving the shower. So after using a brush I shake out the water then lightly run it over a towel before combing through. Sometimes it's a good idea to give a brush a vigorous combing to remove loose hairs. It's quite common for many brushes, including the expensive high end brands, to regularly lose hairs and it's a bit irritating if any turn up on your face while lathering. So selective use of a comb on your brushes is worth doing.

This lovely shavemac 177 has responded well to a recent combing just after I used it. On the other hand are those a couple of loose hairs I've just spotted?

Independence Day shave

I'm really pleased I finally decided to use the old Kent real ivory brush originally made in 1919 and reknotted in the 1970s. It lathered up the Arko superbly (soap sticks stuffed into a mini casserole dish) The Gillette Tech and Bay Rum aftershave made it an old fashioned mix for my Independence Day shave.