31/07/2026
Kevin Misell’s Birthday Tour 2026 – The Final Chapter
Every Journey Has a Story… This One Had Hundreds. 🇫🇷🏏🚐
Every great tour has to come to an end.
Unfortunately for us, ours decided it wasn’t quite finished with us yet…
The Early Start
The alarms began sounding between 4:00am and 4:30am, and before long sleepy figures emerged from their rooms, dragging suitcases behind them with eyes that definitely weren’t ready for another long day of travelling.
One final coffee.
One last look around the villa.
Then came one of the loveliest moments of the entire week.
Our wonderful hosts were also awake at 4:00am, making the effort to come across and wish us all a safe journey home. It was such a thoughtful gesture and perfectly summed up the warmth and kindness we’d experienced throughout our stay in France.
With the rubbish removed, recycling sorted and the villa left spotless, it was time to load the vehicles one final time.
Packing… Tetris Style
Loading the minibus had become an art form.
Every cricket bag.
Every suitcase.
Every souvenir.
Everything had its exact place.
Barry & David somehow managed to squeeze every last bag into the minibus with millimetre precision, leaving just enough room for eleven very tired passengers.
Nobody was complaining.
Within minutes of leaving, heads were resting against windows and the vast majority of the team were fast asleep as Barry and David pointed the convoy north towards Nantes Airport.
Farewell to the Team
The drive passed quickly, helped by the peaceful silence of a bus full of exhausted cricketers.
At Nantes Airport it was time for the first goodbyes.
One by one the players checked in, before disappearing through security to catch their flights back to the UK.
We’re delighted to say they all landed home safely, bringing their part of the adventure to a successful close.
For Barry and David, however…
The journey was only just beginning.
Through the Loire Valley
With the players safely airborne, the road trip continued east through the spectacular Loire Valley.
A stop at the magnificent Château de Saumur was simply too good to miss. Sitting high above the River Loire, the castle offered breathtaking views across the valley and was the perfect place to stretch the legs and enjoy one final slice of French history.
Lunch followed at a charming riverside café before continuing to Saint-Pierre to collect David’s family and the boys for the final drive north towards Dieppe.
Everything was running perfectly.
Until…
One Final Plot Twist…
With just 100 kilometres remaining before Dieppe, the minibus finally cried enough.
After hundreds of miles across Britain and France, our faithful transport broke down.
The ferry was missed.
Recovery had to be arranged.
A hotel booked in Evreux.
And, as this final blog is being written, Barry, David and the family are still in France, waiting for the bus to be recovered and hoping to secure a place on the ferry back home at some point - one thing about France, nobody is ever in a rush…….
It wasn’t how we imagined ending the tour.
But somehow…
It feels like the perfect ending to a week that refused to be ordinary.
⸻
The Final Reflection – France 2026 🇫🇷🏏
What started as a birthday celebration became so much more.
Over the course of a week we travelled hundreds of miles, played cricket in stunning surroundings, explored medieval towns, emptied French bakeries of croissants, cooled off with endless pool cricket, celebrated milestone birthdays and created friendships and memories that will last a lifetime.
We’ll remember Mark’s huge sixes, Mackenzie’s outstanding captaincy, Barry’s refusal to use air conditioning in the name of fuel economy, David somehow always finding a glass of local wine and, of course… Zain.
From the world’s slowest breakfast toastie and the wrong train ticket to a week’s worth of swimming lessons that ended with him receiving a pair of Finding Nemo baby swim shorts, he kept the entire tour laughing from start to finish.
We’ll remember the incredible hospitality at St Aulaye and Eyliac, the stunning French countryside, late-night swims, BBQs, birthday celebrations and the conversations around the table long after the cricket had finished.
Even breaking down just 100 kilometres from the ferry somehow became another story we’ll be laughing about for years.
Because that’s what touring is really about.
It’s not about the scores.
It’s about the stories.
It’s about the people.
It’s about creating memories you’ll never forget.
Fancy joining us next year?
If reading this has made you smile, imagine living it.
Whether you’re an experienced cricketer or simply fancy a few unforgettable days of cricket, sightseeing, great food, brilliant company and plenty of laughs, we’d love to have you with us.
France 2027 is already in the planning.
Come and make your own memories…
Just be quick if you want a croissant. 🇫🇷🏏🍷🚐
