So I might need this money.""Have you got a wallet?""Yes.""The muggers will take your wallet They won't worry with your change. Let me look after it for you..."I decided to try another tack."I am following the government directive asking us not to give to beggars but to donate to a charity.""I know about this directive," said the man on the pavement. "And since you heard about it, have you given to a charity instead of to a beggar?""No," I admitted."Then I think I can help you," said the beggar. "For I have listened to that very same directive and I have become an agent for half a dozen national charities. You may donate directly to me and I will handle the donation for you.""Can you handle donations to Shelter?" I said."One of my favourites," he said.I got out my chequebook and pen."Not cheques," he said."Not cheques?" I said."We prefer cash," he said."We?" I said."Me and Shelter," he said.
"An in-house study by me and Shelter has shown that cheques lead to too much bureaucracy and paperwork. Cash can be activated immediately.""You mean that you'll spend it straightaway?""We prefer to say 'put the cash to work' rather than 'spend it', but, yes, that's the idea."I put my hand in my pocket. All I could find was a bunch of keys jammed in the opening of a small, new hole in my pocket Any change I had must have fallen through it. I became aware of a cold sensation against my foot."Just a moment," I said, and took my shoe off Inside there was a pound coin and a 50p coin I offered them to him He hesitated."It won't smell," I said. "Socks fresh on this week.""It's not that I'm worried about," he said. "It's just that anyone who has to keep his cash in his shoe must be worse off than I am.
Look..."And he handed back the 50p coin, keeping the £1 for himself. More from Miles Kington. Senior Sport England officials have admitted that the 2005 World Championships may not take place in London if Pickett's Lock does not meet necessary requirements. Senior Sport England officials have admitted that the 2005 World Championships may not take place in London if Pickett's Lock does not meet necessary requirements. The government-backed Lottery funders yesterday agreed to spend £1.3m on a feasibility study to determine whether the north London site has the potential to host the event, with a further £1.4m to follow if the first stage proves successful.Sport England is now likely to defer a decision on whether to release the developers of the "new" Wembley from a clause in their contract - which requires the stadium to be made available for athletics and Olympic events - until the Pickett's Lock study is complete.There are concerns as to whether Pickett's Lock can actually hold a stadium and whether the £60m earmarked for the development represents value for money. So far, its only confirmed uses are for the 2005 Championships and for the finish of the London Marathon."If Pickett's Lock is not a runner, the 2005 Games might not go ahead," admitted Sport England's senior vice-chairman, Des Wilson. "If there is a problem, we will have to face it when it happens."Even if the Pickett's Lock and Wembley schemes are completed, London will still not have a stadium capable of hosting an Olympic Games..
Jon Royce, the Great Britain Women's Olympic coach, has broken his silence over the team's disappointing display in Sydney. In a statement released on the eve of today's meeting of the players and staff involved in the Games, Royce said: "Nobody was more disappointed than me in finishing eighth in the Olympics." Jon Royce, the Great Britain Women's Olympic coach, has broken his silence over the team's disappointing display in Sydney. In a statement released on the eve of today's meeting of the players and staff involved in the Games, Royce said: "Nobody was more disappointed than me in finishing eighth in the Olympics." Royce contrasts the success of the squad's build-up to Sydney - when Britain achieved the best set of results leading up to any other Games - with failure to reach the semi-final stage for the first time However, Royce has no intention of resigning "I don't quit when things get tough," he said. "Provided our deliberations over the next couple of days concentrate on fixing the problem rather than the blame, I would like to build on the experience."With both the women's and men's head coach posts being advertised in the next few days and the men's coach, Barry Dancer, on his way home to coach Australia, Royce may emerge as his successor.EHA CUP FOURTH ROUND DRAW: Beeston v Northampton Saints; Belper v Firebrands; Bournville v Reading; Brooklands v Old Georgians; Cannock v Pelicans; Canterbury v City of York; Chelmsford v Blueharts; City of Portsmouth v Bath Buccaneers; Hounslow & Ealing v Teddington; Nottingham v Peterborough Town; Old Loughtonians v Ipswich; Oxford Univ. v Old de Ferrians; Robinsons v Surbiton; Shrewsbury v Guildford; Southgate v Bowdon; St Albans v Lewes.Ties to be played on 26 November. After much speculation, Evander Holyfield has finally agreed to a fight in Beijing, according to a mainland Chinese promoter who said today he hopes Holyfield's opponent will be John Ruiz. After much speculation, Evander Holyfield has finally agreed to a fight in Beijing, according to a mainland Chinese promoter who said today he hopes Holyfield's opponent will be John Ruiz. Great Wall International Sports Media Co Ltd.
director Niu Li-xin said he reached the deal Friday with Jim Thomas, Holyfield's manager, in Los Angeles, confirming Holyfield will come to China next year.Niu told The Associated Press the match should be held sometime between February and June.The event will feature six other boxers from all over the world, in a high-profile show intended to help China boost its chances of hosting the 2008 Olympics, Niu said.Niu declined to disclose how much Holyfield will be paid or to identify the other boxers, but said promoters will get at least US $20 million to be handed out to the eight fighters.Holyfield, the three-time heavyweight champion, has said he wants to recover his undisputed title, lost to Lennox Lewis in 1999, and then retire.Great Wall, based in Beijing, has said it will shoulder about 10 percent of the fight's U.S dlrs 40 million costs.. The confrontation between Cardiff Devils and London Knights ended with five players ejected at the IceHouse. Cardiff's Ian McIntyre, Frank Evans and Mike Ware were all sent off, along with London's Claude Jutras and Rich Bronilla as the two teams racked up a staggering 282 penalty minutes, 19 short of the Sekonda Superleague record. The confrontation between Cardiff Devils and London Knights ended with five players ejected at the IceHouse. Cardiff's Ian McIntyre, Frank Evans and Mike Ware were all sent off, along with London's Claude Jutras and Rich Bronilla as the two teams racked up a staggering 282 penalty minutes, 19 short of the Sekonda Superleague record. The referee, Andy Carson, struggled to keep control, and had to bring an end to the second period - in which 192 penalty minutes were awarded - 75 seconds early as players from both sides slugged it out.In between the mayhem a game broke out, Cardiff winning 4-2 to claim a seventh successive league victory over London, who suffered a third straight defeat.