A KEEN cricketer is afraid he will miss the opening match of the season because he is stuck 7,000 miles away in the Philippines.
James Huxley, 35, from Hoole, is due to play for Saughall Cricket Club against Heaton Mersey Village on Saturday but was unable to board his flight home last weekend because of the volcanic ash crisis.
James, who is frustrated by the lack of information from airline KLM, joked: “Who is going to provide the big hits without me in the team?”
James, a graphic designer with the tourism and marketing team at Wirral Council, has enjoyed his solo back-packing trip to the Philippines but unhappy to be stuck in the urban jungle of the capital city of Manila, checking the web for updates every few hours.
“As beautiful a country as Philippines is, Manila is not a place I would choose to stay at length. It is very busy, very hot, very enclosed, very noisy and there is permanent traffic.
“I’m staying at a basic hotel which is costing me 1500 pesos per night, about £23. I have contacted my managers, who have been very understanding and sympathetic, which is a big relief.
“At the moment I am living off my credit card but it is expensive and the costs are building up. I do not know the situation regarding extra holiday or insurance – I will worry about that when I get back.
“I find it quite ironic that I’m visiting one of the most volcanic countries in the world and yet my flight is cancelled because of a volcano back in Europe!”
James added: “I’m really looking forward to getting home. Plus I’m craving the roast dinner that my mum has promised me when I get back.
“At the moment though, I don’t know when that is likely to be. Despite the fact that planes are now in the sky, I’m no nearer now to getting a return date than on Sunday when my flight was cancelled.”
